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ocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America addresses gender dysphoria, and pays special attention to Interventions for fertility preservation among gender dysphoric individuals.Epidemiologists believe that 0.002 to 0.0003% of adult natal males and 0.005 to 0.014% of natal adult females have gender dysphoria. Understandably, these individuals frequently have comorbid mental health problems.The United States Endocrine Society has developed the most widely accepted treatment guidelines for gender dysphoria. Phase 1 of treatment consists of completely reversible interventions. Since treatment involves high doses of hormones, there are concerns about bone mineralization and height. The cost of therapy can be out of the patient's reach, and this article discusses alternatives by cost.Later, individuals may consider partially reversible interventions. Eventually, individuals may consider the irreversible interventions that refine their appearance. In the United States, these are not usually offered to individuals who haven't reached the age of majority. Usually, surgeons insist that the candidate has lived as his or her preferred gender and taken hormones for 1 year.As treatment progresses, patients face irreversible loss of future reproductive potential. The guidelines recommend that clinicians counsel individuals about their options to preserve their ability to have genetically-related children as adults (e.g. cryopreservation of gametes and gonadal tissue banking). This conversation must start when individuals start GnRH analogues, as GnRH analogues delay fertility. Options differ for male-to-female and female-to-male conversions.Gender dysphoric individuals benefit tremendously from gender reassignment treatment. Gender dysphoria is more than just a diagnosis. It's a lengthy transition with many concerns that go beyond the immediate change.Spread the love
The city of Chicago saw a staggering number of homicides last year, with over 760 murders in 2016. President Trump is combatting the problem by following in Obama’s footsteps, and ramping up the confiscation of “illegal” guns—and he’s using the federal government for assistance.
The Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force is now made up of both Chicago police and 20 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Because the federal agents bring their technology and weapons with them, the city now has access to a van outfitted with ballistic testing equipment, specifically devoted to targeting “illegal” guns and repeat gun offenders.
During a news conference on June 30, acting U.S. Attorney Joel Levin said prosecutors are working on increasing federal gun prosecutions, and his office has prosecuted “more federal gun cases this year than in all of 2016—and in 2016, his office prosecuted more such cases than it had in a decade.”
As the homicide rate skyrocketed in summer 2016, Chicago police claim they seized nearly 6,000 guns—making the average rate one gun seizure per every 59 minutes. This practice is nothing new, as a report on the gun confiscations in Chicago revealed that in 2012, police seized 7,624 guns, which was more per capita than New York City and Los Angeles… combined.
All of the guns Chicago police are confiscating are defined as “illegal guns,” and it raises the question—what exactly is it that makes these guns, and their owners, illegal? As with many things that are prohibited in the United States, the guns are illegal because the government says they are illegal.
“If you had some guns in that club the night that this took place, if you had guns on the other side, you wouldn’t have had the tragedy that you had,” Trump said in a CNN interview after last year’s tragic shooting in Orlando, noting that only good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns. With the thousands of gun confiscations taking place in Illinois, there are undoubtedly good people losing their means of self-defense to Trump’s gun confiscating army.
Trump has even made note that the strict gun laws in Chicago do nothing to stop gun violence as bad guys will always find ways to get guns.
The most stringent gun laws in the U.S. happen to be in Chicago – and look what is happening there! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2014
While Illinois doesn’t actually have the toughest gun laws, it is known for having some of the strictest gun laws in the U.S., and it is currently ranked 8th out of all 50 states on the “Gun Law State Scorecard” created by the pro-gun control Law Center to Prevent Violence.
That ranking is largely due to the requirement for all gun owners in the state to obtain a “Firearm Owners Identification Card” or FOID card from state police. Illinois then passed a law in August 2016, making it a felony for anyone to so much as bring a gun into the state for the purpose of selling, delivering or transferring it, without a FOID card.
Based on a Tweet from President Trump on June 30, in which he said, “Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help,” one might think that this was his plan all along.
Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2017
However, as pointed out above, it should be noted that—as with many things—Trump had vastly different sentiments toward gun violence in Chicago when he was on the campaign trail. During a debate against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, on Oct. 19, 2016, Trump criticized the amount of gun violence in Chicago, despite the strict laws.
“In Chicago, which has the toughest gun laws in the United States, probably you could say by far, they have more gun violence than any other city. So we have the toughest laws, and you have tremendous gun violence,” Trump said. “I am a very strong supporter of the Second Amendment.”
As The Free Thought Project reported in August 2015, one group of Chicago moms combatted the level of violence by taking to the streets, and helping those in need. As a result, violence began declining in one of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
The current tactics used by Chicago police, including the mass confiscation of guns, have been ongoing for years, and even though thousands of guns are confiscated each year, the number of homicides continues to climb. While the addition of the federal government’s agents and their equipment will certainly increase the number of gun confiscations, it will also likely increase the death toll, raising the question of when city and state officials will start looking at the root of the problem, and stop increasing the power of the police state.An anti-LGBT activist writing for Alan Keyes’s Renew America this weekend called gay adoption “a crime against humanity” that must be stopped.
“If, as a society, we claim to truly be against the abuse and harm of our children, then we have a moral responsibility to keep them out of the hands of gay couples, whether ‘married’ or not,” Tim Dunkin of Conservative Underground wrote. “Don’t let perverts corrupt our kids while trying to live out an impossible fantasy.”
But he wasn’t done there. He went on to insist that “handing children over to gays to be raised” is actually “worse” than “locking them in hot cars for hours on end,” writing that no society should “allow gays to ‘recruit’ children into the constellation of ‘queer’ lifestyles.”
Along with gay “marriage,” the adoption of children by homosexual couples is fast becoming one of the foremost elements of the radical homosexualist agenda to be judicially imposed upon this country. As this country ramps up its efforts to corrupt and degrade the innocence of our children, judges have been forcing us – against the wills of often times large majorities of the people in the states – to allow sodomites to adopt children. The purpose for this, as is apparent to pretty much any clear minded observer, is to allow gays to “recruit” children into the constellation of “queer” lifestyles since they are unable to have children by natural means. As a result, they are seeking to draw in children into lifestyles that are completely contrary to natural law and to its Author, God.
…
America today plays host to a myriad of alternative lifestyles in the LGBTQ-whatever-else alliance. While they each represent a slightly different mode of perversion, they all represent the same basic, overall point – the rejection of nature and right reason and the willing choice to subvert and undermine the established natural order that God ordained at the very beginning. Yet, no amount of surgery, hormone therapy, and brainwashing can really change what came into this world naturally – regardless of how self-deluded those participating in this type of abuse may be. Think about it – if this were in any way even close to being according to nature, you wouldn’t need surgery, hormone therapy, and brainwashing to try to make it happen.
Let’s face it – handing children over to gays to be raised is as much abuse as is locking them in hot cars for hours on end. In fact, it’s even worse – you can rescue a child from a car and make sure it never happens to him or her again, but once you start yielding to the fallacies that facilitate gay adoption and start allowing judges to force it into place via judicial fiat, you are handing children over to on-going, endemic abuse that will last for the next 18 years. That is a crime against humanity, and no sane society would do this. If the stories I’ve seen and read about the way many kids are “raised” by gay “parents” are any indication, a child caught up in this is in for a long, miserable, hellish ride. If, as a society, we claim to truly be against the abuse and harm of our children, then we have a moral responsibility to keep them out of the hands of gay couples, whether “married” or not. Let boys be boys and girls be girls. Don’t let perverts corrupt our kids while trying to live out an impossible fantasy.(CNN) A few years ago, Glyzelle Palomar was begging for food on the streets of northern Manila. This week, the 12-year-old girl was on a stage in front of tens of thousands of people, asking Pope Francis why God lets children suffer.
"There are many children neglected by their own parents," Glyzelle said Sunday at a ceremony at a 400-year-old Catholic university in Manila. "There are also many who became victims and many terrible things happened to them like drugs or prostitution."
"Why is God allowing such things to happen, even if it is not the fault of the children?" she asked the Pope, breaking down into tears as she spoke.
Living off 'what I can find in the garbage'
Another former street child, Jun Chura, told Pope Francis about his struggle to survive without a home.
"I was feeding myself with what I can find in the garbage," said Jun, 14. "I did not know where to go, and I was sleeping on the sidewalk."
Pope Francis hugging two former street children at a ceremony in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday.
"When I was in the street, I witness also things I don't like, terrible things that happened to my companions in the street," Jun said. "I saw that they were taught how to steal, to kill also, and they have no respect anymore for the adults."
Pope Francis responded to Glyzelle's question and Jun's testimony by giving the two children a big hug.
"She is the only one who has put a question for which there is no answer and she wasn't even able to express it in words but in tears," the 78-year-old Pope told the crowd.
'The terrible things that can happen in the street'
Glyzelle and Jun are both in the care of Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, a non-governmental organization that looks after Manila's street children.
The foundation came across Glyzelle and her older sister a few years ago, said Alexandra Chapeleau, the group's communication manager.
Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis bids goodbye as he leaves Villamor Airbase for Rome on January 19 in Manila. Pope Francis has ended his five- day visit to the Philippines. The visit attracted millions as Filipino Catholics flocked to catch a glimpse of the leader of the Catholic Church. It was the first visit by a pope to the country since 1995. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis kisses a boy in the crowd during a motorcade on January 18 in Manila. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis greets people and blesses their religious icons as he arrives to celebrate a mass at a park in Manila on January 18. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines The Pope prays in front of a cross during his visit to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on January 18. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Millions brave the falling rain as they fill Rizal Park and the surrounding area in Manilla on January 18 to hear Pope Francis celebrate mass. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis points at the statue of Jesus during his speech as he celebrates a mass in Tacloban, on Saturday, January 17. A rain-drenched but lively crowd wearing yellow and white raincoats welcomed Pope Francis to the typhoon-ravaged central city of Tacloban, chanting "Papa Francesco, Viva il Papa!" Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pilgrims sit through heavy rain and high winds as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis at Tacloban Airport on January 17. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis waves to the faithful upon his arrival in Manila, Philippines, on Thursday, January 15. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Well-wishers use their cell phones to try to capture the arrival of Pope Francis in Manila on January 15. In the Philippines, 80% of the population is Catholic. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Pope Francis waves to the crowd with Philippine President Benigno Aquino upon his arrival in the Philippines on January 15 in Manila, Philippines. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Crowds gather at the Malade area awaiting Pope Francis' arrival on January 15 in Manila, Philippines. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Young boys dressed as Swiss Guards rehearse at the steps of the Manila Cathedral ahead of the papal visit to the area on January 14. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Police line a road in Tacloban, Leyte as they rehearse security procedures ahead of the visit of Pope Francis on January 14. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Youth and students throw colored powder in the air at the start of the countdown to welcome Pope Francis, on January 14 in Manila, Philippines. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Forty elderly passengers wait to board their connecting flight to the Philippines at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan on January 14. The elderly passengers, mostly Filipino, embarked on the long journey to the Philippines from the US and Canada in hopes of catching a glimpse of Pope Francis during his five day visit, a part of his Asia tour. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Filipinos buy commemorative stamps featuring Pope Francis on January 8. They were released as a tribute to the pontiff who will visit the predominantly Catholic nation from January 15 - 19. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: Pope Francis in the Philippines Parish priests look at a montage of paintings of Pope Francis adorning a section of Manila Cathedral on January 7 in Manila, Philippines. Hide Caption 17 of 17
The girls had left home -- where their impoverished parents were unable to support them or get them an education -- and were fending for themselves on the street, she said.
They first attended one of the foundation's drop-in centers before moving into a residential facility and starting to attend school. In November, their younger brother joined them at the foundation.
Glyzelle is still in touch with her mother and goes home to see her at Christmas, Chapeleau said.
The foundation's center where Glyzelle lives is home to about 40 other former street children.
"Most of them are victims of the terrible things that can happen in the street," including physical and sexual abuse, Chapeleau said.
'We need to see each child as a gift'
But Glyzelle's tears in front of the Pope on Sunday were apparently prompted by the intensity of the moment, not because of her own experiences.
She asked the question "on behalf of all the children we take care of," not because of "something personal regarding her own story," Chapeleau said.
The Pope touched on the street children theme again later Sunday when he celebrated Mass in a Manila park with millions of people, despite the soaking rain.
"We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected," he told the enormous crowd. "And we need to care for our young, not allowing them to be condemned to a life on the streets."
'I realized that not all people have no heart'
The Pope had visited the center where Glyzelle and others live on Friday after celebrating Mass at Manila Cathedral, and reportedly said he was "very moved" by what he saw.
There are estimated to be more than 1.5 million street children in the Philippines, about 70,000 of them in the Manila metropolitan area, according to the He Cares Foundation, another group that cares for them.
In his account, Jun described seeing some of his friends sniffing glue and taking other drugs. He said he learned to be wary of adults offering money or help because it was often a trap to exploit the children.
He initially declined an offer of support from Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation but later found out that the organization was genuinely trying to help him.
"I realized that not all people have no heart," he said.
Storm shortens Tacloban visit
The Pope left the Philippines on Monday, waving as he boarded his plane at the end of an Asia trip that also included time in Sri Lanka.
In the first visit by a Pope to the predominantly Catholic Philippines in 20 years, Francis paid a visit to Tacloban, the city ravaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
Francis had to cut short his time there at the weekend because of the approach of another typhoon.
But it didn't stop him from donning a slicker to celebrate Mass in Tacloban on Saturday for hundreds of thousands who gathered despite the stormy weather.An internal RCMP investigation looking into the off-hours activities of a Mountie allegedly involved in sado-masochistic behaviour would appear to have two central questions to answer: Are the Internet images purporting to show Corporal Jim Brown in a number of disturbing S&M scenes actually him, and, if so, is the officer's conduct enough to warrant severe disciplinary action, including dismissal?
The matter is the latest controversy to rock the force in B.C., where scandals involving the Mounties have become regular fare. And it's also where the public has become used to seeing dishonourable conduct by officers go virtually unpunished.
Some think this latest imbroglio is too embarrassing and potentially damaging for the force to deal with in its usual fashion.
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It exploded earlier this week when the Vancouver Sun revealed that images posted on a website allegedly showed Cpl. Brown in a number of bondage and torture poses with a woman, including some involving a large butcher knife. But the matter became muddled on Friday when a local erotica organization said the most controversial images linked to the officer were not, in fact, him but someone else. (The B.C. RCMP refused to comment on developments Friday, saying there is an investigation under way).
From the pictures, it's not completely clear. There are some photos showing a man wearing a kilt and knee-high boots, resembling ones worn by Mounties, acting out what would be considered mild S&M scenes with a naked woman. There seems to be little dispute that the person in these shots is Cpl. Brown.
But given that the outrage the story has produced has been mostly generated by Cpl. Brown's association with the most sickening of the images, it would seem that the first matter RCMP investigators need to address is whether the man in those particular photos is the officer in question.
The RCMP has admitted that it found "some graphic staged photographs" on a memory stick belonging to Cpl. Brown in December 2010. At the time, nothing was done because the commanding officer of the Coquitlam detachment did not believe they met the terms of what is considered a code-of-conduct violation.
The most recent investigation was prompted by a woman's complaint about the S&M images on the Internet alleged to involve Cpl. Brown.
But what were the photos that were originally discovered? Did they involve Cpl. Brown? Even if they didn't, does the RCMP want a male officer on its force who would associate himself with this type of activity?
Especially an officer who, as a senior member of his detachment, might well be asked to deal with cases involving violence against women?
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Is it possible to separate one's private interests, pursuits and beliefs from one's job responsibilities?
Much has been made of Cpl. Brown's minor role in the investigation of serial killer Robert Pickton, convicted of torturing and killing women on his pig farm in Coquitlam. Some are suggesting Wally Oppal, chair of the Missing Women Commission, reopen his inquiry to examine whether Cpl. Brown's purported S&M proclivities played a role in prolonging Robert Pickton's killing spree.
It's certainly a fair enough question.
I think if you were to ask members of the public, most would say there should not be a role for an S&M enthusiast among the ranks of our national police force.
There are simply too many situations an officer can be put in that could possibly be compromised by an officer's interests in this area. And in the context of the sexual harassment controversy that has recently engulfed the force, it would seem even more important that it ensure that any man involved in hardcore sadomasochism not be a member of the red serge.
"We are told from the day we first enter officers training that we will be held to a higher standard in both our professional and private life," former RCMP officer Sherry Benson-Podolchuk said in an interview.
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"If all this is true, it would show how he feels about women. I can't imagine him taking a victim impact statement from a woman who had been raped. Also, putting these pictures up on the Internet compromised him and the force. He runs the risk of being blackmailed by some criminal element."
Ms. Benson-Podolchuk, who left the RCMP after enduring sexual harassment by her fellow male officers for years, believes men involved in this kind of after-hours behaviour have no place in the force.
"I don't know any woman who'd want to work alongside someone who was into that sort of stuff," she said. "It raises too many questions. I think it brings the whole force into disrepute. I think he should be gone, no question about it."
The RCMP's record in this regard isn't very good. But maybe this time an officer has finally gone too far.Disney World's Magic Kingdom will implement tougher security measures Monday in an effort to relieve congestion at the park entrance.
Magic Kingdom guests will now go through security prior to boarding the theme park's monorails, ferryboats and buses that lead to the park entrance, said Disney spokeswoman Rebecca Peddie.
Some of the park's metal detectors and bag checks have been moved to its Transportation and Ticket Center, Peddie added.
Disney World's Magic Kingdom will implement new security measures Monday in an effort to relieve congestion at the park entrance
Magic Kingdom guests will now go through security prior to boarding the theme park's monorails, ferryboats and buses that lead to the park entrance
Presently, guests bags are checked at the park's entrance and then a random selection of those people go through metal detectors
Also beginning Monday, guests staying at Disney’s Contemporary, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Polynesian Village resorts will have to go through security at the accommodation's monorail stations, reports the Orlando Sun-Sentinel.
The new policies are expected to reduce the amount of time it takes to enter the Magic Kingdom.
It also allows guests who have brought in prohibited items, such as selfie sticks, to return to their vehicles to drop them off, instead of having to take additional transportation to get to the parking lot and back through security.
Presently, guests bags are checked at the park's entrance and then a random selection of those people go through metal detectors.
Guests staying at Disney’s Contemporary, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (right) and Polynesian Village (left) resorts will have to go through security at the accommodation's monorail stations
The park installed metal detectors at its entrance in December 2015, a year that saw a record 20.5million people.
Disney has been testing security measures at some of its other theme parks.
For a few months, Epcot has been the only park to require all guests to go through metal detectors.
This measure is expected to be implemented at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom theme parks.It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dr. William Meyers may have saved Nolan Patrick’s career June 13 when the 18-year-old NHL prospect elected to have corrective surgery on a core muscle injury that had been bothering him for the better part of the past year.
Prior to his initial visit to Philadelphia, Patrick believed he was fully healthy when he went through comprehensive testing at the NHL Scouting Combine in May, but his time on the ice told a much different story.
“I was probably 60 percent when I first started playing and maybe got up to 70, 75 tops,” Patrick said at development camp earlier this month. “I never had any wind during games. I’d lose my energy really quick because I’d lose it trying to skate with that injury. Probably 75 tops, I’d say.”
But what Patrick was completely unaware of, as are the many doctors who perform these core muscle surgeries, is the prevalence of how these complex injuries are misinterpreted. The Flyers' rookie should have had a typical four-to-six week recovery last summer, and any setback likely would have been avoided.
Patrick’s first operation took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by Dr. James Robinson who, according to Patrick’s agent Kevin Epp, came recommended from the Jets' organization.
“I don’t think it had time to heal,” Epp said Monday in a phone interview with CSNPhilly.com. “Nolan got the surgery to fix the injured area at the time. I don’t know if both sides needed repair. Through the course of rehab he may have aggravated the other side.”
“It’s tough to explain but it’s a sharp, shooting pain in your lower stomach," Patrick said. “I had it on both sides for a while there. I got one side fixed and then was having issues on that side again."
Whether Patrick was misdiagnosed or the procedure and subsequent rehabilitation were mishandled is certainly open for debate.
In speaking with Meyers of the Vincera Institute, he could not discuss specifically Patrick’s injury or his surgery, but said he performs “on average 10 procedures during a regular clinical day” in which the original surgeon failed to correct the problem area and the result is either a re-aggravation or the development of another injury altogether.
“The number one cause is a failure to understand that the prevalent concepts of ‘hernias’ have nothing to do with these injuries,” Meyers said.
Meyers believes the reason why core muscle injuries aren’t performed correctly are three-fold:
• A general failure to understand the whole concept of the core muscle region (the area from mid abdomen to mid thigh).
• A lack of knowledge regarding the anatomy.
• Very little experience seeing a variety of core muscle injuries and correlating that with the imaging.
Over the past 35 years, Meyers has dedicated his medical career to the complex field of core muscle injuries, and what he has witnessed is a very disturbing trend. He’s the pioneer in the diagnosis and treatment of core muscle injuries, working primarily in his two-story complex at the Navy Yard.
“The reason why I got into this area was so many hockey players in the 1980s were forced to retire too early because of these [core muscle] injuries," Meyers said. "It was, at that time, the number one reason why they retired.”
Perhaps the one popular Flyer whose career succumbed to persistent groin pain was Mikael Renberg, who retired in 2008 at the age of 35 after undergoing three separate groin procedures over a 12-year span.
Patrick saved himself the agony and was thoroughly convinced a corrective procedure performed by Meyers prior to the draft was vital to his career, regardless of who selected him.
The Flyers were also convinced. Patrick didn’t have an injury history, just history of an injury that never healed in the first place.
Thankfully, they knew the one doctor who could get down to the core of the problem.Story highlights The USOC says "apparel distribution" for athletes begins this weekend
The committee says uniforms will be made in America for the 2014 Games
Rep. Steve Israel says he is disappointed the uniforms will not be remade
Ralph Lauren promises to lead the industry conversation on American manufacturing
The U.S. Olympic Committee says it is too late to remake uniforms that sport "Made in China" labels for the London Games, though vowed Team USA would march in clothing made in America during the opening of the 2014 Winter Games.
The announcement Friday was an about face by the USOC a day after it defended the use of the Ralph Lauren designer uniform, which were widely condemned by lawmakers who questioned why the work was not given to the hard-hit American textile industry.
"We take seriously the concerns we've heard from members of Congress and the American public regarding the U.S. Olympic Team's Opening and Closing ceremonies uniforms," Scott Blackmun, the USOC chief executive officer, said in a written statement.
"With athletes having already arrived in London, and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend, we are unfortunately not able to make a change for London. We are absolutely committed, however, to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed."
In the statement, Blackmun said that Ralph Lauren would domestically manufacture the uniforms to be worn at the opening and closing of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, in two years.
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Ralph Lauren's sponsorship as the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team began in 2008 and runs through 2020, according to USOC profiles of its sponsors.
The controversy cast a spotlight on the plight of the U.S. textile industry, which has been hit hard in recent years by outsourcing and the economic downturn.
"Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the United States and has committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games," the fashion company said in statement released Friday.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, 10 years ago, there were more than 350,000 Americans employed by apparel manufacturers. Last month, that number was 147,300. In testimony before Congress last year, the American Apparel and Footwear Association said that 98% of all apparel and 99% of all footwear sold in the United States are manufactured abroad.
The news the uniforms were made in China broke the same week House Democrats introduced a "Make It In America" jobs bill, striking a raw nerve with some lawmakers.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said the USOC "should be ashamed" and called for the uniforms to be "burned."
Initially, USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky took to Twitter to describe the uproar as "nonsense." In a statement on Thursday, he said: "Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors."
Public pressure, though, mounted with thousands taking to Facebook and Twitter to demand the uniforms be made in America.
The first indication the USOC was changing its position came early Friday when Rep. Steve Israel and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both Democrats from New York, said they spoke with Blackmun.
The two lawmakers wrote a joint letter on Thursday to the USOC urging it to make the uniforms in the United States.
"Just had a positive conversation re: uniforms with CEO of the @USOlympic Committee. Looking forward to hearing more soon," Israel said in a tweet.
A short time later, the USOC and Ralph Lauren issued statements.
Israel said he happy to hear the Olympic committee will require future uniforms be domestically manufactured "but disappointed no US-made uniforms in London," he tweeted.
Dara Torres, a former American Olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years, said the Ralph Lauren uniforms -- with their blue berets and blazers and off-white pants and skirts -- looked great but would be better if they were produced domestically.
"Wearing the U.S. uniform, going out there to represent the United States, it would be nice if it was actually made in the United States," she told CNN.
The USOC is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships, with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend BP's sponsorship through the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.
It was questioned as early as the 2002 during the Winter Games in Salt Lake City about why American athletes donned berets made by Roots, a Canadian company.
Headlines also were made this year in Australia when it was revealed its uniforms for the Olympics also were made in China. The Australian Olympic Committee responded to critics by saying it was not financially viable to make the outfits at home, according to local media reports.
Some Canadian lawmakers became irate in 2008, when it was learned that Canadian uniforms for the Olympics in Beijing were made in China.
American companies have made Olympic uniforms in the past, notably, Reebok, Levi's and Champion.Medical marijuana use in Illinois is now in Gov. Pat Quinn's hands after the state Senate approved legislation.
Lawmakers voted 35-21 Friday to send the measure to Quinn for final approval. Quinn hasn't signaled whether he will sign it into law.
The proposal allows physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients with specific terminal illnesses or debilitating medical conditions. Cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV are among the 33 illnesses listed in the bill.
The measure gives a framework for a four-year pilot program that includes requiring patients and caregivers to undergo background checks.
Patients Make Push for Medical Marijuana
Some form of legalized marijuana is now available in more than a third of the country, and a state legislator wants that to be true in Illinois. Nesita Kwan reports. (Published Tuesday, April 9, 2013)
Supporters say marijuana can relieve continual pain without triggering the detrimental side effects of other prescription drugs. Opponents say the program could encourage the recreational use of marijuana especially among teenagers.
“We applaud the Illinois Legislature for taking action and adopting this widely supported and much-needed legislation,” said Dan Riffle, deputy director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project.
“We are hopeful that Gov. Quinn will join legislators and the vast majority of Illinois voters in supporting this proposal,” Riffle said. “Marijuana has proven medical benefits, regulating it works, and there is broad public and legislative support for doing it. This is a no-brainer.”
Copyright Associated PressBEREA, Ohio -- A day after Brandon Weeden's self-described "boneheaded'' interception during Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Lions, Browns coach Rob Chudzinski stated emphatically that he's sticking with him at quarterback.
Asked if he was contemplating a change to Jason Campbell, Chudzinski spit out a quick "no.''
Why not?
"This was one game,'' Chudzinski said. "I thought that Brandon played well in spurts and at times he obviously made critical mistakes."
Not only is Chudzinski maintaining the status quo despite Weeden's 0-3 record, he said a switch to Campbell was never discussed by the staff.
Did it even come up in passing?
"No,'' Chudzinski said.
But the coach insisted he's not reluctant to go to Campbell, who's 31-40 as a starter in his nine-year career, including 11-7 in his last two seasons as a starter in Oakland in 2010-11. Chudzinski leapfrogged Campbell and started Brian Hoyer when Weeden sprained his right thumb, and opted for Weeden as the No. 2 on Oct. 3 against the Bills despite Weeden practicing only one day in the 2 1/2 weeks leading up to the game.
“There’s nothing blocking (Campbell),'' Chudzinski said. "I feel good about Jason. Again, this has been one game. I thought Brandon played well, did a lot of things to make plays to help us beat Buffalo in that (37-24 victory). We have to really just work on those critical errors.”
Chudzinski was referring, of course, to Weeden's awkward backhanded flip to Chris Ogbonnaya with 4:36 remaining and the Browns trailing, 24-17. Ogbonnaya was open in the left flat, but Weeden hesitated. The indecision gave Detroit's C.J. Mosley enough time to crash in on Weeden, who panicked and flipped the ball upwards just before Mosley dragged him down by the ankle.
Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy reached up and grabbed the floater for his second interception of the day. The Lions cashed in on the miscue with Matt Stafford's fourth TD pass, his third to 6-7 tight end Joseph Fauria.
"Yeah, we don’t ever want to flip a ball like that,'' said Chudzinski. "When you do that, and you’re pitching something underhand, it has a tendency of going up on you and rising on you. So obviously you don’t want to do it in that manner. You want to throw the ball |
a bid to buy Monsanto in a deal that would expand Bayer’s GMO and pesticide holdings and add drugs to Monsanto’s global portfolio. Monsanto has rejected the latest bid, but the two are still in talks.
If Monsanto, perhaps the most hated GMO company in the world, joins hands with Bayer, one of the most hated Big Pharma corporations on Earth (whose evil deeds date back to World War I and the Nazi era), the newly formed seed-pesticide-drug behemoth would have combined annual sales of $67 billion.
That’s a staggering figure. But here’s another, even more alarming: Combined, the new mega-chemical/seed company would control 29 percent of the world’s seed market and 24 percent of the pesticide market.
The Bayer-Monsanto merger is the third recent proposed consolidation in the agriculture markets in just months, following on the heels of proposed mergers between chemical and agritoxics titans Dow and DuPont, and ChemChina and Syngenta.
“All of a sudden we have three major transactions at the same time,” Matt Arnold, an Edward Jones analyst, told the News Journal. “One would think that would prompt regulators to really dial up the scrutiny and think long and hard about whether that much consolidation is in the best interest of farmers and consumers.”
Indeed, reports the Journal, all three proposed mergers face antitrust reviews by agencies in the U.S., Europe and China, reports the Journal, including by the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, the European Commission and stockholders of the publicly traded companies.
Already shareholders have spoken out, terming the move “arrogant empire-building,” reported Reuters. Shareholders also worry that the takeover would dilute Bayer’s core drug business currently flush with sales of its blood-thinner Xarelto and Eylea, a drug to treat blindness.
As noted, this is not the first time Bayer and Monsanto will have teamed up, if the deal goes through. “During the Vietnam war, Bayer was involved in the development of Agent Orange production….carried out at the firm Mobay, founded jointly by Bayer and Monsanto,” says Coalition Against Bayer Dangers. The defoliant herbicide Agent Orange was sprayed over millions of acres in Vietnam for over a decade in “Operation Ranch Hand,” despite numerous scientific studies and thousands, later millions of medical cases linking the toxic chemical to birth defects and stillbirths in animals and humans.
Bayer, a history of unsafe drugs
Bayer and Monsanto both sell controversial toxic agricultural chemicals and GMO seeds. But if Bayer’s bid to take over Monsanto goes through, it would mark Monsanto’s first entry into Big Pharma.
Last year, Bayer was named the ninth largest drug company in the world on the basis of its yearly revenue of $25.47 billion. The drug giant, though, has been beset with drug safety scandals, including deaths, for at least three decades. Here are just a few of the scandals that made the news,
• Blood clotting drug spread AIDS
In the 1980s, Bayer sold Factor VIII concentrate, a blood-clotting medicine acquired from Cutter Laboratories in 1978. Though Factor VIII carried a high risk of transmitting AIDS and Bayer knew, Bayer continued to sell the drug in Asia and Latin America while selling a new, safer product in the West.
In Hong Kong and Taiwan alone, more than 100 hemophiliacs got H.I.V. and “many have since died,” reported the New York Times. Cutter’s “financial investment in the product was considered too high to destroy the inventory,” saidWilliam Heisel of the Center for Health Reporting. “Cutter continued to sell the contaminated AHF to markets willing to accept it, including overseas markets in Asia and Latin America, without the recommended precaution of heat treating the product to eliminate the risk.”
• Statin Baycol recalled
In 2001, Bayer withdrew its lucrative new statin drug Baycol because more than 50 people had died and more than six million patients were at risk from the deadly side effects of rapidly dissolving of muscle tissue. Bayer removed the drug from pharmacy shelves in the U.S., Europe and Japan, and U.S. and German lawyers announced that they are planning an amended class-action lawsuit in the U.S. that would allow European victims to seek damages.
As deaths grew, Bayer stuck to its story “that there is currently no proof that the drug is the cause of the deaths” and assured shareholders that “Our sales this year will increase even though Baycol will now be absent.” Recently, Bayer was sentenced to pay damages to Baycol victims in in Argentina and Italy. “Internal documents show that Bayer’s management was aware of the serious health risk for patients and even ignored warnings from within the company,”.
• Yaz birth control pill causes deaths
Bayer’s Yaz birth control pills promised to clear up acne and treat severe PMS in addition to preventing pregnancy. But soon after the Yaz launch in 2006, there were reports of associated blood clots, gall bladder disease, heart attacks and even strokes. The Bayer birth control pills contained drospirenone, a drug that was never before marketed in the U.S. and likely caused the heart problems through elevated potassium, and a change in acid balance of the blood.
TV ads for Yaz in 2008 were so misleading, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), in a rare move, ordered Bayer to run correction ads. Thousands of injuries and approximately 100 deaths were linked to Yaz in law filings that followed.
• Xarelto, shady approval of a dangerous drug
In 2012, the New York Times reported on a class of new anti-clotting drugs which have no antidote and can cause alarming bleeding deaths. Xarelto is one of them. Even as 379 deaths have been linked to Xarelto, there are reports of hidden and falsified data and faulty technology that helped win the controversial drug FDA approval. Trials were conducted by Duke’s Robert Califf, who later became the new FDA Commissioner. No conflict of interest there.
• Baytril, animal antibiotic blocked by FDA
A 2015 Bayer brochure, coinciding with public awareness of antibiotic abuse in livestock, says Bayer Animal Health “objects” to “routine prophylactic use in healthy animals” of fluoroquinolones, a type of antibiotic.
Yet it was just such “prophylactic use” that got Bayer’s fluoroquinolone Baytril blocked by the FDA a decade ago. TheFDA said the routine use of Baytril in chickens “has made it difficult for doctors to treat human patients who have food poisoning.” Union of Concerned Scientists called the decision a “big victory for public health.” The FDA Commissioner at the time, Lester Crawford, remarked that Baytril “has not been shown to be safe for use in poultry.” The FDA continues to struggle against the powerful lobbying of drug companies selling livestock antibiotics, often by the ton.
The devil’s chemist
Many people have heard rumors about Bayer’s roles in WWI and WWII. Sadly, they are true and sometimes worse than have been reported. “Carl Duisberg, the Bayer General Director for decades, was personally involved in the development of poison gas such as ‘Mustard Gas’ in World War I and pushed for its use on the front–contrary to international law,” reportsCoalition against Bayer Dangers. Duisberg demanded the deportation of tens of thousands of Belgian forced laborers, according to the Coalition, and “strongly supported the merging of the German chemical industry to create the Ig Farben” implicated in Nazi atrocities.
“The Ig Farben cartel was crucial to the Nazi war effort by supplying synthetic fuel, rubber, and other chemicals,” reportsNatural News. The cartel also manufactured Zyklon-B, the nerve gas used to kill millions at the concentration camps of Auschwitz, Birkenau and elsewhere. Later known as the Devil’s Chemists, Ig Farben used unwilling inmates of the concentration camps as slave laborers and guinea pigs to test chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines. Tens of thousands died, and those who became too ill to be of any use were murdered in the gas chambers, according to a Natural News report.
It is hard to believe a company linked to the Holocaust, including grisly human experiments conducted on concentration camp victims, would be thriving in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and GMO sectors. But it’s true, as evidenced by thiscorrespondence between an Auschwitz camp commander and Bayer Leverkusen, which cites the “sale” of 150 female prisoners for experiments:
With a view to the planned experiments with a new sleep-inducing drug we would appreciate it if you could place a number of prisoners at our disposal (…)” – “We confirm your response, but consider the price of 200 RM per woman to be too high. We propose to pay no more than 170 RM per woman. If this is acceptable to you, the women will be placed in our possession. We need some 150 women (…)” – “We confirm your approval of the agreement. Please prepare for us 150 women in the best health possible (…)” – “Received the order for 150 women. Despite their macerated condition they were considered satisfactory. We will keep you informed of the developments regarding the experiments (…)” – “The experiments were performed. All test persons died. We will contact you shortly about a new shipment (…)”
From chemical warfare to “crop science”
Bayer is in agrochemicals and GMOs as deeply as Monsanto, the company it seeks to buy. In 2008, the German Coalition against Bayer brought a charge against the Bayer Board of Management with the Public Prosecutor in Freiburg (south-western Germany) accusing Bayer of contributing to the mass death of bees all over the world through its aggressive pesticide marketing. Since then, the bee debacle has only grown worse, with thousands of hives collapsing after poisoning by the pesticide clothianidin, producing a worldwide crisis.
Since 1991, Bayer has been producing the insecticide Imidacloprid, one of the world’s best-selling insecticides. Imidacloprid is used to pre-treat genetically engineered corn, sunflower and rapeseed (canola) seeds, despite evidence seeds with insecticides is ineffective. Imidacloprid was one of Bayer´s top pesticides, exported to more than 120 countries. When its patent expired, Bayer brought a similarly functioning successor product, Clothianidin, onto the market in 2003. Both substances are systemic chemicals that work their way from the seed through the plant. The substances also get into the pollen and the nectar and can damage beneficial insects such as bees.
In 2006, the Washington Post reported that Bayer’s GMO rice, LLRICE 601 rice, endowed with bacterial DNA that makes rice plants resistant to a weed killer made by the agricultural giant Aventis, was spreading out of control. U.S. commercial supplies of long-grain rice had become inadvertently contaminated with the rice not approved for human consumption, said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.
The following year, Bayer admitted it was unable to control the spread of its genetically-engineered organisms despite “the best practices [to stop contamination],” demonstrating once again that all outdoors field trials or commercial growing of GMO crops must be stopped.
Europe has been way ahead of the U.S. in acknowledging the dangers and banning GMOs and dangerous pesticides.
Is merger a sign of decline?
While a Bayer-Monsanto deal (like a DuPont-Dow deal or ChemChina-Syngenta deal) certainly threatens the world food supply with domination by GMOs and destructive agrochemicals, there may be an underreported bright side: Industries that are doing well generally spin off; industries that are performing poorly generally merge and consolidate.
Recent reports suggest the stock of large agricultural, biotech and seed companies, including Monsanto, is foundering, –a likely reflection of the growing, world-wide rejection of their products. Moreover, even though the long-awaited, industry-friendly National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report did not find human “dangers” in eating GMOs, it also definitively did not find they produced greater crop yields. Wait—wasn’t that the justification given for creating GMO crops?
Thanks in large part to the global anti-GMO and Millions Against Monsanto movement, the Biotech Tech Bully from St. Louis is on the ropes. By changing its name, Monsanto hopes we’ll forget its evil deeds.
Not a chance, On October 14-16, merged or not with Bayer, the OCA and the global grassroots will expose Monsanto’s crimes against humanity and the environment at the Monsanto Tribunal, a citizens’ tribunal which will take place in The Hague, Netherlands.
Perhaps it’s time to put Bayer and Big Pharma on trial as well and build an even larger global united front: Billions Against Bayer-Monsanto.Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu has decided to seek new representation. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports)
In less than a year, agent Pat Lawlor has been fired by his two highest profile clients: Cardinals defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu.
Peterson changed agents last fall, going from Lawlor to Joel Segal. Mathieu informed Lawlor last week of the change, and it's unknown who his new agent will be.
"This is becoming a regular conversation," Lawlor joked when contacted on Wednesday.
Peterson and Mathieu were teammates at Louisiana State and are close friends.
Lawlor said he was disappointed in Mathieu's decision but wished Mathieu well.
"Tyrann and I have been through a lot," he said. "Tyrann's been through a lot and he's done a great job."
A third-round pick last year, Mathieu didn't play his final college season because of problems with marijuana. He played well as a rookie, earning a starting job midway through the season. Mathieu suffered torn knee ligaments last December and isn't expected to be ready when training camp opens on Saturday.
Mathieu's decision to change agents has no impact on his contract status. He is signed through 2016.Thinking about popping over to your local Walmart to pick up some Valentine's Day flowers or chocolates?
You should know that when Walmart muscles its way into a new town, crime tends to rise, according to a study published in the British Journal of Criminology.
Scott Wolfe and David Pyrooz found that in the 1990s, when crime nationallly was declining, the "growth of the company stunted crime declines" in counties where the megastore opened its doors when compared to counties where it did not.
Wolfe explained in a press statement, "If the corporation built a new store, there were 17 additional crimes and 2 additional violent crimes for every 10,000 persons in a county."
The study found that Walmart's effect on a county's crime rate usually continued over a decade after the store had opened.
Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee disputed the findings.
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"This is a flawed study that relies on outdated information and fails to present the facts about Walmart's positive impact on communities," she said to The Huffington Post. "The truth is the presence of Walmart has significant benefit to consumers, homeowners, and taxpayers. Families save money, property values increase, and millions of dollars in taxes are paid to local governments helping fund education, public safety, and infastructure improvements."
Pyrooz, the other author of the study, said that the important variable was where Walmart was allowed to build.
"Counties with more social capital–citizens able and willing to speak about the best interests of the community–tend to have lower crime rates," Pyrooz said in the release. These also happen to be the towns where communities are more effective at mobilizing to block the construction of new Walmarts. "Counties with more crime may have less social capital, and, therefore, less ability to prevent Walmart from building."
Of course, crime rates aren't the only factor influencing social capital. Other studies have found that socio-economic variables, such as economic disadvantage, race and lower education levels all correlate with low levels of civic engagement and less social capital that could be used to mobilize a community to prevent a Walmart's construction.
It's no secret that Walmart intentionally seeks to expand into some of the poorest areas of the country. With the Wolfe study, it can be postulated that Walmart's profit model also depends on keeping its customers disenfranchised and disconnected from the communities in which they live.We’re continuing to improve the stun mechanic to ensure arty is an efficient long-range support fire vehicle without diminishing the fun for others. To balance fun versus effectiveness, we reduced the stun effect on vehicle mobility, decreased burst radius for all arty shells, and tweaked the stun resistance of Spall Liners.
Lowering the stun effect on vehicle mobility Currently, the stun mechanic temporarily impedes vehicle movement, while also worsening its firepower. At first glance, it fulfills the set objectives of facilitating more team-oriented gameplay for SPGs and forcing more active combat engagements. Arty lays the ground for an attack, playing in tight cooperation with the rest of the team. They soften targets instead of destroying them, and their teammates can rush to stunned opponents and send them back to the Garage with several finishing shots. However, this adverse effect on two key parameters (speed, firepower) simultaneously somewhat spoils the fun for those stunned. Previous rounds of testing showed that lowering the stun time won’t be enough to solve this issue. With Phase 4, we want to determine which of the two parameters proves to be more crucial to the overall experience and adjust the stun effect on it accordingly. We’ll start with reducing the stun effect on vehicle mobility by 30%. Jump in and tell us if lowered stun effect improves the overall experience! If you believe it doesn’t, we’ll reverse it and lower the stun effect on accuracy instead.
Reducing the burst radius for all SPGs When we first introduced SPG changes, we increased their burst radius to compensate for lowering their damage per shot values. We’ve heard a great deal of feedback on this change. You argued it made SPGs too effective. It became a lot easier for arty to cover a larger area, stunning several vehicles at once. Moreover, they often stunned friendly vehicles because of the large burst radius. We reduced the burst radius by 10% (i.e., the area covered by stun went down by 19%), which should set things back to normal. We believe that following this change, SPGs will cover a big enough territory to remain efficient, while vehicles that stay far enough away can avoid the stun radius. Check it out for yourself and let us know if it worked!
Equipment Acting off your feedback, we decided to raise the combat value of Spall Liners and provide all vehicle types with a means to minimize the stun duration. To achieve it, we introduced the stun resistance effect for light and medium Spall Liners. Now, they cut the stun duration by 10%. Also, Heavy Spall Liners’ resistance to the stun effect was improved. They now reduce its duration by 10% (previously they lowered it by 5%). As for Superheavy Spall Liners, their resistance is also set to 10%. However, the latter prove the most effective against stun as they absorb explosive damage better. Overall, the new mechanics worked well across Tiers VIII–X. Combat parameters set for Phase 3 ensure smooth progression for top-tier SPGs and have a decent effect on Tier VIII–IX tanks and tank destroyers. The few that require another round of balance tweaks are: The М53/55 (the U.S. A., Tier IX) that turned out too efficient
FV207 and FV3805 (British, Tiers VIII and IX, respectively) that, on quite the contrary, lagged behind their brethren in terms of combat efficiency We heard your feedback on these and will return to them a bit later. First, we’d like to finish fine-tuning Tier X light tanks. They influence arty longevity greatly. So, we want to finalize their combat parameters, study how their introduction changes overall gameplay, and then tweak the remaining SPGs.
Light Tanks Following your feedback, and data collected during Phase 3, Tier X light tanks received a series of balance tweaks: Lowered the T-100 and Spz. 57’s dynamic stats and mobility to lessen the difference between top-tier light tanks and make for a smoother ride
Increased reload time for the Spz. 57, T-100, and WZ-132A to keep them from being overpowered, and reduced the reload time of the AMX 13 105 to make it more efficient
The XM551 Sheridan received a considerable boost as it clearly underperformed
The Spz. 57, T-100, XM551 Sheridan, AMX 13 105 and WZ-132A view range was slightly reduced to keep them from being overpowered. Initially, they sported excellent view range paired with their solid base camouflage values and the class’ trademark camouflage bonus while moving, which proved too much Finally, you asked us to bring iconic guns back for the T49 and M41 Walker Bulldog, so we did. Now they feature the 152mm Gun-Launcher XM81 and 76mm Gun T91E5, respectively.• Holland player says he will consider move if bid arrives • Frank de Boer asks Blind for one more year at Ajax
Daley Blind has said he would consider a move to Manchester United if Louis van Gaal were to make a bid, with the Ajax manager, Frank de Boer, admitting the utility player is for sale at the right price.
The 24-year-old was a member of Van Gaal’s Holland squad that finished third at Brazil 2014 and can play either on the left side of defence or as a holding midfielder.
Blind said: “I am happy here in Amsterdam. But if there comes another club I will have to think about it and then we will see. I will think about my options. For now I will focus on Ajax and we will see what happens next week.”
While Van Gaal wants at least one left-side defensive player to fit into his proposed 5-3-2 system, De Boer, does not believe Blind is ready to leave the club yet. “I am convinced he will make the right choice,” said De Boer. “If he goes to a big club then he has definitely deserved it. But I think it would be better if he stays one year. Last year was a good year for him but I think he can improve a lot with us.
“If a club comes along with a lot of money it is almost impossible to say no. But we won’t let him go for free that is for sure. It is important for the player and the club that there is no tension or that it happens at the last minute.”
United striker Ángelo Henríquez has joined Dinamo Zagreb on loan, the Croatian side announced today.
The 20-year-old Chilean failed to make an appearance for the Red Devils following his arrival from Universidad de Chile two years ago. He spent five months on loan at Wigan in his first year in England and last season went to Spanish second division side Real Zaragoza, where he scored six times in 25 appearances.
“I am happy with my arrival at Dinamo, with whom I want to do good things,” Henríquez told the Croatian club’s website. “I have a lot of motivation and I want to prove myself and I believe Dinamo is a great club for it.”Doctors and researchers at the UW Medicine Burn Center started using the latest app in their patients’ physical therapy, and it looks like it’s working.
Priscilla and Olivia Wagoner, 10-year-old twins at Harborview Medical Center, aren’t thinking of the severe burns that have kept them in the hospital for about two weeks and away from their home in Columbia Falls, Mont.
Instead, they’re thinking about catching Pikachu.
The girls are part of a trial that doctors and researchers at the UW Medicine Burn Center at the hospital have been testing since Saturday. They’re tapping into the “Pokémon Go” craze, an augmented-reality game where players can catch, train or battle Pokémon characters on their smartphones.
Except, when used in the burn center, there’s a completely different objective than just having fun.
Researchers say the benefit is twofold: The game helps mobilize patients and keep their infected areas in motion while also taking their minds off the pain, the way a good book or intense action movie might.
“You get to have this adventure catching Pokémon and like, you can’t really keep track and all that’s around you is blank because you’re playing this one game,” Olivia Wagoner said.
The two, along with their 6-year-old nephew, Zeke Hilliard, were flown to the hospital after a relative’s boat they were on erupted into flames in Swan Lake, Mont. The trip is a Fourth of July tradition for the family.
“It was terrifying,” said Alicia Hilliard, Zeke’s mother. “The girlies were just crying, their skin literally just falling off. Zeke was sitting on a picnic table, just completely in shock.”
Other family members were injured, but not like the three kids. They suffered burns on between 20 and 30 percent of their bodies, said the girls’ mother, Nettie Wagoner.
All three are expected to make a full recovery. Priscilla and Olivia are expected to be discharged Tuesday while Hilliard said Zeke should be at Harborview about another week.
And though the kids aren’t allowed to play video games much at home, the parents allowed it in the burn unit if that meant a quicker recovery. Both the kids and doctors say it’s working.
Shelley Wiechman, attending psychologist in the Burn and Pediatric Trauma Service and Pediatric Primary Care Clinic at Harborview, said the hospital pioneered the use of virtual reality after painful procedures around the mid-1990s.
That’s roughly when the hospital began to use an immersive virtual-reality game called “SnowWorld” to decrease pain for burn victims. The game was developed by researchers from the University of Washington in collaboration with the hospital.
“Our challenge is to find something that’s more stimulating and engaging than pain they’re experiencing, so something like virtual reality that’s new or “Pokémon Go” that’s new, it’s more exciting and takes attention away from the pain,” Wiechman said.
Wiechman said that the use of virtual reality, for both kids and adults, means they’ll be able to use less medication and push themselves further in physical therapy.
She said if the hospital continues to use the game, staff might begin to track data using Fitbits.
Unlike other virtual-reality games, “Pokémon Go,” allows patients to use their legs. So in Priscilla and Olivia’s case, involving them in this test was a no brainer.
Whether or not the girls will keep playing, their mom said, “we’ll see.”
Priscilla and Olivia, however, remain hopeful. They said their dad told them they might even get a tablet after the two are out of the hospital.
“I think the Pokémon game is a really good way to get your physical therapy if you’re in a hospital,” Priscilla said. “It’s exciting to find new animals.”Archipelago in the Mediterranean, autonomous community, and province of Spain
Autonomous community in Spain
The Balearic Islands (; Catalan: Illes Balears, pronounced [ˈiʎəz bələˈas]; Spanish: Islas Baleares,[1][2][3] pronounced [ˈizlaz βaleˈaɾes])[4] are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The four largest islands are Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. Many minor islands and islets are close to the larger islands, including Cabrera, Dragonera, and S'Espalmador. The islands have a Mediterranean climate, and the four major islands are all popular tourist destinations. Ibiza, in particular, is known as an international party destination, attracting many of the world's most popular DJs to its nightclubs.[5] The islands' culture and cuisine are similar to those of the rest of Spain, but have their own distinctive features.
The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain, with Palma de Mallorca as the capital. The 2007 Statute of Autonomy declares the Balearic Islands as one nationality of Spain.[6] The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Catalan and Spanish.
Etymology [ edit ]
The official name of the Balearic Islands in Catalan is Illes Balears, while in Spanish, they are known as the Islas Baleares. The term "Balearic" derives from Greek (Γυμνησίαι/Gymnesiae and Βαλλιαρεῖς/Balliareis).[7] In Latin, it is Baleares.
Of the various theories on the origins of the two ancient Greek and Latin names for the islands—Gymnasiae and Baleares—classical sources provide two.
According to the Lycophron's Alexandra verses, the islands were called Γυμνησίαι/Gymnesiae (γυμνός/gymnos, meaning naked in Greek) because its inhabitants were often nude, probably because of the year-round benevolent climate.
The Greek and Roman writers generally derive the name of the people from their skill as slingers (βαλεαρεῖς/baleareis, from βάλλω/ballo: ancient Greek meaning "to launch"), although Strabo regards the name as of Phoenician origin. He observed it was the Phoenician equivalent for lightly armoured soldiers the Greeks would have called γυμνῆτας/gymnetas.[8] The root bal does point to a Phoenician origin; perhaps the islands were sacred to the god Baal[original research?] and the resemblance to the Greek root ΒΑΛ (in βάλλω/ballo) is accidental. Indeed, it was usual Greek practice to assimilate local names into their own language. But the common Greek name of the islands is not Βαλεαρεῖς/Baleareis, but Γυμνησίαι/Gymnesiai. The former was the name used by the natives, as well as by the Carthaginians and Romans,[9] while the latter probably derives from the light equipment of the Balearic troops γυμνῆται/gymnetae.[8]
Geology [ edit ]
The Balearic Islands are on a raised platform called the Balearic Promontory, and were formed by uplift. They are cut by a network of northwest to southeast faults.[10][11]
Geography and hydrography [ edit ]
Majorca
The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca (Mallorca), Menorca/Minorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa/Ibiza), and Formentera, all popular tourist destinations. Amongst the minor islands is Cabrera, the location of the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park.
The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Menorca, and Cabrera as the Gymnesian Islands (Illes Gimnèsies), and Ibiza and Formentera as the Pityusic Islands (Illes Pitiüses officially in Catalan), also referred to as the Pityuses (or sometimes informally in English as the Pine Islands). Many minor islands or islets are close to the biggest islands, such as Es Conills, Es Vedrà, Sa Conillera, Dragonera, S'Espalmador, S'Espardell, Ses Bledes, Santa Eulària, Plana, Foradada, Tagomago, Na Redona, Colom, L'Aire, etc.
The Balearic Front is a sea density regime north of the Balearic Islands on the shelf slope of the Balearic Islands, which is responsible for some of the surface-flow characteristics of the Balearic Sea.[12]
Climate [ edit ]
Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the Balearic Islands unsurprisingly have typical Mediterranean climates. The below-listed climatic data of the capital Palma are typical for the archipelago, with minor differences to other stations in Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca.[13]
Climate data for Palma de Mallorca, Port (1981–2010) Satellite view) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C (°F) 15.4
(59.7) 15.5
(59.9) 17.2
(63.0) 19.2
(66.6) 22.5
(72.5) 26.5
(79.7) 29.4
(84.9) 29.8
(85.6) 27.1
(80.8) 23.7
(74.7) 19.3
(66.7) 16.5
(61.7) 21.8
(71.2) Daily mean °C (°F) 11.9
(53.4) 11.9
(53.4) 13.4
(56.1) 15.5
(59.9) 18.8
(65.8) 22.7
(72.9) 25.7
(78.3) 26.2
(79.2) 23.5
(74.3) 20.2
(68.4) 15.8
(60.4) 13.1
(55.6) 18.2
(64.8) Average low °C (°F) 8.3
(46.9) 8.4
(47.1) 9.6
(49.3) 11.7
(53.1) 15.1
(59.2) 18.9
(66.0) 21.9
(71.4) 22.5
(72.5) 19.9
(67.8) 16.6
(61.9) 12.3
(54.1) 9.7
(49.5) 14.6
(58.3) Average precipitation mm (inches) 43
(1.7) 37
(1.5) 28
(1.1) 39
(1.5) 36
(1.4) 11
(0.4) 6
(0.2) 22
(0.9) 52
(2.0) 69
(2.7) 59
(2.3) 48
(1.9) 449
(17.7) Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 6 6 5 5 4 2 1 2 5 7 6 7 53 Mean monthly sunshine hours 167 170 205 237 284 315 346 316 227 205 161 151 2,779 Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[14]
History [ edit ]
Ancient history [ edit ]
Map of the Balearic Islands
Little is recorded on the earliest inhabitants of the islands, though many legends exist. The story, preserved by Lycophron, that certain shipwrecked Greek Boeotians were cast nude on the islands, was evidently invented to account for the name Gymnesiae. Also, a tradition holds that the islands were colonised by Rhodes after the Trojan War.[8]
The islands had a very mixed population, of whose habits several strange stories are told. In some stories, the people were said to go naked or were clad only in sheepskins—whence the name of the islands (an instance of folk etymology)—until the Phoenicians clothed them with broad-bordered tunics. In other stories, they were naked only in the heat of summer.
Other legends allow that the inhabitants lived in hollow rocks and artificial caves, that they were remarkable for their love of women and would give three or four men as the ransom for one woman, that they had no gold or silver coin, and forbade the importation of the precious metals, so that those of them who served as mercenaries took their pay in wine and women instead of money. Their marriage and funeral customs, peculiar to Roman observers, are related by Diodorus Siculus (v. 18 book 6 chapter 5).
In ancient times, the islanders of the Gymnesian Islands (Illes Gimnèsies) constructed talayots, and were famous for their skill with the sling. As slingers, they served as mercenaries, first under the Carthaginians, and afterwards under the Romans. They went into battle ungirt, with only a small buckler, and a javelin burnt at the end, and in some cases tipped with a small iron point; but their effective weapons were their slings, of which each man carried three, wound round his head (Strabo p. 168; Eustath.), or, as seen in other sources, one round the head, one round the body, and one in the hand. (Diodorus) The three slings were of different lengths, for stones of different sizes; the largest they hurled with as much force as if it were flung from a catapult; and they seldom missed their mark. To this exercise they were trained from infancy, in order to earn their livelihood as mercenary soldiers. It is said that the mothers allowed their children to eat bread only when they had struck it off a post with the sling.[15]
The Phoenicians took possession of the islands in very early times;[16] a remarkable trace of their colonisation is preserved in the town of Mago (Maó in Menorca). After the fall of Carthage, the islands seem to have been virtually independent. Notwithstanding their celebrity in war, the people were generally very quiet and inoffensive.[17] The Romans, however, easily found a pretext for charging them with complicity with the Mediterranean pirates, and they were conquered by Q. Caecilius Metellus, thence surnamed Balearicus, in 123 BC.[18] Metellus settled 3,000 Roman and Spanish colonists on the larger island, and founded the cities of Palma and Pollentia.[19] The islands belonged, under the Roman Empire, to the conventus of Carthago Nova (modern Cartagena), in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, of which province they formed the fourth district, under the government of a praefectus pro legato. An inscription of the time of Nero mentions the PRAEF. PRAE LEGATO INSULAR. BALIARUM. (Orelli, No. 732, who, with Muratori, reads pro for prae.) They were afterwards made a separate province, called Hispania Balearica, probably in the division of the empire under Constantine.[20]
The two largest islands ( |
izing, parochial nature of Chinese society. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if Xingxi fight, or wins, or loses. That’s not the point. For years kungfu masters wouldn’t dare set foot in the ring with any foreigner unless the outcome was controlled in some way or another. The bare-knuckle circuits of the early 1990s withstanding, Chinese martial arts has relied on pretense and bullshit to get through the past few decades—but that era died the day Severn tapped to Gracie’s triangle choke. Xingxi is one of the first of his kind: a bona fide kungfu master who wants to enter the ring and prove himself in the world’s most unforgiving arena.
If there’s anything Chinese kungfu needs right now, it’s idealistic monks like Xingxi willing to risk life and limb to prove that their style belongs in the conversation. He might never make it to the ring, and if he does, he might get manhandled by the first guy he meets with any ground skills. But in any revolution, it’s the first stone that starts the avalanche.
Check out this related story:
Mother of Elbows: A Kungfu Contribution to MMAConservative columnist George Will has been one of the most critical anti-Donald Trump voices on the right, and the GOP’s current nominee has caused him to leave the Republican party.
At a speech yesterday, Will declared “this is not my party” and very bluntly said that President Hillary Clinton with a GOP-led Congress is preferable to President Donald Trump with “no opposition” from a GOP-led Congress.
So he switched from the GOP to “unaffiliated.”
In an interview after his speech with PJ Media, he said anti-Trump Republicans should “make sure he loses, grit their teeth for four years, and win the White House.”
As for the main concern among many conservatives that, at the absolute least, Trump would be guaranteed to pick more conservative justice. Will said not necessarily:
“I do not really believe Republicans think clearly enough about what they really want in judges. Republicans have given us Earl Warren, Brennan, John Paul Stevens, Burger, who was kind of mediocre, Blackmun. Having a Republican president is not an answer in itself.”
This week, Will told GOP donors to not give Trump money so he puts his own money where his mouth is.
[image via Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock]
— —
Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.comFrom front offices to fans, to media, it is time for everyone involved in MLB to get with the times and embrace women in the world of baseball
The beauty of baseball is that the old saying is true- baseball is a metaphor for life. More often than not, what happens on, or around, the field can be directly linked to what is going on in the real world. You don’t have to look too hard to find examples of this. It is for that reason that, when it comes to women in society, the baseball world can serve as a perfect analysis of fair and equal treatment.
The series debut of Fox’s television series “Pitch” had people talking recently. Apparently, Major League Baseball was very excited about the project, and was willing to work with Fox, as long as the representation of the game itself was accurate and wasn’t made to be cheezy. That demand would create a bit of a problem for the show’s producers, given the reality women face in writing about baseball, let alone playing it. The buzz around the show is an interesting one; one that will hopefully lead to a larger questioning of norms in baseball. The accuracy upon which the league insists, may depend on what hardships the lead character suffers as she invades a man’s world.
While the show centers around a female breaking the gender barrier in Major League Baseball, one can’t help but think that there is a very long road to travel before that show becomes a realistic endeavor. While there may be an uphill battle to fight before we see women on a major league baseball field, the more immediate place to start might be in the media coverage of the game.
See, the airing of the show sparked a question: Why aren’t there more women in baseball? Let’s set aside the game for a minute (we’ll come back to that), but perhaps the place to start is the place one would think should have the least resistance in allowing the female presence to become more commonplace is the coverage of the game itself. There is an opportunity to have life set the model for art. I wanted to examine the existence and acceptance of women in baseball coverage. Perhaps, that is the place to start to change attitudes that stand as roadblocks to women entering the game.
Back in the early part of the 2015 season, Ted Hesson wrote about baseball being covered by mostly white dudes. The crux of this piece is that there is not enough coverage from persons of colour, or those who might actually represent players not from the United States. For a sport that has so many from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico or other Spanish speaking countries, it would make sense that there would be people covering the sport who can identify with those players. The fact is, there isn’t.
Writing for Fusion, Hessan provided a graphic of all MLB teams and their broadcasts. In the American League, 8 of 54 ‘in booth announcers’ were non-white in 2015. In the NL, 5 of 64. Out of all 118 TV announcers, NONE were women. You might be tempted to think that National broadcasts are a little better with their female representation. But, a quick search yields the following: Fox Sports- ZERO female presence in their 2016 coverage (ironic given their new show), ESPN- only Jessica Mendoza (brought on last season) is currently listed on Sunday Night Baseball. Monday Night Baseball has ZERO female presence, as does Wednesday Night Baseball.
The argument can be made that TV coverage typically features a color commentator, which is most often a former player. And, in baseball, there have been no women to play the game. But, can we really justify not having more women doing play by play or analysis? Not well, we can’t. You can’t tell me that TV broadcasts actually think that women can’t offer the same analysis, etc that a man would. If you think that, you’ve obviously not been privy to a game featuring Jessica Mendoza. When you do catch a game, your ears perk up a bit. The voice stands out. That might be because the sound is not what we’re used to. We don’t like what is different.
This is something that Alexis Brudnicki excellently dove into in her piece entitled “I’m Different. I’m the Same” for The Hardball Times. Basically, the belief is that women are different for liking baseball. When they don’t fit into the stereotype of a female, we treat them like they’re “different”; as though they are an affront to the long held stereotypes we’ve grown up with. It is what we can imagine the first people to spot an ostrich might have said: “But, you’re a bird, you’re supposed to fly. We don’t know what to do with that?” Often, with women in the baseball-sphere, we don’t know what to do with them. Whether unintentional, or maliciously, we discriminate against women in the baseball world.
The same reasoning behind good old fashioned discrimination is behind this too. We don’t understand, therefore we reject, we alienate…sometimes, we hate. Take Julie DiCaro, Chicago anchor at 670 The Score and sports writer, as an example of how bad it can get for women in sports. Her project #MoreThanMean, which she presented with fellow writer, Sarah Spain, has become a viral reminder of what potentially awaits females who dare enter the world of sports, let alone attempt to tell the world what they think about said world. DiCaro took to penning an open letter pleading for some changes to Twitter based on the harassment (too light a word) she has faced in her position. As a female, she has been subjected to intentional, targeted insults, as well as threats of violence, which somehow go unpunished.
The fact is that this is not as accepting a time period as we’d like to think. I wanted to pick the brains of a few of the women I respect (there are so many more that I could have reached out to) in the baseball world to get their take on how they see things. I asked 2 Jays From the Couch writers, Catherine Stem and Joy Frank-Collins for their thoughts, and Joanna Cornish, who runs the very awesome site Hum and Chuck, as well as Jessica Quiroli, who writes on the minor leagues at Baseball Prospectus and created her own blog: Heels on the Field, which also covers the minors.
I’m a little ashamed to admit that the first question I asked each of them was how they fell in love with the game of baseball. In light of the context, asking these women to explain their love of the game seemed an insult. We don’t ask men to defend themselves in that way. My hope is that they did not take offense to it. I am thankful that each of these women took the time to discuss this with me.
Each having their own experience(s) in the baseball writing realm means that what they had to say was not universal per se. But, there were some very interesting comments made about the treatment they’ve received. Quiroli explains: “Women in baseball are seeing two things. One, extreme harassment and threats via social media. Two, a huge community of support that will back them up on social media. So there’s more support and discussion, but also more fear due to such terrible harassment.” That’s pretty much the strange dichotomy that women face: there’s extreme harassment, but increased support. Joanna adds: “I’ve had some weird interactions online, often sexual in nature, that I’m pretty sure most of the male bloggers have never experienced.” Joy concurs: “I’ve gotten a few threats from people on Twitter who tell me I should stick to doing certain unmentionable acts on men and stay out of baseball.”
When fear of harassment isn’t at the forefront, there is an outright dismissal of ideas based on gender. Catherine says she’s had to put people in their place when she’s been dismissed: ” I found it funny to hear “You don’t know what you’re talking about” from some of my male friends. I was like “Actually, I do. I was the one sitting beside that player on the dugout bench when he said that! You my friend were on your couch” Joanna adds, “I do often find that people who want to dismiss my opinion tend to frame it with me being a woman”. Because of the dismissal, Joy explains that she has actually shied away from specific topics: ” I chose to write articles that have a more “soft” tone. I write a social media wrap up, I interview players, I profile people, I do features on people behind the scenes in baseball and on infield dirt replacement projects, so my topics aren’t as likely to draw ire as other hot-button issues might.”
There’s an issue, here. I asked these ladies what the answer is. Quiroli had this to say: “Women are still sexually harassed & are far outnumbered in the business…Editors continue to fail in hiring women, so that’s part of it.” One could argue that those in charge of publishing should be taking a more pro-active role in providing a safe platform for all writers, including women. That would require a shift in thinking that acknowledges that there are women out there that have intelligent things to say. Catherine brings up a good point: “The fan base of many clubs are changing. It’s not a girl going to the game with her boyfriend/husband to tag along but going to the game to see the game. Stadiums are not male dominant anymore. The dome is a great example on any given night of the huge population of female baseball fans, serious, knowledgeable fans. As much of professional sport is about money these days, the money generated by female fans will change the landscape.”
Perhaps an acceptance of women as part of the baseball landscape, in many forms is what needs to change. Here’s Joanna’s take: “I have long argued that opening up baseball to minorities in general, including women, would help the game. A diverse set of people with a diverse set of viewpoints, experiences and skills is never a bad thing and would help baseball evolve and stay relevant…I see no reason why scouts, umpires, coaches, trainers, sports writers, executives, presidents or general managers can’t be female.”
There may be glimmers of hope coming in dribs and drabs. At Think Progress, Kiley Kroh brings us the story of Kelsie Whitmore and Stacy Piagno, who are the first females to play together on a men’s professional team, the Sonoma Stompers, since the Negro Leagues. We might not see it in a year or two, but the time will come when a female appears before an MLB audience. We saw how captivated the world became with young hurler, Mo’ne Davis. It can only be a good thing. Back in 2015, we heard about Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach an MLB team in the Oakland Athletics organization.
Progress and change are slow. For Major League Baseball, this is especially so. Maybe, with a woman appearing on a television in a major league uniform will help audiences come to grips with the fact that women are involved in baseball. The more women we read, hear from and see in baseball discussions, the less easy it will be to dismiss them. The more accepting audiences become, the safer it will be for everyone to share ideas on baseball. It’s 2016. It’s time for everyone involved in baseball to catch up.
*Featured Image Credit: C Stem- JFtC
THANK YOU FOR VISITING JAYS FROM THE COUCH! CHECK US OUT ON TWITTER @JAYSFROMCOUCH AND INSTAGRAM. LIKE US FACEBOOK. BE SURE TO CATCH THE JAYS NEST PODCAST!United Airlines has reportedly launched a probe into a breach of its computer system that took place around the same time a hacker group stole the data of tens of millions of US government employees and insurance holders. The two incidents may be linked.
The compromised data includes records of origins and destinations of United passengers’ flights as well as passenger manifests, Bloomberg reports, citing "several people familiar with the probe." This information could be used to augment China’s growing database on US defense and intelligence officials.
The hack was reportedly detected by United in May or early June. The breach potentially exposed the movements of millions of Americans to a China-based hacker group.
READ MORE: US govt agency hacked, 4 million federal workers affected
According to the report, the same group was implicated in the breach of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in June, compromising the data of 21.5 million people. The breach was one of the most harmful cyber thefts in US history, and led to the resignation of OPM Director Katherine Archuleta.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a new review of the OPM hack, detailing how cyber intelligence officers and their operations put covert intelligence officers at risk of being exposed, a big change in tone from the previous focus on breaches potentially leading to identity theft.
The CRS brief underscores widespread speculation that the “OPM data were taken for espionage rather than for criminal purposes” and stresses that the theft of sensitive employee information could go far beyond mere identity theft.
“A trove of data from breaches such as those at OPM can provide a number of avenues for criminals to exploit,” the report said. CRS warns that the compromised data might not even be used for less-serious cybercrime like identity theft, saying that “experts have been skeptical as to whether compromised information from the OPM breaches will even appear for sale in the online black market.”
CRS says the recent hacks have an even greater potential for damage “beyond mere theft of classified information.” The hackers could alter personnel files and even create fictitious ones. Some national security experts have compared the potential damage from the OPM hacks to Edward Snowden’s leaks of classified data from the National Security Agency, according to the Washington Post.
READ MORE: ‘Outrageous failure’: Database hack compromised all US federal workers – union
There have been media claims that the hacker group is backed by the Chinese state, but there have been no official accusations from the US government. CRS’s brief concluded that bringing criminal charges against the Chinese would be difficult, because “the OPM breach so far appears to be seen in the category of intelligence-gathering, rather than commercial espionage.”
The United Airlines hack is not believed to be directly related to network glitches in June and July that caused the airline to ground all flights. However, it appears that the hackers had access to United’s network for months, and one domain linked to the attack was set up in April 2014.I heard it got a big reactions from the viewers in the studio.
Everyone sighed so hard when this scene came up on the screen.
-He's really handsome..
-Hul.. Huk.. Hul..
-Our Jihoon is indeed really gorgeous..
-It looks like a dew on a flower..
-Even his tears look like an art..
-He still looks gorgeous even when he cries..
-Whoa.. He looks like the anime characters you usually see on TV..
-Why did he cry, though?ㅠ
-He looks so pure.. The epitome of purity..
-I can't help but sighed too when this scene came up on TVㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-The fans felt sad to see him crying, but they couldn't help but scream because he looked so handsomeㅋㅋㅋ
-The legendary scene for me was that time when Youngmin had to sing and Sewoon tap on his ankle to get him in the right beat..ㅠㅠ
-Whoa.. He looks like a fairy.. Is it possible to look that handsome when you cry?
-Whoa.. Is he really a human?
-Feels like I'm watching a scene of a drama..ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-He really has stars inside his eyes.. How could a young boy looks that handsome?
-He's shooting a movie..Last week your humble columnist discussed how south Kurdistani political parties need to get their house in order. The parties need to unify behind a Kurdistani national interest, establishing more red lines that must not be crossed in light of the shared and enduring aspirations of their people – security, welfare and independence. At present, the only red line the parties appear intent on respecting involves a refusal to fight each other by force of arms (especially at the bidding of outside powers). The civil war of 1994-1998 remains a bitter memory in the region.
When it comes to Kurdistani political parties from other parts of Kurdistan, however, even this red line now seems tenuous. In a recent interview with journalist Amberin Zaman, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani discussed the Shingal region:
During the calamity that befell the Yazidi people in Sinjar, obviously the Rojava forces — meaning the PYD [Democratic Unity Party] — played a valuable role in helping to protect them and shepherd them to safety, and we recognize and appreciate that. But under the present circumstances, the presence of PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] forces in Sinjar will only add to instability in the area and nothing more.…we strongly believe that the PKK must leave Sinjar.
Mr. Barzani said that while the KRG is willing to accept somewhat independent militias in Sinjar that follow orders from and coordinate with the Ministry of Peshmerga, the presence of PKK fighters in the area threatens to suck Baghdad, Turkey and other actors into conflict there. In such a scenario, Mr. Barzani said, “… we too, as the KRG, are players and hold certain cards in our hands. Having said that, I don’t think it would be in anybody’s interest to reach that point.” Ms. Zaman then asked directly, “Are you suggesting that you might resort to military force in order to push the PKK out of Sinjar?” To which Prime Minister Barzani replied “Yes, I am.”
This is an alarming and unfortunate development for Kurds all across Kurdistan. The PKK’s ongoing presence and activities in Sinjar unfortunately puts the KRG in an impossible situation. If south Kurdistan is to have a chance at independence, it needs to cultivate and sustain options other than Baghdad. Erbil must reassure its neighbors and the international community that south Kurdistan’s independence will not lead to even more region-wide irredentism and instability. These days Iran seems almost synonymous with Baghdad, however, and Syria for the foreseeable future does not offer the KRG any routes to the outside world either.
This leaves only Turkey, which has invested heavily in south Kurdistan and recently allowed Erbil independent oil and gas export routes. The Turkish rapprochement with Iraqi Kurdistan since 2010 has been nothing short of remarkable, but this too comes with strings attached. For the last 15 years, the KRG doggedly resisted Turkish pressure to act militarily against PKK forces based in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraqi Kurdish leaders instead did their best to try and mediate peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdish movement in Turkey. The PKK repaid them for this in two ways: by keeping Islamist radicals out of Qandil and other mountainous areas, and by helping defend the region against the Islamic State when it attacked in August 2014.
The PKK’s insistence on remaining in Sinjar goes too far, however. With no elected deputies in south Kurdistan’s parliament, the PKK is not a military force of the region. No state, or would-be state for that matter, can allow a foreign force to so directly challenge its rule and recruit and govern large swathes of its territory. Max Weber’s very definition of a state comes to mind here: “a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.”
Rather than push the KRG on this red line, the PKK might better consider withdrawing its armed forces from Sinjar in return for whatever concessions it can wring from Erbil. These concessions could include the right to conduct more extensive (but unarmed) political activities within south Kurdistan, an end to the embargo on Rojava (an embargo that probably resulted from heavy Turkish pressure and that nonetheless remains fairly loose in deference to Rojava’s needs), or similar things. If the PKK truly cares about all parts of Kurdistan as it claims to, it will understand that there are real limits (for the time being) to what the KRG can allow on its territory.
Given how much the PKK and its affiliates have bitten off in both Syria and Turkey, they could also well use more forces in theaters other than Sinjar. This would help maintain the red line of intra-Kurdish war that no one in Kurdistan wants to see crossed.
David Romano has been a Rudaw columnist since 2010. He holds the Thomas G. Strong Professor of Middle East Politics at Missouri State University and is the author of numerous publications on the Kurds and the Middle East.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.OAKLAND, Calif. --Jeremy Ramsay leads me through the back corridor of the nondescript one-story building that is Harborside Health Center. His bright little office is windowless but cheery, its white walls reflecting the glow of fluorescent lights, banks of them. Layer on layer of shop lights are feeding dozens -- hundreds -- of six-inch rooted cuttings of marijuana.
Ramsay is manager, clones, a title straight out of "Brave New World." His babies are weeks away from bulking up and setting the bizarre clusters of mind-altering flower buds, but even in youth the lobed leaves, slender and saw-toothed, are distinctive, iconic, ominous.
If your last joint was experienced while coughing along to a Bob Dylan album in the '70s, Ramsay's offerings will seem incredibly far out. I mean, incredibly.
On the other side of the building, patrons are spoiled by a choice of varieties whose pothead names are lagging behind the contemporary, therapeutic image of marijuana -- sorry, cannabis -- in all its boutique wonder. Kushage bestows a high helpful for brainstorming. Sour Cream is so calming. Kish is fruity but potent. Martian Mean Green flowers up a stench, but the buds burn real stoney.
I have come to California to see a quasi-underground horticultural marvel: growers, breeders and dispensers who have quietly brought the hemp plant to a level not seen in its rocky 6,500-year history with humankind.
When alcohol was chased underground during Prohibition, the resulting clandestine booze was notoriously rank -- the paint-stripping moonshine, the barely drinkable homemade wine. Marijuana, however, has undergone radical advances since the war on drugs sent it deep into the shadows 25 years ago.
In the now semi-open marijuana landscape of Northern California, I find a plant species transformed. Skilled mom-and-pop breeders have developed hundreds of high-performing cultivated varieties, and home hobbyists have grown them to perfection using new techniques and technologies. Marijuana has never been more potent, more productive and more varied in its appearance, flavor and effect. It is twice as productive as in the 1980s and three or more times as potent. As the supply has increased, the value has dropped or stagnated, from $5,000 a pound 15 years ago to about $3,000 today. By the ounce, Ramsay says, the choicest varieties still sell for as much as $400, but the cannabis connoisseur can pick up high-grade strains for half that amount today.
Many Americans of a certain age will remember that in the 1970s, seedy homegrown pot was reviled for its raw, throat-burning quality. Now dope-smoking locavores steer clear of cheap, low- and mid-grade weed in favor of organically grown boutique strains. They speak of "presentation" and varieties so agreeably complex that "you inhale one flavor and exhale another." Just as in the vineyards of the Napa Valley a few miles to the north, complexities come from the soil, from the fruits of labor, from careful breeding. Suddenly, pot has terroir.
It's surreal, even for California, but it may be our future.
***
Fourteen years after Californians approved medical marijuana, they return on Tuesday to consider Proposition 19. This would allow people 21 or older to become the first in the nation to legally cultivate, possess and use small amounts of marijuana, and let local governments license commercial growers and retailers.
If it doesn't pass, its backers vow to return. If it does pass, California will become even more cannabis-friendly than the Netherlands.Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park holds the significant status in the tourism sector of India with its distinct class and charm. However, the Ranthambore National Park is not one of the biggest National parks of India, but surely it is the most famous one. Situated in the vicinity of the Aravali hills and Vindhya plateau, the Ranthambore forest spreads over an area of 1334 sq km with having the 392 sq km of the area as the national park. Highly revered for the natural habitat to the significant number of Royal Bengal tigers, the Ranthambore tiger reserve is very popular among the wildlife lovers for its diurnal tigers, which means tourist can easily spot a tiger during their day safari visit.
National Park has taken its name from the famous Ranthambore Fort which is situated within the park. The park is located in the district of Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan and at the distance of around 11 km from the Sawai Madhopur railway station. Sawai Madhopur is approx 130 km away from the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Before the independence of India, the Ranthambore forest was under the Jaipur Kingdom and was the hunting place for the Maharajah and other royal members of the Jaipur Kingdom. In 1973, the forest was incorporated into the tiger project and declared as the national park in 1980.
Today, the Ranthambhore national park is a popular tourist destination for the ranthambore national park safari. Due to many of the popular tigers living in this forest park, thousands of tiger lovers from all over the world visit here daily during the safari season. Among many famous tigers, the tigress Machli was the most celebrated tiger in the world. However, she died last year in August 2016 but left many legends of her youth days. Her prodigy of braveness and strength has inspired many wildlife documentaries, movies and TV shows. Watching these dangerous wild predators in their natural wild environment at a short distance is really an adrenaline-pumping adventure to savor for whole life.
The Ranthambhore National Park not only boasts of its populous tiger reserve, but also the heritage sites which includes the mighty Ranthambore Fort, Jogi Mahal, Ancient temple and Rajbagh ruins which are the reminders of glory and grandeur of the Rulers of Ranthambore. Many picturesque lakes like Padam Talao, Malik Talao, Raj Bagh Talao and others are enriching the landscape of this forest which consists of deciduous forest, small hills, valleys and lush greenery. The park is enclosed by the Chambal River and Banas River from the two sides enhancing the wild ambience of the Ranthambhore forest. Without any doubt, the tour to this National Park of Rajasthan will be the best holiday for you if you actually love nature and wildlife. The whole experience of watching majestic tigers roaming freely in the park, a mesmerizing gamut of ultimate species of animals and birds and captivating greenery will enthrall your mind and you will be thanking yourself for having embarked on this wildlife journey Click Here For More Information About National Park.
Some Quick Facts About the Ranthambore National Park :
1955 - Establishment of the Sawai Madhopur Gaming Sanctuary to protect wildlife by the Government of India. 1973 - The Ranthambore forest is incorporated in the Project Tiger, a tiger conservation initiative by Indian Government. 1980 - Ranthambore forest declared as the National Park. 1984 - The adjacent forests of Ranthambore were acknowledged as the Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary. 1991 - The Ranthambore tiger reserve was extended to incorporate the Sawai Mansingh and Kaladevi Sanctuaries.
Ranthambore Forest is The Natural Habitat To- 40 species of mammals
320 species of birds
40 Species of Reptiles
50 species of Butterflies
300 species of plants
Ranthambore Fort
One of the ancient forts in India, the Ranthambore Fort is declared as the UNESCO world heritage site due to its historical significance. The fort is located inside the Ranthambore National Park, at the distance of 13 km from the Sawai Madhopur railway station. This heritage fort is said to be built in 944 AD and has witnessed the long history of Rajasthan. The epitome of valor and pride of the Rajput rulers of the various Kingdoms, the Ranthambore Fort was the strategic fort and thus captured by various rulers. At the time of the Independence of India and the abolition of the imperial era, the fort was under the Maharaja of Jaipur and the Ranthambore forest was the exclusive hunting ground for the Royals of Jaipur Kingdom.
Trinetra Ganesha Temple
Highly famous among the devotees of the Lord Ganesha since ancient times, the Ganesha temple located at the entrance of the Fort is the only temple of Trinetra Ganesha in the country. The idol of Lord Ganesha with his wives Riddhi and Siddhi makes it also a special temple of Ganesha with his full family. There are many legends associated with the foundation of the temple which make this temple a unique and popular religious place for the Hindu devotees. The temple is also famous for its unique tradition of getting the postal invitation letters sent by the devotees for inviting the Lord Ganesha for any auspicious occasion in their family. The temple receives many thousands of invitation letters every day and each and every letter has been read by the priest in front of the Idol.
Bakula Region
Considered as the best region for the tiger visibility in the Ranthambore forest, the Bakula region is the ultimate scenic landscape covered with the dense greenery and water bodies. The thickly forested land of Bakula along with the numerous ponds, water holes give the unique wilderness effect to the Ranthambore forest. Due to the dense forest, water availability and remote area, there is the abundance of the wildlife in the area making it a paradise for the wildlife lovers. The tiger sighting is relatively high in this area and tourists often get the sight relaxing tiger, especially tigress relaxing or walking with her cubs are often seen in the area.
Kachida Valley
Located at the periphery of the tiger reserve zone, the Kachida Valley is a must visit place for the wildlife with the abundance of the panthers, bears and other wild animals as well as a distinguished mesmerizing landscape which having steep outcrops, small valley, low hills, ravines and water bodies. The lush greenery and tranquil surroundings make this place a true wilderness away from any human activity. You can visit here only through the Jeep Safari Ranthambore and explore the wilderness and the beauty of the Kachida Valley.
Jogi Mahal
The Jogi Mahal, which is now a tourist attraction inside the Ranthambore forest, was once the resting abode for the Royals of Jaipur Kingdom while they visit Ranthambore for the hunting excursion. The small palace beautifully nestled in the wilderness of the Ranthambore at the bank of the famous Padam Lake offers an amazing site for monuments lovers. The big banyan tree situated near the palace is the second largest banyan tree in the country which is also an attraction for tourists.
By Air
The nearest airport to the Ranthambore is the Jaipur International Airport, which is located around 160 km from the forest. There are plenty of national and international flights connecting the Jaipur to various cities of Indian and abroad. You can get the taxi, cab or Bus at Jaipur airport to visit Ranthambore.
By Rail
The Sawai Madhopur Railway station is the nearest rail station to the Ranthambore National Park, which is around 11 km from the forest. The station is the famous tourist station and connected through the direct trains from the major cities of India like Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai, etc. For covering the distance from the station to Ranthambore, you can hire the taxi or catch the local bus.
By Road
There is a direct road passing nearby the Ranthambore forest connecting it with cities like Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota which is further connected with the major cities of India. So, If you are choosing the direct road trip from Delhi, Mumbai or Jaipur, you can easily reach the Ranthambore without any hassle. You can get on the road trip in your own vehicle or opt for the state Bus services to reach Ranthambore.Samira Wiley: ‘Margaret Atwood responded with a tongue emoji’ Read more
Let’s never forget that this is the country in which The Black and White Minstrel Show, featuring white performers in blackface make-up, was aired in a primetime BBC1 slot right up until 1978. Things have changed since then, of course.
The major broadcasters have all affirmed their commitment to increasing employee diversity, while shows such as Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black demonstrate diversity’s appeal onscreen. Yes, TV has come a long way since racism equalled ratings, though if recent controversies about colour-blind casting are anything to go by, some would say perhaps too far.
The Handmaid’s Tale, a bracingly up-to-date screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, has been praised for its cinematic visuals and compelling central performance from Elisabeth Moss as handmaid Offred, but one element remains controversial: the inclusion of race without the depiction of racism. It’s this that New York Magazine has described as the show’s “greatest failing”.
Atwood’s original novel passingly references the “resettlement of the Children of Ham”, but black characters are otherwise absent. In the TV series, however, Moira, Offred’s friend from “the time before” is played by black American actor Samira Wiley and Offred’s husband is played in flashbacks by OT Fagbenle, the British son of a Nigerian father and a white English mother. Post-revolution Gilead is also a fully integrated society, with black and Asian actors playing handmaids, commanders, wives and domestic workers.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch the trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale.
“I think Bruce and the producers have done a great job at making the cast diverse,” says Fagbenle – and this hasn’t always been his experience. “There are certain directors who just don’t cast diversely in prominent roles. Ever. Often it’s just because they don’t have a diverse social circle, so they don’t think of black or brown people as husbands, best friends, bosses.”
Why I love… Shonda Rhimes Read more
Showrunner Bruce Miller has explained in several interviews that casting decisions on The Handmaid’s Tale were made with the viewer in mind. “That was a very big discussion with Margaret [Atwood] about what the difference was between reading the words ‘There are no people of colour in this world’ and seeing an all-white world on your television,” he told Time magazine. “What’s the difference between making a TV show about racists and making a racist TV show where you don’t hire any actors of colour? So that was part of it.”
But it wasn’t just that Miller and his team didn’t want to make a racist TV show; it was also that they didn’t want to make a TV show about race. “It just felt like in a world where birth rates have fallen so precipitously, fertility would trump everything,” he said.
In effect, casting television is as much about creating a neutral background that doesn’t distract from the storytelling as it is about finding the best actor for the role. One of the purest examples of colour-blind casting in the US is Grey’s Anatomy. Casting director Linda Lowy has recalled how showrunner Shonda Rhimes presented the scripts with no character surnames. “She just said, ‘Linda, I want you to cast it the way you see the world.’” The result was a hospital staff that accurately reflects the communities of big-city North America, yet race rarely comes up. According to comments Rhimes made back when the first season aired in 2005, this was true to her own experience: “We’re post-civil rights, post-feminist babies, and we take it for granted we live in a diverse world.”
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some analogs of DOI due to our anticipating that DOI is going to eventually become scheduled. And DOI is avaluable research tool if you want to study the 5-HT2 system. There have been almost 600 papers published that used DOI. If DOI is actually scheduled and people can't use it, this is basically going to be a disaster. So we've got one analog that Tocris Bioscience sells, TCB-2, which is also a 5-HT2A agonist. It's never been compared with DOI, but it does kind of the same things. Our new compounds are cyclopropane compounds that look fairly similar to DOI and DOB. We're going to publish on this and suggest that maybe these can "fill in" if DOI is scheduled.What pharmacology or chemistry do you feel most proud of having come from your team at Purdue?I wouldn't say it's pharmacology, but one of the cutest things we did was to make azetidine analogs of LSD: using the diethylamide, we took a carbon and hooked the two ethyls of LSD together and that gave us a dimethylazetidine. We had the methyls on the same side of that four-membered ring or on the opposite sides, either with R,R or S,S stereochemistry, showing that it was justof those that was most like LSD. This proved that with LSD, when the diethylamide binds, those diethyl groups bind in a specific way. Then we modeled it, and we did mutagenesis of the receptor--and we haven't published this yet--and found that leucine 229 in extracellular loop 2 was the thing that interacted with that diethyl amide. The fact that the receptor has evolved specifically to be complementary to LSD,is interesting. [Jon intonatestheme music.] It took us about ten years to figure out how to do that.First we tried to make an aziridine, which is a three-membered ring. I had a student, Rob Oberlender, who worked on that for a long time. Those were unstable--the ring just broke open. So we went to the four-membered azetidine rings. In medicinal chemistry when you go from methyl to ethyl or propyl or things like that, you don't expect to see the activity change this dramatically, unless there's a unique binding site or there is some steric restriction binding site. With LSD you change it, and it's different. We pretty much knew thereto be some place in the receptor where that was binding. But to actually be able to demonstrate it, and then show that the ethyl groups bind in this specific orientation, and then do the mutagenesis which basically proves that--that was kind of cool.I made all the MDMA that MAPS is using for their research. In fact, I'm going to ship it to Organix at the end of next week, because they're going to store it for MAPS. I'm proud of being able to do that. Being able to make DMT for Rick Strassman. Being able to make psilocybin. Enabling studies that wouldn't have happened otherwise.I don't think many people eventhat my team supplied these drugs. They might know that Dave Nichols is "this chemist." But where did the materialsfor the so-called psychedelic renaissance that is occurring?Rick Doblin called me and said, "I can't find anybody to make MDMA. Can you guys do it?" "Yeah, I can do that." I made a kilo and a half, and MAPS didn't need it all, so we donated it; most of the clinical studies have been done with stuff that I made back in 1986. Strassman, as he says, was the first in a generation to give a psychedelic to humans. I worked closely with him. He said, "Dave, what if I get all these approvals and I can't get the DMT?" I said, "Well, I made the MDMA for Doblin. I can probably make DMT for you." That's exactly what happened. He got to the end and he said, "Nobody wants to make the DMT." So I made the DMT.Then Roland Griffiths needed some psilocybin, so I was asked, "Can you make psilocybin?" Stewart Frescas and I worked together to improve the synthesis of psilocybin, and that process has been used to make all the psilocybin for the clinical studies. I'm pleased with that contribution. It doesn't look like a major thing, but having psilocybin available at an affordable cost for all these clinical studies has really opened that whole area up, by figuring out a better synthesis and getting the material out to clinical investigators. We spent a couple of years figuring out the best way to make it, then making that first batch of four grams that Roland used in the spirituality study. So that's great. That's a great paper. Even though I didn'tpsilocybin, making it available was a good thing.To some extent, I'm kind of living vicariously through other people's clinical work, knowing that I contributed the material. And now, our synthesis of psilocybin is available. Other people have told me that they sent our improved synthesis method to more people. So it's out there.Eventually somebody will do a study with LSD.didn't do it at the Heffter Institute, just because there was still so much social stigma, and it's a long-acting compound. We discussed what we should use when we were going to treat terminal patients. We went with psilocybin because it was more benign, shorter-acting, and nobody knew what it was.The Heffter Research Institute's well-considered, cautious decision regarding what material was used with that cancer anxiety study laid some solid stepping stones...Heffter is where I've been able to do the clinical stuff, which I couldn't otherwise have done because I don't have an MD. Working with Franz Vollenweider... with the research he's doing with brain imaging, he's helping unravel the mystery of consciousness itself. That's thequestion: What is consciousness? Because if we're not conscious, we're not here. You can't really understandstates of consciousness, unless you understand consciousness. That's tied up in a lot of what Franz is doing, but also a lot of what Heffter is doing.We may treat terminal patients, because that's the first indication and that's where we have the biggest benefit-to-risk ratio--in cancer patients. But I think we are going to find things there that are going to lead us into other areas. People whodying are also sometimes anxious and depressed. So then you can say, "Okay, let's do a clinical study and look atpeople." I think we're going to open up some of these other avenues. For me, it's just the beginning.How does your work with Heffter tie into what you'll be doing at Chapel Hill?The people at Heffter are hoping that I'll have more time to work for them after I've retired. If I was going to go into this field today, I might wonder, really, how many more ligands do we need?I made a bunch of them. Sasha made a bunch of them. Other people have made some. But I don't know what all of thoseyou, at this point.We have lots and lots of tools. What's missing is how to connect those tools with how they produce altered states of consciousness. And, I think you need more clinical stuff, more PET scans, more EEG, functional MRI, magneto-encephalography, which nobody has used with a psychedelic at all; you actually get the brain currents. And it's all tied up with the nature of consciousness.What is consciousness? What produces consciousness? Those are big issues. Psychedelics could be really useful tools in understanding that.Changing gears, what is your favorite psychoactive plant or chemical?[laughs] I'll refuse to answer that.Well, it might be coffee, or chocolate, or wine! And certainly there was a time notlong ago when consumption of many of the entactogens scheduled these days was not illegal. How many times, for example, have you taken MDMA, MDAI, MDE, or MBDB?Before they were scheduled?Absolutely before. I'm not suggesting that you're a scofflaw! But I would think that someone with an interest in this area would have some personal experience with these things, at least at times when one is not going to get oneself into any legal trouble.If you would think that, then you'd probably be thinking correctly. But I suspect I'm much less experienced than people might imagine that I am. I am conservative by nature, and this is a conservative place. Set and setting are not really conducive. When I initially started, if I had a strong feeling that something was going to be interesting and it was a new substance, well... bioassays were the tradition in chemistry. So certainly I had some feedback at times on compounds where it seemed indicated thatis worth looking at, and that other things weren't worth looking at.Considering all of the years that you studied the neurotoxicity of entactogens, is there one drug that stands out, other than MDMA, that might be suitable for therapeutic use?As an entactogen, probably MBDB. I'm still intrigued by the possibility that it could be useful as an adjunct to psychotherapy. For people who experimented with MDMA before it was a controlled substance, the thing that they said was that with MDMA, there's this grandiose euphoria that hits you. And MBDB doesn't really produce that.With MBDB, there have been people who have taken it who have said, "You know, I didn't really noticeit started. It was just that all of a sudden, I realized that I was in, andin, this altered state of consciousness."I think that if you're going to have a drug as an entactogenic psychotherapeutic agent, it ought to be one that drug-naive people could takehaving any kind of an overwhelming experience."What are we left with? I'm still asking myself those same questions," the erstwhile Agent Cooper tells THR about the revival's controversial ending.
[Warning: This story contains spoilers through the final episode of Twin Peaks: The Return.]
"What year is this?"
Welcome to the four most gutting words in Twin Peaks lore, uttered by Federal Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in the final moments of David Lynch and Mark Frost's 18-part Showtime revival. Just as the original series ended on a powerful cliffhanger — one in which a dark Dale Cooper doppelganger cackled the words "How's Annie?" into a mirror, paving the way for this menacing monster to lurk throughout Twin Peaks: The Return — this new version of the cult-classic supernatural thriller concluded on a similarly confounding note, with Cooper and a woman who looks exactly like Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) standing outside of the Palmer residence on a dimly lit street in sleepy Twin Peaks, the world apparently completely unaware of their existence.
It's a haunting ending, and a polarizing one, to put it lightly. Even those who loved Lynch and Frost's vision for the final notes of Twin Peaks were left in the clutches of despair, without any easy answers and with the very likely possibility that we'll never see Cooper and Laura on our screens. For his part, series star MacLachlan is similarly unsure about the future of Twin Peaks, and is similarly left "reeling" after watching the finale. Read on for his thoughts on what Lynch unleashed in the finale.
What does it feel like, having the complete Twin Peaks out there in the world now?
It's incredibly satisfying to have it out there. It's something that's going to be floating around in our consciousness for a while now. It's also difficult. I don't like saying goodbye to characters that I really love and care about — not just the ones that I play, but also the cast, and to see them come into my home every week was really nice. It was really a pleasure to me. I'm going to miss that. And I just love what David Lynch creates. It's unlike anything that's out there. He's an artist. He compels you to think and feel things that are not that comfortable all the time, and questioning, questioning, questioning … I'm going to miss that, you know?
Given the way you're talking about the ending, does this feel like a definitive conclusion to you? Do you feel like we've just seen the end of Twin Peaks?
I don't know. They have had no discussions. I have had no discussions about anything beyond what we've seen. That's where it is right now. I don't have any other answer than that, I guess.
If this is the end, does the question of "What year is this?" feel more satisfying to you than "How's Annie?" as a final landing spot for Cooper? In other words, are you OK with this as the ending for Twin Peaks versus how things were left at the end of season two?
(Laughs.) You know, it's a good question … I would love playing Cooper forever and ever. It's just one of those characters who seems to fit. David and I have worked to make this amazing world and character. I love it. I hate saying goodbye. I hate not seeing him every week on the television. In terms of "What year is this?" I think it just asks more questions. He's left us with the direction to go back through and watch and absorb and take in what we've just seen again. But apart from that? I am still processing it myself. I'm still processing what I saw. I know I filmed it. I filmed it a long time ago, actually. But I had no idea how it was going to fall into the context of everything. I'm still reeling. Reeling, I think, is the word about what it all means.
Have you been surprised at all by the reaction to the finale? I also think "reeling" is a great word for it. It's polarizing on a profound level, but "reeling" is a great way to describe how even the people who loved the ending are feeling after the finale.
Well, good art asks questions, you know? It doesn't always provide answers. I think that's what we're experiencing right now. (Laughs.) It's not always the most comfortable or the most satisfying feeling. It's also asking us to consider what we've just seen. That's how I'm looking at it.
When you filmed that final scene on the street outside of Laura Palmer's house, did you know you were shooting the ending of Twin Peaks?
I don't know if I knew it was the end end, but I knew it was near the end. I knew it was going to be the culmination of everything that had come before. I don't know if David had any other ideas at the time. This was in September or October that we shot this in Seattle, and we didn't finish filming until April the next year, so I didn't know for sure. But I knew that it would seem to be what was going to be what ended up being the last scene of these 18 hours.
It's very sad imagining Dale Cooper as anything less than a victorious white knight shining bright through a dark world, but is that how he should ultimately be viewed — as a tragic character, given the ending?
Again, I don't know. It's certainly a hero's journey. I have the same questions that everyone has. Is this it? Was he successful at all? It just asks so many questions, which will resonate with people for a long, long time, as opposed to having … not a happy ending, but an ending of some kind. There are certainly some triumphs, like with Killer BOB. But beyond that, what are we left with? I'm still asking myself those same questions.
You must be happy that, at the very least, Dougie Jones gets a happy ending.
Yes! (Laughs.) That was a nice moment, wasn't it? We'll put that one on the plus side.
In terms of other moments on the plus side, it was so spectacularly satisfying to watch you say, "I am the FBI." Was it as satisfying to play that scene as it was for us to watch it?
Yes, it really was. Cooper had been tucked away for such a long time. To be able to wake up … and to be honest, I was hoping that I was hitting the right tone with it. It had been a long time. Bless David, he was there to help in case anything felt like it needed more of this or less of that, or whatever. But the writing is so perfect for Cooper. His movements through space are so dynamic, and so efficient, and so precise, and those things all came back from the original character. He cuts right through things in a very kind way. He gets the job done. All of those kinds of things came back to me kind of quickly. In watching it, I went, "OK, that worked." I was pleased with that, I will say.
What does it feel like knowing all roads led back to both Cooper and Laura Palmer, or at least to Sheryl Lee?
That was profound. I remember coming to work early on, and the makeup trailer is where you see everybody, because that's the first place you report to in the morning. I came in and walked in and sometimes it would be Madchen Amick or Harry Goaz, and that morning, Sheryl was there. It was just so great to see her. It carries with it so much weight and experience about where we've been and what this story is about. We are these people that are bringing to life David's vision and his world and his creation in front of the camera. I think we recognized the responsibility with that, and also we felt like we were chosen somehow, in a very special way. You're humbled by that and by his trust in you and his belief in you, that you are the vessels. We both felt that, I think. We both had this connection to each other because of that. She's a special person. Very special.
I don't think anybody expects to see David Lynch come out and reveal his intention behind the ending of Twin Peaks. But have you had any conversations with him? Has he illuminated the ending for you?
I don't ask him, and I wouldn't ask him, actually, knowing him as I do now. Because the whole journey was for the audience to experience and to take away from the experience their own interpretation. He's just presenting his creation, and we all have our own take on it. I think as I've gotten older I'm less inclined to want those answers, and I'm more inclined to just let the experience sit with me and dig down in me and awaken or resonate or touch those things in me that he wants to as an artist. He's special. (Laughs.) So I wouldn't ask him.
Final question for you. What's going to happen to the Mitchum brothers with the FBI if Cooper isn't around to attest to their hearts of gold?
That's a very good question. (Laughs.) I have full faith that those guys are going to be "A-OK," as Cooper would say. How could they not be with the ministration of the three ladies they have with them? They will be fine.
What did you think of the Twin Peaks finale? Let us know your theories in the comments below.When asked about his treatment by Mr Murdoch's newspapers on Tuesday, Mr Rudd shrugged it off.
"In terms of his views, and his determination to see Mr Abbott elected as prime minister, and his determination to see the end of myself, it's a free country," he said.
But Mr Rudd upped the ante on Wednesday evening, calling for Mr Abbott to come clean on any discussions he had conducted with Mr Murdoch about broadband.
"I've only just been looking back on the files today and discovered that in fact Mr Abbott's NBN policy was launched at the Fox studios here in Sydney. I would like to hear some answers to what discussions Mr Abbott may have had with Mr Murdoch on the future of Australia's National Broadband Network," Mr Rudd said.
On Sunday, Fairfax newspapers ran a comment piece by Paul Sheehan alleging Mr Murdoch's News Corp was attacking the government because it saw Labor's National Broadband Network as a commercial threat to its subscription television network Foxtel.Illustration: Kerrie Leishman So how about a seniors' card that entitles me to pay next-to-nothing on public transport not because I'm poor but just because I'm old? How about charging me the same nominal fee for pharmaceuticals you charge pensioners but deny to the working poor? The so-called self-funded - the Howard government's favourite charity - enjoy all these perks. But they don't seem to realise that, the more successful they are with their begging bowl, the less true their claim becomes. The notorious superannuation ''reforms'' Peter Costello announced in 2006, which centred on making super payouts tax free for people 60 and over - and which successive governments will have to laboriously unpick at great political cost in coming years - included significantly liberalising the means test on the age pension. Suddenly, there was a sharp fall in the number of people not receiving the pension and a sharp jump in the number receiving a part-pension. But did all those with their mouths now firmly clamped on the pension teat stop referring to themselves as ''self-funded''? I doubt it.
The way the numerous spruikers for the super industry tell it, governments impose iniquitous taxes on those independent, prudent, frugal, virtuous souls who struggle to save for their retirement. Rubbish. For working people, all the additional income we earn is taxed at rates of 19¢, 32.5¢, 37¢ or 45¢ in the dollar depending on how much we earn. But the 9 per cent - eventually to be 12 per cent - of our salary that employers are required to pay into superannuation is taxed at a flat rate of just 15¢ in the dollar. Ditto for extra contributions made through ''salary sacrifice''. So super contributions are, in fact, taxed concessionally. Just how concessional varies inversely with your need - the higher your income, the more you save per dollar. People like me save 30¢ in tax on every dollar they put into super (plus the 1.5¢ Medicare levy). What's more, income earned on money in super funds is also taxed at no more than 15 per cent, no matter how high your income. Super is taxed in a way that yields little benefit to the needy, but grossly favours the better off. As someone said, for he that hath, to him shall be given. The cost to the federal budget in revenue forgone is huge and rapidly rising. It was $30 billion last financial year and is projected to reach $45 billion by 2015-16.
But whenever this unfairness is pointed out, those who benefit (including those who benefit by managing super funds or providing advice to them) are quick to fly to the defence. It's terribly unfair to look at the gross cost of the super tax concessions without taking into account the saving to the budget from all those people who won't be getting the pension. A study by Richard Denniss and David Richardson, of the Australia Institute, Can the Taxpayer Afford ''Self-funded Retirement''?, to be released today, advises that by 2015-16, the $45 billion forgone on super concessions is expected to equal the cost of the age pension itself. (It will dwarf federal spending on education or on Medicare, and be almost double what we spend on defence.) So just how much will the super concessions save us on pension payments? Treasury could have estimated this but, if it has, it hasn't been made public - presumably because its paucity would cause too much embarrassment to a government game only to nibble away at super's unfairness to those whose interests Labor (and Bruce Springsteen) professes to represent. Even so, Denniss and Richardson give us a fair idea. Treasury does project that, by 2047 - 35 years' time - the proportion of people of pension age not receiving the pension will have risen by just 3 percentage points to about 20 per cent. The main effect of all the concessions will be to increase the proportion of people receiving only a part-pension by 15 percentage points to about half of those on the pension.This article is about the ancient portion of Anatolia. For Galatai, see Gaul. For other uses, see Galatia (disambiguation)
Ancient Galatia (; Ancient Greek: Γαλατία, Galatía, "Gaul") was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara, Çorum, and Yozgat, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of the East, Roman writers calling its inhabitants Galli (Gauls or Celts).
Geography [ edit ]
Galatia was bounded on the north by Bithynia and Paphlagonia, on the east by Pontus and Cappadocia, on the south by Cilicia and Lycaonia, and on the west by Phrygia. Its capital was Ancyra (i.e. Ankara, today the capital of modern Turkey).
Celtic Galatia [ edit ]
Original location of the Tectosages in Gaul
The terms "Galatians" came to be used by the Greeks for the three Celtic peoples of Anatolia: the Tectosages, the Trocmii, and the Tolistobogii.[1][2] By the 1st century BC the Celts had become so Hellenized that some Greek writers called them Hellenogalatai (Ἑλληνογαλάται).[3][4] The Romans called them Gallograeci.[4] Though the Celts had, to a large extent, integrated into Hellenistic Asia Minor, they preserved their linguistic and ethnic identity.[1]
By the 4th century BC the Celts had penetrated into the Balkans, coming into contact with the Thracians and Greeks.[5] In 380 BC they fought in the southern regions of Dalmatia (present day Croatia), and rumors circulated around the ancient world that Alexander the Great's father, Philip II of Macedonia had been assassinated by a dagger of Celtic origins.[6][7] Arrian writes that "Celts established on the Ionic coast" were among those who came to meet Alexander the Great during a campaign against the Getae in 335 BC.[8] Several ancient accounts mention that the Celts formed an alliance with Dionysius I of Syracuse who sent them to fight alongside the Macedonians against the Thebans.[9] In 279 BC two Celtic factions united under the leadership of Brennus and began to push southwards from southern Bulgaria towards the Greek states. According to Livy, a sizable force split off from this main group and head toward Asia Minor.[10]
For several years a federation of Hellespontine cities, including Byzantion and Chalkedon prevented the Celts from entering Asia Minor but this changed when Nikomedes I of Bithynia allied with some of the Celtic leaders in a war against his brother Zipoetes and the Seleucid king Antiochus I. When the Celts finally entered Asia Minor chaos ensued until the Celts were briefly routed by Antiochus' army in the Battle of Elephants. In the aftermath of the battle the Celts withdrew to Phrygia, eventually settling in Galatia.[4][11] The territory of Celtic Galatia included the cities of Ancyra (present day Ankara), Pessinus, Tavium, and Gordion.[12]
Roman Galatia [ edit ]
Upon the death of Deiotarus, the Kingdom of Galatia was given to Amyntas, an auxiliary commander in the Roman army of Brutus and Cassius who gained the favor of Mark Antony.[13] After his death in 25 BC, Galatia was incorporated by Augustus into the Roman Empire, becoming a Roman province. Near his capital Ancyra (modern Ankara), Pylamenes, the king's heir, rebuilt a temple of the Phrygian god Men to venerate Augustus (the Monumentum Ancyranum), as a sign of fidelity. It was on the walls of this temple in Galatia that the major source for the Res Gestae of Augustus were preserved for modernity. Few of the provinces proved more enthusiastically loyal to Rome.
Josephus related the Biblical figure Gomer to Galatia (or perhaps to Gaul in general): "For Gomer founded those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls], but were then called Gomerites."[14] Others have related Gomer to Cimmerians.
Paul the Apostle visited Galatia in his missionary journeys,[15] and wrote to the Christians there in the Epistle to the Galatians.
Although originally possessing a strong cultural identity, by the 2nd century AD, the Galatians had become assimilated (Hellenization) into the Hellenistic civilization of Anatolia.[16] The Galatians were still speaking the Galatian language in the time of St. Jerome (347–420 AD), who wrote that the Galatians of Ancyra and the Treveri of Trier (in what is now the Rhineland) spoke the same language (Comentarii in Epistolam ad Galatos, 2.3, composed c. 387).
In an administrative reorganisation (c. 386–395), two new provinces succeeded it, Galatia Prima and Galatia Secunda or Salutaris, which included part of Phrygia. The fate of the Galatian people is a subject of some uncertainty, but they seem ultimately to have been absorbed into the Greek-speaking populations of Anatolia.
Gallery [ edit ]
A Galatian's head as depicted on a gold Thracian objet d'art, 3rd century BC. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Galatian bronze horse bit, 3rd century BC, Hidirsihlar tumulus, Bolu. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Galatian bracelets and earrings, 3rd century BC, Hidirsihlar tumulus, Bolu. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Galatian torcs, 3rd century BC, Hidirsihlar tumulus, Bolu. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Galatian plate, 3rd century BC, Hidirsihlar tumulus, Bolu. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Galatian object, 3rd century BC, Hidirsihlar tumulus, Bolu. Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
Part of a 15th-century map showing Galatia.
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Galatia" Encyclopædia Britannica. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 393–394.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Encyclopedia, MS Encarta 2001, under article "Galatia".
Barraclough, Geoffrey, ed. HarperCollins Atlas of World History. 2nd ed. Oxford: HarperCollins, 1989. 76–77.
. 2nd ed. Oxford: HarperCollins, 1989. 76–77. John King, Celt Kingdoms, pg. 74–75.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, VI: Epistle to the Galatians.
Stephen Mitchell, 1993. Anatolia: Land, Men, and Gods in Asia Minor vol. 1: "The Celts and the Impact of Roman Rule." (Oxford: Clarendon Press) 1993. ISBN 0-19-814080-0. Concentrates on Galatia; volume 2 covers "The Rise of the Church". (Bryn Mawr Classical Review)
vol. 1: "The Celts and the Impact of Roman Rule." (Oxford: Clarendon Press) 1993. ISBN 0-19-814080-0. Concentrates on Galatia; volume 2 covers "The Rise of the Church". (Bryn Mawr Classical Review) David Rankin, (1987) 1996. Celts and the Classical World (London: Routledge): Chapter 9 "The Galatians".
(London: Routledge): Chapter 9 "The Galatians". Coşkun, A., "Das Ende der "romfreundlichen Herrschaft" in Galatien und das Beispiel einer "sanften Provinzialisierung" in Zentralanatolien," in Coşkun, A. (hg), Freundschaft und Gefolgschaft in den auswärtigen Beziehungen der Römer (2. Jahrhundert v. Chr. – 1. Jahrhundert n. Chr.), (Frankfurt M. u. a., 2008) (Inklusion, Exklusion, 9), 133–164.
, (Frankfurt M. u. a., 2008) (Inklusion, Exklusion, 9), 133–164. Justin K. Hardin: Galatians and the Imperial Cult. A Critical Analysis of the First-Century Social Context of Paul's Letter. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, Germany 2008, ISBN 978-3-16-149563-2.
Coordinates:Tax dodger Hitler stashed £3.6billion in Swiss banks: Historians trace dictator's money after it vanished following his death
The dictator amassed hundreds of millions of pounds in today's money
He hid it from German people and presented himself as almost penniless
Historians have managed to trace the vanished money through documents
Hitler was a tax dodger who hid a vast fortune across several Swiss bank accounts, historians have discovered.
Documents have emerged showing the dictator amassed hundreds of millions of pounds in today’s money, which he concealed from the German people.
It appeared to vanish completely after his death, along with his substantial art collection.
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Hitler hid hundreds of millions of pounds across several Swiss banks, concealing his fortune from the German people
But historians have now managed to trace the money through tax documents and bank statements. They believe he was worth around 1.1billion Reichsmarks, the equivalent of £3.6billion today.
During his lifetime the Nazi leader insisted his public speeches only made him a small amount of money and that he did not even have a bank account.
But documentary The Hunt For Hitler’s Missing Millions, to be aired tomorrow on Channel 5, will explore how he secretly gained a huge fortune.
He refused to pay taxes, dodging £1.75million before passing a law that made him exempt.
The book he wrote in prison, Mein Kampf, generated one million Reichs-marks-per-year after Hitler decreed that a copy be given to every married couple – paid for by the government.
Experts also claim the dictator wrote a secret will on the morning of his death, hoping to trick the German people into believing his humble claims.
HITLER - THE SECRET MILLIONAIRE
Hitler was leader of the Third Reich in Nazi Germany and orchestrated the execution of more than 6,000,000 Jews during the Holocaust. His aggressive foreign policy is believed to be the primary cause of the Second World War.
He invaded Poland in September 1939, and it led to France and England declaring war. But he was finally defeated by the Allies in 1945, following which he ended his life. Hitler was a dictator. And his radical ideology sought to create an Aryan race of superior beings and he was responsible for mass genocide in his concentration camps. He killed himself on April 30 1945 to avoid capture, after giving his deputies strict instructions on what to do with his body so it wouldn’t be found and humiliated by his enemies. And he also told them what he wanted done with his various assets, some of which still remains a mystery.
In it he dedicated five pages to a political diatribe against the Jews and just three to his personal will.
He presented himself as almost penniless, writing: ‘What I own belongs, as so far as it is of any value at all, to the party.’
There was no further mention of his wealth, only that his relatives should be given enough ‘to sustain a simple middle-class life’.
It was to be administered by Hitler’s private secretary and fellow Nazi, Martin Bormann, who was witness to the will and named as Hitler’s sole executive.
However Bormann was shot dead not long after Hitler committed suicide. The will was intercepted by Allied forces as a suspected Nazi tried to smuggle it out of the country, hidden in the shoulder pad of his jacket.
Historian Dr Chris Whetton said: ‘He loved money. He just wasn’t prepared to do much for it.’
The Nazi leader also copyrighted his image, meaning he even earned royalties every time a post-age stamp with his face on it was sold.
Herman Rothman, a retired British Intelligence Officer was among those to discover and translate the will.
He said: ‘We were absolutely shocked by what we found. I think the private will was also for consump-tion by the German people. He wanted to show in his private will he had very little.
'I always felt he thought about it very, very clearly, he wanted to show the people he had no benefits, that his life was purely devoted entirely to the wealth of the German people.’SSH, or secure shell, is the mainstay of remote access and administration in the Linux world, and the lack of any straightforward equivalent has always been an awkward feature of the Windows world. While there are various third-party options, Windows lacks both a native SSH client, for connecting to Linux machines, and it lacks an SSH server, to support inbound connections from Linux machines.
The PowerShell team announced that this is going to change: Microsoft is going to work with and contribute to OpenSSH, the de facto standard SSH implementation in the Unix world, to bring its SSH client and server to Windows.
PowerShell is in some ways an obvious group to do such work; while PowerShell is arguably stronger as a scripting language than it is an interactive shell, it's nonetheless Microsoft's preferred tool for command-line Windows management and administration. The ability to connect securely to a Windows machine from a Linux one to use a PowerShell shell is a logical extension of PowerShell's capabilities.
While those looking |
Yesterday, LifeNews reported how new information has come to light that Anderson’s campaign received more than $25,000 from the attorney who works for a late-term abortionist.
Since the indictment, Anderson is facing criticism over her failure to prosecute an abortionist known as the Kermit Gosnell of Houston.
Anderson oversaw a previous abortion-related grand jury investigation of Houston abortionist Douglas Karpen after Operation Rescue released evidence in the form of photos and witness testimony that babies were being born alive during abortions and intentionally killed by twisting their necks. This case garnered publicity in the wake of the conviction of Pennsylvania abortionist Kermit Gosnell on three counts of First Degree Murder for intentionally killing babies born alive during abortions in a similar fashion.
That Anderson-led grand jury failed to indict Karpen despite the considerable evidence against him.
Karpen was represented at his trial by attorney Chip Lewis, who donated more than $25,000 to Anderson’s re-election campaign.
SIGN THE PETITION: Drop the Charges Against David Daleiden and Charge Planned Parenthood
But one political blog based in Houston Texas has also noted the Anderson-Lewis relationship and indicates that it is much more extensive than just a few donations to her political campaign. Lewis initially had a relationship with Anderson’s husband Mike, who preceded her as District Attorney until he passed away.
Lewis spent the last half of the 1990s as a Harris County Assistant District Attorney. During 1999, his last year at the District Attorney’s office, Lewis represented the State of Texas in the prosecution of three Second Baptist School students alleged of aggravated sexual assault. For months, Lewis worked with fellow prosecutors Terese Buess and Lisa Andrews to prosecute these cases. On the eve of trial, Lewis convinced the victim and her family to bless off on a plea bargain that dismissed the rape cases. In return, one of the three defendants, represented by Dan Cogdell, pled no contest to unlawful restraint and received deferred adjudication. This plea assured Cogdell that his client would not be labeled a sex offender because the plea bargain relieved the defendant of the sex offender registration requirements. Devon Anderson’s husband, Mike, accepted the plea bargain as judge of the 262nd District Court. Following the conclusion of this deal, Lewis left the DA’s office and went to work for Cogdell. Meanwhile, the victim and her family were forced to file a civil lawsuit to recover restitution for her medical treatment Lewis knows the media. Weeks after her husband’s passing, Devon Anderson was appointed to serve as Harris County District Attorney. Lewis served as a backchannel telling Chron reporter Brian Rogers that he “understood that Judge Anderson and Judge Hill discussed this [appointment] extensively.” How would he know?
While LifeNews documented how the abortionist’s attorney gave $25,000 to Anderson’s campaign, apparently Chip Lewis’ giving to the Anderson family started well before Devon Anderson’s bid for district attorney. Lewis also held a fundraiser for Anderson’s campaign in March 2015, the blog noted.
This does not include the funds that Lewis donated to Mike Anderson, which were ultimately transferred to Devon’s campaign account. Lewis gave Mike Anderson $12,531.
$10,000 on February 27, 2012
$1,531 on June 12, 2012
$1,000 on April 2, 2013
According to the report, the money from the abortion doctor’s attorney to Anderson has gotten him exactly the kind of favor in the courtroom that he’s been looking for for other clients:
Since Devon Anderson assumed the position of District Attorney in September 2013, Lewis has received approximately 40 dismissals for his clients – this does not include the numerous dismissals under her husband’s administration. Devon Anderson needs to account for her relationship with Mr. Lewis. His campaign donations and results at the courthouse, at a minimum, appear improper.
Anderson has come under considerable fire for what pro-life advocates call a politically motivated indictment and because a Planned Parenthood board member works for Anderson as an assistant district attorney. Lauren Reeder is a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s criminal family law division. Reeder is listed as a non-compensated “Director” on the 990 Tax Form for 2014 filed by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.
Although Anderson indicates Reeder had no role in the Daleiden indictment, there’s really no way of knowing if that is truly the case. Because of that, pro-life advocates have called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into the indictment and the fact that the grand jury never voted on charges related to Planned Parethood’s sale of aborted babies.
With her top campaign contributor representing a prominent abortion practitioner and a Planned Parenthood board member working in her office, the attorney for pro-lifer investigator Susan Merritt said it’s no wonder that Devon Anderson indicted the pro-life investigators as opposed to Planned Parenthood.
Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, told LifeNews: “There is a history of bias in the DA’s office involving abortion doctors and Planned Parenthood. We will intend to shine the light on the process. We believe the prosecutor and the grand jury twisted the law. Sandra Merritt should never have been indicted. The focus and the inquiry should and will remain on the horrific abortion practices of Planned Parenthood.”NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose hopes that his decision to leave the New York Knicks on Monday without initial explanation doesn't impact how the club views him in free agency this summer.
Rose left the team before its game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday without informing the Knicks. He said that he returned to his native Chicago to tend to a family issue. The Knicks fined him for missing Monday's game. Rose returned to the team Tuesday and apologized to his teammates, coaches, president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills.
Editor's Picks Should Knicks fans be so quick to push Derrick Rose out of New York? Given the struggles the Knicks have had in attracting free agents, Derrick Rose may still be their best option at point guard.
"When I was in the room I felt like they understood where I was coming from," Rose, a free agent this summer, said of Knicks management. "I hope one incident didn't change their minds. Who knows? This is a business and if it was to happen I'm still going to play the way I normally know how to play no matter where I'm at."
The Knicks have been publicly supportive of Rose in the wake of Monday's incident.
"Right when I came back, I felt nothing but love," Rose said. "I apologized to them and like I said, it eases everything when they understand."
"I hope one incident didn't change their minds," Rose said of Knicks management. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
Privately, the club expressed frustration over Rose leaving them hours before a game without explanation. New York lost the game to New Orleans and has dropped nine out of its past 10 overall.
Rose said Thursday, before the Knicks' game against his ex-team, the Chicago Bulls, that he continues to hope to remain in New York beyond this season.
In addition to re-signing Rose in free agency, the Knicks have the option to offer him a three-year extension during the year.
If the Knicks decline to offer Rose an extension before June 30, they will head into free agency with several potential options at point guard. Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, George Hill, Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday and current Knick Brandon Jennings are all expected to test free agency this summer.President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young and James Farmer on January 18, 1964. (Photo: Yoichi R. Okamoto/ Wikimedia Commons
This post originally appeared at The Nation.
The Republican Party was, for a vital century, the American political party most closely aligned with the cause of civil rights. The invariably realistic Frederick Douglass explained that, “I knew that however bad the Republican Party was, the Democratic Party was much worse. The elements of which the Republican party was composed gave better ground for the ultimate hope of the success of the colored man’s cause than those of the Democratic Party.”
Well into the 20th century, Republicans took seriously their history and their responsibility that went with it. They worked to earn the votes of African-Americans and all supporters of equal justice under law, declaring in the party’s 1960 platform that:
This nation was created to give expression, validity and purpose to our spiritual heritage — the supreme worth of the individual. In such a nation — a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal — racial discrimination has no place. It can hardly be reconciled with a Constitution that guarantees equal protection under law to all persons. In a deeper sense, too, it is immoral and unjust. As to those matters within reach of political action and leadership, we pledge ourselves unreservedly to its eradication.
True to their word, top Republicans in Congress provided advice, counsel and support that was essential to the development and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
While Democrats struggled with their party’s internal contradictions on the issue – deferring far too frequently to the demands of Southern segregationists who held powerful committee chairs in the House and Senate, and who commanded machines that delivered needed electoral votes – Republicans demanded action. “When President John F. Kennedy failed to submit a promised civil rights bill, three Republicans (Representatives William McCulloch of Ohio, John Lindsay of New York and Charles Mathias of Maryland) introduced one of their own,” noted The New York Times in recalling the great struggles of the era. “This inspired Mr. Kennedy to deliver on his promise, and it built Republican support for what became the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
When the key votes in the House and the Senate came 50 years ago, Republicans were significantly more supportive of the Civil Rights Act than were Democrats. The measure passed the House on a 290-130 vote, with support from 61 percent of House Democrats (152 in favor, 96 opposed). But Republican lawmakers gave it 80 percent backing (138 in support, just 34 against).
When the key votes in the House and the Senate came 50 years ago, Republicans were significantly more supportive of the Civil Rights Act than were Democrats.
The critical test came in the Senate in June, 1964. Republicans aligned with northern Democrats to break the segregationist filibuster. Then, 82 percent of Republican senators backed final passage of the measure, as opposed to two-thirds of Senate Democrats.
When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964, he is said to have told an aide, “We (Democrats) have lost the South for a generation.”
But that statement did not just apply to the Democrats. Republicans were, necessarily, part of the change equation.
The change came quickly. Two weeks after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, the Republican National Convention in San Francisco nominated for the presidency Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, one of the handful of Republican senators who had opposed the measure.
Two months later, a key Democratic foe of civil rights, South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, switched his party affiliation and began working to remake the Republican Party so that it could appeal to Southern white voters. Thurmond was an essential backer of the campaigns of Goldwater in 1964, Richard Nixon in 1968 and Ronald Reagan in 1980. His influence on Nixon, who developed a so-called “Southern strategy” to help realize Thurmond’s vision of a transformed political map, was immense. It extended deep into the decision-making process for the selections of a vice president and Supreme Court nominees.
At the same time, civil rights advocates within the Republican Party either left or were defeated. House Minority Leader Charles Halleck, the Indiana Republican who worked closely with the Johnson administration to pass muscular civil rights protections was deposed the following January by his own caucus. John Lindsay, was rejected in his own party’s 1969 New York City mayoral primary (winning instead on the Liberal Party line), became a Democrat in 1971. His ally in the 1963 civil rights push, “Mac” Mathias, was so unsettled by the GOP’s move to the right that he threatened to run for the presidency in 1976 as a progressive independent. Other champions of civil rights, such as California Senator Thomas Kuchel (the Republican floor manager in the fights to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965), New Jersey Senator Clifford Case and New York Senator Jacob Javits, would eventually lose primaries to conservative challengers.
Two weeks after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, the Republican National Convention in San Francisco nominated for the presidency Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, one of the handful of Republican senators who had opposed the measure.
The senators who were rejected did not lose merely because of their civil rights advocacy but because of their Lincolnesque vision of a progressive Republican Party that, in Kuchel’s words, “brought to politics the philosophy of governing for the many.”
That philosophy was replaced by a more rigid and divisive politics. “The Republican Party that had been ceased to be sometime in the 1980s, and the modern party — the radical conservative party — not only has little or no interest in honoring its history, it is actively hostile to it,”Geoffrey Kabaservice, the author of the brilliant 2012 book Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party from Eisenhower to the Tea Party explained to Todd Purdum.
Purdum, who has written his own fine book on the battle to pass the Civil Rights Act, An Idea Whose Time Has Come: Two Presidents, Two Parties, and the Battle for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, marked the anniversary of the signing of the act with an article headlined, “Why the Civil Rights Act Couldn’t Pass Today.”
Purdum is appropriately critical of both major parties, but his most damning statement is an observation that “the Party of Lincoln became the party of white backlash, especially in the South.”
Thurmond was certainly not the only Southern Democrat to switch his party affiliation in the period following the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act – Jesse Helms made the change in 1970; Trent Lott, an aide to a segregationist Democratic congressman, ran for the House as a Republican in 1972; Virginian Mills Goodwn Jr., who The New York Times described as “a pillar of his state’s policy of ‘massive resistance’ to the racial integration of schools” during his years as a Democratic state legislator, was elected governor as a Republican in 1973. But Thurmond was the most prominent and the most influential of the party switchers. Over time, he evolved his rhetoric away from the crude language of his 1948 States Rights Democratic Party presidential run and his Senate filibusters to a more politically palatable critique of “Big Government.” The senator would eventually say that, “If I had been elected president in 1948, history would be vastly different. I believe we would have stemmed the growth of Big Government, which had begun with the New Deal and culminated with the Great Society.”
For a time in the 1950s and 1960s, enlightened Democrats and Republicans competed to be the party of civil rights. And the Republicans were in the lead through much of the period.
That statement conveniently neglected the fact that Thurmond and his allies in 1948 did not just talk about the size of the federal government. The same States Rights Democratic Party platform that declared its opposition to “the totalitarian, centralized bureaucratic government and the police nation called for by the platforms adopted by the Democratic and Republican Conventions” also announced that, “We stand for the segregation of the races and the racial integrity of each race…”
Thurmond left the Democratic Party the first time, in 1948, because the Democrats were becoming more like the Republicans on the issue of civil rights – as both parties moved, slowly but surely, toward a recognition that Hubert Humphrey was right when he told the 1948 Democratic National Convention it was time “to get out of the shadow of state’s rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights.”
For a time in the 1950s and 1960s, enlightened Democrats and Republicans competed to be the party of civil rights. And the Republicans were in the lead through much of the period – encouraging Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, the first African-American elected to the Senate in the modern era, to observe that, “[The Republican Party] was, I believe, much more progressive than the Democratic Party.”
Republicans were not the party of Thurmond, they were explicitly and proudly the party of Lincoln. That 1960 GOP platform read:
Equality under law promises more than the equal right to vote and transcends mere relief from discrimination by government. It becomes a reality only when all persons have equal opportunity, without distinction of race, religion, color or national origin, to acquire the essentials of life — housing, education and employment. The Republican Party — the party of Abraham Lincoln — from its very beginning has striven to make this promise a reality. It is today, as it was then, unequivocally dedicated to making the greatest amount of progress toward the objective.
The tragedy of the Democratic Party through much of its history was an unwillingness to stand strong against its Southern wing and to clearly align itself with the cause of social and economic justice. The tragedy of the Republican Party is that, when Democrats began to do the right thing, key figures in the GOP welcomed Thurmond into its fold and began to craft not just a “Southern strategy” but a politics of reaction. There were plenty of Republicans who resisted the trend at the time, and there have been plenty of Republicans since (notably former Congressman Jack Kemp and former Secretary of State Colin Powell) who have sought to broaden the party’s focus and appeal.
But as one of the great Republican advocates of civil rights, John Lindsay, noted when he left the GOP in 1971, “Today the Republican Party has moved so far from what I perceive as necessary policies… that I can no longer try to work within it.”
One of the great Republican advocates of civil rights, John Lindsay, noted when he left the GOP in 1971, “Today the Republican Party has moved so far from what I perceive as necessary policies… that I can no longer try to work within it.”
John Avalon, the longtime speechwriter for New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani who has since become a prominent advocate for centrist projects such as the “No Labels” movement wrote several years ago: “The Republican Party was right on civil rights for the first one-hundred years of its existence. It was right when the Democratic Party was wrong. Its future strength and survival will depend on rediscovering that legacy of individual freedom amid America’s essential diversity,” wrote Avalon several years ago. “To win in the 21st century, the Party of Lincoln needs to start looking like the Party of Lincoln again.”
This is true.
It is also true that Republicans have a right to reflect proudly on the role the GOP played in securing approval of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This anniversary belongs to both parties – to Democrats who recall Johnson’s leadership, to Republicans who recall the role played by congressional Republicans.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party that has spent much of its energy in recent years promoting restrictive Voter ID laws and that is currently entertaining a telling debate about Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran’s outreach to African-American voters in last month’s runoff election fight, often finds itself at odds with the legacies of Lincoln and the Republicans who championed civil rights in the mid-1960s.
“There’s also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party,” Powell said on NBC’s Meet the Press last year. “What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities.”
Powell recommended that his party “take a very hard look at itself.” In particular, the Republican Party should take a very hard look at its past – and it should embrace that past.
The views expressed in this post are the author’s alone, and presented here to offer a variety of perspectives to our readers.Actors and crew working on the new Harry Potter films are picking the set apart to find suitable souvenirs to take home once the movie franchise wraps up.Stars including Daniel Radcliffe Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, are close to finishing work on the last two films in the series - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - which will be split into two movies.And as 10 years of work on the wizard films draws to a close, the actors have reportedly joined production staff in scouring the set for keepsakes.Production designer Stuart Craig, who has been working on the film series at the Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire, England, says, "The Great Hall (featured in the movies) is a bit like the Berlin Wall - you can see people standing in line waiting to get bits of it."The dispatching of French soldiers to beat back rapidly advancing Salafi militants in northern Mali represents the convergence of multiple circles of blowback from two centuries of French policies in Africa. Some date back to the beginning of the 19th century, others to policies put in place during the last few years. Together, they spell potential disaster for France and the United States (the two primary external Western actors in Mali today), and even more so for Mali and the surrounding countries.
Only two outcomes, together, can prevent the nightmare scenario of a huge failed state in the heart of Africa spreading violence across the continent. First, the French-led assault on the north must manage to force most of the Salafi fighters out of the populated areas presently under their control and install a viable African-led security force that can hold the population centres for several years. If that weren't difficult enough, French and international diplomats must create space for the establishment of a much more representative and less corrupt Malian government, one which can and will negotiate an equitable resolution to the decades long conflict with the Touareg peoples of the North, whose latest attempt violently to carve out a quasi-independent zone in the north early last year helped create the political and security vacuum so expertly, if ruthlessly, exploited by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib (AQIM) and its allied radical groups.
The first and largest circle of blowback returns to French colonial policy in North and West Africa, which was responsible for the creation of most of the states that are involved in the present conflict. France began deliberately to colonise large swaths of West Africa at the start of the 19th century, gaining control of what today is Mauritania and Senegal by 1815, followed by the invasion of Algeria in 1830, Tunisia in 1881, French Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and the French Sudan (which would become Mali) - in the 1890s, Niger in 1903-4 and Morocco in 1912.
Carved from colonialism
It is impossible to know how the map of Africa would have evolved without European colonialism to shape it. What is sure, however, is that the European "scramble for Africa" that dominated the 19th century - and in which local rulers played a willing part whenever it served their interests - ensured that European powers would create the territorial foundation for modern nation-states whose borders bore little correspondence to the ethnic and religious geography of the continent. Mali in particular was composed of several distinct ethnic, linguistic and what today are considered "racial" groups. Its brief and ill-fated union with Senegal at the time of independence in 1960 highlights the artificial foundation of the region's states and their borders.
Alessandra Giuffrida speaks about
France's intervention in Mali
The lack of consideration for local ethnic, religious and cultural dynamics and the colonial imperative to arrogate as much territory under one rule as possible created a situation in which states with areas over twice the size of France and population groups which had little historical or cultural reason to live under one sovereignty and had few natural resources of comparative advantages to support themselves, were nevertheless forced to do just that; first, under foreign rule, whose main goal - whatever the "civilising mission" proclaimed by Paris - was to extract as much wealth and resources as possible and enforce control by whatever means necessary, then under postcolonial indigenous governments whose policies towards their people often differed little on the ground from their colonial predecessors.
Indeed, even those countries which secured independence peacefully were structurally deformed by foreign rule and the establishment of states with borders that did not naturally correspond to the political and cultural ecologies of the regions in which they were created. As epitomised by the plight of the Mali's Touareg communities (who are spread across the Sahel much like Kurds are spread across the countries of the Fertile Crescent), most states in West, North and Central Africa wound up including significant populations who were different from, and thus disadvantaged by, the group who assumed power. At the same time, post-independence governments were riven by corruption and narrow loyalties, with leaders who were most often unwilling to pursue or incapable of pursuing a truly national, democratic vision of development.
In such a situation, religion, which might have played a positive role in shaping morally grounded public spheres and economies, became marginalised from governance, while slowly taking hold in a toxic form among many of the region's most marginalised peoples.
Supporting the wrong team
If France's colonial history created the structures in which the present crisis inevitably has unfolded, a more recent set of policies constitutes the second circle of blowback; namely, France's unreserved support for the Algerian government in its repression of the democratic transition that began in 1988 and was crushed in 1992. As is well known, rather than allow the Islamic Salvation Front - a Muslim Brotherhood-inspired group not that different in its roots and outlook than its Egyptian or Tunisian mainstream Islamist counterparts - to take power after its clear electoral victory in the first round of the 1991-92 parliamentary elections, the Algerian military cancelled the next round and began a crackdown that quickly exploded into a civil war between the military government and radical Islamist groups.
Faced with the choice of allowing a new, Islamist political actor take the reigns of power, France, joined by the US, chose to support the Algerian military, with whom it had retained close relations. In allying with an authoritarian, brutal and corrupt government the French, and the West more broadly, became party to a vicious conflict that saw the emergence of a dangerous terrorist group, the GIA (Armed Islamic Group), quite possibly controlled at least in part by the military itself, and the subsequent bloody decade-long civil war that cost the lives of well over 100,000 civilians.
The GIA in turn was the kernel out of which another group, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, and then al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghbrib, emerged. These groups focused their attention on North Africa for much of the last decade, but gradually moved more deeply into the Sahelian regions linking Algeria to Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Morocco.
Had France and the West not given unreserved support to the Algerian military, it is highly unlikely that these groups would have been created, never mind grown to their present position (a similar argument could of course be made about the main branch of al-Qaeda, which is so many ways was a direct product of unceasing US support for some of the most corrupt and brutal regimes in the world, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan).
As in so many other cases, France and its Western allies chose stability over democracy. In so doing it inevitably, if ironically, set the stage for the present chaos in which its troops are being forced to fight.
Supporting the wrong team... again
The third and most recent circle of blowback stems from France's longstanding support for Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Specifically, French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered strong support for Ben Ali at the start of the crisis, specifically including, as foreign affairs minister Michèle Alliot-Marie described it, "the savoir-faire, recognised throughout the world of [French] security forces in order to settle security situations of this type". The French president's words embarrassed his government once the protests picked up steam to the point of creating a "crisis of credibility" that necessitated Sarkozy's "admission of mistakes" in supporting Ben Ali against the revolutionaries.
So strong was Sarkozy's embarrassment that when the Libyan crisis erupted, France took the lead in pressing for Western military intervention to force Gaddafi from power in order to absolve itself of its Tunisian sins. Yet it was precisely the launching of NATO's air war and military support for the Libyan rebels that led to the exodus of well-trained fighters and significant weapons stocks from Libya into Niger, Mali and other parts of the Sahel in the wake of the crumbling of Gaddafi's state. The chaos and spread of weapons generated by the Libya war put crucial numbers of men and arms into play in northern Mali at a particularly dangerous moment in the country's history, when long oppressed Touaregs, who'd been recipients of Gaddafi's largesse in the past (and some of whom in fact fought for Gaddafi), were once again primed to rebel against the central government.
UN expects thousands of refugees in Mali
This situation became even more ripe for chaos with the unexpected and apparently unintended military coup against the country's soon to be retired president, Amadou Toumani Touré, in March, 2012, which created an even bigger power vacuum throughout the country.
The blowback's blowback
Here we see decades, and indeed centuries, of French and broader European and American policies coming together to produce maximum chaos. This in turn was strengthened by the blowback from longstanding local conflicts, from the hostility of Mali's military leadership to the extremely poor rank and file conscripts (which prompted the protests that sent the President to flight in March, 2012) to the inability of the broader Touareg rebel movement to set aside its tradition of violent resistance and embrace a younger generation of activists, who were advocating a revolutionary movement that was much closer to the soon to erupt Arab Spring than to the violent insurrection for which Touaregs had long been known. Almost a year later, the army has lost control over the majority of the country, while Touaregs have been largely sidelined from the revolt they started by Salafi groups aligned with al-Qaeda.
What is most interesting in this regard is that the present blowback had significant advance warning and should in fact have been anticipated by French and Western policymakers in the planning of the Libyan war. North Africa experts, such as Sciences Po political scientist Jean-Pierre Filiu, were pointing out already in 2010 that al-Qaeda in the Maghrib and other salafi fighting groups were moving away from their focus on Algeria and towards developing a strategic presence, and even "new theatre" in the Sahel, with the ultimate aim of destabilising those countries.
These jihadis "now represent a serious security threat in northern parts of Mali and Niger", Filiu explained, because of numerous kidnappings, smuggling and other illicit activities the recruitment of a "new generation" of fighters from the many poor communities of the region. This reality of clearly increased operations by radical Islamist groups in northern Mali, coupled with the increase in Touareg agitation and Gaddafi's well-known use of various nomadic groups as mercenaries, should have raised loud alarms among French and Western policymakers in the lead up to the decision to enter for Libyan civil war.
Indeed, on the US side, the American Ambassador to Mali warned already in 2004 that Mali is a "remote, tribal and barely governed swath of Africa... a potential new staging ground for religious extremism and terrorism similar to Afghanistan under the Taliban... If Mali goes, the rest goes". This warning was made just as the US military was deepening its military presence across the continent, culminating in the creation of AFRICOM in 2008.
Given the clear attention being paid to the Sahel in the last decade by French and US policymakers, we can only assume that either they were utterly incompetent in failing to understand the inevitable results of Western military intervention in Libya, or saw that as a win-win situation, providing a new theatre in a strategically rising area of the world in which US, French and Western militaries could become increasingly engaged (and in so doing, keep rivals such as China further at bay).
Either way, just as previous African interventions generated the blowback that helped create the present Malian crisis, the present intervention in Mali, however necessary, well-intentioned and even wished for by the majority of Malians (to the extent the wishes of Malians can even be determined that clearly), will no doubt produce its own blowback, which will claim the lives of many more Africans, French, American and other Western citizens.
Mark LeVine is professor of Middle Eastern history at UC Irvine, and distinguished visiting professor at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University in Sweden and the author of the forthcoming book about the revolutions in the Arab world, The Five Year Old Who Toppled a Pharaoh.Home secretary announces ban on group, which burned poppies last November and was planning Armistice Day protest this year
The home secretary, Theresa May, has ordered Muslims Against Crusades, an Islamist group which is planning to disrupt Friday's Armistice Day ceremonies, be banned from midnight.
The organisation, which burned two large poppies near the Royal Albert Hall in London on Remembrance Day during the minute's silence last year, is a renamed successor to the already banned Islam4UK and other proscribed organisations. Anjem Choudary is a leading figure in both groups.
The immediate ban is part of the government's new drive to proscribe organisations that glorify terrorism in addition to those having direct links to terrorist groups.
The ban will make membership of Muslims Against Crusades a criminal offence.
May said: "I am satisfied Muslims Against Crusades is simply another name for an organisation already proscribed under a number of names including Al Ghurabaa, The Saved Sect, Al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK. The organisation was proscribed in 2006 for glorifying terrorism and we are clear it should not be able to continue these activities by simply changing its name."
A parliamentary order was laid at Westminster on Thursday morning implementing the ban.
The group has often clashed with the English Defence League since it was set up last year. It has staged a pro-Bin Laden rally outside the US embassy. On the anniversary of 9/11 its members burned US flags and chanted through megaphones outside the embassy, disrupting a minute's silence by mourners at the nearby September 11 memorial garden.
A statement on the group's website said this year's Armistice Day would be marked by "a total lack of silence" by the Muslim community in Britain to highlight the continuing "atrocities" in Iraq and Afghanistan and the "brutal torture concentration camps of Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib".
The "hell for heroes" protest planned for Friday was also scheduled to take place outside the Royal Albert Hall.
Choudary of Muslims Against Crusades said the decision was a "bid by the government to cover up the truth".
He said he did not know if a "hell for heroes" demonstration against Remembrance commemorations would now go ahead.
Responding to the ban, he said: "I think it is an abject failure of democracy and it is a victory for sharia Muslims. The truth is something the government would rather silence."
The Home Office said the decision was based on an assessment of the group's involvement in the glorification of terrorism and the evidence that it was another name for an already proscribed terrorist organisation.
The ban, which has been evoked under the Terrorism Act 2000, also makes it a criminal offence to "arrange a meeting in support of a proscribed organisation, or to wear clothing, or to carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of the proscribed organisation"..1. Obama and Boehner return to secret negotiations.
Before Boehner started touting his failed "Plan B" to boost taxes on those who make more than $1 million, he and Obama were moving closer together on a plan to raise taxes on certain high-income Americans and cut spending. They could pick up where they left off and quickly cut a deal to bridge the gap. (Read More: Here's How Close Boehner and Obama Are.)
But a compromise with possibly $1 trillion in new taxes and $1 trillion in new, long-term spending cuts could be a tough sell for both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
Boehner would have to sell enough Republicans on the idea of tax increases. Obama, meanwhile, would have to get Democrats in Congress to back cuts to some social safety net programs such as Social Security pensions and Medicare and Medicaid health insurance for the elderly and poor. House Republicans appear to be the tougher sell.
2. A huge drop in the stock market sends a loud message to Washington politicians to stop arguing and cut a quick but meaningful deal.
That is what happened in late September 2008, after Congress rejected a massive financial bailout package despite warnings by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson of an economic collapse if the bill failed.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 700 points and Congress quickly reversed course, approving the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program just days later.
The "fiscal cliff" may not be as dramatic a situation, but the tax increases and cuts in federal spending could deal a stiff blow to the economy.
3. No deal happens in the dwindling days of 2012 and the government jumps off the fiscal cliff -- at least temporarily.
On Jan. 1, income taxes would go up on just about everyone. During the first week of January, Congress could scramble and get a quick deal on taxes and the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts that most lawmakers want to avoid.
Why could they reach a deal in January, if they fail in December?
The reason would be that once taxes go up, it would be easier to allow a few of those increases to remain in place -- mostly on the wealthy -- and repeal those that would hit middle- and lower-income taxpayers.
Such a scenario would mean that no member of Congress technically would have to vote for a tax increase on anyone -- taxes would have risen automatically, and the only votes would be to decrease tax rates for most Americans back to their 2012 levels.
4. No deal occurs for another six weeks or so.
If Congress does not raise the nation's debt limit, by mid-February, the Treasury Department likely would exhaust its ability to borrow. That would put the nation at risk of defaulting on its debt.
Republicans have withheld their approval of the debt-limit increase as leverage to try to get the kind of "fiscal cliff" solution they want: Fewer increases in spending and taxes, and more cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
This is the strategy they employed in mid-2011 during the last fight over the debt limit, which is about $16.4 trillion.
Republicans wrung spending cuts out of Democrats in return for new borrowing authority, but paid a political price. Global financial markets were rocked by the long uncertainty brought on by the standoff in Congress, one ratings agency downgraded U.S. credit standing and Republicans saw their public approval ratings sink.
5. Boehner decides on a gutsy move: Call a House vote on a bill that would raise tax rates for families with net annual incomes above $250,000, exactly what Obama has sought.
The plan could pass the House with strong Democratic support |
the wrong time.
Q: In your book, you also described how your platoon machine-gunned peaceful demonstrators. Is that right?
A: Right. In the surroundings of the Rasheed Military Complex, South of Baghdad and near the Tigris River, there was a group of people staging a demonstration, right at the end of the street. They were youths; they had no weapons. So, when we advanced, we saw a tank parked on one side of the street, the driver told us that they were peaceful demonstrators. If those Iraqi people had had any violent intentions, they would have blown up the tank; but they did not. They were only staging a demonstration. That calmed us down because we thought that "if they were there to shoot at us, they had already had enough time to do so. " They were standing about 200 meters from our patrol.
Q: Who gave the order to shoot at the demonstrators?
A: We were told by the high command to keep watching those civilians, because many combatants with the Republican Forces had taken off their uniforms and were wearing civilian clothes to undertake terrorist attacks against US soldiers. The intelligence reports we received were known basically by every member in the commanding chain. All marines were well aware about the structure of the commanding chain that was set up in Iraq. I think that the order to shoot at the demonstrators came from high-rank US administration officers, which included both military intelligence agencies and governmental circles.
Q: And what did you do?
A: I returned to my vehicle, my Humvee (a highly equipped jeep) and I heard the sound of a shot over my head. My marines started shooting, so did I. We were not shot back, and I had already shot 12 times. I wanted to make sure that we had killed people according to combat requirements set by the Geneva Convention and the operational proceedings established in the rules. I tried not to look at their faces, I only looked for weapons, but I found none.
Q: How did your superior officers react at that?
A: They told me that "shit happens. "
Q: And when your marines found out that they had been deceived, what was their reaction?
A: I was second in command. My marines asked me why we were killing so many civilians. " Can you talk to the lieutenant? ", the answer was "No". But when they found out that it all was a lie, they were really mad.
Our first mission in Iraq was not aimed at offering humanitarian assistance, as the media said, but to secure oil fields in Bassora. In the city of Karbala, we used our artillery during 24 hours; it was the first city we attacked. I thought we were there to give the population food and medical assistance. Negative. We kept on advancing towards the oil fields.
Before arriving in Iraq we went to Kuwait. We got there in January 2003 with our vehicles loaded with food and medicines. I asked the lieutenant what we were going to do with all those supplies, since we had little room for us with so much stuff. He told me that his captain had ordered him to download everything in Kuwait. Shortly after that, we were ordered to burn everything, all the food and the medical supplies.
Q: You have also denounced the use of depleted uranium…
A: I am 35 years old and I only have 80 percent of my lung capacity left. I have been diagnosed a degenerative disease in my backbone, chronic fatigue and pains in my tendons. You know, I used to run 10 kilometers just because I liked to run, and now I can only walk between 5 and 6 kilometers every day. I am afraid of having children because of that. I got a swollen face. Look at this picture (He shows me the photo on his Book Fair credential). This photo was taken shortly after I returned from Iraq. I look like Frankenstein. I owe all that to depleted uranium, now you can imagine what is happening to the people in Iraq.
Q: And what happened when you returned to the United States?
A: They treated me as if I were crazy, as if I were a coward, a traitor.
Q: Your superior officers have said that all you have revealed is a lie.
A: There is overwhelming evidence against them. The US armed forces are finished. The longer the war, the bigger chance for my truth to be known.
Q: The book you have presented in Venezuela has been published in Spanish and French. Why haven't you published it in the United States?
A: The publishing houses have requested the elimination of real names of the people involved and the presentation of the war in Iraq in sort of a mist that makes it less crude, and I am not willing to do that. Publishing houses like New Press, an alleged left wing entity, refused to publish the book because they fear to be involved in a dispute raised by the people described in the story.
Q: Why some media outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post never reproduced your testimony?
A: I never echoed the official version of the facts, which says that US troops were in Iraq to help the people; I never repeated their story that civilians there died in accidents. I refused to say that. I did not see any accidental shooting against the Iraqi and I refused to lie.
Q: Have you changed that stance?
A: No. What they have done is to add opinions and books by people with conscious objections: those who are against the war in general or those who participated in the war but who did not have this kind of experience. They are still reluctant to look straight to reality.
Q: Do you have any photos or documents that may prove what you have told us?
A: No, I don't. They stripped me of all my belongings when I was ordered to return to the United States. I returned home only with two weapons: my mind and a knife.
Q: Do you think there is a short-time solution to the war?
A: No, I don't think so. What I see is the same policy being practiced either by democrats or republicans. They are the same thing. The war is a business for both parties, since they depend on the Military Industrial Complex. We need a third party.
Q: Which one?
A: the party of Socialism.
Q: You have participated in a workshop titled "The United States: The Revolution is Possible. " Do you really think that a revolution could take place in the United States?
A: It has already begun to take place in the South, where I was born.
Q: But southern United States has traditionally been the most conservative zone in your country.
A: That changed after Katrina. New Orleans looks like Baghdad. The people in the South are indignant and they wonder every day how comes that Washington invests in a useless war and in Baghdad, while it has not invested in New Orleans. You must recall that the first big rebellion in the United States started in the South.
Q: Would you be willing to visit Cuba?
A: I admire Fidel and the Cuban people, and if I am invited to visit, for sure I would. I do not mind what my government might say to me. Nobody will control me.
Q: Do you know that the symbol of US imperial despise against our nation is precisely a photo depicting some marines as they urinated on the statue of Jose Marti, who is the Cuban National Independence Hero?
A: Yes, I do. In the Marine Corps they spoke of Cuba as a US colony and they taught us some history. As part of his training, a marine must learn facts about the countries he is expected to invade, as the song goes.
Q: What song, the marines´ song?
A: (singing) " From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli…"
Q: That means that the marines want to be in all parts of the world?
A: Their dream is to control the world…, no matter if in that effort we all are turned into murderers.Akron police are investigating a quadruple shooting that left one person dead late Thursday night.
Witnesses and police say dozens of shots were fired into a crowd of 80 to 100 people who were gathered at Lane Field for a vigil.
The vigil was for Ronnie Travis who was killed on July 14, 2014 on Packard Avenue in Akron. Ronnie's brother, Recardo Jerome Giovanni Travis, was shot and killed in March of this year.
A 22-year-old man—identified as Eric Gaiter of Stowdied at the scene. Police at the scene originally told newsnet5.com that two people had died.
A 20-year-old man was shot several times in the chest. A 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old woman were shot in the leg.
The crime scene stretched from the corner of Campbell Street and Moeller Avenue all the way to Howe and Lane Streets.
Police worked near a car in the parking lot of Lane Field where nearly a dozen evidence markers were placed by police.
Suspect information has not been released.Chocolate brand GALAXY is set to break a new campaign starring iconic screen and style icon Audrey Hepburn this Sunday (24 February).
Created by AMV BBDO, the new ad is set to debut on ITV1 during the ad break of Mr. Selfridge with Hepburn featuring as the new ‘Galaxy Girl’. Brought back to life using cutting edge technology, the ad tells the story of Hepburn seeking a place to enjoy her GALAXY chocolate. Hepburn isn't the only one brought back to life for the new campaign, GALAXY has also resurrected it's 'Why have cotton when you can have silk' strapline for the first time in 11 years.
The 1950’s Amalfi coast setting of the creative is reminiscent of old Hepburn films, during the ad a young Hepburn is shown on a crowded bus looking for a spot to enjoy her chocolate bar. After catching the eye of a handsome driver in a car driving alongside the bus Hepburn seizes the chance to leave the bus and recline on the luxurious back seat of the open top car where she enjoys her GALAXY.
Vice president marketing at Mars Chocolate UK, Michael Magee, commented: “The use of Audrey, along with reviving our strapline ‘why have cotton when you can have silk?’ reflects an increased focus on our largest chocolate brand… We pride ourselves on creativity that connects with consumers – and the revival of Audrey Hepburn for this GALAXY campaign is a great example of this.”
The 60 second TV spot will be supported by an additional 30 second ad, press sampling, digital activation and PR running nationally from Sunday 24 February.Do you want unlimited Metro rides at the University of Maryland, or not? It doesn’t matter, because college is a “socialistic society,” so you’ll pay either way.
That’s the curious rationalization for a $130 per-semester fee that the university’s Residence Hall Association wants to impose on all on-campus residents.
The Diamondback reports the RHA approved the “Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority anytime ridership resolution” Tuesday night, but according to Transportation Advisory Committee Chairman Matt O’Brien, the resolution is basically a formality:
“The Department of Transportation Services is ready to implement it as soon as possible,” the freshman economics major said. “RHA has already approved the budgets, but the budgets haven’t been moved to the Board of Regents yet, so there’s some time.”
Campus leaders have been pressuring the school since October, when the RHA passed its first resolution, to subsidize Metro fares.
O’Brien’s ambitions aren’t limited to just on-campus residents – he’s pushing for the undergraduate and grad student governments to approve the $130 per-semester fee.
What if you don’t want unlimited rides? Tough luck, he says:
“When you come to college, you pay into a socialistic society,” O’Brien said. “… If you stay in a similar place as someone else and you use 10 times as much water as that person, you don’t pay more money, [and] people aren’t upset about that. You are helping someone else ride the Metro and it’s not like you’re not getting anything out of it.”
Nothing wrong with that logic!
As noted by a fellow senator, the university recently raised the cost of a parking permit by 10.3 percent, and RHA had no problem with that. (And as noted by this author, the university is served exclusively by WMATA’s Red Line, the most overcrowded and sluggish line in the crime-riddled system, so the “unlimited” rides might be a raw deal.)
Read the story.
h/t Campus Reform
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IMAGE: Deatonphotos/ShutterstockThe Texas state senator caused a sensation when she blocked restrictive abortion laws with a filibuster that lasted all day. She explains how she did it and the personal grief that drove her on
Early on the morning of Tuesday 25 June 2013, I awoke to prepare for what I knew would be a difficult day. In a few hours, with the help of my Democratic colleagues, I would attempt to kill Senate Bill 5 – a bill which, if passed, would impose on Texas women some of the most sweeping abortion restrictions in the US. If things went according to plan, I would have to be out on the senate floor by 11:11am to filibuster the bill, talking it to death for 13 hours until midnight, when the clock would run out on the 83rd session of the Texas senate.
The roots of the word “filibuster” can be traced, in different forms, back to Dutch (vrijbuiter) and Spanish (filibustero), but the common meaning was the same –“piracy”– a fitting word. Filibusters in the Texas senate are rare, not just because they can take place only on the last day of a senate session, but because they truly are a test of endurance. Unlike filibusters in the US senate, the rules in Texas are very strict: You may not touch your desk. You may not lean on your desk. You may not have a sip of water. You may not leave the floor for any reason, to eat or to go to the bathroom. You may not even have a stick of gum. On top of that, there’s the three-strike rule: if a senator is called for three points of order for not staying on topic, the filibuster can be ended.
Needing moral support, I spent the night before the big day with my boyfriend, Will. I bathed while listening to Bruce Robison’s What Would Willie Do, as I often do on days that I know will be tough. Its lighthearted lyrics remind me that I can overcome any challenge with the right attitude. At 6:30am, a young female doctor arrived to fit me for a catheter. Knowing why she’d been summoned, she was warm and encouraging. Unfortunately, though, she had not brought a urine-collecting “leg bag” with her but instead a large bag that hospital patients use. The length of tubing was close to six feet, and I knew that getting all of it wrapped around my leg in a way that could be disguised under my clothing was going to be a challenge.
After I dressed, Will brought me a boiled egg. It’s his practice to draw faces on the boiled eggs he keeps in his refrigerator – a gag for his teenage daughters. On this morning Will brought me an egg with an angry grimace, its eyebrows furrowed, its eyes narrowed, its mouth set in a resolute line. I knew that this “badass” egg face was the perfect choice to help me start the day ahead. All it could have used was a penned-in pirate’s eye patch.
As the door closed behind me, I looked down at the flats I was wearing and wondered if they’d have enough support for all the hours I was going to be on my feet. Worrying that they wouldn’t, I ran back inside, grabbed my pink running shoes and headed back out the door.
When I arrived at the capitol around 8:00am, my staff was busy pulling together material. Binders bulged with previous court decisions. Most important, they contained personal testimony by women who were pleading for their right to reproductive health care.
As the zero hour of 11:11am approached, time was running short for me to deal with a problem. It had become patently clear that I was not going to be able to secure the tubing and the bag on my leg in a way that would keep it from slipping below my dress. My staff called the doctor who had inserted it earlier. Could we get a leg bag instead? Around 9:15am, a nurse arrived, we closed the door to my private office, and she changed out the bag.
But within the hour I realised something was terribly wrong. Once again my staff began making urgent calls. With minutes left before I needed to be on the floor, the nurse reappeared, breathless. She’d had to run several blocks and made it just in time to discover that there was a blockage where she had inserted the tube. I had just enough time to empty the bag, reattach it to my leg, and make my way to the floor.
My heart was racing as I reached my desk and I was filled with an anxiety that is hard to describe. “I intend to speak for an extended period of time on the bill,” I said, which is the polite way of saying: “I’m about to filibuster this bill.”
And so it began.
“Members, I’m rising on the floor today to humbly give voice to thousands of Texans who have been ignored. These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the official business of our great state.”
As my staff watched me moving through the binder that contained these personal stories, they began to worry that we would run out too soon. So, unbeknownst to me, they put out a call through social media – and stories started pouring in via email. Heart-wrenching stories. Over 16,000 in all. Right before my third hour of speaking, I came across the story of Carole M.
‘The emotional toll was difficult, but it became a battle of wits’ … Texas Democratic candidate for governor, Wendy Davis. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP
“On 1 December, 2008, I was thrilled to discover that I was pregnant with my first child. Four months later my husband and I went in for an ultrasound, where we were going to find out if we were having a boy or a girl. Unfortunately, that moment was cut short when the doctor told us that our baby was sick. Two days later we were given the heartbreaking news that our daughter had a terminal condition, hydrops fetalis, in which an abnormal amount of fluid builds up in the body. Given the early onset of my daughter’s illness, her condition was very grave, and we left the specialist’s office with our choices. We could wait until she passed, induce my labour, or have a dilation and extraction. Knowing that your daughter is dying is heartbreaking. When you are given the news that there is nothing that can be done to save your baby’s life, it feels like your soul has been ripped apart, but we had a decision to make.”
My voice and hands shook; I wiped tears from my eyes. It was a tale of tremendous sadness, and one that was so hauntingly familiar I could barely speak it out loud. It could have been my story. The story of Tate and what my ex-husband Jeff and I had gone through in 1996, when a scan revealed our unborn daughter had an acute brain abnormality. We terminated the pregnancy and a time of great sorrow for our family followed. When I read Carole M’s words that day in the Texas senate, it felt as though I was reading words I was reading words I could have written.
The emotional toll of the day was difficult enough, but soon it became a battle of wits regarding points of order. Later I was told by one of my colleagues that the Republican members had decided upon a strategy to find three points of order to end the filibuster. At six hours and nine minutes into the filibuster, the first point of order was called on me, when I began to talk about how in 2011 the Texas legislature had voted to cut $77m [£47m] from funding for family-planning services. Senator Robert Nichols called a point of order on the “germaneness” of the topic of abortion prevention to the bill itself, which seemed completely absurd to me, but after a brief debate, the presiding officer ruled in favour of the point of order. My first strike had been called. The ruling stunned me. I was not receiving the deference typically given to a fellow senator on the rare occasions when filibusters occur. And I was pissed.
The second point of order was called a little over an hour later when a colleague helped me put on a back brace. I’d been rubbing my lower back, pushing on it as I was walking around my desk to try to relax the muscles, and someone on my staff had run out to a drugstore and bought a back brace for me. Normally a messenger would bring something over to your desk for you but my colleague Senator Rodney Ellis saw my staff member coming and rather than have it come to me via messenger, he just went over to the rail and handed it to me. When I started to have trouble putting it on – keep in mind I have to keep my microphone in my hand and I have to keep talking! – he tried to help me.
A point of order was called over 45 minutes later. In their desperation to find their three strikes, several of my Republican colleagues argued that Senator Ellis’s act of helping me to tighten this back brace was “assisting a senator during a filibuster” and should therefore count as my second strike.
I started getting madder. And getting mad made me forget about everything going on around me. I wasn’t thinking about my back. I wasn’t hearing or noticing people on the floor. I was solely focused on not getting that third strike. My mind was racing, trying to stay ahead, all while making sure I continued to talk.
Only two hours and seven minutes would elapse until the third point of order was called on me at 9:31pm. As ridiculous as the first two were, the third point of order was a complete travesty. I had begun referencing the sonogram bill that the legislature had passed, which I argued was also an intrusion on access to safe, legal abortion. Before I could finish, Senator Donna Campbell jumped up and called that point of order, and, at 10:03pm the chair ruled it valid.
The gallery erupted. For more than a minute, the audience chanted, “Let her speak! Let her speak!” Within a minute, Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst gestured to Department of Public Safety officers to clear offending members of the gallery.
That third strike effectively ended the speaking portion of my filibuster. I’d spoken my last words. The rest was up to my Democratic colleagues.
We had almost two hours to fill before midnight. It began with a challenge to the ruling of the chair. This challenge, used correctly, forces the removal of the presiding officer while his ruling is debated. My colleagues did a masterful job of continuing to debate that ruling, creating a tremendous amount of chaos in the process. Meanwhile, I had to continue standing, no leaning, no drink of water, no break – because if I did any of those things, the filibuster would automatically be ruled to be at an end. So I stood, adrenaline rushing through my body as I watched my colleagues work to tick away the time.
As they worked, I occasionally glanced at the clock behind me, silently pleading for its hands to move. Finally, in a desperate attempt to shut down debate, someone must have sent an instruction to the folks who take care of our technical issues to turn off the microphones of Democratic senators. At around 11:15pm, our microphones were cut off.
Meanwhile, the people sitting above us were watching anxiously. The gallery had been full to capacity all day and those opposed to the bill far outnumbered the few in support of it.
For most of the day, you could have heard a pin drop. But even a novice could see that the rules were not being applied fairly, so the crowd was getting upset.
Leticia Van de Putte, our senate colleague who’d been absent because her father had died, had driven back to Austin from his funeral. She hadn’t expected to say anything – she just wanted to add her presence as a symbol of support – but she became so frustrated watching what was happening that she, too, began screaming to be heard. At 11:44 pm, 16 minutes before midnight, she asked this question: “At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognised over the male colleagues in the room?”
She’d had to shout but as soon as she did the gallery erupted. It was the perfect statement. And the gallery could be silent no more. The spectators jumped to their feet and started screaming, and by then – because I had reached my breaking point and my patience point, too – rather than try to quiet them, I encouraged them. They had been obeying the rules all day while I’d watched my Republican colleagues breaking them. I’d had enough. We knew if we could keep them going and keep a vote from being taken, we could get to that midnight deadline. Which is exactly what happened.
And even though that awful bill restricting women’s reproductive rights passed just a few days later when a second special session was called, people were empowered by what they’d been able to accomplish that day. I see that now everywhere I go in Texas – an awakening to what it means to participate and how empowering that can be, and a new understanding and acceptance of the fact that we cannot cede our values simply because we may not win every time.
This is an edited extract from Forgetting to be Afraid by Wendy Davis, published in the US by Blue Rider Press.Masonic "puppet master," ardent fascist and prison escapee Licio Gelli has died, his family announced on Wednesday. The 96-year-old ex-leader of a clandestine Freemason group had been implicated in nearly every big political and financial scandal in Italy for the last fifty years.
Born in the city of Pistoia in 1919, Gelli volunteered with Benito Mussolini's Blackshirts to assist Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War before returning to fight against the Allies in World War II, where he served as a liaison officer between his government and Nazi Germany.
He remained close to neo-fascist groups for decades, and played a role in an attempted military coup in the 1960s.
He led the Propaganda 2 (P2) Masonic Lodge after rising through the ranks of Italian Freemasonry beginning in the 1960s. After the secret right-wing group was discovered to have a connection to the collapse of the Banco Ambrosiano bank, a scandal in which the Vatican bank and the Sicilian Mafia were also implicated, in 1981, Gelli entered into a long legal saga over the affair.
During that time, he escaped jail and fled to Switzerland for a time.
Lawyer: he called himself 'puppet master'
He was finally sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1998, which he served under house arrest at his villa due to his age, but not before escaping to the French Riviera after his sentencing and being re-arrested in Cannes.
The P2 has counted Italy's political, financial, and military elite among its members, including, allegedly, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
How deeply involved he was in the many scandals his life touched remains a matter of guesswork.
"He described himself as a puppet master, but it was a more of a joke than a statement of fact," said Raffaello Georgetti, one of Gelli's attorneys.
Gelli's first wife Wanda died in 1993, but he is survived by his second wife Gabriela, children, and grandchildren. He passed away on Tuesday in his Tuscan mansion. His funeral has been planned for Friday.
es/bw (AFP, dpa)This past week at the Mozilla headquarters in Mountain View, we talked to user experience design expert Alex Faaborg about the Firefox 3 visual refresh. He shared some insights about the interface design process and talked about some of Mozilla's goals for refining the look and feel of the Firefox user experience.
An integrated experience
Platform integration has been a very high priority for the Firefox 3 development cycle. Visual consistency with the underlying operating system is important, says Faaborg, because it creates a more seamless user experience and makes it easier for the user to focus on web content rather than on the web browser.
This is a significant reversal from the strategy behind the Firefox 2 theme, which was designed to have a similar appearance across all platforms. For Firefox 3, separate icons and themes have been implemented for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux.
Firefox 3 theme for Vista
The Firefox 3 theme for Windows XP
The Firefox 3 theme for Linux
The Firefox 3 theme for Mac OS X
Although platform consistency is strongly emphasized in the individual Firefox 3 themes, Faaborg also labored to ensure that the layout of the user interface is similar enough on each platform so that users can transition between operating systems and continue using Firefox without having to retrain their muscle memory or adapt to new user interface paradigms. Another one of his goals was to create several specific user interface characteristics—such as the keyhole shape for the back and forward buttons—that could be employed consistently across all of the platforms to establish a universally recognizable visual identity for the browser.
Creating the Windows Vista theme posed some unique challenges because the developers had a bit of trouble figuring out where to use certain Vista-specific aesthetic flourishes like black dialog toolbars. Another weakness in the Firefox 3 Vista theme is the lack of support for transparency. Faaborg says that full compositing-based transparency support isn't planned for Firefox 3 but will eventually arrive in a future version. This will mostly likely be implemented as a special CSS property so that individual Firefox themes on Vista will be able to use it too. For now, he says, there are already some third-party themes that use various hacks to add transparency support.
Community coders... and artists
I asked Faaborg about the extent of community involvement in Firefox artwork development. Members of the open-source community have contributed many icons and have helped in a number of other ways. Some of the custom Linux icons, for instance, were created by the Tango designers. Few artists were interested in doing the Windows work, however, so Mozilla ended up hiring The Iconfactory to do complete sets for Windows Vista and Windows XP.
Faaborg has watched user feedback closely throughout the entire design process and made some changes in response to valid criticisms. One example of this is the Home button, which was controversially placed on the bookmarks toolbar by default in a previous beta build and has now been moved back to the navigation bar because of complaints from users who didn't have their bookmarks bar enabled and consequently couldn't find the Home button.
Google beats bookmarks
Although the visual style and theme of the application are the most highly visible aspect of his work, Faaborg notes that interaction design goes much deeper than the browser's surface. Many subtle usability enhancements that are included in Firefox 3 improve the overall user experience and make complex features more easily accessible. One example that he cites is the new single-click bookmark system. Usability testing revealed that many users eschew bookmarks entirely and simply use Google because it often requires less effort. The single-click bookmark system removes a lot of unnecessary complexity and makes bookmarks a valuable feature for a broader segment of the user population without crippling some of the more advanced bookmarking capabilities—like support for nested hierarchical structures—that are appreciated by power users.
The Firefox 3 bookmark popup
The work done by Faaborg and many others to improve theming and usability in Firefox 3 is very apparent in the recent beta and nightly builds. The browser finally fits in with the rest of the operating system and shines with a level of polish that we have never seen before in previous versions of Firefox.Vietnam’s ministry of health is finalizing draft amendments to the civil code that will likely acknowledge transgender people for the first time.
Nguyen Huy Quang, head of the ministry’s legal department, said they were still collecting opinions on the issue but he personally preferred to ‘address the fact and solve it.’
‘This is the right to live with their true gender,’ he told a news conference on 14 April.
Legislators will discuss the proposed changes next month.
Quang said Vietnam did not currently allow sex reassignment surgery (SRS), but up to 1,000 of its citizens had done the surgery abroad and were now living in the country.
He said this was not only hugely expensive but also dangerous, as most went to unlicensed clinics.
Even worse, they became ‘invisible’ after returning to Vietnam as they were not legally recognized, Quang said.
He said the gender marker and photos on their identity cards and passports did not match their appearance, which often led to inconvenience and discrimination.
Quang said there were about half a million people Vietnam whose gender did not match the one they were assigned at birth.
‘Transgender people face the risk of shortening their lifespan by 20 years due to the hormone treatments, but they accept this risk because they want to live as they believe they were meant to be,’ he said.
‘This should be considered by society for its determination.’
Quang said if transgender people were recognized, procedures and regulations could be put in place to ensure their safe transition.
The health ministry proposed recognizing transgender people once before in 2005, but it was not approved by the National Assembly.
In 2009, a teacher named Pham Le Quynh Tram from Binh Phuoc province became the first transgender person in Vietnam to have legal recognition, but it was revoked in 2013.This is why we can’t have nice things… A selfie-snapping young man in Portugal is making headlines the world over today after he toppled and smashed a 126-year-old statue to bits while trying to take a selfie with it.
This particular statue of child-king Dom Sebastiao has been sitting atop its pedestal at Rossio railway station in Lisbon for the past 126 years, but not even it could escape the pitfalls of the selfie craze.
According to multiple reports, an unidentified 24-year-old climbed up next to the statue last Wednesday, camera in hand, ready to take a picture. Unfortunately, he bumped into the statue in the process, knocking it over and smashing it to bits on the ground.
Here’s what the statue looked like pre-selfie:
And this is what it looks like now:
The young man responsible apparently tried to flee the scene afterwards, but police caught up with him and he will be appearing in front of a judge to answer for his transgression “at a later date.” Wonder if he’ll bring a selfie stick with him…
Image credits: Before photo by IngolfRace for the Galaxy AI
This is a project to create artificial intelligence opponent(s) for the card game Race for the Galaxy. Currently, the base game and all three expansions are supported.
With the release of version 0.7.0, online multiplayer is supported. You can see the results of completed games.
News
2014-08-22 -- Version 0.9.4 released, which includes BGG user borgemik's interface changes patch, as well as bug fixes for good consumption from Tranship Point.
-- Version 0.9.4 released, which includes BGG user borgemik's interface changes patch, as well as bug fixes for good consumption from Tranship Point. 2014-08-13 -- Version 0.9.3 released, which fixes a few bugs in Alien Artifacts cards and enables campaign mode.
-- Version 0.9.3 released, which fixes a few bugs in Alien Artifacts cards and enables campaign mode. 2014-08-07 -- Version 0.9.2 released, with support for the cards from Alien Artifacts.
-- Version 0.9.2 released, with support for the cards from Alien Artifacts. 2012-10-22 -- The mirror holding the downloads appears to have gone away. I have moved the files to Dropbox, let me know if you are unable to access them.
-- The mirror holding the downloads appears to have gone away. I have moved the files to Dropbox, let me know if you are unable to access them. 2011-03-09 -- Version 0.8.1 released, with a bugfix for Alien Toy Shop's consume power.
-- Version 0.8.1 released, with a bugfix for Alien Toy Shop's consume power. 2011-03-08 -- Version 0.8.0 released, with some AI improvements and minor bug fixes.
-- Version 0.8.0 released, with some AI improvements and minor bug fixes. 2010-09-11 -- Early copies of version 0.7.5 had a bad set of images -- if you experienced crashes or corrupt action card images, try downloading again. Sorry!
-- Early copies of version 0.7.5 had a bad set of images -- if you experienced crashes or corrupt action card images, try downloading again. Sorry! 2010-09-11 -- Version 0.7.5 released, with many bug fixes and some minor GUI improvements for clarity.
-- Version 0.7.5 released, with many bug fixes and some minor GUI improvements for clarity. 2010-08-21 -- Version 0.7.4 released, with many multiplayer improvements and several minor bug fixes.
-- Version 0.7.4 released, with many multiplayer improvements and several minor bug fixes. 2010-08-12 -- Version 0.7.3 released, with a critical fix that only affects multiplayer games (no need to upgrade from 0.7.2 if you only play against the AI).
-- Version 0.7.3 released, with a critical fix that only affects multiplayer games (no need to upgrade from 0.7.2 if you only play against the AI). 2010-08-12 -- Version 0.7.2 released, with several bug fixes related to takeovers and Alien Oort Cloud Refinery.
-- Version 0.7.2 released, with several bug fixes related to takeovers and Alien Oort Cloud Refinery. 2010-08-03 -- Version 0.7.1 (still beta) released, with many bug fixes (including a very nasty one related to Galactic Scavengers).
-- Version 0.7.1 (still beta) released, with many bug fixes (including a very nasty one related to Galactic Scavengers). 2010-08-02 -- Version 0.7.0 (beta) released, with support for The Brink of War expansion, and online multiplayer. There are several known bugs in this release, but they should only occur with certain combinations |
ividjian, a grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, previously criticized leaders who spoke out in support of C.J. Mahaney, who had been named as a defendant in the SGM suit.
Signatories on the statement, which was released on July 17 but has attracted additional signers, include Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors; Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan; Paul Young, author of “The Shack”; and Jonathan Merritt, evangelical writer and senior columnist for Religion News Service.By submitting the Brooks Product Testing Application, you have agreed to be a member of the Brooks Sports, Inc. Product Testing Program and to comply with all terms and conditions outlined below. As such, you are associated with an elite group dedicated to producing the finest athletic and sports footwear in the world. A significant part of Brooks’ success may be derived from the information you will be providing as an objective Product Tester. Your selection as a Brooks Sports Product Tester allows a unique opportunity for you to evaluate some of the leading technology in the footwear industry today.
The information you will provide is valuable to Brooks Sports and will be used in the continuing development of Brooks Sports products. Due to the competitive nature of the footwear industry and the confidential nature of the technology you will be evaluating, this information will also be of interest to Brooks Sports competitors. In order to safeguard this information, you agree, in consideration for being a Product Tester, to not disclose to any third party without the prior written consent of Brooks Sports, any information that may be deemed to be confidential or proprietary in nature, including, but not limited to, such information as footwear, materials, or marketing plans. You also agree that any information you learn or provide as a Product Tester is the sole property of Brooks Sports.
You understand, the footwear you will test will remain the sole property of Brooks Sports. You will not loan, sell or give the product to anyone. After testing, or any time during the testing phase, if a Brooks analyst requests the product you will promptly return it. In order to protect amateur athletic eligibility, athletes will return all testing product to Brooks Sports following the conclusion of a test.It is not really accurate to say that the White House responded on Tuesday to the harsh criticisms leveled against President Trump by retiring Republican Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.). During an afternoon media briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders didn't even attempt to engage with the substance of what either man said.
Instead, she offered a retort that can be summarized like this: Trump is a winner. Corker and Flake are losers.
Witness this exchange between Sanders and Politico's Matthew Nussbaum:
NUSSBAUM: So, we have two Republican senators, just now, today — so there's Corker and Flake — calling the president's behavior “unacceptable” and “dangerous,” saying that he regularly tells untruths. Senator Flake just called on his fellow Republicans to end what he called “complicity and accommodation.” I'm wondering: What's the White House's response to this criticism coming from two Republican senators? SANDERS: I think that we support the American people on this one. I think that the people, both in Tennessee and Arizona, supported this president, and I don't think the numbers are in the favor of either of those two senators in their states.
Notice that Sanders didn't bother to defend Trump's conduct. She didn't say that it is acceptable or that it is not dangerous. All she said was that Trump won Tennessee and Arizona last fall, while suggesting that Corker and Flake would have lost in 2018 had they not decided to retire.
[‘I will not be complicit.’ Jeff Flake’s retirement speech, annotated]
Sanders did the same thing a few minutes later, when questioned by ABC's Jonathan Karl:
KARL: I understand that neither of these two senators we're talking about now have been allies, to say the least, of the president. But this has been an extraordinary series of attacks on the president, from major figures in the Republican Party — not typical political attacks. I mean, saying the president is responsible for the debasement of the nation, that a breakdown of civility is the fault of the president and that enough is enough. We've seen similar remarks from John McCain, the party's former nominee. In any of this — does any of this make the president pause and wonder if he is doing anything wrong, if he bears any responsibility for what these senators are saying is a breakdown of civility in our country. SANDERS: Look, I think the voters' of these individual senators' states are speaking in pretty loud volumes. I think that they were not likely to be reelected, and I think that shows that the support is more behind this president than it is behind those two individuals.
Again, Sanders didn't argue against the charge that Trump has debased the nation and damaged civic discourse. She simply asserted that voters in Tennessee and Arizona like Trump better than Corker and Flake.
Sanders has a point. Flake told the Arizona Republic that to be reelected, he would essentially have to act more like Trump than himself:
Here's the bottom line: The path that I would have to travel to get the Republican nomination is a path I'm not willing to take, and that I can't in good conscience take. It would require me to believe in positions I don't hold on such issues as trade and immigration, and it would require me to condone behavior that I cannot condone.
There you have it. Flake, for one, agrees with the White House. In this political environment, Trump's way is the way to win.
The winning way is not necessarily the same as the right way — Flake clearly believes it is not — but the clear message from Sanders on Tuesday was that winning is all that matters in Trump's White House.
Just ask Breitbart.Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Chocolate mousse is one of my favorite desserts! But after adopting the vegan way of life I had to let go of my craving since chocolate mousse is traditionally made with eggs and cream which are non-vegan products. However, in this recipe I have replaced the traditional milk ingredient with coconut milk instead, this change gives a rather delicious flavor to the mousse. This vegan chocolate mousse is both healthy and unique owing to the addition of avocado in the dish. Avocado gives a fluffy texture to the mousse, whereas the chocolate crust gives a creamy crunchy flavor to the mousse. This recipe is extremely simple and gluten free. One doesn't have to whip egg whites since it’s a vegan recipe, simply add the ingredients mentioned in this article into a blender and your healthy chocolate mousse will be ready in no time. This chocolate mousse can be used as a dessert or quick treat.
Ingredients:
For the Crust
1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates
1 cup almonds
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons cocoa
For the mousse
1 avocado
3 tablespoon cocoa
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
½ cup Vegan milk
½ teaspoon salt
3 – 5 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup dates
1 vegan chocolate bar
4 tablespoon peanut butter
For the chocolate sauce
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 table spoon cocoa
2-3 tablespoon vegan milk
2 tablespoon maple syrup
PREPARATION
For the chocolate mousse first we will prepare the crust to give a crunchy effect to the chocolate mousse.
Chocolate Crust:
STEP 1: In a food processor, add walnuts, almonds, dates, some vanilla, cocoa and salt and mix the ingredients.
STEP 2: Once the crust base is ready put it into the bottom of the mold.
Mousse:
STEP 1: Take avocado, maple syrup, cocoa, virgin coconut oil, and vegan chocolate bar, peanut butter, cinnamon and vegan milk.
STEP 2: Put these ingredients in a food processor and blend it until you achieve a smooth mixture.
STEP 3: Now put the mixture in a mold and put it in the freezer.
Chocolate Sauce:
STEP 1: Be sure to stir all the ingredients to a smooth paste to prepare the sauce.
STEP 2: Now carefully take the mousse out of the mold, cut into pieces and serve with sauce.
So there you have it, your favorite chocolate mousse now in vegan style!
Photo courtesy Flickr Creative CommonsPerhaps most insulting of all is how the false notion of two equal sides working toward mutual understanding expects, for instance, black people to meet white racists more than halfway. But there is no halfway point between someone wanting to live, wanting freedom, and another group wanting to oppress them or benefit from the perpetuation of an brutally imbalanced system.
A clip of a man explaining the problematic nature of "I'm Not Racist" went viral on Twitter recently. He questioned, if the video was titled "I'm Not A Rapist," would we be so quick to give room for "both sides?" And what about if the title was "I Am Not Anti-Semitic? "You'd be so insulted by the false equivocation that you would dismiss it wholeheartedly," he argues, adding that if such videos existed they would labeled as outrageous and offensive. It's almost impossible to argue against that.
Man sets the record straight about Joyner Lucas 'Im Not Racist' video... pic.twitter.com/eonwFdF668 — DJ Akademiks (@IamAkademiks) December 12, 2017Here are some stories from today’s press conference:
Parise Excited To Play For MacLean
Add Zach Parise to the list of players excited to be playing for new head coach John MacLean.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Parise said to Tom Gulliti. “Hopefully, he’ll bring some new ideas, something fresh for all of us, because we need that.”
As the Devils all-time goals leader (347), the expectation is the team will become more offensive minded under MacLean. Parise believes MacLean will bring the team’s offensive game up to speed.
“Hopefully, we’ll be a lot more offensive minded and play more of a puck-possession game,” Parise said, “because that’s the way these teams that are winning now play.”
But it doesn’t all come down to offense. What matters is whether or not the players will respect the coach. Parise, who experienced MacLean running the bench during Lou Lamoriello’s two stints as coach. While he wasn’t the actual coach, Parise believed MacLean did a solid job.
“I really liked him then when he was doing that,” Parise said. “And when guys were called up from Lowell this year we’d always ask them how Mac was doing there and they all liked playing for him.”
So far, Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner have come to the support of MacLean. Hopefully, his hiring is this well received throughout the locker room.
Langenbrunner Will Remain Captain
Both Lamoriello and MacLean strongly supported Langenbrunner’s current captaincy, telling the media that there would be no change in captain this season.
“I think Jamie is a great leader,” MacLean said. “I actually played with him briefly (in Dallas in 2001) and, having coached him, I think he’s good for what we’re going to try to do here in the future. He’s been tremendous with the young guys and himself being a veteran he’ll be able to help everybody with the transition.”
Well, that ends any speculation from our point of view. Even though I wrote this piece about how Langenbrunner needed to go as captain, we won’t see that this year.
Robinson, Terreri To Remain With Staff
Both Larry Robinson and Chris Terreri will return to the Devils staff next season.
Robinson will return as MacLean’s top assistant, while Terreri will be back as the goaltending coach.
Scott Stevens will also remain with the organization as a “roving coach,” working in New Jersey, Albany and Trenton. Stevens requested to remain in that role during last season.
Tommy Albelin will also remain in the organization, but his position is to be determined. Albelin, who was an assistant for the past three years, wanted to gain bench experience. He may end up as an assistant with Albany.
Lamoriello and MacLean will pick one more assistant together. MacLean would prefer the assistant to be offensive minded, because Robinson can focus on defensive issues, but it’s not mandatory.
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U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay accused the United States of breaking international law when Texas executed Mexican citizen Humberto Leal Garcia Jr. Thursday night. The execution sparked controversy after the International Court of Justice in the Hague determined in 2004 that the U.S. had violated the Vienna Convention when officials failed to tell foreign inmates about their right to visit their consular officials. But the U.S. Supreme Court voted yesterday that Texas could go ahead with the execution, even over the objection of President Barack Obama. Pillay said today the execution "raises particular legal concerns" about the fairness of the proceedings against Leal.
Pillay said Perry and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles each failed to exercise consular and fair-trial obligations — spelled out under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and an International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — that could have prevented the U.S. from breaching its obligations under international law.
Pillay cited the 2004 international court ruling "saying the U.S. must review and reconsider the cases of 51 Mexican nationals sentenced to death, including Leal's--But, she said, that never happened." Leal had been found guilty and sentenced to death for the 1994 rape and murder of a teenager.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.The largest U.S. doctors' group said obesity is a disease. The decision, announced this week by the American Medical Association at its annual meeting, could lead to increased funding for obesity research and help people obtain insurance coverage for treatment for obesity.
The AMA said obesity requires a range of medical interventions for treatment and prevention. Most insurance companies do not cover visits to a nutritionist or doctor to treat obesity.
The U.S. obesity rate increased nearly 50 percent between 1997 and 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also said nearly 30 percent of American adults are obese and that childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years.
The World Health Organization estimates that globally, at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
Dr. Patrice Harris from the AMA said, “Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans.”
Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. It also increases the risk for cancer.We all asked for this
You asked for this.
I had my own problems with Yellowest Game of Forever (YGF) Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but it seemed the internet shared universal disdain for its forced boss fights that completely upended no-kill runs and were not fun.
When asked on Twitter if Deus Ex: Mankind Divided would be "ghostable" (that is, if you can sneak through the game completely undetected without killing or subduing anyone) director Jean-François Dugas said, "As always and even on boss side, finally!"
He's been answering questions with some frequency if you want to sneak one in. Dugas noted that he "would love" New Game+, snarked on someone who doesn't like third-person cover, and confirmed that sometimes Jensen would take his jacket off.
[@Jeffachoo via Siliconera]
You are logged out. Login | Sign upDexter premiered on Showtime on October 1, 2006. That same week, The Departed and the Oscar-winning Employee of the Month were released in theaters and Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” continued to be the number-one song in the country, edging the title track to the Grammy-winning Employee of the Month soundtrack. Point is, Dexter has seemingly been on TV for as long as our TV-riddled brains can remember, stalking us like some kind of killer, and if Showtime’s entertainment president David Nevins has his way, it’ll be on a bit longer.
Dexter showrunner Scott Buck is staying in business with Showtime. At TCA today, the pay cable network announced that it has signed a rare overall deal with Buck for new projects as Dexter is wrapping its eight-season run. “We made the deal to keep him in the family,” Nevins said. He later hinted at what Buck may be tackling under his overall deal. Asked whether a Dexter spinoff is still in the works, Nevins responded, “Of course. We just signed a deal with Scott Buck, draw your conclusions.” (Via)
Nevins later added, “We’re really not dealing with it at all until we’re through this season and maybe a while thereafter…I don’t know that there will ever be a spinoff. It could well never happen,” which is just his cagey way of saying, but not saying that coming fall 2016, it’s Masuka Family Fun Hour, only on Showtime.
(Via Deadline)You are here: Home All Articles / Photographing Bauhaus and David J of Bauhaus.
Photographing Bauhaus and David J of Bauhaus.
I have always had a camera in my hands, in some way or another. I have not always had the best cameras either, but I always made due with what I have had. My parents always gave me cameras when I was a kid and I always shot black and white film. I have since gotten a few digital cameras and one of my cameras was an Olympus 5050. Not exactly your professional Dslr, but it was all I could afford and it had a whopping 5 mega pixels, so of course the pictures will be better right? 😉
I started shooting clubs with a Sony that was only 3.2 Mp, and upgraded to this camera. I had a friend who could get me into shows with my camera and get me upfront to shoot these bigger name bands. One such band was Bauhaus, The Godfathers of Gothic Music. So here I was at 4Th and B, downtown San Diego, shooting Bauhaus with my chintzy Olympus 5050 and I got to go into the back room where the band hung out, after the show because I had a photo pass. Well not exactly, I had to obscure my photo pass and pretend it was a backstage pass and I got back there to the dressing rooms.
I talked with Kevin Haskins the drummer for a while, I really liked a mix he did of The Missing Persons song “Mental Hopscotch“. I tried to talk to Daniel Ash, but he was all over the place and wouldn’t sit still. Anyway I left after a while, as David J(Haskins, Kevin’s big brother) Left, and so did Peter Murphy. There was nothing left to do beside ripping a set list off the dressing room door.
I posted my pictures to GothicSanDiego.com, my little goth site I run for San Diego. A few weeks later I get an email from some guy who says he’s David j and wants a copy of a picture I took of him at the concert for Bass Player magazine. Yeah Right, whatever guy. So I go to David J’s website and shoot him an email asking him if he did in fact email me. and then I emailed Bass Player Magazine.
I got an email back from David J and it was in fact him that emailed me, and Bass Player Mag also confirmed it. So of all the images he could have picked, he picks one I didn’t really like. It wasn’t the clearest, but it was the one he wanted. So ok, rock star to say to a rock star? No, I don’t like that one? Anyway he took the image, I got published in Bass Player Magazine, and that was the start of a few more cool shoots with David J, which I’ll tell you about in another post. Below is the photo published in Bass Player Magazine, and a couple of shots of David J we did in my friends studio at Cosmic Frogs Photography.
The last picture was for a promo for David J’s Cabaret Oscura. A Dark Cabaret about a man of the cloth who’s eyes were turning toward a woman. Another story for a later post. 🙂
If you want to see more of the Bauhaus concert you can go here.
Enjoy…
Darkman…
OscuraI had this doll for quite a while now.
It was a beautiful porcelain doll. You know, the way that most porcelain doll looks like. I was just like that. Wavy, long blonde curls. Black eyes. A beautiful pink and red dress with a typical headband with lace around the edges. It was a doll I received from my mother at an early age. At that age I always thought it was such a pretty doll - A perfect look. My grandmother had almost fifty dolls of that kind. All of them beautiful, perfect porcelain dolls. But this one in particular, the blonde with the red dress, I will always remember.
Because this is the one that would be the death of me.
I lived alone for quite awhile, had now. I had just gotten into college, seeing my whole life lay in front of me and all I had to do was to just go and pick out what I wanted. Easy as that. I was aiming for Psychology - A subject I had started to respect and enjoy the last three years. Seeing as my mother was a nurse and my dad a therapist, It was an obvious choice for me. But moving so far away from all my friends and family wasn't as easy as I thought.
Sure, My roommate was a nice person, but maybe not as chatty as I had hoped to. I wasn't a person to just sit quiet in my room and never speak until I had to. I enjoyed getting out, see friends…But I didn't have any time or friends around. No one would talk to me unless I wanted help from my teacher in school or my roommate had forgotten to buy milk. It was lonely to say the least.
Homework was the only thing to keep me distracted from feeling lonely. I didn't had time to try to even make friends. Friends was a silly thing after all. I didn't had time to go and party, maybe find somebody. It was worthless either way and my dad would skin me alive if I didn't keep my focus on the schoolwork.
The only thing I had brought from home to remind me of my family was that doll. The girlish toy was displayed on the desk in front of my bed, smiling against me when I needed someone to talk to or just watch over me as I slept. It was me and that doll the whole time. That fucking ugly doll.
As time went on, I started to pull myself more and more away from any human contact as possible. The schoolwork was getting over my head and the regret of going here began filling my head. But I couldn't quit now and go home, not after my parents had paid everything for my college and car to get here. I just had to stay and make the best out of it. I really tried hard. But with each day the hatred of other people took the hold of me and I would need hours alone, just sitting in my room to cool off. It was getting harder to get out each day. My roommate despised me, I could tell. But I didn't blame her. I was acting like a jerk. I refused to take my share of the daily chores - wiping the floors, taking out the trash…But I couldn't do it. I was being pulled into a dark hole.
And with the loneliness came the paranoia.
At first I accepted being lonely. But it had reached that point where I started to realize my dumb behavior, trying to reach out to people among to tell them I wasn't feeling alright. There was only stress and nobody had time to talk to a stupid college student. It was only the nerves. I hoped it was. I locked myself in my room and I couldn't go out anymore. I had to send in to my teachers and cancel the classes, day after day. But it didn't matter. They didn't send anything in search for me. So I just kept spinning in my room, week out and week in. It was an evil circle I couldn't get out of.
Then it happened. My room had been my cage. I wouldn't eat; I couldn't. It even reached that point where my roommate would come and knock on my door to see everything was ok. But I didn't open it up. I just yelled back in reply that she would go away. She did.
She didn't care enough to make a second attempt. She never knocked on my door again. It was just me. Me and my doll watching over me and every breath I took.
Then there was that night.
This night, actually.
It was a night that I was so used to spending. Alone. I didn't even bother trying to turn on the lights as I stepped up from my bed and pulled on sweater and a pair of untied converse before I made my way out of my room in so many days. I needed fresh air and my window was broken, unable to open it up. It was in the middle of the night, maybe even morning. It was still dark outside so I just assumed it was still night even though I hadn't checked the time yet. Couldn't care less.
Anyway, It was a pain in the ass to come out of the room to not wake my stupid roommate up. All I needed was to get out for a minute or two to gather some air, maybe go out and buy some cigarettes. I had promised myself to stop smoking but lately, that was the only thing I had been doing. Smoking. I only snuck out late at night to go and get me some new cigs. It was a bad thing, I knew. But it was the only thing to keep me going and kept me awake and safe.
But that particular night, there was something strange. Someone had unlocked the gate out to the street. It hadn't happened before and I thought the landlord held a hard hand to keep it locked at all times. Didn't bother. I just pushed the little red box out of the pocket and started smoking. The good thing about the night was that no one was around, no one to annoy me with their stupid voices. It was quiet, maybe just a car driving by. But then, no more than that. It was peaceful.
A few minutes after gaining some cold on my warm skin and some smoke inside of my lungs, I decided to go back in and maybe try to watch some television. Nothing good aired at night, but it was always worth a try.
I stepped back into the building and shrugged the last bit of unwanted cold off, making myself ready to sneak back into my room. But as soon as I came to the staircase, there was something in the way. Or, someone. Someone was standing in the stairs.
I had to admit, it did scare me to some point but a second later, I was back in my 'not give a single fuck' state and tried to walk up the stairs without confronting the person standing in the way. At first I thought it was my roommate, but the shadow of the person was too…manly. Too big to be the petite roommate that I knew.
I tried to pass the odd stranger and just slightly bumped my elbow into his. But he didn't move or spoke. He just stood there. It was creeping me out. The scenario was too freaky. But of course, there was other students in this apartment building just waiting to scare the shit out of some other poor first year student. But I wasn't the one to be fooled.
But I didn't stop until I heard a sound. It was one of those sounds where it just caused your concentration to break shut. It was…distracting. Scaring. Unnerving. I couldn't continue on, so I just froze in position and tried to turn around to face him.
At first, there was a cracking sound - the sound that had startled me. Then there was sobbing. A young man's voice of sobbing. But it wasn't human. Yeah, Maybe to some degree. But the voice was pitching up; Like it was breaking through a bad static television screen. I stood only a few steps away from the man in the shadow. I wanted to break away from my sudden frozen state of mind - But I couldn't. I was stuck, like my feet had been nailed to the stairs.
I was trying to speak, but he spoke before I had the chance to. It was getting clearer to see now, since spending some more time in the darkness helped the vision to clear up. He was wearing some kind of jacket, black. Everything black. A sewn cap, with strings falling out from a hole in the back. Also black. His hair was torn but long; Like he hadn't been able to cut it for a while...Or showered it.
His appearance was etching inside of my mind, but his voice appeared like a dagger in my ears. When he spoke, he made off another static noise, like a broken radio. But he spoke in words. Tried to calm me down. But I was already too scared to try to bring myself to relax.
"You're alone here, Aren't you?"
I swallowed hard. The thought of somebody spying on me this entire time was filling my head like urging vomit, feeling disgusted by this man and his voice. I just shook my head. No response. I couldn't give him a reply. I should have. Maybe it had changed this whole situation for the better. Maybe I hadn't been here now, scared for my life. But I was. And I knew he knew that as well.
But when I didn't give him the answer he expected, he turned to me. And his sight was one of the most terrifying yet fascinating faces I had ever seen. He wasn't scarred or wounded in anyway to make me feel uncomfortable by his appearance.
But his eyes. And his mouth. There was a weird glow. A golden, orange glow. It filled both of his eyeballs and mouth, his teeth shining through in a bright yellow light. It glowed in the dark and it casted a light across us. On the stairs, the floor…On me. And I could see his smirk on his greypained face. That's when I snapped.
It wasn't human. And I had to get away from there.
I broke through the invisible bonds and threw myself up the stairs, running up quickly as my untied shoes slammed against the wooden floor. I fled to my room without any other second thought. Hopefully, My roommate that I had been ignoring for so many weeks would hear me. And call the police.
I closed the door after me and I locked the door, my stumbling feet bringing me across the floor and into the desk; knocking my precious family doll down on the floor. The porcelain broke and I gasped in panic, trying to recollect myself and my thoughts. There was no more noise after I had slammed the door to my room. No roommate coming after me, No weird glowing man in the stairwell. Just me and my broken doll; laying on the floor. I tried to scream or cry, call for any help at all. It wasn't real. I had become too crazy. Insane. After spending so many months just being alone, this is what had happened. I was laying on the floor, broken and shattered in pieces. I didn't knew what to believe.
I didn't sleep. I sat on the floor, pacing back and forth by crawling the best I could. The cigarette from before now just sat like a needle in my throat now. I was thirsty but I couldn't move out to the kitchen to drink anything. Maybe he was there. Still waiting for me to come out. But I wasn't moving out of my spot. I never did.
But an hour of complete silence in the room, I began to calm down and stand up to try to calm myself down. There was still that feeling of being watched. And I knew the feeling too well. The feeling of being paranoid and lonely all came down to this. A breakdown.
Once I remembered the doll being broken; I immediately started to try to patch it together. It was like the only thing I had in focus; My best friend. The doll. I managed to get a needle and thread in my room and some glue to get the doll back to it's former glory. But it wasn't easy. No matter how hard I tried, the doll just would fall back together. It became an endless attempt of nothing. I tried again and again. But it just would fall in pieces.
My only friend.
I became too tired of the sudden panicking and the fixing of the doll; I just passed out on my bed. But I curled up together in a ball with the blanket over my head, somehow imagining that no monster under the bed could reach me now. All I wanted was too sleep.
I didn't knew he would come back.
This time it was different, however. This time, I welcomed it. I was tired of running all the time and I would rather die in my sleep than face another day being lonely again. And now with my only friend broken, what was I supposed to do?
It was tiring, the way he approached me this time. It was like I was asleep but still I could control my body. Like a lucid dream. I wouldn't dare to step into another day. Tonight, it would end. Just like I had been afraid that it would. But I didn't care anymore. Didn't bother. I just wanted to have a long sleep and never wake up again. Never face the loneliness again.
He came back to me. With his hands guiding me up from my bed, He wrapped his mind around mine as I tried to see. But the only thing I could still see was his grey hands, holding mine tight. But suddenly there was a sensation I wasn't sure I could feel. Of floating.
Alike a puppet, he cut two open cuts on my wrists. But it wasn't…across. More like it was from the center of my arm and down. he reached for something. Muscles. Something to peel out and hang unto. The bad thing was; I allowed him to do it. My struggle had become too much to bear with. And with the long pieces of muscles hanging out of the cuts on my wrists, he started to pull at them. He pulled at them like he wanted to control my body and arms, how it all came together in reaction to my nerve system and skeleton. He knew how it worked.
Yet, there was no pain. No pain that filled my heart or body, just another piece of my mind staying at ease again. It was a wonderful feeling.
It was like nothing else mattered.
And as he continued to cut me open, he began singing.
They call me the Puppeteer
My fingers are thin and my hands are stained with my tears
For the puppets I steer
with my strings and dreams.
Now I could see him clearer. The man who I had just hated with all of my might, I now welcomed to finish off my endless suffering. Maybe it had been he who had forced me into this thinking? Maybe he was the one to blame for everything I had done to myself? Was this all in my head - Or was it real?
They call me the Puppeteer
I had no friends, alike you.
For nobody saw the value of my friendship
But in the end they call became my friends
With my strings and dreams.
It took me only a minute to loose every sense of my touch. My nerve system had been crushed under the hand of this man - This thing, breaking every bone in my body. I could feel he twisting my ribs and twisting the hip bones. All for it to make it easier for him to turn him into what he saw me fitting to be. It was like the long pieces of torn muscles was strings; Controlling my limbs and my head flailing from side to side. All I could see was his smile, So I smiled back.
They call me the Puppeteer,
My body dark and my eyes hunger of gold.
In my eyes, No one is alone.
And with my strings and dreams,
You shall be my friend too.
The last feeling I could feel was his hand tugging hard around my neck. Then. Snap. At first, I was afraid to see death approaching me this way. I had never thought of it this way. I would have said no and refused, if I could have decided it all on my own. But I didn't.
I said yes.
With a broken neck, Death was just half a second away. Then there was nothing but a golden smile and his warm hands, holding my strings up as my body fell.
Early the other morning, My roommate found me. Dead. I had committed suicide by hanging myself in the fan in the ceiling, assuring my death. I had jumped from the bed. Besides me, was that doll. The broken porcelain doll with the red dress and lovely blonde hair. You may be wondering how I'm writing this to you right now, or how I found my way to contact you. I found it necessary to write down my story before I passed on.
This is my legacy, This is what I'm leaving behind.
I couldn't stand the loneliness anymore. I couldn't stand facing the problems on my own. It took so long. Too long.
Dear mom and dad,
I'm so sorry.“I always say I’m more of a squawker than I am a talker, but I do the best I can,” Pinetop Perkins said with a laugh during a 2005 interview with Bill DeMain for Performing Songwriter. Yesterday the 97-year-old blues legend left the earth after almost eight decades of what he deemed squawking, while speaking eloquently through the 88 keys on his piano (the first 20 years he worked the Mississippi Delta circuit as a guitarist).
In the history of blues, Perkins was something of a Zelig. He backed Sonny Boy Williamson, Earl Hooker, B.B. King and many others. He played sessions in the early days of both the Sun and Chess labels. Most famously, he was the driving force in Muddy Waters’ band from 1968-1980.
Along with contemporaries Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons, Perkins perfected a fiery boogie-woogie style—a left hand that pounds out complex bass patterns while his right dances over syncopated horn lines—that was the blueprint for the sound of the swing bands of the 1930s—from Goodman to Miller.
You could even make a case that Perkins was one of the prime movers of rock ‘n’ roll. In the 1940s, he taught a young guitarist named Ike Turner how to play piano. In 1951, Turner co-wrote “Rocket 88,” widely considered to be the first-ever rock |
ambitions are not limited to the Syrian crisis. Russia may very well be poised to rekindle Cold War tensions by challenging the United States in a critical region from which it has been largely absent since the Cold War. In light of President Obama’s call for Assad’s ouster, the longer Russia can keep Assad in power, the more it can draw attention to unenforced U.S. redlines and undermine U.S. standing in the region.
President Obama’s most salient challenge is to discern whether Putin’s moves in Ukraine and Syria are driven principally by limited Russian interests in both theaters, or by a larger geopolitical design against the West.
If the former, the Obama-Putin meeting could outline the contours for settlements in Ukraine and/or Syria and lead to expert-level meetings to work on details. In Ukraine, a reasonable settlement means building on the Minsk II agreement and implementing a federal arrangement inside Ukraine that allows pro-Russian East Ukrainians to run their own internal affairs without undermining Ukraine’s ability to function effectively. Externally, the two sides could discuss Ukraine’s relationship with NATO, but otherwise, Ukraine would be free to develop independent relations with the West.
Syria provides an even broader opportunity for U.S.-Russian cooperation towards a balanced settlement. The conflict has morphed into a global proxy war with clashes across the full array of ethnic, sectarian and ideological divides in the Middle East. With the notable exception of ISIS, the conflict does not appear to be producing any winners. Like the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which brought the religious wars of Europe to an end, a U.S.-Russian brokered settlement that secures the buy-in of regional and global powers could at least provide guarantees on key redlines and set the stage for a more stable regional order.
Differences over issues like the fate of the Assad regime could be overcome given the reality that all parties would lose if Syrian state institutions totally disintegrated. Besides broadening the coalition against ISIS and intensifying the war against it, the key to a settlement is a unity government at the center that shares power in a balanced way among Syria’s myriad communities. Securing buy-in for a power-sharing agreement will require Assad’s departure, decentralization to ensure that Syria’s communities are guaranteed greater autonomy, and a timeline for the establishment of a new government. It will also require withdrawal of foreign forces including “advisors.” These conditions should be amenable to Moscow as long as Washington recognizes Russian access to the port of Tartus. A broad understanding between Russia and the United States should lead to expanding future meetings at lower levels to include Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey—the key regional players. A U.S.-Russian understanding will improve prospects for bringing the regional players along.
If, however, Moscow’s agenda is more ambitious and primarily directed against the West, a breakthrough with Putin is unlikely. Instead, the president will leave the meeting facing greater pressure to increase the costs to Moscow for its current policies. This will involve steps that the administration, heretofore, has resisted, but which would be necessary to press Moscow into meaningful negotiations at a later date.
In Ukraine, the United States will need to arm and train the Ukrainian armed forces and ramp up financial sanctions on Russia. Other necessary measures to increase NATO-Ukraine cooperation, promote economic reform in Ukraine and isolate Russian-dominated regions of Ukraine would require coordination with European allies who may not be on the same page as the United States.
Difficult negotiations lay ahead in Syria as well if Washington has to increase pressure against Moscow. The only way at that point to bolster the non-ISIS opposition to Assad would be to impose a no-fly and no-drive zone in coordination with Turkey and the Gulf States—which would also limit Russia’s air support to the regime.
The likelihood of negotiating settlements in Ukraine and Syria could be increased if President Obama uses the meeting with Putin to underscore a reality to Putin: Russia is exposed. It would not take much for the United States to turn Moscow’s short-term gains into a generational defeat for the Russian leadership. Putin’s cohort—nostalgic for the days of the Cold War—needs no reminder of the devastating toll that the Reagan Doctrine inflicted on Soviet ambitions. If U.S. aid to anti-communist insurgents around the world could defeat the Red Army, there is every reason to believe that the model could be replicated against today’s relatively weaker Russian force.
In this scenario, Putin may agree to reasonable settlements in Ukraine and Syria if President Obama can convince him that time favors the United States. Russia took advantage of a decade of high oil prices to reconstitute the core of its military, but once again faces severe demographic and economic challenges. If current trends continue, it is a matter of time before domestic realities force cuts in Russian military power. The key is to convince Russia to make a difficult choice: Cooperate with the United States now, or risk a quagmire in two conflicts that could redound against Putin at home.
If nothing else, the Obama-Putin summit will serve as a clarifying moment, revealing which side, if any, has a coherent strategy to deal with the mess in Ukraine and Syria.
Zalmay Khalilzad was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations 2007-2009.
Image: Flickr/ poniblogThe Harvard-based Voxel8 team has created a 3D printer that makes fully functioning electromechnical assemblies. The printer uses special software that allows users to design objects with working circuitry and space for electronic components. Voxel8’s printer is the first of its kind, and marks a substantial advancement in functional 3D printing.
Voxel8 demonstrated the amazing feats of their dual-head machine at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, better known as CES2015, happening this week in Las Vegas. They showed off their machine’s fancy footwork by printing a fleet of working microcopters. Watch the printer in action here:
The machine works like most other 3D printers, except that it has a little something extra. A conductive paste extruder makes it possible to print working circuitry, and incorporate working electronic components into your design. The printer uses a special silver conductive paste developed in Voxel8’s research lab at Harvard University.
Related: How 3D printing will change our world forever
Voxel8 worked with Autodesk to create software that brings this nifty advancement to life. Makers get to design pathways for circuitry, as well as identify where electronic components are needed. The really cool part is what happens next; the machine prints a cavity for the necessary components, complete with conductive traces, and then pauses while you remove the work-in-progress and install the components. Once you return the piece to the machine and click continue, the 3D printer picks up exactly where it left off and completes the process, encapsulating the electronic components. In effect, this machine actually works cooperatively with the designer to build the finished product. The future is here, folks.
Now that the world has seen Voxel8’s new electronics-capable 3D printer, the company has put them on sale. They’re accepting pre-orders for the developer’s kit, and the price is $9,000.
Via Make:
Images via Make: and Voxel8.Nina Lytton, a graduate of MIT’s Sloan School, has spent many days joining fellow protesters in the hallway outside the offices of MIT president L. Rafael Reif. She has knitted 62 leis so far.
CAMBRIDGE — They have become a familiar sight lining the wide hallway outside the stately second-floor offices of MIT president L. Rafael Reif.
For the past 116 days, students, professors, and alumni who are pressing the college to shed fossil fuels from its investment holdings have been calmly occupying this slick, hard stretch of the Infinite Corridor.
By all accounts, it is a very MIT protest. Students coordinate shifts with a shared spreadsheet; they bring textbooks and doctoral theses; and a computer program reminds them to stand and stretch every 30 minutes.
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Oh, and they don’t plan to give up.
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff For 116 days, students, professors, and alumni have been holding a sit-in to press MIT to shed fossil feusl from its investment holdings.
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“When we do something at MIT, we do it thoroughly,” said Nina Lytton, a 1984 graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management who comes every day and passes the time knitting. She has finished 62 furry Hawaiian leis so far.
Organizers believe this is the longest-running divestment sit-in for a college, breaking Swarthmore College students’ 32-day record several months ago. That Pennsylvania protest was one of the many divestment campaigns that erupted across the world last year, including at Harvard University.
The group organizing the protest at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Fossil Free MIT, has asked that the school divest its endowment from coal and tar sands and make the campus carbon neutral by 2040. It is also pressing for the institute to create an ethics advisory council to combat “disinformation” about climate change.
The school in October released its five-year plan to confront climate change, which did not include divestment. Reif said maintaining the institute’s ties with oil and energy companies, who fund research at MIT, is a more effective way to tackle the problem.
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Fossil Free MIT members began meeting with administrators just a few days after the sit-in began Oct. 22 and think they might be close to an agreement for more action by the college.
Until then, they’re enjoying camaraderie and the quiet exhilaration that has come from making a stir.
By now, administrators and secretaries know them well.
“Hey Karla,” one student said Friday as Karla Casey, Reif’s executive assistant, passed by. Casey waved back and smiled. One day, an administrator brought them scones.
Across from the door Casey carefully shut behind her, graduate student Michael DeMarco sat on a yoga mat as yellow pieces of paper, dotted with equations, escaped his stack of legal pads.
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“You sort of wish that you didn’t need to be here,” said DeMarco, who studies physics. He brought along a computer, two textbooks, and a binder.
‘It’s great to see our students become politically active.’ John D. Sterman, MIT business professor
Usually, DeMarco sits the night shift, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. In the evening, employees are relaxed, he said.They ask how his day was, he asks what they’re doing with their kids that weekend. It’s all genuine, but it’s also part of the strategy.
“We develop the more mundane relationships that are crucial for bridging the gaps,” DeMarco said.
The administration did not respond to a request for comment about the negotiations.
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff MIT freshman Carissa Skye juggled protesting, studying, eating, and a bit of exercising outside the offices of the institute’s president.
At the end of the line of about a dozen students on the floor Friday morning, freshman Carissa Skye perched on an exercise ball and did homework on waves and vibrations. She will miss the community in the hall when this is over, she said.
The students admit it’s harder to get homework done here, but they see this as an equally important part of their time at MIT. Many work in labs that research renewable energy or climate change.
The protesters purposely don’t wear headphones so passersby won’t hesitate to stop and ask why they’re there. By this point, many people don’t have to ask.
At the other end of the yoga mat sat MIT business professor John D. Sterman, wearing a suit and tie. Sterman said many of his colleagues support his participation, but a few faculty told him this approach won’t be effective. He couldn’t disagree more.
“There’s this attitude [at MIT] that there’s a technological solution to every problem in the world,” said Sterman, who has taught at MIT since 1981.
Sterman participated in his own share of protests in the 1980s, against nuclear arms, he said. What’s missing from the climate change debate isn’t science, but activism and political will, he said.
“It’s great to see our students become politically active after decades of apathy and self-centered careerism,” he said.
Beside him, Benjamin Scandella was writing his graduate thesis. The sit-in has forced him to get up earlier and manage his time more effectively. He will be glad to return to his lab eventually, but he will miss the hallway.
“This hall feels different than it did a few months ago,” Scandella said.
Laura Krantz can be reached at laura.krantz@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurakrantzJose Alberto Rodriguez has gone by many names in his professional life. Currently, he graces pro wrestling rings as Alberto El Patron, and while he may be best remembered for his long stint in the WWE as Alberto Del Rio, mixed martial arts fans will likely recall him as Dos Caras Jr.But whatever moniker he’s going by in everyday life, Alberto will suffice. And if it’s a description of who he is that you’re seeking, “fighter” would be an apt description for him mainly because combat sports have been a part of him for much of his 38 years.And if not for decisions made at the top leading into the 2000 Olympics, Del Rio’s path in life may have been quite different than it is today. Or maybe not, considering that his father, legendary luchador Dos Caras, is an icon in pro wrestling and one that may have had his son join the family business regardless of what happened with the Sydney Games Del Rio was a favorite to compete in.“Back in 2000, I was the best wrestler on the Mexican team,” Del Rio said while in Las Vegas last month to commentate for the MMA promotion, Combate Americas, which was founded by one of the key figures in the creation of the UFC back in the early 90s, Campbell McLaren. “I was winning everything, all the Greco-Roman tournaments. It’s just that year is when we needed to go to 10 different tournaments in order to qualify and Mexico didn’t have the money. Or had the money and didn’t want to use it on the wrestling team and that’s what stopped me from going to the Olympics. And when they said: we only have money to go to two qualifiers. I said: okay, there’s no way we’re going to qualify, I’m outta here. And I became pro.”Beginning his pro wrestling career at home in Mexico, the San Luis Potosi native also began making inroads in mixed martial arts. After five pro fights in Japan he got a call from the PRIDE organization to compete on their first Bushido card. His opponent was Mirko Cro Cop.The year was 2003 and Cro Cop was at the height of his powers, unbeaten in nine MMA fights and fresh off back-to-back knockouts of Heath Herring and Igor Vovchanchyn. There was probably no fighter more feared at the time than the Croatian KO artist, but Del Rio, just 3-2 as a pro, didn’t hesitate to take the fight.“Back then I was training with (UFC pioneer) Marco Ruas,” Del Rio explains. “He was my mentor in mixed martial arts and when that fight happened, I felt ready. Marco Ruas thought I was ready too, but like you said, Mirko was in his prime when I fought him and you know the result. (Laughs). He was too fast for me. I realized that after the fight.”Del Rio laughs about it now, the benefit of 13 years and a successful post-Cro Cop career easing the pain of the 46-second defeat, which saw him competing with his luchador’s mask on. But at the time it was a shock to him because he went into the ring that night at Saitama Super Arena confident that he was going to win.“When I was training with Marco we had a lot of people training with him – (Kazuyuki) Fujita, Babalu (Sobral), (Joe) Moreira – we had a lot of fighters in Marco Ruas’ camp,” he said. “And I was beating the crap out of them in the gym. That’s why Marco was pretty confident that I could do it. I thought I could do it. Of course, destiny said no and Mirko was the stronger and faster fighter.”Del Rio continued to fight, getting one more PRIDE bout in - a decision loss to Kazuhiro Nakamura - and putting together a 9-5 record as of his last match in 2010. He never stopped pro wrestling over that time, and his father never gave him any grief about moonlighting between the two endeavors.“My dad has always supported me in everything I do in my life,” Del Rio said. “He only asked me: Are you doing this for the right reasons or just going for the money? Because if you’re just going for the money, it’s not worth it. I told him I was doing it because I want to do it, but of course the money is good. So that’s a plus that is making me go and try this. My mom wasn’t happy, but the mother is always going to be worried.”In 2010 Del Rio made his move to the WWE, becoming a champion and true superstar for the pro wrestling giant. By 2014 he had left the company, and while still competing in pro wrestling, his post-WWE life has been filled with questions about a possible return to MMA. The answer? Not yet. Maybe not at all, but never say never.“Since I left WWE I’ve had several companies calling me, but I’m 38 years old. I do really, really well in pro wrestlingand the offers I’ve had from MMA organizations were good, but not fantastic,” he said. “Even though we love the sport and have a lot of passion for this, at the end of the day you have to be rewarded. If they don’t reward me, I’m not going to be happy. I miss it, but life took me in a different direction.”That doesn’t mean he’s stopped going to the gym – and he’s not just working out for his pro wrestling gigs.“I’m always training,” Del Rio said. “Boxing is another of my passions and I always work with (former world champion) James Leija in San Antonio to train boxing. I bring my kid, and he’s only five years old and he’s doing boxing already. I also go with my friends sometimes to roll around in the jiu-jitsu dojo. I’m still active, but I don’t have any plans to go back to fighting, not in the near future. But I’m doing everything I can to stay in good shape in case somebody comes with a good offer and says ‘okay Alberto, we want you, we need you, here’s the money.’”In the meantime Del Rio is content being a fan of MMA. And with the UFC making waves in his native Mexico, there’s no better time than now to do that.“We are warriors,” he said when asked about the appeal of combat sports to fans in Mexico. “We have been fighting since the beginning of our history, with the Mayans and the Aztecs. We embrace the contact sports, especially boxing. And we have had a lot of champions in boxing. My favorite one of all-time being Julio Cesar Chavez. And now that the UFC is going to Mexico and we have UFC on TV with the UFC Network, everybody’s getting really excited. Especially having a former champ like Cain Velasquez and fighters like ‘El Goyito’ (Erik Perez) and some other Latin fighters getting an opportunity in the UFC, that is making all my people in Mexico and everybody in Latin America turn our eyes to UFC.”Police seeking possible theft victims
Metro Police are looking for people who may have fallen victim to theft by a local gun dealer.
Police say 54-year-old Kelly Carn, owner of The Gun Vault Inc., was indicted in Clark County last month on felony charges of theft and unlawful possession of a machine gun. The charges were brought after Carn allegedly sold an illegally possessed machine gun to an unsuspecting customer in 2009, authorities said.
The case is being investigated by Metro and is being prosecuted by the Clark County District Attorney’s office.
Carn is accused of preying on people unfamiliar with the process of obtaining federal approval to possess a machine gun. Officials said Carn would take money from victims and promise to submit the correct paperwork needed to possess such items as machine guns, silencers and short-barreled weapons on their behalf, according to police.
Several times, Carn kept the money and never filed the proper documents.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized or has information on the case is urged to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's investigations section at 828-2953. To remain anonoymous, call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.
Police say anyone who has purchased firearms in the past few years and is questioning the status of their application if they have not received them should call the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 304-616-4500.The State Bank of India does not know how many of its customers have signed up on UPI apps with SBI accounts, the bank revealed in response to an RTI application filed by MediaNama. The Unified Payments Interface’s API specifications mention (p. 31) that validating new users is the responsibility of the banks whose accounts users register on UPI apps. As such, it’s unclear why SBI doesn’t have information on how many of its users are on UPI. It’s quite odd that they don’t.
The National Payments Corporation of India, which developed UPI, did not respond to a query from MediaNama on why a bank wouldn’t know how many of its account-holders are on UPI. While the NPCI releases bank-wise data for credit and debit card transactions, they don’t do this for UPI. MediaNama has now filed RTIs to 15 more public sector banks to find out if they are also in the dark about UPI penetration among their account-holders.
Keep in mind that UPI is an unbundled interface — any eligible bank can create their own UPI app, and users can register on UPI apps created by any other bank; users can also simultaneously register on multiple UPI apps. SBI’s own UPI app, SBI Pay, had 2.29 lakh users as of this March, the bank said (see below). The NPCI’s own BHIM is the most widely used UPI app in India, with over 10 million downloads in India, which is more than 43 times the number of users registered on SBI Pay this March.
UPI transactions grow, average value declines
The number of UPI transactions has been gradually increasing each month, even as the average value of each transaction has been tapering. This May, ₹2,765 crore was transacted over UPI.
This comes as fraudsters — some working at banks — find innovative ways of gaming the UPI system using social engineering techniques. More and more established apps are also looking to integrate UPI, including Hike Messenger, Truecaller, Samsung Pay, and soon WhatsApp. Uber may also be considering adding UPI as a payment option.
Paytm will soon integrate its payments bank into UPI, making it the first mobile wallet player to have a direct access to the UPI API (forgive the alliteration) for P2P payments. This integration is expected to happen by August.
Read SBI’s RTI Response
Here is SBI’s response to MediaNama’s RTI Application:Moving Beyond Angry Birds, Rovio Releases Amazing Alex
Finnish game maker Rovio on Thursday released Amazing Alex, a physics game that will test the company’s ability to expand beyond its core Angry Birds franchise and justify its sky-high valuation.
The title is available now for iPhone, iPad and Android, and is coming soon to PCs, Macs and Windows Phones.
Amazing Alex has some 35 different interactive objects that game players can cause to bang into one another to create a single device to move among more than 100 levels. Fans can also create and upload their own level.
In an interview with AllThingsD earlier this year, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said that the company would release at least one non-Angry Birds title this year, even as it worked hard to leverage its popular avians.
There have been more than one billion downloads of Angry Birds titles to date.Share of households by income range
The middle class, if defined as households making between $35,000 and $100,000 a year, shrank in the final decades of the 20th century. For a welcome reason, though: More Americans moved up into what might be considered the upper middle class or the affluent. Since 2000, the middle class has been shrinking for a decidedly more alarming reason: Incomes have fallen. Here, we walk through the trends in some detail. There is no universal definition of middle class, of course. Some definitions are based on occupation or wealth; others take regional cost of living into account. We have chosen a simple one starting at about 50 percent above the poverty level for a family of four ($35,000) and topping out at six figures of annual income ($100,000), adjusting for inflation over time. We realize many households making more than $100,000 consider themselves middle class, but they nonetheless are making considerably more than most households — even in New York or San Francisco.
Ten-Year Trend The 10-year income trends highlight the great 21st-century wage slowdown. Never before — since the Census Bureau’s data on household income began, in 1967 — has there been a decline in the share of households that qualify as high income. An article in Monday’s Times examines this trend in further detail.
Percentage point change from 10 years previous
Age Younger households have borne the brunt of the slowdown. Those headed by people aged 30 through 44 are more likely to be lower income — and less likely to be middle income — than in 2000. Older households have done better. With more people working into their late 60s and wages rising for older workers, households headed by people 65 and older are now more likely to be middle or upper income than in the past, though they are still overrepresented in the lower-income group.
Under 30
30 to 44
45 to 64
65 and up
Education Education matters more than it used to. In the 1970s, high school graduates who did not have a four-year college degree were well represented among the middle and upper class. They no longer are, as high-paying, blue-collar jobs have become rarer. College graduates have not suffered as much, though they are also less likely to be high income than they were in 2000.
Less than High School
High School
Some College
College
Race Whites were already more likely to be in the middle- or upper-income groups when the 21st century began, and the gap has widened a bit in the past 15 years. Fully half of black households were lower income in 2013, while 43 percent of Hispanic households were; both numbers have risen 5 percentage points since 2000. Asian households, by contrast, are slightly less likely than white households to be low income.
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian and other
Family Status When people talk about the middle class, they’re often thinking about a married couple with children at home. But the reality is more complicated. Many of those two-adult households have advanced up the income ladder, and they make up a disproportionately large share of the upper-income group. Households with one adult, by comparison, are overrepresented among the lower-income group. The middle class contains a large number of all such households: those with two adults and those with one, those with children at home and those without.
Married with children
Married without children
Single with childrenIt seems that Traders love today’s NFP data. Let’s take a closer look at the actual numbers to see what we can tease out:
-Nonfarm payroll employment decline in April (-539,000);
-Total recession job losses (December 2007 forward) now total 5.7 million;
-That is 6.5 million job losses per year on an annualized basis;
-Private-sector employment fell by 611,000; the differential between NFP and private sector employment is primarily new hires for the 2010 Census;
-U3 Unemployment rose from 8.5 to 8.9%; unemployment is now at a 25-year high;
-U6 Unemployment, the broadest measure of “labor underutilization” rose to 15.8%; This is up 77.5% (6.6 percentage points) from a year ago;
–Birth Death adjustment added 226k to the total of employed workers, (April is a pretty big month for this historically)
-Temporary Help Services was down 3.4%; Year-to-year loss was nearly 29%. Total Temporary Help losses are now over 910,000 (-34 percent) since December 2006.
-All sectors saw job losses except Education, health services and government;
-Downward revisions made to February and April were for a net loss of 66,ooo positions;The Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC) has named bitcoin entrepreneur and banking family scion Matthew Mellon as its new honorary executive committee chairman.
Mellon, who will serve the Chamber on a volunteer basis, has long been involved in the bitcoin industry, having helped found ventures like Coin.co that focus on compliance solutions for businesses using bitcoin. A former finance committee chairman for the New York State Republican Party, Mellon comes from an American family known for its deep ties in both US banking and politics.
Mellon will focus on growing the level of bank involvement in the bitcoin industry, as well as supporting initiatives that enable conversations between the bitcoin space, members of Congress and financial industry leaders, according to the Washington, D.C.-based bitcoin advocacy group.
CDC president Perianne Boring told CoinDesk that Mellon’s efforts will help strengthen the industry as a whole, noting:
“The digital asset industry has serious challenges to grow and overcome, from Washington to Wall Street. Matthew Mellon has the experience, knowledge and network that bridges these worlds due to his years of work in the financial industry and as a leading voice in shaping public policy on digital assets.”
According to The Hill, Mellon said that he anticipates the organisation will be “the leading voice” for digital currency-related public policy outreach in Washington.
Targeting bitcoin banking barriers
The issue of banking resource shortages facing US-based bitcoin startups is well documented. Owing to a hesitation among banks to do business with a sector beset by regulatory uncertainties, some startups are unable to attract needed support mechanisms regardless of the promise they otherwise present.
The CDC, according to Boring, wants to push for more communication between the bitcoin and banking sectors to help alleviate some of these barriers.
This, she said, is where Mellon’s connections and expertise comes into play.
“With Mr Mellon’s help through facilitating and open dialogue between banking regulators, the banks, and the bitcoin industry, the Chamber is ready to take on this challenge that will benefit the entire ecosystem,” she explained.
Boring added that improving bitcoin’s relationship with the banking sector will be one of the organisation’s top priorities over the course of the next year.
Hat tip The Hill
Images via Shutterstock, WikimediaIran's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that U.S. President George W. Bush's latest remarks on the alleged military threat posed by Tehran are aimed at destabilizing the Persian Gulf region.
TEHRAN, April 3 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that U.S. President George W. Bush's latest remarks on the alleged military threat posed by Tehran are aimed at destabilizing the Persian Gulf region.
Speaking at a NATO summit in Bucharest on Wednesday, the U.S. president said Iran was developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching not only Europe but also the United States, and reiterated his support for the European missile shield.
"Such allegations are nothing but unreasonable and opportunistic attempts made by the American government to destabilize the situation in the region," the ministry's spokesman Mohamamd-Ali Hosseini said in a statement.
The Iranian diplomat said Tehran was seeking friendly relations with its neighbors and that "the interference of other countries cannot harm" this process.
"Iran's military might has a strictly defensive nature and serves stability and security in the region," Hosseini said.
The Islamic republic has long been touting its progress in ballistic missiles and its Shahab-3 missile has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers (about 1,200 miles) making it capable of reaching Israel and southern Europe.
Some Western sources claim that Iran may be currently running a program, dubbed Project Koussar, to develop a totally different missile with a range of 4,000-5,000 km (2,500-3,300 miles).
To counter these alleged threats, the U.S. plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, although Russia views these plans as a destabilizing factor for Europe and a threat to its national security.
George W. Bush will meet on Sunday with Russia's outgoing President Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi, Russia's resort city on the Black Sea, for more discussions on U.S. plans to deploy elements of its missile shield in Central Europe.The good and bad of Cuomo’s e-ticket announcement By Benjamin Kabak By· Published in 2016
By many accounts Gov. Andrew Cuomo, like many politicians, thinks he’s the smartest person in the room. No matter the field, whether its in his wheelhouse of expertise (whatever that may be) or not, if he gets an idea in his head, the people who report to him have to execute. It’s not a dialogue between career public servants who know what they’re doing and the state’s chief executive; it’s a command from a boss to those who report in to him.
With that background, it’s easy to see how Cuomo’s recent transit steps, while earning him headlines and being a major part of his public relations push around the state, have been missteps in the eyes of the transit community. It’s why MTA staffers groan when they hear the governor is coming and just wish he would stay out of the agency’s hair. It’s why buses have USB ports, and it’s why these USB ports are trumpeted as some sort of savior at a time when New York City’s transit system is bursting at its seams with no relief in sight.
Earlier this week, Cuomo again seemed to think that a basic technological upgrade that’s standard operating procedure for most commuter rail systems the world over is a sign of strong leadership when he held a circus of a press conference to announce the long-delayed rollout of a mobile ticketing app for Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road. The app is powered by Masabi’s JustRide platform, and the details are rather mundane. The app will support a variety of time- or ride-based tickets and will require riders to “activate” tickets before use, as New Jersey Transit’s app does. It is Apple Pay-compatible and can support purchasing a ticket, according to promotional materials, in under ten seconds. It’s available now on the LIRR Port Washington Branch and the Metro-North Hudson Line, and it will be rolled out throughout the system by the end of August.
Cuomo’s words in a statement underscore his beliefs that technology is a transit savior. “Our administration remains committed to building a transit network that is responsive to the needs of travelers who rely on mass transportation, and the launch of the MTA eTix app is a major step forward in our efforts,” the governor said. “This new app puts riders first by eliminating the ticket line and helping New Yorkers and visitors get where they need to go with more freedom and convenience than ever before. We will continue to create a 21st century transit system that embraces innovation to ensure that we are building a stronger, more competitive New York.”
The most interesting part of the announcement came as part of the kicker paragraph in the press release which noted that “next year, the MTA expects to make the MTA eTix app even more user-friendly by allowing LIRR and Metro-North customers who transfer to or from the New York City Subway or New York City Buses to pay their fares using a single app and a single transit account.” As the Metrocard replacement project is still in the RFP stage, it’s not quite clear how this functionality will be available by mid-2017, and I’ll follow up on this aspect of the story.
Now, don’t get me wrong; mobile ticketing is a big step. But is it worth the brouhaha of a press release and official back-patting? The MTA is years late to game on mobile ticketing thanks to a combination of recalcitrant LIRR unions and an institutional aversion to major technological change. This announcement, and the fact that the governor had to prod the MTA to release this app, should have been slipped into a press release on a summer Friday, not trumpeted on the day back to work after the July 4th holiday.
But that’s not the weird part. The weird part was Cuomo’s rant at the press conference which you can find in this 20 minute video of the presser.
At around the eight-minute mark, Cuomo starts going off the rails on the current state of the transit system. “You can’t make a system that was designed and constructed for that [early 1900s] scale work for the current-day scale, and government’s tried in fits and starts to use bailing wire and duct tape and bubble gum and all sorts of ways to make it work. It’s not going to work. You have to build a new system,” he said. He also claimed that “our society is more litigious than ever” and thus government cannot make the changes to create a new system. In a concurrent tweet, Cuomo confused daily subway and bus ridership with monthly LIRR ridership and seemed to over-simplify when the subway system as we currently know it opened.
It’s hard to parse Cuomo’s words here. He seems to think that basic technological upgrades are a sign of a “new system.” He seems to think mandating buses that are “Ferrari-like” and faster rollouts of mobile ticketing apps will help with the crowds on Lexington Ave. or the lack of capacity in Queens. He doesn’t want to hear about it or take on the root causes of the MTA’s problems: high costs, an inability to deliver projects on time and on budget, and a lack of institutional support from the governor.
I don’t know where anyone involved goes from here. It’s not an intractable situation for transit advocates or the MTA or the governor, but it’s a situation careening from one band aid to another when real leadership is required. It’s not the collective fault of the millions of riders that the MTA can’t |
his room, on one side of the stage, sits down at his laptop and enters a chatroom.
All at once, projections flicker upon the surface of the towers. We see the same massive chatlike interfaces, and a single phrase scrolling down them, like someone is typing it, again and again and again: “U there? U there? U there? U there?” The chorus sings those words, too, so we’re hearing and seeing them, and more words follow, until all the words tumble away into a projection of a vast, open space, across which helixes and plasma and networks flash and spin. Under all this, the strings pulse with exhilaration, and the low winds sound low, sustained tones, a phase slower than the anxious beat. As the chorus sing short phrases like this—“u there? u there? hey hey hey”—dancers now enter, gesticulating, moving fast-slow-fast with the artificiality of a simulation.Another great week in the WHL, Berdin’s return, and a few wins for the Moose highlight this week’s prospect update. Let’s take a look at the stats!
CHL
Jansen Harkins was not a factor in the Cougars first game of the week, but took charge in back-to-back wins over the Oil Kings. Harkins was the 1st star of the game on Friday with a goal and an assist, and followed up with a pair of assists on Saturday. The Cougars still sit atop the BC Division and have clinched a spot in the playoffs.
Matteo Gennaro registered at least a point in all four games this week, helping the Hitmen collect two wins and hold their Wild Card spot over Saskatoon. Gennaro is far and away the driving force behind the Hitmen offence this year, now at 37 goals on the season. He scored just 18 a year ago.
Michael Spacek also put up at least a point in each game he played. The Rebels won two of three games, helping to keep third place in the Central Division. Spacek was handed a game misconduct after his final assist on Sunday, but there was no indication why on the broadcast or in either team’s post game report.
I created a shift-by-shift video of Logan Stanley‘s last game of the season on January 17th. Take a look at his play:
Luke Green got back on the score sheet after an eight-game absence. Green was credited with a secondary assist on Thursday, although he wasn’t the one to touch the puck (let’s keep that between you and me). Green’s other assist was indeed an assist. The Sherbrooke Phoenix are at the bottom of the West Division and don’t have a realistic shot at the playoffs.
USHL
Mikhail Berdin played quite well against the Lincoln Stars this week, but couldn’t come out with the win. Berdin stopped 41 of 44 shots in the loss.
NCAA
CJ Franklin and Minnesota State were involved in a low-scoring two-game battle against Bemidji State this weekend, winning 2-1 and losing 2-1. Franklin had a secondary assist on Minnesota State’s only goal on Friday night. Franklin had seven shots on net and was 50% on the faceoff dot. Minnesota State will face Alaska-Anchorage this weekend in the first round of the WCHA Tournament.
Tucker Poolman put four shots on goal this weekend against Nebraska-Omaha. North Dakota took the first game 6-4, but were shut out 3-0 the following night.
Erik Foley had a pair of assists on Friday in a 6-2 defeat of UMass, including a nice backhand saucer pass and showed us the definition of the old adage “taking a hit to make a play”. Providence plays UMass again this weekend in the first round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Mason Appleton was held scoreless this week against a strong Penn State team; his team managing just three goals over the weekend. Appleton did get four shots on net.
Matt Ustaski has been starting on the first line with Trent Frederic and Luke Kunin. We will see if this continues next week as it is quite the jump for Ustaski who, until recently, was a regular on the fourth line.
UW Lines tonight. 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus at Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/jhbOb2lGVX — Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) February 26, 2017
Jack Glover was scratched again in the weekend series.
Overseas
Pavel Kraskovsky and Lokomotiv have started off strong in the KHL playoffs. Lokomotiv darted out to a 3-0 lead but could not pull off the sweep as Dinamo Minsk lived to play another game. Kraskovsky had a secondary assist on Lokomotiv’s first goal of the playoffs. He is an unfortunate 19% on faceoff draws (7 of 36).
Sami Niku also registered himself a secondary assist, dumping the puck off to a teammate and going for a line change. The assist came in a game in which Niku recorded a monster total of seven shots on goal. JYP won all three games this week and are 4th in league standings.
Jacob Cederholm continues his loan with IK Pantern, playing three games this week. Cederholm had three shots on net and took a slashing penalty.
AHL
The Manitoba Moose escaped the week with a winning record, going 2-1-0-1 in four games played. MVP honours this week go to the two rookies, Jack Roslovic and Kyle Connor.
The week started with a close loss, dropping a 4-3 game to Rockford at home. The most surprising stat you’ll see on this game log is that Brian Strait’s first goal of the season came unassisted and… shorthanded?
The rematch the following night was even closer, resulting in a 1-0 shootout loss. Eric Comrie was a perfect 26 for 26 in regulation time, but allowed the only shootout goal. Connor, DeSalvo, and Roslovic were unsuccessful for Manitoba.
Saturday night against San Antonio, Kyle Connor found his game and recorded his first pro hat trick. Eric Comrie was brilliant again, saving 37 of 39. The Moose would go on to win 4-2.
Game two yielded a similar 4-2 score, with Connor and Roslovic both scoring a goal. Chase De Leo scored his 12th of the year on a neat feed from Roslovic and Connor scored another beauty.
The Moose are back at it again tonight in Rockford.
Be sure to check out highlights of Jack Roslovic at the AHL All-Star Skills Competition I recently put together as well!
All stats current as of this morning. Until next time, keep fit and have fun.The fall-out from the Queensland crackdown on ride-sharing services such as Uber continued a day after the harsher penalties were passed by the Queensland Parliament, with the government warning LNP-supported amendments to the bill could make charter buses and limousines illegal, if they don't have a taxi licence.
Labor and the LNP both voted to increase the fines for both Uber and the driver, as well as changes to the offence itself to make it easier for Transport Inspectors to fine those working for ride-sharing services, instead of supporting the Katter Party suggestion of demerit points.
But Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said changes the LNP made to the legislation, which were passed by a majority of votes in the hung parliament but not supported by the government, meant all "pre-booked passenger services" could be considered illegal.
As a result, the definition of a person who administers a taxi service may have been significantly broadened, to effectively capture anyone who provides a booking service for a service using a motor vehicle to transport passengers for a fee," he said.The mystery Rs 1 crore holiday
NDTV Tax storyâ€"- Part II. Was there a case of conflict of interest in Sumana Sen handling the tax assessments of NDTV?
PRANATI MEHRA and PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA investigate
A serious allegation levelled by Indian Revenue Service officer S.K. Srivastava against the management of New Delhi Television Limited is that the company bribed an Income Tax officer, Sumana Sen, to allegedly influence the Income Tax Department’s assessment of NDTV’s income. Sen’s husband, Abhisar Sharma was employed with NDTV as a senior journalist.
Was there a case of conflict of interest in Sen handling the tax assessments of NDTV? Were Sharma and Sen "bribed" in the form of trips to Europe for which NDTV allegedly shelled out a handsome sum of Rs. one crore? Both these allegations are denied by sources in NDTV and a source close to Sen.
It has been alleged that Sen favoured NDTV by signing an order as assistant commissioner of income tax, Circle 13 (1) in February 2005 after which NDTV got a refund of Rs.1.47 crore. At that time, her husband Sharma was employed with NDTV. Srivastava has alleged that Sen had "stolen public money" by passing an "illegal" assessment under section 143(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act since NDTV's return had been picked up earlier for scrutiny assessment in December 2004. No summary assessment can be done during the pendency of a scrutiny assessment, Srivastava's lawyer S.K. Gupta claimed in a written communication to us.
Highly-placed sources in NDTV pointed out: "Issuing a refund under section 143 (1) when a notice under section 143 (2) is pending was perfectly legal as per circulars issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and this can be easily verified from the Income Tax Department."
In her affidavit in court, Sen has claimed that immediately after she joined Circle 13(1) as assistant commissioner, she orally informed her superiors in the Income Tax Department that her husband was an employee at NDTV. Thereafter, an order was passed by the commissioner of income tax that NDTV’s assessment would be done by the additional commissioner and not her.
When contacted, Sumana Sen told us that being a government servant, she could not talk to the media under her service rules. A source close to her said the order she had signed was an intimation under section 143 (1) which was a routine communication and that NDTV’s assessment was done not by her but by her superior officer, an additional commissioner.
"She could not legally have held back the refund because the department would have had to pay interest to the assessee," the source said, adding that the intimation under section 143(1) was statutory and there was no discretion in the hands of the officer and since the refund was in excess of Rs. one crore, it had to be approved by the additional commissioner.
NDTV sources said that subsequently, the order passed under section 143(3) in 2006 for the same assessment year by another officer virtually accepted the returned income (loss) of NDTV. "The refund was payable anyway," they said.
On her going on a trip to Europe with her husband in 2005, Sen told the Delhi High Court it was a yearly vacation which was part of the salary package given to her husband Abhisar Sharma (as well as other employees of NDTV).
This is what the company stated in a letter to Sen’s assessing officer: "We would like to submit that the company has not provided annual vacation abroad to any of its employees. Travel abroad was an entitlement which was given to Abhisar Sharma and other employees for official purposes.. … Abhisar Sharma was working with the company (as)... special correspondent/anchor and in the news media industry the special correspondents have to travel extensively. (The) amount of the expenditure which can be incurred on any entitled official trip is mentioned in the employment contract letter."
Sources in NDTV said there were rules regarding government servants availing of a 'companion scheme' which allow spouses to travel free in India and abroad when the government servant goes on official work. NDTV’s scheme was not very different for its senior employees who travelled overseas on official work. "If the Indian government can allow such a facility to its employees, what is wrong in NDTV doing something similar?" they asked.
We, the writers of this article, remain confused. Sen tells the Delhi High Court she went on vacation. NDTV tells Sen’s income tax assessing officer that her costs covered by her husband’s entitlement during an official trip. The company told us it was a companion scheme, similar to a government scheme, that she availed of. Was it work for him and vacation for her? Or was it vacation for both after his work was over?
Abhisar Sharma quit NDTV in 2007 and has since moved on to other media organizations, including those that run the Aaj Tak and ABP News television channels. The source close to Sen pointed out that she and her husband had been abroad not only in 2005 but in the previous year as well.
A source in NDTV said that Sharma had received approximately Rs. 71,000 plus $1,000 to spend on his family's foreign trip in 2005 as part of his salary package. This person then sarcastically remarked: "If we assume that during the four years he was employed with us, a total amount of roughly Rs 1.6 crore was spent on him by way of salaries, perquisites, employee stock options and a car, then we must be very stupid bribe givers to have spend such a lot of money for an income tax refund of Rs 1.47 crore which was legitimately due to us."
NDTV sources and the source close to Sen claim that she was the receiving end of S.K. Srivastava’s allegations because she was in the vigilance wing of the Income Tax Department which was examining allegations against Srivastava. NDTV sources further claim that a charge-sheet had been issued to Srivastava.
However, his lawyer Gupta refutes this claim and said the charge-sheet was issued against his client in 2006 only after he raised his voice in the department about NDTV being allegedly favoured. Besides, this charge-sheet relates to allegations of maligning his colleagues and using intemperate language against them, Gupta added, saying: "My client was victimized by a group of IRS officers in collusion with NDTV so that my client would not report theft..."
NDTV sources allege that Srivastava is not telling the truth. "If funds were raised by NDTV in May 2007 (through the issuance of step-up coupons or bonds) and in May 2008 (from NBCU), how could Srivastava have raised the matter in 2006?" they ask. However, Srivastava had started an inspection of NDTV as early as November 2005. The controversial refund of Rs 1.47 cr was also of March 2005.
Advocate Gupta said Srivastava was sought to be certified as "mentally disturbed" in a report prepared by VIMHANS (Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health. Neuro and Allied Sciences), New Delhi, but the report was hurriedly withdrawn when the Medical Council of India decided to conduct an inquiry. Srivastava then voluntarily got himself examined at several other hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which certified he was normal, though under stress. How the VIMHANS report was prepared remains a bit of a mystery.
As already mentioned, two of Srivastava's junior colleagues in the Indian Revenue Service, Sumana Sen and Ashima Neb, had moved court alleging that Srivastava had used intemperate and defamatory language against them. On January 4, 2013, Justice Rajiv Shakhder of the Delhi High Court held Srivastava guilty of civil contempt and ordered his imprisonment for 15 days and imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 on him. Srivastava appealed against this order.
Thereafter, Sen and Neb moved the division bench of the same court complaining that Srivastava was continuing to use defamatory and scurrilous language against them. On January 10, 2014, the bench comprising Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Vibhu Bakhru upheld the judgment of the single judge. The court's registry thereafter issued a warrant of arrest against Srivastava.
One of the writers of this article met the Station House Officer of the Tilak Marg police station Rajesh Mishra, who confirmed that the Delhi High Court registry had indeed issued a warrant of arrest against Income Tax Commissioner S.K. Srivastava. He, however, declined to specify the date on which he received the arrest warrant and why it has not been executed till date.
The larger story of NDTV’s business transactions and the tax department’s scrutiny of it, is tinged by the mutual animosities these tax department officials had against each other, and the actions they took as a result.
Related links:
Part I: NDTV -- Sham transactions or legit deals?
Part III: NDTV--Targeted by the BJP?
Such articles are only possible because of your support. Help the Hoot. The Hoot is an independent initiative of the Media Foundation and requires funds for independent media monitoring. Please support us. Every rupee helps.Deficits, tax cuts and the GOP
By Ezra Klein
This is the sort of comment that I think gets one dismissed as a hopeless partisan, but is also unambiguously true:
Nobody, and I mean nobody, in a position of influence within the GOP cares about deficits when tax cuts for the affluent are on the line. Deficit hawkery is just a stick with which to beat down social programs.
That's Paul Krugman, and what's the argument that he's wrong? Or even that it applies to both parties?
Compare the GOP's approach to tax cuts with the Democratic Party's approach to health-care reform. Actually, you can even compare the GOP's approach to health-care reform with the Democratic Party's approach to health-care reform. Whatever you think of the Affordable Care Act, Democrats went to great pains to provide offsets, which is why Republicans could accuse them -- over and over again -- of cutting $500 billion from Medicare. When the GOP passed the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, they made no cuts and created no new taxes and simply put the whole thing on the deficit.
So help me out, dear readers: What's the evidence that the GOP ever allows deficits to come between them and the policies they want to pass?This story is about Published Nov. 2016
The difference between the 6-1 Cowboys and 0-8 Browns? It starts with Johnny Manziel Share This Story On... Twitter
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Left, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott rushes for a touchdown against the Eagles (Smiley Pool/The Dallas Morning). Right, former Browns QB Johnny Manziel makes a court appearance (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News). Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) scores on a 7-yard touchdown run past Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Jaylen Watkins (26) during the first half of an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016, in Arlington. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News) Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer Former Texas A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel makes a court appearance at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Manziel reported to court Thursday for the first time since a Dallas County grand jury indicted him last month on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. Former girlfriend Colleen Crowley has accused him of kidnapping, hitting and threatening to kill her in January. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) ORG XMIT: DMN1605051000596003
By Jon Machota, Staff Writer Contact Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
FRISCO - There are many reasons why the 6-1 Dallas Cowboys and 0-8 Cleveland Browns enter Sunday's game heading in opposite directions. None is more important, however, than how the teams have recently drafted.
The best illustration of this occurred on the night of May 8, 2014. Despite strong interest from Jerry Jones, Dallas ultimately decided to pass on using the 16th overall pick on quarterback Johnny Manziel. Those in the draft room collectively decided that Notre Dame offensive lineman Zack Martin was the better option. Six picks later, Cleveland drafted Johnny Football. How much different would things be today if the Cowboys picked Manziel instead of Martin? Executive vice president Stephen Jones laughed for a second before answering that question this week. "Well, I think that goes without saying based on how, unfortunately, Johnny Manziel has [fared]," he said. "His record speaks for itself. The player we got in that draft, Zack Martin, is obviously a big reason and a big part of the reason why we're here today with the offensive line, certainly I think, being the center of attention of this football team and the foundation of our team in terms of what we're built around." Jerry Jones wasn't thrilled about taking Martin at the time. No one in the NFL likes taking risks more than him. He viewed the pick as a safe option rather than swinging for the fences and selecting the controversial Heisman Trophy-winner out of Texas A&M. The Cowboys owner and general manager is now thankful they played it safe. Manziel has since picked night life over football. Martin has been named to All-Pro teams the past two years. "It's tough for organizations to take three offensive linemen in three [of four] drafts in the first round," Stephen Jones said. "But I give Jerry credit. He bit the bullet and did it, and it's certainly paying dividends and a big part of our success in terms of why we're doing as well as we are this year." First-round philosophy? Take the best guy, build a wall
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer The Dallas Cowboys offensive line including, tackle Tyron Smith (77), offensive guard La'el Collins (71), center Travis Frederick (72), guard Zack Martin (70), tackle Doug Free (68) and tight end Jason Witten (82) wait for play to resume during a timeout against the Green Bay Packers in the second half at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sunday, December 13, 2015. The Cowboys lost, 28-7. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)
Unlike most professional sports leagues, winning big in the NFL is rarely connected with free agency or blockbuster trades. Drafting well separates the good teams from the bad.
Since 2010, no team has drafted better than the Cowboys in the first round. Not only are all seven of their picks still in Dallas, they are some of the team's top contributors. Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Martin have combined to make nine Pro Bowls. Morris Claiborne hasn't met his lofty expectations but he was the team's top defensive back this season before straining his groin Sunday night. Byron Jones has been a solid starting defensive back. Ezekiel Elliott is the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and already appears to be one of the league's top running backs. "I think more than ever we truly are sticking with taking the best player on the board," Stephen Jones said. "A lot of people preach it and talk it, but then don't do it. I do think we've been pretty true to the board." Cleveland, on the other hand, drafted six players in the first round between 2011 and 2014. None of them are on the team's current roster.
Scouting the Browns: Why the Cowboys can't laugh off Josh McCown and winless Cleveland
"You have to hit your first-round picks, plain and simple," said Dane Brugler, senior NFL Draft analyst for NFLDraftScout and CBS Sports. "That's something that consistently the Cowboys have done in recent years. That's something that has shaped the team that they are. "The Browns have gone through so many different changes in the front office and I think that's a huge part of this because there hasn't been a consistent philosophy. There hasn't been any cohesive ways to attack the draft and build the roster." The Cowboys pride themselves on having that cohesiveness. Ask anyone close to the team why the front office, coaches and scouts seem to be on the same page and you will hear the name Will McClay. McClay, the team's senior director of college and pro personnel, has been in the personnel department for 14 years and has overseen the team's drafts for the last three. He's also involved with free agency and trades. "In terms of who deserves the most credit I think it's a group effort," Stephen Jones said. "It's an organizational effort. But you've got to start with the guy who does the most work on it and organizes it. That's Will McClay." Now, it hasn't been perfect. The Cowboys have gambled often in the second round. Aside from Sean Lee in 2010, that strategy hasn't proved to be successful over the past decade. Dallas has used Round 2 to take chances on players who have first-round talent but slipped for various reasons. Lee and this year's pick, Jaylon Smith, slipped because of injuries. Last year's selection, Randy Gregory, fell due to off-the-field issues. "I must admit, we've kind of fallen into that little quagmire, if you will, that we've got to continue to take a look at," Stephen Jones said. "Hopefully we'll snap that streak here with Jaylon and hopefully Randy and DeMarcus Lawrence will come on and be solid guys as well for the future. But there's no question... we've certainly got to take a look and see how we can be better in terms of finding long-term football players in the second round." A'very fortunate' pick
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer (from left) Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones Anderson, Owner Jerry Jones, and Executive Vice President, CEO, and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones visit in the War Room before making their first pick as the NFL Draft gets underway at Valley Ranch Thursday, April 28, 2016. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)
In 2005, the Cowboys needed a strong defensive class to provide Bill Parcells with players who could execute his 3-4 defense. They landed one of the league's elite pass rushers in DeMarcus Ware and starting linemen Marcus Spears, Chris Canty and Jay Ratliff. They also grabbed 2007 Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber in the fourth round. Looking back, Stephen Jones calls it a "statement draft" and "one of the greatest drafts we had." He believes the 2016 draft is proving similar. Elliott and Dak Prescott have gained most of the attention, but the Cowboys feel good about all nine of their picks.
Might want to sit down for this one: Credit Jerry Jones for Cowboys drafting Dak Prescott
"Unlike a lot of drafts," Stephen said, "which is really hard to do with any organization, we really hadn't ruled out any of our draft picks in 2016 in terms of being able to be a player that can either be a star in this league, a starter or certainly a contributor." Regardless of how fellow 2016 rookies do, Prescott can almost singlehandedly make this class a success. The Cowboys were looking for Tony Romo's heir apparent. They tried to trade back into the first round to get Paxton Lynch. When that failed, they attempted to move up in the fourth round to get Connor Cook. Eventually, they ended up with Prescott late in the fourth round. As Stephen says, they were "very fortunate." "Obviously with where we sit today and the job that Dak's doing, I don't know that we would trade him for anybody, including all the quarterbacks picked at the top of the draft," Stephen added. "We're certainly optimistic about what his future holds." It's an optimism the Cowboys probably wouldn't have had if they drafted Manziel. Twitter: @jonmachota
This Topic is Missing Your Voice.IP Above All Else: WIPO Defies UN Sanctions To Give Computers To North Korea
from the wow dept
“As part of WIPO’s technical assistance program -- and through a mandate from its member states -- the Organization has been supporting IP [intellectual property] offices in developing countries to facilitate the processing of patent and trademark applications since the 1990s,” the spokesman said. “The assistance in question was part of this program.”
The assistance “is intended to enhance the efficiency of the operation of registration for patents by replacing the current ICT equipment with more efficient ICT [information and communications technology] equipment,” the spokesman continued.
...extremely concerned by the fact that WIPO staff may be implementing a project in violation of two UN Security Council Resolutions... and possibly in violation of staff's own international obligations, and their national laws.
The project also raises serious ethical concerns, namely whether an International Organization should be funding a project that would not be required if the state concerned allowed its population to access the Internet.
I would suggest we go ahead ONLY if you think this arrangement is of crucial importance to WIPO. But given the sensitivities and the broad sweep of the sanctions language, I would prefer that WIPO simply desist from entering into any such arrangement, as it does not seem to be of any consequence or benefit to WIPO, and can bring more trouble than benefit ultimately.
This story is almost too crazy to believe. WIPO, the UN agency that more or less acts as the global IP maximalist agenda-setter, is now being accused of defying UN sanctions, by shipping computers and servers to North Korea. In what appears to be an attempt to avoid scrutiny over this very questionable transfer, WIPO tried to route everything through someone in China. The payment, however, was halted by Bank of America, who quickly realized that delivering computers to North Korea almost certainly violated sanctions against supplying technology to the country.So why is WIPO giving computers to the North Korean government? Because, in its obsessively idiotic desire to expand intellectual property around the globe, the computers are supposed to help North Korea search foreign patent databases in order to abide by international patent law. Seriously. Why does NK need such computers?, so WIPO is concerned that people in North Korea can't use the internet to search through international patents. So, in an astoundingly stupidly short-sighted move, WIPO thinks that by giving North Korea computers to set up a local database of patents and trademarks, it can help the country obey international patents.Of course, as plenty of people outside the IP-maximalist bubble realize, North Korea doesn't give a damn about foreign patent and trademark applications. The country is actually well known for being a key source of counterfeiting. Second, and perhaps more important, the very reason that there's a ban on sending technology to North Korea is the fact that the government has been making use of any tech it can get its hands on to further its nuclear ambitions. Third, does WIPOwant to be in the business of supporting North Korea's ban on internet access? Are those the kinds of projects that the UN and WIPO think are worthwhile these days?There's a full project plan that lists out all of the computer equipment being supplied, and lots of talk about how it will be used for patent and trademark databases, but does anyone seriously believe that's how it's going to be used? North Korea even sent a letter to WIPO thanking it for its support in supplying these computers.Part of the reason that this is now being investigated is because a lawyer at WIPO raised concerns about the project, noting that it appeared to be in violation of UN sanctions (yes, a UN organization is violating UN sanctions...). The lawyer points out that the proper channels of review were not used here, and that he's:WIPO, and its director, Francis Gurry, are insisting they've done nothing (nothing!) wrong at all in supplying computer equipment to North Korea -- despite not being particularly public with the normal communication channels about the deal, and trying to route the whole thing through China. Clearly worried about the criticism, though, WIPO had another WIPO lawyer send around a legal memorandum that reads like a court filing, defending the actions. The memo whines that the decision by Bank of America to block the payment was based on US law, and it's not subject to US law. Of course, that US law is based on those UN sanctions. As for the UN sanctions, the memorandum insists that these actions were all perfectly legal -- believing that as long as you don'tthe computers will be used for nuclear efforts, then everything is fine and dandy. It's as if WIPO thinks everyone else in the world is completely stupid.That said, the very same lawyer, Edward Kwakwa, was also involved in a series of emails, in which he suggests that WIPO cancel the project, suggesting that it may violate the UN rules, and saying that:Yes, that's the same guy who wrote the legal memo defending the deal. That same email thread has someone from WIPO saying that perhaps they should cancel the deal... but also pointing out that canceling this particular deal with North Korea would have little impact, "if we take into consideration" In other words, it appears that WIPO has already sent similar technology to North Korea in the past -- perhaps in violations of the sanctions, and appears prepared to do so again in the future.The whole thing is really quite insane when you go through all the details. WIPO, the IP-maximalist organization that is a part of the UN, is, at the very least, aiding North Korea's plan to keep the internet illegal, by supplying an entire computer system so that people in North Korea can research international patents and trademarks that they will almost certainly ignore -- or use for the purpose of counterfeiting. All of this is almost certainly in violation of UN sanctions against North Korea, and it seems likely that the computing equipment will be repurposed for use by North Korea in its nuclear program, where they are desperate for computing power. On top of that, even as WIPO officials themselves suggest that the deal should be dropped (while admitting more are already planned...), they are also making the case publicly that this is all perfectly legal.Thisbe a pretty big scandal, and absolutely calls into question the management of WIPO. Having an economically unsupportable IP maximalist position is one thing. Aiding the North Korean nuclear program is an entirely different issue...
Filed Under: north korea, sanctions, united nations, wipo
Companies: bank of americaWhen he was released from prison in January 2012 after serving nearly three years of a politically motivated sentence, Tin Htut Paing – only 21 years old at the time – had reason to be optimistic that his country was changing for the better. But in spite of the profound political changes that have occurred in Myanmar over the past few years, he’s being hunted by the authorities once again for his political work – and feels that it’s only a matter of time before he’s arrested.
A leader of Generation Youth – a loosely organized advocacy organization dominated by activists in their early twenties – Tin Htut Paing works to promote the fundamental rights and democracy denied to the people of Myanmar during 50 years of direct military rule. When he heard that a group of recently laid-off factory workers were staging a sit-in in the shadow of Sule Pagoda in downtown Rangoon, he raced over as quickly as he could, and lectured them on tactics for negotiating with the owner and the authorities. “Before the demonstrations started, I had already given advice and suggestions to the workers,” he told me. “When I heard they were protesting at Sule, I went down to encourage them to not give up.”
With the activists’ support, the workers’ demonstration succeeded: the owner increased their severance package, offered to help them find new jobs, and they went home the following morning. But Tin Htut Paing wasn’t so lucky. Narrowly avoiding arrest at the demonstration, he’s been in hiding ever since. “After [the demonstration], the police came to my house at midnight, looking for me,” he said. “Today, the police came to my house again, and I heard that I would have to face trial.”
Real Reform?
Once an international pariah rivaling North Korea for notoriety, Myanmar’s government has taken unprecedented steps to come out of the cold in recent years. Rapid political and economic reforms by President Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government have been rewarded in-kind by the West, which lifted most trade sanctions this year. But where civil society comes into conflict with powerful economic interests – both foreign and domestic – the narrative of Myanmar’s miraculous opening to the outside world becomes decidedly murky.
After being outlawed outright for decades, the government legalized public demonstrations in December 2011, with the passing of the Right to Peaceful Procession and Assembly Act. While it grants a modicum of freedom – in theory – where there was none before, the Assembly Act puts onerous restrictions on freedom of assembly, requiring would-be protestors to apply for permission to demonstrate five days in advance.
Local police have the right to reject applications if they meet vaguely defined criteria of threatening the “security of the State, rule of law, community’s peace and tranquility, and public morality.” In practice, few demonstrations receive an official stamp of approval, and activists rarely bother to apply. Section 18 of the Assembly Act threatens participants in unauthorized protests with “a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment or a maximum fine of thirty thousand kyat (US$31) or both.” It’s become the government’s most-used weapon against civil society over the past year. Facing at least two charges under Section 18, Tin Htut Paing is trying to avoid the dragnet.
Young Activist
In 2007, at the age of 17, Tin Htut Paing took to the streets of Rangoon to hand out leaflets during the “Saffron Revolution,” a monk-led uprising against military rule and the largest anti‐government protests Myanmar had seen in 20 years. When the authorities began to round up activists, he fled to the border with Thailand, where he spent almost two years studying politics and activism.AUSTIN, TX -- University of Texas at Austin President Gregory L. Fenves has directed 50 additional law enforcement officers to patrol campus after the body of a young woman -- possibly a student -- was found Tuesday along Waller Creek on school grounds.
"There is a lot of justified anxiety, and I want to let you know that law enforcement is working hard to investigate this week's homicide while campus leadership is actively addressing safety at UT Austin," Fenves wrote to students via Twitter on Wednesday.
"I have requested that the Austin Police Department, with its deep knowledge and experience, lead the investigation and coordinate closely with UTPD (University of Texas Police Department) and the Texas Rangers."
A cadaver described as being the body of a woman in her 20s was discovered along a portion of Waller Creek that runs through campus late Tuesday morning. The body was found west of the Et |
, and yet it is outperforming its seemingly better-resourced MLS rival in the player development arena.
FCD faces much the same problems as any other team with a good academy. It lost its top prospect, Weston McKennie, back in August to Schalke in Germany. The response was to get a lot more proactive in signing promising academy talent before those players could leave to go abroad. Since losing McKennie, FCD has signed four new Homegrown players. The culture of developing and giving youth a chance that Dallas has created allows them to entice their academy talent to sign professional deals. RBNY is still recovering from the days when former head coah Hans Backe was accused of treating young, Homegrown players as “traffic cones” in practice.
In contrast to Dallas, New York officially lost their top academy prospect, Matthew Olosunde, in March to Manchester United, though he was gone a long time before that. Did New York react in a similarly proactive way as FC Dallas? Not so much. Between March 2016 and January 2017, RBNY lost another one abroad (Wojciech Gajda) but didn’t sign any Academy players to MLS or USL deals. New, young players are surely incoming in 2017, but there is no particular sign that RBNY has got any better at persuading Academy prospects to pick a pro future with Red Bull than elsewhere. Indeed, one of the top-rated Homegrown prospects in the pipeline at the moment - Adam Najem - has long been courted by RBNY but was rumored to have been reduced to a trade chip over the off-season.
Since 2013, the New York Red Bulls have had eight Academy players choose to sign abroad instead of staying with New York.
New York Red Bulls Academy Players to Sign Abroad Player Team (Country) Player Team (Country) Russel Canouse TSG Hoffenheim (Germany) Kyle Duncan Valenciennes F.C. (France) Aleks Gogic Reading F.C. (England) Wojceich Gadja Hearts (Scotland) Kyle Gruno Leicester City (England) Noah Leeds Sevilla (Spain) Matthew Olosunde Manchester United (England) Timothy Weah Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Currently, the LA Galaxy have two 20-and-under academy players on its MLS roster, and another six signed to professional contracts on the USL team. More are likely to come soon. Real Salt Lake has four 20-and-under academy players on its MLS roster; Toronto FC has six 20-and-under academy players already turned professional - one in MLS, five on its USL team; Vancouver has three 20-and-under on its MLS roster, one of whom is 16, and another five on the USL team; Sporting Kansas City has three 20-and-under on its MLS roster and another four on its USL team.
These are all professional players.
By contrast, the New York Red Bulls, a team that keeps preaching a commitment to youth development and pounding its chest over how great its Academy is, has three players 20-and-under on its MLS roster (including Anatole Abang who is unlikely to return to the team, currently being out on loan in Denmark while going on multiple trials as well). On the USL roster, there is (for now) not one - Junior Flemmings turned 21 on January 16, 2017.
New York Red Bulls II is supposed to be the club’s epicenter of development and integration with the RBNY Academy, but as of January 22, 2017, it has no players under 21 on its roster, and just one Academy graduate (David Najem).
There is a flaw in the system. By signing players recently out of college, some with and some without academy links, RBNY will find options for end of the roster players and guys off the bench more immediately than if they took the long view. However, with the current system, for every Aaron Long, there are five or six others who may show well at the USL level but cannot force their way into the first team and have to be let go.
The current system seems to prioritize short-term objectives over development and long-term planning: sign a few 22 or 23 year olds every season, keep a few for an extra year, jettison the rest. The benefit of signing younger, usually academy, talent is that the team can control their development. Additionally, the team can potentially develop superstars, not just find end-of-the-roster filler.
The LA Galaxy has shown that a second team can serve both immediate and longer-term goals. LA has brought through roster-filler guys like Daniel Steres, David Romney, and Ariel Lassiter from Los Dos to the first team. Whether as spot starters or strong bench options these players provide a valuable service. This is what New York is doing at the moment. But LA is doing something else with its second team as well. It is nurturing young talent to be stars of tomorrow. The end goal for Ryo Fujii, Eric Lopez, and Hugo Arellano is not to be replacement-level players, it is to be MLS starters, MLS All-Stars, and national team players. Some will end up only being bench options but that is okay because LA is playing the numbers game: when the team is bringing through eight young players at once within the confines of the club, it can afford if one or two do not work out. When New York is only bringing through four players at once, it cannot afford to miss.
USL Championships are great and NYRB II’s 2016 was a lot of fun to watch and experience. But the goal of NYRB II is to send players to RBNY in the pursuit of MLS Championships. A couple of the better players from last year’s triumphant II team are already signed up to continue their careers elsewhere: Speedy Williams will play for Louisville City in 2017; Zach Carroll is at Orlando City B. Neither was an Academy prospect and both deserve the chance to take their careers to other teams if RBNY isn’t thinking of them as future first-teamers.
But the New York Red Bulls have close to two-dozen Academy players in college now who are good enough to be playing in the USL. No matter the environment, not all of them will become MLS players. That is the reality of development. However, if the team can put even 25% of top Academy prospects in a full-time professional environment (ideally, before they take the college route), then it at least increases the odds of the alumni from NYRB II’s next Championship team being of service to RBNY’s future rather than that of Louisville City.Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (R-Texas) warned Wednesday that a House bill to repeal ObamaCare can't pass the Senate without substantial changes.
"The House bill is a beginning. The House bill as drafted, I do not believe, would pass the United States Senate," he said.
Cruz's comments come ahead of a dinner meeting with President Trump on Wednesday night.
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Cruz, despite his reservations on the House legislation, predicted that lawmakers would eventually be able to reach a deal.
"I believe we can and will repeal ObamaCare," he told reporters. "I believe at the end of the day we will get to yes."
The House bill, released on Monday night, is coming under heavy fire from conservatives.
In addition to Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Hill's Morning Report — Emergency declaration to test GOP loyalty to Trump The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump escalates fight with NY Times The 10 GOP senators who may break with Trump on emergency MORE (R-Ky.) has come out against the legislation. Senate GOP leadership can only afford to lose two Republican votes on repeal if they want to clear the Senate.
Cruz noted that he's in active negotiations with House and Senate lawmakers as well as the administration.
"There is not nearly enough in the House bill to drive down the cost of premiums," he said. "I [also] believe there [are] significant challenges with the Medicaid expansion provision."
Cruz said he wants to block grant Medicaid funding to the states, reducing the amount of federal oversight on how that money is spent.
What happens to ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion is a key concern for a group of centrist Republicans who are warning that they could vote against a bill that negatively impacts the funding in their home states.WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao, Jan. 31, CMC – Researchers have for the first time successfully raised laboratory bred colonies of a threatened Caribbean coral species to sexual maturity.
The researchers of SECORE International – a leading conservation organization for the protection and restoration of coral reefs, the University of Amsterdam and the Carmabi Marine Research Station located here, disclosed the findings in the latest issue of the scientific journal Bulletin of Marine Science.
“In 2011, offspring of the critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) were reared from gametes collected in the field and were out planted to a reef one year later”, explains Valérie Chamberland, coral reef ecologist working for SECORE and Carmabi.
“In four years, these branching corals have grown to a size of a soccer ball and reproduced, simultaneously with their natural population, in September 2015. This event marks the first ever successful rearing of a threatened Caribbean coral species to its reproductive age.”
Due to its large size and branching shape, elkhorn corals created vast forests in shallow reef waters that protect shores from incoming storms and provide a critical habitat for a myriad of other reef organisms, including ecologically and economically important fish species.
An estimated 80 per cent of all Caribbean corals have disappeared over the last four decades and repopulating degraded reefs has since become a management priority throughout the Caribbean region.
The elkhorn coral was one of the species whose decline was so severe that it was one of the first coral species to be listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species act in 2006, and as critically endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened species in 2008.
Consequently, measures to aid Caribbean reef recovery often focus on the elkhorn coral given its major decline and its ecological importance.
Since 2010, SECORE, Carmabi, and partners from aquariums around the world started a project aimed at developing techniques to rear larger numbers of elkhorn coral offspring so they could eventually be out planted to degraded reefs throughout the Caribbean.
Elkhorn corals reproduce only once or twice a year, generally a few days after the full moon in August. “We just learned that elkhorn corals can reach sexual maturity in only 4 years. This is exciting news, as we now know that offspring raised in the laboratory and out planted to a reef can contribute to the natural pool of gametes during the annual mass-spawning of elkhorn corals within 4 years”, says Chamberland.
By using a restoration method based on sexual rather than asexual (or clonal) reproduction, the SECORE method also promotes the formation of new genotypes that could potentially cope better with the conditions on modern reefs than their already struggling parents.
These sexually-bred corals therefore not only aid in the recovery of dwindling elkhorn coral populations by increasing the number of colonies, but also by increasing the genetic diversity of this critically endangered species, thus giving evolution the opportunity to play its part.
“We don’t get around to protect coral reefs and to apply additional management tools to reduce overfishing, pollution and other threats to coral reefs”, underlines researcher Dirk Petersen.
“So far, any restoration effort is restricted to small areas and involves costly and labor intensive hands-on work. We now need to take the next step forward to apply our findings on a larger scale in Curaçao and elsewhere in the Caribbean. For that purpose, we started a joint pilot project last August.”By Ben Brumfield and Carma Hassan
(CNN) — Alcohol-fueled hostility ended with a famous professional wrestler pinning his son down at their Florida home early Christmas Eve, sheriff’s deputies said.
Former ring star Kevin Nash, alias Diesel, and his teenage son Tristen were booked on battery and later released without bond, according to arrest records from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
When the teen came home drunk, insult and quarrel filled the air, according to the report, which included the Nash family members’ accounts.
Their stories about what happened next diverge.
Tristen Nash, 18, says his pro wrestler father, who is 55, chided him over being drunk and about his relationship with his girlfriend, then threw him down by the neck and lay across his chest.
He couldn’t breathe and briefly blacked out, the son told a deputy.
Nash, a giant
His father has an imposing physique. Wrestler Kevin Nash weighs 328 pounds and stands 6’10” tall, according to his World Wrestling Entertainment profile.
During his prime in the 1990s at WWE, he received multiple championships in the show-sport, before rounding off his career as a member of the group called New World Order, which included Hulk Hogan and was cast as a team of bad-guy “heels.”
Kevin Nash told the deputy a different story.
His son started the fight, spitting on him and striking him with his shoulder and elbow, he said. Nash admitted to wrestling him to the ground, but said he did so to protect his wife from his son.
The elder Nash was taken in and booked, his face marked by scratches on his mug shot. His son admitted to grabbing Nash’s face while trying to break his grip.
Roughness continued
Kevin Nash’s wife, Tamara, initially told police she had been upstairs and not seen the fight. But she changed her story when authorities charged the wrestler with domestic battery, the arrest report said.
Her son had been the attacker, she then told a deputy.
A short time after booking Kevin Nash, deputies were called back to the family’s home to arrest his son, after his uncle called 911.
Tristen Nash’s mother and uncle told a deputy that the teen had tussled with them after deputies left with Kevin Nash.
The family’s lawyer also placed blame on the son in a statement.
“The kid was out of control, and the father was defending his wife. I’m pretty confident we will have a resolution in the next couple of months,” said Michael J. Politis.
The WWE distanced itself from the incident.
“Kevin Nash has not regularly performed for WWE since January 2004,” it said in a statement. “He is currently under a non-wrestling ‘legends’ contract which has been immediately suspended until this domestic dispute is resolved.”Investigative journalist and filmmaker Greg Palast has spent decades covering two intertwined topics fueling the demise of American democracy: stolen elections and greedy billionaires. Trump's call for massive corporate tax cuts doesn't just revive failed Reagan-era economic policies, it's another sign of how America's super-rich have staged a coup. Palast, a trained economist, talked to AlterNet's Steven Rosenfeld.
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Steven Rosenfeld: It seems every bad economic idea championed by Republicans is coming back in style under the Donald Trump-Paul Ryan regime. Am I imagining that?
Greg Palast: Unfortunately, it’s not a dream. You’re wide awake. Yes, these ideas come back. As the economist John Maynard Keynes said, “Mad men in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back.”
So yes, what’s come back is voodoo economics. That is, if you cut taxes on the rich, they’ll get so excited and go into so much busy economic activity, that the economy will grow and your tax revenues will actually rise. So cut taxes, collect more taxes. It is a miracle. It is voodoo economics, as George Bush Sr. called it. It’s from the Laffer Curve. That’s Art Laffer. He was my mentor at the University of Chicago, where I studied economics under him and Milton Friedman.
SR: Yes, so tell us, who was he?
GP: These were the guys who created supply-side economics. These miracles that if you cut taxes on the rich, if you take away all the rules and regulations, that there will be this frenzy of activity. We’ll have full employment. And the treasury will be bursting with tax revenue. There’s a problem with that. It works on a napkin. Famously, Art Laffer started with writing this curve (plotting tax rates versus tax revenues) on a napkin, which says that you get more revenue when you cut taxes. He put that on a napkin for me. I can’t make this up. He was a cheeseburger addict. He always had napkins and was writing on them. And it doesn’t work. It’s a con.
You can only get more revenue by reducing taxes on the rich if their taxes are somewhere above 90 percent. That’s how [President John] Kennedy got some extra tax revenue because the taxes on the rich (in the early 1960s) were at 90 percent. If you cut from 90 to 85 percent, you might induce some rich people to keep their money and invest. But right now, this is going to be a $2 trillion hole in the economy.
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SR: So how do people keep making this argument with a straight face?
GP: Because it’s profitable. And the media has gone along — that Reagan was some kind of economic genius despite our massive deficits and destruction of the working class in America. That’s where it began. So there’s a profit to be made. Who owns the media? The guys who are getting these tax breaks.
And in fact, that’s one of the biggest problems. They’re deceiving us because they make money off the deception. And also long as the suckers in those red trucker hats think that these guys are making America great again won’t wake up from the spell, they’ll using the same trick. They’ll keep playing three-card monte with you while you keep thinking you know which cup has the penny in it. No you aren’t. The game’s rigged.
So, for example, Steve Mnuchin, who’s the Secretary of the Treasury, he’s the one who said that this tax cut, “will pay for itself with growth.” Now what is the number-one tax loophole that Trump insisted he would cut? He and Bernie Sanders. It’s something called carried interest. It is a loophole used only by speculators. Not even by the Kochs. Not even by anyone who hires anyone; purely by Wall Street speculators, including and particularly Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, and one of Trump’s biggest donors who’s been in the shadows, J.P. John Paulson, the foreclosure king—they are the guys who literally can save billions. John Paulson personally will save at least a billion by keeping open this tax loophole. One billion dollars for one guy, Steve Mnuchin’s partner.
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That’s why they keep pulling this stunt. Because it works while they collect. But so Trump didn’t [propose to] close that loophole. Instead, he made it so wide that you can now fly a 747 through it.
SR: There’s this other thing you talk about, territoriality. I thought there were multi-billions offshore waiting to come back for reinvestment and spending — like Apple profits — if only the coast was clear. What is going on here?
GP: Right now, your profits are taxed anywhere you earn them in the world when you bring them back to the U.S. or pay dividends to your U.S. stockholders, which they’ll eventually want, right? Or pay your creditors with the money. So that’s taxable.
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I’ll give you a real-world example. Delphi Automotive — now that’s the company that used to be called DelCo. It was part of General Motors. The auto parts for GM cars were made in Warren, Ohio, at the Delphi plant. Some of these billionaire speculators moved the plant to Monterey, Mexico. Now, follow this, when they earned profits in Warren, Ohio, that was taxable. When they earn any profits in Monterrey, Mexico, under Trump’s new [proposed] rule, that will be forever free of taxes. So, in other words, it a massive tax subsidy to move your factory from Ohio to Mexico. And no one said a damn word about it.
This is Donald Trump. Just so you know, Donald Trump talked about moving the plant to Monterrey, Mexico, while he was in Warren, Ohio. He told the laid-off Delphi workers, "I will bring this plant back... When I see the closed gates and this factory, I want to make that wall deeper and higher." That’s what Trump said in Warren, Ohio, to those workers: "I’m going to bring your jobs back."
Instead, he just gave a tax break to the guys who moved the plant over. You stay in Monterrey, you get a tax break. You bring your plant back to Warren, Ohio and you’re subject to the corporate tax. Let’s put it directly. Those guys in the red trucker hats — he’s pissing in their faces. And he’s laughing about it. He’s thinking those poor schmucks don’t know, they don’t care.
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And I don’t like the idea that Trump is some kind of dummy who doesn’t know what he’s doing. He isn’t. For a dummy, he keeps winning every chess game. How does that happen? This is deliberate. He’s letting the billionaires rewrite tax codes so you and I pay and they’re off the hook.
SR: This is what I hope people will start paying attention to, not the tweets or the stupid stuff he's saying. But the way that the people he has surrounded himself with are rewriting the rules of the road, in all these different areas, whether environment or taxes or the courts.
GP: Let’s put it this way. The liberalati press has decided that Trump didn’t get anything done in 100 days. Boy, are they asleep. They’re paying attention to the tweets, and Miss America is too fat, and let’s bomb North Korea. Right? But behind it were a massive number of executive actions and bills that they put through Congress reversing regulations all over the place.
Including, for example, on a single day, the liberals are laughing that Trumpcare ended up facedown in the swimming pool. That’s at 3pm. What there was little discussion of, was at 10am that same morning, Trump officially approved the Keystone XL pipeline.
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SR: Yes, I remember, that same day.
GP: Now, we talk about global warming, environmental disaster. Let’s look at the other end of the pipe, okay? I didn’t see a single place in any U.S. newspaper that said, who is the beneficiary of the XL pipeline? It ain’t this company TransCanada. It’s who gets the oil at the end of that pipe. If you saw my movie, we’re running a pipe from Canada across the United States to Texas — and I understand that Texas already has a little bit of oil. Texas is choking in oil. Why the hell are we bringing a filthy pipeline with the world’s filthiest oil across the United States to Texas, where there is a glut of oil?
The answer is K-O-C-H. It’s the Koch brothers. They own the Koch Industries refinery in Corpus Christi, which is the main beneficiary of that oil coming down from Canada, because the Koch refinery cannot handle the cleaner oil that comes out of Texas — west Texas immediate, as they call it, which means the intermediate filthy.
They need heavy or super heavy oil. That can only come from only two places in quantity. Venezuela, which is still controlled by the Chavistas, which charge the Kochs through the nose, or Canada, which is willing to charge the Kochs $15 a barrel less than Chavez’s crew in Venezuela. You work out the math. That’s over a billion dollars for two men, Charles and David Koch, every year. A billion dollars for two guys and we get to eat the pipe.
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SR: This is what's going on. Do you see any hopeful signs of resistance? Are the Democrats going to rubber-stamp this? Or is this all done under the guise of regulations and nobody can really stop it because there’s a Republican monopoly on federal power?
GP: It’s not a Republican monopoly. It’s a billionaire monopoly. We’ve had a billionaire coup d’etat. And the billionaires own enough Democrats that you will not see pushback on a lot of these items. You will not see pushback on carried interest because Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, is not going to hit Wall Street, which is what he represents. So I’m not sure that the Democrats, per se, are going to rise up.
That doesn’t mean that the public can’t. When the public gets angry and gets knowledgeable, we have action. There’s no question that grassroots action, like that group Indivisible — which the Democratic Party did not organize because the Democratic Party cannot organize grassroots anything — that took a bite out of Trumpcare. It’s bleeding. I don’t know if it’s dead. But the bite was taken out by grassroots activity not organized by the Democratic Party.A week of chaos and uncertainty set off by the removal of University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan ended early Tuesday when the university’s Board of Visitors appointed an interim leader after almost 12 hours of debate.
Carl P. Zeithaml, dean of the university’s top-ranked McIntire School of Commerce, will start Aug. 16.
“We just feel that he has a unique skill set, considering the challenges we face,” Vice Rector Mark Kington said before the vote. The tally was not unanimous: board member Heywood Fralin voted against the appointment, and Robert Hardie and A. Macdonald Caputo abstained. Another member, Glynn Key, was absent.
Zeithaml has a bachelor’s in economics from Notre Dame, a master’s in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and a doctorate in strategic management from the University of Maryland. He has worked at U-Va. for 15 years, with previous stints at the University of North Carolina, the University of Maryland and Texas A&M. A biographical sketch says he has led McIntire to global preeminence in business education.
The vote on the interim president came after Sullivan met with the board on Monday and delivered a sharp defense of her two-year tenure, her first significant comments since her ouster became public June 10. Sullivan was cheered and supported by more than 2,000 demonstrators who gathered on the Lawn in front of the Rotunda.
“I did not cause this reaction in the last 10 days,” Sullivan said in a statement, “but perhaps the reaction speaks to the depth of the connections I have made in the last 22 months.”
In public remarks Monday, the leader of the board, Rector Helen E. Dragas, sought a resolute but contrite tone. She expressed regret — not for removing Sullivan, but for how the transition was executed.
The board sought Sullivan’s resignation without a formal meeting or vote, through a campaign waged privately by Dragas, Vice Rector Mark Kington and a few others, according to several people in contact with the board. The episode plunged the campus into turmoil, from which it has yet to recover.
“We certainly never wished nor intended to ignite such a reaction from the community of trust and honor that we all love so dearly,” Dragas read from a prepared statement. “You — our U-Va. family — deserved better from this board, and we have heard your concerns loud and clear.”
But Dragas added: “The Board of Visitors exists to make these kinds of judgments on behalf of all the constituencies of the university.... Simply put, we have the responsibility, on behalf of the entire community, to make these important and often difficult calls.”
Protesters packed the Lawn, a mix of students, professors, toddlers and doctors in lab coats. One young man held a sign that read, “Emperor Dragas, Darth Kington don’t speak for me.”
A sharp critique came from John T. Casteen, the revered 20-year president of U-Va. Sullivan’s predecessor arrived on the Lawn to thunderous applause. Casteen had urged the board — in vain — to hold Monday’s meeting in public, saying it was what the public deserved.
“What has happened heretofore has been kept in silence,” he said. “That’s not how Virginia works.”
Behind closed doors, board members reportedly asked Sullivan no questions. One member — medical executive Heywood Fralin — was said to have thanked her for her remarks.
Then Sullivan emerged and acknowledged her supporters. As the crowd chanted “TE-RE-SA,” she said, “I appreciate this so much.”
In her statement to the board, Sullivan defended her administration and its measured pace of change, which Dragas had repeatedly criticized as too slow.
“I have been described as an incrementalist. It is true,” Sullivan said. “Sweeping action may be gratifying and may create the aura of strong leadership, but its unintended consequences may lead to costs that are too high to bear.”
Sullivan said she had worked in collaboration with vice presidents, deans and faculty leaders, building a foundation for “greater change” later. “This is the best, most constructive, most long lasting, and beneficial way to change a university. Until the last ten days, the change at U-Va. has not been disruptive change, and it has not been high-risk change. Corporate-style, top-down leadership does not work in a great university.”
Sullivan indicated that board leaders pressed her to make “deep, top-down cuts,” potentially eroding the university’s portfolio of core programs.
“A university that does not teach the full range of arts and sciences will no longer be a university,” she said. “Certainly it will no longer be respected as such by its former peers.” She underlined the word “former.’’
In a proposed settlement, Sullivan would receive her presidential compensation package, $680,000, for another year of sabbatical, research and consulting after her Aug. 15 departure, according to a person briefed on the document. She could then return to teaching sociology at a salary of $170,000, plus about $360,000 in deferred compensation.
Dragas has hired Hill+Knowlton, a public relations firm, to help the board ride out the backlash from Sullivan’s ouster, two knowledgeable university employees said. The U-Va. Foundation is picking up the tab.
Dragas met privately with U-Va. faculty leaders Monday morning at an undisclosed locale. Afterward, the Executive Council of the Faculty Senate issued a statement asking that Sullivan be reinstated and that the naming of an interim leader be delayed. The faculty leaders also asked that Dragas and Kington resign and that a faculty representative be added to the board.
Major donors to the university also continued to call for a change.
“The whole handling of this thing was outrageous,’’ said Mortimer Caplin, a lawyer and U-Va. alumnus who has donated millions of dollars to the school. He said the makeup of the board needs to change but stopped short of saying who needs to be removed.
Sullivan’s ouster has taken an incalculable toll, according to Casteen and others, in terms of potential for loss of donors, faculty defections and censure from higher education leaders. The action has spawned more than a dozen letters of protest and no-confidence votes from various campus constituencies. Sullivan herself warned that deans at competing schools “are setting aside funds now to raid the University of Virginia” of its stars.
Between Sunday night and Monday morning, a vandal spray-painted the letters “G-R-E-E-E-D” on the six columns of the historic Rotunda. Campus workers painted and repainted them until the letters were obscured.
Dragas had lined up a candidate for interim chief before Sullivan’s departure was announced, according to several officials who have knowledge of the situation but were not authorized to speak. He was Edward Miller, an ex-officio U-Va. board member and former chief executive of Johns Hopkins Medicine. But Miller has since said he does not want to serve, the sources said. Provost John Simon also was said to have taken his name out of the running.
Kumar reported from Richmond.Packers Blog The Journal Sentinel's team of Packers beat writers provide the latest news, notes and analysis SHARE
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Green Bay - In a sign that his concussion might not be bad enough to keep him out this week, RB Eddie Lacy was present at practice Wednesday morning.
He did not take part in any drills, but the fact he was there is usually a sign he has advanced at least through a stage or two of the NFL's concussion protocol. In some concussion cases, players are told to stay home and rest, but that is usually when they are still experiencing symptoms such as sensitivity to light or headaches.
Coach Mike McCarthy is expected to address Lacy's condition after practice. (See update)
Also not practicing were: TE Jermichael Finley, FB John Kuhn, CB Jarrett Bush and CB Casey Hayward.
Finley has been nursing a toe injury and might be out for that reason. Kuhn injured a hamstring against Washington and Bush is dealing with an ankle sprain he suffered last week in practice. Hayward is expected to be sidelined at least through the bye week with a hamstring pull.
S Morgan Burnett took part in a small portion of practice, mostly serving with the scout team. At this point, it appears he'll be held out this week so he can use the bye week to help recover from a hamstring pull, but it's always possible he could have a breakthrough later in the week.
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers said that Chris Banjo would be seeing more playing time this week and it looks like he has a chance to start. Banjo had a solid game against Washington and proved better in coverage than Jerron McMillian.
With Lacy and Kuhn out, the only healthy running backs were James Starks and rookie Johnathan Franklin. Practice squad back Michael Hill was also available, but he takes most of the scout team snaps.Perl’s CPAN is 20 years old
By Jon Jensen
August 17, 2015
This is just a short note to celebrate the fact that the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN) turned 20 years old yesterday!
CPAN began as a way to collect, mirror, and distribute open-source Perl packages. Over time it led to development of better packaging and module naming conventions; formed a community for feedback, testing, and contributions; and became one of the great strengths of the Perl world.
It is rare to find some needed functionality that is not available on CPAN. These days a more common problem is finding too much choice there, and needing to choose between several modules based on which are better maintained and supported on current versions of Perl, or kept current against external dependencies.
Perl does not get as much press these days as it once did, but it continues to thrive and improve. On that topic, our former co-worker Steph Skardal sent me an article called We’re still catching up to Perl by Avdi Grimm of Ruby fame. It is not an in-depth language comparison, just a brief observation to his fellow Rubyists that there is plenty to be learned from Perl. (Of course Perl has plenty to learn from Ruby and other languages too.)
perl programmingOne of the most important classes taught in culinary school is how to make the “mother sauces,” or so I hear from watching way too many cooking shows on television. The term “mother sauces” refers to each sauce being like the head of an individual family of sauces. Each of the five basic sauces is a starting point for making secondary sauces by adding herbs, spices or other ingredients. The five mother sauces – béchamel, espagnole, veloute, hollandaise and tomate – differ by their main ingredients, flavors and thickening agents. That’s all sauces really are – liquid, thickening agents and flavoring. While these classic sauces are usually made with meat, eggs and dairy, with the help of a few substitutions and some creative thinking, it’s easy to make vegan versions of all of them. Nothing turns a plate of ingredients into a composed dish like a sauce does. Knowing how to make these classic sauces is definitely something you want to have in your cooking arsenal so let’s take a look at these mother sauces and turn them into compassionate, healthier Mama Sauces.
1. Béchamel Sauce
If you have ever eaten macaroni and cheese or fettuccine Alfredo, you have eaten a béchamel sauce. Béchamel is a creamy white sauce which uses milk as its base and is thickened with a white roux. A roux is a mixture of equal parts fat (oil or butter) mixed with flour. The sauce is then flavored with salt, pepper and nutmeg (and sometimes onions and cloves) and simmered until it is thick, creamy and smooth. Béchamel sauce is the base for other common sauces including cheese sauces and cream sauces like the one that tops my Moussaka Burgers. Béchamel sauce is mostly used in lasagna, mac and cheese, gratins and casseroles.
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Here is how I make vegan béchamel sauce: Over medium-low heat, I heat 1 Tbs. olive oil or vegan butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in 1 Tbs. flour (any flour is fine) until the flour is completely incorporated into the oil or butter. Let the flour cook for at least a minute so you don’t end up with a pasty, flour taste. Slowly, whisk in room-temperature non-dairy milk. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
If you want to make a lighter béchamel, you can use a combination of non-dairy milk and vegetable broth which is what I do when I make white gravy. To make a vegan cheese sauce, turn off the heat and simply whisk in ½ cup of any vegan cheese until it is melted as I do in my Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
An alternative method for making a vegan cream sauce is to combine 1 cup of raw cashews that have been soaked for a few hours with water, salt, pepper and the zest and juice of one lemon in a food process. Mix until the cream is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. You can also add other flavors such as onions, garlic, nutritional yeast, mustard and tahini as I do in my Rotini Alfredo with Asparagus and Peas.
2. Velouté Sauce
Veloute is basically like béchamel but instead of milk, it is made with a light-colored stock. It is made by forming a roux and whisking in the stock. Then other ingredients such as mushrooms, shallots, herbs, spices, cream or white wine are added to make secondary sauces such as mushroom or white wine sauce. Veloute |
News Uniforms
The Blue Jays Revive Those Beloved White Panel Caps and Helmets
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Ever since the Blue Jays completely overhauled their uniforms in November of 2011, not much has changed. They’ve added special one-off caps and uniforms, but for the most part it’s been white home uniforms, away greys and alternate blues, all with a blue cap.
In 2015, the Blue Jays brought back a staple from their old uniforms; the white panel cap. The addition of this cap was so well-received, that the Blue Jays opted to bring them out yet again in 2016. Now it appears that white panel cap will be worn even more frequently than ever before.
The Blue Jays chose to sport those white panel caps in their Home Opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. But there was one twist; the Blue Jays have white panel helmets again!
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The Jays even have white panel helmets, too. pic.twitter.com/gag0dxz0UR — Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) April 11, 2017
It’s a subtle change, but a noticeable one; one which is welcomed with open arms. Of course, the white panel cap and helmet was a staple in the Toronto Blue Jays uniform set from 1977 to 1993.
Hat tip to Minor Leaguer for noticing the Blue Jays’ latest white panel helmets are a slight alteration on the 70’s/80’s/90’s era helmets.
New Blue Jays helmet's white panel extends from top straight down to visor, first era of white panel helmets slanted backwards. pic.twitter.com/j5WElIdb2h — Minor Leaguer (@Minor_Leaguer) April 11, 2017
The Blue Jays haven’t worn white panel helmets since the days of “Flashback Fridays” in 2009 when the Blue Jays brought back their signature powder blue uniform set.
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The trend in baseball these days is the matte helmet or even the 3D raised logo, and this is the Blue Jays’ answer to those helmet innovations. The white panel is a welcome change and hopefully the Blue Jays will wear these new helmets and caps more often than not.Australians won’t be able to get their drink on at one beach in particular for summer after visitors left the pristine shoreline covered in trash on Christmas Day. As a result, in officials declaring an immediate ban of alcohol at Coogee Beach. More than 10,000 people left the beach covered in 15 tons of trash including alcohol bottles, cans and cigarette boxes, according to reports.
Randwick’s City Council announced the ban Monday, explaining that alcohol would not be allowed at Coogee Beach or surrounding beachside parks during the summer season, which is from December through February.
Randwick’s Mayor Noel D’Souza said in a statement he was disappointed in beachgoers for not taking better care of public property.
“The poor and inappropriate behavior of a few on Christmas Day have forced Council to introduce a total alcohol ban for the area for summer.,” D’Souza said. “The public outrage to the devastation of the parks and beach itself on Christmas Day has been quite phenomenal. The clear message we’ve received is that we need to give the beach and nearby parks back to all people to enjoy peacefully and safely. It is disappointing we have to take such a strong stance, but we need to reassure the community that they can feel safe when visiting and enjoying the jewel in the crown of Randwick City, Coogee Beach.”
The ban will take effect at Coogee Beach and all nearby reserves and parks as of Thursday until the end of Australia’s summer.
The complete ban on alcohol came following alcohol restrictions at Dunningham and Goldstein Reserves issued by city council just a few weeks before Christmas. The restrictions prevented adults from having open alcohol at the beach and surrounding parks between 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related incidents at the beach.
Earlier in the year, beaches near Melbourne also issued alcohol bans. Drinking curfews were put in place at St. Kilda and Port Melbourne beaches, as well as parks around the City of Port Phillip back in January. Initially, people were able to consume alcohol at the beach until 8 p.m. However, to reduce the chances of trash being left behind and alcohol-related accidents, the city changed the curfew to start at 5 p.m. instead.
Related ArticlesThe 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada
The 1976 Olympic Games were marred by boycotts and drug allegations. Before the Olympic Games, New Zealand's rugby team toured South Africa (still mired in apartheid) and played against them. Because of this, much of the rest of Africa threatened the IOC to ban New Zealand from the Olympic Games or they would boycott the Games. Since the IOC had no control over the playing of rugby, the IOC tried to persuade the Africans not to use the Olympics as retaliation. In the end, 26 African countries boycotted the Games.
Also, Taiwan was excluded from the Games when Canada would not recognize them as the Republic of China.
The drug allegations were rampant at these Olympics. Though most of the allegations were not proven, many athletes, especially the East German women swimmers, were accused of using anabolic steroids. When Shirley Babashoff (United States) accused her rivals of using anabolic steroids because of their big muscles and deep voices, an official from the East German team responded: "They came to swim, not to sing."*
The Games were also a financial disaster for Quebec. Since Quebec built, and built, and built for the Games, they spent the enormous figure of $2 billion, placing them in debt for decades.
On a more positive note, these Olympic Games saw the rise of the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci who won three gold medals.
Approximately 6,000 athletes participated, representing 88 countries.Why would anyone vote for Barack Obama? Not why would anyone want to see Obama elected president rather than John McCain (or Hillary Clinton for that matter), but why would anyone who desired that outcome think that his or her individual vote could make the slightest difference in helping to bring it about? General elections are never decided by a single vote, so no one’s vote is ever going to be missed. If you want Obama to win, and plan to vote for him, but you forget, or find yourself otherwise detained, don’t worry – the final result will be unaffected by your failure to show up, even if you happen to live in a swing state like Ohio or Florida. If Obama is winning the state, he will do perfectly well without you; if he is losing, there is nothing you can do to help him get over the line, because the winning line will always be further away than your paltry individual vote. Either way, you are not needed, so why bother to vote at all?
This is a question that has haunted the study of politics for the past fifty years or more. Because political science has been dominated by economics, the problem is often put in terms of costs and benefits. Going to vote is not a costless exercise, since it takes time and effort that could be spent doing other things. You might not consider this much of an outlay, but if you reflect that the benefit you can expect to derive is precisely zero, since your contribution is literally worthless, then it starts to look like a serious waste of your precious resources. One possible way round this problem is to argue that although no election has ever been decided by a single vote, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. The effort of dragging yourself to the polling station is a small price to pay for insuring yourself against the monumental regret you would feel if you stayed at home the one day your vote was really needed. The prospect of waking up to find yourself the person who cost Obama the presidency is so ghastly it’s worth hedging against that possibility, however remote.
It’s a sign of the tangle that political science has got itself into over the problem of voting that this solution was ever seriously canvassed. Not only is it psychologically implausible – is this how you think, even subliminally, when you leave the house on election day? – but it also flies against the evidence of what happens when elections are really close. The assumption is that the tighter an election, the nearer one gets to the holy grail of a contest that could be decided by your personal contribution; in fact, the tighter the election, the less likely it is that any one person’s vote is going to settle it. Just think about what happens during recounts in a parliamentary constituency at a British election: the count doesn’t go on until the correct result is achieved, but until one side gives up in exhaustion or despair. The figures produced by a recount almost never tally with those given first time round, so if the margin were a single vote that would in fact be a reason to count again in order to produce a bigger margin one way or the other. The narrowest margin in modern times is two votes, achieved by Mark Oaten for the Liberal Democrats at Winchester in 1997; his Tory opponent managed to get the result declared void by the courts on the grounds that some of the ballot papers had not been properly stamped. Oaten won the rematch with a majority of more than 20,000. Or think about what happened in Florida in 2000. Does anyone know what the true count was in that election? Perhaps there really was a single vote in it. But the enduring image of squint-eyed counters peering forlornly at hanging chads is enough to confirm that if there was a single vote in it, no one was ever going to find it. When an election is as tight as the presidential contest in 2000, the individual votes that might decide it disappear in a miasma of political confrontation and confusion.
In the end the 2000 presidential election was settled by a single-vote majority, the five-four decision of the Supreme Court to confirm Bush’s victory in Florida. The votes of small bodies often do come down to the choices of individuals. But no one would mistake the Supreme Court’s judgment for a democratic decision; it was a collective judgment of a very different kind. Moreover, because the justices voted along party lines, it is hard to say which one of the five actually swung it (though any of them could have swung it by voting the other way). To know that your vote was the crucial one, what you really need to do is switch sides at the last minute. For example, the second reading of what became the 1832 Reform Act was passed in the House of Commons on 23 March 1831 by a single vote. As Boyd Hilton writes in A Mad, Bad and Dangerous People: ‘The decisive vote was that of John Calcraft, who... finding his own seat threatened with disfranchisement, spoke violently against the Reform Bill, but changed his mind at the last moment, and voted for the second reading. He killed himself six months later, correctly imagining himself to be hated by both sides equally.’ Most people, I guess, would be willing to expend considerable effort to ensure they didn’t find themselves in that position.
Perhaps the problem here is that economic political science is too used to thinking about voting in terms of what’s in it for the individual – the assumption being that people put something into the voting system in the hope of getting something out. What if we imagine voters as selfless beings who do not begrudge the time and effort of casting a ballot and simply want to do their bit for democracy? Don’t these people have a reason to participate? Unfortunately, the answer still looks like ‘no’, because the selflessness of one’s motives has no impact on the usefulness of one’s contribution to group activities on this scale. This was a point made by Mancur Olson in 1965 in The Logic of Collective Action, which is often seen as initiating the widespread acceptance of the problem of ‘free riding’ for large group activities, the free rider being the person who, seeing that his individual contribution doesn’t make any real difference to a collective endeavour, decides to withhold it and simply surf off the wave created by the other group members (the problem being that if everyone did that, there would be no group). Olson wrote that the futility of the ‘imperceptible’ contribution holds true ‘whether behaviour is selfish or unselfish’, something he illustrated as follows:
A man who tried to hold back a flood with a pail would probably be considered more of a crank than a saint, even by those he was trying to help. It is no doubt possible infinitesimally to lower the level of a river in flood with a pail... but... the effect is imperceptible, and those who sacrifice themselves in the interest of imperceptible improvements may not even receive the praise normally due selfless behaviour.
The real-world example Olson gave was farmers in the American grain market. If a selfless farmer, worried about the suffering of his colleagues because of depressed prices, decided to lower his own production levels in order to raise prices, it would be a pointless gesture, because overall price levels would be unaffected by a single decision of this kind. He would simply lose money, and look like a fool. The selfless farmer would be much better off exercising his philanthropy in a way that actually produced a perceptible effect on someone, by some direct act of charity. Olson went on to hint that in a first-past-the-post electoral system similar problems are bound to affect the motivations of individual voters, who will recognise that ‘if their party is going to win, it will as likely win without them.’ He did not push this point, and appears to have felt that voting might be a special case that needed further consideration. However, as Richard Tuck points out in his fascinating new book about the strange hold that the free rider problem has had on political science ever since Olson, such misgivings have not stopped many of his followers from treating voting as the paradigmatic case of the problem of the worthlessness of individual contributions to the actions of large groups.
But if we go back to Olson’s example of the man with the pail, it’s immediately clear that there is something different about voting. A single person trying to hold back a flood with a bucket is going to look and feel extremely odd and ultimately foolish. But if on election day you find yourself the only person at the polling station, though you might feel odd and somewhat uncomfortable, you will not conclude that what you are doing is pointless. Indeed, if you really are the only person who turns up to vote, then your vote will decide the election. Moreover, while seeing someone trying to bail out a river with a bucket gives no one else an incentive to join in, seeing one lonely voter at the polling station does give other people an incentive to take part, if only to prevent that individual from deciding for everyone else. That’s why (unless there has been a boycott) you don’t see elections at which the number of voters drops away to nothing. The closer it gets to zero, the more reason there is to vote, which means it will never get close to zero at all. But there is still a puzzle here: if it is worth voting in order to prevent the number of participants falling so low that a single vote can decide an election, then the worth of an individual vote is measured by how much it ultimately diminishes the worth of an individual vote. Your vote counts only in so far as it guarantees that your vote doesn’t count. So you might still find yourself asking, why bother?
Tuck has an answer to this question that entirely recasts the terms of the free rider problem, by treating voting as a paradigmatic instance of a collective activity in which individual contributions do count. For Tuck, what is distinctive about voting is that success is in the end defined in numerical terms: you always, and only, need to get more votes than the other side to win, so there is a cut-off point at which victory is certain. Tuck calls this a ‘threshold’, and he points out that at the threshold, one vote settles it. This is how elections worked in ancient Rome, where a roll-call of voters would be taken in sequence, until one candidate had enough votes to be guaranteed victory. In this process, the last person to vote for a candidate causes that candidate to be elected. So the crucial fact about voting is that one vote can indeed make all the difference.
But this hardly seems to resolve the problem of the worthlessness of individual contributions, since it only addresses the ultimate worth of the vote of the final person to be called. What about everyone else, both all those who voted before the lucky threshold-crosser and those who would have voted after, but ended up not being needed? What is distinctive about Tuck’s account is that he is able to extrapolate from the value of the vote that tips the balance a value for the other votes as well. It is not just the last vote that counts, because the last vote would not count without all the individual votes that preceded it. So every vote that contributes to a threshold being reached plays a full and equal part in getting a candidate elected. As Tuck says, this understanding fits with common sense and with common law. If it takes six people to lift a lifeboat and only five are on the beach, you don’t say that the sixth person to show up is responsible for lifting the boat on his own. Equally, if it takes six people to lift a boat in order to steal it, the law says that all six are fully responsible for the crime, as though each had committed it on his own. If it takes ten million people to elect a candidate, then all ten million are responsible for the election, even though it only takes one of them to tip the balance.
However, if ten million people are needed to elect a candidate, and fifteen million turn out to vote for that candidate, what about the other five million? Do their votes count for anything? One way of reading the example of Roman voting by roll-call is to imagine that the extra votes are there to guarantee victory. If you need a certain number of votes to win, it would be crazy to send exactly that number of voters to the election in case one of them has an accident along the way (or, worse still, does a Calcraft and switches sides at the last moment). But the fact that other voters are there to step into the breach in case the threshold-crosser goes missing raises a new problem because it suggests that the threshold-crosser was not needed after all – someone else would have tipped the balance instead. Is it possible to believe that you are the cause of a particular result if the same result would have occurred without you? Many philosophers are wedded to a counterfactual conception of causation, which insists that for any given cause there must be an effect that no other cause could have produced, but Tuck shows that there is no reason to think like this. Again, a legal example shows why. If two police officers have their guns trained on an armed man during a bank robbery, and one of them shoots the man dead, we do not think that this officer was not the cause of the robber’s death because if his shot had missed, the second officer would have fired and killed him. You can cause something to happen without being the only person who could bring it about. So your vote can be the cause of a candidate’s victory even if the candidate would have won without you.
Tuck’s argument does imply that once a threshold has been reached, the extra votes don’t actually count for anything. In the Roman case, there might have been some resentment among people who had waited around all day in the hot sun only to be told their contribution was now redundant. This is one obvious advantage of the modern electoral system, which counts votes anonymously and more or less simultaneously. No one can say for sure whether his or her vote was in the necessary set that crossed the threshold or in the redundant set that was simply there as insurance. Voters have an incentive to vote precisely so that they can think of their votes as having been part of the group that tipped the balance. Though Tuck does not mention it, this might explain the growing popularity of postal voting, which is normally justified in terms of convenience (something that seems odd, as so often with voting, since the margins are so small); in fact, there is an obvious attraction in voting early if you want to think of your contribution as laying the foundations for a big enough pile.
What Tuck does say is that seeing voting in these terms helps explain a phenomenon that has otherwise baffled political scientists: the ‘bandwagon effect’, where the more popular candidates pick up great chunks of extra votes as soon as they look like they are going to win. If voting was about trying to make the crucial difference with your individual vote, then the more popular candidates became, the less reason there would be to vote for them. But if voting is about trying to belong to the group that makes the overall difference, then your chances of being in that group increase as the candidate looks more and more certain to win. This fits with the empirical evidence: when a contest is no contest at all, because one side is likely to get almost all the votes, then turn-out falls, because the vast majority of voters fall into the redundant group whose votes weren’t really needed. But turn-out doesn’t necessarily rise the tighter a contest gets. A close contest increases the chances of your vote being decisive, but it also increases the chances that your candidate might lose (at which point your vote will have lost all its causal efficacy). A more one-sided contest increases the chances that your vote will be redundant, but also increases the chances that it will have played a part in actually getting someone elected. Why vote for Obama? Well, one possible answer is that there is a pretty good chance that a vote for Obama might actually cause him to be elected, and that you can wake up the next day with a warm glow. It is part of the genius (or cynicism, depending on your perspective) of Obama’s rhetoric to have tapped into this – you are the change you’ve been waiting for, and voting for me will prove it.
But why vote for Obama in a place like Utah, where you know your vote isn’t going to make any difference because the Republicans have a lock on the state? Tuck hasn’t got much to say about voting for obviously losing candidates, though he accepts that the motivations here maybe complicated. You might simply want to send a signal that nothing and no one in politics should be taken for granted – that there is at least one Communist in Kensington. But Tuck is rightly suspicious of a general trend that seeks to reduce all democratic politics to gestures of this sort, and to understand voting as an ‘expressive’ act in which what matters is not who wins but that you have had an opportunity to feel good about yourself by making your mark. If democracy is not about who wins then it’s not about anything. One reason to vote for a candidate who is going to lose is to send a practical signal that there is something to build on for the future. If you go down to the beach and find only one other person there ready to lift the lifeboat, you’ve still got a reason to stick around. When word gets out that two people showed up, it makes it more likely that others will show up next time, and one day you might get to six. One reason to vote for Obama in Utah is to make it clear that the Democrats could win the state one day if enough people did the same.
Tuck’s threshold argument is compelling but it skirts around a significant fact about real-world elections that I highlighted earlier: although in theory it only requires one vote to take someone over the top, in practice, the closer you get to that threshold the harder it is to find it, as the mist of political enmity descends. One way to address this is provided by Tuck’s account of other cases where the threshold seems to disappear the closer you get to it. This happens when the borderline between two states of affairs is unavoidably vague, even though the process of change is cumulative. Baldness is a classic example. I go bald by losing my hair one strand at a time, but the loss of no one strand is enough in itself to move me from the category of non-bald to bald. So if I consider the loss of my hair on a strand by strand basis, I can’t go bald, not even if I lose it all. The same kind of reasoning can also apply the other way, say to fatness. No single éclair is ever going to make me fat, so I might as well eat this one. But if no single éclair will ever make me fat then, having eaten one yesterday, I might as well eat another one today, and so on, until I become the thing that one éclair at a time isn’t supposed to make me: fat. These are known as ‘sorites’ paradoxes (the ‘sorites’ being a ‘heap’ of the kind that ought never to arise if you add to it one grain of wheat at a time). It is not easy to say how they should be resolved. But Tuck shows that the best way to think about these puzzles is to consider them as not that different from the problem of voting.
With voting, we know that there is a threshold which marks off the winner from the loser. In the case of baldness, we will never find that threshold, because the closer we look, the fuzzier things get; in that sense, baldness is something that can be appreciated only from a distance. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat baldness as though it were marked out by a threshold, while accepting that we can never discover it for sure. This, Tuck shows, is consistent both with the logic of the problem and with our instincts. The logic is complicated, but our instincts are pretty clear. If a ship’s captain wants to know a safe distance at which to sail past some rocks, he needs to assume that there is some point at which it becomes unsafe. He can also draw some fixed lines around what is and is not safe – two miles out is clearly safe, two yards out is not. What he cannot do is say where the cut-off point is, which means that each time he sails past the rocks he may make a slightly different judgment about how close to go (just as we can make slightly different judgments about whether or not someone is bald, depending on our mood). The captain will want to err on the safe side, but his judgment of where the safe side is will vary. The fact that he can’t pinpoint the threshold doesn’t make it rational to act as though there were no threshold – if he does that, the boat will hit the rocks. And if this is true for baldness and sailors then it is true for collective action as well. Even if you can’t find the threshold – because it’s a question of the size of the crowd, or the weight of public opinion – it still makes sense to act as though it was there somewhere. Why join the march or sign the petition? Because your contribution is crucial to making sure the threshold is passed, even if the judgment of whether it has been passed will vary from day to day.
Real-world elections are more like sailing past dangerous rocks than Tuck allows. There is a threshold there, but the judgment of whether or not it has been passed can vary from election to election, even if the actual number of votes cast is the same. It might, for example, depend on who is sitting on the Supreme Court. Tuck notes that the phrase ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ is often used as though it were an illustration of the sorites paradox, when in fact it is a clear case of a threshold event. If we had a sensitive enough weighing machine, and a docile enough camel, we could find the straw that finally tipped the balance. Likewise, if we had enough time and patience (and a relatively foolproof voting method) we could count every vote cast in an election and discover the true result. But we don’t have those things, and in any election of any significance we never will, because there is too much at stake. With the bald man, the camel and the election, we have to act as though there were a threshold even if we can never be sure exactly where it is. But the crucial point is that it makes sense to treat them all as threshold events, and therefore as events in which individual contributions really do count. Tuck thinks we can assume the rationality of collective action given the existence of thresholds, and work from there. In making this claim, he is reversing the central thrust of political science since Olson, which started from the irrationality of the man with the bucket in the flood.
The difference between these two perspectives is enormous. For Tuck, voting makes sense in terms of the contributions of individual voters, and so is something that it makes sense for individuals to do. In a way, we ought to know this already, just as we ought to know that if we eat too many éclairs we will get fat. Of course we can tell ourselves the story about no one éclair making the difference in order to give ourselves an excuse for indulgence, but it would be hard to find anyone who thinks that this sort of self-justification is rational behaviour. Something similar applies to procrastination. You can always tell yourself that it doesn’t matter if you put off a piece of work until tomorrow, but do you really think that this is a rational way to carry on, given the obvious risks, and given the crucial importance of erring on the side of caution? Yet a generation of political thinkers have committed themselves to the view that this is the rational way to think about participation in group activities, and that therefore co-operation is inherently irrational. For Tuck, the question that follows is why anyone would think like this.
In the second half of Free Riding, he provides a compelling answer by locating the free rider problem in its historical context. He shows that the assumption that it really is a problem is much more recent than we might think. Contemporary economists and political scientists often take it for granted that anyone who views human beings as essentially self-interested creatures will inevitably conclude that groups are vulnerable to the defection of individual members who see that they can free ride off the contributions of others. But Tuck shows that before the 20th century philosophers who saw human behaviour in self-interested terms did not conclude this at all. Instead, they took it for granted that individuals will have good reason to co-operate in most circumstances, because it is obvious that the benefits of the group for the individual depend on the contribution of the individual to the group. This was the view, for instance, of David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham and all the utilitarians who followed them. Of course, they did not think that the rationality of collective behaviour meant that this was the way human beings were bound to behave, because they knew that people were often deeply irrational, preferring short-term interests to long-term ones, and immediate gratifications to sensible courses of action (hence the tendency of many human beings to get fat). Equally, they did not assume that the rationality of co-operative behaviour meant that such behaviour was always a good thing for society as a whole. It very much depended on what the group was for: just because it makes sense to collaborate in an act of organised crime does not mean that the victims of the crime should welcome this. But the classical utilitarians would have thought it very odd to imagine that co-operative behaviour was irrational simply because its consequences were not always desirable, or because individuals could tell themselves self-serving stories in an attempt to talk themselves out of it. It is rational to co-operate because your individual contribution causes the benefit you hope to get from the collective endeavour. Tuck shows that you don’t need to overlay this basic truth with additional moral strictures about the need to do your duty by other people – large-scale group activity does not depend on the Kantian imperative to do as you would be done by. If it did, it would be much more precarious than it in fact is.
That co-operative activity is not especially precarious was also something that struck the late 19th and early 20th-century founders of modern economics. Alfred Marshall, Francis Edgeworth and Vilfredo Pareto all recognised that ‘combinations’ of both capitalists and workers – ranging from cartels on the one side to trade unions on the other – were the likeliest outcome of the struggle for competitive advantage. Large-scale groups could regulate the market in ways that individuals could not, which was a reason for individuals to belong to large groups. It was only from the 1930s onwards that the opposite conclusion was drawn from the same set of facts: if individual contributions were negligible in relation to large-scale collective endeavours, it made sense for individuals to free ride off the collective, since their contribution would not be missed. This became the modern doctrine of perfect competition, which states that because small-scale producers can make no impression on the market price by raising or lowering their own level of production, no ‘combination’ of such producers to fix the price will hold together in the long run. Individual producers will always be able to free ride off the group (i.e. by producing more than an agreed limit in order to maximise profits), and when enough individuals do that, the group will collapse. Other things being equal, cartels and trade unions should disintegrate under the pressure of the rational expectations of their individual members. The classic example of perfect competition was the same one that Olson had in mind: farmers in the American grain market.
Tuck draws two broad conclusions from this shift in the understanding of the logic of collective action. The first is that as the idea of free riding escaped from economics and started to colonise political science after the Second World War, it initiated a steady erosion of confidence in the efficacy of democratic participation, which is now reflected in ever declining levels of voter turn-out. This is not entirely plausible. Voter turn-out has declined most strikingly in the past couple of decades, which doesn’t really coincide with a general permeation of free rider arguments in the public consciousness (even if you believe that academic ideas take a while to filter through). It’s more likely that the decline in turn-out has coincided with an increasing scepticism on the part of the public about what their governments are for, and what they are capable of achieving, in the face of international markets. This would fit with Tuck’s overall argument: we instinctively know that our individual votes are worth something, but we are starting to have some doubts about what general elections can achieve, given the saminess of the candidates. In these circumstances, it might make sense to stay at home, notwithstanding the fact that your vote is needed. Obama v. McCain might do something to reverse this trend, but I doubt it will do much.
Tuck’s other claim is more persuasive. He argues that the move to the idea of perfect competition, and hence to the free rider problem, was a product of its time. In the 1930s global politics was dominated by defection from international agreements and general double-dealing. At the same time, Western capitalists, whose entire system was tottering, were hungry for some intellectual ballast to set against the claims of the planned socialist economies of the East.
The doctrine of perfect competition provided what looked like a good reason to think that capitalism was more flexible than its critics had claimed, and as the planned economies eventually revealed their own internal contradictions, the doctrine stuck. But this conception of perfect competition also required a certain historical forgetfulness. At the turn of the 20th century, the US government attempted to confront the monopolies and cartels that dominated American economic life. It was widely assumed that anti-trust legislation was needed precisely because without strong government action rational behaviour would inevitably tend towards large-scale attempts to fix the market. This was certainly the view of late 19th-century economists like Edgeworth, who saw, as Tuck puts it, that ‘by itself, competition would simply degenerate into a war of combinations, and political intervention of some kind would be required to secure a utilitarian outcome from market behaviour.’ But the success of trust-busting in the early 20th century made it easy to forget that lesson, and to assume that government was simply ironing out some of the irrationalities of the market and restoring it to its natural function. If it is assumed that monopolistic or oligopolistic behaviour is inherently irrational, then government intervention becomes little more than a steadying paternal hand on the shoulder. But if it is assumed that co-operative action is rational, and defection is the anomaly, then modern competitive economies will need to operate against a permanent background of threatened state intervention, through which collective actions of certain kinds will be prevented or punished. This is Tuck’s view, and he concludes that, seen in proper historical perspective, the modern idea of perfect competition is a ‘fantasy’.
Free Riding is not an easy book, and it is written in a close academic style that may put off some readers. But it is emphatically not just an academic treatment of politics. If anything, it is the reverse: a defence of politics against the prevalent academic view that reduces it to a faintly absurd, non-natural, marketised activity. Tuck’s account of politics is probably closest to that of Rousseau, who saw political life as a quintessentially collective endeavour, in which the claims of the state as a vehicle of human co-operation had to be asserted against the claims of other more partial groups, which would otherwise distort our co-operative impulses to their own ends. Rousseau would also have thought that the idea that it was possible to rely on the free riding of individuals to confront the power of corporate interests was a fantasy. There is, after all, something incoherent about a view that sees free riders as both the product of group activity and the means of taking on malign groups. If individual contributions really are negligible, then it will need more than individual contributions to bring down the monopolists: it will take the state, which will have to rely on those contributions to achieve its purposes.
Tuck doesn’t try to suggest that politics is an easy business, any more than Rousseau does. It’s a battle against the irrationality and short-termism of individuals as well as against the entrenched power of corporations. Nor does he think it is immune from free rider difficulties round the edges: the threshold argument gives people good reasons to get co-operative projects off the ground, but when they are up and running there will always be some who think the threshold is secure, and bail out. Universal compliance in the achievement of collective goods is as much a fantasy as perfect competition. Nevertheless, Tuck puts this problem where it belongs, at the fringes of political activity, and not where it has been for a generation or more, at the centre. The central questions of contemporary politics are, as they have always been, when, where and how to use the power of the state to achieve the best outcomes for the individuals who give states their power. If international markets are preventing states from achieving these outcomes, that is not a reason to give in to the market. It is a reason to find some new ways of doing politics. If you want to know why it’s worth bothering to vote, this book has an answer: it’s because your vote is what counts, and in the end politics is also what counts.Port of Oakland director placed on leave
Omar Benjamin Omar Benjamin Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Port of Oakland director placed on |
’t win the Cup, but what of the other 10 teams? Do any of them have a shot at breaking the curse once and for all?
Silver Seven investigates.
Atlanta Thrashers
Christoph Schubert #16 / Defenseman / Atlanta Thrashers Height: 6-3 Weight: 230 Born: Feb 05, 1982 Contract: Pending UFA
2009-10: F
Missed playoffs because Ilya Kovalchuk won the team goal-scoring title by 7 goals despite being traded to New Jersey in early February.
Long-term: unknown
It’s doubtful that Schubert will return after another poor season. Injuries, pathetic point production (he had more points in his rookie season), and an "I know I’m better as a forward, but don’t you dare make me play anything but defence" attitude will probably negate any incentive for the Thrashers to re-sign him. With a shot as hard as his, you would expect more than 2 goals in over 40 games. He holds the record for second-hardest shot in Ottawa Senators history, yet Atlanta didn’t see fit to put him on the power play for more more than 219 seconds all season. If by some miracle he re-signs, this becomes a D-. If he re-signs and Don Waddell is fired, this becomes a D.
Carolina Hurricanes
Tim Gleason #6 / Defenseman / Carolina Hurricanes Height: 6-0 Weight: 217 Born: Jan 29, 1983 Contract: 2 years (UFA)
2009-10: F
Missed playoffs because Cam Ward’s 2-9-3 record by November 6 was worth exactly 7 points in the standings.
Long-term: C+
The Hurricanes are traditionally a flip-flopping team, alternating between amazing seasons with deep playoff runs and awful seasons where they don’t make the playoffs at all. Gleason’s a pretty good player - heck, he was an Olympic silver medalist - and the Hurricanes are primed for another run in the 2010-2011 playoffs. Their grade is weakened by the very real chance that the Hurricanes will play the way they look on paper, which isn’t very good.
Philadelphia Flyers
Ray Emery #29 / Goalie / Philadelphia Flyers Height: 6-2 Weight: 196 Born: Sep 28, 1982 Contract: Pending UFA
2009-10: D
Does anyone really expect Brian Boucher to be "just good enough" to pull this off?
Long-term: unknown
Ray Emery is a UFA this summer, is coming off major surgery, and his career may very well be over. However, this is the Philadelphia Flyers and Ray Emery is a goalie. Expect the unexpected. If Emery is healthy and re-signs, this becomes a D+. Why so low? Because no team obeys Murphy’s Law like the Philadelphia Flyers.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Andrej Meszaros #14 / Defenseman / Tampa Bay Lightning Height: 6-2 Weight: 218 Born: Oct 13, 1985 Contract: 4 years (UFA)
Brandon Bochenski #27 / Right Wing / Tampa Bay Lightning Height: 6-1 Weight: 187 Born: Apr 04, 1982 Contract: Pending UFA
2009-10: F
Missed playoffs because Steven Stamkos only had points on 45% of the team’s goals.
Long-term: C-
New, less crazy ownership. Don’t underestimate how much a cleaning out of the old staff is going to improve this team. Unfortunately for them, they still have $4M of their cap dedicated to the talent erosion that is Andrej Meszaros. The presence of pre-season all-star Brandon Bochenski did little to bolster their offence, but he did produce the same number of points per game as Alex Tanguay. Neither will be missed. Stamkos and Hedman bump this grade up from a D+.
Washington Capitals
Brooks Laich #21 / Center / Washington Capitals Height: 6-2 Weight: 200 Born: Jun 23, 1983 Contract: 1 year (UFA)
Alexandre Giroux #33 / Center / Washington Capitals Height: 6-3 Weight: 201 Born: Jun 16, 1981 Contract: Pending UFA
2009-10: B+
I’m not going to lie, they may be cursed but they’re one scary team. You don’t average over half a goal per game more than the next best team without threatening to do some serious damage. Alexandre Giroux has spent most of the season in the minors, but he finished second in AHL scoring with 103 points, and if the Hershey Bears get knocked out (unlikely, but possible), Giroux could potentially be a nice addition to the Capitals’ taxi squad.
Long-term: A-
Laich only has one more year left, but assuming he isn’t traded he will be a part of a likely even more potent offence next season. The Capitals are the best hope for breaking the curse.
Chicago Blackhawks
Marian Hossa #81 / Right Wing / Chicago Blackhawks Height: 6-1 Weight: 210 Born: Jan 12, 1979 Contract: 11 years (UFA)
2009-10: F
Marian Hossa.
Long-term: F
See above.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Antoine Vermette #50 / Left Wing / Columbus Blue Jackets Height: 6-1 Weight: 197 Born: Jul 20, 1982 Contract: 5 years (UFA)
2009-10: F
Missed playoffs because of Steve Mason.
Long-term: B-
The Blue Jackets have a goalie who should be able to carry the team for years, unless he turns into the second coming of Andrew Raycroft. With another top five pick coming and a Nikita Filatov who really wants to play in the NHL, the Blue Jackets should be good for years to come. They also have leadership in spades. Specifically, they have six alternate captains. Also, did you know that (alternate captain) Antoine Vermette finished second in team scoring, only two points less than Rick Nash? Pretty good for a guy who was labeled "speedy with hands of stone" by Senators fans.
Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Eaves #17 / Right Wing / Detroit Red Wings Height: 6-0 Weight: 191 Born: May 01, 1984 Contract: Pending RFA
2009-10: B+
They're the Detroit Red Wings.
Long-term: unknown
If they retain Eaves, this turns into a B. If not, they no longer qualify for the curse.
Minnesota Wild
Martin Havlat #14 / Right Wing / Minnesota Wild Height: 6-2 Weight: 217 Born: Apr 19, 1981 Contract: 5 years (UFA)
Greg Zanon #6 / Defenseman / Minnesota Wild Height: 5-11 Weight: 201 Born: Jun 05, 1980 Contract: 2 years (UFA)
2009-10: F
Missed playoffs because Guillaume Latendresse was acquired at the end of November instead of October.
Long-term: D+
Despite his newfound ability to stay healthy, presumably because he now coats his body in kevlar before each game, Martin Havlat just plain isn’t worth the money and the Wild don’t scare anyone in the Western Conference. Of course, that might be because the team is nicknamed the Minnesota Mild, but regardless of that it’s still Havlat’s fault. They don’t pose a threat for the foreseeable future.
Vancouver Canucks
Sami Salo #6 / Defenseman / Vancouver Canucks Height: 6-3 Weight: 212 Born: Sep 02, 1974 Contract: 1 year (UFA)
Pavol Demitra #38 / Center / Vancouver Canucks Height: 6-0 Weight: 200 Born: Nov 29, 1974 Contract: Pending UFA
2009-10: B-
Although they have a relatively healthy Sami Salo, usually a walking china doll, the rest of the Canucks’ defence is either already decimated by injury or very fragile. Roberto Luongo is also having a rough season, which isn’t helping matters at all. Pavol Demitra has been outclassed by an Austrian kid nicknamed Grabby that many figured wouldn’t even stick around the big club. They were also picked to be the Stanley Cup champions by many pundits at the start of the season, doubly cursing them. They’re still better off than most teams on this list, but they’ve got some heavy odds against them.
Long-term: B
A healthier, possibly improved defence. Better goaltending. Some seriously good young talent at forward that should easily offset the "loss" of Demitra. Salo’s only on the books for one more year, but as long as nobody picks them to win it all, they just might pull it off.Actor tells TV interviewer Matt Lauer that people who knew his HIV-positive status had extorted money from him to keep it a secret
Charlie Sheen has disclosed that he is HIV positive, in a television interview that followed weeks of speculation about his condition.
“I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV positive and I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks, of sub-truths – very harmful … stories that are threatening the health of so many others,” the actor told NBC’s Today show on Tuesday.
He said he had learned about the diagnosis “roughly four years ago”, adding: “It’s a hard three letters to absorb.”
Charlie Sheen: HIV disclosure is latest chapter in a troubled life story Read more
Asked whether he had transmitted HIV to anyone since his diagnosis, Sheen said: “Impossible.” He also said he was “not entirely” aware of how he contracted the virus. Sheen’s doctor, Robert Huizenga, told the program the actor did not have Aids.
Sheen claimed that people who knew his HIV-positive status had extorted money from him to keep it a secret.
And the Hollywood star said he would stop paying them now that his HIV status was public, adding: “I release myself from this prison today.”
The actor said one incident of extortion took place when a prostitute took a picture of his antiretroviral medication and threatened to sell it.
Today Show host Matt Lauer asked Sheen why he continued to bring people including prostitutes to his home even though they were threatening him. Sheen said it was because he was depressed.
He said that the period in March 2011 when he appeared on television and online making absurd claims and going on long tirades was not tied to his HIV status. “I wish I could blame it on that – that was more roid rage,” he said.
Sheen said that since learning that he was HIV positive, he had told all of his sexual partners about his status. He revealed that he had had unprotected sex with two people since then and that they were both under the care of his doctor.
We can’t go back to the deadly HIV stigma of the 1980s | Owen Jones Read more
Huizenga said Sheen had an undetectable level of HIV in his blood and was “absolutely healthy”. He said that he was more concerned about Sheen’s history of substance abuse and depression and how those things could negatively affect his HIV treatment. Sheen said he was not currently using drugs but was drinking alcohol.
The actor’s health status has been an open secret in Hollywood in recent weeks, since the showbusiness website Radar Online published a report about a Hollywood “megastar” being HIV positive. The report did not name Sheen but contained enough clues to ensure he was quickly identified as the most likely subject.
The National Enquirer named Sheen on Monday and Today announced that Sheen would appear on the show to “make a revealing personal announcement”.
CBS fired Sheen from the long-running sitcom Two and a Half Men in March 2011 after the Golden Globe-winning actor had a public meltdown and criticised the show’s creator, Chuck Lorre. Filming had been disrupted in the previous year as Sheen, who was the highest-paid actor on television at the time, received treatment for drug addiction.
Charlie Sheen: the road to rehab Read more
Sheen’s film credits includes Major League, Hot Shots and Being John Malkovich. He most recently starred in the FX series Anger Management, which ran from June 2012 to December 2014.
While Sheen’s film and television career has quietened down in recent years, he has been writing messages about news and politics for his 11.5 million Twitter followers. He posted a racist message about Barack Obama in March. Sheen is the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of actor Emilio Estevez.
About 50,000 people contract HIV in the US each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 1.2 million people in the US have HIV.
Correction, 17 November 2015: A news alert sent for this story misquoted Charlie Sheen as saying his HIV diagnosis was a “harmful” three letters to absorb.PERTH GLORY women’s team opens its season with a home game at Perth Oval against Western Sydney this Sunday.
Melbourne City is considered the favourite to win the women’s league premiership this season, but Perth cannot be counted out as a serious challenger.
A bad run with injuries hampered the Glory last season, leaving them with a seventh-placed finish.
Captain Sam Kerr was sidelined for the majority of the season.
However, 2016-17 shows plenty of promise, with bright starts from US imports Vanessa DiBernardo and Nikki Stanton, along with the great displays of potential from young players Angelique Stannett and Caitlin Doeglas.
DiBernardo scored a brace on debut and went on to win Glory’s Golden Boot and Most Glorious Player despite playing just eight matches.
Head coach Bobby Despotovski will be hoping skipper Kerr’s return to fitness will see the rise of a potent attacking partnership between the Matildas star and DiBernardo.
Mexican international Arianna Romero and Missouri-born amidfielder Alyssa Mautz join the Perth side this season.It all started when several prominent military reformers met with top brass at the Pentagon to express concern about, among other things, the persistent abuse of the rights of conscience of military personnel, especially by " dominionist " evangelicals. These included Mikey Weinstein, head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and himself a USAF Academy graduate and a former counsel in the Reagan White House, and two members of the MRFF board, retired Lt Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, the former chief of staff to Colin Powell, and former U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson (who blew the whistle on the fabricated claim that Iraq obtained uranium from Niger, that was part of the justification for war).
Then Fox News falsely reported (further exaggerated and promoted by Breitbart.com) that a new Pentagon policy, under the influence of Weinstein, could lead to the court marshal of evangelicals for sharing their faith. This was quickly shown to be baloney. But The Christian Post went so far as to falsely report that the Pentagon was employing Weinstein to help make policy. It also attributed Weinstein's alleged anti-Christian views to his Judaism.
"The Pentagon has hired a Jewish activist who has been outspoken in his opposition to conservative Christianity to serve as a consultant and develop new policies on religious tolerance."
The article went on to say that Weinstein "has been named by Forward Magazine as one of the most influential Jewish people in America."
That the Christian Post was so quick to blame the entire bogus affair on a Jew was, to say the least, telling.
Simon Brown at Wall of Separation has a good run down of the bruhaha, and Warren Throckmorton has been engaging in rumor control. The Pentagon insists that it has had policies in place about these matters. Throckmorton writes, "According to a DOD spokesman, people can share their faith but cannot force their beliefs on others." The controversy has continued as Christian Right organizations, notably the Family Research Council, issue shrill, paranoid claims of persecution, while the Pentagon tries to calmly explain the policy to the press.
These policies were a long time in development and follow many years of scandal and abuse. The problem of abuse of the military for proselytization and favoritism towards evangelical and fundamentalist beliefs, particularly at the Air Force Academy was the subject of a 2005 investigation, that was widely reported, including in The New York Times. Soon after the Times article was published, a mainline Lutheran academy chaplain who blew the whistle on the tepid response of the service, was fired and unexpectedly transferred. Major newspapers called for reform. Scandals involving the excesses of far Christian Right ideology continued to infect the Academy over the years, such as the time the Academy featured a group of evangelical Christian fake ex-terrorists as experts on Muslim terrorism. While the Academy has been a focus of many controversies, the excesses of unwanted proselytization and harassment have continued across the armed services, well crafted policies not withstanding. That was part of the concern that Weinstein, Wilkerson and Wilson brought to the Pentagon. In an interview with The Washington Post's Sally Quinn, Wilkerson said that aside from proselytizing, other problems include
"sexual assault, suicides, lowering entrance standards and war weariness. They are in trouble, and the leadership is oblivious." Sexual assault and proselytizing, according to Wilkerson, "are absolutely destructive of the bonds that keep soldiers together."
Over the past few years many abuses have surfaced across all of the armed services. Here are a few examples: The dissemination of anti-Jewish comic books; the mandatory, evangelically slanted "spiritual fitness" program of the U.S. Army; the false, Christian nationalist history taught in the curricula of the Defense Department's JROTC program; an effort by Campus Crusade for Christ to turn soldiers into missionaries; the effort by the Pentagon chaplain's office to disseminate the controversial Left Behind 'convert or die' video game to troops in the field; and the appearances by active duty generals in uniform in a promotional video for the Christian Embassy, a project of Campus Crusade for Christ.
There are of course, many violations of separation of church and state involved here, but perhaps of greater concern is the spread of a coercive and divisive culture of aggressive proselytization, including compulsory attendance at military sponsored evangelical events documented by MRFF -- and not merely the soft notion of "sharing of faith."
The Christian Right has moved quickly to change the subject and shift the focus to the person of Mikey Weinstein, his colorful rhetoric, his Jewish identity, and a series of false stories about his relationship to Pentagon policies.
But it won't work.My own private... hydrogen power station?
For years, it's been called the fuel of the future. But I wasn't expecting THIS vision just yet.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology was first embraced a few years back by carmakers eager to go green. The big obstacle? Hydrogen at the pump wasn't available, and was expensive to produce.
But one inventor hope to change that.
Hubbing through Hong Kong, Taras Wankewycz showed me a table-top hydrogen power station that can extract hydrogen from water to be used in fuel cells.
The Hydrofill uses electricity from the outlet (as well as solar panels if you're particularly green), and produces hydrogen that can then be stored in refillable cartridges. The system can pump out 2.5 watts of power.
(And brushing Hindenburg nightmares aside, the company insists the technology is safe.)
No word yet on the cost. Online chatter puts it at about $200 for the whole kit, but Taras himself is mum on giving an exact number because he's still in talks with retailers. He expects to have it on shelves at the end of the year.
Taras' company, Singapore-based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, is also pushing out a range of products which can use the cartridges to power up smartphones, lights and other devices including a zippy RC hydrogen fuel cell car.
Taras is confident his invention is the very first step to a so-called hydrogen economy where hydrogen displaces oil as our chief source of energy.
One interesting upside -- hydrogen is a compact and relatively light source of power... which is why the US military has been developing hydrogen-powered drones.
Of course, the obvious big upside of hydrogen is that it's clean. Hydrogen fuel cells produce only water vapor as a by-product. But power is still needed to produce the stuff.
My own private... wind turbine? (Hat tip to Constance Cheng, my Eco Solutions producer.)Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle have been urged to go out with a bang in Israel.
The Republic of Ireland recruits face into their final game for Dundalk in tonight’s Europa League decider against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Centre-back Boyle has agreed to join Championship side Preston and wing wizard Horgan is close to joining him at Deepdale.
Securing a ticket to the Last 32 will be bittersweet for Lilywhites boss Stephen Kenny who is about to pay the price of success.
But in Netanya last night, he called on the pair to stand and deliver one last time and propel Dundalk to even greater heights.
If AZ Alkmaar fail to beat Zenit St Petersburg in Holland, the Irish champions will qualify for the knockout rounds if they get a score draw or better in Netanya.
(Image: Inpho)
Kenny said: “I won’t use the word sadness because that’s not the right word. It’s a little bit frustrating but that’s the way it is.
“‘I’ve huge respect for all the players and this is a great time in their lives, coming here and playing these matches.
“I’m not going to say carpe diem but they have to just f*****g grab the opportunity. It’s a great night of football and a real epic ending to try and qualify.
“If we got through it it would be special.”
And Kenny would love Horgan to cast another of his magic spells in Europe by signing off with a goal.
He said: “We saw it in St Petersburg when he was able to pull off that bit of brilliance and hopefully he can do it again.”
But while frustrated to lose two of his star players, Kenny admits he could not stand in Horgan or Boyle’s way.
“You don't like to lose them,” he said, getting slightly emotional. “Andy Boyle is a funny one. He's 25 now. He was our greatest hidden secret for the last four years.
“Then he gets into the international squad and it's like the emperor’s new clothes, everyone looks at him closely and say 'Jesus, he really is good'.
“But I wouldn't have been thinking that I don't want him in the squad in case he gets a move.
“You have to be true to the player and you have to be true to their potential. He's been outstanding and probably good enough to get into the international squad two years ago.”
A frustration for Dundalk is that both players will leave on free transfers as they are out of contract.
But it’s Catch 22 because players on the radar of English clubs are loathe to sign lengthier deals in Ireland as they know UK clubs are reluctant to pay a fee.
Kenny said: “You can't be critical, it's just the way it is. We might get into a position where we start thinking long-term.
“But if we made Daryl any sort of offer a year ago he wouldn't have signed it, and certainly with Richie Towell before that.”The rules around using public money to fund students' overseas travel need to be clarified, says the principal of the Rotorua school that went on a $700,000 trip to Hawaii.
Photo: AFP
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ruamata took all its 139 students, 21 teachers and 73 caregivers on the trip last year.
In an audit report, the Office of the Auditor-General said it was unusual for a school to spend so much on a trip like that.
The report was one of almost 2500 routine audits of schools just released.
It said that those who went to Hawaii contributed just $37,000 to the cost.
The Office said it had recommended to the Ministry of Education that it make it clear if public money should be used to fund overseas trips.
In 2009 the ministry circulated guidance against using funds that way, but that had since been withdrawn.
"Although not common practice across most schools, our auditors continue to identify schools that are using Crown funding to pay to send students overseas," the school audit report said.
"It is difficult for us as auditors to judge whether the outcomes are educational."
School principal Cathy Dewes said she was unsure how it showed up in the books, but people's contributions were major.
"That $40,000 figure quoted as whānau contributions is somewhat misleading. There have been considerable accumulation of funds over several years, a significant amount, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Dr Dewes said people contributed by, for instance, volunteering their services so that the fee they would have been paid went towards the trip, but might show up as if it came from Crown funds.
She called for clarification over the rules, and said it was confusing the trip has been flagged by the audit when it had been approved by the Education Minister's office.
"There does need to be clarity, because we had informed the minister that we were going and we thought that was the protocol as required," she said.
They had done such trips before and would do them again, she said.
"We've retraced the footsteps of our ancestors.
"We've been to Rarotonga, we've been to Tahiti, we've been to Rangiātea. Now we can tick off Hawaii and I'm not quite sure where we'll go next."
RNZ News' call was the first she knew of the audit report.
"Obviously we do need clarity because we thought we were all fine... I'm surprised we have been reported."
All the previous trips entailed years' worth of input, and none were questioned in audits, she said.
In the case of Hawaii, she had told the Education Minister's office about it, as she thought that was the protocol, and shown the Ministry of Education the fundraising records.
"I can't remember exactly what they said, but everybody seemed happy with the evidence we were able to provide."
Dr Dewes, who set up the kura 28 years ago, said the Hawaii trip would provide at least two years' worth of learning.
"We went back to the place that our canoe left from and came to Aotearoa from. We took caregivers with us because our approach to education is that the whole whānau is involved... This is one year on, and we're still [studying] the topics."
A spokesperson from Education Minister Hekia Parata's office said a letter was received from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Ruamata and the matter was referred to the Ministry of Education as it was an operational matter.
The spokesperson said the minister had no role in approving such expenditure.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary Katrina Casey said school boards of trustees were "responsible for financial management of their school and appropriate financial decision-making".The Angelbeat® Experience
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• Webinar creation, promotion and management, marketed to Angelbeat’s 400K proprietary, end user databaseAfter advancements in technology brought on the quartz watch and nearly wiped out mechanicals, modern technology has ironically brought watch collecting back to the masses. Through internet forums such as TimeZone and Watchuseek, collectors have organized get-togethers or “GTG’s” as a way to bring like-minded people together, and form friendships. Today in New York City, the now Instagram famed “Red Bar Crew”, convene weekly for a night of drinks, friends, and most of all, great watches. This is yet another example of how horology goes far beyond the timepieces and the often overlooked side of the hobby, the great people that keep this obsession going strong.
Red Bar started out as a monthly meet-up between two New Yorkers, Dr. Jeffrey Jacques and Adam Craniotes. What began as casual drinks and watch talk quickly evolved into quite the happening weekly gathering, due to Adam and Jeff’s common goal of sharing their passion with other watch enthusiasts in a fun and approachable manner. Social media and online forums have played a large part in the development of Red Bar, as new members are always attending as a result of the crew’s drool-worthy, watch-covered table shots as seen on Instagram.
While watch collecting can often viewed by outsiders as materialistic and intimidating, Red Bar shows this is by no means the case. Regular members may have begun to attend for its member’s incredible vintage and modern watches, but what keeps them coming back each and every week are the people. Red Bar, according to Adam Craniotes, is “the human manifestation of my love of horology”. The weekly gathering has helped build new friendships, which Jeffrey Jacques says can be difficult to create for adults, but he adds, “the spirit of sharing and the love of fine mechanical timepieces creates a great environment for relationships to flourish”.
Today, Red Bar has reached a level of popularity that both Adam and Jeff say they never saw coming. On average, over thirty people attend each week, and the list of members has over a hundred names. In addition to the member list’s increase in size, watch brands such as IWC and Bell & Ross have also started to take notice, and have hosted and sponsored events for the crew. This is just another indication of just how powerful social media can be as a marketing tool, and the brands know it.
Red Bar has certainly made an impact through social media, as its now stretched past New York. The concept of the weekly get-together is now seen through Chicago’s “Commonwealth Crew”, Los Angeles’ “LA Watch Gang”, and even internationally with Toronto’s own “Red Bar”. This goes along with Adam Craniotes’ humorous vision of the Red Bar eventually becoming “Fight Club for watches”, with chapters in several cities. It’s great to see how watch collecting is becoming more mainstream through social media, and the Red Bar crew has certainly made a mark. Not only do these get-togethers provide an opportunity to see great watches, but also unite people who would’ve previously never met. Adam sums it perfectly by describing Red Bar as, “horology with a heartbeat”.
byHigh-energy particles from outer space have helped uncover an enigmatic void deep inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Using high-tech devices typically reserved for particle physics experiments, researchers peered through the thick stone of the largest pyramid in Egypt for traces of cosmic rays and spotted a previously unknown empty space. The mysterious cavity is the first major structure discovered inside the roughly 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid since the 19th century, researchers report online November 2 in Nature.
“It’s a significant discovery,” says Peter Der Manuelian, an Egyptologist at Harvard University not involved in the work, “although precisely what it means is unclear.”
The open space may comprise one or more rooms or corridors, but the particle-detector images reveal only the rough size of the void, not the details of its design. Eventually, though,Last year, the Portland Trail Blazers cemented their identity. The offense had a second consecutive year of power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the post, point guard Damian Lillard in the high pick-and-roll, and lots and lots of movement. The defense shifted, keeping their big men closer to the hoop against pick-and-rolls.
This year, the Blazers' plan to keep those core principles with a few tweaks coach Terry Stotts has discussed after nearly every practice: more aggressive weakside defense and fewer transition buckets. I covered these changes in depth (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) but what other on-court adjustments should the Blazers be considering?
Here are three on-court tendencies the Blazers should keep and three they should change:
On-Court Tendencies to Keep
Using Wesley Matthews in the post
Last year was the first time we saw shooting guard Wesley Matthews consistently get touches in the post. This ability was a big reason why he was able to make life tough on James Harden during the playoffs and expect him to be even more effective during the upcoming season.
Continue taking more shots than the opponent
A big part of the Blazers' success last year was their ability to get second-chance points and take care of the ball on offense. This often allowed them to take more shots than their opponent. As the Blazers emphasize getting back on defense, offensive rebounds may be harder to come by. If that's true, the Blazers will need to force more turnovers in order to maintain this advantage.
Keep drawing up brilliant ATOs
"ATO" stands for after time out play and they typically take place in special situations near the end of quarters or games. Stotts has long been a master at drawing up the perfect play to fit the situation and his continued excellence will help the Blazers succeed in close games. He even won the title of "ATO All-Star" from Doug Eberhardt, a former coach and current writer for SB Nation.
On-Court Tendencies to Change
Fewer long twos early in the shot clock
As Evans Clinchy pointed out, the Blazers have proven mid-range jumpers can be a key part of an elite offense. However, the Blazers, and Aldridge in particular, were often too willing to take a long jumper early in the shot clock. This lets the defense off the hook by taking a good shot instead of working to create a great one. The mid-range will always be their bread and butter, but they should test the defense and see if they can create a more efficient look first.
Less Dorell Wright at small forward
On the Golden State Warriors, Dorell Wright was asked to stand around the 3-point line and space the floor. He thrived in this role, making the most 3-pointers in the league and playing solid defense. The Blazers' offense constantly puts wing players in pick-and-rolls and down screens. Wright hasn't shown the ability to read these plays consistently and it's the main reason why he's struggled with the Blazers. With guard CJ McCollum ready for a larger role, it's probably best to give the majority of back up small forward minutes to Matthews instead of hoping Wright turns into something he's not.
More Situational Lineups
Last year, the Blazers' rotation was incredibly consistent and you pretty much knew when each player would come in and out of the game. This year, Stotts has a few more options. Look for him to mix in two-point guard lineups, two-center lineups, small ball lineups, and situational uses of particular bench players. If done well, this could help the Blazers succeed against troublesome matchups during the season and make them more versatile in the playoffs.
-- Willy RaedyRace baiting, most popularly manifested by Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, usually refers to groundless accusations of racism.
Merriam-Webster defines race baiting as “the unfair use of statements about race to try to influence the actions or attitudes of a particular group of people.”
As race baiting is still a prominent part of American media, here are some of the most prominent race-baiters today:
1.) Marc Lamont Hill – political commentator for CNN
Lamont Hill claimed in 2015 that Easter allowed the black community to fight against white supremacy.
“Men and boys rocking pastel colored suits, little girls wearing shiny shoes and white gloves and church mothers with huge, ornate hats proved that White supremacy had not stolen our joy or stripped our style. Easter Sunday was a sartorial testimony to the beauty and power of Black culture,” Lamont wrote.
During a CNN segment discussing former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s July comment that the Black Lives Matter movement was “anti-American,” Lamont argued that people only call things “un-American” when black people express dissent. But when conservatives in the 1980s and ’90s lamented over issues in America, Lamont Hill went on, people joined their cause.
2.) Charles M. Blow – New York Times op-ed columnist
Blow wrote in a September piece on Republican nominee Donald Trump’s black outreach that his speech and efforts were just “repackaged Republican claptrap that reinforced negative perceptions about liberalism and blackness.”
According to Blow, when Trump says that he wants higher paying jobs, good education and safety for blacks, what he really means is “I want to flood your neighborhoods with more police because you can’t control yourselves. I want you to stop freeloading, get off welfare, and get a job.”
3.) Shaun King – New York Daily News writer
King alleged Thursday that when black people become frustrated with America, they suffer “serious wrath” from the rest of the country. Meanwhile, when a white person gets upset with the current status in America, like Trump, they are rewarded and praised for it.
“It’s evidence of how this nation is devolving into a black hole of bigotry, racism and white supremacy. It’s evidence that to be black and in pain is, in and of itself, politically incorrect,” King wrote.
After the police shooting of Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, King wrote that “it appears that the United States seems fully intent on pushing black people far past our breaking point. Not only that, but they want us to suffer grave injustice |
they woke up in Milne Inlet, an offshoot just south of the main Passage route. They quickly bundled up in warm layers and headed out onto the Ioffe’s decks for what a One Ocean staff member dubbed “Mission Narwhal.”
The notoriously shy, elusive, unicorn-horned whales migrate through Lancaster Sound each year by the thousands. Milne Inlet, branching south off Eclipse Sound just west of Pond Inlet, is among their most popular summering grounds. The plan was for the Ioffe to cruise the inlet as stealthily as possible in hopes of spotting the whales without scaring them off. If a group was spotted, the passengers would be deposited on shore and all engines would be silenced, to give everyone the best possible odds of an extended viewing.
A pick-up truck was parked in front. Men came and went, unloading plastic bags laden with fresh-caught, butchered narwhal that would be distributed to the community.
Today, however, the narwhal were not cooperating. That’s not unusual: They’re a rare sight under the best circumstances. But back in Pond Inlet, people had noticed that the narwhal were scarcer than normal this year.
“People are complaining that there are no whales coming through because of the ships,” Nutarak says. She’s not referring only to the cruise ships.
In August 2015, just a few days before the Ioffe’s arrival, the newly opened Baffinland iron mine sent its first shipload of ore out into the world through Milne Inlet and Eclipse Sound. (The mine aims to produce up to 150 such shipments each year.) An initial environmental plan had called for shipping through a less sensitive area, but falling commodity prices meant a change of itinerary. After the change was made official, Oceans North Canada, a marine conservation-focused branch of the Pew Charitable Trusts, scrambled to gather some baseline data from the new route. Three years ago, the organization partnered with local hunters to install seasonal acoustic monitoring stations in Milne, dropping them through gaps in the pack ice just before spring and then retrieving them in the fall before the waters iced over again. “It’s not much of a baseline, but we worked really hard to get them in before this intensive shipping started,” says Christopher Debicki, the projects director at Oceans North Canada.
The results so far? “We know that in the presence of shipping, we hear a lot fewer narwhal,” Debicki says, cautioning that the work so far is “preliminary presence-absence studies.” But, he emphasizes, “We certainly know that, in the presence of loud anthropogenic noise, those stations are capturing a lot less narwhal sound. Which seems to suggest that they may be at least temporarily displaced by shipping.” (The impact of whale-watching cruises has been studied more thoroughly on North America’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, where evidence suggests that whale behaviors are altered by the presence of visitors; on the northern coast, very little research has yet been done.)
If the Ioffe’s passengers were disappointed to miss out on a narwhal sighting, the animal’s absence means much more to the people in Pond Inlet, where whales and seals are a critical source of protein. (“If I don’t have seal meat for a while, I feel sick,” Nutarak says. “My daughters, if they keep eating store-bought, they have trouble eating.”) The hunting angers many outsiders, and, as a result, relations between some big-name conservation groups — Greenpeace, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Sea Shepherd — and the Inuit have long been fraught. That leads to a less-tangible concern about the presence of the cruise ships in Nunavut: There’s a sense of exposure, a fear that visitors documenting their way of life — taking photographs of bloodied seals or whale carcasses being brought into the Hunters & Trappers Organization, for instance — could cause more celebrity condemnations (stars as varied as Brigitte Bardot, Paul McCartney, and Pamela Anderson have taken up the anti-sealing cause); more activism from the likes of Greenpeace; and more economic sanctions, like the import ban on all seal products in Europe and the United States, from the outside world.
A polar bear guards its latest meal — a freshly killed seal — atop a slab of sea ice in the Franklin Strait, an Arctic waterway named for the British explorer who died in these waters. (Photo: Eva Holland)
But the cruise ships also represent the possibility of dialogue, of explaining Inuit ways to outsiders and hoping that they sail away as allies rather than enemies. Madeleine Redfern is optimistic on that front. Visitors, she says, can become ambassadors for the Inuit once they leave. While they might be shocked or angry, initially, at the idea of hunting and eating seals and other marine mammals, “Once they understand the context and the culture, [they] are prepared to go, ‘Well, it’s not for me, but I now understand and respect that this is part of your hundred-mile diet. That you hunt out of respect, that you feed your family, that this is an important source of nutrition. That you can’t have farms in the Arctic in any sort of cost-effective, realistic, pragmatic way.’ And so there’s a huge opportunity to bring about a better understanding and to have these tourists go away and actually correct their family and friends and others about the stereotypical misinformation that they came up with.”
Boris Wise, the expedition leader, agrees that tourism can be a sustainable economic driver in the region, but he also believes that the visitors and staff bring home less-tangible gifts, in return, from their exposure to the Arctic way of life.
“I’ve worked long enough in the North,” Wise says, “to know that everything kind of speaks for itself once you come and visit.”
One afternoon, three days after they left Milne Inlet, the 102 visitors on board the Ioffe stood frozen on deck, watching as a large male polar bear hunkered down over the corpse of a ringed seal on an ice floe just a few dozen yards away, tearing at the seal’s guts with his curved, yellowing teeth. They heard the dull scrape of the bear’s claws against the ice as he cleaned away his prey’s blood and gore. Two nights earlier, they’d watched a glacier calve into the ocean, their cheers mingling with the low roar as hundreds of tons of ice hit the water and disintegrated into newborn icebergs. They had hiked across gravel moonscapes where the only life was the thin, clinging lichen that coated the rocks below their feet. They’d sweated in the Pond Inlet community hall while the haunting grunts and gasps of traditional Inuit throat singing vibrated in their chests, and they’d watched a drum-dancer hop sideways, raven-like, matching the movements of the large black birds they’d seen outside. They’d watched the Arctic sun set on the Northwest Passage, lighting up the dark water with its fire, and then rise again within minutes.
They left the Ioffe behind in Cambridge Bay, another hamlet on Nunavut’s western limits, in the central Arctic. At around 1,600 people, Cambridge Bay is just a nudge larger than Pond Inlet, but it feels somehow bigger, busier. It’s home to a still-under-construction Canadian government Arctic research station, and it’s also the nearest town to the Hope Bay Project, a new fly-in gold mine in the making.
The passengers splashed out of the Zodiacs and onto the rocky Arctic beach one last time, where they were met by a local entrepreneur who handed out maps of the small town and reminded them when the last shuttle bus to the airport was leaving the modest visitors’ center. The tourists took one last stroll, this time without any need for armed guards on polar bear patrol: down the dusty dirt-and-gravel streets, between the small, colorful houses, looking out at the dark, cold, ice-free waters of the Northwest Passage on one side, and the endless, low, bare tundra that surrounds Cambridge Bay on the other. Just offshore, the Ioffe sat at anchor, its clean narrow lines lit up by the Arctic summer sun, waiting for the next group of passengers to come on board.Forester found a treasure of over 6 thousand silver coins
Two clay pots filled with more than 6 thousand silver coins, preliminarily dated to the sixteenth and seventeenth century, were discovered by a forester from Forestry Krzystkowice in the forest near the village of Guzów - told PAP the Provincial Conservator Barbara Bielinis-Kopeć.
The find was transferred to the Archaeological Museum of the Middle Odra in Świdnica (Lubuskie).
"This is the greatest discovery of this kind made in today’s province Lubuskie. After counting, it turned out that the pots contained 6 159 coins, including 5 370 smaller denarii and 787 larger Prague groschen" - told PAP Bielinis-Kopeć.
She added that not all coins were cleaned, so dating could change. For now, it was found that the oldest had been minted in 1516, and the newest - in 1612.
According to specialists, the coins are in relatively good condition, some only have traces of tarnish, others are stuck together in larger lumps of a few to dozen pieces.
"For now, they are easily separated, but only at the end of the conservation work we will see if we can separate all of them without damage" - said conservator.
Place of discovery of the coins has been thoroughly studied and the Archaeological Image of Poland card has been prepared - a documentation card of archaeological sites. It has been specified that the treasure was hidden by the old road connecting two small towns.
Director of the Archaeological Museum in Świdnica Włodzimierz Rebelski will apply to the provincial conservator to transfer the collection as a deposit to the museum in Świdnica.
"This will also be my decision. The museum in Świdnica is in fact a specialized institution in our area, which will deal with cataloguing the treasure" - Bielinis-Kopeć told PAP.
The largest find of this type in Western Poland is the famous treasure of Głogów, discovered accidentally on October 23, 1987. On that day, two residents of Głogów working in allotments on the outskirts of the Silesian Piast estate came discovered dozens of old coins.
On site of the discovery, archaeologists discovered a huge number of coins in the ground. After counting, it turned out that treasure counted a total of 20 638 silver coins, several thousand coin fragments, seven bars and a lump of silver. Archaeologists also managed to secure several wooden staves from the vessel in which the treasure had been hidden.
In terms of the number of coins, the Głogów treasure is one of the largest in Poland and Europe. Experts determined that the coins date back to the twelfth and the beginning of the thirteenth century. At that time, Głogów was an important centre for the state and the church. The owner of the treasure could be a wealthy knight or cleric.
The "Treasure of Głogów" is in the collection of the Museum of Archaeology and History in Głogów, Lower Silesia.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
mmd/ mhr/ mrt/
tr. RLOne of the centerpieces of Assassin's Creed Syndicate is Jacob Frye's wrist-mounted rope launcher -- he can scale buildings like a Victorian-era Batman. But would such a thing be possible in real life? If you ask Colin Furze, the answer is yes... sort of. As part of a promo for Ubisoft, the inventor built a real rope launcher gauntlet that uses a carbon dioxide canister to propel the line, and a motorized winch to hoist you up. You wouldn't want to use it for any daring escapes: it's bulky, slow, and needs a harness to support your weight. However, the very fact that it works at all is impressive. If you ever need to fight Templars (or just want to climb walls with ease), you'll want to ask Furze for some pointers."Oh damn it," Blake groaned, flopping onto her bed. "I'm here for not even an hour and someone already recognises me."
"Oh my God!" Yang squealed. Ruby looked at her, slightly worried. She'd never seen Yang this excited before.
"Please," Blake hissed as she rolled off her bed. "Be quiet!" She stood in front of Yang, trying to calm her down.
"You are, aren't you?" Yang whispered, barely containing herself. "You're Blake Belladonna!"
"Yes, yes, I am. Now can you please be quiet?"
Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
"But, what are you doing here?" she asked. Her voice was noticeably calmer. Not completely calm, but better.
"I told you," Blake said. "I left White Fang." Yang gaped at her, horrified.
"Why?" she cried, falling to her knees.
"Get up," Blake said, tugging on Yang's arms. "I told you, I didn't like the direction the band was going in. They were too hungry for glory, and they always just pushed me to the back. I was never important. They've probably already replaced me. I never really felt like a member of the band, I just played the bass for them."
"But…" Yang whispered. She sounded heart broken. "Why are you here?"
"At Beacon?" she asked. Yang nodded. "I'm here because White Fang is signed to Grimm Studios." Blake answered with a grin. "Everyone knows that Beacon and Grimm are competitors, and basically arch rivals. Beacon is determined to keep music genuine, to keep artists musically talented. Grimm takes whoever sounds good and happens to be popular off the street and gives them money until the listeners get sick of them." This was common knowledge to most people who wanted to be a musician. Grimm Studios were the people that were filling the music business with nonsense, music that all sounded the same and could barely be classed as music. But because they managed to market it well, it became popular and Grimm made a mint. White Fang was an exception to that rule: they had seemed like a genuine band. That was something that hadn't come from Grimm in a long time, which many people thought contributed to their success.
"I left them because I realised that Grimm wasn't doing anything for us as musicians, they just wanted to make money. The rest of the band was okay with that as long as they got a cut, but I wanted to improve. I know that White Fang really isn't the most technically talented band out there, none of the bands Grimm signs are. But they didn't care enough about the music to improve, so I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their quest for profit, and decided to dedicate my life to performing for Beacon."
"But," Yang said. "White Fang is an all Faunus band…" Blake rolled her eyes, reached up to the bow in her hair and yanked it out. Beneath it were two small, adorable cat ears.
"Oh my God that's so cute!" Ruby squealed, earning a bland look from Blake. She shut her mouth with a disappointed snap as her teeth clapped together.
"Look, I know we just met and all. And yes Yang, I know that you're excited. But can we just keep this between us? I don't really want people to know I'm connected to White Fang."
"Why?" Yang asked. "I'm sure you'd be popular."
"Firstly, I don't know if I would be. I was signed to Beacon's competitor, remember? And secondly, I want a fresh start. I don't want to be known as White Fang's bassist anymore. I want to be my own musician, in a band where I'm seen as an equal."
"Well I think bass players are awesome!" Ruby said with a wide grin. "I've tried my hand at the bass before, and it seemed a lot harder than guitar."
"So you've said." Blake said with a small smile.
They all turned to the door as music drifted down the hall. Blake walked over to a button near the door and pressed it. The gap between the door and the doorframe sealed off and the sound from outside was cut off.
"All the rooms can be soundproofed." Blake said to Ruby's confused look. "Didn't they tell you that in orientation?"
"Oh, that's awesome!" Ruby yelled.
"So," Blake said. "What are you guys like? Let's hear you play."
"What?" Yang said, sounding scared. "I couldn't do that."
"Why not?"
"You're the bassist fo–"
"No I'm not. I'm Blake, remember?"
"But…"
"Just play." Blake said, rolling her eyes. "We're roommates, so I'm going to hear you play eventually. We might as well do it now."
Ruby and Yang rushed to their instruments at the same time. Yang sat down at her drum kit, hitting the kick drum a couple of times. Ruby unpacked Crescent Rose and plugged it into the amp that she set on the floor. From her bag she pulled out a microphone stand and the microphone, plugging it into a speaker. Blake rolled her eyes.
"Guitar and a singer?" she asked w. "You really do go for glory, don't you?" Ruby and Yang ignored her, making sure they were set up properly.
"So," Yang said, twirling her drumsticks around. "What song?" Ruby pondered for a few seconds.
"This Will Be the Day?"
"Let's do it."
Ruby slung Crescent Rose's strap over her shoulder, rolled her shoulders and swung her head around, loosening her neck. Her amp let out the high-pitched screech of her fingers sliding on the strings. She looked at Yang, nodding. Ruby was in her zone now; this is where she felt comfortable. Any nervousness at playing for the bassist of White Fang was gone. Closing her eyes, Ruby took a deep breath and began to play.
The fingers of her right hand danced on the neck of the guitar, pressing down the strings while her left hand strummed the chords. Yang joined in, adding her slow drum beat to the mix. Opening her eyes, Ruby stepped up to the microphone. She looked at Blake and Weiss, who were both watching with interest.
"They see you as small and helpless." Blake and Weiss both perked up, looking surprised at Ruby's voice. Ruby couldn't help but grin. "They see you as just a child."
"Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild." Yang slammed down on her cymbal, bashing at it in time as the drums got heavier. Ruby grinned even wider, this was what she and Yang lived for. She lost herself in the music as it flooded the room, lifting her away.
"In time your heart will open minds! A story will be told and victory is in a simple soul!" Ruby ended the song as she always did, sliding up the neck of the guitar. She looked up at Blake and Weiss, who were both staring at Ruby and Yang, gaping.
"Holy crap…" Blake muttered. "That was awesome!" Ruby blushed, Yang beamed. "Did you guys write that?"
"Uh, yeah…" Ruby answered shyly.
"Oh my God, that's insane." Blake said.
"You really liked it?" Yang asked as she stood up.
"Yeah, that kicked ass!"
"Well…" Yang said thoughtfully. "Ruby and I are looking for band members, and we need a bassist…"
"Is that right?" Blake asked as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I wish you both the best of luck. I hope you find a good one."
Yang hung her head, disappointed. Ruby couldn't help but giggle at the look on her sister's face. She just looked so dejected, like a child in a candy store who was told they couldn't have any.
"Oh come on," Blake said as she rolled her eyes. "I only just met you guys. I don't know how we'd mesh. I just left a band that I had a terrible time fitting in with and I don't want to dive straight into another one." Yang looked up thoughtfully, nodding at Blake.
"I guess that makes sense. So we just hang out until you feel like we'd work out?" she asked, hope rising in her voice.
"Well you two are certainly good enough, just give it some time. Then we'll see."
Ruby found herself looking over at Weiss, who was sitting quietly on her bed watching the exchange between Yang and Blake. She had a small smile on her face and was watching them with interesting. Ruby could see her idly pressing the key on her keyboard, though it was switched off. It looked like she didn't even know she was doing it.
"Hey Weiss," Ruby said as she walked over to her. "You okay?"
"Of course," she said, looking up at Ruby. "I'm fine."
"You just seem really quiet, that's all."
"They seemed to be getting on just fine without me so I thought I'd just sit here."
"Come on Weiss, you're our roommate too. Come and join in!"
"No, no. I'm fine here."
"Weiss, we're going to be living together for the next year, at least. You're going to have to talk to us eventually."
"Yeah Weiss," Yang chimed in. "Let us hear you play something. We want a keyboard player too."
Weiss blushed slightly as she stood up.
"I really don't think I'm good enough to play with you guys." She said. Yang threw an arm over Weiss' shoulders.
"Don't be silly, just play something for us."
"O-o-okay," she stuttered. She looked down embarrassedly as she walked back over to keyboard. She switched it on and opened up her laptop.
"Are you sure you want me to play?" she asked, a pleading expression on her face.
"Yes!" they all shouted in unison. Weiss turned to her keyboard, running her fingers over the keys. Ruby watched as Weiss took a deep breath and rested her fingers on the keys. She visibly relaxed as she lightly touched the keyboard, centering herself.
Soft, gentle, yet sad notes filled the room as Weiss played. It was slow and drifted from one note to the next.
"Mirror, tell me something." Weiss' voice joined the piano, quiet and shy. "Tell me who's the loneliest of all." Ruby closed her eyes, letting the melancholy wash over her like a rolling tide. She heard the clacking of a keyboard and realised Weiss was adding other tracks. The music died for a few seconds before a rapidly rising cello burst through the silence, washing over Ruby once more.
"Mirror, tell me something." Weiss sang. "Tell me who's the loneliest of all." Ruby adored the song and she could almost lose herself in it. But Weiss had been right. Her voice didn't quite match the orchestra that backed her vocals. Ruby could tell, just by listening, that it did need to be higher. Weiss had a nice voice—it was lovely—but she just didn't have the range to match the composition.
Ruby listened, paying extra attention to the vocals. She ran the song through in her head, mentally singing it. Weiss' voice couldn't get quite as high as it needed to be but Ruby could hear the song as it should be sung. It was beautiful: uplifting and melancholy at the same time.
Eventually, it came to an end. Weiss looked up as the last notes died with a shy smile on her face.
"So," she said. "What do you think?"
"Wow Weiss," Ruby said with a smile. "That was really, really good."
"You think so?" Weiss' face lit up with joy.
"Of course," Ruby replied. "I loved it."
"Th-thanks," Weiss said as her cheeks turned pink.
"So," Yang said. "What do you think Weiss?"
"What?"
"Do you want to join our band? We need a keyboard player, and you're awesome!"
"No, no." Weiss said with a frown. "I'm nowhere near good enough to join up with you two."
"Of course you are!" Ruby cried, jumping on the spot. "Come on Weiss, join us. Join us, join us, join us, join us, join us! Please?" Weiss looked at Ruby with a frown. She paused for a few seconds as she pondered then looked up with a smile.
"Well," she began. "If you'll have me, I'd love to."
Ruby cried out in joy as she ran across the room and threw her arms around Weiss. Weiss rocked back under Ruby's sudden assault, nearly falling off the bed. She looked at Yang and Blake in surprise, like she had no idea what was going on. Yang shrugged at her.
"She's not going to let go until you hug her back." She said with a crooked smile at Weiss. Weiss hesitantly raised her arms, slowly wrapping them around Ruby in return.
Ruby squeezed Weiss tightly before letting go and jumping back, still bouncing with joy. Blake took a few steps forward, looking at Weiss thoughtfully.
"Hey Weiss," she said. "Have you ever used your set up for electronic sounds? Or do you just use to overdub orchestral tracks?"
"I just use it for the orchestra." Weiss replied. "Why?" She looked at Blake thoughtfully.
"I've got a song I've been working on for a little while, but I want some electronics. If you're as good as I think you are from that, I think you might be able to help me."
Weiss looked at Blake uncertainly.
"I've never done electronics before. They've never really been my thing." She replied.
"Well there's a little bit of piano as well, if that makes you feel more comfortable. And we can always give the electronics a trial run. I think you have might have what it takes, if you're willing to try."
"Sure," Weiss nodded. "I'm happy to give it a try. No promises on how good I'll be though."
"So does this mean you're joining us too?" Yang asked eagerly. Blake gave her an amused smile.
"No," she said. "But there are guitar, drum and vocal parts to it. So, if you'd like, we can collaborate on it. If this works out well enough, I'll join you. I did say if!" She cried as Yang squealed and wrapped her in a hug.
"Oh this is going to awesome!" she cried excitedly.
"Right," Ruby said as Yang let Blake go. "So where do we start?"
As Blake opened her mouth to answer, a voice echoed through the room from the PA mounted on the wall.
"All first year students are to report to the main auditorium immediately. I repeat, all first year student are to report to the main auditorium immediately."
The four of them exchanged glances.
"Anyone know what this is about?" Blake asked. The other three shook their heads. "Well, we'd better go find out." Ruby placed Crescent Rose back in its case before following the other three out the door.
They joined the throng of people that were crowding the corridor and made their way gradually to the auditorium. Ruby looked around as they walked, examining all the other students. It fascinated her that so many people from so many different places would all gather at the same school, and all for the same reason. She couldn't help but wonder what instruments they all played. She also found herself wondering how many played the guitar. Probably a lot, she thought ruefully, Blake wasn't wrong there. A lot of people want the glory of being a lead guitarist.
Eventually they made it into the auditorium, an immense, cavernous room. The grandstand that covered most of the floor space lead down to the stage at the far side of the room. Flashing lights were shining on the stage and musicians were standing on it, wrapping up a sound check.
"I think they're showing us a concert!" Ruby yelled, straining to be heard over the excited students surrounding them.
"What?" Yang yelled back, cupping a hand around her ear.
"I think they're showing us a concert!" Ruby screamed. Yang pulled back and nodded uncertainly.
"I think they're showing us a concert!" She yelled at Ruby. Ruby rolled her eyes and turned away to look for seats.
They found four free seats about halfway down the stair to the stage. None of them knew anyone else at Beacon yet so they all agreed that they might as well sit together. They all settled in their seats, getting comfortable; except Ruby. Ruby was standing up, almost hanging over the seat in front of her. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, eagerly watching the stage. The student in the seat in front of Ruby looked back, annoyed. Ruby issued a hurried apology and stood up straight, still bouncing.
"I wonder who's going to play!" she yelled back at Yang. The students around them were still being incredibly loud.
"It'll probably be a group of seniors!" Yang yelled back. "Can you sit down?" Ruby hung her head slightly as she slumped into her seat and crossed her arms grumpily. Yang reached over and ruffled her hair with a laugh. Ruby shook Yang's hand off her head and glared at her for a few seconds before breaking into a laugh of her own. She turned her head back to the stage focussing on the group that were walking onto it, instruments in hand.
"Look!" she squealed. "It's starting!" She bounced back to her feet, clapping her hands and cheering. Yang sat back in her chair, rolling her eyes. Blake and Weiss both watched Ruby with amused smiles before turning their attention to the stage as well.
Ruby closed her eyes as the band's singer introduced himself and his band. She waited with bated breath, listening to the confident voice of the senior front man welcoming the freshmen to Beacon. She opened her eyes as lights flashed over the room, shining through her eyelids. Ruby gaped at the stage in joy as the band on show raised their hands to the crowd. Ruby raised her hand as well, leading the students around her to do the same. Within seconds the entire audience was standing out of their seats, holding up a fist.
The drummer gave a quick count, clicking his sticks together before slamming the cymbals when the guitars joined in. Ruby watched on in awe and rapture as the music hit her with all the force of a charging bull and she lost herself in its charge.(CNN) North Korea claimed on Thursday to have conducted a successful test-firing of a intermediate-range missile -- an apparent reference to a missile that the South Korean military said was fired into the sea one day earlier.
The military state's government-run news agency reported that the country fired a Hwasong-10 -- also known as a Musudan -- and that it landed accurately in waters about 400 kilometers (249 miles) down range.
The statement was reiterated by a North Korean Foreign Ministry official at its embassy in Beijing.
"We are very happy. The Hwasong-10 means our transportation method has clearly succeeded. This means we can now confidently deal with whatever nuclear war the U.S. forces," Choe Sonhui, the General of the Department of U.S. Affairs of North Korea Foreign Ministry said at a news conference.
"What we are doing is trying to cope with the current situation where the United States is trying to threaten the DPRK with nuclear weapons, so we are trying to strengthen our nuclear capabilities in order to cope with threats that are imposed on the DPRK," she added, using an acronym for the country typically used by government officials.
However, South Korean and U.S. officials previously said that North Korea had fired two Musudan intermediate-range missiles from its eastern coast on Wednesday morning, including one that traveled 400 kilometers before it fell into the Sea of Japan.
The other flew 150 kilometers (93 miles) and is considered a failed launch, according to a South Korean military official.
The South Korean military's assessment of North Korea is that it has "significantly improved their Musudan missile's engine technology," according to a statement from the spokesperson of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. The spokesperson added that it was too early to call the second North Korea launch Wednesday a success.
Cmdr. Dave Benham, spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command, said this week that both missiles were believed to have fallen into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
North Korea's latest test of the Musudan missile was a "partial success" which has "finally demonstrated the full performance of the missile's propulsion system," according to analysis from 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project based in Washington, DC.
The report says that although the Musudan is "not a reliable weapon," the launch "increases the likelihood" that North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) "will reach operational status early in the next decade."
North Korea has previously made at least four previous attempts this year to test Musudan missiles.
The first missile launch on Wednesday took place at 5.58 a.m. local time, just two hours before the second missile was fired at 8.05 a.m..
Both were launched from the North Korean port city of Wonsan.
After the first test on Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had said that his country could "never forgive" the action, which he stressed was in violation of U.N. resolutions.
"We can never forgive this and lodged a firm protest," he told reporters from Kumamoto, southern Japan.
"We would like to continue taking a close coordination with the U.S. and South Korea and working on North Korea (at) the United Nations, so that North Korea would not conduct such an action again."
In a statement the U.S. State Department said they condemned the missile launches. "We are aware of reports that the DPRK fired two ballistic missiles. We are monitoring and continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our regional allies and partners."
North Korea's Musudan obsession
The military state has taken an intense interest in the Musudan missile in 2016, an intermediate-range weapon with a strike range of 2,500 to 4,000 kilometers.
It conducted its fourth Musudan test in May, which exploded after only flying for about two or three seconds, according U.S. defense officials.
One month earlier, another twin missile test failed, while on the anniversary of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung's birthday in April, another Musudan missile was reportedly launched unsuccessfully
"(Kim Jong Un) is interested in being the leader of North Korea who has been able to create a deliverable nuclear weapon, and clearly they're counting on this intermediate range Musudan missile to do that," Christopher Hill, the former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, told CNN.
"The key element of it is that it's mobile. The fixed launch points, we know precisely where they are, but if this thing pops out a forest we don't."
While the second missile launched by North Korea on Wednesday might not have reached its full range, aerospace engineer John Schilling said it might count as a partial success simply because it flew at all.
"It didn't blow up on the pad and it flew far enough that patient engineers might have learned something from it," he told CNN.
"But as they didn't stop to figure out what went wrong after today's first test, it is pretty clear that they aren't working patiently and trying to learn from their mistakes."
South Korean Defense Minister Han Minkoo told CNN's Paula Hancocks in the 18 years of Kim Jong Il's reign there were 18 missile tests by North Korea, compared to 27 launches in just four years under his son.
The ramp up in missile testing could be due to growing financial stresses in North Korea, as U.N. sanctions begin to create serious challenges for the country.
"North Korea is on the verge of feeling quite substantial economic distress," University of California San Diego Korea-Pacific program director Stephan Haggard said.
"Part of the effort here is to get attention focused back on North Korea, so that perhaps they think they can get some relief from the sanctions instituted recently."The continuing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could end up adding a bit of growth to the U.S. economy as the huge cleanup efforts in some ways outweigh negative factors, analysts at J.P. Morgan Chase said.
Underlining that gross domestic product measures are often not a good guide to an economy’s well being, the bank said in a research note its best guess is that the impact on the U.S. economy of BP‘s Gulf Coast spill would be minimal.
“The spill clearly implies a lot of economic hardship in some locations, but given what we know today, the magnitude of these setbacks looks dwarfed by the scale of the US macroeconomy,” said chief U.S. economist Michael Feroli. If anything, he added, U.S. GDP could gain slightly from it.
The six-month moratorium on deep-water drilling may cut U.S. oil production by around 3% in 2011 and cost more than 3,000 jobs, according to J.P. Morgan’s energy analysts.
Commercial fishing in the Gulf is also likely to suffer, but that’s only about 0.005% of U.S. GDP. The impact on tourism is the hardest to measure, although it’s fair to expect that many hotel workers who lose their jobs will find it hard to get new ones.
Still, cleaning up the spill will likely be enough to slightly offset the negative impact of all this on GDP, J.P. Morgan said. The bank cites estimates of 4,000 unemployed people hired for the cleanup efforts, which some reports have said could be worth between $3 and $6 billion.
“If realized, this would likely mean a near- to medium-term boost to activity that might offset the drags,” Feroli said.
U.S. Democrats Monday asked BP to set aside $20 billion in a special account to be used to pay for economic damages and cleanup costs. President Barack Obama said on Monday that his administration has begun “preliminary conversations” with BP about setting up such a fund.(3rd UPDATE) 'It's not 27 [human rights] conventions that we are imposing on you. It's 27 conventions that you already signed up for in the UN system,' EU Ambassador Franz Jessen says
Published 8:46 AM, April 02, 2017
MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Slammed by President Rodrigo Duterte for supposedly meddling in domestic affairs, the European Union (EU) denied it is "imposing" human rights conventions on the country in exchange for trade incentives.
In an interview with select journalists, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen stressed that the Philippines had signed up for 27 conventions under the United Nations (UN) system. For this, the EU granted the Philippines its Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) trade incentive.
"It's not 27 conventions |
4-core one with AMD's HT. It's got a 65W TDP and the base clock is still 2900 MHz. All-core turbo is 3100 MHz, max turbo is 3400 MHz. I don't know if it's only an SKU for testing mainboards or something is not okay with the clock-wattage correlation. I mean on higher clocks the 4-core SKU steps into the 95W TDP envelope, AMD can't keep the wattage low. Maybe GloFo's 14nm process needs some maturing... Frankly I don't have a clue what's in the background.
Retail AM4 mainboards are under production. The whole platform will be ready to have a paper-launch at the end of the year with a real availability in February of 2017. Performance wise the Zen uarch will be around Haswell and Broadwell (except for FMA), it seems it won't catch Skylake clock for clock. It's not a big deal, but if the clocks can't go higher until the start it won't fulfill the expectations. And we all know that expectations in this case are very high...The next time you eat a fish from the Mediterranean, just remember that it may well have eaten a corpse. As the Italian author Aldo Busi told the press just the other day: ‘I don’t buy fish from the Mediterranean any more for fear of eating Libyans, Somalis, Syrians and Iraqis. I’m not a cannibal and so now I stick with farmed fish, or else Atlantic cod.’ Personally, I prefer my fish natural, fattened on drowned human flesh, but there you go. I take the point.
Foolishly, last October Italy’s left-wing government became the first European Union country to decriminalise illegal immigration and deploy its navy at huge expense to save ‘illegal’ migrants crossing the narrow Sicilian channel in open boats from North Africa (Libya mainly) in order to bring them to Italy and thus the European Union — where most remain. Few get sent back: sent back where, exactly?
The decision to open the floodgates came in a moment of national moral panic after 366 people drowned in a single boat which caught fire and sank a stone’s throw from an idyllic beach on the island of Lampedusa, an exclusive resort favoured by the right-on rich. The dead included a mother who had given birth during the voyage and was still attached to her newborn child when divers found their bodies trapped inside the sunken vessel.
The policy change, driven by a perverted mix of human decency and political correctness, was pure folly: it has acted as a green light to wannabe boat people everywhere, whose numbers soar as the chaos in Africa and the Middle East escalates. The result is an exodus of biblical proportions out of Africa into Italy. So far this year, more than 100,000 boat people have arrived in Italy — two thirds of them brought ashore by the Italian navy. That is more than double the number who arrived in 2011, the previous record year. It is estimated that the total by the end of 2014 will surpass 200,000. So far this year Italy has deported only 10,000.
Italy’s boat people used to originate mostly from sub-Saharan Africa; but — thanks to ‘Mare nostrum’, as the new policy is called — they now also come from the Horn of Africa, Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Iraq. The word is out: to get to Europe, get to Italy (via Libya).
To put these numbers into perspective, David Cameron has pledged to reduce net immigration to Britain to ‘tens of thousands’ a year by the next general election in 2015. He still has a very long way to go. According to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, net immigration into Britain in the year to March 2014 was 243,000.
Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, thousands die crossing from North Africa to Italy in flimsy, unseaworthy vessels. A ticket, they say, costs between €1,000 and €2,000. The boat people do not just die by drowning. Those with cheaper tickets, confined to the locked hold of the boats, often die from carbon monoxide poisoning from the engine. Others die from stabbings and beatings as a result of the frequent fights that break out on deck.
According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, 1,600 boat people have died since June — 25 a day, roughly — crossing from North Africa to Italy. That figure is undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg.
While the macabre crisis being played out in the Sicilian channel is great news for the Mediterranean fish population, it is a disaster for the EU. Italy is unable to cope. Its few temporary stay identification centres are full to the gunnels and it has been forced to house boat people in hotels and council flats. Each boat person costs Italian taxpayers €43 a day, says the government, which is €4.3 million a day for this year’s 100,000 (so far) alone.
Two weeks ago, a group of 100 boat people, who had been sent to a three-star hotel with pool in Sardinia, complained about Italian food, Italian mosquitoes and Italian heat. All but four then absconded from the hotel and disappeared off into the Sardinian countryside. If the boat people apply for political asylum, they can stay in Italy until their case is dealt with, but they are unable to work legally. Their latest ruse, however, is to refuse to say who they are, in order to leave Italy and reach a country whose welfare system is more generous and accessible — such as Britain or Germany. Police sources told the Milan daily Il Giornale the other day: ‘We cannot control them any more. We cannot even identify them.’ Increasingly, the police just dump coachloads of them at big stations such as Milan with no money or documents — and buona notte, arrivederci.
I was recently in the small frontier town of Ventimiglia en route for the Cote d’Azur by train. The station and forecourt area were chock-a-bloc with black and brown faces. ‘They want to get to France,’ a taxi driver explained. On my train from Italy to France there were no passport controls — thanks to the Schengen Agreement — and during the journey no one checked my train ticket.
Italy insists, with justification, that this is a collective European Union problem; but as so often — as indeed with the euro itself, for example — it is every man for himself.
Last week, the interior minister Angelino Alfano went to Brussels to thrash it all out with the bureaucrats of the Commission. Europe would do more to help Italy, it was then announced. Well, we have heard all that before. Alfano did at least get a small concession: permission from Brussels to destroy the boats that have brought across the boat people. Incredible as it may seem, this hasn’t happened until now.
As for the boats’ crews — the scafisti — their usual trick is to mingle with the crowd and pretend to be boat people themselves. Yet even if identified, they are locked up only for a couple of months and then repatriated and so are able to return to work.
A couple of years ago, I saved an illegal immigrant who was a 21-year-old orphan who had walked from Nigeria to Libya and got an open boat across to Sicily. His name was Tony and he was a Christian, and I was in a bar in Rimini when he came up to try and flog me packets of tissues. There was something about his eyes that got me and so I gave him €500 and found him a lawyer. He is now married to an Italian. But he, Tony, is different. He is personal.
There are no easy political solutions. Silvio Berlusconi, when prime minister, did a deal with Colonel Gaddafi to stop the boats setting off from Libya. It worked. But the deal went up in smoke when ‘we’ got rid of the colonel. Now, thanks to us, Libya is in meltdown.
Spain especially, Greece too, and even the Maltese, use force to keep out migrants. Just what, I wonder, would David Cameron do if confronted by an armada of boat people coming across the Channel?A Library of Congress report from December said that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security is one of the largest intelligence agencies in the Middle East. But an investigation by ProPublica calls into question whether that report is legitimate because of uncertainty about its authors.
Reporter Justin Elliot wrote that the information came out of a little known office of the Library of Congress called the Federal Research Division after the report was commissioned by the Pentagon’s Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office.
Noah Schactman, editor of Wired magazine’s national security blog Danger Room, told The Takeaway in January that, according to the report, Iran’s intelligence agency employs a network of about 30,000 agents throughout Iran and overseas.
Many of the details are still unclear, however. There is no a specific author listed on the Library of Congress report so no one knows who wrote it, said Elliot. It is also unclear if paid operatives or informants were included in the 30,000 agents.
Wired has since updated their story and the Library of Congress says the widely cited report has been pulled from circulation.
"Ironically this 30,000 number actually did end up on Iran's Ministry of Intelligence Wikipedia page after some of the press coverage,” Elliot said.
The study was first published by the conservative Washington Free Beacon, after they were leaked a copy. The story was then picked up by Wired and The Takeaway among other outlets.
"When you start to look at the sourcing of the report, it becomes pretty clear that whoever wrote this [Library of Congress report] was just inputting search terms into Google and printing whatever came up first," Elliot said.
But the information included in the report could still be true. Of six Iran experts Elliot showed the documet, some thought the number could be accurate while others felt 30,000 was too high.
"I'm still trying to figure out the origins of this 30,000 number," he said. "The earliest reference I've been able to find is from an Arabic language magazine out of London in the late 90s, so it seems to have been out there for nearly 20 years at least."Germany’s parliament has voted by a wide margin to legalise same-sex marriage.
The parliament voted by 393 votes in favour of same-sex unions to 226 against.
It comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel did an about-face that freed members of her governing conservative bloc to follow their personal conscience rather than the party line.
Why did Merkel have a change of heart?
Some think because she has an eye on the upcoming election in Germany. However, analysts are saying the issue will likely have faded from voters’ minds by the time the poll comes round in September.
Her announcement on Monday that she would allow lawmakers to vote on same-sex marriage according to their individual conscience drew the anger of some in her traditionally Catholic conservative bloc.
This is a rare victory for the SPD, isn’t it?
Yes, and a much-needed boost. Merkel’s Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners are trailing the Conservatives in the polls.
They had seized on Merkel’s surprise comments on Monday to call for an early vote before parliament’s summer recess.
The party has seen a short-lived surge in support earlier this year evaporate in recent months.
How did Angela Merkel vote?
After the landmark vote, Merkel told reporters she had voted against the measure because she believed that marriage as defined under German law was between a man and a woman.
However, she said her decision was a personal one, adding that she had become convinced in recent years that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children.
“I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between the different opinions but also brings more social cohesion and peace,” Merkel said.
Is Germany unusual in taking this decision?
No. Many other European countries, including France, Britain and Spain, have already legalised same-sex marriage.
So when will this become law?
The measure is likely to be signed into law by the president some time after July 7.The Planets of the AdventureQuest Universe
Introduction to the Planets [ITP]
Lore is an interesting planet, but Lore isnt alone in its existence as a planet filled with life and magic. Ever since the coming the Devourer TheGalin, Lore has been increasingly exposed to life from other planets, with good will or bad. This section documents all of the planets that we have encountered hitherto. It is important to note that these planets are not confined to the WarpForce expansion and are, indeed, of direct interest to AdventureQuest players. Many already have noticeable effects on the game and others, like Lore, Trescol, Kairula, and Balen-5, are visitable in AQ. If you dont wish to join the WarpForce to view these planets, just click on their names for a snapshot.
For those worlds that can fall in several categories, merely their names are re-listed.
Visitable Worlds in AdventureQuest [VWA]
All of these worlds are currently visitable in AQ.
Lore
(Yes, this is different from the image shown in-game. That would be because the in-game one is wrong in several weird ways.)
Lore is a planet of inordinate magicits core is pure, strong, elemental magic and variety in geological features. Unlike certain worlds that exhibit only one type of living space (e.g., Satiren for its ocean, Erakkis for its desert, or Kairula for its jungle), Lore has all of these characteristics and more: it has oceans (the Egrian, the Great Southern) like Satiren, deserts (the Skraeling) like Erakkis, jungles (the Dark) like Kairula, forests, tropical regions, mountains, and even snowy regions to the north and south. A note on this geography, however, must be made: it is liable to shift. Greatly. In very short amounts of time.
Because of this geological variety, there is also much variety in its inhabitants; the sentient species are manifold. Of these, there are the humans, the Elani, the Ulgathi, the Drakel, the Gnome, the Mermazon, the Dragon, the Dwarf, the Moglin, the Gatta, the Centaurion, and potentially many more. There are also many non-sentient species much like those on Terra, like the Tiger, the Bat, the Hawk, etc.
In addition to its importance for its magic and variety in creatures, Lore is also important because it was the birthplace of TheGalin the Devourer, the WarpForces greatest enemy (sort of). TheGalin was born aeons ago on the continent of Inilar in the capital city of Tjeli. As a man, he started an orphanage on the Cigeli Peak. It was in this life that he first felt the depravity of Creation-kind. After his death, Lorithia raised him as a Greater Power to test the worlds and to determine which are worthy of continuation.
Lore is one of the only planets for which we have any idea of what its Gods are like.
Lore is also important because the game happens there, in case you didnt know.
Further Reading: Why not play AdventureQuest and discover more about this world yourself? If you need help understanding the many Gods, try looking here.
Trescol
Trescol is a planet with three suns. Due to its orbit around these suns, there is no true night on Trescol excepting the Great Night, Ahb Solis. During Ahb Solis, the three suns align, flare, and cover Trescol in night.
The dominant sentient race of Trescol are the Chairodontae *. Their general structure is much like that of the Centaurions of Lore, with a four-limbed lower body and a two-limbed torso. All of these limbs have deadly claws at their ends. They also possess a certain affinity for magic, as the Chairodontae have a third eye (Oculum Aegis) that allows them to see the shape of magical energy and to see into the Ethereal Realm. The females, however, are more skilled at manipulating their third eye, causing them to be their Tribes spiritual leader; the males are more physically strong and are their Tribes warriors. In addition, the females are more fair-skinned and less suited to the harsh light of the three suns, and will remain in their dwellings while the darker-skinned males hunt.
They have many interesting traditionsfor example, the Great Night is also a night of a ritual of passage called Tanis. On this night, the Ancient Euthark will venture forth, and Chairodontae youths may hunt these Euthark to become warriors. Should they be successful, they will fashion a weapon, a Luntet, from the carapace of the Euthark. Should they fail, they will forever be banished from their Tribe and live as ParSha, Forgotten. Another such tradition is their method of housing. Shalut, types of mesas, are their general homes. Huts from red mud are built instead if no Shalut are nearby.
Because of the WarpForces visit to retrieve Floaty, an F10A7, the Chairodontae of the tribes have been shown the evil of the Network and have allied themselves with the WarpForce. The ParSha, however, aligned themselves with the Network, believing that the Network can destroy the Tribes.
* An interesting factoidOn Terra, Machairodontinae is a subfamily of saber-tooth cats.
Further Reading: Learn About and Visit Trescol! Also, try Finding F10A7 as well.
Kairula
Kairula is the second planet from its sun in its solar system. The core is composed of piezoelectric crystal (crystal that generates electricity under force). The surface, on the other hand, is covered with jungle where there is no ocean. The jungle is very dense, and the underbrush is near impassable. The humidity in this jungle is also extremely high.
Because of these jungle conditions with excessively high humidity and temperatures, an insectoid race has evolved to be dominant. The Odonata * had ancestors not unlike the Terran damselflies. The Odonata, however, are of two different breeds: the Shalen and the Junas. They are as different as can be.
The Shalen:
The Shalen (the tree-bound) are a green, gossamer-winged breed of Odonata that lives in nests suspended above the jungle undergrowth. They stress harmony with nature, believing that Sha, the sun spirit, had told their race that enlightenment can only be achieved with this harmony.
The Junas:
The Junas (the Warriors) are a large, red breed of Odanata that lives in grounded, organic Mounds that are connected with tunnels. Unlike the Shalen, they believe that they must shape the land in any way necessary for them to survive.
Another race of insectoids is also important to Kairula. These are the Gnil, firefly-like creatures that are bred by the Junas for light. They are also sentient, however, possessing faculties of self-awareness, language, and tool-making. The Shalen see the Junass breeding as a violation of nature and free the Gnil whenever possible.
When the WarpForce went to Kairula, both breeds of the Odonata realized that the Network is inimical to their ways of life. As such, their feuding has ended and they now ally with the WarpForce.
* An interesting factoidOn Terra, Odonata is an order of the class Insecta that includes damselflies and dragonflies.
Further Reading: Learn About and Visit Kairula! Offering Peace there would be a good idea. The Odonata are also good allies on a Chase to the Veil.
Balen-5
Balen-5 is the fifth planet from the star Balen. Its climate is rather humid. One of the prominent plant species is the Flower Findle, a flower with amazing regenerative powers. It was also originally home to a large animal population from which the Space Girls, Sally, Suzy, Stacy, Sandy, Sindy, and Shelly, came, but a female intergalactic Overlord (Dark Madder) turned all of the animal life into Black Goo. Interestingly enough, this world is also where Dark Madder had her summer home.
Further Reading: When the Space Girls Visit, we learn about and Explore Balen-5.
Influential Worlds in AdventureQuest [AQI444]
All of these planets inhabitants have had some influence on AQ.
Protus
Protus was a world long ago beset by the Network. The inhabitants of the planet are called Proteans. They are organometallic creatures that survive by symbiosis. Many of the inhabitants of the planet joined the Network, but there were still those dedicated to anti-Network activity; they formed the Protean Peace Alliance. It was said by a certain Protean Minister in the Network that the planet was largely taken overrun by Network agents, but Queen PraMithia tells us that the planet is largely devoid of Network Proteans, as these have long since left the planet with the Network. The description of the Nechron Protean, on the other hand, tells us that half of the Proteans became Network Agents. As of now, however, this is of no consequenceProtus was destroyed by the Engine of Destruction.
Protus was also an important world because of one of the artifacts in its Museum of Antiquity. This artifact, the Hand of Creation, is a powerful Gauntlet that has many incredible powers, as demonstrated by the hero of the WarpForce: it led the WarpForce to the Cryptic Veil to see the creation of a new world, destroyed a massive undead Leviathan on the planet of Satiren, and ultimately proved to be the Key to reverting the Engine of Destruction to its original form. There may be other powers that have yet to be seen. It was first discovered three cycles ago on Protus, when a beam of light pierced the surface of the planet and created a volcano that erupted and brought forth the Hand.
Further Reading: The Protectors come to Lore, but we have to go to them to find the Hand of Creation.
Dremin
Terraformed and colonized by refugee Diceros, this planet was invaded by Giant Skitters, a product of native Skitters (the size of small insects) and a Network metamorphic solution. The WarpForce aided the Diceros in destroying the Giant Skitters and removing the metamorphic solution. Our friends met in the Mount Thrall Alien Bounty, Enlil and Enki, come from this planet.
Further Reading: Enlil and Enki are only two representatives of their race that we meet at Mt. Thrall; you may see more if you Explore Dremin.
Stoker-3 *
Stoker-3 is a planet inhabited by 400,000 Chiropterrans **. Chiropterrans are bat-like creatures who do not believe in receiving technological help from others; as such, they do not yet have warp technology and must resort to slower-than-lightspeed travel. The leader of the Lorian Clan Nocturu, Noctros, is a Chiropterran.
Stoker-3 originally faced a nanobotic virus that turned its victims into vampires. With the help of the WarpForce, the virus was eliminated.
* An interesting factoidOn Terra, the man who wrote Dracula was Bram Stoker.
** An interesting factoidOn Terra, Chiroptera is the Order of Class Mammalia that includes bats.
Further Reading: Exploring Paxia will let you meet Noctros, but others of his race are best met when fighting Space Vampires!
Network/Autarch Worlds [NAW]
All of these worlds have succumbed to the Network or were under the power of the Autarchs.
Protus (See AQ-Influential Worlds)
Aglon-11
Aglon-11 was originally a planet used as a Network base. This base was originally used to capture and imprison Queen PraMithia. It served another purpose in the Race to the Cryptic Veil; the antimatter power generator under the surface was used to blow up the planet to distract the Networks forces.
Further Reading: Saving Queen Pra'Mithia from the Network will introduce you to Aglon-11.
Delta-7
Delta-7 was, at one point, used as a Nechron base. It was originally a hydrogen mine, but was destroyed in a two-pronged attack.
Further Reading: The Two-Pronged Attack will let you destroy the Nechron base here.
Purgos
Purgos is a planet populated by Nechrons, natural Undead creatures. They were ruled by Veritos and Vanatia of Lore, as their necromantic powers gave them natural leadership. However, Veritos questioned the suffering caused by the Nechrons, while Vanatia embraced it. In the end, Vanatia became Dark Madder and put Veritos in Aguilos, a prison on a cliff on Purgos. With the help of the WarpForce, Veritos escaped and helped to end Dark Madder's evil.
Purgos also has a sister world, Haden, that looks exactly like Purgos but is redder in hue. It is also populated by natural Undead, but they, the Hadeni, are subservient to the Nechrons.
Further Reading: The Shadows of Purgos lengthen as Bizarre Flecks fall...
Omnus
Omnuss tale is a depressing one. Eons ago, the planet was inhabited by multifarious forms of life. The major sentient race of the planet eventually developed technology so far that they let their machines control every aspect of their lives. The machines were then given the minds of the inhabitants of the planet, and then all life on Omnus was also eventually transferred to machines. There were originally two factions of machines on Omnus, the Gathorans and the Defilers, but the Defilers, who lacked a moral code, unlike the Gathorans, forced the Gathorans out.
The planet was destroyed when Dark Madder took the Engine of Creation from it after using the planets vast computing Core to find out how to change the Engine to one of Destruction. Prior to its destruction, however, it had become a place devoid of non-machine life and atmosphere. Everything on the planet was artificial and its biosphere was used as raw material and fuel for the machines of the planet.
This planet was also notable because it was the source of many new technologies, e.g., tractor beams, cloaking, etc.
Further Reading: The Omnus Warning was the sign of bad things to come...
Zirrix
Zirrix is a planet blanketed in an ionic, acidic atmosphere with poisonous oceans. All forms of "life" on the planet were bio-engineered to fit the needs of the major sentient species of the planet, the Virin. The Virin are parasites with 30% of their body mass in neural tissue that bond with other beings to control their bodies for their use. The planet is ruled by the Virin Confederacy headed by Jarik Z'kaa.
Th'rix Na'thaar, a Virin scientist without the ability to bond, used an army of Nefadon to create the Nefadon Empire attempted to take over the planet, but then Dark Madder appeared and removed his higher thinking skills, ending the conflict.
Destroyed Worlds [DEW]
These worlds were destroyed or altered drastically from their original state.
Protus (See above two categories)
Omnus (See above category)
Gerendor Before and After
Gerendor was a planet of the Helas Binary Star System. It was originally a planet populated by a high-tech civilization of around 20 million people. After Gravlaxs monkeying with his time machine, the positions of the binary stars were shifted around 500 years ago, causing enormous catastrophes across the planet and ending the native life. 400 years after the destruction of the civilization, Defilers came to the planet, harvesting Empyrean Cells, which were powerful solar cells, from the dead Gerendorian civilization.
Further Reading: Is it truly a Dead Planet?
Lannox-3 Before and After
Lannox-3 was once a temperate/jungle/tropical world (for some reason, the game constantly changed its description), but Space Pirates Jayson and Karlina froze the world in a short time period of two months to sell the frozen water to planets without it. Because of the dramatic climate shift, the world was reduced to barren tundra.
Further Reading: Fighting the Nice Pirates will bring you to Lannox-3.
Other Worlds [OTW]
Other worlds that I have not categorized go here.
Satiren
Satiren is a beautiful planet covered entirely in water. There isnt dry land anywhere on the islandthat is, there wasnt until Trinni created an artificial island in her escape from Lord Terror. An odd aspect about the planet is that its rings somehow orbit in different directions.
Because Satiren is so different ecologically from Lore, there are a great many very interesting creatures that Lorians had never seen. One of these is the Gravanir. Since the creation of the planet, the Gravanir circled the Sea according to the seasons, causing all of the sea creatures in their vicinity to gather around them for their protection, forsaking their own migrations. According to Finnona, they aim for the preservation of order in the Sea. It also appears that the Gravanir can transmit a virus that gives other organisms the ability to transform into one of them.
Although the Gravanir were native to Satiren, a sea serpent known as the Marix had recently been introduced to Satirens fragile ecology by the Network. They originate from the planet Dygith. These Marix serpents are almost viral in how they breed; one serpent can cause almost infinite trouble by producing extreme amounts of offspring, as they eat tons and tons of fish flesh per day.
A final creature of note was the Leviathan. Note the use of the past tense verb was. The Leviathan was destroyed by the Hero using his or her Hand of Creation. Prior to its destruction, it had been raised as an undead creature by Dark Madder. The Leviathan appeared to be a creature of great power, devouring a Marix serpent in one bite.
A final note: Despite the strange monsters, Satiren is a wonderful vacationing sitemany Exos, for example, travel here for their vacations.
Further Reading: Travel to Satiren today!
Gervel
Gervel is a gas giant populated by Proteans. It is a gas mining colony (naturally, since the world is a gas giant). The Proteans live on over 100 antigrav platforms situated throughout the planets atmosphere. Though the atmosphere is 5000 miles deep, the most valuable and rare materials are found near the core, where the already heavy gravity is strongest.
One of the animal species that populates Gervel is the Cosmoslug, a creature of Darkness that seems to, oddly, have natural cloaking powers. They are a cross between a giant bird and a snake-like thing, with four or so black eyes on long stalks. Black and purple in coloration Cosmoslugs generally live in outer space, in and around asteroids, but Gervels core is rich in elements that are of nutritional value to the Cosmoslugs. The move of the Cosmoslugs to Gervel caused problems for the Proteans, but the WarpForce helped the Proteans set up a sanctuary for the Cosmoslugs on Gervel.
Further Reading: Why not Explore Gervel at the behest of Milly Mendas?
Nemea
Nemea is a plant consisting of dense jungle and swamp. The planet was originally populated with Predecessors, but they left the planet when the species they hunted all went extinct. A hunting party of Predecessors brought Alien Zards to the planet to hunt the Alien Zards for pleasure on their planet.
Further Reading: Although Terra had a Nemean Lion, it wasn't from Nemea; you'll find out what DOES live there if you Explore Nemea.
Erakkis
Erakkis (or Abiding Home in the language of the natives) is a desert world, and very little water is to be had on its surface (there are no seas). Its dominant race is one of humanoids called Freemin. The planet is the only in the universe that has Spyse, (Yes, Spyse is a play on Spice) a byproduct of the digestive system of the Doon Worm, a native species of giant worm. This and the fact that Spyse is difficult to find cause it to be a very valuable (and the only) export of the Freemin.
The Freemin are led by the Spysers Guild, who use the Spyse to transport objects through warpspace. They live mainly in cities that have parts both above and under the ground, with the underground portion being the majority to prevent loss of water by evaporation. They also wear Armor that prevents loss of water through evaporation. The Freemin believe that there is to be a savior of their world called the MoAd-Lib, though what this MoAd-Lib must do to save their world is unclear.
Further Reading: Rap artists and more ad libs abound on Erakkis; try Exploring the Sands of Doon.
Random, Un-named planet in the Epsilon Minor System
This planet is the last planet (in the sense that all of the others were long ago reduced to asteroids) in the Epsilon Minor System. It was a temporary home for a few Silari Drakel that called and ambushed the WarpForce. Eventually, these fugitive Silari were attacked by bounty hunters.
Further Reading: Epsilon Minor isn't all that interesting, just so you know.
Capurnia
Capurnia is a planet inhabited by Space Moglines. These Moglines Moglins from Lore, brought to the planet by Emperor Twang, a clone of Twig created when Twig accidentally teleported two places at once. They have since formed two factions, the Loyalists, who believe in Twangs powers, and the Traitors, who dont even believe in his existence. When the WarpForce visited, they made Twang come out of his temple and re-unite the two factions into one that would help the WarpForce.
Further Reading: The Space Moglines were brought to Capurnia by Twang; meet them on a mission.
Ajerak
Ajerak is a tropical paradise, to quote Sergeant Lucky Gibbs. The jungle by which the planet is covered is very much like that of Lore, probably because the evolutionary paths taken by the native plants were similar (or it could be that the Dhe Ehm decided to re-use Dark Jungle art!). It was once visited by the WarpForce to try to negotiate the return of Colonel BaTokk; all they received was a Defiler-created machine version.
Further Reading: You'll see Ajerak if you try breaking Ba'Tokk out of jail.
Hennaooine
Hennaooine is a small desert world. About a quarter of the planet is covered with ocean, however. The planet is inhabited by Gathorans, intelligent machines that were once from Omnus. The third-to-last Star Knight, Opie-Juan, had also made this planet his temporary home.
(Yes, this is a kick at Tattooine.)
Further Reading: Will you Find Ken Benobi?
Syrine IV
Syrine IV was originally a barren world before its current inhabitants, the Unaga, terraformed it to their liking.
The only inhabitants, the Unaga, are a very singular race. They originally hailed from the planet of Unai, but this world was destroyed around 300 years ago when the sun of the system went supernova and became a pulsar, gamma ray-blasting the planet into oblivion. All but 960 of the Unaga, traveling in 40 fighter ships, were destroyed. These have since colonized 14 planets with 19 billion Unaga, and continue to do so today while searching for their forebear, the Unaga Prime. They wield great power, using incredible combinations of magic and technology that are not available to most any other race.
The Unaga owe their great power to the Dragons, or Sacred Ones, of their planet, which now live in outer space after the destruction of their planet. On Unai, these Dragons used to grow in power as they aged, subliming or exploding when their power grew too much for their bodies to handle; the Unaga siphoned off this extra power to store as Crystallized Dragons Breath. When the planet was destroyed, they no longer needed the Unaga and roam in outer space. These Dragons are very different from the Dragons of the planet Lore, as they are hydrogen-based in their adulthood and carbon-based in their childhood, existing in a hibernating phase between these two states. The adults, due to their hydrogen-based nature, feed off of radiation sources to survive. They are also many times more powerful than Lorian Dragons, creating more Crystallized Dragons Breath in a year than 1000 Lorian Dragons could in a century.
Further Reading: Will you learn of the Enemy Mind and meet the Star Dragon?
Novus
Novus is Lores sister world, created by accident when the hero of the WarpForce undid the programming that transformed the Engine of Creation into one of Destruction. Its atmosphere and gravity are exactly like Lores, but the lifeforms are completely different; apparently, the Creation merely resulted in a world that matched Lore on a planetary scale.
On our brief visit to this sister planet, we encounter several types of lifeforms. The dominant lifeform was a very intelligent beetle-like creature called a Greetle. These Greetle seemed to be telepathic, or to have a hivemind. Another important being was Rubia, someone that looked very much like Vanatia of Lore.
Further Reading: Brave a New World!
< Message edited by James Lu -- 10/10/2014 23:59:14 > |
ingredient, hop hash. SweetWater’s brewers work with their hop suppliers to dig deep into the pelletizers, scrape them clean, and gather bricks of the leftover pure hop lupulin goodness. They are harvesting a very concentrated form of hop resin, also known as hash, to cook up these brews that deliver a pungent punch to the palate. SweetWater’s head brewer Nick Nock explains: “Hop hash is the leftover resin that escaped from the hop cones going through the pelletizer, which is all too often ignored and left unused. We’ve created some killer brew recipes using this sticky and potent ingredient; it’s been a blast to experiment with, and delivers the biggest hit of hop flavor possible.”2011-2012 2013-etc. Asset held <7 years 50% 65% Asset held >7 years 50% 55%
2011-2012 2013-etc. Asset held <7 years 29.8% 36.5% Asset held >7 years 29.8% 34.6%
The Senate this week is taking up the tax extenders package. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it raises net taxes by $47.5 billion. Like its House counterpart, this bill is a clear violation of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. ATR will be keyvoting against this bill in our annual Congressional scorecard.One provision that's getting a lot of notice is the tax hike on pensions, charities, and colleges (the "carried interest" tax hike). We wrote some background on this for the House bill.The Senate version slightly changes the tax hike involved. Under the Senate bill, a portion of capital gains from some investment partnership profits will be taxed as ordinary income. What portion depends on the year, and whether the asset in question was held for at least seven years.Here's the percentage of capital gain which will be wrongly treated as ordinary income:In order to determine the effective tax rate based on this ratio, it's important to remember that the capital gains tax in these years will be 20 percent, the top ordinary tax rate will be 39.6 percent, and the Obamacare investment surtax of 3.8 percent will take effect in 2013. These first two are due to the tax hike scheduled to occur at the end of this year.Once those numbers are crunched, here is the effective tax rate the bill imposes:Keep in mind that the 2010 rate on these capital gains is 15 percent, and the current-law capital gains tax rate for the above tax years is 20 percent.That means that the tax rate on this income will nearly double starting next year, and more than double starting in 2013.This naked hike in capital gains taxes is only another step in the direction of taxing all capital gains as ordinary income, which is the real goal here.How would you decide when it's time to die? We'll meet the Thunder Bay woman who is helping her adoptive son navigate Canada's new assisted dying legislation. 11:21
A 50-year-old man from Toronto with primary progressive multiple sclerosis says Canada's assisted dying legislation is blocking his desire to "die gently."
Colin Anthony says the "least understood and most virulent" form of MS has taken him from being an active dancer, poet, musician and composer in 2012 to being 99 per cent bedridden now.
"There's no cure and there's no known treatment so the best thing is just to make peace with things," Anthony told CBC News in an interview on a rare day in September when he was capable of speaking clearly.
"The trick for me is doing it legally," the father of three said. "You don't die from MS. The disease itself won't kill you."
That means Anthony does not meet the legal test of being near death, required by Canada's new assisted dying legislation passed into law in June.
But the MS-weakened muscles in his throat put him at great risk of a painful death by choking.
'Die laughing'
"I could choke to death from laughing and in my obituary, it would not say that I died from MS. It would say that I died laughing," he said. "That would be funny to see on paper, but it wouldn't be fun. So the trick for me is to make sure I die gently."
A Thunder Bay woman who calls herself Anthony's surrogate mom is helping Anthony, whom she has known since he was 14, with his desire to die.
Sandra Brown says after consulting with assisted death groups such as End of Life Canada and Dying with Dignity, Anthony has decided his best course of action is to withdraw from food and water when he is ready to die.
That way a doctor can determine someone is near death from starvation and provide medical assistance with the death.
"It's really hard emotionally, sometimes I just want to get sick," Brown said. "But on the other hand, it makes you really look at death and dying."
Canada's assisted dying legislation is wrong because it treats "a compassionate death the same as suicide from depression," she said. "It's not the same."
Anthony said three things will determine when he decides to die:
If he loses the use of his right hand, since his left is already immobilized If he begins to experience significant pain that reduces his already limited quality of life If he becomes blind
He expects at least one of those things to happen within the next month.
"I realize more and more that I don't need much," he said of his days spent in stillness. "It really is just realizing what you have and appreciating it, not begging for more."(RT) Berlin Mayor Michael Müller has just sent President Donald Trump a message about his proposed Mexican border wall. As the mayor of the iconic German city that was divided by an imposing wall for almost three decades, Muller is in good position to offer advice.
“Berlin, the city of the division of Europe, the city of freedom of Europe, cannot look without comment when a country plans to build a new wall,” Müller said in a statement Friday. “We Berliners know best how much suffering a division of an entire continent, cemented by barbed wire and wall, has caused. Millions of people have been seized by this division of life. In the end, we, the people, have overcome this division, and it is one of the 20th century’s star-studded hours when, at the Brandenburger Tor, the most important symbol of the division, people conquered the Wall and then removed them piece by piece. The Brandenburg Gate stands for the spirit of freedom!”
Berlin’s mayor just issued this message for Donald Trump. It’s quite something. https://t.co/gIIOei6ttTpic.twitter.com/B8SgYZhhJ0 — Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) January 27, 2017
Trump began moves to deliver on his campaign promise to build a wall at the Mexican border this week, signing an executive order for federal agencies to begin constructing the nearly 2,000-mile structure.
When Trump said he would raise a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to cover the cost of the wall, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto canceled his planned visit to the White House.
BREAKING: Mexican president cancels US trip over border wall spat with Trump https://t.co/sXrrR3rhp6 — RT (@RT_com) January 26, 2017
“Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, we cannot simply accept it if all our historical experiences are thrown over by those to whom we largely owe our freedom, the Americans,” Müller’s statement continued. “I appeal to the President of the United States not to go this way of foreclosure and exclusion. Wherever such borders still exist today in Korea, in Cyprus, they create unfreedom and suffering.”
Müller ended his statement with a reminder of the words of US President Ronald Reagan, who in 1987 called on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to take down the Berlin Wall. “Remember his words: ‘Tear down this wall,’” Müller said. “And so I say: Dear Mr. President, don’t build this wall!”The film would mark the actor's first singing role since starring in Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street."
Johnny Depp is in talks to star in Disney's film adaptation of Broadway musical Into the Woods, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The film would mark Depp's first singing role since starring in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street.
The project would also reunite Depp with Rob Marshall, who directed Disney’s fourth Pirates of the Caribbean outing. In addition to his Broadway credits as director and choreographer, Marshall directed the musical feature films Chicago and Nine, as well as the 1999 TV movie, Annie.
Into the Woods is a darkly comic mashup of classic fairy tales that revolves around a childless Baker and his wife, who attempt to lift a family curse by journeying into the woods to confront the Witch that put the spell on them. Along the way, they encounter a group of characters including Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.
Meryl Streep will play the plum role of the vain and charismatic Witch. In what would be a key supporting role, Depp will play a hungry and sexy variation of the fairy tale Wolf, a part usually undertaken in the stage version by the same actor who plays Cinderella's Prince.
James Lapine wrote the screenplay, based on his book for the 1986 musical. The Tony-winning original score is by Stephen Sondheim, also the composer behind Sweeney Todd. Frequent Marshall collaborator David Krane is working on the music arrangements for the film.
John DeLuca is producing.
The film would also keep Depp in the Disney fold. The actor, who has made a number of blockbusters with the studio, including the Pirates films and Burton's Alice, will next be seen in Disney's The Lone Ranger.
Depp is currently shooting Wally Pfister's directing debut Transcendence. He is repped by UTA and attorney Jacob Bloom.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse to push back at Trump on border Democrats block abortion bill in Senate Overnight Energy: Climate protesters storm McConnell’s office | Center-right group says Green New Deal could cost trillion | Dire warnings from new climate studies MORE (R-Ky.) announced Saturday night that Senate consideration of legislation repealing and replacing ObamaCare will be delayed while Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainGOP lobbyists worry Trump lags in K Street fundraising Mark Kelly kicks off Senate bid: ‘A mission to lift up hardworking Arizonans’ Gabbard hits back at Meghan McCain after fight over Assad MORE (R-Ariz.) recovers from surgery.
McCain had announced earlier on Saturday that he would not be in the Senate next week, depriving Republicans of a key vote.
Without McCain, Senate Republicans likely would not have had the 50 votes necessary to advance the legislation.
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"Elaine and I, along with the entire Senate family, wish John the very best and wish him a speedy recovery," McConnell said in a statement that referred to his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
"While John is recovering, the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act."
McCain underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from his eye on Friday, according to statements from his office and the Mayo Clinic. He is recovering at home in Arizona.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have already said they would oppose a procedural vote to advance to the new Senate GOP healthcare legislation, which was unveiled this past week. With all Democrats voting no, that would leave Republicans with just 49 votes, given McCain's absence.
The further delay in the schedule is a problem for McConnell, as opponents of the legislation could use the extra time to pressure wavering GOP centrists to vote against it.
The healthcare bill was already on rocky ground even with McCain, as many speculated whether McConnell could pull together 50 votes.
This is the second time McConnell has had to put off Senate consideration of ObamaCare repeal.
Work was also postponed in late June after it became clear McConnell lacked the support to carry the bill through the Senate.
That prompted a rewriting of the legislation, which won over Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (R-Texas), a key conservative.
A number of centrist Republicans, however, remain on the fence as McConnell awaits a Congressional Budget Office analysis and score of the new legislation, which is expected on Monday.
McCain, 80, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix following an annual physical.
“Senator McCain received excellent treatment at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, and appreciates the tremendous professionalism and care by its doctors and staff," a statement from his office said.
Updated 10:54 p.m. E.T.Soon patients who provide Aadhaar card at AIIMS will have their registration charges waived, but without it they will have to pay Rs 100 which is ten times the current fee. Expected to be enforced from January, the move aims at encouraging digital transactions and streamlining patients’ database which otherwise is getting cluttered as many patients misplace documents and OPD cards, Dr Deepak Agrawal, chairman, computerisation, AIIMS, said. At present, a patient has to pay Rs 10 for registration following which an Unique Health Identification (UHID) number is assigned to him/her.
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“What happens now is that multiple UHID gets created for a single patient as he misplaces documents and outdoor cards thus cluttering the data,” Dr Agrawal said. “Most likely from next month, registration will become free for patients who provide their Aadhaar number. Those who cannot provide Aadhaar card they will have to pay of Rs 100 for registration,” he said. However, those who cannot pay the hiked registration fee can get it exempted by approaching medical social workers.
AIIMS has already written to the Union Health Ministry requesting it to issue a notification that would mandate linking of Aadhaar number with UHID number. Linking of Aadhaar number with UHID will also help in achieving the aim of health records portability from one hospital to another, Dr Agrawal said. Also, in the backdrop of the Centre’s push for digital transactions, AIIMS is planning to introduce prepaid card scheme for cashless treatment.
“Under this scheme, people can deposit money before treatment and avail services. If the amount is not fully utilised it would be refunded to the patient. The process of issuing tender for issuing these prepaid cards is complete,” Dr Agrawal said. AIIMS Deputy Director (Administration) V Srinivas said to promote digital transactions in patient services, AIIMS will procure 100 POS (point of sale) machines. These will be set up at cash counters. AIIMS has also introduced 200 kiosks where net banking facilities have been operationalised. A payment section at http://www.ors.gov.in is operational since last year. To promote digital transaction in the academic section of the premier medical institute, a payment section shall be introduced on wwww.aiims.edu website.
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A committee comprising medical superintendent Dr D K Sharma, senior financial advisor Raj Kumar and others will be formed to oversee the timely implementation of the use of digital transaction, a release by AIIMS said. AIMMS has also decided to purchase medical equipment and machinery through Government e-Marketplace (GeM), an integrated online portal, saying it will bring more transparency and efficiency into the procurement process.Donald Trump. Thomson Reuters
BEIJING (AP) — China said Tuesday it is making every effort to ensure stability on the Korean Peninsula, responding to implications from U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump that it isn't putting enough pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear program.
Beijing didn't cause the nuclear crisis currently gripping the peninsula, but would oppose the spread of nuclear weapons, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a daily news briefing.
"China has been making unremitting efforts with all sides concerned to achieve a proper resolution over the peninsular nuclear issue, for the purpose of maintaining the peninsular peace and stability and the system of international nonproliferation," Geng said.
China is Pyongyang's only significant ally but has signed on to economic and political sanctions brought by the U.N. Security Council over the North's nuclear tests and missile launches. China has also enacted unilateral measures to cut down on trade with the North and pressure it into returning to denuclearization talks.
In Monday night's debate with Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump said China should "go into North Korea," implying that it was up to Beijing to resolve tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program that has appeared to make new progress in recent months.
"You look at North Korea, we're doing nothing there. China should solve that problem for us. China should go into North Korea. China is totally powerful as it relates to North Korea," Trump said.
The Heritage Foundation: 2016 Index of U.S. Military Strength
Despite traditional warm ties, China says it has relatively little leverage with North Korea and is opposed to any moves that could bring down its fellow communist regime and unleash a potential wave of refugees and unrest across its border.
International concern over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs is deepening following its fifth and largest atomic test explosion this month, its second this year. That's fueling worries that North Korea is moving closer to its goal of a nuclear-armed missile that could one day strike the U.S. mainland.Learn web development with HTML, CSS, Bootstrap 4, ES6 React and Node
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Beginner Full Stack Web Development: HTML, CSS, React & NodeJust one episode into last season’s SNL, Pete Davidson already shined. The comedian parlayed his youth into instant humor, teasing his dark comic tendencies. He fully brandished them during the Roast of Justin Bieber last March and scorched everyone on the dais.
But now he’s got some free time. The 21-year-old is right in the prime Harry Potter demographic, the generation that truly grew up with the books. So he’s taking to Twitter to give his of-the-moment thoughts on the franchise. And he has a noble reason:
He first broke down The Sorcerer’s Stone Wednesday night:
Drake and “The Boy Who Lived” have a ton in common.
McGonagall: OG (Old Gangster).
On Thursday, he attacks Gilderoy Lockhart, Lucius Malfoy (in dirtier tweets), and Moaning Myrtle (same) in The Chamber of Secrets:
“VACANT SPACE: WIZARDS SUBJECT TO SUBHUMAN TREATMENT ONLY.”
He was always the worst.
The only cool professors ever.
NOT MRS. NORRIS.
Despite inevitable complaints about “pointless tweets” and “your (sic) clogging my timeline,” Davidson has at least one fan: rapper Tyler the Creator:
Was this his first time watching? Is he mocking them out of not just getting it? Nah.This article is about the bacterial disease. For the dish, see Cholera (food)
Bacterial infection of the small intestine
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.[3][2] Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe.[2] The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days.[1] Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur.[2] Diarrhea can be so severe that it leads within hours to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.[1] This may result in sunken eyes, cold skin, decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkling of the hands and feet.[4] Dehydration can cause the skin to turn bluish.[7] Symptoms start two hours to five days after exposure.[2]
Cholera is caused by a number of types of Vibrio cholerae, with some types producing more severe disease than others.[1] It is spread mostly by unsafe water and unsafe food that has been contaminated with human feces containing the bacteria.[1] Undercooked seafood is a common source.[8] Humans are the only animal affected.[1] Risk factors for the disease include poor sanitation, not enough clean drinking water, and poverty.[1] There are concerns that rising sea levels will increase rates of disease.[1] Cholera can be diagnosed by a stool test.[1] A rapid dipstick test is available but is not as accurate.[9]
Prevention methods against cholera include improved sanitation and access to clean water.[4] Cholera vaccines that are given by mouth provide reasonable protection for about six months.[1] They have the added benefit of protecting against another type of diarrhea caused by E. coli.[1] The primary treatment is oral rehydration therapy—the replacement of fluids with slightly sweet and salty solutions.[1] Rice-based solutions are preferred.[1] Zinc supplementation is useful in children.[5] In severe cases, intravenous fluids, such as Ringer's lactate, may be required, and antibiotics may be beneficial.[1] Testing to see which antibiotic the cholera is susceptible to can help guide the choice.[2]
Cholera affects an estimated 3–5 million people worldwide and causes 28,800–130,000 deaths a year.[1][6] Although it is classified as a pandemic as of 2010, it is rare in the developed world.[1] Children are mostly affected.[1][10] Cholera occurs as both outbreaks and chronically in certain areas.[1] Areas with an ongoing risk of disease include Africa and Southeast Asia.[1] The risk of death among those affected is usually less than 5% but may be as high as 50%.[1] No access to treatment results in a higher death rate.[1] Descriptions of cholera are found as early as the 5th century BC in Sanskrit.[4] The study of cholera in England by John Snow between 1849 and 1854 led to significant advances in the field of epidemiology.[4][11] Seven large outbreaks have occurred over the last 200 years with millions of deaths.[12]
Signs and symptoms
Typical cholera diarrhea that looks like "rice water".
The primary symptoms of cholera are profuse diarrhea and vomiting of clear fluid.[13] These symptoms usually start suddenly, half a day to five days after ingestion of the bacteria.[14] The diarrhea is frequently described as "rice water" in nature and may have a fishy odor.[13] An untreated person with cholera may produce 10 to 20 litres (3 to 5 US gal) of diarrhea a day.[13] Severe cholera, without treatment, kills about half of affected individuals.[13] If the severe diarrhea is not treated, it can result in life-threatening dehydration and electrolyte imbalances.[13] Estimates of the ratio of asymptomatic to symptomatic infections have ranged from 3 to 100.[15] Cholera has been nicknamed the "blue death"[16] because a person's skin may turn bluish-gray from extreme loss of fluids.[17]
Fever is rare and should raise suspicion for secondary infection. Patients can be lethargic, and might have sunken eyes, dry mouth, cold clammy skin, or wrinkled hands and feet. Kussmaul breathing, a deep and labored breathing pattern, can occur because of acidosis from stool bicarbonate losses and lactic acidosis associated with poor perfusion. Blood pressure drops due to dehydration, peripheral pulse is rapid and thready, and urine output decreases with time. Muscle cramping and weakness, altered consciousness, seizures, or even coma due to electrolyte imbalances are common, especially in children.[13]
Cause
Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera., the bacterium that causes cholera.
Transmission
Cholera has been found in two animal populations: shellfish and plankton.[13]
Transmission is usually through the fecal-oral route of contaminated food or water caused by poor sanitation.[1] Most cholera cases in developed countries are a result of transmission by food, while in the developing world it is more often water.[13] Food transmission can occur when people harvest seafood such as oysters in waters infected with sewage, as Vibrio cholerae accumulates in planktonic crustaceans and the oysters eat the zooplankton.[18]
People infected with cholera often have diarrhea, and disease transmission may occur if this highly liquid stool, colloquially referred to as "rice-water", contaminates water used by others.[19] A single diarrheal event can cause a one-million fold increase in numbers of V. cholerae in the environment.[20] The source of the contamination is typically other cholera sufferers when their untreated diarrheal discharge is allowed to get into waterways, groundwater or drinking water supplies. Drinking any contaminated water and eating any foods washed in the water, as well as shellfish living in the affected waterway, can cause a person to contract an infection. Cholera is rarely spread directly from person to person.[medical citation needed]
V. cholerae also exists outside the human body in natural water sources, either by itself or through interacting with phytoplankton, zooplankton, or biotic and abiotic detritus.[21] Drinking such water can also result in the disease, even without prior contamination through fecal matter. Selective pressures exist however in the aquatic environment that may reduce the virulence of V. cholerae.[21] Specifically, animal models indicate that the transcriptional profile of the pathogen changes as it prepares to enter an aquatic environment.[21] This transcriptional change results in a loss of ability of V. cholerae to be cultured on standard media, a phenotype referred to as 'viable but non-culturable' (VBNC) or more conservatively 'active but non-culturable' (ABNC).[21] One study indicates that the culturability of V. cholerae drops 90% within 24 hours of entering the water, and furthermore that this loss in culturability is associated with a loss in virulence.[21][22]
Both toxic and non-toxic strains exist. Non-toxic strains can acquire toxicity through a temperate bacteriophage.[23]
Susceptibility
About 100 million bacteria must typically be ingested to cause cholera in a normal healthy adult.[13] This dose, however, is less in those with lowered gastric acidity (for instance those using proton pump inhibitors).[13] Children are also more susceptible, with two- to four-year-olds having the highest rates of infection.[13] Individuals' susceptibility to cholera is also affected by their blood type, with those with type O blood being the most susceptible.[13] Persons with lowered immunity, such as persons with AIDS or malnourished children, are more likely to experience a severe case if they become infected.[24] Any individual, even a healthy adult in middle age, can experience a severe case, and each person's case should be measured by the loss of fluids, preferably in consultation with a professional health care provider.[medical citation needed]
The cystic fibrosis genetic mutation known as delta-F508 in humans has been said to maintain a selective heterozygous advantage: heterozygous carriers of the mutation (who are thus not affected by cystic fibrosis) are more resistant to V. cholerae infections.[25] In this model, the genetic deficiency in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channel proteins interferes with bacteria binding to the intestinal epithelium, thus reducing the effects of an infection.
Mechanism
Vibrio cholerae. The role of biofilm in the intestinal colonization of
When consumed, most bacteria do not survive the acidic conditions of the human stomach.[26] The few surviving bacteria conserve their energy and stored nutrients during the passage through the stomach by shutting down protein production. When the surviving bacteria exit the stomach and reach the small intestine, they must propel themselves through the thick mucus that lines the small intestine to reach the intestinal walls where they can attach and thrive.[26]
Once the cholera bacteria reach the intestinal wall, they no longer need the flagella to move. The bacteria stop producing the protein flagellin to conserve energy and nutrients by changing the mix of proteins which they express in response to the changed chemical surroundings. On reaching the intestinal wall, V. cholerae start producing the toxic proteins that give the infected person a watery diarrhea. This carries the multiplying new generations of V. cholerae bacteria out into the drinking water of the next host if proper sanitation measures are not in place.[medical citation needed]
The cholera toxin (CTX or CT) is an oligomeric complex made up of six protein subunits: a single copy of the A subunit (part A), and five copies of the B subunit (part B), connected by a disulfide bond. The five B subunits form a five-membered ring that binds to GM1 gangliosides on the surface of the intestinal epithelium cells. The A1 portion of the A subunit is an enzyme that ADP-ribosylates G proteins, while the A2 chain fits into the central pore of the B subunit ring. Upon binding, the complex is taken into the cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Once inside the cell, the disulfide bond is reduced, and the A1 subunit is freed to bind with a human partner protein called ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6).[27] Binding exposes its active site, allowing it to permanently ribosylate the Gs alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein. This results in constitutive cAMP production, which in turn leads to the secretion of water, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate into the lumen of the small intestine and rapid dehydration. The gene encoding the cholera toxin was introduced into V. cholerae by horizontal gene transfer. Virulent strains of V. cholerae carry a variant of a temperate bacteriophage called CTXφ.
Microbiologists have studied the genetic mechanisms by which the V. cholerae bacteria turn off the production of some proteins and turn on the production of other proteins as they respond to the series of chemical environments they encounter, passing through the stomach, through the mucous layer of the small intestine, and on to the intestinal wall.[28] Of particular interest have been the genetic mechanisms by which cholera bacteria turn on the protein production of the toxins that interact with host cell mechanisms to pump chloride ions into the small intestine, creating an ionic pressure which prevents sodium ions from entering the cell. The chloride and sodium ions create a salt-water environment in the small intestines, which through osmosis can pull up to six liters of water per day through the intestinal cells, creating the massive amounts of diarrhea. The host can become rapidly dehydrated unless an appropriate mixture of dilute salt water and sugar is taken to replace the blood's water and salts lost in the diarrhea.[medical citation needed]
By inserting separate, successive sections of V. cholerae DNA into the DNA of other bacteria, such as E. coli that would not naturally produce the protein toxins, researchers have investigated the mechanisms by which V. cholerae responds to the changing chemical environments of the stomach, mucous layers, and intestinal wall. Researchers have discovered a complex cascade of regulatory proteins controls expression of V. cholerae virulence determinants.[medical citation needed] In responding to the chemical environment at the intestinal wall, the V. cholerae bacteria produce the TcpP/TcpH proteins, which, together with the ToxR/ToxS proteins, activate the expression of the ToxT regulatory protein. ToxT then directly activates expression of virulence genes that produce the toxins, causing diarrhea in the infected person and allowing the bacteria to colonize the intestine.[28] Current[when?] research aims at discovering "the signal that makes the cholera bacteria stop swimming and start to colonize (that is, adhere to the cells of) the small intestine."[28]
Genetic structure
Amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of the pandemic isolates of V. cholerae has revealed variation in the genetic structure. Two clusters have been identified: Cluster I and Cluster II. For the most part, Cluster I consists of strains from the 1960s and 1970s, while Cluster II largely contains strains from the 1980s and 1990s, based on the change in the clone structure. This grouping of strains is best seen in the strains from the African continent.[29]
Antibiotic resistance
In many areas of the world, antibiotic resistance is increasing within cholera bacteria. In Bangladesh, for example, most cases are resistant to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and erythromycin.[30] Rapid diagnostic assay methods are available for the identification of multi-drug resistant cases.[31] New generation antimicrobials have been discovered which are effective against cholera bacteria in in vitro studies.[32]
Diagnosis
A rapid dipstick test is available to determine the presence of V. cholerae.[30] In those samples that test positive, further testing should be done to determine antibiotic resistance.[30] In epidemic situations, a clinical diagnosis may be made by taking a patient history and doing a brief examination. Treatment is usually started without or before confirmation by laboratory analysis.
Stool and swab samples collected in the acute stage of the disease, before antibiotics have been administered, are the most useful specimens for laboratory diagnosis. If an epidemic of cholera is suspected, the most common causative agent is V. cholerae O1. If V. cholerae serogroup O1 is not isolated, the laboratory should test for V. cholerae O139. However, if neither of these organisms is isolated, it is necessary to send stool specimens to a reference laboratory.
Infection with V. cholerae O139 should be reported and handled in the same manner as that caused by V. cholerae O1. The associated diarrheal illness should be referred to as cholera and must be reported in the United States.[33]
Prevention
Preventive inoculation against cholera in 1966.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends focusing on prevention, preparedness, and response to combat the spread of cholera.[34] They also stress the importance of an effective surveillance system.[34] Governments can play a role in all of these areas.
Although cholera may be life-threatening, prevention of the disease is normally straightforward if proper sanitation practices are followed. In developed countries, due to nearly universal advanced water treatment and sanitation practices present there, cholera is rare. For example, the last major outbreak of cholera in the United States occurred in 1910–1911.[35][36] Cholera is mainly a risk in developing countries.
Effective sanitation practices, if instituted and adhered to in time, are usually sufficient to stop an epidemic. There are several points along the cholera transmission path at which its spread may be halted:[citation needed]
Handwashing with soap or ash after using a toilet and before handling food or eating is also recommended for cholera prevention by WHO Africa.[41]
Surveillance
A modelling approach using satellite data can enhance our ability to develop cholera risk maps in several regions of the globe.
Surveillance and prompt reporting allow for containing cholera epidemics rapidly. Cholera exists as a seasonal disease in many endemic countries, occurring annually mostly during rainy seasons. Surveillance systems can provide early alerts to outbreaks, therefore leading to coordinated response and assist in preparation of preparedness plans. Efficient surveillance systems can also improve the risk assessment for potential cholera outbreaks. Understanding the seasonality and location of outbreaks provides guidance for improving cholera control activities for the most vulnerable.[42] For prevention to be effective, it is important that cases be reported to national health authorities.[13]
Vaccine
A number of safe and effective oral vaccines for cholera are available.[43] The World Health Organization has three prequalified oral cholera vaccines (OCVs): Dukoral, Sanchol, and Euvichol. Dukoral, an orally administered, inactivated whole cell vaccine, has an overall efficacy of about 52% during the first year after being given and 62% in the second year, with minimal side effects.[43] It is available in over 60 countries. However, it is not currently[when?] recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for most people traveling from the United States to endemic countries.[44] The vaccine that the FDA recommends, Vaxchora, is an oral attenuated live vaccine, that is effective as a single dose.[45]
One injectable vaccine was found to be effective for two to three years. The protective efficacy was 28% lower in children less than 5 years old.[46] However, as of 2010, it has limited availability.[1] Work is under way to investigate the role of mass vaccination.[47] The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends immunization of high-risk groups, such as children and people with HIV, in countries where this disease is endemic.[1] If people are immunized broadly, herd immunity results, with a decrease in the amount of contamination in the environment.[30]
Sari filtration
An effective and relatively cheap method to prevent the transmission of cholera is the use of a folded sari (a long cloth garment) to filter drinking water.[48] In Bangladesh this practice was found to decrease rates of cholera by nearly half.[49] It involves folding a sari four to eight times.[48] Between uses the cloth should be rinsed in clean water and dried in the sun to kill any bacteria on it.[50] A nylon cloth appears to work as well but is not as affordable.[49]
Treatment
Continued eating speeds the recovery of normal intestinal function. The World Health Organization recommends this generally for cases of diarrhea no matter what the underlying cause.[51] A CDC training manual specifically for cholera states: "Continue to breastfeed your baby if the baby has watery diarrhea, even when traveling to get treatment. Adults and older children should continue to eat frequently |
4 he had replaced general Kaunitz as commander of the combined Austro-Dutch forces on the instigation of Emperor Francis II who apparently had a high opinion of him.[1]:270 But the French armies proved too strong, and the allied leadership too inept, and the allies were defeated. The French first entered Dutch Brabant which they dominated after the Battle of Boxtel. When in the winter of 1794-95 the rivers in the Rhine delta froze over, the French breached the southern Hollandic Water Line and the situation became militarily untenable. In many places Dutch revolutionaries took over the local government. After the Batavian Revolution in Amsterdam on 18 January 1795 the stadtholder decided to flee to Britain, and his sons accompanied him. (On this last day in Holland his father relieved William honorably of his commands). The next day the Batavian Republic was proclaimed.[1]:341–365, 374–404, 412
Exile [ edit ]
Soon after his departure to Britain the Hereditary Prince went back to the Continent,[clarification needed] where his brother was assembling former members of the States Army in Osnabrück for a planned foray into the Batavian Republic in the Summer of 1795. However, the neutral Prussian government forbade this.[2]:231–235
In 1799, William landed in the current North Holland as part of an Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. The Hereditary Prince was instrumental in fomenting a mutiny on the Batavian naval squadron in the Vlieter, resulting in the surrender of the ships without a fight to the Royal Navy, which accepted the surrender in the name of the stadtholder. The local Dutch population, however, was not pleased with the arrival of the prince. One local Orangist was even executed.[c] The hoped-for popular uprising failed to materialise. After several minor battles the Hereditary Prince was forced to leave the country again after the Convention of Alkmaar. The mutineers of the Batavian fleet, with their ships,and a number of deserters from the Batavian army accompanied the retreating British troops to Britain. There William formed the King's Dutch Brigade with these troops, a military unit in British service, that swore oaths of allegiance to the British King, but also to the States General, defunct since 1795, "whenever those would be reconstituted."[d] This brigade trained on the Isle of Wight in 1800 and was eventually used by the British in Ireland.[3]:241–265
When peace was concluded between Great Britain and the French Republic under First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte the Orange exiles were at their nadir. The Dutch Brigade was dissolved on 12 July 1802. Many members of the brigade went home to the Batavian Republic, thanks to an amnesty. The surrendered ships of the Batavian navy were not returned, due to an agreement between the stadtholder and the British government of 11 March 1800.[3]:329–330 Instead the stadtholder was allowed to sell them to the Royal Navy for an appreciable sum.[4]
The stadtholder, feeling betrayed by the British, left for Germany. The Hereditary Prince, having a more flexible mind, went to visit Napoleon at St. Cloud in 1802. He apparently charmed the First Consul, and was charmed by him. Napoleon raised hopes for William that he might have an important role in a reformed Batavian Republic. Meanwhile, William's brother-in-law Frederick William III of Prussia, neutral at the time, promoted a Franco-Prussian convention of 23 May 1802, in addition to the Treaty of Amiens, that gave the House of Orange a few abbatial domains in Germany, that were combined to the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda by way of indemnification for its losses in the Batavian Republic. The stadtholder gave this principality immediately to his son.[2]:452
c. 1805–1810 William Frederick, Prince of Orange in1805–1810
When Napoleon invaded Germany in 1806 and war broke out between the French Empire and Prussia, William supported his Prussian relatives, though he was nominally a French vassal. He received command of a Prussian division which took part in the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt. The Prussians lost that battle and William was forced to surrender his troops rather ignominiously at Erfurt the day after the battle. He was made a prisoner of war, but was paroled soon. Napoleon punished him for his betrayal, however, by taking away his principality. As a parolee, William was not allowed to take part in the hostilities anymore. After the Peace of Tilsit William received a pension from France in compensation.[3]:454–469, 471, 501
In the same year, 1806, his father, the Prince of Orange died, and William not only inherited the title, but also his father's claims on the inheritance embodied in the Nassau lands. This would become important a few years later, when developments in Germany coincided to make William the Fürst (Prince) of a diverse assembly of Nassau lands that had belonged to other branches of the House of Nassau.
But before this came about, in 1809 tensions between Austria and France became intense. William did not hesitate to join the Austrian army as a Feldmarschalleutnant (major-general) in May 1809[3]:516 As a member of the staff of the Austrian supreme commander, Archduke Charles he took part in the Battle of Wagram, where he was wounded in the leg.[3]:520–523
Tsar Alexander I of Russia played a central role in the restoration of the Netherlands. Prince William VI (as he was now known), who had been living in exile in Prussia, met with Alexander I in March 1813. Alexander promised to support William and help restore an independent Netherlands with William as king. Russian troops in the Netherlands participated with their Prussian allies in restoring the dynasty. Dynastic considerations of marriage between the royal houses of Great Britain and the Netherlands, assured British approval.
Return [ edit ]
Landing of William in Scheveningen on 30 November 1813
Inauguration of William as sovereign Prince of the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 30 March 1814
After Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig (October 1813), the French troops retreated to France from all over Europe. The Netherlands had been annexed to the French Empire by Napoleon in 1810. But now city after city was evacuated by the French occupation troops. In the ensuing power vacuum a number of former Orangist politicians and former Patriots formed a provisional government in November 1813. Although a large number of the members of the provisional government had helped drive out William V 18 years earlier, it was taken for granted that his son would have to head any new regime. They also agreed it would be better in the long term for the Dutch to restore him themselves, rather than have the Great Powers impose him on the country. The Dutch population were pleased with the departure of the French, who had ruined the Dutch economy, and this time welcomed the prince.[2]:634–642
After having been invited by the Driemanschap (Triumvirate) of 1813, on 30 November 1813 William disembarked from HMS Warrior and landed at Scheveningen beach, only a few yards from the place where he had left the country with his father 18 years before, and on 6 December the provisional government offered him the title of King. William refused, instead proclaiming himself "Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands". He also wanted the rights of the people to be guaranteed by "a wise constitution".[2]:643
The constitution offered William extensive (almost absolute) powers. Ministers were only responsible to him, while a unicameral parliament (the States General) exercised only limited power. He was inaugurated as sovereign prince in the New Church in Amsterdam on 30 March 1814. In August 1814, he was appointed Governor-General of the former Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (more or less modern-day Belgium) by the Allied Powers who occupied that country, ruling them on behalf of Prussia. He was also made Grand Duke of Luxembourg, having received that territory in return for trading his hereditary German lands to Prussia and the Duke of Nassau. The Great Powers had already agreed via the secret Eight Articles of London to unite the Low Countries into a single kingdom. It was believed that a united country on the North Sea would help keep France in check. With the de facto addition of the Austrian Netherlands and Luxembourg to his realm, William had fulfilled his family's three-century dream of uniting the Low Countries.
King of the Netherlands [ edit ]
Portrait of William I (1816)
Helmed coat-of-arms of King William I
Royal Monogram
Feeling threatened by Napoleon, who had escaped from Elba, William proclaimed the Netherlands a kingdom on 16 March 1815 at the urging of the powers gathered at the Congress of Vienna. His son, the future king William II, fought as a commander at the Battle of Waterloo. After Napoleon had been sent into exile, William adopted a new constitution which included many features of the old constitution, such as extensive royal powers. He was formally confirmed as hereditary ruler of what was known as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna.
Principal changes [ edit ]
The States General was divided into two chambers. The Eerste Kamer (First Chamber or Senate or House of Lords) was appointed by the King. The Tweede Kamer (Second Chamber or House of Representatives or House of Commons) was elected by the Provincial States, which were in turn chosen by census suffrage. The 110 seats were divided equally between the North and the South, although the population of the North (2 million) was significantly less than that of the South (3.5 million). The States General's primary function was to approve the King's laws and decrees. The constitution contained many present-day Dutch political institutions; however, their functions and composition have changed greatly over the years.
The constitution was accepted in the North, but not in the South. The under-representation of the South was one of the causes of the Belgian Revolution. Referendum turnout was low, in the Southern provinces, but William interpreted all abstentions to be yes votes. He prepared a lavish inauguration for himself in Brussels, where he gave the people copper coins (leading to his first nickname, the Copper King).
The spearhead of King William's policies was economic progress. As he founded many trade institutions, his second nickname was the King-Merchant. In 1822, he founded the Algemeene Nederlandsche Maatschappij ter Begunstiging van de Volksvlijt, which would become one of the most important institutions of Belgium after its independence. Industry flourished, especially in the South. In 1817, he also founded three universities in the Southern provinces, such as a new University of Leuven, the University of Ghent and the University of Liège. The Northern provinces, meanwhile, were the centre of trade. This, in combination with the colonies (Dutch East Indies, Surinam, Curaçao and Dependencies, and the Dutch Gold Coast) created great wealth for the Kingdom. However, the money flowed into the hands of Dutch directors. Only a few Belgians managed to profit from the economic growth. Feelings of economic inequity were another cause of the Belgian uprising.
William was also determined to create a unified people, even though the north and the south had drifted far apart culturally and economically since the south was reconquered by Spain after the Act of Abjuration of 1581. The North was commercial, Protestant and entirely Dutch-speaking; the south was industrial, Roman Catholic and divided between Dutch and French-speakers.
Officially, a separation of church and state existed in the kingdom. However, William himself was a strong supporter of the Reformed Church. This led to resentment among the people in the mostly Catholic south. William had also devised controversial language and school policies. Dutch was imposed as the official language in (the Dutch-speaking region of) Flanders; this angered French-speaking aristocrats and industrial workers. Schools throughout the Kingdom were required to instruct students in the Reformed faith and the Dutch language. Many in the South feared that the King sought to extinguish Catholicism and the French language.
Revolt of the Southern Provinces [ edit ]
Portrait of William I (1833)
In August 1830 Daniel Auber's opera La muette de Portici, about the repression of Neapolitans, was staged in Brussels. Performances of this show seemed to crystallize a sense of nationalism and "Hollandophobia" in Brussels, and spread to the rest of the South. Rioting ensued, chiefly aimed at the kingdom's unpopular justice minister, Cornelis Felix van Maanen, who lived in Brussels. An infuriated William responded by sending troops to repress the riots. However, the riots had spread to other Southern cities. The riots quickly became popular uprisings. An independent state of Belgium emerged out of the 1830 Revolution.
The next year, William sent his sons William, the Prince of Orange,[e] and Prince Frederick to invade the new state. Although initially victorious in this Ten Days' Campaign, the Dutch army was forced to retreat after the threat of French intervention. Some support for the Orange dynasty (chiefly among Flemings) persisted for years but the Dutch never regained control over Belgium. William nevertheless continued the war for eight years. His economic successes became overshadowed by a perceived mismanagement of the war effort. High costs of the war came to burden the Dutch economy, fueling public resentment. In 1839, William was forced to end the war. The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was dissolved by the Treaty of London (1839) and the northern part continued as the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was not renamed, however, as the "United"-prefix had never been part of its official name, but rather was retrospectively added by historians for descriptive purposes (cf. Weimar Republic).
Constitutional changes and abdication in later life [ edit ]
Statue of Willem I of the Netherlands by Pieter Puype (1913) in Apeldoorn
Constitutional changes were initiated in 1840 because the terms which involved the United Kingdom of the Netherlands had to be removed. These constitutional changes also included the introduction of judicial ministerial responsibility. Although the policies remained uncontrolled by parliament, the prerogative was controllable now. The very conservative William could not live with these constitutional changes. This, the disappointment about the loss of Belgium, and William I's intention to marry Henrietta d'Oultremont (paradoxically both "Belgian" and Roman Catholic) made him wish to abdicate. He fulfilled this intent on 7 October 1840 and his eldest son acceded to the throne as king William II. William I died in 1843 in Berlin at the age of 71.
Children [ edit ]
With his wife Wilhelmina, King William I had six children:
Honours [ edit ]
Ancestry [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]
Caraway, David Todd. "Retreat from Liberalism: William I, Freedom of the Press, Political Asylum, and the Foreign Relations of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, 1814-1818" PhD dissertation, U. of Delaware, 2003, 341pp. Abstract: Dissertation Abstracts International 2003, Vol. 64 Issue 3, p1030-1030
2003, Vol. 64 Issue 3, p1030-1030 Kossmann, E. H. The Low Countries 1780–1940 (1978) ch 3-4Welcome to another edition of the View from South Ward. First, as usual, let’s mention the most important part of this column, the beer of the match. This week it was La Trappe Isid’or from Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven.
It’s been a bit of a slowish week in the world of the Red Bulls. During the last week, the Bulls played to a 1-1 tie in their international friendly with Thierry Henry’s former home, Lyon. And speaking of Thierry Henry, the Espy’s were this week. Henry was voted to be the best player in the MLS, and received an Espy for it.
It seems that every week Toronto FC finds a way to sink lower and lower. First, in their home tilt against Chivas, they managed to find a way to lose, despite Chivas, who celebrated the return of Carlos Bocanegra, being down to 10 men. As if to add insult to injury, team captain Darren O’Dea is leaving the club. After much hand wringing and inner conflict O’Dea is going to accept a rich transfer offer to Ukraine’s Metalurh Donetsk. I ask again: What the heck is MLSE thinking?
It’s no secret that Team Beckham is looking to plop an MLS expansion franchise in Miami. When it was reported months ago, I almost stood up and applauded. For those of you who don’t know, there was a clause in David Beckham’s MLS contract that included an option to own an MLS expansion franchise. Shortly after his retirement from the L.A Galaxy, he began sniffing around possible venues in Miami, Florida. As pointed out by a Miami Herald columnist, South Beach already has a perfectly good venue to house an MLS franchise. Considering the success of Seattle and Kansas City, due in part to their community feel, the possible venue and the promise of the team itself, footy could take off in south Florida in a very special way.
Between the creation of NYCFC, and the possible Florida expansion, maybe it’s time that the MLS adopts a relegation system? In my head, it would look like this:
Let’s assume MLS commish Don Garber gets his wish, and the MLS expands to 22 clubs. There is another league in North America called the NASL. The bottom two teams in the MLS would get relegated to the NASL and the top two teams in the NASL, would get the opportunity to break the big time.
Maybe the threat of relegation would motivate a team like TFC to clean themselves up and right the sinking ship.
Speaking of TFC, let’s jump into this week’s Red Bulls road trip to the Great White North, and their match against Osorio and Toronto FC.
Can someone PLEASE tell me where the Red Bulls team is that embarrassed the Montreal Impact? This is the exact problem that this writer has been trying to wrap his head around since the beginning of the season. The lack of consistency is mind boggling. At one point, the announcer said that Toronto FC is showing the talent level an Under-14 squad would be proud of.
Where was the blistering offense that hammered away repeatedly at the Impact, and were rewarded with 4 goals? Where was solid midfield play from Jonny Steele and Eric Alexander? The former was nearly invisible for the match, while Alexander continued to celebrate his coming out party by trying to create what he could, but without receiving much help from his team mates. Henry looked listless, at times. It seemed that the only one who showed up to this match was Tim Cahill, who had a goal called back by an offsides flag.
Speaking of the referees, I counted a hand ball and three obvious trips that went uncalled, two of which were within the penalty area and SHOULD have resulted in penalty kicks. It wasn’t until the second half that head official Jorge Gonzalez gained a full measure of control over the match. Interestingly enough, one of the assistant referees was an emergency stand in, and got a tough offsides call right. Maybe he should have been the guy running amongst the wolves on the pitch.
All told the snoozefest, with the exception of a world class Luis Robles save on Richard Eckersley (MLS Save of the Week, anyone?), resulted in a 0-0 tie. One has to wonder, once again, about coach Mike Petke’s ability to manage a game, and how much control he has of the pulse and motivation this New York side has. Although, Petke finally changed his alignment in the second half, for a change, proving that minor miracles do, in fact, happen.
Next up is the MLS leading, championship favorite, Real Salt Lake back at Red Bull Arena. One has to wonder which RBNY side will appear – the one with all the answers, or the one with all the questions?
Thanks for reading – as always feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBigMick and follow the site @lastwordonsport.
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Main Photo Credit: Wakingthered.com, CC,BOSTON — In 1994 Ken Burns' series “Baseball” was a grand slam home run, a nine-“inning” exploration of the American pastime that was the most popular documentary in American television history. But shortly before it aired in September, the game’s history was abruptly changing. Baseball players had gone on strike, a work stoppage that would ultimately result in the first-ever cancellation of the World Series.
The strike and its devastating consequences for Major League Baseball was the first of many dramatic events — “among the most consequential in the history of the game,” said Burns — that moved him and his filmmaking partner Lynn Novick to revisit the game and add “The Tenth Inning,” airing in two chapters on PBS Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
Since the original film, baseball not only endured the devastating strike, but a burgeoning steroids scandal that transformed some of the game’s greatest heroes into fallen idols.
“We have been drawn to the story because of the classical tragedy, the Shakespearean dimension, the hubris that has brought these great stars down,” said Burns. “When you’re in the midst of it, it feels really bad and the Cassandras among us will wring their hands and say, ‘The game is over.’ But in fact, we’ve made it through the steroids scandal and we’re looking at it through the backside now.”
Despite all the self-inflicted wounds that damaged the game over the past two decades, baseball has not only endured, but, the filmmakers insist, is once again thriving. No change has been more responsible for its revival than globalization, which has bolstered baseball both on and off the field. Burns and Novick talked to GlobalPost columnist Mark Starr about globalization and its impact on the American game.
GP: Globalization seems the biggest plus in an array of some pretty big minuses.
Novick: We completely agree. We weren’t interested in baseball for its own sake, but in how baseball helps us understand the world and what’s been happening in our society. Corporations don’t limit themselves by the boundaries of the United States and baseball is no different. On a business level, globalization has been great for the game. In terms of sheer talent on the field, it has been extraordinary for the game. On the other hand, we have to recognize that you have Third World countries where people are pursuing the unlikely dream of coming here and becoming the next Sammy Sosa. You have a situation where people are both being exploited and given incredible opportunities.
GP: Has globalization changed the game or just the face of the game?
Burns: We realized that baseball has always been two things at once. It has been a repository of carefully held verities for as long as the game has been existence and yet it is also this precise mirror of how we are now. Globalization has just strengthened the meritocracy that baseball has always been and that sometimes America in the larger world doesn’t keep up with. We’re in a period where we are demonizing immigrant populations that are coming to our shore. Yet baseball has not only been willing to absorb, but to exult in the great talent they brought here. The great Hispanic contribution to the game over the last 20 years was one of the catalysts for us making the film.
GP: Lynn suggests that the game has been a mixed bag for Third World nations.
Burns: Obviously, as they cast their nets out in Latin America for the cheaper talent and disgorge so many people who aren’t going to make it, it is bittersweet. But more than 40 percent of ballplayers are Hispanics and they have completely transformed the game. The most common names in baseball today are Rodriguez and Ramirez.
Novick: Filming in the Dominican Republic, I went in with the idea with the idea that these young boys are being plucked at 15 and 16 into the baseball academies and that most of them get used up and spit out at the other end. But it’s more complicated than that. With the lack of opportunity where they are coming from, even if they don’t make it to the major leagues as a superstar, sometimes they may wind up in America making a steady salary that they might otherwise not have.
GP: Obviously the Latin contributions are enormous. Is there a stylistic contribution too?
Burns: Just as the Negro Leagues helped to bring a different kind of style of play, the Latin players brought the same kind of spirit. When you go to the Dominican Republic and film these kids in bare feet on rocky back alleys swinging two-by-twos to hit rags wrapped in twine, you begin to see an elemental enthusiasm for the game that we haven’t experienced in this country for an awful long time.
GP: Do you see the talent pool expanding beyond its current boundaries?
Burns: As baseball has understood the global possibilities, we are seeing talent spring up in new areas. It’s an exciting notion that we may one day get the baseball equivalent of a Yao Ming and open up that extraordinary talent pool to Major League Baseball. It only makes the game better and brings us closer together.
GP: Your film has a wonderful interview with Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki. Fans have certainly learned to appreciate the skills of Japanese and Korean players.
Novick: The Asian players go to school for baseball in a way American kids do not. They develop mastery of the technical aspects of the game at a level that kids in America at that age don’t yet have. They have an extraordinary practice ethic quite aside from performance in the game. We worked on this film from not only an American perspective. Until we talked with Ichiro, we hadn’t thought about how important Ichiro is in Japan because he has been successful here.
GP: Baseball has always been viewed as a game interwoven with American fabric. Is there a limit to how much globalization fans might tolerate? Might baseball face a backlash that reflects current anti-immigration sentiments?
Burns: I don’t believe it for a second. If that’s the case, then America itself is wrong. Baseball is its natural pastime and its national reflection. The country can’t ignore globalization. Baseball led on the issue of race and integration of the game. Think of the challenge if you were a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and a racist. What do you do when Jackie Robinson arrives? Do you quit being a fan? Do you change allegiances? In more subtle ways, globalization forces us to rethink the nature of things. And while we periodically seem to be taking a step backwards — the anti-immigration movements of the early 20th century and now with the Tea Party — we still have a forward momentum that suggests this country is perpetually enriched by renewing itself with the spirit of immigrant labor.
GP: Do you think we are likely to see some political dynamics next season, with the MLB All-Star game scheduled for Arizona?
Burns: We made a conscious decision, with great regret, not to visit Arizona on our promotional tour. We don’t think [its new immigration laws] reflect well on what America is. Baseball is so far out ahead on this that we may be able — through the comments and protests of players and perhaps even Major League Baseball — join a much more intelligent discussion than what has been going on there for the last several months.
Novick: I don’t know if the Latin ball players will feel comfortable voicing a political opinion here.
GP: So bottom line, is baseball better off or worse off than when you left it almost two decades ago?
Novick: Much better. The game is tremendously resilient. It has endured and it will endure.Flights Tab 1 of 6
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Activities Tab 6 of 6 Search Flights Please correct the errors below. Flight type - changes form below Roundtrip One way Multi-city Flying from Clear field: Flying from. Field value: Flying to Clear field: Flying to. Field value: Adults (18+) 1 2 3 4 5 6 Children (0-17) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Child 1 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 2 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 3 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 4 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 5 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 6 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Flying from Clear field: Flying from. Field value: Flying to Clear field: Flying to. Field value: Delete flight leg Delete flight leg + Add another flight Airline age rules opens in a new window Children under age 2 must sit in a seat or on a lap. On lap In seat Advanced options Nonstop Refundable flight Preferred airline No preference Preferred class First class Business Premium economy Economy/Coach Add a hotel Add a car Rooms 1 2 3 Room 1 Adults (18+) 1 2 3 4 5 6 Children (0-17) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Child 1 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 2 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 3 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 4 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 5 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 6 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Direct flights only Direct flights only Search Save up to $585 Book Flight + Hotel at the same time* Book together and SAVE! Search Hotels Please correct the errors below. Going to Clear field: Going to. Field value: Rooms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9+ Room 1 Adults (18+) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Children (0-17) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Child 1 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 2 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 3 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 4 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 5 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 6 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Add a flight Add a flight Add a car Add a car Flying from Clear field: Flying from. Field value: Airline age rules opens in a new window Children under age 2 must sit in a seat or on a lap. On lap In seat Direct flights only Direct flights only Search Save up to $585 Book Flight + Hotel at the same time* Book together and SAVE! Search Cars Please correct the errors below. Picking up Clear field: Picking up. Field value: Dropping off Clear field: Dropping off. Field value: Pick-up time 12:00AM 12:30AM 1:00AM 1:30AM 2:00AM 2:30AM 3:00AM 3:30AM 4:00AM 4:30AM 5:00AM 5:30AM 6:00AM 6:30AM 7:00AM 7:30AM 8:00AM 8:30AM 9:00AM 9:30AM 10:00AM 10:30AM 11:00AM 11:30AM 12:00PM 12:30PM 1:00PM 1:30PM 2:00PM 2:30PM 3:00PM 3:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 5:00PM 5:30PM 6:00PM 6:30PM 7:00PM 7:30PM 8:00PM 8:30PM 9:00PM 9:30PM 10:00PM 10:30PM 11:00PM 11:30PM Drop-off time 12:00AM 12:30AM 1:00AM 1:30AM 2:00AM 2:30AM 3:00AM 3:30AM 4:00AM 4:30AM 5:00AM 5:30AM 6:00AM 6:30AM 7:00AM 7:30AM 8:00AM 8:30AM 9:00AM 9:30AM 10:00AM 10:30AM 11:00AM 11:30AM 12:00PM 12:30PM 1:00PM 1:30PM 2:00PM 2:30PM 3:00PM 3:30PM 4:00PM 4:30PM 5:00PM 5:30PM 6:00PM 6:30PM 7:00PM 7:30PM 8:00PM 8:30PM 9:00PM 9:30PM 10:00PM 10:30PM 11:00PM 11:30PM Advanced options Car type No preference Economy Compact Midsize Standard Fullsize Premium Luxury Convertible Minivan Sport Utility Sports car Rental car company No preference -- Select from the list -- ACE Rent A Car Advantage Rent-A-Car Alamo Rent A Car Avis Budget Dollar Rent A Car Economy Rent a Car Enterprise Europcar Fox Rental Cars Hertz Midway Car Rental National Car Rental Nü Car Payless Routes Car Rental Sixt Thrifty Car Rental U-Save Discount code I don't have a code Corporate or contracted Special or advertised Search Search Cruises Please correct the errors below. Going to Select destination Caribbean Bahamas Mexico Alaska Europe Bermuda Hawaii Canada/New England Africa Arctic/Antarctic Asia Australia/New Zealand Central America Galapagos Getaway at Sea Middle East Pacific Coastal Panama Canal South America South Pacific Transatlantic Transpacific World Cruise Departure month Travelers in the cabin Adults (18+) 1 2 3 4 5 Children (0-17) 0 1 2 3 4 Child 1 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 2 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 3 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Child 4 age Age Under 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Search Search Things To Do Please correct the errors below. Destination Clear field: Destination. Field value: Search
Please complete the highlighted {0} field below. Dates must be at least {0} days apart. Dates must be no more than {0} days apart. Please choose a different destination from origin. We are only able to book between 1 and {0} travellers. Please adjust the number of travellers for your search. Your length of stay cannot be longer than {0} nights. Please provide the ages of children below. Tell us where you're flying from. Tell us where you're flying to |
Don’t write stories like this.
Seriously, don’t.
Using a story as a precondition or as a reusable piece of logic is a big anti-pattern, and leads to unclear and poorly written scenarios. In programming terms, you might say it is a violation of the “Single Responsibility Principle” – a component should do one thing and one thing only. It is also a cumbersome tool; you can pass parameters to the stories, but the syntax is clunky and hard to read.
The problem is, Stories and Scenarios are not really suited for reuse. JBehave takes the “hammer-and-nail” approach to reuse: when all you have got to work with are story files, the only way to avoid duplication is to reuse stories. But it works very poorly; Gherkin is not a scripting language and shouldn’t be used as one. And there are much better options available.
Relying on scenario order
Some testers rely on the fact that the scenarios in each story are executed in their order of appearance, and have one initial scenario to set up the test data, and then subsequent scenarios that use this data. For example:
Feature: Checkout Scenario: Create a registered frequent flyer Scenario: The frequent flyer earns some points Scenario: The frequent flyer books a flight using his points
This approach is not ideal either. While it avoids duplication, it means that you can only ever execute all of the scenarios as a set. For example, you can’t run “The frequent flyer books a flight using his points” in isolation, which makes debugging slower. It also means that if one scenario fails, the following scenarios are likely to fail as well, which can be misleading: just because there is an issue with the “earn points from flight” feat does not mean that the “book flight with points” feature is broken.
Background Steps
In Cucumber, you can use background steps like this:
Feature: Gold card members Background: Joe is a gold-card frequent flyer Given Joe has 10000 points with a competing airline And Joe provides his personal details And Joe transfers his points to our Frequent Flyer programme Scenario: A Gold-card member can always access the lounge Given Joe is flying economy When Joe tries to enter the lounge Then he should be granted access to the lounge Scenario: A Gold-card member can use the priority access lane when boarding...
This reads more smoothly. However each scenario will run the background steps, so it will slow down the test suite if setting up the test data takes time. The three background steps will also appear in each scenario report, so it tends to clutter up the living documentation.
Reusable Components
A far better solution than any of the above is to avoid including setup logic in the Gherkin scenarios at all. Instead of describing the stpes you need to perform, the Gherkin scenario should focus exclusively on describing the initial state.
Scenario: A Gold-card member can always access the lounge Given Joe is a gold-card frequent flyer And Joe is flying economy When Joe tries to enter the lounge Then he should be granted access to the lounge
The first line (“Given Joe is a gold-card frequent flyer”) describes the initial state we want. We don’t describe a particular solution for getting to that state; we leave that to the step definition code.
There are many ways to implement setup code. For example, using classic Serenity BDD, you could create a FrequentFlyers class to encapsulate the logic of injecting test data:
@Steps private FrequentFlyers frequentFlyers; @Given("(.*) is a (.*)-card frequent flyer") public void givenAFrequentFlyerMember(String name, String level) { frequentFlyers.ensureThatMemberExistsWithNameAndLevel(name, level); }
Another option would be to use the Screenplay Pattern and a builder strategy, to allow more flexibility about the test data being injected.
Actor daveTheDataManager = new Actor("Dave"); @Given("(.*) is a (.*)-card frequent flyer") public void givenAFrequentFlyerMember(String name, String level) { daveTheDataManager.attemptsTo( RegisterAFrequentFlyerMember.called(name).withStatusLevel(level) ) }
These programmatic approaches are much more flexible than the Gherkin-based ones we saw previously. We are not reliant on the way a particular story or scenario does things. For example, the “Register frequent flyer” scenario might demonstrate how a user registers online, and be implemented as a web test, whereas our setup component might inject data directly into the database. Or we might check whether the test data has already been injected, to avoid doing it twice.
Conclusion
Setting up test data, particularly if there is conditional logic involved, is better done at the coding level; the steps in JBehave and Cucumber should simply describe the state they need the system to be in. And with this approach, you will never need to use constructs like GivenStories.
Related courses"In life, we only encounter the injustices we were meant to correct."
-Igari Toshiro, ex-prosecutor, leading lawyer in the anti-organized crime movement in Japan (1949-2010)
Igari Toshiro was my lawyer, my mentor, and my friend. In the sixteen years I've been covering organized crime in Japan, I've never met anyone more courageous or inspiring--or anyone who looked as much like a pit-bull in human form.
Igari-san was a legend in law enforcement circles, the author of several books on dealing with organized crime and preventing its incursion into the business world. He was rather disliked in the underworld.
The last time I spoke face-to-face with Igari was on August 8. It was a Sunday; he had come back from Brazil and went directly from Narita Airport to his office to meet me. I asked him if he would cooperate in a documentary I am working on as consultant and a reporter for National Geographic Television on the yakuza (the Japanese mafia).
I also had a problem.
In 2008, I angered an organized crime boss named Goto Tadamasa, of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest crime group. In The Washington Post, I wrote how he had sold out his own group to the FBI, in order to get a U.S. visa so he could receive a liver transplant at UCLA. That article, along with a book I helped write for Takarajima Publishing, got him kicked out of the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Takarajima published Goto's biography this May. It's a great book, except for the part about me, on page 245-255. There's a quote from Goto that translates, roughly, to "Even though I'm no longer a yakuza boss, if I met this unpleasant reporter, it would be a big deal. He'd go from being a reporter targeted for death to one that was actually dead. Haha."
If you understood how yakuza order hits on people, you'd know that this is the equivalent of a fatwa on my life. I asked Igari to help me deal with the fall-out. He said he'd ask the publisher to retract the threatening passage. His parting words were: "It'll be a long battle. It'll take money and courage and you'll have to come up with those on your own. But we'll fight."
On August 28, Igari's body was found in his vacation home in Manila, wrists slashed. Time of death unknown. It's been ruled a suicide. I believe he was killed. I will probably never be able to prove it.
Igari had been working on his final book, Gekitotsu (Collision), which was published posthumously on September 25. It's an amazing work that pulls no punches, using the real names of the yakuza and the politicians and individuals connected to them. He wrote, "Wherever it was possible, I made it a point to use the real names here. I'm aware that poses a huge risk for myself. I took that risk because I wanted to honestly write about my battles with the injustices hidden in our society and the results of those struggles. It's proper to write the name of those you've fought."
Before leaving for Manila on vacation, he told his editor, "I'm nosing around in dangerous places. I don't know what's going to happen to me. Let me sign the publishing contract now."
In September, my best source in the Yamaguchi-gumi told me point-blank: "Igari-san was murdered by the yakuza. It wasn't Goto's direct order. He was exposing yakuza ties to Sumo and professional baseball. It angered people. You should be careful too. The yakuza don't warn people anymore, they just act."
There is a little shrine for Igari in his office. I went this month to pay my respects; there was no funeral. It was otherwise pretty much as he'd left it. On his desk was an article about the Sumo Association and match-rigging, heavily annotated. His secretary told me, "Igari-san was really happy to take your case. He laughingly bragged to everyone, 'I'm representing a reporter for National Geographic; that makes me an international lawyer!'" I could visualize him saying that, punctuated by his deep, rolling laugh.
Grief is a funny thing. Seeing his empty desk, for the first time I got a little misty-eyed. Not too much, because there were people around, you know.
You may wonder why I keep doing a job that is increasingly dangerous. I wonder myself.
I once asked Igari-san while we were drinking wine (he loved wine), "Have you ever been threatened? Do you ever fear for your life?"
He didn't answer my question directly. Instead, he said:
"I became a prosecutor because I wanted to see justice done in this world. When I quit and became a lawyer, I didn't go to work for the yakuza, like many ex-prosecutors do--I continued to fight them. Not all yakuza are bad guys, but 95 percent of them are leeches on society, they exploit the weak, they prey on the innocent, they cause great suffering. If you capitulate, if you run away, you'll be chased for the rest of your life. And if you're being chased, eventually what is chasing you will catch up. Step back and you're dead already. You can only stand your ground and pursue.
Because that's not only the right thing to do, that's the only thing to do."
And so I stay. Igari-san fought for justice and for truth. As an investigative journalist, I've always believed that's what my job entails, too. Sometimes, the only way to honor the dead is to fight for what they died for. It's the only way I know how to mourn.One hundred days from now, either Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE or Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHouse committee believes it has evidence Trump requested putting ally in charge of Cohen probe: report Vietnamese airline takes steps to open flights to US on sidelines of Trump-Kim summit Manafort's attorneys say he should get less than 10 years in prison MORE will be elected president.
In such a volatile political year, the outcome is anyone’s guess.
Clinton and Trump are hampered by the worst favorability ratings for nominees in modern times, though both have committed, fervent supporters.
The electoral map and the shifting demographics of the United States appear to favor Clinton, particularly because Trump is struggling mightily to attract support from minority voters.
But a nation hungry for change could rally to Trump, the consummate outsider. A Pew Research Center poll last month found that 71 percent of adults are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the nation.
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When head-to-head polls include nominees from other parties — Libertarian Gary Johnson Gary Earl JohnsonPotential GOP primary challenger: Trump's 'contempt for the American people' behind possible bid The Hill's 12:30 Report — Presented by Kidney Care Partners — Trump escalates border fight with emergency declaration Former Mass. governor takes step toward Trump primary challenge MORE and the Green Party’s Jill Stein — Trump’s position in relation to Clinton usually improves slightly. That dynamic could make all the difference, especially if anyone other than Clinton and Trump gets onto the debate stage this fall.
Even so, Clinton is an experienced debater who could shine in the three presidential clashes that have been scheduled. The first will take place at Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y. on September 26.
In a normal year, the campaign might be about to enter a lull now that the nominating conventions are over. The height of summer beckons, and the Olympic Games will command many voters’ attention for more than two weeks when they begin on Aug. 5.
But 2016 has been anything but a normal year, and there is almost certainly more turbulence ahead.
Edgy Democrats are hoping that opinion polls in the coming days will show Clinton received a bump in support from her party’s national convention in Philadelphia this week. Reliable assessments of the true effect — or lack of effect — from the four-day gathering should be available by the middle of next week.
For now, opinion polls indicate that Trump received a modest bounce after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week, despite the uproar when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Trump endorses Cornyn for reelection as O'Rourke mulls challenge MORE (Texas) declined to endorse the nominee in a controversial primetime speech.
Trump, who had been lagging in the polls by a small but significant margin, is now competitive once again. Statistician and data expert Nate Silver — a figure esteemed more by liberals than by conservatives — suggested earlier this week that Trump would be a narrow favorite to win an election held right now.
That could change fast if Clinton’s Thursday night acceptance speech as the first female nominee of a major party resonates with voters. The numerous Democratic Party stars who gave speeches advocating for her, including President Obama and former president Bill Clinton William (Bill) Jefferson ClintonInviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Howard Schultz must run as a Democrat for chance in 2020 Trump says he never told McCabe his wife was 'a loser' MORE, could also help.
Some Democrats believe other convention speakers, including retired Gen. John Allen, could provide yet another boost.
Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf asserted that “she should get a bump” in part because testimonies from figures such as Allen could reassure centrist voters in battleground states.
“John Allen and the other military guys speak to people in the Midwest and in the heartland,” Sheinkopf asserted. “It begins to break up that great bloc of people Trump has been able to corral.”
If that proves true, it could have a dramatic effect.
Trump’s most plausible route to the White House runs through Rust Belt states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. His strength with white working-class voters in those states could offset his unpopularity with Hispanics, a factor that could weigh him down in other battlegrounds such as Colorado, Nevada and, to some extent, Florida.
State-level polling, however, is patchy at this point. There’s no mistaking the closeness of Ohio, where five significant polls have been conducted this month; four of those polls put the race for the Buckeye State in an exact tie. Within the same time-frame, however, Pennsylvania has seen only three major polls, and the results have ranged from a 9-point Clinton lead to a 2-point Trump edge.
Meanwhile, some experts note that the Democratic convention had its share of trouble, given the vocal dissent expressed by diehard Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersPush to end U.S. support for Saudi war hits Senate setback Sanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' MORE supporters and the resignation of Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).
“I think it was a wash,” said Grant Reeher, a Syracuse University political science professor. “I think Hillary Clinton was able to begin to hammer this message of a contrast between her and Trump, in terms of preparedness, competency and the overall party platform.”
But, Reeher added, “it was not this great celebration of unity that they were trying to achieve. The divisions were real, and apparently were deep, and they look set to continue.”
Clinton is able to rely, for the moment, on much greater TV advertising firepower. The New York Times, citing data from Kantar Media, reported on Friday that the former first lady and her allies had spent $68 million on TV ads, compared to just $6 million by Trump and his supporters.
Trump prevailed in the Republican primary over opponents who spent much more money, however. His capacity to command media coverage — positive or negative — is undiminished, as this week’s comments over Russia, hacking and Clinton demonstrated.
More generally, Trump has a simpler message to project, some Republicans say, under the banner of making America great again.
In his convention speech, “clearly Trump was trying to portray things as ‘we need a huge change.’ It was a very pessimistic view of the current situation,” said GOP pollster David Winston.
“Hillary Clinton, on the other hand is potentially running for a third Obama term,” Winston added. “She had to walk this interesting line of identifying the major problems the country was facing without having those problems be blamed on the current administration.”
The 2016 race can be shaken up at any moment. Late Friday afternoon, the FBI said it was looking into allegations that the Clinton campaign had been the victim of a hacking attack, potentially at the hands of the Russians.
It was yet another twist in a campaign that has had so many of them.Author's notes:
First off, sorry for the delay. As the story gets more complex, it's getting harder and harder to show a "complete" arc in a single chapter, especially since it's been a long time since we've visited a given character's world. This was a pretty tough one to write, and parts of it are somewhat distressingly autobiographical. Regarding the next update, I estimate 70% odds that the final chapter for this arc will go up within two weeks, and 90% odds that it goes up within 17 days.
Second, I know this is a bandwagon, but it's one worth jumping on—Ramin Djawadi's "Light of the Seven" is a phenomenal piece of music, I've had it on repeat for literally ten days straight, and it is the soundtrack to which this update was written. I have no plans to make "music for this chapter" be a thing in general, but I strongly recommend a) listening to it, and b) listening to it before or while reading this update.
Third, there are some people who are long overdue for shout-outs, and they include (but are not limited to): Ketura, callmebrotherg, StellarStylus, CouteauBleu, Elliot J, chaosmosis, MugaSofer, Chris B, 4t0m, rictic, Forest V, Aaron G, Braden A, Brian D, Alphanos, Nighzmarquis, ZeroNihilist, ObsidianOrangutan, scruiser, KnickersInAKnit, PeridexisErrant, Lana del Fae, Daziy is SoniQ, rjalker, Rafinius, so8res, Quillian, Defender31415, and (of course) our beloved empress K.A. Applegate. If you felt sad that your name wasn't on here, drop me a note reminding me of your awesome and I'll make it up to you.
Fourth, and finally, in lieu of my usual beg for comments and reviews, I'd like to nominate this moment as the Moment When People Decide To Share r!Animorphs. If you were, like, *this close* to recommending it to someone else, or posting it on Facebook, or tweeting it, or sneaking a.pdf onto somebody's phone with a filename like jdsjournalDONOTREAD—well, please go ahead and make the jump? Ultimately, a story like this is only good relative to the number of people who read it, and if you've found it moving, thought-provoking, interesting, or even just entertaining, please seriously consider passing the word along.
Chapter 20: Aximili
[A SENSE OF LONGING, OF LACKING—AN EYE SWIVELS BACKWARD, AND A HAND GRASPS AT EMPTINESS…]
There are countless activities which humans engage in, which Andalites do not. The constant encryption of thought and meaning into sounds and symbols. The hedonistic, indulgent consumption of sensory-intensive nutrients. The resolution of interpersonal conflict through overt violence, subtle violence, and the implied threat of violence, rather than simple communication—
(—presumably because the encryption makes communication so difficult.)
I had been present among the aliens of Earth for only a short time, and had seen much to disturb and confuse me. But the most disturbing and confusing—by far—was the human need for sleep.
Andalites make use of stasis technology, of course—when spaceflight presents stresses our bodies cannot handle, or for urgent medical interventions. But there is no cessation of consciousness, during stasis—only suspension. The thought that begins as the field activates ends as it withdraws, and you remain constant. To be truly unconscious—to cease to think—to have your mind, your identity, your very self disconnected from the universe—to awaken with no knowledge of what has passed in the interim, having been vulnerable to all manner of intrusions and not even aware enough to notice them—perhaps to wake up different—
It is abhorrent, and unnerving, and—thankfully—vanishingly rare. For every one Andalite who experiences it, there are twenty-four thousand others who do not. And most of those only experience it once, as the result of some trauma or accident.
Of those who experience it twice, nearly all are warriors.
I came awake slowly—agonizingly—fighting back waves of pain from the burns covering most of my left side. My thoughts felt loose and strange, the same strangeness that had been growing for weeks—
(—Garrett had taught me the word, a short handle for a unit of seven cycles, and I was both pleased and intrigued by the incongruous one-off abandonment of the usual human fascination with base ten—)
—suddenly magnified sevenfold. It was as though my mind were a sieve, and slivers of thought were leaking out, streaming off into the empty, echoing eib. I opened my stalks and—
Something was wrong.
(Something was wrong.)
((Something was wrong.))
(((Something was wrong.)))
I was on a hillside. A mountainside, really—surrounded by dirt and rocks and thick, gnarled shrubbery. I was outside, beneath the wide blue dome of the sky, though my inner sense of time told me that not even the forty-ninth part of a cycle had passed since I lost consciousness—
(Could I trust my time sense, after falling unconscious?)
I reached out to the idling cradle with my mind, felt its computer respond—
Impossible.
(Impossible.)
((Impossible.))
(((Impossible.)))
My time-sense was unimpaired, and yet I was over a cycle's walk from the epicenter, in the mountains to the northwest of the city—almost beyond the mountains, in a position even a spacecraft would have been hard-pressed to reach without causing detectable disturbances in the atmosphere—
(Hypothesis: the others hijacked a Bug fighter during the escape—)
((Hypothesis: you are dying, and insensible.))
Moving gingerly, I pushed myself up to a standing position, staying water-run instead of tree-stretch, using my hands for support and keeping my ground eyes down. I felt a gentle pressure on my right shoulder, and twisted my stalks to see the hand of the alien Garrett resting in my fur. He said nothing, with words or mind—only looked at me with what I thought was concern, or perhaps confusion, or maybe just simple acknowledgement.
Beyond him, the human Rachel sat curled on the uneven ground, her knees drawn to her chest, her face hidden. She, too, was silent.
(Silent.)
((Silent.))
(((Silent.)))
Something is wrong.
I do not think in words, do not compress my experience into modular, well-defined fragments. For me, silent is a feeling, a handful of memories—as when I climbed the hill behind my family's scoop before a storm, looked out across the world and heard nothing with ears or eib—and unnerving as the bizarre echoing in my head was, it was somehow much worse when the thing echoing was silence. It dragged my attention—unwillingly—back to the eib, to the deep, abysmal emptiness that surrounded me, as if I had cut off my stalks, leaving only my ground eyes—
Enough.
(Enough.)
((Enough.))
(((Enough.)))
I forced my attention outward, feeling a twinge of unease as I noticed—far later than I should have—that it was not, in fact, silent. Uphill, five figures stood in a tight clump, filling the air with their empty, maddening stick-speak, voices raised in anger and argument. Shaking the fugue from my thoughts, I matched stick-sounds to the face-sights in the humans' pale imitation of names—Jake and Marco, gesticulating wildly; Jake's brother—
(WHAT)
—and Marco's father—
(WHAT)
—standing unnaturally still; the human hologram of Erek the Chee—
(WHAT)
—planted between them like a tree.
(Threat assessment—)
((If you kill them, Jake and Marco will react poorly—))
(((Erek may not permit you to kill them—)))
(Hypothesis: it was Erek who transported us to this location—)
((Counterpoint—Erek could not have been present at the Yeerk pool without being forced by his programming into courses of action which are inconsistent with his presence here—))
‹Aximili—›
My un-brother's un-voice, interrupting the chorus of speculation with a whisper that was louder than all of them.
‹Please, Aximili, you must—›
I thrust it aside, silencing it along with the rest through an act of will, plunging myself into the present, into external reality. Orient, I commanded myself, ignoring the echoes of the thought as they skittered back and forth inside my head. Wherever this was—whatever was happening—the battle was not yet over. Tom Berenson and Peter Levy were Controllers, and the android Erek was a dangerous unknown; none of them should have been there, least of all Jake and Marco, and given that they were, Cassie should have been with them—
Orient.
The feel of the alien's hand on my shoulder. The pain of my burns, and the weakness that radiated from them, layered atop the cumulative exhaustion of long cycles without rest. The babble of stick-speak, which a part of me wearily moved to translate—
(—at least the situation does not seem to be critical, if they are merely shouting—)
BLINDING
Without warning, the world turned white around me, a searing light that peaked within a hoofbeat before halving and halving again, dropping precipitously through blue and yellow and leveling off in a deep and fiery red.
What —
(What—)
((What—))
(((What—)))
There was a heart-stopping jerk, and suddenly I was surrounded by flesh, pressed painfully against the bodies of the others, Jake and Rachel and Garrett and Marco and Tom and Peter—
(Danger—the Controllers—)
—and even as I tried to move, tensed the muscles in my tail and found them bound in place, the world around us began to burn.
"Jesus fucking—"
"Erek, what—"
"Cassie!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH—"
Their stick-speak washed over me, a jumble of noises, worse than useless. Though the rest of my body remained motionless, as if stuck in thick mud, my stalks were free to swivel, and I noted details in the manner of a cadet under examination.
Erek the Chee was holding the seven of us together with one of his force fields, keeping us packed close and tight around his angular, mechanical body. I could see the faint traces of energy exchange at the boundaries of the bubble, the shimmering distortion as the field absorbed and dissipated heat, leaving us cool while the vegetation around us withered and ignited.
(Flames on only the oldest, driest plants. Stone and sand unaffected, no glowing or melting. Upper bound on temperature—)
((This is indirect heat, the mountain stands between us and the source—))
(((—the source—)))
The source.
Berating myself, I turned toward the peak of the mountain, where the glow was brightest, casting the peak into crisp, dark silhouette.
The mountain also stood between us and the city. Between us and the pool.
I turned my eyes skyward again, this time searching for the telltale signs of radioactive fallout.
‹Aximili—›
None. It was blackbody radiation.
(Chemical explosives?)
‹Aximili, please—›
Beneath me, the ground suddenly heaved, a rolling tremble only partially dampened by the android's absorption field. Immediately, a part of my mind began tracking backwards, converting the delay between the flash and the tremor into an estimate of distance, confirming the obvious. I cobbled the numbers together, double-checked the orders of magnitude on the estimate, and felt my tail go slack within its confinement as my brain held up its hypothesis.
This much heat, from that far away, without fission or fusion—
(An asteroid strike?)
Beside me, the two Controllers began to wail—a ragged, animal sound, devoid of all intelligence, all restraint. It rose, and rose, until Garrett started keening and Jake and Marco began trying to shout over it—
—a part of me noted that the noise only made the eib seem quieter, as if I had gone deaf in one ear, the contrast drawing my attention once more to the claustrophobic silence—
—while fluid began to drip from the eyes of Rachel in the way that Tobias had explained meant sadness, or anger, or sometimes both—
Prioritize.
I turned my stalks to look at Erek, the robot's true shape now visible, its disguise abandoned as it poured all of its resources into holding us apart from the heat.
(Interesting. Probable upper bound on Chee energy output—extremely efficient relative to size but not so impressive in absolute terms—)
A pair of moveable parts near the top of the android's body swiveled in response, sliding to the side closest to me. It said nothing, did nothing, only gave the seeming of a stare.
It seized us almost instantly, after the light but before the heat. Prior probability favors quick processing speed as the explanation, but—
I looked around again at the inferno unfolding, the unfamiliar forest, impossibly far from the corridor where I had lost consciousness in the middle of a battle.
It knew.
(It knew.)
((It knew.))
(((It knew.)))
They all knew, somehow—while I had been unconscious, they had somehow been primed to expect this, had met it with high emotion rather than raw confusion. There was an explanation, and that explanation included awareness that an asteroid strike was imminent.
(Sensors belonging to the Chee?)
((Intelligence gathered during the battle? Tom and Peter defecting with a warning?))
(((A causal relationship?)))
With another twinge of unease, I noticed that I had not taken the obvious step of simply asking—that I was delaying, hesitating, atypically reluctant to speak even after accounting for the distress the humans were experiencing. I searched for the root of the feeling, tried to trace it back to its source and found naught but flimsy excuses—that this was a tense, emotional moment—
(Emotion is secondary to strategy; hesitation is the enemy of adaptation—)
—that humans did not respond well to mental interruption—
(Neither Marco nor Garrett was particularly vulnerable in this way—)
—that I was exhausted, drained both mentally and physically—
(Tired enough to die without a fight, cadet?)
The true nature of the inhibition eluded me, avoiding my attempts to see it, to name it. I knew that I should speak up—that ordinarily I would speak up—and yet I did not want to. Not enough to muster the necessary energy.
‹Aximili, this is a dangerous sign—›
I ignored the voice. Elfangor was gone—had tricked me, left me, and died. His ghost had no claim on my attention, and I no longer desired his counsel.
(Aximili, this is a dangerous sign—)
Instead, I simply waited, and listened—as the fires burned out and a hail of rock and dust began to fall, as the shock wave passed through and whipped around the sides of the mountain, as the android relaxed his force field and we moved awkwardly apart, the Controllers remaining within their invisible restraints. Eventually, the howling ceased and sensible thoughts began to be exchanged; with an effort, I forced myself to pay attention, to translate their stick-speak into something resembling true language, and as I did, I felt my hooves close in horror.
There had been an encounter.
Time had stopped, and a creature had emerged from nothingness.
It had shown them visions—given them a choice—granted them a favor. Had snatched us from the flow of time and assembled us on the mountaintop.
The Ellimist.
(The Ellimist.)
((The Ellimist.))
(((The Ellimist.)))
The humans did not know—Erek could not have guessed—even now, they did not fully understand. I could hear it in their voices, as they struggled to make sense of it, to regain their balance. As they began to make plans, optimistic in their ignorance, unable or unwilling to grasp the larger truth which was unfolding, which had already ensnared us all.
I struggled to find the words, to break the thoughts into pieces which their alien minds could understand. I danced across a lifetime of memories, of stories, searching for examples that would translate, would resonate, that would convey to them the degree to which the game had irrevocably changed. But I found nothing.
They did not know.
(They did not know.)
((They did not know.))
(((They did not know.)))
(Hypothesis: it is caused by malnutrition, a reaction to the strange qualities of native proteins and carbohydrates.)
((—my nervous apprehension mounted as Artash-Enasi-Derumoi dipped a hoof into the water, scraping it across the strange lichen covering the riverbed. If it really was Ellimist's Fur—))
I looked out across the valley, at the sparkling lights of the small settlement below, unusually dim and subdued with all the dust in the air. Above, the sky was the deepest red, a shade lighter than black, reflecting the fires that still raged over the horizon. The air was heavy and quiet, each sound somehow isolated, as if the world were divided into compartments.
We had traveled a distance the humans reckoned as forty miles, carrying Tom and Peter inside of our morphs while Erek kept pace on the ground below. We had been unable to agree on a purpose or destination, and had settled for simply getting out of the dead zone unnoticed before hunger set in. The second we had landed and demorphed, the arguments had begun again.
(Hypothesis: it is an illness brought on by exposure to harmful microorganisms in the Earth environment.)
((—had kept the sphere with me for an entire revolution, as the black goo was consumed by blue-green cyanobacteria which were consumed in turn, until finally, just after my name day, I awoke to see movement, the wriggling of tiny creatures large enough to be visible without magnification—))
The humans were not doing well.
I could see it, with my stalks—even as a merely proto-social species, their connections with one another were of supreme importance. I remembered all too clearly how I had felt upon hearing the final confirmation of my brother's death, and these humans had lost more—much more—and did not have the dain for comfort.
(—there is something of the dain in the morphing power—)
((—comfort—))
(((—power—)))
With my ground eyes, though, I could see only folly. Hypocrisy. Immaturity. They were not simply mourning—they were horrified. Shocked. Resentful, as if they had been betrayed, as if it had not been open warfare with lines clearly drawn.
I did not understand. Had they expected no retaliation, of any kind, when they struck at the heart of the Yeerk infestation? Was it so unthinkable, that the Visser might visit upon them a vengeance that was—in all honesty—fitting?
Could they truly have failed to understand what they were doing until it was done to them in turn?
(Hypothesis: it is a reaction to the sensory deprivation experienced within the nested morph.)
((Counterpoint: it began long before that, and was not meaningfully intensified during the assault on the pool.))
(Obvious response: it was meaningfully intensified, but the stress of the situation made it less noticeable. Or it is a response to the unconsciousness, instead.)
((Objection: there is no known precedent for unconsciousness causing anything like these effects.))
(Particular trauma to specific sections of the brain—)
There had been words, and words, and more words. Words surrounding Cassie and her fate. Words regarding Visser Three and his plans. Words about food, and shelter, and plans for the future—the new shape of our mission. More words than I could count, an endless cacophony against the backdrop of the eib, and yet no consensus, no agreement. The arguments had collapsed under their own weight, suffocating beneath confusion and frustration and fatigue.
Rachel had stalked off in silence, the body of a grizzly bear erupting from her lithe frame as she disappeared into the trees.
Jake had made as if to follow her—had taken several steps—and then collapsed, fainting with grief or despair or simple exhaustion.
Marco had dragged his friend over to the fire and then returned as if nothing had happened, suppressing all visible reaction as he spoke quietly and calmly with Erek, his face no less a mask than the android's hologram.
(—they brought us to the chamber |
analyst, Sanders hired Steve Wamhoff, the former legislative director of Citizens for Tax Justice. To lead defense policy, Sanders brought on board Ethan Rosenkranz from the Project On Government Oversight, a watchdog group that often criticizes Pentagon waste.
And as his budget policy director, Sanders hired Josh Smith, formerly of the liberal Economic Policy Institute think tank. Smith previously worked with the Congressional Progressive Caucus to craft their progressive budget alternative in the House.
Coordinating their work will be staff director Warren Gunnels, who told msnbc he was excited by the ”top-notch staff that will be focused on the senator’s top priorities.”
It’s another sign of the resurgence of the progressive left, which is aiming to move the Democratic Party on key issues ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
The previous top Democrat on the powerful Budget Committee, Washington Sen. Patty Murray, was an often-praised low-profile deal-maker who brokered a major 2013 government funding bill with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee.
This article has been updated to include the names of additional hires.teamgravity Profile Joined July 2013 United States 354 Posts #1
Poll: Who will win?
[Grav]Blast (8)
57%
[Grav]SpaceMarine (6)
43%
14 total votes (8)57%(6)43%14 total votes Your vote: Who will win? (Vote): [Grav]Blast
(Vote): [Grav]SpaceMarine
+ Show Spoiler +
[Grav]SpaceMarine
“Suaybe “SpaceMarine” Köse is a talented 20 year old Protoss player from Denmark. He is finishing college soon, and plans to play Starcraft 2 full time in order to go pro. SpaceMarine likes to take advantage of his high APM by using a play a style where he can attack in multiple locations, and harass his opponents to death. He often plays very safe and doesn’t usually take a risk unless it’s a calculated one. He prefers to take the game into the later stages where he feels his macro and micro are very strong.
SpaceMarine was also voted onto Team Denmark to represent his country in Nation Wars 2 alongside Bunny and BabyKnight!"
[Grav]Blast
"Min Kyu “Blast" Lee is a 26 year old GM Zerg player from Korea. When he was a child, he always liked Brood War and dreamed of one day becoming a professional gamer. Unfortunately he was unable to achieve this goal, and ended up attending college. After finishing college one year ago, he decided it was time to try becoming a professional StarCraft player again. He practiced 14 hours a day for 5 months straight, and managed to achieve GM on the Korean server! Blast says he’s still not satisfied and wants to become the best.”
“Suaybe “SpaceMarine” Köse is a talented 20 year old Protoss player from Denmark. He is finishing college soon, and plans to play Starcraft 2 full time in order to go pro. SpaceMarine likes to take advantage of his high APM by using a play a style where he can attack in multiple locations, and harass his opponents to death. He often plays very safe and doesn’t usually take a risk unless it’s a calculated one. He prefers to take the game into the later stages where he feels his macro and micro are very strong.SpaceMarine was also voted onto Team Denmark to represent his country in Nation Wars 2 alongside Bunny and BabyKnight!""Min Kyu “Blast" Lee is a 26 year old GM Zerg player from Korea. When he was a child, he always liked Brood War and dreamed of one day becoming a professional gamer. Unfortunately he was unable to achieve this goal, and ended up attending college. After finishing college one year ago, he decided it was time to try becoming a professional StarCraft player again. He practiced 14 hours a day for 5 months straight, and managed to achieve GM on the Korean server! Blast says he’s still not satisfied and wants to become the best.”
+ Show Spoiler +
Ravi "feardragon" Pareek
“Ravi "feardragon" Pareek has been commentating Starcraft 2 for nearly 3 years. Getting his initial start in commentating with Collegiate Starleague games played by his university, Purdue, he continued on to commentate other team leagues like the URTL, UASL, AHGL, amongst other events. Recently, he's become the host of a new show, "Breaking Out", which focuses on highlighting up and coming players in the North American Scene.
As a diamond Protoss, he enjoys cannon rushing Zergs, 1 base chargelot carrier rushing Protoss, and 1 base High Templar rushing Terrans. In his spare time he enjoys practicing martial arts and stealing ladder points with Dark Templars."
Rob "Shadow" DeLuca
"Rob "Shadow" DeLuca is an astrophysicist, currently studying distant radio galaxies using interferometry at USF. The goal of the research is to determine if there is a pattern to the orientation of radio galaxies throughout the universe or if it is simply random. This will give us further insight into the origin of the universe.
He is also a self-employed software and hardware engineer. Shadow was a Masters Terran near the end of WoL but has since switched primarily to coaching his five man team. He says he is particularly drawn to Starcraft 2 by its extraordinarily high skill ceiling. It gives him many opportunities to develop optimum learning, coaching and training strategies, as the functioning of the brain is another area he's particularly interested in.
Shadow is also an important part of Team Gravity's "Fight Night" show matches, where he helps to sponsor and cast the events!"
“Ravi "feardragon" Pareek has been commentating Starcraft 2 for nearly 3 years. Getting his initial start in commentating with Collegiate Starleague games played by his university, Purdue, he continued on to commentate other team leagues like the URTL, UASL, AHGL, amongst other events. Recently, he's become the host of a new show, "Breaking Out", which focuses on highlighting up and coming players in the North American Scene.As a diamond Protoss, he enjoys cannon rushing Zergs, 1 base chargelot carrier rushing Protoss, and 1 base High Templar rushing Terrans. In his spare time he enjoys practicing martial arts and stealing ladder points with Dark Templars.""Rob "Shadow" DeLuca is an astrophysicist, currently studying distant radio galaxies using interferometry at USF. The goal of the research is to determine if there is a pattern to the orientation of radio galaxies throughout the universe or if it is simply random. This will give us further insight into the origin of the universe.He is also a self-employed software and hardware engineer. Shadow was a Masters Terran near the end of WoL but has since switched primarily to coaching his five man team. He says he is particularly drawn to Starcraft 2 by its extraordinarily high skill ceiling. It gives him many opportunities to develop optimum learning, coaching and training strategies, as the functioning of the brain is another area he's particularly interested in.Shadow is also an important part of Team Gravity's "Fight Night" show matches, where he helps to sponsor and cast the events!"
+ Show Spoiler +
Event : [Grav]SpaceMarine vs [Grav]Blast
Time : Saturday - July 26th - 10 AM EST.
Style : Best Of 9.
Prize Pool : 1st Place = $85 / 2nd Place = $40
Map Pool
Each player will take turns vetoing down to one starting map. After the first game it's loser's pick.
King Sejong Station LE
Overgrowth LE
Catallena LE
Merry Go Round LE
Deadwing LE
Foxtrot Labs LE
Nimbus LE
Fruitland
Outboxer
: [Grav]SpaceMarine vs [Grav]Blast: Saturday - July 26th - 10 AM EST.: Best Of 9.: 1st Place = $85 / 2nd Place = $40
+ Show Spoiler +
Team Gravity
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TeamGravityOfficial
Twitter : https://twitter.com/TeamGrav
Twitch : http://www.twitch.tv/TeamGravityOfficial
[Grav]SpaceMarine
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/SpaceMarineSC2
Twitter : https://twitter.com/SpaceMarineSC2
Twitch : http://www.twitch.tv/CoreSpaceMarine
[Grav]Blast
Twitter : https://twitter.com/GravBlast4
Twitch : http://www.twitch.tv/Blast4
feardragon
YouTube : https://youtube.com/feardragon64
Twitter : https://twitter.com/feardragon64
Twitch : http://www.twitch.tv/feardragon64
Shadow
Twitter : https://twitter.com/rmdelucaWe Asked People What They Know About Taxes. See If You Know The Answers
Back in 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign suffered a blow when a tape was leaked of him grousing that 47 percent of Americans don't pay federal income tax. It was one of the biggest gaffes of the presidential campaign, but a new poll conducted by Ipsos for NPR suggests that many Americans forgot it.
The way Romney characterized those who don't pay federal income taxes is what got him in trouble, but the figure was roughly true. The new poll, however, shows that a majority think that the share of Americans paying no federal income tax is far lower.
The poll gave respondents four options — 39 percent said that only 11 percent of Americans pay zero or negative income tax, and 31 percent said that only 27 percent pay zero or negative income tax. Only 21 percent got it right — right now, around 45 percent pay no federal income tax.
The poll, released the day before Americans' taxes are due, delved into what Americans know and what they believe is wrong with the U.S. tax code — and what they know is limited and at times contradictory. But this isn't just about pointing out what Americans know and don't know. Rather, there could be important policy implications to Americans' misperceptions about the tax system. For example, this question dovetails with questions about what people think the lowest-income Americans' tax rate should be.
Americans underestimate the share of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes
Given four choices of how many Americans pay zero or negative federal income taxes (11, 27, 45, or 63 percent), fully 70 percent of poll respondents chose the options under the correct answer, which was 45 percent. Some of these people simply have no taxable income, and others get money back as a result of refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. (Of course, these people might pay other taxes, like payroll taxes, as well as whatever sales and property taxes their states impose.)
Two-thirds of Americans believe lower-income people pay too much income tax (with heavy partisan differences — around 8-in-10 Democrats, 6-in-10 independents, and half of Republicans agreed with that statement). In addition, 60 percent of Americans believe taxes should be lowered for people making $49,000 or less (again, with Democrats and independents being somewhat more likely than Republicans to say those taxes should be lowered).
Taking these two ideas together — that people (mistakenly) think very few of their fellow Americans pay zero federal income tax, and that a majority of Americans think low-income people pay too much in income tax — there are a couple of possible conclusions.
One is that if more Americans knew how many others do not end up paying federal income taxes, they would say tax rates should stay the same or even be raised.
Then again, it's possible that Americans nevertheless would think their poorest fellow citizens do need more money, regardless of how the current tax code looks. That might mean they would advocate expanding the EITC or other tax breaks.
When it comes to taxes paid by the rich, things get complicated.
We posed the following statement to people as a true or false question: "For the highest earners, the percent of federal income taxes they pay now is significantly higher than it was in 1980."
In retrospect, there are multiple ways to interpret this question.
If "percent" is taken as "rate" here, the answer is "false." In 1980, the top marginal income tax rate was 70 percent. Today, it's 39.6 percent (something about half of Americans know, per our poll).
But if "percent" is taken as "share" here, the answer is "true." That is, the share of federal income tax revenue that the richest Americans pay has gone up since 1980.
How does that work? As the Tax Policy Center's Roberton Williams explained to NPR, the share of income going to the rich has climbed in a big way over the last few decades.
So how Americans think about this could affect what they think should happen to the top tax rates on the richest. In 1980, the top 10 percent brought in 32 percent of all adjusted gross income, according to the Tax Foundation. In 2013, it was 46 percent. For example, many Americans also believe taxes should be raised on the richest. The top tax bracket starts at $418,400 right now.
The poll shows that 70 percent of Americans believe taxes should be raised on people making $250,000 to just under $1 million, and that 75 percent believe they should be raised on people making $1 million or more.
That's already a sizable majority, but depending on whether people knew tax rates on the richest had indeed fallen (or, alternately, that the rich now pay a higher share in taxes), it could change what they think should happen to those marginal rates. (Of course, it's also possible that historical rates wouldn't affect their views at all.)
Those views differ widely by party; Democrats are much more likely to believe that taxes should be raised on the rich than Republicans.
Americans also appear to have strong views on how people earn their money. We asked people to what degree they agreed with this statement: "The tax rate on income from work should be lower than the tax rate on income from wealth."
Across the board, regardless of party, Americans agreed — 75 percent said they did, including 77 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Republicans and 84 percent of independents.
This is another result that might make the richest Americans squirm. The rich tend to earn their income in a different way from most other Americans. Besides paychecks, many make money from capital gains — income they get from selling investments like stocks. Most of those capital gains are taxed at a rate far below that top income tax rate. (People at any income level of course can have those kinds of investments, but capital gains are overwhelmingly concentrated at the top of the income spectrum.)
The top rate that the highest-income Americans will pay on most capital gains is 20 percent, around half the top marginal rate for ordinary income.
Americans overestimate how important income taxes are to government revenue
About half of the poll's respondents (with very little variance by party) said they believe 75 percent of the federal government's revenue comes from personal income taxes. In reality, it's just under half.
Of all the taxes Americans pay, income tax probably requires the most thought. After all, payroll tax comes automatically out of each paycheck. Sales tax is imposed at the cash register. And so on.
So maybe it makes sense that Americans think all that work they put into filling out their forms ends up doing the lion's share of funding the government.
What else we learned
Beyond all this, there were a few more fascinating findings in the poll.
Phrasing matters. One thing we learned is that using the phrase "death tax" instead of "estate tax" seems to make people more opposed to that tax — but, interestingly, that effect appears to be by far largest among Democrats.
Sixty-five percent of all people said the "estate tax" should be abolished, compared to 76 percent who said the "death tax" should be. However, among Democrats that swing was far larger: only half said they wanted to abolish the "estate tax," but 71 percent said the same of the "death tax."
The estate tax affects fewer than 1 in 500 estates. Many opponents of the estate tax — who have tended to be Republicans — use "death tax" as a euphemism. This shows that to the extent that that phrasing helps them, it could be helping them pick people up across the aisle.
On tax policy, views aren't always all that partisan. Democrats are often seen as the party that wants a more progressive system — Hillary Clinton, for example, ran for president in 2016 with a tax plan that would have ramped up taxes for the ultra-rich.
But in our poll, nearly half of Democrats — 45 percent — agreed with the proposition that "federal income taxes should be cut for all income levels."
Likewise, Republicans — the party that has spoken of "makers" and "takers" — were split roughly evenly on the idea that tax cuts for the wealthy lead to economic growth. (Democrats and independents tended to disagree — that is, to say that tax cuts for the wealthy do not lead to that growth.) Incidentally, it's not at all clear that this is true; one recent comparison of tax rates and growth rates across advanced economies found no strong linkage between the two.
These are only two examples, but they suggest that partisan messaging in Washington on some specific issues doesn't necessarily filter down to Americans.
Americans agree: Taxes are too complicated (but that's no reason to cheat). There are a few more areas where Americans tend to agree across party lines: nearly 9 in 10 believe the tax code is too complicated, three-quarters say it's not OK for people to underreport income on their taxes, and 77 percent say their own personal federal income taxes are too high.
In addition, 72 percent knew that taxes are due on April 18. For those remaining 28 percent, it might be time to file that extension.
The poll was conducted online on April 11-12, with a sample of 1,010 adults age 18 or older. For all respondents, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The credibility interval is plus or minus 5.7 percentage points for Democrats, plus or minus 6.1 percentage points for Republicans, and plus or minus 8.3 percentage points for independents.Narrow Widen
Customer Information
The Customer labtown is looking to purchase a new storage system and has hired you to create a logical design. Labtown requires no single points of failure when it comes to the fabric connecting the storage. Labtown has already decided that the new storage system will be using fibre to re-use as much of the previous hardware as possible to increase ROI. Labotwn would also like a tiered disk system broken into three categories with the database sitting in the fastest tier, the two web servers sitting in the medium tier, and the file server sitting in the slowest tier.
Create a logical design for Labtowns new Storage System
Requirements
- Create a tiered storage system for Labtown - No single points of failure - Insure storage performance SLA's are met with the four line of business VM's
Instructions
- Place VM's on the bottom of the page and connect them with the connector to the storage LUN they will belong to.
- Connect the stroage LUN with the service processor with the connector
- Connect the storage processors to the SAN switch
- Place HBA's just below the host, as long as they are close to the host points will be scored
- Connect HBA's to SAN switches with either the Fixed, MRU, or RR Connector to dictate the PSP Policy for storage on the ESXi host.
Hosts
Port Groups
Switches
Storage
Connections
VM
Adapters
PCI Slot
1 Port HBA
2 Port HBA
1 Port NIC
2 Port NIC
4 Port NIC
Database VM
Webserver VM
Fileserver VM
Boot Order1
Boot Order2
Boot Order3
vAPP
Standard Connection
RR Connection
MRU Connection
Fixed Connection
Extra Connection
Service Processor1 Active
Service Processor2 Active
Service Processor2 Standby
Gold Storage
Silver Storage
Bronze Storage
Extra Storage
Virtual Distributed Switch
Virtual Standard Switch
Physical Switch
SAN Switch
ExtraswitchFormer FBI Director James Comey is expected to testify that he believes President Trump was deliberately trying to meddle in the FBI’s investigation of Russian interference in the presidential election, according to a report late Friday.
Comey has come to believe the president intended to influence him, according to CNN.
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Trump made several questionable requests of Comey regarding the investigation, according to reports and transcripts leaked since Trump’s surprise decision to fire Comey as head of the FBI on May 9.
Trump reportedly asked Comey to “let this go,” speaking of the investigation into Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, The New York Times reported earlier this week. Flynn is under investigation for his conversations with Russia during Trump’s presidential campaign.
Additionally, Trump repeatedly asked Comey when Comey would announce the president himself was not part of the investigation. Trump has denied collusion between his campaign and Russia.All the attention has been on Jurgen Klopp but there were two other new faces on the touchline at White Hart Lane on Saturday, his assistants Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz – dubbed ‘the eyes’ and ‘the brain’.
Klopp is not the only major appointment Liverpool have made this month, with his long-term assistants, Buvac and Krawietz, both following the German to Merseyside.
The average Liverpool supporter has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Klopp, his success at Borussia Dortmund and his style of play by now, but a lot less is known about Buvac and Krawietz.
But the pair are vitally important to Klopp’s adjustment to life in the Anfield dugout.
So who are Buvac and Krawietz, and what will they bring to Liverpool?
Zeljko Buvac
Role: Assistant Manager
Age: 54
Experience: SC Neukirchen, Republika Srpska (manager); Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool (assistant manager)
“Intuitively, he was a great footballer,” Ansgar Brinkmann told German publication SPOX in 2011.
Brinkmann played alongside Buvac and Klopp during his two years with Mainz 05 between 1993 and 1995, with the former striker benefiting from Buvac’s keen tactical mind in attacking midfield.
Buvac enjoyed a 13-year playing career spanning FK Rudar and FK Borac Banja Luka in what is now known as Bosnia and Herzegovina, before moving to Germany to ply his trade with FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt, Mainz and SC Neukirchen, where he took over as manager in 1998.
Buvac stayed with Neukirchen for three seasons, before Klopp intervened.
Klopp’s appointment as Mainz manager in 2001 was contingent on Buvac joining him as his assistant, such is the respect between the German and his Balkan counterpart.
“Zeljko is football expertise incarnate,” Klopp said of his assistant. “I learn every day from him.”
Though Klopp has been lauded for his achievements at Dortmund, the tactical work of Buvac was central to this.
“In all the exercises he always has the whole picture,” Krawietz explained of Buvac’s training methods.
“If the training does not fit anything and we are making, for example, tactical mistakes, then it is usually [Buvac] that interrupts and explains how to run it properly.”
[pull_quote_right]”My co-coach Zeljko Buvac and I always like to celebrate a win with a little beer on the team bus.”
– Jurgen Klopp[/pull_quote_right]
As throughout his modest playing career, Buvac possesses a fine-tuned appreciation of space and the intricacies of attacking football.
It is the Bosnian Serb who propelled Dortmund’s overwhelming gegenpressing tactic, ensuring Klopp’s lineup remained compact and in a position to suffocate the opposition off the ball.
When Klopp was suspended in the Champions League in 2013, Buvac was the man who assumed his position on the sidelines, with Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin describing him as “basically Klopp’s twin.”
Both follow the same philosophy, with Buvac serving as “the brain,” as he has been nicknamed, while Klopp is the mouthpiece.
There is a reason why Klopp was so adamant that Buvac follow him from club to club: there is an intrinsic understanding between the pair, allowing them to complement each other perfectly.
Who Buvac Has Replaced: Sean O’Driscoll
Peter Krawietz
Role: Video Analyst
Age: 43
Experience: Mainz 05 (chief scout); Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool (analyst)
Unlike Buvac, Krawietz has no significant playing experience, instead arriving in his initial role at Mainz after obtaining a sports degree at the University of Mainz.
Operating as video analyst during Klopp’s time as a player at Mainz, Krawietz told SPOX in 2012 that “[Klopp] was one of the professionals who was interested most in the visual processing of tactical analysis.”
Their relationship did not get off to the best start, however, with Krawietz provoking the ire of his compatriot by pointing out his flaws at right-back, but they quickly developed a positive relationship.
After impressing Klopp with his knowledge of video analysis in sport, Krawietz was promoted within the scouting structure at Mainz on the German’s appointment as manager, quickly becoming the club’s chief scout.
Following Klopp to Dortmund, Krawietz adopted the official role of opposition analyst, utilising his visual expertise to run briefing sessions alongside the manager, as he told SPOX:
“Basically, my job [functions primarily] in midweek, using video to analyze the next opponent and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. “We want to find out for us on what kind of defence we have to focus and at the same time anticipate what actions in the offensive game could be promising for us. “This is the quintessence of every video analysis.”
Like Klopp and Buvac, Krawietz lists “functioning defensive play” as the priority to success on the field—and his work within the scouting department aided Dortmund in this regard.
[pull_quote_right]”We as a coaching staff have a weakness for young players and also the courage to throw these guys into the action. And also a very good eye, as you can see by the example Marc Schmelzer.”
– Peter Krawietz[/pull_quote_right]
With Klopp and his recruitment staff in search of a left-back on his arrival at the club, Krawietz noted the qualities of 20-year-old academy talent Marcel Schmelzer, who was immediately promoted to the first team—where he has remained as a key player.
Krawietz is an incredibly thorough analyst who will serve to comb over the strengths and weaknesses of Klopp’s new Liverpool side, as well as those of their opponents.
Crucially, his input in player recruitment will gift Klopp an advantage working alongside the Reds’ transfer committee.
Where Klopp is the mouth and Buvac is the brain, Krawietz is the eye.
What Krawietz Has Replaced: Chris DaviesThe Seattle Mariners are in the midst of a decade long playoff drought. This drought has driven fans away in droves as attendance has plummeted to its lowest levels since the early 1990s (when it looked like the club was moving to Tampa Bay). Those that are left watching the Mariners wonder why the squad struggles offensively and some….shall we say interesting?…fixes coming to the Mariners organization. Unfortunately for Jack Z it is pretty clear that the fences are not the only problem plaguing the anemic Mariners offense, talent is. So how does one go about fixing the offense? Well there are quite a few ways for that situation to be addressed.
The Draft: This is the route that Jack Z and the front office have taken so far and it has had mixed results at the Major League level in Zduriencik’s first four years in charge. As a result of this strategy you’ve seen such players as Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley.
This is the route that Jack Z and the front office have taken so far and it has had mixed results at the Major League level in Zduriencik’s first four years in charge. As a result of this strategy you’ve seen such players as Kyle Seager and Dustin Ackley. Trades: Zduriencik has had some success with trades as well especially since it has netted he M’s powerful and promising young catcher Jesus Montero. You also saw him acquire the often injured Franklin Gutierrez in a 12-player trade during his first few months as the M’s General Manager.
Zduriencik has had some success with trades as well especially since it has netted he M’s powerful and promising young catcher Jesus Montero. You also saw him acquire the often injured Franklin Gutierrez in a 12-player trade during his first few months as the M’s General Manager. Free Agency: This has been Jack Z’s biggest failing as a GM and it has led to one of the largest black holes on this roster. That black hole would be Chone Figgins which was a move that barely made sense when he was signed (I’ll say it here, my dad was right and I was wrong) and now clearly doesn’t make sense. But when you look at the other signing (on offense) have kind of made sense form a needs point of view, see Olivo, M.
All of that being said it is now time for the M’s too add a bat and begin rebuilding their fan base’s interest in a club that’s had its imaged soiled by incompetent management decisions in the last few months. And this needs to happen fast as there is only a few interesting bats out there for the M’s to look at (and possibly sign). Let’s get to some of those big names available to the M’s through contract negotiations;
This is one of the thinnest free agent markets I have seen for hitters in my time following Major League Baseball. These three batters are the three most well-known and most likely to produce on the market this off season. If the Mariners can nab one of these players to shore up a weak and inconsistent line-up it could be beneficial to an anemic offense and an apathetic fan base. Obviously the offensive issues are at the top of the list, but Jack Z can go a long way to restoring the fan base by signing a big bat this winter.MNT
At just 20 years old he helped his club, the New York Red Bulls, win the MLS Supporters Shield, he anchored the U-20’s backline as they advanced to quarterfinals at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, he helped the U-23 MNT reach the playoff series against Colombia for the final berth in the 2016 Olympic Games, and he made his senior team debut against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the USA's opening game of the 2018 World Cup Qualifying cycle.
During an afternoon break from training in Carson, Calif., Miazga took time to interact with fans through a unique Twitter video takeover. Sitting in the courtyard of the team hotel, the proud New Jersey native answered a handful of the over 400 questions submitted. Check out his answers below:In 2012, solar energy was responsible for 10% of all new power generating capacity in the world. In 2013, that grew to 29%, making solar power the second fastest-growing source of energy behind natural gas.
As the above chart shows, over the next six years, $1 trillion is expected to be spent on 537 GW of new solar installations. To understand just how massive an accomplishment that would be, consider that the total amount of solar power in the world at the end of 2013 was just 137 GW. This means that solar power is expected to grow nearly five-fold in just more than half a decade -- a 30.4% annual growth rate.
China leading the way
China is known for two things -- air pollution and strong economic growth. Things have gotten so bad on the pollution front that on February 24 pollution levels in China's capitol of Beijing reached eight times the World Health Organization's maximum safe levels. To alleviate the first problem while providing badly needed power for continued economic growth, the Chinese government has announced it will ban coal-fired power plants in Beijing by 2020, and continue the most ambitious solar expansion program in history.
In 2013, China installed 11.3 GW of solar capacity, which is an impressive 37% of global solar growth. In fact, according to a new report from the China New Energy Chamber of Commerce, China's solar market grew by 232% in 2013, making it the world's largest solar market by a wide margin.
China has installed 3.3 GW of new solar in the last six months, marking a 100% increase over the same period last year. To keep the momentum going, the government has announced its goal of 13 GW in 2014. To put that goal into perspective, it would mean adding 1.7 GW per month for the rest of the year, which is nearly as much solar capacity as exists in the U.K. It would also be more new solar capacity in just one year than total solar capacity of the United States, a nation that has grown its own solar capacity by a stunning 418% since 2010.
Chinese solar facing massive problems
Before China can conquer the solar world, it first has to come to terms with three major problems it's facing with its current solar projects: poor quality panels, shoddy installations, and substandard grid connectivity.
China is home to the world's largest solar production industry, 26 GW of annual solar panel capacity at the end of 2013, which is more than the rest of the world combined. Solar panels are supposed to last 20 to 30 years; however, when the Massachusetts-based company SolarBuyer audited 50 Chinese solar factories, they found defect rates of 5.5% to 22%. This poor quality can result in panels that fail in just two to three years. According to Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, "The performance issue definitely exists... since so many solar panels were produced here in such a short time, it is hard to imagine that there is no quality problem."
To understand the problem, consider the fact that, a decade ago, China essentially had no solar panel manufacturing base to speak of. To reach industry-dominating levels so quickly, Chinese panel makers took on billions in debt, and have spent the last several years in a vicious price war to win market share. Thus, they've cut costs to the bone, and sourced the cheapest possible components.
Combined with poor installation quality, China's massive solar capacity is failing to live up to its hype. Ji Zhenshuang, Deputy Director at the Beijing-based China General Certification Center, has investigated 472 solar projects during the last four years. He's found that "many solar installations failed to generate as much electricity as planned."
Grid connectivity is another major problem. According to Mr. Zhenshuang:
Grid constraint is still an issue in western China. Sometimes solar farms are forced to shut down because power grids there are unable to carry the generated electricity. This on-and-off operation ruins solar systems in a similar way as frequent start-and-stop does to a car brake.
Problems threaten to derail solar plans
According to Wang Sicheng, a senior researcher at the Energy Research Institute of China's National Development and Reform Commission, China's existing underperforming solar capacity is already slowing the growth rate of the industry. This is because banks are leery to finance projects that might fail to live up to their promised rates of returns, or even catastrophically fail within just a few years.
To solve this problem, the government is preparing guidelines, to be released next month, to help solar developers greatly improve project quality. Mr. Zhenshuang, however, isn't so sure the new guidelines will help all that much. He has stated: "The question is no one knows what kind of products or designs can last through 25-year operation. We haven't seen enough solid information from the field."
His concern is that, if guidelines prove too strict, then costs of Chinese solar projects could soar and derail the country's solar ambitions.I am strongly opposed to providing our kids with alternate worship experiences all the way through high school. They ought to be worshiping with adults, with their families, in “big” church, not having a special service tailored to their teen demographic.
I am a believer in parents bringing their children, even young children, with them into worship. Our kids can pick up more than we know. And even if the content is beyond them, they will learn some songs, pick up some liturgy, and see their parents worshiping Christ.
I’m a proponent of families worshiping together.
I’m not a proponent, however, of taking a good principle and making it an absolute rule. Moreover, I’m not in favor of making other Christians feel like the truly biblical (or Truly Reformed) position is to have your kids of all ages with you in church at all times.
This is where history helps put things in perspective.
In sixteenth century post-Reformation Scotland, church attendance was mandatory. Kirk sessions took their responsibility seriously to see that the Sabbath was observed and the people attended the preaching of God’s word. And yet, they were not absolutists.
One significant portion of the congregation was systematically excluded everywhere from Sunday sermons. While sermons were central, the elders knew that they had to be audible to be effective, and so they barred babies and very young children from attendance lest they disturb the adult hearers—a factor that must be borne in mind when trying to gauge actual church attendance in early modern Scotland. The Glasgow sessions designated eight as the cut-off age; Aberdeen prohibited “young bairns [children]…not at the school and not of such age and disposition as they can take themselves to a seat when they come to the kirk, but vague [wander] through the same here and there in time of sermon and make perturbance and disorder.” These children were to be ‘kept at home, for eschewing of clamour and disorder in the kirk.’ Kingsbarns’s session ordered them not only to be kept away from the kirk, but also to be shut up indoors lest parishioners be troubled by the “running up and down of little |
to treat symptoms caused by fibroids, which may include heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding or pelvic pressure or pain. “Health care providers and patients should carefully consider available alternative treatment options for symptomatic uterine fibroids,” the FDA said.
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For more information:
Critics of Fibroid Removal Procedure Question Risks It May Pose for Women With Undetected Uterine Cancer. Hampton, T. JAMA. 2014;311(9):891-893.
Evaluating the Risks of Electric Uterine Morcellation. Kho, KA and Nezhat, CH. JAMA. 2014;311(9):905-906.
Categories: Gynecology, Oncology, Surgery, Women's HealthI remember the days when someone might get dissed for rolling in a Hyundai. That was back in ’86 or ’87 when the company first started selling cars in the US. They sold like hot cakes due to their super cheap price but were of such low quality that it almost didn’t matter. However, the car company that once was known to stand for Hope You Understand Nothing’s Driveable And Inexpensive, has come a long way since then. This year, the Hyundai Genesis was named the 2009 North America Car of the Year and Canadian Car of the Year 2009. In addition it gained the Autobytel Editor’s Choice Award along with several other accolades. The point is that Hyundai has found the right mix of product, quality and price and everyone’s taking notice.
Our eyebrows were raised with the introduction of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe which is the cheapest 300 hp car available on the market today. It compares favorably to the BMW 335i coupe and the Infinity G37. Performance-wise it is right up there with these premium brands and can hold its own.
The two engine options available for the Genesis Coupe include a 210-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged unit or the 306 hp 3.8-liter V6. The later comes standard with a six-speed manual, leather upholstery, fog lights, premium door sill plates and chrome fascia accents, all for $25k. An automatic Shiftronic transmission is also available but pushes the price up to $26,500.
Hyundai offers a variety of packages such as the Grand Touring but we only really care about the Track version. This nice collection of performance upgrades includes 19″ gunmetal finished alloy wheels, track-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes with 13.4 inch rotors and 4 piston calipers and a Torsen-type limited slip-differential. The Track V6 model with manual transmission goes for $29,500 while the automatic runs $31,000.
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has been showing up in all the right places. Last year, the SEMA show featured 3 different coupes freaked by Rhys Millen Racing (RMR), HKS and Street Concepts. The RMR version was built on a 2.0-liter prototype to create what became later known as the “Art of Speed” Genesis Coupe. Their camp performed some serious weight reduction by using carbon fiber to replace the front bumper, doors, fenders and side skirts along with other body panels. The engine was equipmed with a Turbonetics turbocharger, wastegate and blow-off valve and a custom intake manifold. Two-way adjustable KW coilovers were used to beef up the suspension along with new sway bars and adjustable lower control arms. The stock rims were replaced with SSR Type-F wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza slicks with 18×9.5s in front and 18×10.5s in the rear. The final mods include a roll-cage, custom gauges and a mandatory fire suppression system.
Street Concepts got their hands on the 3.8-liter V6 model which they molded into a “Stealth Fighter-inspired” vehicle that was heavier on external aesthetics and lighter on performance mods. The camoflauge paint scheme was matched with a custom grill, tinted head lights and tail lights and a large APR wing. An improved Brembo brake system was installed along with 19 inch Volk wheels fitted with Pirelli tires. Performance modifications were limited to a K&N cold air intake and a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system.
HKS was provided a turbo-charged 2.0-liter Genesis Coupe. Similar to RMR they really went to work on the performance modifications. A GT2835R turbo upgrade was installed along with an HKS stainless tubular manifold, sequential blow-off valve, carbon fiber airbox, intercooler and cat-back exhaust. The suspension system received HKS Hipermax III coilovers. And to round out the look, an aerodynamic package from Ken Style was applied.
In addition, look for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe to make its movie debut in the Fast and Furious 4 opening on April 3rd. Check out the spoiler video of the movie’s major race. Who would have thought a few years ago that a Hyundai would be featured in a franchise known for radical tuners and high-performance sport cars!
Source: Hyundai | RMR | HKS | Street Concepts
Please see image gallery below for 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe:A West African player on Nazareth Area High School's boys soccer team was taunted by Northampton players with chants of "Ebola!" during a game last week, according to his legal guardian.
Edward Bachert, custodian for the 16-year-old soccer player, said the teen told him Ebola comments peppered last Thursday's game at Nazareth. Other Nazareth players told Bachert their opponents directed racial slurs at the teen as well, said Bachert, who was at the game but out of earshot.
School officials in Nazareth and Northampton confirmed Monday they are investigating reports of inappropriate language used by Northampton players, but neither district would specify what the students allegedly said.
"I don't know exactly what was said at this [game], and we don't have anything concrete that this was said," said Joseph Kovalchik, superintendent of the Northampton Area School District. "Right now we need to really dig into this and investigate both sides."
Northampton doesn't tolerate any form of discrimination and the district will follow all policies and procedures if warranted, Kovalchik said.
The allegations were not discussed Monday night at the Northampton school board meeting.
"We are not at that point yet of knowing what actually did happen," board President David Gogel said after the meeting.
Bachert told the teen's story after he was contacted by The Morning Call, which received two letters from fans who attended the game and alleged Northampton players hurled racist remarks at a black player on Nazareth's team. One of the writers said Northampton players said they hoped he contracted Ebola.
The teen came to America with siblings about three years ago and is from a small town in Guinea, ground zero of the Ebola outbreak, Bachert said. Bachert's family took the teen in two years ago, but he constantly worries about the health of his parents, who still live in their home village.
Distressed by the alleged Ebola remarks, the teen charged a Northampton player during the game's waning minutes and was ejected, Bachert said. He cried at the kitchen table when he got home.
"He was upset on the field, he was upset when I saw him after the game, he was upset when he came home," Bachert said.
Bachert did not hear any of the alleged comments from the stands but learned of them through the teen and his teammates. Several players vented after the game on Twitter.
"I take pride in my soccer team. They are like my brothers. When racial slurs are being said we as a team take it very personally," one Nazareth player tweeted.
A fellow player tweeted: "Literally lost all my respect for that team and it's coaches, after being racist and getting a kid sent off you don't hi five your friend."
Bachert does not believe the Northampton players knew the teen had moved from Africa or that his parents still live there. But he thinks they need to be held accountable.
"This doesn't belong in society," he said. "It certainly doesn't belong in the field."
Nazareth Athletic Director Thomas Moll met with several players Friday morning to get as much information as possible about what happened, Moll said. School was closed Monday for Columbus Day and the investigation will continue Tuesday, he said.
"I don't want to say anything at this point," Moll said. "I want to meet with our principal and our superintendent to let them know what we found."
Northampton's schools were also closed Monday, hindering the district's ability to investigate, Kovalchik said. The probe will continue Tuesday, he said.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association could not immediately be reached for comment.
Nazareth was forced to play a player down after the teen was ejected, and the Blue Eagles then gave up the game-winning goal in a 2-1 loss. The team still qualified for the postseason.
Northampton's season is over, but the district must now manage another allegation of racism.
A borough resident launched an online petition last September seeking to have the school's Konkrete Kids nickname changed because he believed the three Ks are a nod to the Ku Klux Klan. The district defended the name, saying it is rooted in its ties to the cement industry, since the spelling was gleaned from the German spelling of the word concrete.
adam.clark@mcall.com
610-820-6168The council, created by President Obama and co-chaired by the secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture, went over broadband access data from 2013. It produced a report summarizing the state of the industry and what can be done to improve it. In general, access is improving, but a few stubborn problems remain, according to the report.
For one thing, rural and tribal areas are underserved, often having only limited-speed options. Low-income families are also far less likely to use broadband, suggesting the cost is still too high for many. And perhaps at the root of both, lack of competition in many regions means many Americans have little or no choice in what service they get and how much they pay.
Related: Obama Pledges to Bring Broadband Internet to Poor Households
The report goes on to recommend that federal programs be updated to include investment in or other support of deploying broadband — the idea being that improved access to the Internet advances many of such programs' goals. It also says federal assets should also be selectively used to foster competition between providers, and more data should be collected for studies like this one.
You can read the full report here (PDF).Just do it. Some iteration of those words must have been said as the Georgia Bulldogs were offered their latest deal from apparel giant Nike last summer.
Details of the deal were not publicly disclosed at the time but the Athens Banner-Herald recently obtained a copy of the contract under an open records request.
The deal is said to be worth at least $40.8 million over the length of the contract, which runs until June 30, 2024.
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These figures will bring in an additional $1.3 million more per year over the previous deal between Nike and the school.
The new apparel deal brings Georgia up to the fourth richest apparel deal in the SEC behind only Tennessee ($5.5 million with Adidas), Auburn ($4.3 million with Under Armour) and LSU ($4.2 million with Nike).
Don't think Nike hands out checks without asking for something in return. The company will receive the following from Georgia on an annual basis:
"10 tickets and two sideline passes for home football games (adjacent seats, field level and between the 20 yard lines) and 16 tickets for basketball games (court level and at or near center court) with getting an additional 50 football tickets and 30 basketball tickets for one game. Ten tickets also go to Nike for bowl games and 20 for any college football playoff games. Georgia also provides four “VIP” parking passes and “an exclusive area” at the stadium and arena for Nike to host hospitality events at its option and expense"
How's that for swag?
(h/t Athens Banner-Herald)Extracellular protrusions arose to facilitate material exchange with the external environment We take as our starting point a prokaryotic cell similar to an 'eocyte' [48], an informal name that has come to refer to a member of the archaeal phyla Crenarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, and Korarchaeota [49]. Eocytes usually have a single lipid bilayer membrane and a simple cell wall (S-layer) rich in N-glycosylated proteins [50]. They also have a relatively well-developed cytoskeleton that includes homologs of actin and tubulin [51]-[53] and the membrane-manipulating protein ESCRTIII [54]-[58]. Recent phylogenetic studies have tended to support the `eocyte hypothesis,' which holds that eocytes are more closely related to eukaryotes than they are to euryarchaeote Archaea [26],[27],[48],[59],[60], though this conclusion is disputed [61]. While the inside-out hypothesis is not formally dependent on the veracity of the eocyte hypothesis, as we show below, the eocyte hypothesis poses a significant challenge to any outside-in hypothesis proposed to date. Under the inside-out model, the pre-eukaryote developed outward protrusions (Figure 1A,B). Many Archaea, including some eocytes [11],[13],[62], exhibit such structures [9]-[14],[62], but they are rarely seen in bacteria [54],[63]. In almost all cases where the images are clear, protrusions are bounded by an S-layer. In some living Archaea, ESCRTIII has been inferred to pinch off protrusions to yield extracellular membrane vesicles [54],[55]. However, if scission were suppressed, long-lived protrusions could be formed. The stable protrusions formed by suppression of scission would have increased the surface-to-volume ratio of the host cell. The idea that an eocyte might produce extracellular protrusions as a means to increase its surface area is justified by the observation that protrusion formation is stimulated in the crenarchaeote Stettaria hydrogenophila in response to reductions in the concentration of extracellular sulfur [9]. Moreover, Archaea with protrusions associated with cell-cell contacts have been seen in mixed microbial communities in biofilms [12]. The potential selective value of extracellular protrusions is also illustrated by a number of living eukaryotic groups, such as foraminiferans and radiolarians, which have a central cell body enclosed within a rigid test that has pores through which protrusions project. This arrangement allows cells to interact directly and dynamically with the external environment while retaining their genetic material in a protective keep. These phyla are ecologically successful, with many thousands of living and extinct species [64]. The rapid radiation of foraminiferans in the Cambrian, not long after the evolution of rigid tests [65], makes clear the potential advantages of a cell increasing its surface area while retaining its chromatin in a protective inner compartment. Further, it is noteworthy that in some rhizarian subgroups, pseudopodia fuse with one another to generate an extra-testal compartment that is loosely analogous to a continuous cytoplasm forming via the fusion of extracellular blebs.
The molecular machinery underlying the formation of stable protrusions Little is currently known about the cell biology of archaeal protrusions. Specifically, it is unclear how protrusions are formed and stabilized. This could be achieved through the action of proteins at the protrusion neck, by an internal cytoskeleton, by structural changes in the S-layer (for example, local weakening), by changes in the connections between the S-layer and cytoplasmic proteins, and/or by changes in osmotic pressure. How cells generate stable protrusions is important for the model, since this corresponds to the first step in the evolution of the cytoplasm (Figure 1). 1 66 67 68 69 We speculate that positive curvature at the protrusion's base was first stabilized by proteins containing seven-blade β-propeller domains homologous to Coat Protein II (COPII)-like proteins that form the outer ring of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) (FiguresB,C). Many proteins with seven-blade β-propeller domains are found in prokaryotes, including some that are localized to the periphery of living archaea []. It is not yet known whether these or other prokaryotic β-propeller domain proteins are direct homologs of NPC proteins. COPII-like proteins do not associate with membranes directly, but interact with membranes via diverse membrane-binding proteins [],[]. Nonetheless, they play a conserved role in stabilizing positive membrane curvature [], making them a natural candidate for having an ancestral role in stabilizing the bases of extracellular protrusions - a cellular location that corresponds to the nuclear pore of modern eukaryotes. 70 71 72 74 It has been claimed that homologs of α-solenoid domains, which occur in many nucleoporins, are common in prokaryotes, and are coupled to β-propeller domains in some PVC bacteria []. However, these appear to be generic α-helical repeat domains rather than true homologs of nucleoporin α-solenoid domains []. Therefore, in the absence of more concrete data, we hypothesize that α-solenoid and β-propeller domains came together in a single protein in the eocyte ancestor of eukaryotes and that this fused ancestral protein gave rise, via gene duplication, to the outer-ring nucleoporins of the modern NPC []-[]. Under the inside-out model, the structural components of the nuclear pore constituted the very first eukaryotic innovation, playing an essential role in ensuring the stable attachment of extracellular protrusions to the cell body. This hypothesis leads one to expect the outer ring of the NPC to be the most highly conserved portion of the complex - as is the case [72]. Moreover, in line with the idea that the complex evolved to stabilize long-lived protrusions, NPCs are among the most stable proteins in eukaryotic cells [75],[76]. Within eukaryotes, there is now abundant evidence that structural components of the nuclear pore (for example, Nup107) are homologous to COPII proteins that drive the budding of endomembrane vesicles [40],[68],[69],[72],[74],[77],[78]. They even share subunits in common (Sec13/31) [79]. This led Devos and collaborators to propose the protocoatomer hypothesis [40],[80], which assumes an outside-in origin of the nucleus. They proposed that an ancestral protein involved in maintaining positive curvature around vesicles and at the edges of ER sheets underwent gene duplication, and some copies became specialized to function at nuclear pores - which are seen as being topologically equivalent to the edges of ER sheets. Under the inside-out model, this same homology is interpreted differently: proteins whose original function was to stabilize positive membrane curvature in the nuclear pore were later co-opted for a new function in vesicle formation. To distinguish between these theories it will be important in future work to conduct a phylogenetic analysis of COPII and NPC proteins, rooted with appropriate prokaryotic sequences, to determine if the trees better support the inside-out or protocoatomer interpretation.
Selective pressures for protrusion growth: an increasingly intimate association with symbiotic proto-mitochondria We suggest that external protrusions evolved in the original proto-eukaryote to facilitate resource exchange with ectosymbiotic bacteria that ultimately gave rise to modern day mitochondria. The presence of a significant α-proteobacterial contribution to all eukaryotic genomes, even those that lack mitochondria or hydrogenosomes, shows that a close association with mitochondria evolved in the eukaryotic stem lineage [7],[8],[19],[30],[42]. A number of modern bacteria form ectosymbiotic associations with specific hosts (for examples, see [81]-[83]), including archaeal species. A good example of this, illustrated in Figure 2, is the archaeon Candidatus Giganthauma karukerense, whose cells appear coated with epibiotic γ-proteobacteria [84]. This illustrates the ecological plausibility of progenitors of mitochondria being ectosymbiotic bacteria that entered into a metabolic mutualism with the progenitor of the host cell. This type of association would be augmented by a progressive increase in host cell surface area. Something similar is seen in the foraminiferan Bolivina pacifica, which increases its membrane surface area in parts of the cell that underlie prokaryotic ectosymbionts [85]. Thus, selection for an increase in the surface area available for metabolic exchange with ectosymbiotic bacteria could have driven production and proliferation of extracellular protrusions. The nature of the material exchange between the eukaryotic host and proto-mitochondria has been a matter of debate [23],[24],[44],[45]. Possibilities include hydrogen, sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, organic acids, and ATP. It is worth noting that the inside-out model is consistent with the biochemical and ecological `hydrogen hypothesis' [45],[86], except that, by identifying eocytes as the most likely host, a methanogenic host metabolism seems unlikely. Nonetheless, the idea that efficient transfer between proto-mitochondria and a symbiotic archaeon selected for an increasing surface area of contact is shared by both the hydrogen and inside-out hypotheses. Current data suggest that mitochondria are most closely related to the α-proteobacteria [33]. Typically, analyses have identified mitochondria as very close relatives of Rickettsiales [87],[88], a group of intracellular parasites of eukaryotes that co-opt the host cell's phagocytic machinery to enter cells in food vacuoles, and then enter the cytoplasm proper by lysing the food vacuole membrane [87]. The fact that Rickettsiales live inside eukaryotic cells and have, therefore, had many opportunities to experience gene exchange with mitochondria, combined with the fact that mitochondria and Rickettsiales have very low GC content compared to other α-proteobacteria, means that the apparent close relationships of these two groups could be artifactual [33]. However, even if mitochondria are eventually confirmed as close relatives of Rickettsiales, for reasons discussed below we do not consider it likely that the ancestor of mitochondria entered its proto-eukaryotic host by phagocytosis. Instead, we propose that mitochondria are derived from ectosymbionts, and that the endoparasitic capabilities of Rickettsiales evolved later. Material exchange with a mutualistic epibiotic bacterial community would have favored both loss of the S-layer overlying protrusions and lateral expansion of protrusions into larger blebs, increasing both cell volume and surface area (Figure 1B-D). Such an expansion would have trapped populations of bacteria between the folds of adjacent blebs and the underlying cell wall (Figure 1C,D). This would have ensured sustained close contacts between host cytoplasm and proto-mitochondria, increasing the probability of vertical proto-mitochondrial inheritance, and helping to exclude parasitic microbes. At some point, either before or after further elaboration of the cytoplasmic compartment (Figure 1E,F), mitochondria moved into the cytoplasm by penetrating the ER membrane. This seems plausible since rickettsialean bacteria, which are often found within the ER and Golgi of modern eukaryotes [89], gain entry to the cytoplasm proper by lysis of the confining host-cell membrane [87]. It is striking in this light that mitochondria in modern eukaryotes retain close metabolic, physical, and regulatory linkages with ER [90]. The ER has even been found to play a critical role in mitochondrial fission [91],[92].
The expansion of extracellular protrusions and the generation of an incipient endoplasmic reticulum and perinuclear space The extent to which membrane protrusions swelled beyond the S-layer would have depended on the relative osmotic pressure of the cell and its environment, and the sophistication of osmoregulation. While data on osmoregulation in Archaea remain sparse [93],[94], it is noteworthy that many archaeal cells live in conditions of high external osmolytes where the thinning or loss of the S-layer would not cause cells to burst. Thermoplasma, for example, appears to lack a cell wall entirely [95]. We propose that with the progressive growth of the external (cytoplasmic) compartment, adjacent blebs pressed against one another to generate a continuous network of inter-bleb crypts, homologous to the lumen of the nuclear envelope and the ER of modern eukaryotes (Figure 1D). This would provide a simple explanation for the continuity of ER and the nuclear envelope, a common feature of all eukaryotes [96] (even within the context of syncytia generated via incomplete cell division [97],[98]). Furthermore, since the location of the original glycoprotein-rich archaeal cell wall is topologically equivalent to the perinuclear space in modern eukaryotes, the model parsimoniously explains why the N-linked glycosylation pathway, which operates in the lumen of the nuclear envelope and ER to modify proteins destined for secretion, is homologous to that used to modify S-layer proteins in Archaea [99],[100]. The stabilization of blebs would have been facilitated by the evolution of an outer ring of nucleoporins supporting a second area of positive curvature on the outside of the cell wall, giving rise to the partial inside-out symmetry of the NPC (Figure 3). Additionally, the nucleus would have been stabilized by the co-option of proteins used to anchor the cell membrane to the inner surface of the S-layer. Under the model, these would have given rise to LINC complexes [101],[102]. In vertebrates, where nuclear envelope structure is best understood, the key components of LINC complexes are SUN-domain proteins on the nucleoplasmic side and KASH-domain proteins on the cytoplasmic side [101]-[103]. Torsin, which sits within the perinuclear space, interacts with SUN-KASH domain proteins [102],[104], as well as other linkers [105],[106]. These proteins function together to ensure the structural integrity of the nuclear envelope. Moreover, Torsin has been shown to play a role in nuclear bleb formation during ribonuclear protein granule export [107],[108] and in the control of ER morphology [109]. Some of these functions are clearly ancient, given that SUN-domain proteins play a similar role in plant nuclei [110],[111]. Under the inside-out model, it seems likely that LINC complexes would be descended from archaeal S-layer glycoproteins. It is therefore noteworthy that many perinuclear components of LINC complexes are N-glycosylated. We speculate further that LINCs originally functioned to connect the archaeal plasma membrane (and perhaps cytoskeleton) to the S-layer. Later, following the growth of cytoplasmic blebs, it is easy to imagine how gene duplication and the recruitment of new proteins could have connected the inner membranes of each bleb to remnants of the S-layer to create a perinuclear lumen and a double nuclear envelope. Although this scenario is attractive, most of the what we know about the structure of the nuclear envelope comes from animal systems, and the identity of potential homologs in archaea remains unknown. Torsin, for example, is a member of an animal-specific subfamily of AAA + ATPases [112], and so may not be a good candidate for an ancestral S-layer protein co-opted to help generate a nuclear envelope. By contrast, SUN-domain protein are found in all eukaryotic groups and have structural homology to carbohydrate-binding motifs [72], which are also present in some archaeal proteins. Thus, it will be important to characterize the closest archaeal homologs of these nuclear envelope scaffolding proteins to determine whether they play a role in anchoring the plasma membrane to the S-layer, as we predict.
A switch in lipid metabolism The majority of the structural lipids within eukaryotic cell membranes are quite distinct from archaeal lipids [113],[114]. In fact, they bear many similarities to those found in bacteria [115]. Bacterial and eukaryotic membranes are primarily composed of ester-linked, straight-chain fatty acids and utilize glycerol-3-phosphate lipids, whereas archaea have ether-linked fatty acids derived from highly methyl-branched isoprenoids and utilize a glycerol-1-phosphate backbone [114]. Additionally, both eukaryotes and some bacteria, but not archaea [116], produce triterpenoids (for example, hopanoids and sterols) that help modulate membrane fluidity. It is noteworthy, therefore, that a significant fraction of eukaryotic genes assigned a function in lipid metabolism and transport have their closest prokaryotic relatives in α-proteobacteria [33] - including genes involved in eukaryotic sterol synthesis [116],[117]. This strongly suggests that eukaryotes acquired their bacterium-like lipids from mitochondria. This conclusion is reinforced under the eocyte hypothesis, which embeds the eukaryotes within the Archaea, implying a late and dramatic switch from archaeal to bacterial lipid biochemistry. It seems likely that the transfer of genes for lipid biosynthesis from proto-mitochondria to proto-eukaryotes occurred prior to the development of an elaborate vesicle trafficking system and phagocytosis. If this were not the case, one would have to postulate that numerous proteins that had evolved to manipulate archaeal membranes tolerated the shift towards bacterial membranes, which have distinct chemical and biophysical properties [113],[118]. While one can envisage a few membrane-interacting proteins, especially those with simple modes of interaction (as seems to be the case for ESCRTIII [119]), being able to retain functionality during a transition from archaeal to bacterial membranes, we think it likely that most membrane-manipulating machinery of eukaryotes arose after membranes were bacterium-like. Furthermore, it is hard to see how processes like phagocytosis, which rely both on a large cell size and dramatic, energy-intensive membrane remodeling events could have occurred in an archaeal proto-eukaryote lacking mitochondria [1]. The contention that phagocytosis evolved after the acquisition of mitochondria (as previously suggested [8]) can be further justified by consideration of the physical properties of archaeal lipids. Archaeal membranes typically retain their physical properties across a wide range of temperatures, whereas bacterial and eukaryotic membranes are tuned to keep them close to the phase transition boundary at physiological temperatures [118]. The latter property is thought to allow the formation and dissolution of distinct lipid domains, which permits the dynamic and reversible membrane deformations that are characteristic of eukaryotic cells [120]. These considerations support the idea that the physico-chemical properties of bacterial membranes were an essential precursor to the evolution of dynamic mechanisms such as endocytosis and phagocytosis. These facts are hard to reconcile with outside-in models, which typically view phagocytosis as the means by which proto-eukaryotes established a close, symbiotic relationship with proto-mitochondria. By contrast, the inside-out model implies that symbiosis arose by the passive trapping of proto-mitochondria in inter-bleb spaces, and did not require complex membrane manipulating machinery besides the ability to generate protrusions - a feature common in many modern-day archaea. Under the inside-out model, the structural lipids present in modern eukaryotes would have been first acquired from mitochondria via traffic across ER-mitochondrial contact sites, which are conserved across eukaryotes and apparently ancient [121]. Given this, there are a number of striking observations. First, mitochondria retain a critical role in eukaryotic fatty acid metabolism and in lipid synthesis, generating many of their own lipids, such as cardiolipin [113],[122]. Second, the ER is the major site of lipid and membrane synthesis in modern eukaryotes, with many of the enzymes involved found concentrated at ER-mitochondrial contact sites [123]. And third, connections between ER and mitochondria remain important sites of lipid traffic in modern eukaryotes [124]-[126]. Thus, the spatial organization of lipids and lipid synthesis in modern cells is easy to understand under the inside-out model as a by-product of the gradual evolution of a symbiotic relationship between the host and mitochondria (the original site of endomembrane lipid synthesis) situated in the spaces between cytoplasmic blebs. For a time it is likely that membranes were formed that contained a mixture of archaeal and bacterial lipids [127] prior to gradual reductions in the archaeal contribution. The primary use of only one type of structural lipid may have been driven in part by the difficulties of reconciling metabolic pathways that use different chiral forms of the lipid glycerol backbone, with the mesophilic environment removing any intrinsic benefit of ether-linked lipids. Interestingly, though, modern eukaryotic cells do produce some lipids with ether-linkages [128],[129], some of which have been implicated in the generation of mechanically rigid membranes during cell division [130]. These facts raise the possibility that use of archaeon-like lipids in cell division helped ESCRTIII to survive the transition from archaeal to eukaryotic cell biology. In contrast to the structural lipids of eukaryotes, inositol lipids, which are ubiquitous in eukaryotes but represent a tiny fraction of total lipids in membranes [125], are common to eukaryotes and archaea, but not bacteria [131]. This implies that inositol metabolism was originally associated with the proto-nuclear compartment, thus explaining why inositol lipids are actively imported into mitochondria rather than being synthesized there [126],[132]. This may also account for the fact that inositol lipids, and the enzymes that generate them, are found in the nuclei of modern eukaryotes - something that has long perplexed researchers in the field [133],[134]. Instead of a structural role, inositol lipids are important regulatory molecules, modulating cell growth [135],[136] and marking cytoplasmic compartment identity [137]. This is reasonable under the inside-out model: inositol derivatives were present throughout eukaryotic evolution, allowing their phosphorylation states to be deployed as signals [135],[136] for facilitating nuclear control over an increasingly large and elaborate cytoplasmic compartment.
The mitotic cycle and cell division in the proto-eukaryote Despite the presence of blebs and proto-mitochondria at early stages in its evolution (Figure 1A-D), the proto-eukaryote would have had the same topology as the ancestral eocyte. It retained a single, continuous bounding membrane, albeit one that was much more extensive and contorted than the ancestors'. Thus, at this stage there would have been no distinction between nuclear division and cell division. Moreover, cell cycle progression and cell division would have likely been regulated in a manner similar to that seen in modern day Archaea, and using homologous proteins [58]. Likewise, proteins controlling chromosomal architecture (histones) and DNA replication are of archaeal origin [138]. 56 58 139 4 101 4 4 140 Strikingly, in many archaea, the scission event completing cell division is driven by the action of the ESCRTIII complex []-[], just as appears to be the case in eukaryotes []. Under the inside-out model, it is relatively easy to see how cell division could have been achieved in an early proto-eukaryotic cell, even one that had links between blebs, using pre-existing ESCRTIII machinery (Figure). After division, each daughter cell would have acquired a subset of the nuclear pore-associated blebs, with naked cell surface being covered by the movement of pores and through the action of LINC complexes [], which would attach flanking bleb membranes to the exposed portion of the proto-nucleus (Figure). However, in a proto-eukaryote with a well-developed cytoplasmic compartment, the simple division of the nuclear compartment would not have guaranteed a fair segregation of cell mass between the two daughter cells. After loss of the original cell wall, this problem could have been solved through the evolution of partially open mitosis (Figure). Because the inner nuclear membrane is topologically continuous with the outer bleb membrane, this would have required little additional innovation, only the partial disassembly of nuclear pores and LINC complexes as seen in some eukaryotic cell divisions []. Following division, the nuclear-cytoplasmic boundary would have been re-established through the rebinding of nuclear membranes by chromosome-associated NPC and LINC components. From this type of mitosis, it is easy to see how further loss or remodeling of LINC complexes could lead to a more complete loss of the nuclear envelope associated with fully `open' mitosis. In this light, it is important to note that although the initiation of an open mitosis is often referred to as being triggered by nuclear envelope `breakdown,' this is a misnomer, because in the majority of eukaryotes there is no breakdown of the membrane. Instead, there is a loss of compartment identity as nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments mix and nuclear membranes become indistinguishable from cytoplasmic ER [141]-[144]. Under the inside-out model it is easy to see that open and closed mitosis are not as different as often assumed, and to imagine cells switching between open and closed modes of mitosis by modifying the extent to which LINC and NPCs remain associated with the nuclear membranes during cell division. This offers an explanation for the frequent occurrence of evolutionary transitions between these two modes of mitosis [2],[145].
The differentiation of nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments Under the inside-out model, the recruitment of additional proteins to the NPC enabled the controlled movement of membrane lipids and the flow of aqueous material between the nuclear and bleb (cytoplasmic) compartments. This includes the regulated transport of mRNA and ribosomes [146],[147] to generate distinct domains of protein translation: nuclear and cytoplasmic. In such a situation, it is easy to imagine that it might be beneficial for certain transcripts to be translated in the cytoplasmic domain and that this might have resulted in the evolution of mechanisms for targeting some transcripts for transport to the cytoplasm and for preventing their premature translation in the nucleus. We speculate that mRNA cap formation and polyadenylation evolved originally for this purpose: tagging certain transcripts for translocation through the nuclear pore and limiting intranuclear translation. It is noteworthy that, in some systems, mRNA processing [148],[149] and mRNA export [150] are regulated by phosphoinositol lipids which, as suggested above, might have had an ancestral role in coordinating growth of the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. Through the regulated transport of mRNA and proteins between nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments it would have become possible |
conduct’ that was agreed.” A statement warned:
“In short, the ‘code of conduct’ downgrades the law to a second-class status, behind the ‘leading role’ of private companies that are being asked to arbitrarily implement their terms of service. This process, established outside an accountable democratic framework, exploits unclear liability rules for online companies. It also creates serious risks for freedom of expression, as legal — but controversial — content may well be deleted as a result of this voluntary and unaccountable take-down mechanism. “This means that this ‘agreement’ between only a handful of companies and the European Commission is likely in breach of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (under which restrictions on fundamental rights should be provided for by law), and will, in practical terms, overturn case law of the European Court of Human Rights on the defense of legal speech.”
Writing for Gatestone Institute, British commentator Douglas Murray noted that this assault on “racist” speech “appears to include anything critical of the EU’s current catastrophic immigration policy.” He wrote:
“By deciding that ‘xenophobic’ comment in reaction to the crisis is also ‘racist,’ Facebook has made the view of the majority of the European people (who, it must be stressed, are opposed to Chancellor Merkel’s policies) into ‘racist’ views, and so is condemning the majority of Europeans as ‘racist.’ This is a policy that will do its part in pushing Europe into a disastrous future.
Janice Atkinson, an independent MEP for the South East England region, summed it up this way: “It’s Orwellian. Anyone who has read 1984 sees its very re-enactment live.”
Help Us Be The Change We Wish To See In The World.Once again, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Virginia second among the nation’s public universities, and 23rd among all universities, public or private. The rankings were released Tuesday.
It marks the 11th straight year that U.Va. is rated the No. 2 public university (this year, tied with the University of California, Los Angeles, with both schools just behind the University of California, Berkeley, which ranked 20th overall). Virginia has been rated among the top 25 national universities every year since the magazine began publishing its rankings in 1988.
One reason, among many: Students love and succeed at U.Va. The University is tied for 10th nationally in the magazine’s ranking that combines retention and graduation rates – best among the public universities – and U.Va.’s 93 percent graduation rate is five points higher than the magazine’s formula predicts.
“The University has sustained its strong position in the rankings for several reasons,” U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan said. “Our students are among the best in the nation in their academic performance. Our faculty excel in both teaching and research, while our staff members provide outstanding support. Our alumni and parents are loyal and generous. And we manage the University’s operations efficiently with limited financial resources.
“All of these factors have shaped U.Va.’s reputation as a model of excellence in higher education.”
Princeton University held onto the top spot overall, ahead of Harvard University and Yale University. Among other Virginia schools, the College of William & Mary ranked No. 33 overall (No. 6 among public universities) and Virginia Tech tied for 71st (tied for No. 27 among publics).
In the magazine’s complex formula, U.Va. also benefited from solid reputational rankings among peers and high school guidance counselors. However, the University ranked only 59th in financial resources; no other school in the top 25 ranked lower than 38th in that category, and only six other schools in the top 50 ranked lower than U.Va.
The annual U.S. News Best Colleges issue also included several secondary rankings. U.Va. rated 27th nationally in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” list, and was part of a seven-way tie for 22nd among “The High School Counselors’ Top College Picks.” The University was also listed (alphabetically) among 15 schools with a superior first-year experience.
The magazine also rated undergraduate business and engineering schools. U.Va.’s McIntire School of Commerce was rated sixth in the country, tied with the Keenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. McIntire’s finance program was rated No. 5 in the nation and its management program was ranked No. 3.
U.Va.’s School of Engineering and Applied Science moved into a tie for 31st nationally this year, up slightly from a tie for 35th last year.I guess those who care about international press freedom can take comfort in the fact that Marc Thiessen no longer works for the government. On the Washington Post website, the former Bush Administration speechwriter and harsh interrogation booster, offers his view of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange. In short, Thiessen calls for the U.S. to basically declare war on Assange, or presumably any other individual or organization that publishes documents the U.S. thinks might harm national security.
Assange is a non-U.S. citizen operating outside the territory of the United States. This means the government has a wide range of options for dealing with him. It can employ not only law enforcement but also intelligence and military assets to bring Assange to justice and put his criminal syndicate out of business. The first step is for the Justice Department to indict Assange.
Military assets? Thiessen goes on to argue that the U.S. has the legal authority to effectively kidnap Assange from foreign soil, even if such a kidnapping violates international law. He cites a 1989 legal analysis by the Reagan Administration: “In other words, we do not need permission to apprehend Assange or his co-conspirators anywhere in the world.” We can, apparently, just put a bag over his head as he orders a cappuccino in some Icelandic coffee shop and drag him off to... well, anywhere we want.
To be clear, Assange’s crime, according to Thiessen, is intentionally receiving and republishing classified information, something that is done with some regularity in the United States by respectable and responsible reporters working for top flight news organizations. To adopt Thiessen’s view, one would effectively have to reject the Supreme Court’s opinion in New York Times Co. v. United States, the so-called Pentagon Papers case from 1971.
Concurring in that case, Justice Potter Stewart observed, “In the absence of governmental checks and balances present in other areas of our national life, the only effective restraint upon executive policy and power in the area of national defense and international affairs may lie in an enlightened citizenry — in an informed and critical public opinion which alone can here protect the values of democratic government..... Without an informed and free press, there cannot be an enlightened people.”
Justice Hugo Black, with Justice William Brennan, added the following:
[W]e are asked to hold that, despite the First Amendment’s emphatic command, the Executive Branch, the Congress, and the Judiciary can make laws enjoining publication of current news and abridging freedom of the press in the name of “national security.” The Government does not even attempt to rely on any act of Congress. Instead, it makes the bold and dangerously far-reaching contention that the courts should take it upon themselves to “make” a law abridging freedom of the press in the name of equity, presidential power and national security, even when the representatives of the people in Congress have adhered to the command of the First Amendment and refused to make such a law. To find that the President has “inherent power” to halt the publication of news by resort to the courts would wipe out the First Amendment and destroy the fundamental liberty and security of the very people the Government hopes to make “secure.” No one can read the history of the adoption of the First Amendment without being convinced beyond any doubt that it was injunctions like those sought here that Madison and his collaborators intended to outlaw in this Nation for all time. The word “security” is a broad, vague generality whose contours should not be invoked to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment. The guarding of military and diplomatic secrets at the expense of informed representative government provides no real security for our Republic.
The fact that Assange is a foreigner seems to make these questions easier for Thiessen. But there is little doubt that Thiessen is endorsing a similar claim to “inherent power,” albeit through the military, that Richard Nixon asserted in 1971. (The irony should not be lost that Nixon later stepped down after his own misdeeds in office were disclosed by the press.) To read all the opinions in New York Times v. United States, see here.Pope Francis addressed mayors at the Vatican on Tuesday during a two-day summit on climate change and slavery. Gregorio Borgia/AP
Not a single Republican mayor attended a two-day climate change summit at the Vatican this week. While dozens of U.S. mayors of both parties were allegedly invited, only Democrats accepted, U.S. News has learned.
The one-sided turnout may partly be due to the hastily assembled guest list – Republican mayors James Brainard of Carmel, Indiana, and R. Rex Parris of Lancaster, California, who have spearheaded efforts to address global warming, say they were not invited. But the RSVPs also suggest how deep the political divide over global warming now goes, spurring even local GOP mayors to spurn a prestigious invitation from the papacy.
"Republican voters, the people out there, they've actually turned the corner in actually recognizing that climate disruption is caused by pollution. But the leadership, all the funding comes from the people who don't want people to believe that," says Parris, a self-described "right-wing conservative" who harnessed solar power to slash emissions in his desert city of 160,000.
Mayors and other guests listen to Pope Francis' speech on climate change and slavery L'Ossservatore Romano/AP
Most GOP voters say they want politicians to address global warming, but conservative action groups – like those backed by coal, oil and natural gas groups, as well as the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch – have not only undermined climate science but made examples of the politicians who support acting on it. That presents a strong incentive for mayors with state or national designs to simply stay home.
"The fear is there in the people who want to go on to higher office," Parris says.
A spokesman for the Vatican summit declined to state which mayors refused the invitation, which were allegedly sent to larger cities by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, a Vatican-funded research group. Of the cities that have Republican mayors – including Albuquerque, Indianapolis and San Diego – officials say they either were not invited, "had no record" or "have no knowledge" of having received an invitation.
About 60 mayors from around the world attended the summit, including 10 Democrats from the U.S., among them New York City's Bill de Blasio and San Francisco's Edwin Lee. On Wednesday, they signed a declaration that "human-induced climate change is a scientific reality, and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity."
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference after the first day of the summit Tuesday. Gregorio Borgia/AP
The statement came on the heels of Pope Francis' encyclical on climate change last month, a formal letter on Church doctrine that was the first ever to focus exclusively on the environment. During remarks to the mayors Tuesday, he called cities a linchpin in halting global warming and other issues, including human trafficking and inequality.
"You are the conscience of humanity," Francis said.
About half the world's population lives in cities, which together account for three quarters of human emissions. Changes to their design – combined with local political action – can help achieve the carbon reductions that are often far harder to accomplish on the national and international level, says Brainard of Carmel (population: 86,000), who has long advocated cities' role in reducing global warming.
"Getting the Republican party to recognize the need for environmental policy is difficult now," he says. "Mayors have a critical and important role in shaping that policy: Politics is local."FIVE further bodies were found in the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on Tuesday as it emerged coast guard officials ordered the captain to jump immediately back on the vessel when they discovered that he was in a lifeboat rather than commanding the evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew.
FIVE further bodies were found in the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on Tuesday as it emerged coast guard officials ordered the captain to jump immediately back on the vessel when they discovered that he was in a lifeboat rather than commanding the evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew.
One woman and five men were all found at the stern of the boat, below the waterline.
"They were all wearing life jackets and we believe they are all aged between 50 and 60 years old," said Filippo Marini, Coast Guard spokesman.
It emerged on Tuesday that Italian port officials were aghast when Capt Francesco Schettino, 52, told them that he was trying to coordinate the operation from the safety of a life boat.
“What do you want to do, go home?” one official asked him, according to transcripts of the increasingly frantic exchanges between port authorities and the captain, who allegedly refused a direct order to return to the ship and take charge.
The transcripts reveal the mounting anger and frustration of port and Coast Guard officials as they began to realise the full extent of the disaster, despite the commander’s repeated insistence that the situation on board was “all OK”.
When officials told the captain that there were reports of bodies in the water, the commander allegedly asked: “How many?”.
A furious official in Porto Santo Stefano, on the Tuscan mainland, replied: “That’s for you to tell me!”
At 12.42am on Saturday, the control room in Porto Santo Stefano asked the captain how many people were left on the ship. The captain said there were about 100. In reality, the evacuation was still ongoing.
In another tense exchange at 1.46am a Coast Guard official told Capt Schettino: “Go to the bow, climb up the emergency ladder and co-ordinate the evacuation.” “You must tell us how many people, children, women and passengers there are and the exact number of each category. Go back on board. What are you doing, abandoning the rescue?”
Finally the commander said: “OK, I’m going.” But officials believe he did not return to the ship. A short time later he was on dry land, having left in a life boat.
As the situation became increasingly chaotic, an official said: “Captain, this is an order, I am the one in charge now. You have declared 'abandon ship’.” Francesco Verusio, the prosecutor in Grosseto who is leading the investigation, called the captain’s behaviour “inexcusable”.
The captain was due to be questioned by an investigating magistrate, Valeria Montesarchio, in Grosseto on Tuesday.
Crew members appeared to have become so frustrated with Mr Schettino’s inaction and delay as his ship ran aground on the rocky coast of Giglio island that they started hurrying terrified passengers towards the safety boats.
The captain only gave the order for the ship to be evacuated at around 10.50pm – 70 minutes after the vessel smashed into the rock.
But transcripts of communications between the ship and the Coast Guard in Livorno, on the mainland, suggest that junior officers and crew members had already pre-empted the order, acutely aware of the danger that the vessel was in as it began to list onto its side.
Just 10 minutes after the abandon ship order was given, a Coast Guard vessel saw lifeboats full of passengers heading towards the island.
Ten minutes would not have been enough time to fill and lower the boats, suggesting that officers on board the ship had started organising evacuation before the captain gave his order.
As Italian Navy divers continued the search for survivors:
- Over 70 passengers have joined a class action against the owner, consumer rights association Codacons said.
- Salvage crews were racing against time to prevent the ship, perched on the edge of an undersea ledge, from slipping to 300ft.
- Mr Schettino had previously said that he liked to “diverge from standard procedures” but would not want to be “the captain of the Titanic”.
Mr Schettino, who is being held in custody in Grosseto on the mainland, faces up to 15 years in prison.
On Tuesday, the Italian navy was blasting holes in the hull of the stricken Costa Concordia cruise ship to improve access for divers and caving specialists who are resuming the search for bodies and survivors.
Three loud blasts rang out around the tiny island of Giglio, where the 114,000 tonne luxury liner is resting on its side in about 45ft of water, just outside the island's tiny harbour.
Navy specialists in inflatable boats set the charges against the hull, ripping open gaps through which divers will be able to enter the bowels of the vessel.
Authorities on Monday night almost doubled the estimate of the number of passengers and crew still missing, from 16 to 29, after German authorities said that checks had shown 10 of their citizens were still missing.
Hope that anyone could have survived inside the ship since it ran aground on Friday night is fading.
The areas of the vessel that lie above water have been searched, as well as part of the unsubmerged area - a labyrinth of corridors, cabins, restaurants, gyms and entertainment areas which are now swirling with debris such as luggage and bits of carpeting.
The 1,000ft long ship, one of the biggest passenger vessels ever to be wrecked, foundered after striking a rock off the coast of Giglio just as dinner was being served on Friday night.
The Italian government says it fears an ecological disaster if the ship's half million gallons of diesel and oil start to leak into pristine coastal waters, part of a huge marine national park around the Tuscan archipelago of islands.
The captain was accused of “inexcusable” recklessness on Monday night after it emerged that he steered too close to shore to come within sight of his head waiter’s family home on the island of Giglio.
Half an hour before disaster struck, the waiter’s sister posted an entry on her Facebook page saying she had been told the ship was “going to pass really close”, and sending “a big hello to my brother”.
Pier Luigi Foschi said the course of the 1,000-ft long ship was pre-programmed. “The fact that it deviated from this course is due solely to a manoeuvre by the commander that was unapproved, unauthorised and unknown to Costa,” he said.
Antonello Tievoli, 46, the head waiter of the Costa Concordia, is “tormented by a sense of guilt” over the tragedy, his family said, even though he did not ask the captain to perform the sail-by.
His father, Giuseppe Tievoli, 82, said: “Antonello called me to say the ship would be passing by the island at around 9:30 and they would come and give us a whistle to say hello. It was something they often did.
“The ship obviously came too close. I don’t know if Antonello asked the captain to come near, but the responsibility is always and only the captain’s.”
At 9.08pm, half an hour before the ship was ripped open by submerged rocks 150 yards from the shore, the waiter’s sister Patrizia, a teacher who also lives on Giglio, wrote on her Facebook page: “In just a little while the Concordia is going to pass really close. A big hello to my brother who will finally disembark at Savona to enjoy a bit of rest.”
Hours later, after the ship capsized, she wrote: “A tragedy, a deadful tragedy. I can’t believe it’s true. I just hope I will wake up and realise that it was a nightmare. The longest night of my life.”
She later posted a black and white photograph of the Titanic, dated 1912, next to one of the Concordia on its side, dated 2012.
She also passed judgement on the captain’s claim that the rocks were not marked on his nautical charts. “Not very convincing at all!” she wrote.
Mr Schettino, 52, had reportedly performed the sail-by several times in the past, as a salute to his former boss Mario Palombo, a retired Costa captain who has a summer home on the island.
From his house in Grosseto, Tuscany, where he spends the winter months, Mr Palombo said: “I cannot understand what could have happened, what passed through my colleague’s head. The captain sets the course – on board the ship, he’s king. But I don’t want to be dragged into this argument.”
Costa confirmed that its captains had been given permission to sail within 500 yards of the island to “bow” to its inhabitants in the past, but said the captain was solely to blame for what happened on Friday night.
Mr Foschi said his company’s ship were fitted with alarms that sound when they deviate from the programmed route.
He apologised to the families of the dead, but said that “this route was put in correctly,” and “human error” was to blame.
Francesco Verusio, the chief prosecutor in the case, said: “We are struck by the unscrupulousness of the reckless manoeuvre that the commander of the Costa Concordia made near the island of Giglio. It was inexcusable.”
Mr Schettino only told the coastguard his ship was taking on water 45 minutes after it hit the rocks, and allegedly abandoned the vessel while hundreds of people were still on board, later ignoring an order from the coastguard to go back to the capsized vessel to supervise the evacuation.
His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, said the captain was “overcome and wants to express his greatest condolences to the victims”.
Telegraph.co.ukBy of the
A West Bend man told police he intentionally scribbled over petitions seeking the recall of Gov. Scott Walker with the hopes it would "screw up the petition."
But when Jeffery Karnitz handed the defaced petition back to a recall volunteer, she told him, "I hope you know that's a felony," and from then, he told police, "I kind of kicked myself in the ass."
On Thursday, Karnitz, 30, was indeed charged with a felony, "Election fraud - falsifying or destroying nomination papers, recall petitions, etc." -- which is punishable by up to 1 1/2 years in prison, two years extended supervision and $10,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, Karnitz was driving down Highway 33 in West Bend Sunday when he saw a woman at 10th Ave. holding a placard reading "sign recall petitions here" with an arrow pointing down 10th Ave. He told police he stopped, and told the woman his opinions about Walker, then drove down to the signing site, where he scribbled on two petitions, one seeking recall of Walker, and one seeking recall of Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.
After scribbling out names, he drove off. Recall volunteers noted his license plate and called police.John Kerry called Hillary Clinton's presumptive nomination "a truly historic moment for the nation." | Getty Kerry: 'Everybody' should celebrate Clinton win
Hillary Clinton becoming the presumptive presidential nominee of a major political party is a “truly historic moment” every American should celebrate, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.
Clinton celebrated the milestone Tuesday after a win in New Jersey thrust her over the 2,383-delegate mark, which The Associated Press said Clinton had reached Monday evening.
Story Continued Below
“As a father of two daughters, I’m proud,” Kerry told reporters Wednesday as he traveled to the United Arab Emirates from China, according to a Reuters report. “She’ll make a terrific president.”
Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee and Clinton's at the State Department, said her accomplishment was a “truly historic moment for the nation.”
“Everybody ought to celebrate it, Republican or Democrat alike,” he said. “It’s a breakthrough, and I think that whether you’re voting for Trump or you’re voting for her or whoever, you ought to take pride.”
President Barack Obama congratulated Clinton on Tuesday evening for crossing the delegate threshold necessary to claim the nomination, and Vice President Joe Biden has previously said he would like to see a woman elected president, adding that the U.S. is ready for its first female leader.As forensic science continues to play a wider role in the investigation of crimes and apprehension of criminals, those without crime scene or crime lab training must now become familiar with the techniques and language of the forensic scientist. Avoiding the complicated science and graphic violence typical of most forensic references, this book is written specifically for those without forensic science experience. While it provides a professional reference for those not steeped in the details of forensic science, the wealth of instructor material available for teachers and its pedagogical approach make this an ideal textbook for high school and introductory level courses.
Following up on the tremendously popular first edition, Forensic Science: The Basics, Second Edition now adds the insight of a new co-author who is known nationally for training instructors how to teach forensic science at all levels of education. The book takes readers from the initial evidence collection process, through the evaluation procedures, right up to and including the courtroom presentation.
Packed with case studies, photographs, and exercises, this book provides everything the non-scientist needs to be able to understand and utilize the vital research approaches that forensic science can offer.
"Test Yourself" questions at the end of each chapter familiarize you with the language and approaches needed to understand and communicate with experienced crime scene investigators and laboratory personnel.
Offering the forensic sciences at their most accessible, Forensic Science: The Basics, Second Edition is a valuable resource for detectives, journalists, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other non-science professionals who need to understand, interpret, and report on the newest advances in crime scene investigation.
PowerPoint® lecture slides, test bank, and other ancillary material on CD-ROM is available with qualifying course adoptionGlenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Glenbrook High School District 225, which also includes Glenbrook South High School. Feeder junior high schools for GBN are Wood Oaks Junior High School, Stanley Field Middle School, Maple Middle School, and Northbrook Junior High School.
In 2018, Niche rated Glenbrook North High School as the 48th best public high school in the United States.[11]
History [ edit ]
Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook.
Glenbrook North High School opened its doors in the fall of 1953 as Glenbrook High School, and was renamed Glenbrook North in 1962 after the opening of Glenbrook South High School.[12] The school serves the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Northbrook.
Glenbrook North has grown fourfold in the size of its student body since its founding. In 1979, the school opened the Sheely Center for the Performing Arts,[12] and in 1990, a fieldhouse was dedicated. In the spring of 1996, a three-year renovation and construction project involving the science facilities and the “A” wing was built. A second swimming pool was built in 2000 to accommodate the burgeoning growth in aquatics. A successful referendum in 2006 enabled the creation of the two-story classroom “F” wing, state of the art Fitness Center, complete renovation and additions to the Music Area, and a sun-filled main entrance, which were completed in 2009.[13]
Throughout the years, Glenbrook North High School has received state and national recognition for its academic excellence. In the late 1950s, when Glenbrook was less than 10 years old, it was named one of the top 44 high schools in the country by a survey in a national magazine. In 1984, GBN was named one of only four high schools in the state of Illinois to receive the United States Office of Education Excellence in Education Award from President Ronald Reagan. In 2008, GBN was selected again for the nation’s top distinction as a Blue Ribbon School.[14]
John Hughes films [ edit ]
Glenbrook North alumnus John Hughes' 1985 film The Breakfast Club featured a group of kids from "Shermer, Illinois 60062." Shermerville was the original name of the town of Northbrook, where GBN is located, and 60062 is the town's zip code. The movie features the clash between what were known during the 1980s as the'sporto' versus 'freak' cultures at GBN. Some interior scenes of The Breakfast Club were filmed inside Glenbrook North, and exterior shots of GBN were used in both The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.[15]
President Clinton visit [ edit ]
On January 22, 1997, President Bill Clinton visited Glenbrook North to deliver a speech about education initiatives.[16] President Clinton's speech was held in the school's fieldhouse and largely centered around mathematics and science. At the time, students in Northern Illinois were participating in a program called "First in the World." The program was to judge the level of knowledge in math and science against other schools around the world. Northern Illinois students scored 1st in the Science category and 3rd in the Mathematics category. Remarking about Glenbrook High School District 225, President Clinton said:
Can you imagine a school district or a set of school districts with more genuine local control than this one, with—more than these— more parental involvement, more committed teachers, more—you know, you've got local control. But you didn't use it as an excuse not to throw your hat in the ring. I think it's great that it came out this way. But if you had finished eighth and ninth, I would still be here to pat you on the back because you had the guts to do it.[17]
Less than a month later, Bill Clinton referenced his visit to Glenbrook North and these achievements in his 1997 State of the Union on February 4, 1997.[18]
Student hazing incident [ edit ]
In May 2003, Glenbrook North High School gained notoriety after an off-campus, non-school-sanctioned event involving students dressed in school colors turned into a major hazing incident that attracted national media attention. The event was a "Powder Puff" girls' football game between members of the junior and senior classes. The "game" took place on Sunday, May 4, 2003, in Chipilly Woods, part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Although the annual Powder Puff game had been held at the school's football stadium in earlier decades, there was no football at the 2003 event. During the event, about 20 junior class participants were covered in paint, urine, feces, and animal guts. Some were shot with paintball guns, others were kicked and beaten. At least five participants sustained injuries requiring medical attention.[19]
Thirty-one students – twenty-eight females and three males – were suspended from school for 10 days. They were later expelled.[20] Some of the expelled students and their parents filed a lawsuit to allow the expelled students to graduate.[21] The plaintiffs and the school district reached an agreement where the expelled students would have their diplomas mailed to them but would not be able to participate in graduation ceremonies.[22] Local law enforcement authorities investigated the hazing incident and filed charges against 15 students for assault and battery.[23][24] Two mothers were charged with providing alcohol for the event. All were convicted and the sentences received were light, ranging from probation to community service.[25]
A community-wide task force was established by the Northbrook Police Department Community Services Division after the hazing incident.[26] Their final report stressed the needs for recognizing and preventing hazing incidents.
Academics [ edit ]
The academic school year at Glenbrook North High School consists of 37 weeks divided into two semesters. Glenbrook North has a block schedule with classes meeting on alternating days. Each school day consists of four blocks of 90 minutes each. The summer school program at Glenbrook North is six weeks in length.
In 2017, Glenbrook North High School's graduated 98.4% of its senior class, which had an average composite ACT score of 27.1, and 89.5% enrolled in college.[5] The 2017 class included 21 National Merit Semifinalists. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.54 to 1.[3]
In 2018, Niche rated Glenbrook North High School as the 48th Best Public High School in the United States.[11] In 2016, Business Insider ranked GBN 23rd on its list of public high schools with the best teachers in America.[27]
Glenbrook Academy of International Studies [ edit ]
The Glenbrook Academy of International Studies is a nationally recognized four-year program with students from Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools. 30 freshmen are accepted into the Academy each year, with no opportunity of joining after that. Founded in 1981 to give gifted students a more unorthodox learning alternative, it integrates the teaching and learning of English, Social Studies, and World Languages. Each class learns one of a selection of four different foreign languages: Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese.[28]
Activities [ edit ]
Glenbrook North offers more than 75 extracurricular activities including clubs, honorary societies, music organizations, sports related activities, student publications, trips, and performances.[14]
Debate [ edit ]
The Glenbrook North High School debate team is among the best in the history of the United States, and was ranked the top debate school of the 20th century based on performance in the National Speech and Debate Association.[29] The school has won numerous state and national championships in Policy Debate, as well as state championships in Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum Debate. It is the only high school debate program in the country to have ever won the debate's "Triple Crown," sweeping the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament, the Tournament of Champions, and the Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament in 2004.[30]
Since 1974, Glenbrook North has won at least one national championship in debate in fourteen individual years. GBN has won an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state championship in 18 of the 35 years since 1982, and has placed as runner up in three of those years.[31]
DECA [ edit ]
Glenbrook North is among the top performers in Illinois DECA. As of 2014, Glenbrook North DECA has sent over 30 members to DECA's International Career Development Conference.[32] Glenbrook North has a total of over 150 DECA members.[33] The school has received numerous awards at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), placing 1st in 2012 and 3rd in 2014. A team of students from GBN also won an international championship in Sports and Entertainment Marketing in Nashville in 2016.[34] Most recently, a team and another solo student won 1st in the International Career Development Conference, in Advertising Campaign and Food Marketing, respectively.[35].
Philanthropy [ edit ]
Glenbrook North students organize an annual food drive, collecting canned goods to benefit the Northfield Township Food Pantry.[36] In 2009, the school joined with Glenbrook South High School to organize Foodstock, a benefit concert featuring Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump.[37] Students from both schools came together to break the Guinness World Record for the largest can stack, building a structure where 59,084 cans were stacked in the shape of two hands holding a can.[38]
Athletics [ edit ]
Glenbrook North is a member of the Central Suburban League. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which sponsors most of the major sport and activity state tournaments in Illinois. William Lutz Stadium, which is the home of the Glenbrook North's football, lacrosse, track & field and soccer teams, is named in honor of William Lutz, the school's first athletic director.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for boys and girls in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, lacrosse, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and water polo. Boys may also compete in baseball, football, and wrestling. Girls may compete in badminton, cheerleading, and softball.[39]
In 2005, the school became the first large-enrollment high school in Illinois to have won a state championship in each of football, basketball and baseball.[40] The following GBN teams have won IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments in the listed years:[41]
Baseball: 1966, 1974
Basketball (boys): 2005
Football: 1974
Hockey: 1984, 1985, 2007, 2008, 2015
Soccer (boys): 1983
Swimming & Diving (girls): 1978
Tennis (boys): 1981, 1999, 2006
Volleyball (boys): 1993
Basketball [ edit ]
On December 28, 2005, Glenbrook North's basketball program gained national media attention[42] when Jon Scheyer scored 21 points in the final 75 seconds of a comeback attempt against Proviso West. Scheyer fell one point short of the Glenbrook North basketball record for most points in a game, scoring 52 points. The record is held by current Northwestern men's basketball head coach Chris Collins, who scored 53 in a game as a student at Glenbrook North. Glenbrook North's boys basketball team won the 2005 state championship, led by Scheyer, an eventual McDonald's All-American and two-time NCAA national champion player and coach at Duke. The Spartans were coached by Dave Weber, brother of Bruce Weber, current Kansas State men's basketball head coach. Glenbrook North finished the 2004-2005 season with a record of 32-2.
Hockey [ edit ]
Glenbrook North Hockey,[43] a club team, won back to back state titles in 1984 and 1985, the first varsity hockey team in Illinois to do so, and then again in 2007 and 2008. In 2011, 2013, and 2014, the team returned to the title game but lost to the New Trier Trevians. In 2015, Glenbrook North Hockey defeated Benet Academy in the state title game in overtime, 3-2. The Spartans hockey program has won five Illinois state championships.[44]
Golf [ edit ]
In 2013, senior Brian Ohr won the Class 3A |
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces the reshuffle in Sydney. Credit:Jessica Hromas Why? Because the replacement, David Littleproud, is a moral conservative and a Queenslander. Consider his qualifications for federal cabinet: 18 unremarkable months on the backbench, notable for not much more than voting against same-sex marriage in the House of Representatives where it was his voice that called for a division. Ditto the promotion from obscurity of John McVeigh - another Queensland LNP backbencher who leapfrogs the junior ministry to go straight into cabinet. That Joyce should swing such lead will be seen by most voters for the absurdity it is. This is the man whose stewardship of the junior Coalition party has been a liability through 2017, contributing to Turnbull's humiliation over a banking royal commission, and resulting in Joyce's own expulsion from the Parliament. And let's not forget the $40,000 cheque he initially accepted from Gina Rinehart for his brilliance as Agriculture Minister?
Illustration: Matt Golding Chester, on the other hand will be remembered as one of the few Nationals possessed of the courage and the simple 21st century modernism to stand with the Australian mainstream as an outspoken advocate for marriage equality. What does he get for this willingness to line up with the PM no less? The axe. It's a reminder that one should never underestimate this government's capacity to muff the politics, or worse, lurch gratuitously to the right even when the only pressure to do so comes from within. The talking point in federal politics as 2017 winds up has been the extent to which Turnbull's fortunes have improved in the final days as big problems like the dual citizenship fiasco, same-sex marriage and energy policy have been resolved.
Progress on these fronts has shifted the pressure to Labor, which is now struggling with the citizenship backwash threatening a series of ruinous byelections. But where success emboldens some leaders, it seems to have no such effect on Turnbull. After his initial promise in fixing Tony Abbott's unconscionably bloke-heavy bias, Turnbull has elevated just two women this time and one of them, Bridget McKenzie, purely because she is the new Nationals deputy leader. Her portfolio of sport, rural health and regional communications is barely cabinet level. Loading Once again, competent women such as Julia Banks, Nicolle Flint, and Sarah Henderson must wait, having been overlooked in a Coalition that says quotas on gender are anathema, but defends trashing the merit principle on just about any other grounds.
Turnbull called his line-up diverse. Perverse would be more accurate.In a draft that has not gone as expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the few teams to make a predictable pick, taking Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones with the No. 17 overall pick. He becomes only the second linebacker to be drafted by the Steelers in the past two decades, joining Lawrence Timmons (2007).
This pick made a lot of sense because Jones can be the heir apparent to James Harrison, who was cut by the Steelers after refusing to take a pay cut. Jones is expected to battle Jason Worilds for a starting outside linebacker job. He led the nation with 14.5 sacks in 2012.
The Steelers picked Jones over Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, who was reportedly on Pittsburgh's radar.
Jones had been projected to be a top-five talent but he dropped to the bottom half of the first round because of a disappointing pro day and medical concerns. He was diagnosed with stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal cord, early in his college career.
I think it's worth the risk for the Steelers, who generated 37 sacks last season (tied for 15th in the NFL) and 35 sacks in 2011 (tied for 17th).Is 9/11 fair game for humor?
Can there be anything funny about nearly 3,000 people dying in a multi-pronged attack on the United States involving jets flying into buildings and a plane crashing in Pennsylvania?
There weren't many laughs after the actual event. Americans and US comedians went silent, numb. Late night shows took a hiatus. When they returned, it was with a somber tone. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was one of the last to resume, on Sept. 20, 2001. After expressing his own and everyone else's pain, Stewart said something that got a laugh.
There were early attempts at 9/11 humor that flopped. At a roast of Hugh Hefner in New York on Sept. 29, 2001, comedian Gilbert Gottfried joked: "I have to leave early tonight. I have to fly to LA but I couldn't get a direct flight. I have to make a stop at the Empire State Building." People gasped and booed and one man yelled out, "Too soon!"
In 2011, Gottfried was fired by AFLAC (he was the duck voice) after tweeting tasteless jokes about the tsunami that devastated Japan.
A famous 9/11 humor success came from The Onion just two weeks after the attack, on Sept. 26, 2001. The fake news site devoted the entire issue to 9/11. The headline (asterisks ours): "Holy F*cking Sh*t: Attack on America." Laugh-out-loud stories included "Hijackers Surprised To Find Selves In Hell" and "God Angrily Clarifies 'Don't Kill' Rule."
In an article titled "U.S. Vows To Defeat Whoever It Is We're At War With," then-President George W. Bush speaks from the Oval Office:
"America's enemy, be it Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, the Taliban, a multinational coalition of terrorist organizations, any of a rogue's gallery of violent Islamic fringe groups, or an entirely different, non-Islamic aggressor we've never even heard of... be warned. The United States is preparing to strike, directly and decisively, against you, whoever you are, just as soon as we have a rough idea of your identity and a reasonably decent estimate as to where your base is located."
The Onion's master stroke was to make fun of the attackers, not the victims. In comedic circles, Osama bin Laden immediately became (and remains) a cartoon punching bag. Eventually, in many quarters, so did Islam.
Karl Sharro, a Lebanese satirist who blogs and tweets under the name Karl reMarks, says the first jokes he saw after 9/11 were by Muslims and Arabs, worried about how they'd be treated since Muslims and Arabs were behind the attack. "They were jokes like 'Oh no, you think it was hard to get a visa to the United States before, now it will be impossible!'... And that fear of Muslims is exactly what happened."
Anti-Muslim feelings post-9/11 also ended up spawning a new brand of comedy from Muslim and Arab-Americans like Maz Jobrani, Dean Obeidalla and dozens more, whose jokes are all about being Arab and/or Muslim in a post-9/11 world.
But this many years later, there are still many lines not to be crossed. A store in San Antonio called Miracle Mattress was pilloried online just last week after promoting a "twin towers sale" — every mattress sold on Sunday, the 15th anniversary of the attacks, would be the price of a twin mattress.
At the end of the short video, staff fall screaming into two large towers of mattresses, which collapse, and the narrator says, "We'll never forget."
The ad was posted on the company's Facebook page but immediately taken down. The owner of Miracle Mattress apologized profusely, saying the video had been made and posted without the permission of management. The store has been closed indefinitely.
Two years earlier, The Onion ran a fake 9/11 anniversary promotion by the Subway fast food chain. Subway complained about it but it remains on The Onion's website.Share
Previous Next 1 of 6 EPFL / Alain Herzog EPFL / Alain Herzog EPFL / Alain Herzog EPFL / Alain Herzog EPFL / Alain Herzog EPFL / Alain Herzog
Developed by researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the thread consists of a metal core encased in a silicon pipe. Heat causes the core to melt and the thread assumes the properties of the silicon layer, bending and flexing as needed within about 10 seconds. When the thread is cooled again, the metal core solidifies and holds its new shape.
These properties also make the thread self-healing, as any dent or fracture in the metal core can be fixed by simply the melting and solidifying it again.
“Threads can be knitted, knotted, wrapped, and woven,” EPFL scientist Alice Tonazzini told Digital Trends. “They are versatile and allow easy integration in pre-existing bodies.”
As such, the fiber has a number of promising applications.
“The thread can be used to create the structure of robots that are expected to display multiple functionalities and adaptive behaviors,” Tonazzini explained. “An example is a robot whose skeleton become extremely soft and deformable on demand, for example for squeezing into a hole. Another example is a reconfigurable robot that can be easily morphed into different shapes that are preserved after cooling, thus enabling different locomotion modes.”
Within healthcare, the thread may be used in rehabilitation and surgery, as the basis for easily removable and reusable casts or surgical tools.
“It adapts to the anatomy of the patient when soft while having a protective and load-bearing capability when stiff,” Tonazzini said.
“In surgical tools and endoscopes, the thread can provide a tunable interaction with human tissues,” she added. “When soft, it will passively and safely adapt to cavities to be explored; when rigid, it will provide stiffness and stability to perform surgical operations.”
Tonazzini and her team recently published their work in Advanced Materials.The Maplewood father who was shot and killed inside his home Saturday morning in an apparent home invasion recently won custody of his two young daughters, neighbors said Sunday afternoon.
Justin N. Wright, 31, was found dead inside his home just before 5 a.m. in the 2200 block of Hazel Street when police arrived on reports of the shooting.
Maplewood police said a woman was in the home when the shooting occurred, but was not injured and is being interviewed by investigators.
Neighbors described the Wright family as "good people."
The quiet neighborhood has rarely seen any police presence, neighbor Carl Quist said.
Quist said police were called to the Wright house once before.
Wright, who owned a painting business, had been renting the home on the corner for a few years, Quist said.
"It's a shame," Quist said. "He was kind of quiet. His girls were always playing when I came home from work, in the yard or with the other kids … They were a nice family."
Quist said Wright had recently won custody of the two girls after months of fighting for custody.
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell said that while questions remained regarding a motive, investigators do not think the shooting was random.
"It is now believed that the suspect[s] targeted this particular residence," Schnell wrote on the city's Nextdoor account.
According to a traffic scanner recording posted on the MN Police Clips Facebook page, the woman called police and said an unknown man came into the house and shot Wright. She said she heard him yell and then heard a gunshot, but did not see the suspect before he fled.
Police said that they searched the neighborhood with dogs but did not find a suspect and that no one has yet been arrested. They said the backdoor has signs of forced entry.
Police ask anyone with information to call the Maplewood Police Department at 651-767-0640 or send an anonymous text message by typing the keyword "Maplewood" followed by any information to TIP 411 (847411).
Staff writer Stephen Montemayor contributed to this report.
Twitter: @KarenAnelZamoraFor FloCombat via AG. Fight
Former two-time world boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi re-appeared in combat sports news over the last month after the boxer turned TV analyst was invited by Conor McGregor's team to help "The Notorious" prepare for his super-fight against Floyd Mayweather this Saturday, Aug. 26, in Las Vegas.
The partnership fell apart quickly, though, when photos were leaked that were, according to Malignaggi, misleading, which let to him leaving the camp and starting a war of words with the UFC lightweight champion.
"I think it was planned," Malignaggi told AG. Fight for FloCombat. "When I looked back [at what happened], I realized that everything was probably planned from the start. I talked bad about Conor six months ago, I wanted to get the fight, but that happens a lot among boxers. We talk, we try to get the fight.
"So, when he called me, I thought, Conor already talked bad about me, but since we won't fight it's like, hey, we're friendly to each other, we hug each other -- it's business. If you fight, you fight. If you don't fight, you understand that it's [been] business. So, I'm thinking, I've been through this before, I'm going to [join the] camp and we're going to be cool."
That didn't hold up for too long.
"I regret it a bit [to have accepted the offer]," Malignaggi said. "You know what it is? He couldn't get what he wanted from me the right way, so he did it the wrong way. He made up stories because he wanted to embarrass me so bad. He didn't have a lot. He had a few pictures but it doesn't work. You put the pictures out, now what happens? The reporters call me and ask me a lot questions because I'm Paulie Malignaggi. They asked me a bunch of questions: 'Can he punch?' So, I said yes, he can punch a little but he's not that big a puncher. Because he's not. He's OK, like, it's not bad. It's not [Gennady] Golovkin. It's not Canelo [Alvarez]. But it's not bad.
"I think he got mad about [the comments about his punching power], so he was looking for a way to make me go down and say, 'Look, that's my power.' But he didn't even do that right. He was pushing my head down and I'm pushing away. He let go and I fell. The right hand didn't touch me, it was a smack. You don't knock anybody down with a smack, I'm sorry. Not with 16 ounces and headgear. It's not going to happen."
So, how did the sparring in general go for him, despite the knockdown?
"I don't care," Malignaggi said. "I was in half-shape, I was OK. Listen, if I can go 12 rounds with you, in half-shape, and you're in training camp, you have a problem. You have a big problem. I can't do 12 rounds with girl boxers if I'm not in shape. And I got the better of a lot of the rounds [against McGregor].
"For me, I wasn't mad at anything but I started seeing things, and I started getting mad. This guy is doing things on purpose […]. One day, he made me come to the gym at 3:30. We're supposed to box at 9. I show up at 3:30, no boxing. And I can't work out because before, Conor has to work out, and I can't watch him work out. So why do I have to come to the gym at 3:30 [if] we're supposed to box at 9!? Just to tell me I can't work out […]? I cannot do this every day for three weeks."
Despite the experience not having been the smoothest for Malignaggi, he now has a unique foundation for predictions and didn't hesitate to give his take on what the outcome will be when 0-0 McGregor meets 49-0 Mayweather this Saturday at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
"I see Conor being very dirty in the beginning [to have Mayweather] confused," he said. "A mixed martial artist, when he gets close, what does he do? He grabs you. I was boxing [McGregor on the inside]. He doesn't know how to fight inside […]. Outside, Floyd is too good. Inside, Conor doesn't know how to fight, so what is he going to do? After a few rounds, he's going to realize he's dead -- just like with Nate Diaz."
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Don't miss breaking news, feature stories, event updates, and more. Sign up for the FloCombat mailing list today.LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s job market is defying the Brexit blues but wages are still in the dumps, data showed, suggesting the Bank of England will tread carefully on Thursday with any signals about when it may finally raise interest rates.
A man passes a trade exhibition stand at the Careers and Jobs Live careers fair at the ExCeL centre in London April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
The sub-inflation pay growth could also add to the pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to raise public sector wages, a day after she agreed to ease seven years of salary constraints - but only modestly and only for some state workers.
Wednesday’s data underscored how the economy is no longer following the once widely agreed rules on the link between job creation and pay growth, creating a headache for the government in Britain and other rich economies around the world.
Britain’s problem is all the more acute because inflation looks set to hit a five-year high of 3 percent soon, caused in large part by the fall in the value of the pound since last year’s shock referendum decision to leave the European Union.
The Office for National Statistics said the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.3 percent in the three months to July, helped by the strongest job creation since 2015.
That took the jobless rate further below the 4.5 percent level which the BoE has said would probably force employers to step up their pay increases to hire staff.
But wages rose by a modest annual 2.1 percent, weaker than a median forecast of 2.3 percent in a Reuters poll of economists and the latest in a long line of disappointing earnings figures.
The value of the pound fell on Wednesday as investors took the wage data as a sign that the BoE, which is due to make its latest policy announcement at 1100 GMT on Thursday, was unlikely to significantly strengthen its message that a rate hike could come sooner than financial markets have been thinking.
“Today’s wage data suggests all is still not right in the economy,” Ed Monk of fund manager Fidelity International said.
BANK OF ENGLAND DECISION
Only two BoE policymakers have been voting for an immediate rise in rates from a record low of 0.25 percent back to 0.50 percent, their emergency level for almost all of the decade since the global financial crisis.
They say the fall in unemployment will push up prices and inflation soon.
Some economists say BoE chief economist Andy Haldane will join the minority of dissenters this week, signalling a shift in thinking at the central bank that could lead to a rate hike at its subsequent meeting in November.
However, most economists do not expect a rate rise until 2019. They think inflation will move only a little higher before slowly fading next year as Britain’s economy is subdued by the approach of its divorce from the EU in 2019.
In real terms, wages have been falling since April and dropped by an annual 0.4 percent in the three months to July.
Part of the weak wage growth reflects a seven-year policy of public-sector wage restraint to help cut government borrowing.
Britain’s government - aware of the frustration among many voters over their squeezed spending power - partially eased its grip on pay on Tuesday when it said it would no longer limit wage rises for police and prison guards to the 1 percent cap for the public sector.
But even the pay offer for these two groups remains below inflation, and the government has made no extra money available to fund the increase, suggesting a squeeze on services.
Public-sector trade unions are considering coordinated strike action to push for pay rises greater than inflation.
Even if the government is forced into increases for more public sector workers than announced this week, the overall impact is likely to be muted: Public sector workers account for about 5 million of the 32 million people in employment in Britain.With two weeks left to go until President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, activists hoping to sponsor demonstrations in Washington say they are being stonewalled by the federal permitting process that determines who can use what land that weekend.
Some groups, including the Women’s March on Washington, have secured permits through the D.C. police department, which has jurisdiction over local land in Washington.
The National Park Service — which handles permitting for federal park land, including the Mall and monuments — has issued just a few permits even though more than a dozen groups have applied to demonstrate during the weekend of Jan. 20.
[Women’s March on Washington officially has a permit for Jan. 21]
While permits are not necessary for federal land use, the groups do need permission to have speakers, stages, portable toilets and other amenities.
Trump’s Presidential Inauguration Committee has first preference on most of the federal land and has been slow in relinquishing any of its access to allow for demonstrators. On Thursday afternoon, the committee said it would not be using the Ellipse near the White House — the first time it has said it would not use a piece of land on which it has dibs during the inauguration.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee did not respond to a request for a comment Thursday.
Federal regulations give priority to the inaugural committee, setting aside prime land, including the entire Mall between First and 14th streets NW. The Park Service, as a matter of standard practice, applies on behalf of the committee for the sweeping permits a year in advance, according to Mike Litterst, a Park Service spokesman. The Ellipse by the White House and the Lincoln Memorial were included in those applications.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee then typically relinquishes some of those spaces, allowing demonstrators to secure their permits.
The permitting process is attracting special attention this year because the bitterly contested election spurred more people to organize demonstrations. Federal officials said that for a typical presidential inauguration, just a few groups seek a First Amendment Permit from the Park Service.
“Permitting for the inauguration and associated events is a deliberative, time-intensive process in what is often a rapidly changing environment, and it requires considerable negotiation between the National Park Service and permit applicants,” Litterst wrote in an email. “We are still working with more than 30 permit applicants on the logistics for their events, and we have continued to receive new applications.”
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, which has fought many legal battles seeking access to federal land for protesters, criticized the Park Service on Thursday, alleging at a news conference that it is violating the Constitution and hoarding permits for the inaugural committee.
[None of the inauguration protests have permits yet. Here’s why. ]
While the NPS has said there is no legal deadline by which the committee has to decide on the land it will use, the park agency asked it to inform them by last week. Litterst said he hopes to be able to accommodate a few more groups now that the Ellipse is available.
But activists say they are in limbo and can’t properly plan.
“There is a point where a delay becomes so long that it constitutes obstruction,” said Carl Messineo, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund’s legal director.
The National Park Service has issued permits to the ANSWER Coalition — a left-leaning antiwar group that has mounted legal battles to use a portion of Freedom Plaza and part of Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
Bikers for Trump also is expected to get a permit to gather at John Marshall Park on Inauguration Day.
D.C. police also have issued a number of permits to demonstrators, including one for up to 200,000 people for the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration.Talks held with striker today
CHAIRMAN Jeremy Peace today ruled out the prospect of Saido Berahino leaving Albion during this summer’s transfer window.
Peace met with the 22-year-old striker at the Club's training ground this afternoon following two rejected bids for the player from Tottenham Hotspur.
Peace said: “I have informed Saido that he will not be transferred during this summer window and that he is staying at the club.
“As I have made clear from the moment Tottenham lodged their first bid for Saido on August 18, selling our top goalscorer was never on our agenda this summer.
“Our plans have always been based on Saido being part of our squad for the 2015-16 season.
“But there are two other good reasons why he will not be sold.
“Firstly, had we ever entertained the notion of selling him we have not received an offer anywhere near attractive enough from Tottenham Hotspur.
“Not only have the offers been too low as a valuation of the player, but they have been based on stage-payments and add-ons over a long period which do nothing to reflect Saido’s ability and potential.”
The Chairman was also critical of the timing of Tottenham’s bids, beginning as they did with only two weeks remaining of the summer transfer window.
Peace added: “I have the greatest respect for Daniel Levy but he must surely appreciate we would have needed to replace Saido had he left and no consideration of that position has been reflected by Tottenham’s strategy.
“It has contributed to our completing our last two games without a key player.
“I have spoken to Saido and of course I have sympathy for him. He has been unsettled and distracted by all this and I understand that.
“But I have strongly advised him to put this behind him and get back to what he does best which is to work hard for the team and score goals for Albion.”Jordan Pickford says he is ready for an “exciting time” for him and for Everton after signing a five-year deal with the Blues for a Club-record fee.
The highly-rated goalkeeper has moved to Goodison Park from Sunderland after the first and only negotiations commenced between Everton and the north east club last weekend. A deal was agreed quickly and harmoniously, enabling talks to then begin with the player.
The £25m fee for the 23-year-old could rise to £30m depending on team and individual performances – a British record and third highest fee in the world for any player in that position.
Pickford, who has represented England at every level from Under-16s to Under-21s and received his first call-up to the senior squad in October, was shortlisted for PFA Young Player of the Year last season despite Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League.
The keeper revealed he was looking forward to getting started at “massive club” Everton – and boosting the Blues with “match-winning saves”.
Speaking to evertonfc.com while on England Under-21 duty in Poland ahead of the European Championships, he said: “It’s great to sign for the Club. Last season was my first in the Premier League so to get this opportunity with Everton now, to be able to go forward with my career and show everyone what I can do with Everton is unbelievable.
“It’s a great club, a massive club and I think it’s a great opportunity and the right time for me to come to Everton and show what I can do.
“This is an exciting time for the Club and for me, too, with the ambition being shown. I just want to be the best I can be to help.
🔵 | @jpickford1 says he is ready for an “exciting time” for him and for #EFC after signing a 5-year deal.https://t.co/sozzcEO86r pic.twitter.com/asrznAqVgY — Everton (@Everton) June 15, 2017
I know Mason (Holgate – his England Under-21 teammate) and a few of the other lads at Everton from younger age groups and the Club’s only going forward, so it’s the best thing I can be doing.“I remember playing (at Everton) on my first game back from injury last season for Sunderland. When I came out for the second half the fans gave me a clap and applauded then so I can’t wait to get out there on the pitch at Goodison.“I’ve just got to show people what I can do, keep training and working hard and when it comes to game day, produce what I can do - making match-winning saves, showing what my distribution is like and making the right saves at the right times.”Pickford admitted he was looking forward to working with Ronald Koeman, and the Toffees manager spoke of the importance of signing the Sunderland Academy graduate.“I’m really pleased we’ve made what I'm sure will be a significant signing for Everton Football Club,” said the Dutchman.“Jordan is a very talented young professional who also has a real hunger for success, and that's important for us as we now look to make further progress in the seasons ahead.“We've seen the quality he has through his performances in the Premier League last season and, given his young age, we're sure he will get even better. I’m looking forward to welcoming Jordan to the group next month and wish him every success with the England Under-21 squad in Poland.”Pickford, who made his first-team debut for Sunderland in January 2016, hopes joining Everton can help him break into the senior England team next season. But first he is looking forward to tasting European football as the Blues prepare for the start of their Europa League campaign on 27 July.“It will be a great experience, (with me) only being young, but it’s another test for me and I feel ready for it,” added the shot-stopper. “The Europa League will be a big tournament, as well.
“I’ve got the Under-21s tournament now, which is massive for me and the group of lads I’m with. Hopefully I can be the best I can be and it can put me in good stead for next season to try to get into the senior team."
Order your Jordan Pickford-printed Everton goalkeeper shirt for the 2017/18 season - and more from the Blues' new home kit range - by clicking here.(Milton, DE) – Dogfish Head is the latest to throw its hat in the ring of big investment announcements.
The industry was abuzz late last week with the news that Dogfish Head plans to invest $45 million over the course of three years. The project could help push the brewery closer to a half million barrels annually. All that the brewery has said for now is that the expansion is part of The Brewers Association’s plan to achieve 10% market share. Expect to see more about both of these ‘plans’ in the coming weeks and months.
How is Dogfish getting there?
In a video interview with Eater Magazine this past March, Founder and President, Sam Calagione, championed growing independently without the aid of big brewers. The company has been a thriving example of such growth.
Revenue has grown from $3.6 million in 2003 to $12 million in 2006 to $28 million in 2008. As of December, revenue projections were $41 million for 2010 and $52 million for 2011.
Dogfish Head’s growth plan is only one of several in the works for the nation’s top regional craft brewers…
Stone Brewing announced a $26.6 million project just last week. A portion of that investment will push annual capacity to around 500k barrels.
Last fall, Bell’s Brewery announced a $52 million project that will take place over the course of several years.
Lagunitas Brewing is undergoing a $9.5 million expansion that will increase capacity to 600k barrels.
With Minnesota’s governor signing off on law changes this week, Surly Brewing can now pursue building its $20 million dream brewery.
Sierra Nevada Brewing is searching for an east location that, according to the brewery’s Bill Manley, could lead to around $70-75 million in investment.
New Belgium Brewing is also looking for an east location though it hasn’t made any formal statements on the search.
If all of these projects go through as planned (and when tallying these with other projects by Shipyard, Smuttynose, etc.), we are looking at more than $250 million in investment by the nation’s top craft breweries in a relatively short timeframe.
That kind of investment may be the best argument that breweries can make as they lobby for a reduction in excise taxes, an effort that is ongoing.
On the flip side, what does this mean for the future of startup breweries and small microbreweries? As has been brought up before, some distributors face obstacles in handling the proliferation of brands. It’s certainly more manageable to handle a smaller portfolio of established brands, each of which can consistently provide a lot of product to sell.
Meanwhile, Mercury Brewing President, Rob Martin, predicts a shakeout of some of the smaller breweries, citing the perceived need (and challenge) to reach 10,000 barrels production annually. Whether or not you agree with that assessment, as larger craft breweries spread their distribution further across the U.S. and deeper into existing markets, it will likely expedite the inevitable shakeout.
That said, we could still be a ways away from that point. Though there are some ‘mature’ markets where craft’s share of beer sales is already well above the 5% national average, there are many more under that marker. Smaller crafts may have some difficulty gaining traction in these mature markets in the future but under-served areas like the Southeast provide a lot of potential.OGDEN — A snowboarder said he feared for his safety on the slopes during an altercation with an angry father. It happened after he accidentally collided with the man's son.
Like almost everything these days, the entire thing was caught on video.
"I was going down the hill about average speed," said Daniel Poulsen.
A camera mounted to his helmet showed him and friends heading down a run at Snowbasin when a small child on skis came into the frame from the left.
"I was cut off by a girl and I was run in between an adult and her," he said. "I tried to just dodge in between them. A small boy came out from behind the adult to where I couldn't avoid hitting him."
Poulsen said he immediately checked to make sure the boy was OK.
"As I was looking back up the hill, after I stopped sliding, the father of the boy came down and started yelling at me," Poulsen said. "He got in my face and started cussing at me. And then he punched me."
The impact is audible on the video. Poulsen said the punch to his right temple left him with a headache and a bruise.
"I was angry, a little bit fearful," he said. "I felt a little bit guilty for hitting his kid. I definitely didn't do it on purpose."
I was angry, a little bit fearful... I definitely didn't do it on purpose. –Daniel Poulsen
Poulsen and his friends finished the run and got in touch with Ski Patrol. He said they brought him and the father back together.
"(They) had him give me an apology, which I didn't feel was sincere. But it was still an apology," Poulsen said.
Poulsen said he still wants to find out who the man is and make sure he doesn't do this to anyone else.
"It surprised me that the man didn't talk, didn't ask his son if he was OK before he came to get in my face. I wish he would have done that," Poulsen said.
He said he's not sure if he wants to press charges if he's able to identify the man who hit him.
Snowbasin said in a statement the issue was resolved amicably and the resort is relieved no one was seriously injured.
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PhotosFINDINGS
Using the landmark Framingham Heart Study to assess how physical activity affects the size of the brain and one’s risk for developing dementia, UCLA researchers found an association between low physical activity and a higher risk for dementia in older individuals. This suggests that regular physical activity for older adults could lead to higher brain volumes and a reduced risk for developing dementia.
The researchers found that physical activity particularly affected the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain controlling short-term memory. Also, the protective effect of regular physical activity against dementia was strongest in people age 75 and older.
BACKGROUND
Though some previous studies have found an inverse relationship between levels of physical activity and cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, others have failed to find such an association. The Framingham study was begun in 1948 primarily as a way to trace factors and characteristics leading to cardiovascular disease, but also examining dementia and other physiological conditions. For this study, the UCLA researchers followed an older, community-based cohort from the Framingham study for more than a decade to examine the association between physical activity and the risk for incident dementia and subclinical brain MRI markers of dementia.
METHOD
The researchers assessed the physical activity indices for both the original Framingham cohort and their offspring who were age 60 and older. They examined the association between physical activity and risk of any form of dementia (regardless of the cause) and Alzheimer’s disease for 3,700 participants from both cohorts who were cognitively intact. They also examined the association between physical activity and brain MRI in about 2,000 participants from the offspring cohort.
IMPACT
What this all means: one is never too old to exercise for brain health and to stave off the risk for developing dementia.
AUTHORS
Zaldy Tan of UCLA; Nicole Spartano, Sanford Auerbach and Ramachandran Vasan of the Framingham Heart Study and Boston University; Charles DeCarli of UC Davis, and Sudha Seshadri of the Framingham Heart Study.
JOURNAL
The study appears in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
FUNDING
The research was supported by a National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute contract (HHSN268201500001I, N01-HC-25195, N01HV28178, R01HL093029, R01 HL131029 U01 HL096917, and 2K24HL04334) and training grant (T32-HL07224), the National Institute on Aging (R01 AG016495, AG008122, AG031287, AG047645), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS017950), and the American Heart Association (11CRP4930020 and 16MCPRP30310001).I dont think we will have to worry about money, mortgages or greedy bank owners. Unfortunately and with much regret I sense another huge war coming and sadly nukes will be used and millions will die. It was always said that WW3 would start over the Middle East cause of the oil and |
heart of the book, Stewart has kept it modern and has done an overall great job!
Much like Evan at “My Journey to Millions“, Larry also worked with very rich people and over time he was able to learn much about them. This was one of the reason Larry wrote the book, to share what he had learned!
This book introduced me to some of the advance investing strategies that I still use today!
Unlike most financial books, this book actually lays out the formula step by step on how to get rich, not to mention the TSG (Target Saving Goal) calculation! Most financial books are hype, inspirational, but mostly hype…, but this book’s author actually took it a step beyond by designing a wealth building strategy for his readers!
While this book might not get the credit and acknowledgment that it deserves because of its orange cover and silly title, it was instrumental in setting me on my financial path!
Tomorrow, I’ll dig a bit deeper into the book contents and explain what influenced me that most!
If you get a chance, check it out at the library or purchase it (it’s one of the few financial books that I have purchased in my life…), I think you’ll find value in reading it.
-MR
Did you like this Article? Then subscribe to my RSS feed so you can check out new articles when they become available.A robot descends slowly into a “skylight” on the Moon, the gateway to a lunar cave network sheltered from the harsh thermal environment and micrometeorites showering the surface. Its goal: to scout and construct habitats suitable for human beings.
“Three locations have been found which have skylights on the order of 100 meters across,” says Astrobotic Technology Inc.’s President John Thornton.”It’s a good parallel to where humans settled on earth. They chose caves because they provided shelter and protection.”
Astrobotic’s mission is to provide cost-effective landers and roving robots for planetary missions.”The Moon is a first step in human beings learning to live off beyond the Earth,” Thornton continues. “It’s very important to the future of mankind to expand beyond our home planet: to satisfy our innate curiosity, for exploration and potentially for survival should we damage this Earth beyond repair.”
To survive on another planet, we would need a reliable water supply, food, basic manufacturing facilities like 3D printers to make spare parts or new machines, and robots for exploration and transport. In October 2015, Astrobotic will send a lander and rover to the Moon to search for the most basic of those requirements: water.
Water is an almost magical chemical whose components can be used to make everything from air for breathing to rocket fuel. Procuring water and making fuel locally could dramatically cut the cost of planetary exploration, since currently all resources are carried from Earth at a cost of million of dollars per kilo.
Astrobotic’s robot rover Polaris will hitch a ride on a Falcon 9 rocket launched by SpaceX. After landing, it will prospect for polar ice and determine how to harvest it. The rover has three vertical solar panels to generate 250W of power, stereo cameras and laser to generate 3-D video and models of the surface and for navigation. Polaris can drive and avoid obstacles autonomously.
The polar mission is also an attempt to win Google’s Lunar X prize, a $20 million reward for the first privately-funded robot to land on the surface of the Moon, drive 500 meters and send video and images back to Earth. There are bonus prizes for other robotic feats like driving 5 km or surviving 14 frigid lunar nights (at liquid nitrogen temperatures) intact. While most X-prize entries are small-scale, Astrobotic will bring 100kg of payload to the Moon and the company sees it as just a first step in lunar colonization and commercialization.NASA cancelled its manned lunar space program last year so future manned lunar exploration is now the domain of private industry.
The first lunar industry may be mining. “The Moon could be a potentially huge source of a lot of exotic materials,” Thornton explained. “It has platinum. It has Helium-3, a third generation, nuclear fusion fuel which creates no radiation as a byproduct. It comes from solar wind and doesn’t occur naturally on Earth.”
To mine, you need permanent settlements suitable for human beings. That’s where the caves come in. Robots could prepare landing sites, find new caves, map the cave network, construct infrastructure for returning to those caves and finally create habitats for humans. “Most of the technology is there,” said Thornton. “There are some issues we are focusing on like precision landing with an accuracy of 10s of meters. That’s important when you want to return to same place. There will be a new type of robot to descend down into the cave the first time and then set up the infrastructure to access it regularly.”
Astrobotic’s first customers are, however, the space agencies themselves. The company is developing robotic equipment for NASA and will haul payload from space agencies and scientific institutions to the Moon. Later, space agencies may even buy tickets for their astronauts. Thornton claims that the role of the commercial sector is to take established space technology and put it into an affordable form, while government agencies should continue to push the boundaries.
It’s not all about the money though, even for commercial space companies. “One of the most important things about space exploration is exciting a new generation about space,” Thorton muses. “It’s been 40 years since Apollo landed on the surface of the Moon. How many young people were inspired at that time to become scientists or engineers or the next astronaut? We have lost a bit of that. If we can revive interest in the Moon it’s a first step towards reinvigorating the next generation and that’s important to the future of all of us.”Photo
“We r taking 1 day / nite off 2 get really drunk wif some homies in a dodgy hood in Johannesburg called FIETAS on New Years Eve,” the e-mail read. “Dere are always fights in Fietas on New Years Eve which should be fun.” And so Ninja, the leader of the South African rap-rave crew Die Antwoord, invited me to ring in 2012 in the lair of zef, the scene the band brought to the world two years ago with a viral music video called “Zef Side.” Zef is the nasty, freaky, gleefully trashy underbelly of post-apartheid white South African culture. It is bling and bruises and weed-whacker mullets like the one sported by Yo-Landi Vi$$er, the tiny blonde who orbits Ninja like a foulmouthed muse.
On the appointed night, though, things almost got too zef for Die Antwoord. The photographer who was commissioned to shoot the band showed up to the party house with two boxes of white doves for Ninja and Yo-Landi to play with. A makeshift studio was assembled on the second floor. When I went to check out the shoot, the photographer gestured toward the room next door. “Look what happened to the birds,” he said.
Inside, a cat crouched next to a ripped-open box of doves, surrounded by feathers.
Yo-Landi once posed with a live rat between her breasts. But a dead dove? She winced. Ninja looked appalled. “I’m sorry,” he said, petting one of the remaining doves paternally.Shortly after losing the Rhodes v. McDonald case last year, the Federal Judge hearing the case ordered Orly Taitz to tell him why he shouldn’t sanction her for filing a frivolous pleading, Orly responded in the worst possible way, and Judge Land responded by imposing a $ 20,000 Rule 11 sanction against her. Orly called this a mockery of justice, and filed an appeal which was denied several months ago. Back in May the U.S. Attorney’s office told her she needed to pay up, and Orly responded to filing an Motion to stay collection of the sanction award with the Supreme Court.
Now, the Supreme Court has, not surprisingly, denied her request:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld a $20,000 fine against a leader of the movement challenging President Barack Obama’s citizenship. The high court on Monday refused to block a federal judge’s October 2009 ruling that required California lawyer and dentist Orly Taitz to pay the $20,000 fine for filing a “frivolous” litigation. The judge said Taitz attempted to misuse the federal courts to push a political agenda.
Good. Now, pay up you miserable, crazy, deadbeat.
Update: I may have been premature in using that word “final”:
Certiorari brief was submitted to the Supreme Court. Only application for the temporary stay was denied, and even that was denied without signatures of the Justices. We have now a situation, where the clerks run the Supreme Court, they issue releases, but there are no signatures of any Justices, so there is no evidence that the Justices ever read a word of these pleadings. In parallel with the certiorari I will be filing an appeal in an international court of Human Rights. The world needs to know about the fact that United States has an illegitimate usurper sitting in the White House without a Social Security number of his own and without a long form birth certificate. The world needs to know that our judicial system beacame a sham, when the most important issue of legitimacy of the US president was never heard on the merits., where brave members of the US military Like Major Stefan Cook or Lt. Col Lakin are persecuted and where attorneys like me a persecuted.
This is Orly, folks, it’s never really over.
But, yea, the cert petition will be denied sometime in October most likely, and by then hopefully the U.S. Marshall’s will have been to her dental office to collect on that judgment.Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
Today we hear from Maria, who shares a powerful and inspirational perspective on decluttering the excess paperwork in our lives.
Maria writes:
My minimalist blind spot: paper.
My mother passed on in 2009 and my father followed this summer. Decades of more (or less) organized paper archives were left behind: phone bills, bank statements, legal and medical papers, clippings from magazines, articles cut out from newspapers, books, notebooks, travel catalogs, travel memorabilia, magazines, and recipes. Hundreds of photos and negatives those were loose or enveloped in shoe boxes. In addition to the weeks it took to go through it all, it was also so very depressing: to learn true details of events that you had been told otherwise or to read the gory details of your parent’s cancer history. It was mostly a sad archive. One cannot help wondering why you would archive the sad moments of your life so carefully. Why not throw out it all when you can? Then the wannabe life archives made me sad: all those recipes and travel locations I know my parents never tried or visited. Why not? Should I have known?
After going through my parents’ papers I dug into my own archives. I quickly realized that I had diaries, clippings, articles, recipes, piles of business cards from past jobs, double or triple photo sets, negatives, tax archives, dream/vision boards, all Christmas greetings I’ve ever received, letters, cards, stamps, all kid’s art from school, Mother’s Day cards and kids’ birthday greetings. All this neatly boxed or in binders in our walk-in closet, desk drawers, kids’ rooms, bookshelves – just everywhere.
There – I had done exactly as my dear parents: archived my real life and wannabe life. After the total embarrassment came determination. It dawned to me that I want my kids to be free from any hidden or visible paper burdens from the past generations. It ends here. I’m cleaning this paper junk out of our lives!
Gone is now that fits into 10 standard moving boxes (volume total 690 liters = 170 dry gallons). While some paper is handled once and for all, other papers need maybe four times before I can finally let go. I have now accepted this and am being both gentle and firm with myself. I feel like the house has more air, the air is fresher and the light shining in from the windows is brighter. It was a heavy load hidden in all those boxes and binders. I am rising like a Phoenix bird from the burned paper piles into freedom!
So my dear minimalist friends: what have you done lately with any paper that enters your home? Archived it? Why? Dig deeper and see what paper you tend to archive. See it all through a stranger’s eyes: when finding it, will it make you happy, sad or wonder why on Earth this paper was saved? Does it reveal a Fantasy-me identity? Does it carry a clear illusion around it that this item may be worth a lot of money just because it is very old?
Simply and bravely toss all paper you can because our generation will be the first to leave behind both paper and electronic personal archives. Use whatever motivation trick you know to get rid of the piled paper and stop the paper flow into your home: stop buying magazines and printing stuff and start to use all e-services you possibly can for banking, healthcare, business catalogs – you know what it is! Let go and trust that you will be fine without all that paper. Enjoy walks in the forest and hug trees knowing that the paper you never need anymore may live on in that tree.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}Different regimens of food restriction have been associated with protection against obesity, diabetes and CVD. In the present study, we hypothesised that food restriction would bring benefits to atherosclerosis- and diabetes-prone hypercholesterolaemic LDL-receptor knockout mice. For this purpose, 2-month-old mice were submitted to an intermittent fasting (IF) regimen (fasting every other day) over a 3-month period, which resulted in an overall 20 % reduction in food intake. Contrary to our expectation, epididymal and carcass fat depots and adipocyte size were significantly enlarged by 15, 72 and 68 %, respectively, in the IF mice compared with the ad libitum-fed mice. Accordingly, plasma levels of leptin were 50 % higher in the IF mice than in the ad libitum-fed mice. In addition, the IF mice showed increased plasma levels of total cholesterol (37 %), VLDL-cholesterol (195 %) and LDL-cholesterol (50 %). As expected, in wild-type mice, the IF regimen decreased plasma cholesterol levels and epididymal fat mass. Glucose homeostasis was also disturbed by the IF regimen in LDL-receptor knockout mice. Elevated levels of glycaemia (40 %), insulinaemia (50 %), glucose intolerance and insulin resistance were observed in the IF mice. Systemic inflammatory markers, TNF-α and C-reactive protein, were significantly increased and spontaneous atherosclerosis development were markedly increased (3-fold) in the IF mice. In conclusion, the IF regimen induced obesity and diabetes and worsened the development of spontaneous atherosclerosis in LDL-receptor knockout mice. Although being efficient in a wild-type background, this type of food restriction is not beneficial in the context of genetic hypercholesterolaemia.Update 8/25: As of Tuesday morning, Russian Wikipedia has been removed from the internet blacklist by the Russian government.
In a (roughly translated) announcement from the department, Roskomnadzor said that following certain edits the site was no longer in violation of Russian law:
Information recognized by the court prohibited, edited. Article on Narcotic Drugs “charas” contained at the moment in “Wikipedia”, according to expert opinion Russian Federal Drug Control Service, does not violate the law. This court decision in this reference is excluded from the Unified Register of forbidden information.
The Wikimedia Foundation issued a statement responding to the site’s unblocking, which partially reads:
On August 24, we heard that Roskomnadzor had instructed ISPs to block Russian Wikipedia beginning at midnight. We saw a few reports on Twitter that users in certain areas of Russia were having difficulty accessing Wikipedia. Our engineering teams also saw evidence of outages in some parts of Russia. The following morning in Russia, Roskomnadzor released a public statement that the article no longer violated Russian law. The agency removed Wikipedia from its block list. Wikipedia is the world’s largest free knowledge resource. It is written and maintained by a dedicated community of volunteer editors around the world. Wikimedia communities ensure articles meet the principles of accuracy, verifiability, and neutrality. Any community may choose to review an article, make an alteration, or remove it entirely if it fails to meet Wikipedia policies and guidelines. When governments seek to censor Wikipedia, local communities of readers and editors often strongly oppose those actions. It is always the goal of Wikimedia’s editor communities to ensure content on Wikipedia meet the principles of accuracy, verifiability, and neutrality. We support the Russian Wikipedia community and all Wikimedia communities in their efforts to make accurate, neutral, and reliable information freely available to the world.
The Russian government has instructed all ISPs in the country to block Russian Wikipedia following their denied request to remove a post about preparing narcotics.
“Today, we have heard that Roskomnadzor, the Russian agency tasked with oversight of Russian communications, has instructed ISPs to block Russian Wikipedia. Censorship of Wikipedia content runs contrary to the Wikimedia vision: a world in which everyone can freely access the sum of all knowledge,” the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia and other projects, said in a statement.
Russian Wikipedia currently boasts over a million articles that garner over a billion page views per month.
Wikimedia detailed the subject of the offending article in a statement sent to TechCrunch:
We first learned about a possible block last week, when Roskomnadzor issued a notice regarding an article on Russian Wikipedia about charas, a form of cannabis. The notice stated that the article contained information on how to prepare the substance. The notice directed Wikipedia to remove the article.
The Roskomnadzor, which is essentially Russia’s FCC, has been cracking the whip on posts regarding drug use as of late. Earlier this month, the department briefly banned Reddit to many users in the country following the publication of a post that detailed how to grow psychedelic mushrooms. In that situation, Reddit immediately complied with the Russian government and blocked Russian access to the post and was subsequently unbanned.
The situation here is a lot different. First off, The Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit that allows them to be a bit more outspoken on free-speech issues in the face of government intrusions. Next, the decision on how to proceed is not in the hands of the Wikimedia board members and is instead being navigated by the actual editors of Russian Wikipedia.
According to Wikimedia, the Russian Wikipedia editors are currently debating how to best move forward in this situation, after already looking to tighten up the article in question in ways that maintain their own standards.
“The Russian Wikipedia community has held active discussions regarding the notice and article. Editors have made significant changes to the article, adding further information and citations to reliable sources, bringing it in line with Wikipedia’s standards for neutrality and reliability. The community has also added a notification banner to Russian Wikipedia, pointing out to users that the site may be blocked.”Coordinates:
South Maluku, officially the Republic of South Maluku, is an unrecognized secessionist republic in the southern Maluku Islands archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia that claims the islands of Ambon, Buru, and Seram as part of its territory, all of which are currently part of the Indonesian province of Maluku.
Dutch conquest exerted colonial control across the archipelago in the 19th century, establishing a unitary administration. The borders of present-day Indonesia were formed through colonial expansion finalised in the 20th century. After the occupation by the Japanese Empire during World War II ended in 1945, nationalist leaders on Java unilaterally declared Indonesian independence. Not all regions and peoples of present-day Indonesia immediately subscribed to the proclaimed Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Early organised indigenous resistance came from the South Moluccas with support and aid from the Dutch government and military. The South Moluccan rebels initially clung on to an early post-colonial treaty prescribing a federal form of statehood. When that treaty, agreed between the Dutch government and the Indonesian government in December 1949, was broken, they unilaterally declared a fully independent Republic of South Maluku (RMS) in April 1950. The South Moluccan leaders based their decision on the treaty, which stipulated autonomy for each of the states of the federation.
After the defeat of the RMS on Ambon by Indonesian forces in November 1950, the self-declared government withdrew to Seram, where an armed struggle continued on until December 1963. The government in exile moved to the Netherlands in 1966, following resistance leader and president Chris Soumokil's capture and execution by Indonesian authorities. The exiled government continues to exist, with John Wattilete as its incumbent president since April 2010.
History [ edit ]
European conquest of the South Moluccas [ edit ]
The Maluku Islands were the only place in the world that grew the prized spices of clove and nutmeg, making it a prime destination for European traders during the Age of Exploration. At one point, cloves were worth their weight in gold and Portuguese, Spanish, British and Dutch traders all fought to control the incredibly profitable spice trade monopoly.[1] Eventually, the traders of the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) emerged as the dominant merchant power in Maluku. Through an effective combination of force and diplomacy, the VOC achieved a structure of indirect rule in northern Maluku and direct rule in southern Maluku.[2]
South Moluccan warriors from Tanimbar
Throughout much of the VOC era (17th and 18th centuries), the south Moluccans resisted Dutch dominance. The Banda Islands were only subdued after the indigenous power structure and organisation of trade and politics was destroyed with the extermination and eviction of the Bandanese population in 1621. To repress the autonomous traders of East Seram, the VOC organised ‘Hongi’ raiding expeditions with warrior bands from other south Maluku islands. During ‘Hongi’ raids, houses and vessels were burnt, cash crops were uprooted and most wealth was looted by the ‘Hongi’ warriors. Survivors who escaped had to start from scratch and, during two centuries of resistance, the East Seramese increasingly suffered impoverishment. However, their independent trading network was never completely destroyed.[2]
From 1780 to 1802, the people of Seram joined an alliance of North Moluccan, Papuan and British forces in a combined revolt. Resistance leader prince Nuku (the exiled Sultan of Tidore) established himself on Seram and aimed at uniting the North and South Moluccas under his leadership. His raiders targeted South Moluccan islands under the Dutch sphere of influence.[3] When the British left the arena in 1802 his plans were foiled and the Dutch restored their dominance.[2]
Maluku islanders staged various rebellions during the Dutch colonisation of the Indonesian archipelago in the 19th century following the collapse of the VOC. In a famous revolt on the south Maluku island Saparua, the Dutch fort was taken by the rebel leader Pattimura, a former sergeant in the army of Britain, who had ruled the islands for a short time before returning them to the Dutch in 1816. After reinforcements were sent from the colonial capital Batavia, the insurgents were captured and Pattimura was executed in 1817.
During the independence movement of Indonesia, Indonesian republicans included South Maluku as part of the independent Indonesia they declared in 1945. Indonesia's struggle to secure its independence lasted from 1945 until 1949. After international pressure, the Dutch acknowledged a federal Indonesian republic on 27 December 1949. In the first instance, the Netherlands only acknowledged the independence of Indonesia as a federation of autonomous states, of which one was South Maluku.
On 25 April 1950, demobilized ex-Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) soldiers and other South Moluccan men who remained loyal to the Dutch crown, staged a revolt and proclaimed an independent "Republic of South Maluku" (Indonesian: Republik Maluku Selatan). On 17 August 1950, the Indonesian President, Sukarno, proclaimed the restoration of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia's liberal democratic system of government, whereby the cabinet would be accountable to the House of Representatives, was retained. This was a source of political instability in the young republic, with frequent changes in government until the rise of the New Order.
South Moluccan career soldiers of the colonial army [ edit ]
Decorated KNIL soldiers, 1927
A relatively large number of the professional soldiers serving in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) were recruited among the population of Ambon and the surrounding South Moluccan islands. The South Moluccan islands were among the first to come under European influence in the 16th century. The Protestant mission had been more successful there than elsewhere in the East Indies; half the Ambonese population adhered to the Calvinist branch of Protestantism.
As early as 1605 armed Dutch merchantmen of the VOC captured the Portuguese fort at the location of Ambon city in the South Moluccas. It was an area already strongly influenced by the Portuguese (Portuguese family names, religion and language were common) and the Dutch developed it into the first secure base of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
KNIL recruits being trained on Ambon
During the era of the VOC, the Moluccans were not only forced to trade with the VOC only, but also to focus solely on the production of cloves. After the downfall of the VOC and the collapse of the trade in cloves, they were fully dependent on the colonial structure and found occupation in the colonial army. The Ambonese were regarded as fierce fighters, reliable soldiers and absolutely loyal to the Dutch Crown. It was precisely this reputation that made them unpopular with other Indonesian nationalities. The Malay nickname for them was Belanda Hitam, which translates to "Black Dutch" in English. All of this put them in a difficult position during both the Japanese occupation and the Indonesian national revolution. During the Japanese occupation in the Second World War, most of the Moluccan soldiers were only briefly interned as prisoners of war (POWs). Initially, the Japanese occupation force decided to release them from military duty and send them home. However, the Japanese quickly discovered their miscalculation when the Moluccans became among the most active in the resistance movement against them. Throughout the occupied Dutch East Indies, Moluccan soldiers created underground resistance cells aiding the Allied forces. Some of these cells were active in gathering intelligence; other sleeper cells hid weapons in strategic locations waiting to take up arms during an Allied invasion. The Japanese secret police (Kempeitai) responded by torturing and beheading any suspect, which usually did not deter the Moluccans.[4]
KNIL regiment, 1943.
After the capitulation of the Imperial Japanese Army to the Allied forces, the Moluccan soldiers acted equally defiantly towards the Indonesian revolutionaries trying to fill the power vacuum left by the Japanese. Smaller scale conflicts in the Bersiap period between regrouped Moluccan fighting units and Permuda groups usually left the well-trained Moluccan fighters victorious. In their efforts to subdue the counter revolutionary RMS movement on Ambon, the newly established Tentara Nasional Indonesia (Republican Indonesian army, TNI) encountered the military prowess of the Moluccan special troops. The heavy fighting triggered them to create their own special troops.[5] At that time the Moluccan special troops' only contemporaries were the Gurkha units of the British Indian Army.
Disbanding the colonial army [ edit ]
South Moluccan KNIL soldier
During the Indonesian National Revolution, the Dutch had to disband the reinstated KNIL,[6] and the native soldiers had the choice of either being demobilised or joining the army of the Republic of Indonesia. Due to a deep distrust of the Republican leadership, which was predominantly Javanese Muslim, this was an extremely difficult choice for the Protestant Ambonese, and only a minority chose to serve with the Indonesian Army. Disbanding proved a complicated process and, in 1951, two years after the transfer of sovereignty, not all soldiers had been demobilised. The Dutch were under severe international pressure to disband the colonial army and temporarily made these men part of the regular Dutch army, while trying to demobilise them in Java. Herein lay the source of the discontent among the Moluccan soldiers as, according to the KNIL policy, soldiers had the right to choose the place where they were to be discharged at the end of their contract. The political situation in the new Republic of Indonesia was initially unstable and, in particular, controversy over a federal or centralised form of the state resulted in armed conflicts in which Ambonese ex-KNIL men were involved. In 1951 an independent Republic of the South Moluccas (Indonesian: RMS, Republik Maluku Selatan) was proclaimed at Ambon. The RMS had strong support among the Ambonese KNIL soldiers. As a consequence the Moluccan soldiers located outside the South Moluccas demanded to be discharged at Ambon. But Indonesia refused to let the Dutch transport these soldiers to Ambon as long as the RMS was not repressed, fearing prolonged military struggle. When after heavy fighting the RMS was repressed at Ambon, the soldiers refused to be discharged there. They now demanded to be demobilised at Seram, where pockets of resistance against Indonesia still existed. This was again blocked by Indonesia.
Demobilisation of the Moluccan soldiers to the Netherlands [ edit ]
South Moluccans disembarking the ship ‘Kota Inten’, Rotterdam, 1951.
The Dutch government finally decided to transport the remaining men and their families to the Netherlands. They were discharged on arrival and 'temporarily' housed in camps until it was possible for them to return to the Moluccan islands.[7] In this way around 12,500 persons were settled in the Netherlands, more or less against their will and certainly also against the original plans of the Dutch government. The reaction of the Dutch government to the settlement of the Moluccan soldiers was exactly the opposite of the reaction to the Indo repatriates.[8] Whereas the latter were defined as fellow-citizens who had to be integrated as quickly and as fully as possible, the Moluccans were considered to be temporary residents who had to be repatriated to Indonesia.[9] They were 'temporarily' housed in camps, mostly in rural areas and near small towns. A special agency was set up to manage all matters concerning these temporary residents, the 'Commissariaat Ambonezenzorg' (CAZ). the camps included the former Nazi transit camp Westerbork.
To deal with all kinds of daily matters the CAZ created'representatives' in the camps who regulated the lives of the inhabitants in accordance with the rules. These representatives were (mostly) recruited from among the non-commissioned officers, who were in this way able, to a certain extent, to re-establish their status in the new circumstances. The housing situation in the camps resembled in many ways the barracks of the colonial army, where the soldiers were housed, together with their families, under the direct supervision of non-commissioned officers. This specific housing situation contributed greatly to the isolation of the Moluccan population from Dutch society. The camps, and later the neighbourhoods, became enclaves where the schools, though officially Dutch in programme and language, became exclusively Moluccan and where access to the labour market was geographically often restricted. Even when it became more and more obvious that there was no possibility to repatriate the ex-servicemen to Indonesia, the Dutch government did not formulate a radically different policy.
This situation dragged on until 1970 when the CAZ was finally dissolved and normal ministerial and other agencies became responsible. The Dutch government had at last admitted that the Moluccans were not temporary residents and that their future lay in the Netherlands. Still, in 1968 more than 80 percent of the Moluccans were still without official citizenship, i.e. stateless. The ex-soldiers were deeply frustrated by the demise of the colonial army. The KNIL had offered not only an income, but also a whole way of life in which their status was secure. They had always been loyal to the Dutch Crown and had felt betrayed when their services were no longer rewarded. In response they had pinned their hopes on an independent RMS and had expected that the Dutch would help them to realise it.
These feelings continued and were even strengthened in the years of isolated settlement in the Netherlands. There seemed to be only one worthwhile ideal and that was the creation of the RMS. But whatever the merits of this ideal, the Moluccans in the Netherlands could do nothing to bring its realisation any nearer. Moreover, the isolated situation in the camps and neighbourhoods had given rise to a type of expressive leadership that could only manifest itself in opposing and confronting the CAZ and the Dutch in general.
South Moluccan terrorist action in the Netherlands [ edit ]
This situation led to growing tension and to splits within the RMS movement. The older generation of leaders of the RMS movement saw their authority challenged. Finally the crisis in the Ambonese communities exploded in a decade of violence against internal rivals and Dutch society. A series of terrorist attacks started in 1970 with a raid on the residence of the Indonesian ambassador in Wassenaar. The Dutch reaction to this attack was restrained. The attackers received mild sentences and were still seen as misguided idealists. Within the Moluccan community the 'boys of action' gained great prestige. This fueled further terrorist actions in 1975 and 1977. As with the attack in Wassenaar, the aims of these actions were not very clear; apart from restoring unity within the RMS movement, it is difficult to see any concrete objectives in the vague rhetoric and impossible political demands made by the attackers.[10] Attacks on a train and on a village school in 1977 led to a final escalation of the violence. The Dutch government saw no other way out than to use military force to end the action. Meanwhile, support for this kind of action within the Moluccan community was ebbing. Instead of reuniting the Moluccans in the Netherlands, this radicalism threatened to lead to more division. When, in 1978, a group of youngsters raided the seat of the provincial government in Assen, they received not the slightest support.
Second and third generation Moluccans in the Netherlands [ edit ]
Towards the end of this period of terrorist violence, the Dutch government had already dropped the idea that the Moluccans were temporary residents, but had not been able to create a channel of communication through which to discuss and implement policy measures that opened a way to the future. The social situation left much to be desired; school attainment was low and unemployment high. Earlier attempts to set up a communal platform for the government and Moluccan representatives had not been successful, because of antagonism within the Moluccan communities and impossible political demands made at the outset by the Moluccans. In 1976 a platform was formed where government policy measures could be discussed with representatives of the Moluccan community, the IWM (Dutch abbreviation for: Inspraakorgaan Welzijn Molukkers). In 1978 a substantial White Paper (De Problematiek van de Molukkers in Nederland) was sent by the government to parliament. It offered measures to enhance Moluccan participation in Dutch society, in particular in the fields of education and the labour market.
The IWM has proved a valuable communication channel for communal projects. A case in point was the plan to create thousands of jobs for Moluccans in government service. The primary goal was to combat high unemployment, but a secondary goal was to open up a particular section of the labour market where Moluccans were significantly underrepresented. The recognition that employment, education and social welfare in general were important fields where the situation of the Moluccan population, and especially of the new generation, had to be improved, was a positive development. Partly because the second generation was already much more oriented to Dutch society, partly as a result of the policy of affirmative action, participation in the labour market and in the school system developed positively after 1980. Levels of educational attainment rose, unemployment levels were lower and the jobs fulfilled were also somewhat higher in scale. In general the second-generation Moluccans made a great leap forward in this period, compared to the first'soldier generation'.[11]
The situation of the Moluccans in the Netherlands is at present remarkably different from that in 1970. Practically all Moluccans are now Dutch citizens. This makes it more difficult to give the precise number of Moluccans in the Netherlands, though research shows that there are to date about 40,000 persons who can be classified as Moluccan.[12] A majority of this population identifies itself to a certain extent with the Moluccan islands where their families once came from, but this identification seems less and less an impediment to integration in Dutch society. In this sense the Moluccans have at last become 'normal immigrants'.[13]
Notwithstanding Moluccan integration into modern Dutch society has halted terrorist radicalisation, up to the 1990s the Netherlands were reminded yearly of the traumatic side of their colonial past, when celebrations of the RMS independence declaration frequently resulted in angry sentiments or even serious rioting in the streets of the capital.[14][15]
Image showing traditional cakalele dance performance; nowadays Moluccans are rediscovering their ancient cultural traditions.
In the 1950s and 1960s Moluccan musicians made their mark together with artists from the Indo community. In the 1980s, bands like Massada[16] were popular. Massada's hitsong "Sajang e" is the only song in the Malay language to reach number one in the Netherlands. Also from the South Moluccan community in the Netherlands is the singer songwriter Daniel Sahuleka.[17] In Indonesia, many famous musicians are ethnic Moluccans, like popstar Glenn Fredly, who toured the Netherlands in 2008 and acknowledged Daniel Sahuleka as one of his main inspirations. In the 21st century new generations of South Moluccans in the Netherlands have chosen ways to manifest their heritage and express themselves, by performing traditional Tifa music and Cakalele dances,[18] but also by expressing themselves with contemporary music like hip-hop.[19] In addition, in Dutch football many South Moluccans in the Netherlands have made a name for themselves, including Simon Tahamata and Bobby Petta as well as Denny Landzaat and Giovanni van Bronckhorst |
DC; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA
UPDATE (12/7): Louisville, KY; Washington, DC; Raleigh, NC; Charlotte, NC; Austin, TX; Cambridge MA; Albany, NY; additional theaters in Dallas, TX and in New York, NY (including cancellation of Kips Bay) and change in NYC meet-up location.
UPDATE (12/6): Norfolk, VA; Toledo, OH; Rochester, NY; Somerdale, NJ; Erie, PA; Las Vegas, NV; Reno, NV; Salt Lake City, UT; Colorado Springs, CO; Ventura, CA; San Francisco, CA; Monterey, CA; Sacramento, CA; Union City, CA; Anchorage, AK; Dover, DE; Tulsa, OK; Lincoln, NE; Fayetteville, AR; Fargo, ND; additional theaters in Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO
UPDATE (12/5): Cleveland, OH; Aventura, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; Pensacola, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; Indianapolis, IN
UPDATE (12/2): Meet-ups in Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Atlanta, GA; additional theaters in Houston, TX
UPDATE (12/1): Las Vegas, NV; Tampa, FL; Greensboro, NC; Fayetteville, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Birmingham, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Knoxville, TN; Stony Brook, NY; New Haven, CT; Trumbull, CT; Aberdeen, NJ; Brentwood, CA; South Orange, NJ; Ridgewood, NJ; Toms River, NJ; Wayne, NJ; additional theaters in Phoenix, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle
UPDATE (11/30): San Jose, CA; Denver, CO; Oklahoma City, OK; additional theaters in New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA (updated theaters in BOLD); Meet-Up time/location for Philadelphia, PA
UPDATE (11/29): Des Moines, IA; Omaha, NE
IGN released a preview of the One Piece Film Gold English dub earlier this year. You can also see more information from Funimation Films.
Northeast United States
New York, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15
AMC Empire 25 [MEET-UP]
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
City Cinemas Village East
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
City Cinemas Village East
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15
AMC Empire 25
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
City Cinemas Village East
Saturday, January 14th at 11:00AM ET
City Cinemas Village East
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn
Monday, January 16th at 3:00PM ET
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15
AMC Empire 25
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
Port Washington, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Port Washington
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Port Washington
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Port Washington
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Port Washington
New Rochelle, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Regal New Roc Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Regal New Roc Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Regal New Roc Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX
Stony Brook, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Stony Brook 17
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Stony Brook 17
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Stony Brook 17
Albany, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM ET
Spectrum 8
Saturday, January 14th at 12:00PM ET
Spectrum 8
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM ET
Spectrum 8
Rochester, NY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA and IMAX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA and IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA and IMAX
Hartford, CT
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Palace 17 & BTX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Palace 17 & BTX
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Palace 17 & BTX
Trumbull, CT
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Marquis 16 & BTX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Marquis 16 & BTX
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Marquis 16 & BTX
New Haven, CT
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Criterion Cinemas
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Criterion Cinemas
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Criterion Cinemas
Cambridge, MA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM ET
Kendall Square Cinema
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Kendall Square Cinema
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM ET
Kendall Square Cinema
Trenton, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Hamilton 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Hamilton 24
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
AMC Hamilton 24
South Orange, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie South Orange Cinemas
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie South Orange Cinemas
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie South Orange Cinemas
Ridgewood, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Warner Quad
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Warner Quad
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Warner Quad
Aberdeen, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Strathmore Cinema 4
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Strathmore Cinema 4
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Strathmore Cinema 4
Toms River, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Seacourt 10
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Seacourt 10
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Seacourt 10
Wayne, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Wayne 14
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Wayne 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Loews Wayne 14
Somerdale, NJ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark 16 and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark 16 and XD
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark 16 and XD
Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Ritz Center 16
AMC Plymouth Meeting Mall 12
AMC Neshaminy 24
Ritz V (7:00PM ET)
Cinemark 16 and XD
UA King of Brussia Stadium 16 IMAX & RPX
AMC Neshaminy 24
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Ritz Center 16
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Plymouth Meeting Mall 12
AMC Neshaminy 24
Cinemark 16 and XD
UA King of Brussia Stadium 16 IMAX & RPX
AMC Neshaminy 24
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Ritz Center 16 [ MEET-UP ]
] Ritz V (12:00PM ET)
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Ritz Center 16
AMC Plymouth Meeting Mall 12
AMC Neshaminy 24
Ritz V (7:00PM ET)
Cinemark 16 and XD
UA King of Brussia Stadium 16 IMAX & RPX
AMC Neshaminy 24
Pittsburgh, PA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Southside Works Cinema
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Southside Works Cinema
Saturday, January 14th at 1:30PM ET
Southside Works Cinema
Monday, January 16th at 1:30PM
Southside Works Cinema
Erie, PA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Tinseltown USA
Dover, DE
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 14
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 14
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 14
Baltimore, MD
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Owings Mills 17
Harbor East Theatre (7:00PM ET)
(7:00PM ET) Cinemark Egyptian 24 and XD
Cinemark Towson and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Owings Mills 17
Cinemark Egyptian 24 and XD
Cinemark Towson and XD
Saturday, January 14th at 12:00PM ET
Harbor East Theatre
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Owings Mills 17
Harbor East Theatre (7:00PM ET)
Cinemark Egyptian 24 and XD
Cinemark Towson and XD
Columbia, MD
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Columbia 14
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Columbia 14
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
AMC Columbia 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Columbia 14
Annapolis, MD
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Annapolis Mall 11
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Annapolis Mall 11
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Bow Tie Cinemas Annapolis Mall 11
Bowie, MD
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Bowie Stadium 14
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Bowie Stadium 14
Saturday, January 14th at 11:00AM ET
Regal Bowie Stadium 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Bowie Stadium 14
Washington, DC
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Landmark’s E-Street Cinema
Saturday, January 14th at 12:00PM ET
Landmark’s E-Street Cinema
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM ET
Landmark’s E-Street Cinema
Southeast United States
Fairfax, VA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosaic
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosaic
Saturday, January 14th at 11:00AM ET
Angelika Film Center & Cafe at Mosaic
Richmond, VA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Movieland at Boulevard Square
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Movieland at Boulevard Square
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Movieland at Boulevard Square
Norfolk, VA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark 18
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark 18
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Cinemark 18
Raleigh, NC
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Crossroads Stadium 20 & IMAX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Crossroads Stadium 20 & IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Crossroads Stadium 20 & IMAX
Greensboro, NC
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 18
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 18
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike 18
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike 18
Fayetteville, NC
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patriot 14 & IMAX
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patriot 14 & IMAX
Saturday, January 14th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patriot 14 & IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patriot 14 & IMAX
Charlotte, NC
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen Stadium 22 & IMAX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen Stadium 22 & IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen Stadium 22 & IMAX
Atlanta, GA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Barrett Commons 24
Carmike Crossroads 16
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Crossroads 16
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Barrett Commons 24
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Crossroads 16 [MEET-UP]
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Barrett Commons 24
Jacksonville, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Regency 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Regency 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Regency 24
Orlando, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Disney Springs 24 with Dine-In Theaters
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Disney Springs 24 with Dine-In Theaters
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Disney Springs 24 with Dine-In Theaters
Pensacola, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Bayou 15 & IMAX
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Bayou 15 & IMAX
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Bayou 15 & IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Bayou 15 & IMAX
Tampa, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Starlight 20
AMC Woodlands Square 20
Carmike Royal Palm 20
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Starlight 20
Carmike Royal Palm 20
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Woodlands Square 20
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Muvico Starlight 20
Carmike Royal Palm 20
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Starlight 20
AMC Woodlands Square 20
Carmike Royal Palm 20
West Palm Beach, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
Aventura, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Aventura 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Aventura 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Aventura 24
Miami, FL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Sunset Place 24
AMC Aventura 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Sunset Place 24
AMC Aventura 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Sunset Place 24
AMC Aventura 24
Louisville, KY
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Preston Crossings 16
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Preston Crossings 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Preston Crossings 16
Knoxville, TN
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Chattanooga, TN
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike East Ridge 18
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike East Ridge 18
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike East Ridge 18
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike East Ridge 18
Memphis, TN
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM CT
Malco Paradiso
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM CT
Malco Paradiso
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
Malco Paradiso
Birmingham, AL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patton Creek 15
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patton Creek 15
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Patton Creek 15
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Patton Creek 15
Fayetteville, AR
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM CT
Malco Razorback 16
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM ET
Malco Razorback 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM CT
Malco Razorback 16
New Orleans, LA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Westbank Palace 16
AMC Elmwood Palace 20
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Westbank Palace 16
AMC Elmwood Palace 20
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Westbank Palace 16
AMC Elmwood Palace 20
Midwest United States
Cleveland, OH
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cedar Lee Theaters
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
Cedar Lee Theaters
Saturday, January 14th at 1:30PM ET
Cedar Lee Theaters
Monday, January 16th at 1:30PM ET
Cedar Lee Theaters
Toledo, OH
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Cinemark Fallen Timbers 14 and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM ET
Franklin Park 16 and XD
Cinemark Fallen Timbers 14 and XD
Thursday, January 17th at 7:00PM ET
Franklin Park 16 and XD
Cinemark Fallen Timbers 14 and XD
Detroit, MI
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Forum 30
AMC Livonia 20
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Forum 30
AMC Livonia 20
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
AMC Forum 30
AMC Livonia 20
Indianapolis, IN
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Metropolis 18
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Metropolis 18
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM ET
Carmike Metropolis 18
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM ET
Carmike Metropolis 18
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC River East 21 [ MEET-UP ]
] Muvico Rosemont 18
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
AMC Showplace Schererville 16
AMC South Barrington 30
Century 12 Evanston/Cinearts 6 and XD
Cinemark @ Seven Bridges and IMAX
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM CT
Muvico Rosemont 18
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC River East 21
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
AMC Showplace Schererville 16
AMC South Barrington 30
Century 12 Evanston/Cinearts 6 and XD
Cinemark @ Seven Bridges and IMAX
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
Saturday, January 14th at 2:30PM CT
Muvico Rosemont 18
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC River East 21
Muvico Rosemont 18
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
AMC Showplace Schererville 16
AMC South Barrington 30
Century 12 Evanston/Cinearts 6 and XD
Cinemark @ Seven Bridges and IMAX
AMC Showplace Naperville 16
Minneapolis, MN
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Arbor Lakes 16 [MEET-UP]
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Arbor Lakes 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Arbor Lakes 16
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine and IMAX
Wehrenberg O’Fallon 15 Cine
Saturday, January 14th at 1:00PM CT
Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine and IMAX
Wehrenberg O’Fallon 15 Cine
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine and IMAX
Wehrenberg O’Fallon 15 Cine
Kansas City, MO
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Barrywoods 24
AMC Independence Commons 20
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Barrywoods 24
AMC Independence Commons 20
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Barrywoods 24
AMC Independence Commons 20
Des Moines, IA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM CT
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM CT
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
Carmike Wynnsong 16
Omaha, NE
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Oakview Plaza 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Oakview Plaza 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Oakview Plaza 24
Lincoln, NE
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus Lincoln Grand Cinemas
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus Lincoln Grand Cinemas
Monday, January 16th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus Lincoln Grand Cinemas
Fargo, ND
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus West Acres Cinema
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus West Acres Cinema
Monday, January 16th at 7:00PM CT
Marcus West Acres Cinema
South Central United States
Oklahoma City, OK
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Tulsa, OK
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
Cinemark Tulsa and IMAX
Cinemark Broken Arrow
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM CT
Cinemark Tulsa and IMAX
Cinemark Broken Arrow
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
Cinemark Broken Arrow
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Mesquite 30 with Dine-In Theaters
Cinemark 17 and IMAX
Cinemark 14
Cinemark Tinseltown Grapevine and XD
Cinemark Legacy and XD
Cinemark Alliance Town Center and XD
Cinemark 14
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Mesquite 30 with Dine-In Theaters
Cinemark 17 and IMAX
Cinemark 14
Cinemark Tinseltown Grapevine and XD
Cinemark Legacy and XD
Cinemark Alliance Town Center and XD
Cinemark 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Mesquite 30 with Dine-In Theaters
Cinemark 17 and IMAX
Cinemark 14
Cinemark Tinseltown Grapevine and XD
Cinemark Legacy and XD
Cinemark Alliance Town Center and XD
Cinemark 14
Austin, TX
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
Cinemark Southpark Meadows
Cinemark Tinseltown 20 and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
Cinemark Southpark Meadows
Cinemark Tinseltown 20 and XD
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
Cinemark Southpark Meadows
Cinemark Tinseltown 20 and XD
Houston, TX
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Willowbrook 24
AMC Deerbrook 24
Carmike Yorktown 15
AMC First Colony 24
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM CT
Carmike Yorktown 15
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Mason
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Willowbrook 24
AMC Deerbrook 24
AMC First Colony 24
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM CT
Carmike Yorktown 15
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM CT
AMC Willowbrook 24
AMC Deerbrook 24
Carmike Yorktown 15
AMC First Colony 24
San Antonio, TX
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM CT
Cinemark McCreless Market
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM CT
Cinemark McCreless Market
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM CT
Cinemark McCreless Market
El Paso, TX
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
Carmike 16
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM MT
Carmike 16
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM MT
Carmike 16
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM MT
Carmike 16
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
Carmike 16
West United States
Denver, CO
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Westminster Promenade 24
AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Century 16 Bel Mar and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Westminster Promenade 24
AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Century 16 Bel Mar and XD
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Westminster Promenade 24
AMC Highlands Ranch 24
Century 16 Bel Mar and XD
Colorado Springs, CO
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
Cinemark Carefree Circle and IMAX
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM MT
Cinemark Carefree Circle and IMAX
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
Cinemark Carefree Circle and IMAX
Phoenix, AZ
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Salt Lake City, UT
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
Century 16 Salt Lake
Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing and XD
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM MT
Century 16 Salt Lake
Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing and XD
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
Century 16 Salt Lake
Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing and XD
Reno, NV
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:00PM PT
Century Riverside 12
Thursday, January 12th at 7:00PM PT
Century Riverside 12
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00PM PT
Century Riverside 12
Las Vegas, NV
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM PT
Century 16 Santa Fe Station
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM PT
Century 16 Santa Fe Station
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM PT
Century 16 Santa Fe Station
It has been confirmed it will be showing during Otakon Vegas from January 15 – 17th. Click here for more details.
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM MT
AMC Ahwatukee 24
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, January 10th at 7:30PM PT
AMC Santa Anita 16
Whittier Village Stadium Cinemas
AMC Del Amo 18
AMC Norwalk 20
AMC Puente Hills 20
Terrace Cinemas
AMC Covina 17
AMC Orange 30 (AMC Block 30)
Muvico Thousand Oaks 14
Triangle Square Cinemas
AMC Tustin 14 @ The District
AMC Century City 15
AMC Universal Citywalk 19 (Los Angeles) [MEET-UP]
AMC Burbank 16
AMC Promenade 16
Cinemark Baldwin Hills and XD
Cinemark 18 and XD
Cinemark Carson and XD
Edwards Alhambra Renaissance 14 & IMAX
Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX
Century Stadium 25 and XD
Cinema City Theatres
Cinemark at Antelope Valley Mall
Cinemark 22 and IMAX
Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM PT
Terrace Cinemas
Muvico Thousand Oaks 14
Triangle Square Cinemas
Whittier Village Stadium Cinemas
Cinema City Theatres
Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM
AMC Santa Anita 16
Whittier Village Stadium Cinemas
AMC Del Amo 18
AMC Norwalk 20
AMC Puente Hills 20
Terrace Cinemas
AMC Covina 17
AMC Orange 30 (AMC Block 30)
Triangle Square Cinemas
AMC Tustin 14 @ The District
AMC Century City 15
AMC Universal Citywalk 19 (Los Angeles)
AMC Burbank 16
AMC Promenade 16
Cinemark Baldwin Hills and XD
Cinemark 18 and XD
Cinemark Carson and XD
Edwards Alhambra Renaissance 14 & IMAX
Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX
Century Stadium 25 and XD
Cinema City Theatres
Cinemark at Antelope Valley Mall
Cinemark 22 and IMAX
Saturday, January 14th at 2:00PM PT
Muvico Thousand Oaks 14
Tuesday, January 17th at 7:30PM PT
AMC Santa Anita 16
AMC Del Amo 18
AMC Norwalk 20
AMC Puente Hills 20
AMC Covina 17
AMC Orange 30 (AMC Block 30)
Muvico Thousand Oaks 14
AMC Tustin 14 @ The District
AMC Century City 15
AMC Universal Citywalk 19 (Los Angeles)
AMC Burbank 16
AMC Promenade 16
Cinemark Baldwin |
The missile was loaded with liquid oxygen, it was raised to the surface from the silo, and the countdown began. The test was a success, and everyone involved was relieved of their duties. The missile began to be lowered back into the silo, where the propellant probe crew was tasked with reconnecting the hose to offload the oxidizer, but something went horribly wrong.
According to the account of retired USAF CMSGT Les Lawson, relayed to me via email, the elevator was lowered using the “down fast circuit,” instead of the “down slow” mode (which was required for a fully fueled missile). Upon realizing he had done this, the operator quickly switched the mode to down slow and the system responded by braking suddenly.
“The sudden forces on the platform caused the entire support structure to lurch,” Said Lawson, “The hydraulic reservoir located on the upper side of the silo tilted enough to spill hydraulic fluid onto the braking system.” From there, the entire braking system was compromised and the missile began an uncontrollable descent to the bottom of the silo, where LOX and RP1 mixed, causing a massive explosion.
Rhodus watched the entire event transpire from a television screen, about 1/4-mile away, and he “realized with some trepidation that, unlike the buried operational control centers, the room he was in had only 12 inches of dirt on top, not much protection from the tons of concrete that were raining down all around. He also realized it was far too late to run.” Nearby airmen were watching the events on television too – and the SLTF crew, not more than 1,200 feet directly west of the OSTF, saw the “entire elevator assembly, known as the crib, and missile launcher, a total of 160 tons of structural steel, come out of the silo, tumbling up out of the searchlight beams ‘in slow motion.’” In the years that followed, enormous chunks of concrete could be seen on the hills near the Titan I facility, and a complete reference system gyro was found on the Marshalia Ranch Golf Course, more than a mile away from the blast site.
Scott, Aaron, and I stood hundreds of feet above the old superstructure of the silo, and looked deep down into the abyss of the disaster area. Over the years, the exploded cylinder had filled with water – and that water had taken on an almost radioactive-looking green appearance, likely from algae that blossomed prodigiously within the stagnant pool. Dead animals were floating in the water. Across the silo, the equipment and fueling terminals stood. Their reinforced capstones made the gigantic, exposed cylinders look like the rooks of medieval castles.
It was the most incredible man-made structure I had ever seen in my life. I never had a true sense of the massive scale of a Titan silo until I saw it as I did that night – fully exposed from the outside, maimed by a massive explosion, and slowly returning to the nature it had once usurped.
The three of us squeezed through the window of an above-ground, derelict building. We found old technical specs and blueprints related to the OSTF program. In a back corner of the building, a cavernous passageway led to rooms that went underground. Scott and I fumbled across holes in the floor that once held data cables. We found an old HVAC system and continued through a T-junction to corrugated steel tube that resembled the Titan tunnels at the Sutter Butte site in Northern California (which we had explored just months earlier). The air in that tunnel was filled with the electricity of discovery and our hearts were racing in anticipation.
We pushed aside a blast door and looked down towards an antenna silo – fully intact and carrying a pristine and authentic Titan 1 radome antenna, complete with a canvas inflatable sphere. This was what the writer of “Titan 1 Epitaph,” whom I’ve interviewed in the past, calls “a very complex system indeed… a radio-inertial missile guidance and tracking package representing, at the time, some of the very latest in technology and miniaturization in solid state electronics.” It was the full system designed by Bell Laboratories and a priceless relic that played a pivotal role in American history. The Western Electric Missile Guidance system (known as an AN/GRW-5 by technocrats) was so important that Titan bases contained two of them for redundancy – one of which could not be raised above-ground unless the other was lowered below-ground.
Scott and I looked at each other. We had become so accustomed to whispering, that – at first – we hesitated to let out a sound. Then, in a burst of excitement, we hollered in ecstatic glory. A chest bump later, and a few words of congratulation was all it took. We had just seen what few civilians had been privileged to see, and it was sitting there for us to photograph and share with the world. We immediately broke out our camera packs and began a methodical documentation of the two underground antenna silos.
The night eventually came to an end, and by dawn we were walking on the public road to our vehicle. We drove 15 miles to an abandoned diatomite mine and I laid my sleeping bag down to rest in the powdery mine tailings. The trip was a success, but Scott and I both knew that it wouldn’t be our last trip to Vandenberg…
It didn’t take long for us to return to Vandenberg – and this time it was decided that we would spend the entire weekend on the base – dwelling during the day underground, and returning topside at night to explore complexes and traverse to other sites. Our first destination was the Atlas F, which is similar to a Titan II base in layout and configuration. Upon exploring the Atlas F, we would head south to a grouping of various Atlas D and E pads, both of which had very little in the way of underground space but plenty of interesting accoutrements and panels to shoot.
Our visit to the Atlas F was a hurried attempt with a set time limit. Our entire route was comprised entirely of overland walking, across miles and miles of scrub, ice plant, and sandy dunes. Both of us were well aware of the impending sunrise; if we were to find ourselves out of range of a sufficient place of cover by daylight, then we could potentially be seen by patrolling SF. This was compounded by the fact that very little shrubbery existed for such a purpose – so the abandoned missile complexes themselves were our only hope of hiding. The nearest Atlas E was over a mile-and-a-half away and it was 4 A.M. by the time we exited the Atlas F blast door.
About a 1/2-mile away from the Atlas F, on our way to a place of cover, Scott looked over at me and his eyes widened. “Where is your tripod?,” he queried. I looked down and noticed it was gone. I left it at the Atlas F. It was 4:30, and I would lose about 30 minutes going back to get it. Scott laid down in the sand in exasperation, and I began my jog back to retrieve the tripod. I returned about 30 minutes later. Morning birds began making their sounds and the early signs of dawn appeared far across the Casmalia Mountains in the horizon. Our time was running short, and in hushed whispers of urgency we both soon became out of breath.
The next hour was a true race against time. On the route to our next stop, there were numerous active buildings that dotted the Vandenberg landscape. The fact was: Vandenberg North was not truly “abandoned.” Parts of the North are occupied by active Minuteman complexes, and Reagan had instituted a rail-based, garrison missile defense system in the 80s known as the Peacekeeper program. These nuclear warheads were partly based in Vandenberg, and later became active at Mountain Home AFB in Wyoming.
Peacekeepers were underground missiles, much like Titans… but on steroids. Each of these solid-fuel missiles could carry 10 REVs (re-entry vehicles), and each REV was capable of carrying a MK 21 nuclear payload. Vandenberg North was pockmarked with underground bunkers that protected the Peacekeeper missiles on rail cars. When the boxcars were not being used, they were stored in the super-hardened bunkers. Buildings with electricity on Vandenberg North were likely related to this program – even though the Peacekeeper program was fully deactivated by 2003. Whether or not these buildings contained anything of strategic importance, Scott, nor I would never truly know. Looking at the siren-like warning lights on the building, we knew that we didn’t wish to find out, so we avoided these buildings as much as possible (unavoidably getting as close as 100 feet away in a few instances).
Our pace was quickening and the corona of the sun was appearing over the tips of the mountains in the distance. We were running out of time. A truck drove up to one of the active buildings behind us; if he had looked in our direction, it was certain he would have seen us. Partly to hide from the truck, Scott and I found an old, overgrown road, which I soon recognized from my mental map of the base. We were close to our destination, and a few minutes later we found ourselves crawling under a rusty fence (one of many rusty fences in this epic journey). We would lay low for a few hours while exploring the Atlas E, take a quick nap, and then continue to the most harrowing leg of the hike.
Sleeping at the Atlas E site was a welcome reprieve. When one is running on adrenaline, one’s bodily functions are in overdrive. The heart rate stays at a steady high. Sweating is more frequent, and body movements are twitchy and unpredictable. Scott and I had been continuously operating on adrenaline all night. When we reached the hard asphalt floor of the well-hidden Atlas E complex, it could have just as well been a billowing bed, filled with perfectly fluffed down pillows. I lay down and was asleep within seconds; I happened to choose a location that was almost directly under what would have once been an 82.5-foot Atlas E Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. I can honestly say, now, that the best nap I’ve ever had was directly below the domain of a nuclear missile – and it’s strange to say this, but I felt safe. I awoke to the sound of a Blackhawk helicopter that was fanning the base in patrol. Scott was taking a picture of me splayed on the floor with his cell phone. We got to our feet and began the portion of the trip that would be most challenging.
Vandenberg North is cut off from Vandenberg South by an impenetrable blanket of vegetation that follows the windy course of San Antonio Creek. There is no possible route across the water other than two dangerous and highly visible crossings. On our way in, we chose the railroad crossing to reach the historic 576th Strategic Missile Squadron – an area rife with both Titan II and Atlas D missile complexes. This required walking a frequently traveled Amtrak railroad trestle hundreds of feet above the canyon. We would return to our vehicle through a different route (which I’ll describe later).
After crossing the trestle with little trouble (but a mere minutes before another Amtrak train had careened across the canyon), Scott and I set our sights on our first Titan II. We hopped another rusty fence (see a theme here?) and surveyed the topside conditions for a good entry route. Scott found an emergency exit and began climbing down.
“Oh Shit!!!!” Scott whispered loudly. Immediately after I heard him, a bat swirled around his head, coming from deep within the emergency exit. It flew around Scott’s face and exited the ladder-way. Scott dropped a small rock down the tube to ensure that any bats made their way out and then headed down the ladder. The space of the ladder, approximately 24 inches in diameter, was much too small for me to wear my backpack, so I strapped it in front of me and slowly descended about 100 feet to the bottom of the underground Titan II Control Dome. With a full respirator attached to my face, I felt like an astronaut, boldly stepping into the domain of an extraterrestrial spaceship. The view was incredible. Control panels and ceiling panels were haphazardly strewn across the floor. Rust mixed with benzene – colors that are so unnatural, they make the environment seem more artificial than anything I’d seen in my life.
Surely everything in the Titan II control domain was artificial, but one could see constant evidence of the intrusion of nature all around: Bats roosting in a place you couldn’t think anything living could survive in, water seeping, cave crickets searching for anything to dine on. It was beyond surreal. It was unreal. The latest graffiti in the tunnel, potentially from other military men who had spent their R&R time on the base in the best way possible, dated back to the 1970s. Graffiti, overall, was relatively sparse – a welcome surprise, because all of the past silos I had explored in Colorado and Northern California came littered with a liberal smattering of monikers from multiple generations of explorers.
Like we had done in the other complexes, Scott and I busted out our equipment and began the tough work of illuminating our scenes. We snapped a few photos in the access tunnel and walked towards the acoustically designed Titan II silo.
Seeing the interior of a Titan II silo is a rare gift. Under the terms of the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT) with the U.S.S.R., most Titan II silos were deliberately destroyed in the mid-1980s. Of the 54 Titan II bases built in the U.S., only a few silos remain unmolested. As far as I know, there is only one original Titan II silo that has its launch doors completely open to the elements – and we were at it. This provided an unprecedented opportunity to photograph the silo illuminated by natural moonlight – both from the inside and outside. We were hesitant to leave, but we knew that our time was running short, so we walked another 1/2-mile to our final site and the most historically compelling: The 576th SMS Atlas D trio.
The 576th Squadron of Atlas D’s comprises three fully intact bases, filled to the brim with original equipment, cables, and artifacts. There was so much to see that we decided on only one complex in the interest of time. We selected the only Atlas D site on the base with its original Gantry, which was easy to spot in the midnight sky. Much like the irresistible scent of a Titan missile, this symbol of our desire had become its own navigation beacon. With our eyes pointed towards the gantry, we walked in a beeline from 395-B (the Titan II that had just de-virginized us). During this walk, I had to stop to really look. The 576th Squadron is on a bluff overlooking the entire Northern Portion of the base. I used a brief break in our walk to look out towards the moonlit landscape, and to take note of our accomplishments.
From my vantage, I saw it all – the Atlas F was more than five miles as the crow flies. With the full moon at its zenith, things that were miles away from that bluff were eerily easy to see – the blinking green status lights of the active Peacekeeper buildings, the shadowy form of the Atlas E with its diagonally descending personnel tunnel, the distant lights of active Minuteman bases. All of it seemed like a ghostly dream – much like those dreams you wake from, only to remember the most prosaic of details. And yet, seeing it all – even while actively involved in the process of exploration – immediately made me miss the trip. I knew that we had about 8 hours until it was completely over, and I soon regretted the notion of leaving this strange post-atomic, no-man’s land.
“Ready to move?” Scott chimed in. He had just finished a granola bar, while I polished off my final orange. Even if I wanted to stay an extra day, I knew it meant going without food or water – a prospect that didn’t seem worth the extra time on base after the first bout of hunger set in.
We arrived at the Atlas D, and it was everything we had hoped it would be: Launch consoles; tanks of liquid nitrogen; lines connecting rocket fuel through snakelike arrangements underground; vast, lengthy tunnels that carried communication and power cables across the complex. It was a beautiful capstone to a trip steeped in visual splendor – and a sobering monument to the military industrial complex – something that even Mercury could even look down upon from the skies of the Roman gods and admire from afar.
Despite how much I bungled and bombasted my way through barriers and sentries in subsequent explorations, nothing could quite match the experience I had with Scott during those fidgety 36 hours. Neverland was only the first notch on a long-lasting relationship with pushing the limits; Vandenberg was a chunk. Soon, I would find myself in an abandoned skyscraper worth $118 million. My ethos would evolve even further when I found myself in a steel factory in Detroit, which was purportedly protected by a shotgun wielding wacko (who actually turned out to be a nice guy). But Vandenberg topped them all.
Scott and I nearly lost each other, deep in the base at 3 A.M. that night. Our phones weren’t working and we had separated somewhere along an overland shortcut to the bridge that crossed San Carlos Creek. For 20 minutes, I frantically tried dialing until my phone’s battery was near death. I rolled through chaparral and descried El Rancho Road (our escape route home) from the top of the bluff.
Down at a turnoff on the side of the road I saw Scott’s dark, pensive frame. We met at the bottom of the bluff and planned the final and most dangerous portion of our epic trip. SF vehicles were rolling back and forth across the bridge. The bridge itself, which was a skyway traversing the entire San Carlos Creek wetland, was much longer than we had imagined while looking at the satellite images.
Considering the frequency with which patrol cars traveled back and forth across the bridge, I indicated to Scott that we could probably make it about halfway across the 300-yard bridge before an SF vehicle would arrive – upon which we would have no place to hide. Scott concurred. The pinch was in, and we had no way out. We briefly considered going back to the railroad trestle, but that would have meant two more days of overland hiking – without food or water. We decided it prudent to at least walk to the bridge to see if there was a possible way across by going under it.
“Look,” I whispered, pointing to the utility pipes hidden behind the cement guardrails on each side of the bridge. “I think we can bail over the side and lay low until the car passes.” We tested the load carrying capacity of the pipes by going on them together. They held our weight. We had to start soon. It was almost dawn, so we both grabbed our gear and began running across the gray, cement skyway. We were lucky, at least until the final 100 yards. It was then that Scott saw the headlights of a distant SF. We swiftly hopped over the side barrier and lay on the utility pipes. The SF passed and we returned to the Skyway, on to our freedom.
We arrived at the Marshalia Ranch Golf Course a full 36 hours after we began our trip. We had traversed twice over chasms; we had seen the entire nuclear smorgasbord of Cold War America; we had evaded a half-dozen SF patrol cars; and every bone in our body ached from 16 miles of hiking on adrenaline. It was finally over.
I shook Scott’s hand in congratulations and started my long drive home. Halfway up Highway-101 (the road that had so often been my thoroughfare of adventure) I realized that the jacket pocket in which I had stashed my memory card had a hole in it. Every photo was lost. The trip, however, was not entirely lost. I wrote about it because I wanted to remind myself that those pictures aren’t the only thing that matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words – well, then – this particular collection of words is worth at least four.
Perhaps I look at it all so optimistically because of the events that transpired immediately after my return. Often, the biggest blessings come after a difficult journey. I arrived home that evening to discover that my father had a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. I thought the very worst and threw on a new pair of clothes to fly up to Portland, Oregon. That week I spent in a hospital waiting room was the worst week of my life; by the time I left the hospital, however, it had become the best. My father had fully recovered from something that originally gave him a 10% chance of surviving. It seemed fitting that I emerged from a landscape of Cold, deathly war only to have it conclude in a true story of survival and miracles.
Additional Information
Pete’s description of the Titan 1 radio guidance system
Complete coordinates and details of all abandoned Vandenberg facilitiesWith a Thanksgiving deadline fast approaching, a powerful congressional panel devoted to debt reduction is running in rhetorical circles, unable to break the impasse over taxes that has long blocked aggressive action to tame the national debt.
Though the committee’s 12 members have been meeting for nearly two months in closed-door sessions, lawmakers, aides and others involved in the process say they have yet to reach consensus on the most basic elements of a plan to restrain government borrowing.
There is no agreement on the scope of their ambitions: Should they aim to meet a savings target of at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade or “go big” with savings of $4 trillion or more? Nor is there agreement on a benchmark against which to measure those savings. And while individual ideas for savings abound, the committee has yet to assemble a comprehensive framework that would demonstrate its ability to produce a plan of any size before the Nov. 23 deadline.
Committee members say there is still time to cut a deal and have congressional budget analysts assess it. But the lack of progress is raising alarms on Capitol Hill and beyond as lawmakers and other observers grow increasingly worried that the panel is running out of time.
“The clock is ticking,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a committee member, said Wednesday. “The next three weeks will be make-or-break for the success of this committee.”
The panel — officially called the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction and unofficially dubbed the “supercommittee” — was created this summer in the wake of an epic battle to raise the legal limit on government borrowing. House Republicans refused to lift the ceiling without a plan to restrain the debt. But they also refused to raise taxes, rejecting a deal with President Obama that would have made significant cuts to federal health and retirement programs in exchange for around $1 trillion in new revenue over the next decade.
In the end, Democrats agreed to accept caps on agency budgets to reduce spending by more than $900 billion by 2021 and to create the supercommittee, which was tasked with identifying additional savings. If the committee, comprising six lawmakers from each party, fails to reach an agreement that wins congressional approval by Christmas, $1.2 trillion in additional across-the-board cuts will be triggered in January 2013.
Democrats have argued that the trigger would force Republicans to the bargaining table over taxes because the automatic reductions would fall heavily on the Pentagon. But so far, that tactic has not worked. House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) and other GOP leaders have yet to show any appetite for significant tax hikes in advance of the 2012 election, when they hope to campaign against Democrats on the issue.
Supercommittee members have discussed a two-stage process that would first cut entitlement spending and close several tax loopholes, such as a write-off for corporate jets. Then, the tax-writing committees in the House and Senate would be instructed to overhaul the tax code to lower rates and raise sufficient additional revenue to meet the committee’s overall target.
But that approach has been stymied by Republicans’ refusal to contemplate higher tax revenue except through stronger economic growth, according to people in both parties who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks.
Without a commitment to additional revenue, Democrats have refused to commit to specific entitlement cuts, these people said, leaving even the most eager dealmakers frustrated and pointing fingers at the other side.
“If it was easy, it would have been done by now. No decisions have been made,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a former George W. Bush White House budget director and one of the committee’s strongest proponents of a far-reaching deal.
On Wednesday, the supercommittee took testimony from a bipartisan group of senators known as the Gang of Six who forged agreement this year on a plan that included as much as $1.2 trillion in new revenue. But some Republicans in the group have since argued that tax collections would rise solely through economic growth.
After their testimony, there was no sign of a breakthrough.
“The thing that turns the ignition on the car is an upfront agreement that the deal will include significant new revenues and significant new entitlement savings,” said a longtime lobbyist tracking the talks. “The car doesn’t get out of the garage until everyone has joined hands on that fundamental framework. And so far, there’s no movement on that fundamental framework.”
While anxiety about the defense trigger has yet to force movement on taxes, it is increasing pressure for a deal. So far, defense hawks have focused on finding a way around the trigger, with some senior Republicans privately urging the supercommittee to count savings from the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan, worth as much as $1.1 trillion over the next decade.
Boehner last week dismissed that approach, saying the reductions are “already going to happen.” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has criticized war savings as “gimmicks and accounting tricks.” But some GOP lawmakers privately view them as the best hope for avoiding automatic cuts to defense. Others, such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have vowed to defuse the trigger through legislation if the supercommittee fails to act.
Such talk worries some lawmakers and outside budget analysts. If the supercommittee cuts a bad deal that replaces the trigger with budget gimmicks, they said, it would present a far greater threat to public confidence and the economy than if the panel simply failed to act.
Steven Hess, who analyzes sovereign debt for Moody’s, said the credit ratings agency decided to uphold the nation’s AAA rating in August in part because “more than $2 trillion in deficit reduction was at least planned.”
Tinkering with that agreement “would bring added pressure from the financial markets,” said Ken Bentsen, an official with the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Markets, Bentsen said, would begin to fear “that Washington was just abandoning everything.”
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Get the latest news from Post BusinessRight now there’s some minor drama on the Internet about a woman’s right to choose to have a child. You might think I’m talking about “choice vs. life” but that would be far too obvious and actually worthy of argument. Instead the kerfuffle is over the fact that some women are loudly choosing to be childfree.
I actually have a pretty strong opinion about this.
Who. The fuck. Cares?
Choosing not to have kids is a lot like choosing not to wear a sweater. You may feel comfortable not wearing a sweater but most likely someone is going to say, “You need a sweater, you poor thing. You’re going to catch a cold.” Then you’ll explain that getting a cold from temperature is an old wives' tale but they’ll still insist you wear a sweater. Now you’ve got a sweater that you never wanted in the first place and you have to carry it around with you at the amusement park and it gets heavier and heavier and eventually you want to just throw it in the trash and when you finally let someone else hold your sweater you feel free and fabulous and like you could run a marathon if people would just stop throwing sweaters at you. And that’s what having a child is like. At least that’s what it feels like when one is thrust on you by society.
People who have always wanted kids (myself included) sometimes have a hard time understanding why others wouldn’t want a sweater. Especially when it’s your favorite sweater. The one you searched for forever. Comfortable and snuggly and a little too baggy and probably not flattering at all, and all your sweater-free friends keep telling you to leave it at home but you know that later that night there will be a time when you’ll happily bundle yourself up in that sweater and feel like the whole world is right. You’ll look at your sweater-free friend and think, "She must be so cold. I wish she could feel as happy and content as I do right now." You might even be tempted to push a sweater on your friend but here's the deal. She doesn’t want your damn sweater. And that’s fine. Awesome even. There are already plenty of sweaters in the world and the last thing we need is a bunch of sweaters getting left at the bottom of duffel bags by people who never asked for your damn sweater to begin with.
I guess my point is, sweaters make terrible analogies. And that it’s okay people to choose to be parents or to choose to be child-free. In fact, it’s more than okay. It’s the American way.
Stop being so concerned about sweaters, you guys. It’s embarrassing all of us.Story highlights Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also says regime plane crashed
ISIS posts video purporting to show plane's flaming wreckage
Terrorist group says it has taken the pilot hostage
(CNN) ISIS claims it shot down a Syrian air force jet east of Damascus on Friday and captured the pilot, according to Amaq, the media agency affiliated with the terrorist group.
The claim appeared to be at least partially corroborated by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is opposed to both ISIS and the Syrian regime.
The Observatory said a Syrian warplane had crashed in Dakwa, southeast of Damascus. But it said it had no information on whether the crash was due to an attack or a technical failure, nor on the fate of the crew.
ISIS published a video claiming to show the flaming wreckage of the jet, with what appears to be a Syrian flag painted on the wing. CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the video.
The terrorist group also published the purported name of the pilot, and said he was born in the city of Hama.
Read MoreSome Arctic lakes are starting to look like witches' cauldrons.
The above video shows an increasingly common site in northern latitudes. As global warming heats these areas up, the frozen ground is melting. And when permafrost turns from solid ground to looser mud, it releases gases that have been trapped inside.
Much of the gas is methane, which is produced by microbes that feed on prehistoric biological matter laid down before the last Ice Age. The methane bubbles up to the surface, sometimes gently and at other times violently. (Read a magazine feature on this topic.)
As the land softens, it can also slide and sink, sometimes causing damage on the surface to vegetation (see: drunken trees), or breaking buildings, pipelines, or roads. It can also cause depressions that fill with rainwater, which are called thermokarst lakes.
Scientists with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) are measuring the release of methane from the melting Arctic, as the above video shows. The scientists measure bubbles from lakes, and even occasionally set the gas on fire to get a better sense of its composition (methane is flammable; see more photos of this).
The team combines these ground-based observations with satellite data to get a better sense of the effect this additional methane may be having on our atmosphere.
It's an important issue, because methane acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping more heat closer to the Earth. In fact, one molecule of methane is 25 times more powerful at trapping heat than a molecule of carbon dioxide (we hear so much more about carbon dioxide because there is a lot more of it in the atmosphere, but scientists think methane has an important role to play in climate).
"All that carbon was locked up safely in the permafrost freezer for tens of thousands of years," National Geographic Explorer and UAF professor Katey Walter Anthony previously said. "Now the freezer door is opening, releasing the carbon into Arctic lake bottoms."
The world's permafrost holds an estimated 950 billion tons of carbon. As it thaws, 50 billion tons of methane could enter the atmosphere from Siberian lakes alone.
"That's ten times more methane than the atmosphere holds right now," Walter Anthony said. "Since methane traps heat so efficiently, temperatures will rise higher, faster."
More warming means even more melting of the permafrost, resulting in the release of more methane, setting up a vicious cycle.
But Anthony has also been working on ways to try to harness the methane bubbling out of the ground for energy, particularly for off-the-grid communities who could most benefit from it. Success has been demonstrated in small-scale projects.The NSW upper house is considering the medical use of cannabis. This reflects increasing recognition of the benefits of marijuana use in some cases, and comes after dramatic changes in the US where 18 states now allow it in certain circumstances - a milestone in undoing the catastrophic experiment known as drug prohibition.
In the 19th century there was little distinction between medical and non-medical uses of drugs. Australians had the highest consumption of ''patent medicines'' in the world. Preparations containing alcohol or opium were freely available from chemists and grocers. Cough medicines were laced with opium, morphine, or (later) heroin. Joy promised ''immediate relief in cases of asthma, cough, bronchitis, hay-fever, influenza and shortness of breath''. They were marijuana cigarettes.
By the time cannabis use expanded in Australia in the 1960s, a climate of moral hysteria was already entrenched. Credit:AP
Although outrageously hyped, such products satisfied a multitude of needs, physical and mental. They were used in the relief of all manner of pains, they calmed and they comforted. Little distinguished therapeutic use relaxation, relaxation from habit, or habit addiction. In 1868 Marcus Clarke even experimented with cannabis to see if it had beneficial effects on his creative imagination. It's hard to tell.
Attitudes to marijuana changed in this country during the first half of the 20th century. It did so under two main influences. First, American puritanism led to the rigorous control of one drug after another.Email Share +1 587 Shares
A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee on Thursday killed a so-called “conscience clause” bill that would have allowed state licensed or accredited business owners to deny service to someone based on their religious beliefs.
House Bill 1414, which state Del. Bob Marshall (R-Prince William County) introduced last month, specifically cited “same-sex ‘marriage’ or homosexual behavior.”
“Equality Virginia applauds the subcommittee for voting against this discriminatory and destructive bill,” said James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, a statewide LGBT advocacy group. “This bill would have hurt too many people, damaged our business climate, and highlighted Virginia as a hostile and unwelcoming place to live and work. The majority of Virginians agree that discrimination against LGBT people is wrong, and thankfully today’s vote reflects that opinion.”
Lawmakers tabled HB 1414 on the same day that Equality Virginia, Equality North Carolina and South Carolina Equality officially launched a campaign designed to highlight LGBT-friendly businesses.Japan and the United States are negotiating a bilateral scheme to counter vehicle trade pact violations with tariff hikes under the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, according to sources.
Under the “snapback” scheme, the United States would restore tariffs on vehicle imports from Japan if domestic U.S. vehicle sales decline sharply due to a TPP violation by Japan after the tariffs are repealed.
Because Japan has no tariffs to repeal on vehicle imports, however, the scheme may be designed to allow Japan to counter a U.S. vehicle trade pact violation with a restoration of tariffs for other products such as farm goods or with a demand for damages.
The two countries are also negotiating the U.S. removal of tariffs on more than 300 automotive parts imported from Japan, the sources said Thursday.
The U.S. has agreed to immediately repeal tariffs on a large number of automotive parts but remains reluctant to accept the tariff removal for transmissions and other parts produced by U.S. companies.
Even if the U.S. agrees to immediately remove tariffs on half the total number, the agreement would not be satisfactory for Japan if it fails to cover key products, a TPP negotiation source said.
These and other TPP negotiations are reaching the final stage as the 12 participating countries plan to hold a ministerial meeting next week to strike a broad agreement.
The United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam launched the TPP talks in 2010, joined later by Malaysia, Mexico, Canada and Japan.Not to be confused with The Antichrist (film)
Antichrist is a 2009 English-language Danish experimental horror tragedy[6][7][8][9][10][11] film written and directed by Lars von Trier, and starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. It tells the story of a couple who, after the death of their child, retreat to a cabin in the woods where the man experiences strange visions and the woman manifests increasingly violent sexual behaviour and sadomasochism. The narrative is divided into a prologue, four chapters and an epilogue.
Written in 2006 while von Trier had been hospitalised due to a significant depressive episode, the film was largely influenced by his own struggles with depression and anxiety. Filming began in the late summer of 2008, primarily in Germany, and was a Danish production co-produced by several other film production companies from six different European countries.
After its premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where Gainsbourg won the festival's award for Best Actress, the film immediately caused controversy, with critics generally praising its artistic execution but remaining strongly divided regarding its substantive merit. Other awards won by the film include the Robert Award for best Danish film, The Nordic Council Film Prize for best Nordic film and the European Film Award for best cinematography. The film is dedicated to the Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky (1932–86).
Antichrist is the first film in von Trier's unofficially titled Depression Trilogy. It was followed in 2011 by Melancholia and then by Nymphomaniac in 2013.[12]
Plot [ edit ]
A couple makes passionate love in their Seattle, Washington apartment while their toddler, Nic, climbs up to the bedroom window and falls to his death. The mother collapses at the funeral, and spends the next month in the hospital crippled |
found here.
AB 729 by Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-West Covina) – Evidentiary privileges: union agent-represented worker privilege. A veto message can be found here.
AB 1208 by Assemblymember Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) – Insurance affordability. A veto message can be found here.
AB 1290 by Assemblymember John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) –Transportation planning. A veto message can be found here.
SB 110 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – East Span, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Safety Review Task Force. A veto message can be found here.
SB 299 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – Firearms: lost or stolen: reports. A veto message can be found here.
SB 338 by Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) – Charter-party carriers of passengers: limousines: fire extinguishers. A veto message can be found here.
SB 374 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Firearms: assault weapons. A veto message can be found here.
SB 475 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) – Agricultural District 1-A: firearm sales at the Cow Palace. A veto message can be found here.
SB 516 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Foreign labor contractors: registration. A veto message can be found here.
SB 567 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) – Firearms: shotguns. A veto message can be found here.
SB 654 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) – Ballot measure petitions: recall petitions: translations. A veto message can be found here.
SB 755 by Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) – Firearms: prohibited persons. A veto message can be found here.
SB 804 by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) – Solid waste: energy. A veto message can be found here.
SB 811 by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) – State Highway Route 710. A veto message can be found here.He didn’t. He … he couldn’t.
UGH. @grahamblog, you are an embarrassment to all who truly care about Benghazi. Just stop==> https://t.co/CGBxaLVebu — Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) March 4, 2014
He so did:
It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) March 4, 2014
Painful. Just painful.
Putin basically came to the conclusion after Benghazi, Syria, Egypt – everything Obama has been engaged in – he's a weak indecisive leader. — Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) March 4, 2014
Despite his status as a faux conservative, up until now, we could at least commend his persistence on Benghazi. But this is too damn much. He’s officially jumped the shark, and people on all sides of the aisle are slamming their heads against the wall:
@michellemalkin I see @GrahamBlog is hiring Twitter interns who are every bit as smart as he is. — Blaknsam (@Blaknsam) March 4, 2014
wow. RT @GrahamBlog: It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — Eli Clifton (@EliClifton) March 4, 2014
slow clap RT @GrahamBlog It started w/ Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price you invite this type of aggression #Ukraine — Dan Amira (@DanAmira) March 4, 2014
Not at all related MT @GrahamBlog: Started with Benghazi. When u kill Americans and nobody pays a price, u invite this aggression #Ukraine — Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) March 4, 2014
lmao RT @grahamblog It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — Matt Binder (@MattBinder) March 4, 2014
This man is a Senator. RT @GrahamBlog It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays, you invite this aggression #Ukraine — Molly Redden (@mtredden) March 4, 2014
huh? RT @GrahamBlog It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — Ben Finley (@BennyFinz) March 4, 2014
Oh boy. Move over @sajidjavid. There's an elected rep with a more ludicrous blame game for Ukraine than yours. https://t.co/qWtvuxEtjf — [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) March 4, 2014
WTF RT @GrahamBlog: It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — Matt (@MattNowak1) March 4, 2014
#smart #take MT @GrahamBlog: It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this aggression #Ukraine — Ryan Craggs (@ryanrcraggs) March 4, 2014
GOP politicians know the Russian invasion of Crimea doesn't have to do with Russian interests. It's 'cause Benghazi. https://t.co/QncUt2O5iX — Jeremy Wilcox (@jwilcox79) March 4, 2014
Wow RT @GrahamBlog: It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. #Ukraine — mcnarnia (@McNarnia) March 4, 2014
Is this real life? [email protected] Started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. — Nick renshaw (@Nickrenshaw1) March 4, 2014
There you go folks. Russia is messing with Ukraine because Benghazi. Can I vote for you to get @GrahamBlog out of office, @billmaher? — Mike Tremblay (@mtrem2) March 4, 2014
Wow. Lindsey Graham said the reason why the whole Russia/Ukraine thing is happening is because of Benghazi. WTF. Out of touch. — Zack Barnes (@zbarnes) March 4, 2014
Just saw @GrahamBlog's post in which "Ukraine because Benghazi". Honest to Pete, I thought it was @LOLGOP. Sadly, no. It's real. — Barbara Seiders (@eigenseide) March 4, 2014
Benghazi? MT @GrahamBlog: It started with Benghazi. When you kill Americans and nobody pays a price, you invite this type of aggression. — NowWithAlex (@NowWithAlex) March 4, 2014
I think it might have started before Benghazi, @GrahamBlog, but I have to double-check the date on that invasion of Georgia — John Tabin (@johntabin) March 4, 2014
Pretty sure human warfare and aggression predates Benghazi. https://t.co/APOU8tzPha — Jim Antle (@jimantle) March 4, 2014
It starts with the SC primary. When senators bloviate and nobody pays a price… https://t.co/APOU8tzPha — Jim Antle (@jimantle) March 4, 2014
@GrahamBlog I lost my wallet and I'm pretty sure it started with #Benghazi — tifotter (@tifotter) March 4, 2014
I know the Olympics are over, but @GrahamBlog just got himself a gold medal in the Benghazi conspiracy dance — Rob Cohen (@Rob_Coh) March 4, 2014
It started with #Benghazi. When senators talk idiotic crap and don't pay a price, it invites more and more idiocy https://t.co/Z7vjaDkGiL — Matt Steinglass (@mattsteinglass) March 4, 2014
Hands down, the stupidest tweet about Ukraine yet: https://t.co/V0eo1vCGIV — Susan Gardner (@SusanGDailyKos) March 4, 2014
Can we please get rid of this clown?
With all due respect you're an idiot @GrahamBlog — Musky Lozenge™ (@LostCatDog) March 4, 2014
No respect is due to him. Not anymore.
***
Update:
Graham wasn’t finished yet:
Oof:
It really in many ways started with Benghazi when our consulate was overrun and our first Ambassador was killed… http://t.co/a19g5OxmS1 — Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) March 4, 2014
Stop it, Senator. Just … stop.
***
Related:
Twitchy coverage of Lindsey GrahamRoland Bosee Jr. and Nino Esposito have been in a relationship since 1970. But in Pennsylvania, where they live, they were prohibited from having any sort of legal recognition of their union until last summer, when a judge legalized it in the state.
They didn’t think that day would ever come. So a few years ago, they decided to take another route toward legal recognition of their union:
Mr. Esposito, who is 78, adopted 68-year-old Mr. Bosee in 2012. In the days before same-sex marriage was legal, some gay and lesbian couples took that step to give their relationship a legal stature they were otherwise denied. And while Mr. Esposito and Mr. Bosee never thought they’d be apart, they also never believed the law would let them be together. “We thought never in our lifetime — or in 20 lifetimes — would same-sex marriage happen,” said Mr. Bosee.
Well, it happened. And the couple would like to have legal recognition of their same-sex relationship, but a judge is now saying they can’t annul their adoption.
It’s heartbreaking, really. They purposely chose adoption because there was no other way to be legally bound together… and now it’s preventing them from getting married, which is what they really wanted this whole time.
And how is Charisma, the Christian media outlet, reporting this story?
Take a wild fucking guess:
You Won’t Believe This: Gay Father Wants to Get Married to His Gay Son
These people are truly despicable. They turned a love story into one about incest.
It’s not just a cheap shot at gay people; they’re distorting a relationship between a couple that’s been together for 45 years. The only reason they have a “father/son” relationship at all is because conservative Christians like the people at Charisma forced them to take such drastic action.
Not that anyone at that publication cares. For them, lying is okay when it’s done in the name of Jesus.
(Image via Shutterstock. I accidentally said gay marriage came to the state with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the original article; it actually came via a District Court judge’s ruling a year earlier. The article has been corrected.)(Picture: Cute Brute/Instagram)
If you’ve been circumcised since infancy, you might have wondered whether you’re missing out on something.
Of course, pleasure is just one of a host of factors in the great circumcision debate. Some choose it for medical reasons such as phimosis (where the foreskin is too tight), while others site religion and hygiene as factors.
But do other guys feel something you’re not feeling because they’ve got something you don’t?
For many uncircumcised men, the idea of being circumcised gives them the willies – a fear compounded by an assumption that pleasure decreases in the absence of a foreskin.
But does being circumcised have any effect on sensitivity?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, psychologists have found that while women slightly prefer circumcised penises for BJs and intercourse, men were way more positive towards intact members for all sexual activities.
So is there anything to back up the assumption that it just feels ~better~ with some extra packaging?
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A new study by the American Urological Association looking into penile sensitivity in circumcised and intact men has found that, actually, the procedure has very little effect.
Scientists looked at 62 men, aged between 18 and 37 and assessed their sensitivity to touch, pain and heat in four penile areas – the glans penis (the head), the midline shaft, the base of the shaft and foreskin (if present).
And they found that although the foreskin (for those who had it) was slightly more sensitive than other areas, on the whole, circumcision had no real effect on any stimulus type in any of the other areas tested.
They concluded that establishing a ‘direct link between penile sensitivity and the perception of pleasure/sensation’ might be more relevant.
However, other studies have stressed the importance of foreskin in male sexuality and pleasure, with men saying that more effort was required to achieve orgasm after circumcision.
One report found that of 255 circumcised men, 48 per cent reported a decrease in masturbatory pleasure post op, and 20 per cent said their overall sex lives had worsened – compared to the eight per cent who reported an increase in pleasure.
Martin* was circumcised six months ago in the hope of reducing the risk of developing the prostate cancer that killed his father.
‘When you have it done as an adult, you have the option of having your frenulum removed – and I kept mine as it maintains sensitivity,’ he told Metro.co.uk.
‘My glans was more sensitive after the op due to rubbing on clothes, and this meant that I got more unexpected erections during the day. It was like being a teenager again.’
Martin says that sex feels the same as before and that in fact, he prefers the feeling of masturbation now.
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‘The only real difference is that I can’t masturbate dry now – if I did, it would get sore and the head is too sensitive to rub with my hand. But I actually prefer the feeling of it now with lube.
‘It may well desensitise more as time goes on, and it may take more stimulation or longer for me to climax, but after six months there hasn’t been any loss in sensitivity.
‘My only regret is that I didn’t have it done sooner.’
In other words, it’s horses for courses.
MORE: Do enjoy watching these men react to a video of live circumcision
Advertisement AdvertisementNORTON SHORES, MI – Three years after 25-year-old Jessica Heeringa went missing from her job as a gas station attendant, police have named a person of interest in her disappearance.
Heeringa was last seen in April of 2013 as she prepared to close up the Exxon Mobil gas station where she worked the late shift. A concerned customer called police 15 minutes after Herringa had made her last sale to report there was no employee at the open gas station.
Police believed Heeringa had been abducted from the store as her purse and keys were still there, and there was evidence she had been in the process of closing the store. Unfortunately, the gas station was not equipped with surveillance cameras but there were reports of a van in the area at the time.
Now, three years later, police think they may have the person responsible for Heeringa’s disappearance – and he may be a serial killer. Last week, 46-year-old Jeffrey Willis was charged with trying to abduct a teenage girl in April. The victim said she was walking home when Willis pulled over and forced her inside his van.
The teen managed to escape by jumping out of the moving van and run for help. After a month of some top-notch detective work, police would identify and locate Willis and note that his silver van matched the description of the one seen around the gas station during Heeringa’s disappearance.
They also found multiple syringes in the van filled with a sedative, handcuffs, rope, chains, a mask, rubber gloves, batting gloves, a bar with wrist restraints, a ball gag, and photos of females chained and bound, and a.22 caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Police are also checking to see if that gun matches shell casings found at the scene of Rebekah “Becky” Bletsch’s shooting death on June 29, 2014. She had been jogging near her home when someone shot her in the head several times and left her body on the side of the road.
Willis is currently in jail on charges of kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon and two felony firearm counts.Quebec Attracts Cryptocurrency Miners with Inexpensive Hydropower
Quebec is increasingly becoming a location of interest for bitcoin miners. The Canadian province offering inexpensive electricity and cold winters providing inexpensive cooling.
Also Read: Chinese Bitcoin Miners Explore Relocating Abroad Amid Fears of Crackdown
A Young Canadian Entrepreneur Told Local Media That Quebec Is Becoming a Hotspot for Mining
Mr. Bertrand runs approximately 50 ASICs in a warehouse on the outskirts of Montreal. Each unit consumes approximately 90¢ CAD (roughly 70¢ USD) daily, yet can produce a revenue of approximately $600 CAD ($470 USD) monthly. The inexpensive power costs are attributed to an abundance of hydropower in the province, which, Mr. Bertrand claims, is attracting the interest of major mining companies from China and Iceland.
Hydro-Quebec, a state-owned enterprise based in Montreal, manages the distribution of power throughout Quebec. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of Canada’s water resources are located in the province, resulting in Hydro-Quebec comprising the fourth largest producer of hydropower in the world. Although the average price of residential power in Quebec is 5.82¢ CAD (4.56¢ USD) per kilowatt-hour (kWh), Hydro-Quebec recently announced that it will introduce an ‘Industrial Revitalization Rate‘ from April 1st, 2018. Once in effect, the new rate will provide electricity to companies requiring “at least 500 [kilowatts] in additional demand” for 3.30¢ CAD (2.58¢ USD).
Quebec’s Inexpensive Power is Attracting Miners from China
A growing number of Chinese bitcoin miners have begun to explore alternative locations in which to base their operations, amid rising concerns that the Chinese central government may seek to extend its recent cryptocurrency crackdown to target bitcoin mining. Radio-Canada recently reported that “a dozen major Asian players in the cryptocurrency industry have contacted Hydro-Quebec, as they are looking for a place to install their huge computer centers.”
Eric Filion, Hydro-Quebec’s Vice President of Customers, has confirmed the report, stating “these are really big players who contact us… The Bell Center in Montreal consumes the equivalent of 5 megawatts of power. The players who contact us [consume] from 5 megawatts to several hundred megawatts of power.”
What do you make of reports that major mining companies have directly contacted Hydro-Quebec? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, and Hydro-Quebec.
Need to calculate your bitcoin holdings? Check our tools section.Worse than bitcoin—if used like it.
Bitcoin mining is incredibly energy intensive—so much so, per headlines, that the computer network for the cryptocurrency uses as much electricity as Denmark.
But to put it in perspective, one needs to compare bitcoin mining to the cost of creating its physical rival—coins.
And what better comparison than with the least-efficient coin, the penny, which costs roughly 1.5 cents each to make.
See: Here’s what bitcoin’s monster 2017 gain looks like in one humongous chart
It’s not an easy task. A call to the U.S. Mint, which may or may not have this data, wasn’t returned. A few other emails around Washington to people who might know didn’t turn up the answer. So here’s a stab, with a margin of error of a whole hell of lot.
The penny is 2.5 grams in weight, 97.5% of it zinc.
A 2011 report from the U.S. Mint shows it bought 11,739.5 metric tons of zinc, or 37% of its total metal purchases. The U.S. Mint’s direct energy consumption that year was 63,823 gigajoules. Using zinc as a proxy for the penny, we’ll say the U.S. Mint consumed 23,614 gigajoules making pennies.
The U.S. Mint produced 2.54 million pennies that year. So each penny required 0.0093 gigajoules of energy from the U.S. Mint, or 2.58 kilowatt-hours.
By one estimate, bitcoin BTCUSD, +0.23% requires 215 kilowatt-hours of energy for each transaction.
But remember, a bitcoin on Wednesday traded at over $12,000. Or 1.2 million pennies.
Read: Bitcoin makes up more than half the total cryptocurrency market. Here’s the rest
So that’s 3.1 million kilowatt-hours for the penny equivalent of one bitcoin. Plus, there’s the electricity cost in getting the zinc out of the ground in the first place. We’ll spare you the gory details, but based on a paper on the electricity a major zinc mine used, it’s another 243 kilowatt-hours for 1.2 million pennies.
It is fair to point out that, no, pennies aren’t used in the same way of bitcoin. People make headlines when they use pennies to pay for a library fine, let alone the $12,000 or so that one bitcoin fetches.
Not in any way am I trying to suggest bitcoin isn’t environmentally ravaging, at least at current prices. A price crash from these tulip mania-levels would certainly do a lot to quell the environmental concerns by reversing the incentives to mine.
But at least it’s better than an entirely penny-based economy.
See: George Washington used bitcoin, Alan Greenspan says
Want this type of analysis sent to your inbox? Subscribe to MarketWatch's free MarketWatch First Takes newsletter. Sign up here.The hottest show in town this week is an eight-piece band of Buddhist monks putting together a mandala that contemplates world peace one grain of sand at a time.
More than 40 people were at the door Tuesday morning waiting for Florida CraftArt Galleries in downtown St. Petersburg to open, and the crowd doubled in size as a chanting ceremony commenced.
The attraction was eight Tibetan monks from a monastery in India, one selling Tibetan goods from a table piled high with brightly colored scarves, wall hangings and journals, and seven seated around a bright blue platform that will hold an intricate mandala by week's end.
A symbol of the Buddhist lesson that life is beautiful and impermanent, the mandala is created in a meditative sequence of laying down brightly colored sand in repetitive patterns. The monks use a chakpur, a fluted, cone-shaped tool, to pour tiny lines of sand into a circular pattern that holds meaning in their symbols, colors and placement.
This one is called the World Peace Mandala, and it was designed with a dove in the center over the planet Earth and is surrounded by symbols of every major religion, including a Jewish Star of David, a Christian cross and, the star and crescent moon of Islam. The next ring of the mandala will have people of all colors holding hands.
"All of these religions have a message of compassion and love," Lobsang Yowten said through an interpreter as he led the opening ceremony. "They are all the same. We are all the same."
Katie Deits, the new executive director at Florida CraftArt Galleries, said she has seen how mandalas can draw crowds. She knew it would be a good fit with the gallery.
"Watching the monks and when they chant together and their overall peaceful vibe, the experience and the discovery of Tibetan culture is amazing," Deits said.
The wide window of the gallery facing Central Avenue drew onlookers from the street while a crowd filled the gallery space, pulling out their cellphones to record the chanting or quietly sitting with eyes closed.
A tray holding two dozen bowls of sand in colors of cobalt blue, emerald, saffron, lime, ruby and lemon was set aside as they drew the geometric outline of the mandala using a protractor and chalk. Nearby, an altar held a picture of the Dalai Lama next to a basket of apples and offering bowls containing rice, incense, candles and flowers.
"East meets West," chuckled Lyn Dean, a voice-over artist from Gulfport, when she noticed a Publix produce sticker on one of the apples. A practicing Buddhist, Dean said she was thrilled by the turnout in St. Petersburg.
"It feels like the community is really evolving," Dean said. "We all have so much stress we are carrying around, and once people get into that space, they really find some peace and breathe and see each other."
Once the monks got working on the mandala, the gallery stayed quiet, with some visitors closing their eyes to take in the peaceful chucka-chucka-chucka sound of the tapping of the chakpur to release sand. The Buddhists believe the rhythmic repetition has a meditative, calming effect and produces a sense of peace just by gazing at it.
The monks come from the Drepung Gomang monastery in India, one that educates a community of 2,000 monks. While visiting CraftArt, they will share Tibetan culture and traditions and offer lessons. There are several community activities surrounding the mandala construction, and there will be daily chanting.
Sunday brings a dissolution ceremony at which a crowd will walk six blocks from the gallery to the bay to scatter the swept-up sand into the water as a symbol of the cycle of life.
Contact Sharon Kennedy Wynne at [email protected] Follow @SharonKWn.The city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, has had a notoriously high rate of birth defects and cancer diagnoses since American, British and Iraqi troops bombarded and then stormed the town during the Sunni insurgency in 2004.
In May of 2010 alone, 15 per cent of the 547 babies born had defects, while 14 per cent were spontaneous abortions and 11 per cent were born at less than 30 weeks.
The report, published online on Friday in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, outlines the cases of four families out of more than 50 being studied. All had children with defects which could not be accounted for by historic family causes but which could be explained by high levels of toxic metals in the environment.
In one family, three women – the two wives of one of the fathers and a daughter – all gave birth to children with different deformities.
"The high prevalence of birth defects in Fallujah is impairing the population's health and its capacity to care for the surviving children," the study said. "These defects could be due to environmental contaminants which are known components of modern weaponry."
The research and a forthcoming report by the World Health Organisation on the same issue will renew international attention on the siege of Fallujah, condemned by anti-war activists and human rights campaigners as an excessive response to insurgent activity. Thousands of alleged insurgents and civilians are said to have been killed. White phosphorous and depleted uranium shells are known to have been used in large numbers. Depleted uranium in particular has been linked to high rates of cancer and birth defects.
"It is unclear whether its radiation-derived mutational effects or its chemical toxic effects are more relevant," the report notes.
Total deformities are said to be around 11 times the world average, and are rising. The report, the first carried out on births during 2010, said they were now at "unprecedented levels", suggesting that the longer adults are exposed to the residual contamination the more defective children will be born.
It says there is no definitive proof of which environmental hazards actually caused the deformities, and calls for more research in this area to identify families at high risk and begin the task of providing them with the necessary medical care.7 years ago
The National Archives will release Hillary Clinton's schedules while first lady.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Over 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton's schedule as first lady are set to be released to the public on Wednesday, the National Archives announced.
The documents are among those the Obama campaign has long said need to be made public in order to fully evaluate the New York senator's experience and tenure while First Lady.
In a statement Tuesday, the Archives said the documents are from the files of Patti Solis Doyle, the director of Clinton's scheduling while she was first lady, and later the manager of her presidential campaign. Doyle stepped down from managing the campaign earlier this year after a string of poor showings in primary contests.
“Arranged chronologically, these records document in detail the activities of the First Lady, including meetings, trips, speaking engagements and social activities for the eight years of the Clinton Administration,” the statement said.
The documents are among those that were the center of a legal battle between the Archives and Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group that has long urged a speedier release of files from the Clinton White House years.
In a court motion earlier this month, the Archives promised to release the schedules by the end of the month, but said it will need "one to two years" to process remaining documents, including over 20,000 pages of call logs - an indication those documents won't be released by the November 4 presidential election.
According to the Archives statement, 4,746 of the schedules have redactions, information removed before being released, that largely relate to privacy concerns and include "social security numbers, telephone numbers, and home addresses."
The documents will be available for view on the Clinton Library's Web site.
- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander MooneyIf Joanna Francis were to write her internet dating profile, it would go something like this. Petite, blonde 30-something, who likes tea (leaves not bags) and chopping kindling, seeks similar.
Doesn’t drive, but is the proud owner of an 80-year-old pedal bike. Occasionally likes to spend the night in an air raid shelter. Or at least that’s what she would write if she had a computer. She also doesn’t own a television and the last time she used a washing machine was at least a decade ago. In Joanna’s world, the clock is permanently stopped at some point in 1939 and her home in the picturesque village of Burton-upon-Stather in North Lincolnshire is an exact recreation of how we used to live, right down to the bomb blast tape on the windows.
Joanna Francis
“I think the neighbours realised I was serious when I ripped out the kitchen and bathroom as soon as I moved in. The units were just too modern. Besides, I wouldn’t have had a bathroom in 1939 and I definitely wouldn’t have had a Jacuzzi bath.”
Instead Joanna bought a tin bath, installed a range oven and turned the utility room – which just so happened to be a couple of degrees colder than a modern fridge – into a pantry. As the neighbours looked on, out also went the central heating, in came real coal fires and she also converted one of the outbuildings into an outside toilet.
“Every morning I come downstairs and empty my chamber pot in the loo outside. People think it’s a hardship, but it’s not. You get used it.”
Today, like most days, Joanna is wearing an authentic Land Girl’s uniform – even the dirt on the knees is genuine. It might not win any awards on the design front, but corduroy is at least practical for her seemingly endless list of household chores.
It’s now Monday afternoon and Joanna has spent the morning as she always does, doing her washing using soap flakes and an old dolly tub. Tomorrow she’ll iron the freshly washed laundry and clean the range. Fridays are reserved for food shopping in the local market. It’s then that the year 1939 becomes important. While the Second World War had begun, only limited rationing had been introduced, so while Joanna’s diet isn’t exactly exotic, it does mean that she hasn’t had to give up all luxuries.
“I’ve always had what you’d call quite bland tastes. I like sausage and mash, pie and potatoes. One year I did try to live off the equivalent of rations, but that was a step too far even for me. I’d make a sandwich and realise that I’d eaten an entire week’s ration of cheese.”
Joanna’s one concession to modern life is a mobile phone. She needs it, she says, for work, but just to keep with the general theme the text alert has been set to the sound of an air raid warning siren.
“It went off in Jack Fulton’s the other day,” she says. “It nearly gave the other customers a heart attack. I only have it because I clean three days a week for various people and sometimes they need to get hold of me.”
When Joanna goes out to work she cuts an even more anachronistic figure than she does at home. And that’s not just because she cycles everywhere on a 1937 Raleigh pedal bike. “Here it is,” she says, bringing down the traditional black dress and white pinny she wears. “I’ve got bloomers the size of barrage balloons too. I look like I’ve stepped off the set of Upstairs Downstairs. But you know what? People tend to be much more civil to me when I’m dressed like this and I honestly think it makes me a better cleaner. You don’t want to get your pinny too dirty, so it does make you more careful with how you work.”
Joanna says she has always been attracted to the war period and even as a child felt most at home in museums of social history. The reasons are clearly deep rooted – she doesn’t have a family or at least not one she cares to talk about – and there is she admits a safety and security about living in a world of Bakelite hairdryers and carbolic soap.
“I remember walking into museums and thinking: ‘It feels like I’ve come home’. I began collecting bits of pieces of memorabilia from quite an early age, but it was only when I moved in here 10 years ago that I guess it became a full-time lifestyle. I fell in love with this place even before it was on the market. I’d come to view the house next door, but it wasn’t right. As I was leaving I noticed this property, peeked in through the window and saw the original tiled floor. A fortnight later the For Sale sign went up and within eight weeks I’d moved in.”
As well as removing any trace of modern living from the interiors, Joanna has also brought a wartime touch to the garden, installing an Anderson shelter just next to the coal store. “It’s a bit of a work in progress,” she says, opening up the corrugated iron door to reveal a pile of wood which she plans to turn into a bed. “It will take a bit of time, but that’s one thing I’ve got a lot of. Today people want everything done yesterday.”
Being cut off from the modern world, however, does have its disadvantages. While a friend lets Joanna know about major political events that are taking place, every so often she does get caught off guard.
“I worked for a while at Sainsbury’s and I remember going on my break one day when someone had left the television on in the staff room. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The cameras kept switching from Liverpool to London to Birmingham and Leeds and for a minute I honestly thought that we were at war. I ran and got a colleague, but he told me it was just a series of riots. They said it like it was ‘just one of those things’ and that’s something I definitely notice about other people. They have become desensitised. Out there everything is faster and louder.”
Most evenings Joanna can be found listening to records – George Formby is a particular favourite – or reading; all her books date from before 1940 and include titles like Fifty Amazing Secret Service Dramas or Four Stirring Wild West Novels.
“This isn’t a museum. All the crockery is there to be used, the books are there to be read. I don’t live in a glass case. I know it sounds silly, but I honestly thought there were more people like me. It was a bit of a surprise to find out that there weren’t. I’ve met lots of friends through wartime weekend events, which have become really popular over the last few years, but for them it’s a hobby. They go back to normal homes and normal lives. There’s really only me who lives like this 24/7. When some people come to visit I swear they think that I’m hiding a microwave in a cupboard and have a television hidden away, but I’m not.
“Others will pop round and think I’m not in because there are no lights on. But I tell them it’s the blackout so I wouldn’t have had the lights on. The only problem is that when people find out I live like this they keep bringing me things. I’ve lost count of the number of gas masks people have brought me.”
While Joanna says she doesn’t yearn for any of the things the rest of us take for granted, there is she admits just one thing missing from her life – a man.
“I would like to meet someone. I’ve had few boyfriends, but I know I’m a bit of a novelty and once that novelty wears off, well, most people find me quite hard to live with. But I haven’t entirely given up hope, I mean, I still like to think that I am a pretty good catch. I would have their tea on their table when they came home from work, I’d do their washing and ironing. In fact, I’d take care of everything.
“The only problem is that most people who want that kind of housewife are either in their 90s or dead. I might just have to accept that I was born just a few decades too late. But until then I will keep on looking.”Israelis Ski on Thin Snow
MOUNT HERMON, Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Feb 13 2013 (IPS) - Unbending winds howl in the mountain, seldom carrying echoes of the two-year-old civil war closing in on Damascus just 35 kilometres away. But Israelis revel in immaculate pleasure. Albeit an internationally-recognised Syrian territory, the Israeli-controlled high ground is de facto their one and only ski resort.
“It’s the first time I ski,” says Ilana Marciano from the Mediterranean city Netanya as she laboriously extracts herself from the 60-centimetre layer of snow, |
both sides in a broad and fruitful dialogue on a number of issues, according to a US source who witnessed the discussions on Sunday.
The source added, “There is no need to say that the administration’s policy is ‘when’, not ‘if’, in reference to US officials’ statements when they signed the decision to postpone moving the embassy and promised that the move will take place during the presidency of Trump.”
Kushner told Netanyahu that Trump is very committed to help reach a peace agreement and thanked the prime minister for working with the White House to reach this goal.
He added, “We truly appreciate the commitment of the Prime Minister and his team in thoughtfully and respectfully engaging themselves with the manner in which the president asked them to do so.”
Right after the inauguration of Trump in January, the White House announced Washington’s desire to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Afterwards, Trump issued an order to postpone moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for six months.Stratis and the Bitcoin Full Node
Nicolas Dorier Blocked Unblock Follow Following Sep 10, 2016
The goal of this post is to talk about my motivation to work with Stratis.
Back in May, Chris contacted me about his Stratis project. Like a lot of other people who contacted me for helping on what I consider “alt coins” my response was always the same: “I don’t have any interest in alt coin, my heart is in Bitcoin”.
I owned two alt coins in my life: Ethereum for speculating on Bitfinex, but after I lost 5 USD I closed my position and withdrawn my money from Bitfinex. After the hack, I earned about 1USD of BFX token from the leftover, which is my second altcoin ever owned.
Stratis has another vision which is not only an altcoin though, more like a platform. Chris seems to be an avid.NET developer and know me for my work on NBitcoin. The plan for Stratis is to have a full node that can be easily extended and modified for filling the need of the platform.
However, I don’t have time to join a team for working on such platform, as I’m already working as employee in two companies. (Main one is Metaco in Switzerland and second BlockchainHub in Japan)
Nevertheless, I was interested for quite a long time about doing a full node in C#. And Stratis plan is to do that, then fork it for their own need. So I could see that our interests matched quite well. It should be noted that the majority of the code between Stratis full node and the Bitcoin Full node of Stratis will be around the 90%. So even if I’m not working on Stratis full node itself, the Bitcoin full node of Stratis will bring a lot to their platform.
I’ve been always quiet about the altcoin part of Stratis, simply because my main interest has always been with Bitcoin without any exception for those 3 last years. I eat bitcoin, I sleep bitcoin, I work bitcoin, for 3 years already.
Then Stratis will take care of making great UI for their goals, which I hope to bring in Bitcoin as well forking their codebase as they forked NBitcoin. The work of Stratis will improve Bitcoin, and the work on Bitcoin will improve Stratis, this is the kind of work I like doing.
I am collaborating time to time to Bitcoin Core, but my main environment is application development in C#, not C++ plumbing. (and certainly not on Linux)
I have been very interested into working on LibConsensus for Bitcoin Core, which would make it possible to delegate consensus code execution to a dynamic library, instead of duplicating the consensus in other language where a bug could have very bad consequences for a business.
I have a kind of clear idea how to get LibConsensus done, but making it safely and convincing the other devs take tremendous amount of time. I respect the conservative aspect of Bitcoin Core very much, so this should not be meant as a criticism.
With Stratis I have an opportunity to experiment the idea how I would design LibConsensus in C#. If my approach works well, I’ll try to push that to Bitcoin Core as well. (for those who saw my last commits in Stratis, you can see the design differ slightly from Bitcoin Core, with the introduction of the ConsensusFlag type and ContextualInformation type, which come from my tentative to do it in Bitcoin Core)
I am very confident that I can develop a full node that is more reliable and offers increased performance over Bitcoin Core.
I will try to make Stratis work on.NETStandard 1.3, which will make it buildable and runnable on several platforms without hassle and linux guru magic. (Which cover, windows, linux and mac)
I hope that it responds to the question of the Stratis community.
Happy coding,While Lloyd Barrus made Facebook postings suggesting government excesses at Ruby Ridge and Waco and showing armed Oath Keepers with a private helicopter, his son Marshall Barrus has a criminal record.
The elder Barrus, who’s 61, is scheduled to appear in court today in Missoula, Montana, charged with deliberate homicide in the overnight Tuesday roadside shooting death of Broadwater County Sheriff’s Deputy Mason Moore, 42, near Three Forks.
Broadwater County, Montana, sheriff's deputy Mason Moore was fatally shot on duty May 16, 2017.
His son, Marshall Barrus, 39, is under police guard in a Missoula hospital, in an undisclosed condition, after being shot in the head during a gunfight with police at the conclusion of a 140-mile, tires-flattened chase westbound on Interstate 90.
During the chase, which reached speeds up to 100 mph, the two suspects in the fleeing vehicle fired at pursuing officers, authorities say.
Video of Father, Son Arrested After Montana Deputy Shot During Highway Traffic Stop
It began, according to various media reports, when Deputy Moore — only three years on the job and the father of three — attempted to stop an older Chevrolet Suburban near Three Forks, west of Bozeman.
When dispatchers lost radio contact with the Broadwater County deputy, another officer sped to the scene and found Moore fatally shot on the side of the freeway, the Missoulian reported. The deputy quickly reviewed the slain officer’s dash cam video and sent out a statewide alert for the suspects’ white 1998 SUV.
Within a half hour, Butte-Silver Bow County deputies spotted the suspects’ vehicle heading west-bound on the Interstate, near the Continental Divide, but it sped off, with officers in pursuit.
During the chase, its passenger, identified as Marshall Barrus, fired a semi-automatic.308 caliber rifle through the vehicle’s missing rear window, Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester told reporters.
Both suspects in the SUV were firing at deputies near the end of the chase which ended near Rock Creek, east of Missoula, a considerable distance after the vehicle’s tires were flattened by a spike strip placed across the highway.
When the vehicle finally stopped, Marshall Barrus got out and continued firing, disabling two sheriff’s vehicles, but not hitting any officers.
Marshall Burrus was shot in the head and his father surrendered at the scene.
“There's probably a special place in hell for those individuals and that's where they belong,” the sheriff told the Missoula newspaper.
Investigators are still trying to fully piece together the sequence of events, including searching for precise circumstances involving the fatal shooting of the deputy.
Their background investigation also will include an examination of cell phone and social media records, and an attempt to learn what the suspects were doing in Montana.
Marshall Barrus has lived near Bozeman, in Broadwater County, where he faces burglary charges for allegedly breaking into a couple’s home, assaulting a woman and threatening to kill a man, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
In recent months, Lloyd Barrus, who has lived in Bakersfield, California, has posted assorted pro-Trump material and links to various antigovernment and conspiracy theory sites, including InfoWars hosted by arch-conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
A favorite of Donald Trump’s, Jones has claimed the U.S. government was behind everything from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a host of other unverifiable or outright false conspiracy theories.
Last October, Lloyd Barrus, who also has lived in Idaho and Alaska, posted a photo of a group of heavily armed Oath Keepers, gathered around what appears to be a privately owned Huey helicopter, like those used in Vietnam.
The Oath Keepers, headed by Stewart Rhodes, is an armed Patriot group whose members claim to be ex-military and police officers whose primary purpose is to defend the Constitution. It’s not clear, at this point, if Barrus is a member of Oath Keepers, but he has posted several social media pictures suggesting a possible past connection with the military.
Lloyd Barrus’ Facebook page also showed photos of former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos saying the “Terrible, Pointless Awful War on Drugs – Replacing the Black Dad with the State.”
In April, close to the birthday of Adolf Hitler, Barrus posted a picture of Nazi Germany with the caption: “No Rioting going on in this picture.”
The picture is from suspect's Lloyd Barrus' Facebook page in April, shortly after Adolf Hitler’s birthday. The caption Barrus posted says:
"No Rioting going on in this picture."
In another post from last October, Barrus said, “The FBI & ATF killed more children at Waco then were killed at Sandy Hook. Where was the outrage then?”The world just sucks sometimes.
Contemporary pop culture is full of both lies and truths that are hard to accept. The way you've come to think about "greats" like John Wayne and even the animated star of Pokémon is probably all wrong. And sorry, but Twinkies simply aren't the everlasting dessert you hoped them to be. This is all probably a lot to handle, but we're confident you can make your way through the following 19 truths...
You're going to be pretty mad after this.
1. Michael J. Fox's middle name doesn't start with a "J."
Fox's middle name is Andrew.
As there was already a registered Michael Fox in the Screen Actors Guild, the future "Back To The Future" star had to register another name. He considered going by his actual middle name, but instead decided to put down "Michael J. Fox" as a tribute to actor Michael J. Pollard.
2. Twinkies do not have an infinite shelf life.
The Hostess treat doesn't last forever and has a shelf-life of about 45 days. This is actually an improvement on the recipe that existed before the recent Twinkiepocalypse, which gave us treats that last longer than the previous shelf life of about 26 days.
And if you'd rather eat something that you wouldn't believe could last forever anyway, here's a recipe for homemade Twinkies.
3. The author of the "Nancy Drew" series was completely made up.
Carolyn Keene is not a real person and is actually a pseudonym for many different authors.
The writer and publisher, Edward Stratemeyer, hired ghost writers to take all of his detective-fiction ideas for the Nancy Drew series and turn them into full books. The first ghost writer was named Mildred Wirt Benson and she is the real author of "The Secret of the Old Clock," along with the next two books. She was only 24 at the time. As all writers had to sign confidentiality agreements about the fact that Carolyn Keene wasn't a real person, Benson's name has been largely lost in popular history.
4. Nicolas Cage got paid $20 million to play Superman... even though he never actually did.
Tim Burton almost got to direct a version of Superman starring Nicolas Cage. Costume test photos even exist.
This version would have been called "Superman Lives," and Cage has been quoted as saying, "Did I have a concept of how to play the character? Yes, and I can tell you it would have been gutsy. So maybe Warner Brothers got scared because they had two artists that weren’t afraid to take chances."
Would this movie have been good or terrible? That may be an unsolvable question.
5. "The Great Cat Massacre" is actually a real event that exists in history.
French apprentice printers in the late 1730s came to hate how much better the French aristocracy treated their cats over the workers, leading primped felines to become symbols of classist oppression. In a display of opposition that may have killed the Internet in contemporary times, French workers began kidnapping cats to slice them open and hang them by nooses in the streets.
According to the book "The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History," the whole thing was considered deeply hilarious and an early moment of triumph for the French working class.
6. President Richard Nixon hated Bill Cosby and allegedly had the FBI wiretap him.
Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby's wife since 1964, revealed to Oprah that her family was audited four times in one year, had their phones wiretapped and were subjected to FBI visits at their house and on set. All of this was because Bill Cosby was put on Nixon's famed "Enemies List," along with celebrities such as Paul Newman and Barbra Streisand.
7. The actors that played C-3PO and R2-D2 hate each other very much.
Kenny Baker (R2-D2) does not remember his days with actor Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) fondly at all and has even said that Daniels is "the rudest man I've ever met."
In a longer quote, Baker explained, "He's been such an awkward person over the years. If he just calmed down and socialized with everyone, we could make a fortune touring around making personal appearances. I've asked him four times now but, the last time, he looked down his nose at me like I was a piece of s***. He said: 'I don't do many of these conventions - go away little man.' He really degraded me and made me feel small - for want of a better expression."
8. Subway once released an official statement saying that "footlong" is a trademarked name and not an obligation of the length of a sandwich.
After being sued multiple times over their popular "$5 Footlongs" not always being an actual a foot long, despite advertising that was pretty explicit about the size, the company had the nerve to make the following statement...
"With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, "SUBWAY FOOTLONG" is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length."
Early in 2013, the company claimed they'd ensure all future "Footlongs" would truly be a foot long.
9. Filming of "The Hobbit" disappointed Sir Ian McKellen so much that it made him cry.
When McKellen had to film a scene featuring his character, Gandalf, standing among a large group of dwarves, the studio wouldn't let him film with the other actors and instead surrounded him with pictures of the dwarves. McKellen said that he began to break down and cry, accidentally saying into his live microphone, "This is not why I became an actor."
Nowadays the actor seems to be having quite a bit more fun performing alongside his friend Sir Patrick Stewart in two Broadway plays.
10. The creator of the famous Loch Ness Monster picture admitted it was a hoax on his deathbed decades later.
At the age of 93, Christian Spurling confessed from his deathbed that "The Surgeon's Photo" of the Loch Ness Monster was a complete hoax masterminded by his stepfather, Marmaduke Wetherell.
You see, Wetherell was employed by The Daily Mail and had an assignment to report on the Loch Ness sightings. When the paper published that his only findings ("monster" tracks) were a hoax and that he'd been fooled, Wetherell decided to get back at the paper. He enlisted his stepson, Spurling, who was a professional model maker, to create a fake monster head and then took a picture of the head floating in Loch Ness. The two hired "the surgeon," gynecologist Robert Wilson, to turn the photo into the newspaper to add legitimacy to the hoax.
Just last year, The Daily Mail published another photograph of the Loch Ness Monster, but then again, so did HuffPost.
11. John Wayne felt the Native Americans deserved their mistreatment and were selfish for wanting to keep the land.
Just read this Playboy interview...
PLAYBOY: That's hardly the point, but let's change the subject. For years American Indians have played an important—if subordinate—role in your Westerns. Do you feel any empathy with them? WAYNE: I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that's what you're asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.
Also, Wayne's scenes apparently had to be filmed in the morning, because in the afternoon he was a "mean drunk."
12. Multiple "Marlboro Men" have died from lung cancer.
Throughout the late 1970s, Eric Lawson played the iconic "Marlboro Man", serving as the centerpiece of various ads depicting him as a rugged, smoking cowboy. On Jan. 10th, Lawson died of lung cancer, the same cause of death that multiple Marlboro men before him have succumbed to.
Smoking is estimated to be responsible for around 443,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone.
13. Ash Ketchum is actually a pathetic Pokémon trainer.
Ketchum has only caught 43 of 649 Pokémon and has never made it past the tournament semi-finals in his 14-year quest to become a Pokémon Master. This means Ketchum actually hasn't even come close at all to fulfilling the cartoon series' tagline, "Gotta catch 'em all."
If you want to begin your own quest to become a Pokémon master and succeed where Ketchum utterly failed, here's a good place to start.
14. The movie "Saving Mr. Banks" was pure Disney propaganda. The author of "Mary Poppins" deeply hated the film version of her book.
"Saving Mr. Banks" essentially rewrote history and poured salt on old wounds in their portrayal of "Mary Poppins" author P.L Travers as an uptight woman who just needed to learn the value of "Disney Magic." Margaret Lyons of New York Magazine has an amazing takedown.
One of the best examples of the film's propaganda-fueled rewriting of history comes at the end of "Saving Mr. Banks," when Travers is depicted as crying tears of relief and joy because, despite her earlier reservations, the movie version of "Mary Poppins" turned out wonderful. Although it is true that Travers cried, according to the biography "Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P.L. Travers," by Valerie Lawson, those were tears of sadness and anger.
And Travers actually didn't even get an invite to the premiere. She had to force her way in to watch.
15. While you may have loved "Pride & Prejudice," Mark Twain and many other iconic writers thought it was garbage.
The writing of Jane Austen was despised by authors like Virginia Woolf, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charlotte Brontë, but the most biting criticism seems to have come from Mark Twain in the quote below.
I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can’t conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin bone!
16. Vanilla Ice broke up with Madonna.
If you didn't already know, Vanilla Ice and Madonna used to date.
During an interview in 2011, Ice declared that the material girl was a "great lover," but also revealed, "I broke up with her after she printed that book because I was hurt to be an unwitting part of this slutty package."
17. If "The Simpsons" aged normally, Bart would now be older than Marge was in the first season.
Basically, this should just make you feel super old. Sorry. When the show premiered in 1989, Marge Simpson was supposed to be 34, while Bart was 10. In the show's 25 seasons, Bart would now presumably be older that Marge was when "The Simpsons" first aired.
Of course, the Simpsons family doesn't age, but the show has given a glimpse at times of what older versions of the characters would look like.
18. American Airlines kicked Magic Johnson off their plane so Mark Cuban could take a date to Las Vegas.
Long before the days of his ownership of the Dallas Mavericks and starring role in "Shark Tank," Cuban bought a lifetime flight pass from American Airlines. The pass even required the airline to kick passengers off the plane in case Cuban ever showed up and wanted to get on.
In an interview with Billy Bush, Cuban explained that he'd once tried to use the pass go to Las Vegas with a date. When he arrived and found the flight was already full, Cuban said American Airlines decided to kick Magic Johnson off the plane.
The two would later come head-to-head in a bidding war for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, a battle that Johnson ended up winning.
19. Nickelback lullabies exist.
Two lullaby versions of Nickelback "classics" exist, and you can buy both of them on Amazon.
One five-star review reads, "This is my son's favorite band...we really dig this album and Mom's being a good sport because everyone chills out." A three-star review was upset that the lullaby artist was simply making a cash grab and wasn't being, "done by a true fan of the band being covered."
Nickelback was named the rock band of the decade by Billboard in 2009. That should also make you very, very angry.The Wyoming Cowboys haven't made a bowl since 2011, and it's been a rough couple years for new head coach Craig Bohl, who left FCS dynasty North Dakota State to try and build something special in Laramie.
Saturday night (Sunday morning?) against the reigning MAC West champion, WYO quarterback Josh Allen and his blockers pulled off this galloping scoot of a journey throughout the backfield and then through NIU's defense for the winning score:
''Coach told me to be smart about it and I probably should have thrown it away,'' Allen said afterward. ''I looked back and our guys were there (to block), cut it back and made a guy miss and found a hole and dived in. Felt great.''
College football's opening Saturday began at 7:30 a.m. ET in Ireland, where Georgia Tech beat Boston College, and didn't end until more than 21 hours had passed.
Wyoming records its first season-opening win over a fellow FBS team since 2008, and all is now right in the Cowboy State.Standard Features: Tanalised Redwood Pine (FSC Approved)
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The FBI has announced it will not recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton over her use of private email while she was secretary of state.
FBI Director James Comey said "no reasonable prosecutor" would pursue a case but said the likely Democratic presidential nominee was "extremely careless" with classified information.
The decision ends the legal uncertainty that has dogged the Clinton campaign.
Just hours later, she appeared on stage with President Barack Obama.
Neither of them mentioned the case. Instead, Mr Obama offered her an enthusiastic endorsement at the rally in North Carolina - his first appearance with her during the campaign.
He said he believed in Mrs Clinton and there had never been any man or woman more qualified for the presidency.
Mr Comey was highly critical of Mrs Clinton and her staff: "There is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption FBI Director James Comey said Hillary Clinton was "extremely careless" with emails
The FBI's key findings:
It is possible that "hostile actors" gained access to Mrs Clinton's email account
There were more than 100 emails that contained classified information when they were sent or received, contrary to her claim she never sent classified emails
But there was no evidence she had knowingly shared sensitive material
She did not delete emails in an effort to conceal them
At the scene: Kim Ghattas, BBC News, Charlotte
They were once rivals, but their political destinies are now tied. Eight years after Clinton campaigned for him, Obama took to the election trail for her and gave her a huge boost by bringing his unparalleled skills as a campaigner and orator to Charlotte for their first joint appearance.
The role reversal was striking. She spoke first as the president sat behind her, arms crossed, listening, in his new role as her most high-profile surrogate. She made a reference to their bitterly fought campaign in 2008 and their political reconciliation as proof of what Americans could achieve when they come together.
The president used one of his favourite lines from his campaigning days to get the crowd "fired up and ready to go" as he told supporters he was counting on them to get Clinton to the White House. He knows that to preserve his legacy he needs her victory.
Standing on the sidelines, her aides, who had been there in the bitterly cold days of Iowa in 2008, watched almost in disbelief that their journey could have led them here.
Neither Clinton nor Obama addressed the FBI investigation into her private email set-up, but that cloud has now partly lifted and Clinton's team seemed relieved. But Republicans will use Comey's words about her email arrangement -"extremely careless" - against her at every turn.
The likely Democratic presidential nominee's use of private email has been a talking point in the election, with critics saying Mrs Clinton believes she is above the law.
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called the decision "very unfair" and said it was proof that they system was rigged.
The Clinton campaign said on Tuesday that they were "glad that this matter is now resolved".
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mrs Clinton is campaigning in North Carolina
Mrs Clinton said she had set up the email address for reasons of convenience, because it had been easier to do everything from one device than to have several phones or tablets.
She had previously said she did not knowingly send any classified material from her account.
But investigators found that 110 emails had been sent or received on Mrs Clinton's server containing classified information.
The FBI ended its investigation after agents interviewed Mrs Clinton for more than three hours over the weekend about her email habits.
The Department of Justice will ultimately decide whether to press charges, but Attorney General Loretta Lynch has said she will follow the FBI's recommendation.
Mrs Clinton's campaign says it showed that her practices were consistent with those of other secretaries of state who "also used personal email" and she was "not unique" in doing it.
However, she has apologised for using the private email system, calling it "a mistake".
"As I look back at it now, even though it was allowed, I should have used two accounts..." she said. "I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility."
What the US media are saying(CNN) -- Authorities imposed curfews and limited access to city centers across Iraq as thousands of protesters demanded economic progress and an end to corruption, police said.
Demonstrators were reported to be gathering in Baghdad, Basra, Nineveh, Anbar and Salaheddin.
The developments follow weeks of demonstrations across the country by protesters angry about unemployment, poor basic services, corruption and a lack of freedom. At least 13 people died in protests on February 25.
"Liar, liar, Nuri al-Maliki," some protesters were heard shouting in Baghdad. "Al-Maliki has become like Saddam," others said, referring to former leader Saddam Hussein.
"We have elected you to protect us and not to kill us," one banner said.
After an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gave government ministers 100 days to deliver results and eliminate corruption or be fired.
"We live in a country rich with oil, yet we don't have jobs," demonstrators said. "The oil for the people and not for thieves."
In Baghdad, police imposed a ban on the movement of vehicles across the city, forcing protesters to walk several kilometers to Tahrir Square.
Still several thousands gathered there after Friday prayers.Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump‘s notorious attack dog attorney, is vigorously denying a recent report that he is under a FBI probe for his alleged ties to the Kremlin, and that he hand delivered a proposal to lift Russian sanctions to now former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
“100 percent untrue. I have not been contacted by anyone from the FBI or any government organization. It would take any half decent, unbiased journalist 10 minutes to verify the inaccuracies in the dossier,” Cohen said to LawNewz.com in an emailed statement.
A New York Times piece that ran over the weekend stated that Cohen personally delivered a peace plan proposal for Ukraine and Russia to Michael Flynn’s office before he resigned. The article further states that several of Trump’s confidantes are under “scrutiny” in an FBI counterintelligence examination of links with Russia, including Cohen.
“I acknowledge that the brief meeting took place (about Russia and Ukraine referenced in the NY Times article), but emphatically deny discussing this topic or delivering any documents to the White House and/or General Flynn,” Cohen stated, “Despite the multitude of statements issued denying any nexus between Presidents Trump and Putin, the main stream media just keeps on trying to perpetuate this lie.”
The report also states that the FBI is investigating the infamous dossier, put together by a former British spy, that claims Cohen met with a Russian representative in Prague during Trump’s presidential campaign. However, both the Russian official and Cohen have vigorously denied the meeting ever took place. Cohen’s wife is also from Ukraine, the report notes. Cohen came under the national spotlight during the campaign after a combative interview on CNN in which he replied “says who” when an anchor confronted him about being down in the polls.
Cohen joined the Trump Organization in 2007, and has been integrally involved in many of Trump’s business dealings and legal affairs. He left the company on January 20th, 2017 to become Trump’s personal attorney. He is currently defending Trump against a number of lawsuits, including a defamation suit filed by Summer Zervos, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her.
[image via screengrab CNN]When state Rep. Wes Goodman resigned this week after being confronted about a sexual interaction in his office involving a man, multiple Statehouse observers said some version of the same thing: This isn’t everything.
A new revelation shown in emails and documents obtained by The Washington Post depicts another sexual encounter that, unlike the one in Goodman's state office, was not consensual.
An 18-year-old college student who attended an October 2015 fundraiser near Washington was invited to Goodman's hotel room, where he fell asleep, the emails said. But in the middle of the night the student woke up to find Goodman unzipping the young man's pants and fondling him, sending the student running from Goodman’s room to his parents, the Post reported.
The boy’s stepfather wrote to Tony Perkins, president of the Council for National Policy, an evangelical activist group that hosted the event. “If we endorse these types of individuals, then it would seem our whole weekend together was nothing more than a charade,” the stepfather wrote, according to the Post.
The student said Goodman, R-Cardington, first approached him outside a Ritz-Carlton ballroom while urging young people to come to a party on Capitol Hill, the Post reported.
“One of the young guys didn’t want to go, and Wes really made fun of him and told him he ‘had a vagina’ and made sarcastic remarks about him being like a woman,” the teen wrote in a statement — obtained by the newspaper — that was sent to Perkins.
When the group got back to the hotel, “Wes pushed me to come to his room” and offered to let him share his bed, he wrote.
After the incident became known, Perkins urged the then-31-year-old Goodman to drop out of his 2015 bid for the Statehouse. But he did not, and the information was not widely shared in Ohio.
One of those copied on at least one of Perkins' emails was longtime conservative icon Bob McEwen, a former GOP congressman from southern Ohio and executive director of the Council for National Policy.
“Going forward so soon, without some distance from your past behavior and a track record of recovery, carries great risk for you and for those who are supporting you,” Perkins wrote on Dec. 18, 2015, to Goodman, according to the Post.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken issued a statement Saturday regarding McEwen being copied on the email.
“I think every person has an obligation to say and do something about sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind when they see it. If Bob McEwen knew about this and did not say or do anything, he should resign" from the Republican state central committee, she said.
McEwen did not respond to telephone calls and emails from The Washington Post. He did not immediately respond to an email from The Dispatch. A cell telephone number listed in its name would not accept a voice mail.
Perkins also said he was “obligated” to disclose the situation to council members who had donated to Goodman’s campaign, but it was not clear if he did. Goodman was close to the council as the managing director of the affiliated Conservative Action Project.
Perkins also is president of the Family Research Council, which opposes same-sex marriage and abortion, and calls homosexuality “unnatural.”
Goodman was a former aide to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, whose spokesman has said was not aware of his behavior.
House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, asked Goodman to resign from his House seat this week after he was informed of an incident from several weeks prior of “inappropriate behavior” in Goodman's office in the Riffe Center.
After quitting, Goodman said in a statement: “We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life."
The exit of Goodman, who is married, came less than a month after the resignation of Sen. Cliff Hite, R-Findlay, following a complaint of sexual harassment filed by a staffer who said he asked her repeatedly to have sex with him in his Columbus condo. On Monday, Senate Democratic chief of staff Mike Premo resigned after a complaint of inappropriate behavior by a female staffer.
On his Twitter page, Goodman had described himself as “Christian. American. Conservative. Republican.”
Those designations have now been removed.
jsiegel@dispatch.com
@phrontpageImage copyright AFP Image caption About a dozen other people were injured in the blast
At least 10 people have been killed in a roadside bomb blast that hit a minibus in north-west Pakistan.
The blast took place in the Kurram tribal district on the border with Afghanistan. At least two children were reported to be among the dead.
Several others injured in the blast were taken to hospital in Parachinar, the capital of Kurram district.
The area has seen a series of attacks, including a car bomb blast in March that left 24 people dead.
Another attack at the town's vegetable market in January killed at least 20 people. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban said it carried out both attacks.
Parachinar is a mainly Shia area and the Kurram district is known for sectarian clashes.
Two census workers were in the minibus, according to local media reports. Census workers have been targeted in the past, but it is not clear if their presence was a factor in this case.We’re proud to announce the first stable release of the KeePassX 2 series after several years of development.
KeePassX 2.0 is using the new.kdbx (same as KeePass 2) database format.
You can import your.kdb database from 0.4 from the Database > Import KeePass 1 database.
This is a one-way process though. You can’t migrate back to the.kdb format.
New features include:
Multiple attachments per entry
Add custom key/value pairs to entries
Open multiple database in one window
KeePassX 2.0 has been rewritten from scratch so some features (like showing expired passwords) are still missing.
The important changes compared to beta 2 are:
Improve UI of the search edit.
Clear clipboard when locking databases. [#342]
Enable Ctrl+M shortcut to minimize the window on all platforms. [#329]
Show a better message when trying to open an old database format. [#338]
Fix global auto-type behavior with some window managers.
Show global auto-type window on the active desktop. [#359]
Disable systray on OS X. [#326]
Restore main window when clicking on the OS X docker icon. [#326]
You can fetch the new release from the downloads page.Authentic CoilART Kanthal 0.5 Ohm CTOCC coil heads supported power < 50W. This Kanthal 0.5 Ohm coil is compatible with Kanger NEBOX, SUBVOD, Subtank, Subtank mini, Subtank nano, Subtank plus.
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and burning fossil fuels on society at large instead of fossil fuel producers and consumers, it may be profitable for oil, gas, and coal companies to keep up their bad work. On the other hand, if you put a heavy tax or a strong cap on carbon pollution, the amount of fossil fuels burned will go down, regardless of what investors do with their money.
So is divestment just a diversion from the work that matters most — convincing governments to adopt carbon caps or taxes? Not according to the activists who are working on both causes at once. They argue that divestment campaigns aid the climate movement by creating opportunities within institutions to discuss climate change. They focus minds on the fact that four-fifths of known fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground if we’re to avert the worst of climate change, and the fact that strong future carbon regulations would undermine the profitability of fossil fuel companies, and the fact that the cost of extracting fossil fuels keeps rising as we run out of easy-to-reach reserves and start tapping “unconventional” ones like the Canadian tar sands.
“This is the first time there’s been a lot of analysis of these companies: Where’s demand going? Are these investments sound?” says Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow, which promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy. “That dialogue has been important. The divestment movement happened along with other [climate] movements, so I do believe it’s been incredibly important in raising issues and fundamentally engaging the business community.”
That engagement can encourage investors to favor government policies that would get ahead of the transition to clean energy, instead of lagging behind it. The week before the Climate Summit, a global coalition of institutional investors concerned with climate change issued a statement calling on national governments to “develop an ambitious global agreement on climate change by the end of 2015.” Doing so, they say, would shift economic incentives and offer regulatory certainty that would make renewable energy investments economical.
The signatories included large pension funds and institutions ranging from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) to the Church of Sweden. They overwhelmingly have not divested themselves, but they promise to “identify and evaluate low carbon investment opportunities that meet our investment criteria and consider investment vehicles that invest in low carbon assets subject to our risk and return objectives.”
Wallis argues that divestment will actually advance carbon pricing through the political process as well, because it’s part of moving the public to engage on climate change. He says it could be especially effective among devout Christians. “Divesting and investing is a wonderful, practical example of the kind of repentance from an oil economy,” says Wallis. “We could create some moral space if business people and others are going to churches where this is being talked about.”
And even impartial observers agree that it can have an effect. Bullard says that by raising awareness of the risks for fossil fuel companies, divestment campaigns might lead major institutional investors to reduce the size of their fossil fuel investments. “Big investors in a sense divest all the time but they would call it reallocation,” says Bullard. “A large investor might reweight a portfolio down from 12 percent fossil fuels to 8 or 9 percent. None of the groups [that have divested] have enough capital in play to have an impact, but the institutional investors that might reweight risk certainly do. The purpose of the divestment movement in some cases is to draw attention to the risks of investing in fossil fuels — issues such as the changing nature of consumption of fossil fuels and increasing cost of extracting them.”
Divestment campaigns can also force concessions from large institutional investors that help the transition to a clean energy economy. They might not divest fully from fossil fuels but increase investments in renewable energy to mollify activists. Harvard President Drew Faust, for example, refused to divest the school’s $36 billion endowment from fossil fuels, but six months later she announced a series of initiatives such as raising money for climate change research, efforts to reduce the school’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the adoption of guidelines for taking environmental impact into consideration for the endowment’s investment decisions. “Harvard, Yale, and the University of California system have all had to come with some other commitment, which does drive more capital to some other cleaner stuff,” notes Bullard.
On some issues, investors can arguably do more good by holding onto stock and pushing companies to improve their practices than by selling the stock. A major shareholder in a clothing manufacturer that uses sweatshop labor, for example, could pressure the company to improve its labor standards. But that’s because sweatshop conditions are not the company’s product, only a means to producing it. If the product is oil or coal, a company can’t merely adopt the best practices for producing it and solve the problem of carbon pollution. Investor activists like the group Ceres suggest that fossil fuel companies could be encouraged to become energy companies more broadly and invest in renewables. Given the enormity of their potentially stranded fossil fuel assets, their path dependence, and their decades of past behavior, it’s doubtful this will happen. They will go down fighting, trying to squeeze every drop of oil, gas, and coal from the Earth if they can make a penny by doing so.
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Another way in which the divestment movement might help constrain fossil fuel production is by making it more expensive for companies to borrow money to build the infrastructure of extraction. If the investor community is more keenly aware of the risks of fossil fuels, it will be harder for fossil fuel companies to sell bonds, and they will have to offer higher returns to bondholders. “Frankly, you almost never starve companies of capital, you make it more expensive or scarcer,” says Bullard.
And if you instead invest in renewables, you help widen their availability and lower their prices. The International Energy Agency estimates that $1 trillion per year in investment in clean energy and low-carbon technologies is necessary to avert catastrophic climate change.
Divestment and reinvestment are certainly not the wholesale climate solutions we need. But if there’s one thing we know about American politics, it’s that it helps to have Wall Street on your side.The father of a baby girl whose mother took her out of Canada against his wishes last year is suing the RCMP for negligence, alleging the force helped her to commit a criminal offence.
"I'm just so angry. I just can't imagine anyone would ever do this to somebody else," said Craig Johnstone, 28, an electrician from North Vancouver.
Natasha Bride and Craig Johnstone were living together in Canada when their baby was born. (Craig Johnstone)
Richmond RCMP let the mother leave, even though they had removed her from a flight the previous night for suspected parental abduction. She was trying to move to Australia with their Canadian-born daughter, who was six months old at the time.
The very next day, Johnstone said, "[RCMP Const. Eric Chan] told me, 'I'm sorry, she has gotten on another plane out of the country.' I don't know how he could let her go."
"If my ex had said I am kidnapping my daughter I probably would have been in jail," said Johnstone. "Maybe they just wanted to avoid a bunch of paperwork or whatever — and it was easier for them to let her go."
Court had ordered her to stay
Police allowed Australian-born Natasha Bride, 33, to board the second plane just as Johnstone got a court order, which he said he told the RCMP he was getting, barring the mother from leaving.
The now worthless court order had ordered the RCMP to seize her passport, along with the baby's.
"They were going to wait for me to get a court order and then enforce the law. But they didn't," said Johnstone.
He and his family are devastated over losing the little girl. He said he's only seen her three times in 10 months – short, awkward visits in Australia.
"It hurts me — but it hurts my daughter much more," he said. "I had a lot of faith in the court system and the judicial system but now I have none. None whatsoever."
He also lost a court bid there to have the baby brought back to Canada, because the court ruled Australia is now her home. He now fears she will grow up without a father.
Father and grandparents heartbroken
"I ask to go on Skype. I ask for pictures. I ask how she's doing. [Her mother] won't tell me anything. She just ignores me," said Johnstone, wiping away tears.
"There's nothing I can do about it."
The couple's daughter is now more than a year old and living in Australia with her mother. (submitted by Craig Johnstone)
"Who is going to police the police in this case?" said the baby's paternal grandmother Jane Johnstone, who also broke down in tears.
"They've caused a huge wrong. It's affected lots of lives. We just love her. And we'd love to just give her a cuddle."
This all happened after Johnstone went to Bride's apartment last April 15 and found she had packed up and left. He called the West Vancouver police, because he believed she was at the airport with the baby.
The couple had recently separated. Johnstone claimed Bride was suffering from post-partum anxiety and starting verbal fights with him, so he moved out to give the baby a more peaceful environment.
"Natasha would just get upset with me over pretty much anything…and it just wasn't good for my daughter," said Johnstone.
"A month after, that that's when I find out she is trying to get on a plane out of the country."
Johnstone told West Vancouver police that Bride did not have his permission to leave with the child and said that was relayed to the RCMP at the Vancouver airport.
After the RCMP removed the baby girl and her mother from the Air Canada Sydney-bound flight, West Vancouver Police advised Johnstone to get the court order, which he did, while staying in touch with the RCMP by phone.
As he was on his way to the airport to deliver the court papers, RCMP Const. Chan called him back to say Bride was gone. Air Canada confirmed to Go Public it was the RCMP that authorized her to leave.
Air Canada given the OK
"We had received authorization from both the RCMP and … the Australian consulate authorities who cleared the passenger and child to travel the following day," said Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah.
Johnstone said, "I wish whoever gave that clearance — I hope they lose their job and I hope they have to suffer the same way I am suffering. What I am going through is indescribable."
He said the RCMP never explained their actions.
Retired Calgary police officer Ted Davis said the RCMP should have detained Bride and waited for the court order which would have barred her from leaving the country. (CBC)
He suspects officers bought a story from his ex – without any evidence - that she was an abuse victim. Bride did later claim in an affidavit filed with an Australian court that she had to flee for her safety.
"I was living in the shadows of an abusive relationship...I was being abused...I was on a plane home and I was removed off the plane by police. The trauma felt like it would never end," said Bride.
"I was in sheer panic and terror at the thought of now being held in Canada instead of returning home to safety with my baby."
Johnstone said Bride also made false claims of abuse to the Australian consulate in Vancouver, so she could get the baby a passport without his knowledge or permission.
Her abuse allegations have since been discredited by the Australian court, which concluded Bride's actions in the couple's relationship "fly in the face of a person who has grave fears for her safety."
Canadian police reports from before she left show it was Johnstone who called 911 – to report Bride was being irrational.
"Neither party had any injuries and there was no sign of a physical altercation," reads a February report from the North Vancouver RCMP.
"[Natasha Bride] stated that they had been involved in a verbal argument, not a physical altercation…no assault had occurred."
Bride didn't respond to requests for comment.
Officers had 'discussion' with mother
The RCMP told Go Public officers at the airport took their direction from the West Vancouver police — to intercept the mother on the first flight — and could do no more.
"Richmond RCMP spoke with the mother and relayed the result of their discussion with her to the West Vancouver Police Department," said spokesperson Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
"Richmond RCMP had no grounds at that point in time to prevent the mother from flying out of the country."
A retired police officer who is the senior investigator for the Missing Children's Society of Canada said the RCMP could have detained Bride and investigated — but instead clearly dropped the ball.
Go Public was asking Sgt. Jane Boissonneault what police are supposed to do in cases like this when RCMP media relations person Sgt. Greg Cox abruptly ended the interview. (CBC)
"I would have charged her with parental abduction," said Ted Davis.
"For the purposes of investigation they should have kept her pending the production of a court order saying that she couldn't leave the country."
He also said false claims of abuse are common in these cases.
"Investigating parental abductions for the last 20 years I would say the greater majority of allegations of abuse are more fictitious than they are real," said Davis. "The greater majority are made up stories — so that they can get their way."
The RCMP's parental abduction specialist in Ottawa also said police have grounds to do more.
"I would advise them that they do have the authority to hold on to the parent they have arrested until they have a chance to investigate it," Sgt. Jane Boissonneault of the RCMP National Missing Children Operations, in a phone interview.
She also said many officers don't know how to handle parental abductions, because they don't deal with them often.
"We do know anecdotally that not all police officers in the field are aware of the legislation in this area. They are not familiar enough with those sections of the Criminal Code," she said.
Go Public then tried to interview Boissonneault on camera, but an RCMP media relations person abruptly cut off the interview when we asked her what police are supposed to do.
RCMP shut down interview
"It's really not conducive to us getting our messaging across... so I think we're going to end it here … we're going to end it now," said Sgt. Greg Cox, from RCMP Media Relations. He then cut our connection.
Neil Chantler, the lawyer handling Johnstone's lawsuit against the RCMP, said, "They owe a duty of care to Craig [Johnstone] who is a victim of what appears to be a child abduction." The suit also names the West Vancouver Police Department, because it was also involved.
Johnstone has seen his daughter just three times in the last 10 months and has recently been cut off from all contact. (Craig Johnstone)
"The true victim is of course the child — but Craig is at the very least a collateral victim."
Meanwhile, Johnstone said he's already racked up $50,000 in legal bills and can't move to Australia easily because he has to first get a visa to work there.
Even if he does, he has no idea if or when he will see his child.
"I missed her first birthday. I missed her Christmas," he said. "It's been extremely difficult and it's going to be extremely difficult."
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Tottenham Hotspur will try and push through a £10m-plus deal for Ben Davies over the next 48 hours as Swansea City get set to give the green-light to the Wales star’s Liberty exit.
But it is thought Spurs are ready to accept defeat in an attempt to lure Wilfried Bony to White Hart Lane after the Swans stuck by their £25m guns on the giant forward.
Tottenham had declared their interest in Ivory Coast striker Bony but with Swansea showing no inclination to let the 25-goal frontman leave, it appears the North London club have instead channelled their efforts into securing a move for defender Davies, who is thought to be keen on the transfer.
With new boss Mauricio Pochettino making his admiration for the Neath-born talent clear, it is thought Spurs are prepared to up their valuation of the 21-year-old having initially wanted to pay £8m. They are still keen on bringing in goalkeeper Michel Vorm.
Swansea were thought to be looking for £12m for Davies but could settle on £10m, although the possibility of the deal including former loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson heading back to the Liberty in return is not being ruled out.
It could see Swansea land Sigurdsson plus cash in exchange for Davies and Vorm, with the ready-made replacements of Neil Taylor and new goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski tempting the club into a deal.
Both parties are likely to want to come to a quick conclusion with pre-season already underway and Swansea set to travel to America on Sunday for a two-week training camp including games with Chivas Guadalajara and Minnesota United.
MORE: Ben Davies v Luke Shaw: Is Davies on a par with the new Manchester United man?
MORE: FC Twente striker Luc Castaignos waiting for Swansea City to follow up £6.5m bid
MORE: Ashley Williams not leaving Swansea says the defender's agent
The involvement of Sigurdsson in the proposed move could complicate matters in negotiations between Daniel Levy and Huw Jenkins, the two chairmen renowned for their hard bargaining over transfers.
Midfielder Sigurdsson would not only have to agree to the switch in principle but also then have to settle on personal terms, which would likely have to see the Iceland international take a cut in wages.
But Swans boss Garry Monk would be keen to land his former team-mate after admitting he is still keen to bring in more fresh faces having made Marvin Emnes his fourth summer signing with the completion of his £1.4m permanent move from Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.
As well as Emnes and Fabianksi, Monk has swooped for highly-rated Falkirk left-back Stephen Kingsley while also impressively securing a deal for free-agent Bafetimbi Gomis.
A wideman could be still on the agenda as well as a centre-back, although it is thought the rookie manager is aware he needs to push some players out as part of his squad re-shaping.
Monk said: “The squad is shaping up well. It’s a difficult time of the year in terms of the job with comings and goings, and with the World Cup a lot are waiting to see who goes where and it can slow things up.
“Hopefully we’ll have one or two more bits and pieces of business that can be done, but as in terms of building the squad, I am very happy.”NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who were fed on formula for the first few months of life gained just as much weight up to age ten as those who were exclusively breastfed, according to new research from Germany.
A newborn baby is put on a weight at a hospital in Suining, southwest China's Sichuan province September 14, 2007. REUTERS/Stringer
It has been unclear just what effect breastfeeding, compared to formula feeding, has on weight as an infant and later in life. The findings ease some early fears about stunted growth in babies fed certain types of formula.
They also support the message that “what happens to the child’s diet after a year is probably much more important,” said Dr. Michael Kramer, who researches infant feeding at The Montreal Children’s Hospital and wasn’t involved in the new report.
The study included 1,840 infants who were born in Germany between 1995 and 1998. Those infants were fed one of four different kinds of formula — including cow’s milk formula and other “hydrolyzed” formulas that have broken down, easy-to-digest proteins — or exclusively breastfed.
The kids were at risk for allergies and researchers were also testing whether certain kinds of formulas could protect them from allergic reactions later in life.
In past studies, the same researchers reported that when they brought the babies back in for a one-year check-up, those fed one kind of hydrolyzed high-protein formula had gained less weight, on average, than the other formula and breast-fed babies.
But in this study, when about half of the kids returned at age ten, there was no difference in their body mass index, a measure of weight in relation to height.
That suggests there are “no long-term consequences” for BMI from cow’s milk or hydrolyzed formulas, Peter Rzehak from Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital in Munich and colleagues report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“This particular formula that led to a reduction in weight gain... probably smelled bad and tasted bad,” Kramer said. “That’s probably why the babies didn’t grow as well in the first year.”
But, he added, the “catch-up” after that first year is consistent with findings from other research, including his own.
“Whatever changes occur due to feeding in the first year are probably a drop in the bucket in terms of affecting weight gain over the long term,” Kramer told Reuters Health.
Researchers added that it’s still unclear how early growth and breastfeeding or formula use may affect childhood obesity. Because of a wide range of health benefits for babies — from fighting infections to IQ — the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding until kids are at least two years old.
Alison Ventura, a nutrition scientist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said that early weight gain isn’t only about what babies are fed, but how they are fed.
“The parent has more control, in theory, during bottle feeding, so that they might feed in response to how much is left in the bottle rather than the infant’s cues,” which might be too much in some cases, she told Reuters Health.
She also cautioned against taking too much from the current findings, because they represented a specific group of babies with a family history of allergies.
Kramer agreed that parents should be aware of how much formula or breast milk they’re feeding their infants and said that “it’s almost never too early” to make sure very young kids aren’t over-fed and are getting enough physical activity.
SOURCE: bit.ly/qkgR1D American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online August 17, 2011.Trinity Smith had heard the rumors about a dog barking up on a mountain in Colorado, USA. Being an animal lover, she felt like she wanted to help. Perhaps there was a lone dog up there who was desperate?
In the desolate landscape of the mountain there were no houses or people, so the chance that there would be a domestic dog alive was pretty slim. Many therefore believed that the sound they were hearing at night was coming from a coyote.
But there was another reason to go ahead with her search — a dog had disappeared in the area just a few weeks earlier. Although the chances of this being that dog they were hearing were very small, Trinity was determined to go.
And in September 2017, she went up to the mountains to search. It didn’t take long before Trinity realized that the rumors she had heard were true.
Once she climbed up the mountain, she could clearly tell that the barking she was hearing was definitely coming from a dog. But it was impossible to determine where the sound was coming from, she only knew it was coming from far away.
© Facebook/TrinitySmith
When evening came, Trinity had to head back before it got too dark.
With a better idea of what she was looking for, the next day she went out there again — this time in the company of friend Sean Nichols. They took turns shouting for the dog as loud as they could. They continued to do so for about three hours without getting any answer.
Just when they were about to give up, they heard something familiar. A dog’s bark. This time they could tell from which direction they were hearing it and hurried up towards it.
It didn’t take long before they came across a very thin dog lying on the ground clenching to a rock. There was no doubt that the dog was in desperate need of help.
The dog wouldn’t have made it for much longer if Trinity and Sean hadn’t found her there and then.
© Facebook/TrinitySmith
At the time, they didn’t know — but the dog they’d found was 14-year-old Chloe.
She had escaped during a walk with her owners six weeks earlier. After her disappearance, her owners searched for her every day for several weeks.
But it had been so long now since she went missing, that the owners had lost hope in finding their beloved dog alive.
Six weeks alone in the mountains had taken its toll on the old dog. Looking like nothing but skin and bones, she weighed only 26 pounds when Trinity and Sean found her.
The pair immediately lifted Chloe and carried her to their car. At the same time, they announced through social media that they had found the dog who was barking at night.
It wasn’t long before Chloe’s owners found out that a dog had been found in the area and contacted Trinity to see if it was theirs.
In that very moment, the two friends were on their way to the store to buy some dog food. So, they told the owners to come meet them at the parking lot outside the store — where the dog and the owners had an emotional reunion.
© Facebook/TrinitySmith
When an old dog loses as much weight as Chloe did, there is always a risk that its body will never recuperate and possibly shut down. But this is one strong gal. Although it’s only been a few days since she was rescued, she has already shown great signs of improvement.
Trinity and Sean have visited Chloe in her home and they have become really good friends. She still has quite some time left before she is completely healthy again but something tells me that this dog will live for many years. If you manage six weeks alone up on that mountain, then you can do just about everything!
© Facebook/TrinitySmith
Many thanks to Trinity and Sean who refused to give up and saved this dog! It’s animal lovers like you guys who make this world a better place.
Now let’s hope Chloe has a speedy recovery! Please share!Richard Shelby is blocking the nomination of Peter Diamond to sit on the Fed board of governors.
Why?
Shelby says Diamond is unqualified.
Diamond is a professor of economics at a little school called MIT.
Diamond won the Nobel Prize for economics.
Diamond was Ben Bernanke's teacher!
"While the Nobel Prize for economics is a significant recognition, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences does not determine who is qualified to serve on the Board of Governors," said Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the senior Republican on the Senate Banking Committee.
Yeah okay. Not that any of this is a shocker at this point, but holy effing crap on a stick. I suppose if Diamond believed, as many of the Republicans do, that math is a liberal conspiracy -- that it's impossible to invest $1 in food stamps and have it return $1.72 in economic stimulus -- he'd pass right through.Team Liquid have traded Kenneth "koosta" Suen to Counter Logic Gaming and have acquired Josh "jdm64" Marzano, the organization announced Monday.
"It's an honor to have Josh play for our team and organization," Steve "LiQuiD112" Arhancet said in a press release. "He is hungry, motivated and talented, and wants to win above everything else. Failure is not an option. Time to move in the right direction."
The roster change comes a few weeks after Liquid’s disappointing ELEAGUE performance, where they finished last in their group and did not win a single map. They left Atlanta with an 0-8 record.
On June 6, Liquid announced that they were releasing adreN and that s1mple would temporarily be back on the roster to compete in the Esports Championship Series LAN Finals in London, as well as the Major at ESL One Cologne 2016.
The former-CLG AWPer jdm64 comes into the Liquid roster with a 1.02 HLTV player rating in 2016, notably lower than koosta’s rating of 1.07 in the same time period. They also bring a similar, passive style of AWPing.
Liquid have been placed into Group A of the ECS Finals, along with Luminosity Gaming, G2 Esports and Ninjas in Pyjamas. While at the Cologne Major, Liquid were also drawn into Group A, but will face Virtus.pro, mousesports and Team EnVyUs.
The ECS Finals take place on June 24-26 at the SSE Arena, Wembley in London, while the Cologne Major takes place on July 5-10 at the Lanxess-Arena in Cologne, Germany.
Team Liquid's roster looks as follows:
Nick " nitr0 " Cannella
" Cannella Jonathan " EliGE " Jablonowski
" Jablonowski Spencer " Hiko " Martin
" Martin Josh " jdm64 " Marzano
" Marzano Oleksandr " s1mple " Kostyliev
" Kostyliev Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu
Counter Logic Gaming's roster looks as follows:
Steve " reltuC " Cutler
" Cutler James " hazed " Cobb
" Cobb Tarik " tarik " Celik
" Celik Faruk " Pita " Pita
" Pita Kenneth "koosta" SuenPlayer 'interviews'
There will be individual meetings with his new squad. Mourinho, early on, likes to see the whites of his players’ eyes. He firstly does this as a group – to see how they respond, who speaks, who is quiet. And then one-on-one in his office in chats that he even refers to as ‘interviews’ as they are his way of finding out more about players, their character and motivation – and how they react to being quizzed by him. Mourinho will invite them to ask their own questions while he makes it clear that he can be “very nasty” as well as a “sweetheart”.
The messages will be unequivocal. Mourinho will promise to be direct and say what he means to their faces; he will tell them he will not tolerate gossip and, even less so, leaks from the dressing room - which can become a damaging obsession for him, as witnessed at Real Madrid and Chelsea; that the door to his office is always open; and that it is compulsory to wear shin guards during training because they will be working hard. “I only go to war with those I trust,” is another phrase the United players can expect to hear.A circus dwarf and a man with the ‘stretchiest skin in the world’ have been banned from appearing at an Oxford University college ball.
Demon Dan the Dwarf (left) will not perform at the St Peters College ball (Pic: newsteam)
It seems vertically challenged Demon Dan’s ability to drag a vacuum cleaner using only his genitals cuts no mustard with the dean of St Peter’s College.
Neither does Gary Stretch’s talent for pulling a flap of his own neck skin over his mouth. Ball organisers had considered the pair from the Circus of Horrors touring company to perform at their £75-a-ticket bash on May 7. But college masters have censored the C’est La Revolution event.
The decision angered Demon Dan, otherwise known as Daniel Blackner, who said: ‘I have a brilliant resumé after featuring as an Ewok in a Star Wars film and various Muppet movies as a flying teddy bear.’
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Circus of Horrors has been touring for 15 years and warns that its Gothic-style horror shows are ‘not for sissies or those of a nervous disposition’.
Its creator, known only as Doctor Haze, said: ‘It is ridiculous for the dean to try and decide what people should or should not see.’
A university spokesman said the Circus of Horrors was considered but deemed unsuitable for the ball.After fleeing Singapore two days before his appeal against a jail term for forgery in 2003, a 31-year-old man settled in the United States and practised law for seven years using a bogus name.
The US authorities caught out Ng Chong Lin in 2010, and he was jailed for 48 months for, among other things, aggravated identity theft in impersonating an attorney.
His fingerprints, which were sent to Singapore in 2013, revealed his true identity, and he was deported in May last year.
Yesterday, Ng, now 44, was found guilty for offences relating to his departure.
He had represented himself in a three-day trial last month on two charges - applying for a passport in June 2003 under the name of Wee Pui Kee, and then producing the misleading document which bore his photo, but another person's name, to an immigration officer at Changi Airport.
District Judge Lee Poh Choo, in her brief grounds of decision yesterday, said Ng had blatantly lied during his trial and changed his story when confronted with evidence.
"I find the accused's account to be a diverting tale suitable for social entertainment," said the judge. "His story was fraught with inconsistencies and devoid of logic. The accused was not credible at all. He was an inveterate liar."
During his trial, Ng said he remained in the US because he was stranded with a wrong passport.
He claimed that throughout the various stages of his departure - when he applied for the passport, collected it, bought his plane ticket, during check-in and going through immigration at the airport and boarding the plane - he did not notice the name and particulars on the passport were not his.
He said he realised the error only after he arrived in the US and was filling in the immigration form.
He said that it was in the course of his legal work, under the name of Daveng Wee, that he realised the US authorities could help him return to Singapore.
He contacted them and reported to them for voluntary repatriation last May, he said.
But the judge said that since Ng's passport, valid for six more years, was being held by the police back in 2003, he must have known that he would not be issued with another one.
She also noted that one of Ng's bail conditions was that he was not to leave Singapore.
"(Ng) said he was stranded in the United States for 12 years, during which it never crossed his mind to seek assistance from the Singapore Embassy. During this period, he attended courses, married and earned a good income," she said.
She added: "Clearly, he had no intention to return to Singapore."
Ng yesterday also pleaded guilty to a third charge of leaving the country as a bankrupt. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Between 2006 and 2009, Ng practised immigration law in New York using the name and registration of a real attorney to file documents to federal authorities on behalf of individuals in immigration matters.
He also claimed to have attended schools in New York when he applied for temporary residence in the US in 2007.The Phoenix Suns had everything going for them in 2004-05. Steve Nash was working his way toward his first NBA Most Valuable Player award, Amar'e Stoudemire was imposing his will to the tune of 26 points a night, Shawn Marion was fantasy basketball's most prized possession, and Joe Johnson was an elite marksman from behind the arc.
That core, operating under the tutelage of Mike D'Antoni, won an astounding 62 games, resulting in the third-biggest turnaround in NBA history - Phoenix won just 29 games the year before.
"It was as fun as hell," Nash told Paul Coro in a special piece for the Arizona Republic. "It was a big surprise and a lot of fun. All of a sudden, you're a lap ahead. It's like, 'Wait a minute. We can't be this much better than the rest of the league.' You knew we had to come back to Earth but you're also thinking, 'Holy (expletive)!' It was like, 'Is this real?'"
The Suns cruised in the opening round of the playoffs, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies. While Phoenix emerged victorious in six games over the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, not everyone on the roster was able to escape the series unharmed.
Mavericks forward Jerry Stackhouse attempted to block Johnson's dunk attempt at the rim during the second quarter of Game 2, with Johnson ultimately landing right on his face after an awkward fall.
Johnson was diagnosed with a displaced orbital fracture over his left eye, keeping him out of action until Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Tim Duncan and company, who had a 2-0 series lead by the time Johnson returned, eventually went on to eliminate Phoenix in five games.
"There's no way you can tell me we wouldn't have been NBA champions if I hadn't got hurt," said Johnson.
Marion agreed, telling Coro, "We should've won it all that year. If it wasn't for that (Johnson's injury), I think we would have."
Johnson was sent to the Atlanta Hawks that summer in a sign-and-trade deal that brought Boris Diaw - who won NBA Most Improved Player in 2006 - to the Valley of the Sun.
The loss of Johnson didn't signal the end of Phoenix's run as a powerhouse, as the Suns got back to the Western Conference Finals the following year, ultimately falling in six games to the Mavericks. The Los Angeles Lakers also got the best of them in 2010.
The memories of the Suns' golden era during the mid-to-late 2000s, as described through Coro's feature, have Nash wishing he was back on the hardwood dazzling NBA fans with his highlight-reel dimes.
Miss being a ball player today — Steve Nash (@SteveNash) June 7, 2015
It's a shame Phoenix was never able to capture that elusive Larry O'Brien Trophy with the talent they had. D'Antoni's systems, combined with Nash's leadership, Stoudemire's freak of nature athleticism, and Johnson's sharpshooting should have managed to win at least one title.
Injuries, Robert Horry tackles, suspensions, and plain old bad luck prevented that from happening, though.
What could have been.Get the biggest celebs 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
CORONATION Street will screen its first gay wedding the day Prince William and Kate Middleton marry.
The Street’s Sean Tully and Marcus Dent are due to tie the knot on April 29 in an hour-long spoiler to rival EastEnders’ marriage of Phil Mitchell to Shirley Carter
Thirty years ago, |
said Mazid Kaluti, a Palestinian in East Jerusalem.
The spike in tensions and the deaths in violence on Friday and Saturday raised international alarm and prompted a session of the United Nations Security Council to consider ways of defusing the crisis.Two German politicians are keen to rein in feed-in tariff support for renewable energy in Germany. But that doesn't mean the European powerhouse is done with clean energy altogether.
Spreading the costs more broadly to heavy industry (which is presently exempt for the EEG levy)
Facilitating greater competition among power distributors to pass on savings in the wholesale electricity market.
Germany's Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and Economy Minister Philipp Rösler have been keen to rein in feed-in tariff support for renewable energy in Germany (commonly referred to as the "EEG"). Altmaier went as far as to claim last week that the policy would cost Germans €1 trillion by 2030. He proposes to cap increases in subsidies for renewable power at 2.5% growth per annum and suspend feed-in tariffs to new installations. In addition, in a highly concerning move for investor confidence, he proposed a temporary cut in the feed-in tariff already received by existing renewable energy power plants. For much of the previous decade, Germany was the bedrock market for the global renewable energy industry. It has represented as much as 50% of annual solar PV sales; it has the third largest installed capacity of wind; and it has also been a leading market for small-scale biomass projects. Its policies on renewable energy, and in particular its use of feed-in tariffs, have been lauded by environmental groups around the world as best practice. So the idea that Germany might be overturning such policies is extremely appealing to those concerned about the cost of renewable energy and interests keen to defend the incumbent fossil fuel and nuclear power sectors. The story being spun is that Europe as a whole is now turning its back on renewables as the public realises the unacceptable cost and other problems such as intermittency. Interests opposed to renewables then link what is happening in Germany with the extensive cuts to renewable energy support policies in Spain to suggest a Europe-wide trend. It is a significant misinterpretation of events, however, reflecting a profound ignorance of German politics and the differences between Spain and German feed-in tariff policies. The Spanish feed-in tariffs are funded from the government budget, whereas Germany’s are funded through a levy on electricity consumers. Due to almost catastrophic budgetary problems in Spain (risk of defaulting on loans), Spain has had to cut back on expenditures across the board, not just on renewable energy. In Germany the issue is more nuanced, as detailed in a presentation from Volkmar Lauber, professor of politics at the University of Salzburg in Austria. This initiative from Altmaier and Rösler to undermine the EEG doesn't represent some sudden about-face realisation among the German population of the inadequacies of renewable energy. Rather, Altmaier and Rösler are part of the conservative right-wing side of German politics that has always been opposed to the EEG initiative ever since it became law in 2000. Rösler comes from the Free Democratic Party, which is pro free-market, and Altmaier is from the social conservatives of the CDU/CSU party. But until 2009 these political parties have never been able to form a government together, and the pro-EEG Social Democrats have prevented change. Since forming government in 2009 this right-wing coalition has made three attempts at stemming the growth of renewable energy, which have largely failed. In 2010 they rewound the previous policy of phasing out nuclear power while putting in steeper reductions in feed-in tariff rates. But plunging costs for solar PV in particular meant it grew spectacularly in spite of the cut in tariffs. Then, not long after the Fukishima nuclear plant explosion occurred, Chancellor Angela Merkel had to revert back to an accelerated phase-out of nuclear while re-embracing renewables. But in 2012 Altmaier’s predecessor as environment minister, Norbert Röttgen, had another go, proposing severe caps on renewable installations, including a one gigawatt per annum cap on solar PV. Due to objections from two-thirds of the upper house Bundesrat, a compromise was adopted with the cumulative cap for PV set at 52 gigawatts, no caps for onshore wind, and no questioning of EEG principles. Altmaier’s proposals are equally doomed in the upper house due to opposition from the Social Democratic Party, Die Grünen (Greens) and Die Linke (the Liberals). The EEG policy remains highly popular among households in Germany, as explained in this article from Cleantechnica. Furthermore, while the costs of Germany’s feed-in tariff policy have grown rapidly in the last few years, this has been offset to a noticeable extent by merit-order effects that have reduced wholesale electricity market prices. Overall, the costs remain highly affordable for the vast majority of German households. Also they could be further improved through:According to Lauber, the effects on households are being dramatised by German utilities. These utilities, such as RWE and E.On, whose capacity is dominated by nuclear and fossil fuel plants, have suffered substantial reductions in revenue due to renewables pushing down wholesale electricity prices. So be careful what reports you read about Germany turning its back on renewables. Who knows -- they could even be as inaccurate as the report from one Australian journalist who claimed there was "no sign of the political support needed to extend" the US wind power tax credit -- several days after the US Congress had already passed the tax credit extension. *This article was originally published at Climate SpectatorPhoto by Stew Smith
Bonus points if you can name this establishment just based on the photo!
Ever dreamed about getting paid to drink?More to the point, ever dreamed about getting paid toabout drinking?If you answered yes to either of these questions (well OK, just the second one really), we've got an opportunity for you! The RFT is seeking a skilled writer who likes to go out at night and has deep knowledge of St. Louis' bar/nightlife scene. The ideal candidate would be plugged in and well aware of the city's and county's popular clubs and bars, and would be able to generate their own tips in regards to openings/closings, must-see spots and exciting developments, as well as take direction from an editor. (You should also probably be 21 or older, or have agood fake*.)If you are interested in the gig, know first off that it will be a part-time/freelance deal — we're hoping you'll be able to contribute at least once each week at freelance rates. Journalistic experience would be neat, but is not required as long as you have a strong sense of narrative and can string a colorful sentence together (and crucially, remain sober enough to remember what you did last night when you wake up in the morning!).If you are interested, please send a cover letter and a list of your three favorite bars in the metro area —— to daniel.hill@riverfronttimes.com with the subject line "Nightlife writer." (If you do have any clips or samples of your writing that you can include that would be great, but it is not a dealbreaker by any means.)Be aware too that we don't want someone who is currently involved in PR or marketing for any local establishments — please be sure to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.Hope to hear from you soon!by R. Gidon Rothstein
What the Toil of Torah Secures, and Avoids: Sermons of the Aruch HaShulchan, Week 5, Sermon 15
R. Epstein’s sermons are rich and discursive, so that it hasn’t been until I’ve been presenting them that I’ve seen that in fact he sticks to central themes. Until now, that was the question of money and earning a living; from here, and for a while, he will stress the importance and impact of Torah study.
Although we have to wait for the end of our time on these sermons to be sure, a first guess would seem to be that he was addressing a community that was struggling financially and losing its connection to Torah, both study and observance. Aruch HaShulchan was trying to convince them that they were taking the wrong approach, that the correct response to their troubles would be to increase their involvement with Torah, for general religious and financial reasons.
Here, his opening gambit is Rashi and the Yerushalmi’s reading of Devarim 32;45-47, where Moshe warns the Jewish people to pay attention to all that he’s told them, reminding them that it’s not an empty matter, it’s their lives. Rashi offers two readings: 1) that it’s not empty, it’s what gives them much reward, and 2) there’s nothing empty in Torah, even an apparently insignificant verse such as that the sister of Lotan was Timna (Bereshit 36;22). The Yerushalmi says that Moshe was telling us that if Torah seems empty, it’s that we weren’t working hard enough at it, that it only is life-sustaining when we work at it.
Real Life as a Locus of Sanctity
As prelude to his reading of these sources, Aruch HaShulchan reminds his listeners of what was a common Jewish idea, that people combine the animalistic and angelic. Angels are wholly spiritual, animals wholly physical, and people are both. Not only that, Mishlei 15;24 tells us that people always go one way or the other, more angelic or more animalistic That’s why Moshe tells the Jewish people he is putting before them the path of good and bad, life and death—it’s one or the other, no in-between.
We have to cultivate our angelic side. One good way is by immersion in Torah study, since Kiddushin 30b says that Hashem created the evil inclination and Torah as an antidote. But people might think that was limited to those who can study all day, who can spend all their time on the spiritual [this certainly sounds like he’s addressing a reality of his time, that ordinary Jews that he knew assumed they were excluded from a life of Torah unless they studied all the time].
To counter that, Aruch HaShulchan notes Devarim 30;11, which reminds the people that the Torah is close to them; Yevamot 20a, which speaks of sanctifying oneself in what’s permissible; and the beginning of Parashat Kedoshim, which speaks of being sanctified and then mentions the obligation to have awe of one’s parents and to keep Shabbat.
The Torah chooses these two to link to sanctity because many nations of the world have versions of them as well—it’s common to have at least one day off a week and to treat parents well. But sanctity comes from doing it because the Torah said so, with the particular rules the Torah gave. So, too, the Torah concludes its discussion of prohibited foods (Vayikra 11;44) by saying that we have to sanctify ourselves and will become sanctified. In guiding our ordinary lives by the Torah, he says, those of us who do not spend all our time on Torah study can also achieve sanctity.
That’s also what Mishlei 3;6, be-chol derachecha da’ehu, know Him in all your ways, says. The previous verse had warned against overreliance on our own insight, and the next verse warns against being wise in our own eyes. It’s if we know Hashem in all our ways, turning everything in our lives to Hashem’s service, that we can be wise and sanctified, even those of us who can’t study all day.
[Two asides: first, the use of this verse for this idea appears already in Rambam’s Hilchot De’ot 3;3; what’s new here, it seems to me, is that Aruch HaShulchan is using it explicitly to contrast the misimpression that only all-day study can be “real” religiosity. Second, this verse is how the table of contents for these sermons titles this sermon; while it plays an important role here, we will see that the sermon is more about the role of Torah and the necessity of toiling at Torah, as much as one can, than about this idea].
Back to the Emptiness of Torah
I am skipping a discussion of whether one has to recite a blessing on prohibited foods, to see his return to the Yerushalmi, with its idea that Torah is only empty because we do not put enough effort into it. He notes that parents, and our Father in Heaven, want to give their children the best, fine food and drink and other material goods. But if the child misuses it (eats or drinks to excess, damaging his/her health), the parent will be forced to withhold those material pleasures, for the child’s sake.
That’s why Ha’azinu speaks of the Jews getting fat and rebelling, leaving Hashem. Material comfort leads people to rebel against, or abandon, Hashem and the Torah [as we’ve seen before].
If Jews realized that, they would understand that when they don’t have the wealth they want, it’s because of their failure to act with sanctity, to use their wealth for proper purposes, to make berachot on foods [that he brings that up as an example suggests that people he knew were lax in that area] and to perform other mitzvot.
That won’t be obvious to people who have not worked hard enough at Torah to understand [it’s empty because of them]. Ha’azinu was meant to teach them this simple lesson of Jewish history — when we serve Hashem properly, we get bounty, when we turn away, we do not—and if events seems opaque to them, it’s because they haven’t studied well enough.
The Ingratitude in Ignoring Torah
Skipping a side point about why Ha’azinu is written with words on top of each other, like the names of the sons of Haman, rather than like the Song of the Sea, where one line’s words are over the next line’s blank spaces; in brief, it’s because not making sure to understand Ha’azinu is a source of Jewish downfall, as the evil of Haman’s sons was the source of their downfall], R. Epstein points to a comment in Kiddushin 30a, that Torah is like an elixir of life, in that while the Jews involve themselves in Torah, they can expect to be protected from the evil inclination. He takes that one step further, saying that while that’s true, they can also safely enjoy the bounty of this world.
In that way of looking at it, the verse of Va-yishman Yeshurun va-yiv’at, Yeshurun became fat and rebelled, can only be in a time when Jews do not involve themselves with Torah. That same idea underlies Devarim 32;6’s calling the Jews an am naval ve-lo chacham, an ungrateful nation that is not wise. Those aren’t opposites, commentators pointed out, so why use them as contrast?
To explain, R. Epstein turns our attention to another problem, Hashem’s telling Moshe that He would have compassion on those on whom He would have compassion, a seemingly tautological statement. Based on the flow of the verses, and a homiletical reading of the word kavod, honor, as Torah (which he takes from Avot 6;3), R. Epstein argues that when Hashem passed by Moshe on Sinai, Moshe was taught all the secrets of Torah, in addition to the Attributes of Mercy.
Moshe was worried that the people who couldn’t learn all of Torah wouldn’t get Hashem’s full compassion. To that, Hashem responded that He would extend that compassion to whoever involved themselves with Torah, even if they didn’t achieve what Moshe did.
If so, being ungrateful, in the sense of not taking advantage of the gift of Torah, will also inherently mean being unwise, since the person will not be involved with Torah.
Back to the Yerushalmi
With that explanation, that Torah only seems empty when we fail to involve ourselves with it—and that it only gives us life if we put in the effort to study it– he points out that the blessing before Shema says all of that as well, reminding us that ki hem chayyenu ve-orach yameinu, it is our life and what gives us length of days, as long as we’re involved with it day and night. In that blessing, too, we ask for Hashem to have compassion on us, one more example of the connection between our being involved with Torah and gaining access to Hashem’s mercy.
But, again, most people cannot be involved with it all the time; their job is to have fixed times to learn, which is why Shabbat 31b thinks one of the questions we’re asked by the Heavenly Court after our deaths is whether we fixed times for Torah, not whether we studied Torah all the time. Fixed times is an obligation on all [male] Jews, having nothing to do with being a Torah scholar.
He closes with a prayer that they all will be among those who uphold [or re-establish] the primacy of Torah among Jews, the awareness of its importance and value, and—in doing so—restoring it to the position of being our life and the length of our days.
I hope I am not being too quick to contextualize, but this is a sermon that seems aimed at people who have bifurcated their lives, who see Torah as remote from “real” life, who are themselves becoming remote from Torah while they also struggle financially.
Aruch HaShulchan is urging them to realize that the connection is closer than they’ve let themselves understand, that the road to their goals [financial stability, physical comfort] runs through Torah itself; and, as the Yerushalmi said, their not seeing that, their thinking of Torah as empty, is a result of their failure to take the first necessary step, to regularly involve themselves with the study of Torah.Grammar Rules: Further vs. Farther
Believe it or not, the words further and farther have different meanings, although people tend to use them interchangeably.
And it’s no surprise, because these two words look alike, sound alike, and the difference in meaning is subtle. Plus there are a few circumstances when they are legitimately interchangeable.
Let’s solve the further vs. farther mystery once and for all.
Farther
The word farther deals with physical distance, which can be measured. One way to remember this is to recall the phrase “far away.”
Examples include:
I jog a little farther each day.
Do you live farther from the city now?
The library is farther from my house than the bookstore.
Notice that in all of these examples, the word farther refers to a distance that can be measured.
Further
Further also deals with distance, but not in the physical sense. We use further when we’re talking about figurative distance or a general advancement. Further also indicates a greater degree of something. Some terms that are synonymous with further include furthermore, moreover, and in addition.
Here are examples of how to use further correctly in a sentence:
I’ll be delving further into the topic at a later date.
I am further along in my holiday shopping than I was last year at this time.
Further, I intend to finish my shopping before the end of the week.
Notice that in these sentences, further refers to distances that cannot be measured.
Further vs. Farther
In some cases, you can use either of these words, especially when the distinction isn’t clear. For example, if you are discussing a book, you could argue that there is physical distance between the pages that can be measured. However, since the distance between pages is not geographical in nature, usage of further vs. farther is ambiguous. When it’s not completely clear which word to use, you can choose either one, though it’s usually safer to go with further because it has less restriction that its cousin.
I’m further along in the book than other members of my book club.
The other members of my book club are further along in the book than I am.
If you have any tips for remembering how to correctly use the words further and farther, please share by leaving a comment!
Do you have questions about any grammar rules? Are there any word pairs, like further vs. farther, that confound you? Leave a comment!Meteorites that crashed onto Earth billions of years ago may have provided the phosphorous essential to the biological systems of terrestrial life. The meteorites are believed to have contained a phosphorus-bearing mineral called schreibersite, and scientists have recently developed a synthetic version that reacts chemically with organic molecules, showing its potential as a nutrient for life.
Phosphorus is one of life’s most vital components, but often goes unheralded. It helps form the backbone of the long chains of nucleotides that create RNA and DNA; it is part of the phospholipids in cell membranes; and is a building block of the coenzyme used as an energy carrier in cells, adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Yet the majority of phosphorus on Earth is found in the form of inert phosphates that are insoluble in water and are generally unable to react with organic molecules. This appears at odds with phosphorus’ ubiquity in biochemistry, so how did phosphorus end up being critical to life?
In 2004, Matthew Pasek, an astrobiologist and geochemist from the University of South Florida, developed the idea that schreibersite [(Fe, Ni) 3 P], which is found in a range of meteorites from chondrites to stony–iron pallasites, could be the original source of life’s phosphorus. Because the phosphorus within schreibersite is a phosphide, which is a compound containing a phosphorus ion bonded to a metal, it behaves in a more reactive fashion than the phosphate typically found on Earth.
Finding naturally-formed schreibersite to use in laboratory experiments can be time consuming when harvesting from newly-fallen meteorites and expensive when buying from private collectors. Instead, it has become easier to produce schreibersite synthetically for use in the laboratory.
Natural schreibersite is an alloy of iron, phosphorous and nickel, but the common form of synthetic schreibersite that has typically been used in experiments is made of just iron and phosphorus, and is easily obtainable as a natural byproduct of iron manufacturing. Previous experiments have indicated it reacts with organics to form chemical bonds with oxygen, the first step towards integrating phosphorous into biological systems.
However, since natural schreibersite also incorporates nickel, some scientific criticism has pointed out that the nickel could potentially alter the chemistry of the mineral, rendering it non-reactive despite the presence phosphides. If this were the case it would mean that the experiments with the iron–phosphorous synthetic schreibersite would not represent the behavior of the mineral in nature.
Since the natural version incorporates nickel, there has always been the worry that the synthetic version is not representative of how schreibersite actually reacts and that the nickel might somehow hamper those chemical reactions.
“There was always this criticism that if we did include nickel it might not react as much,” says Pasek.
Pasek and his colleagues have addressed this criticism by developing a synthetic form of schreibersite that includes nickel.
Nickel-flavored schreibersite
In a recent paper published in the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Pasek and lead author and geochemist Nikita La Cruz of the University of Michigan show how a form of synthetic schreibersite that includes nickel reacts when exposed to water. As the water evaporates, it creates phosphorus–oxygen (P–O) bonds on the surface of the schreibersite, making the phosphorus bioavailable to life. The findings seem to remove any doubts as to whether meteoritic schreibersite could stimulate organic reactions.
“Biological systems have a phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, so the first step is to put one oxygen atom and one phosphorous atom together in a single P–O bond,” Pasek explains.
Terry Kee, a geochemist at the University of Leeds and president of the Astrobiology Society of Britain, has conducted his own extensive work with schreibersite and, along with Pasek, is one of the original champions of the idea that it could be the source of life’s phosphorus.
“The bottom line of what [La Cruz and Pasek] have done is that it appears that this form of nickel-flavored synthetic schreibersite reacts pretty much the same as the previous synthetic form of schreibersite,” he says.
This puts to rest any criticism that previous experiments lacked nickel.
Shallow pools and volcanic vents
Pasek describes how meteors would have fallen into shallow pools of water on ancient Earth. The pools would then have undergone cycles of evaporation and rehydration, a crucial process for chemical reactions to take place. As the surface of the schreibersite dries, it allows molecules to join into longer chains. Then, when the water returns, these chains become mobile, bumping into other chains. When the pool dries out again, the chains bond and build ever larger structures.
“The reactions need to lose water in some way in order to build the molecules that make up life,” says Pasek. “If you have a long enough system with enough complex organics then, hypothetically, you could build longer and longer polymers to make bigger pieces of RNA. The idea is that at some point you might have enough RNA to begin to catalyze other reactions, starting a chain reaction that builds up to some sort of primitive biochemistry, but there’s still a lot of steps we don’t understand.”
Demonstrating that nickel-flavored schreibersite, of the sort contained in meteorites, can produce phosphorus-based chemistry is exciting. However, Kee says further evidence is needed to show that the raw materials of life on Earth came from space.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that the meteoric origin of phosphorus is the strongest idea,” he says. “Although it’s certainly one of the more pre-biotically plausible routes.”
Despite having co-developed much of the theory behind schreibersite with Pasek, Kee points out that hydrothermal vents could rival the meteoritic model. Deep sea volcanic vents are already known to produce iron-nickel alloys such as awaruite and Kee says that the search is now on for the existence of awaruite’s phosphide equivalent in the vents: schreibersite.
“If it could be shown that schreibersite can be produced in the conditions found in vents — and I think those conditions are highly conducive to forming schreibersite — then you’ve got the potential for a lot of interesting phosphorylation chemistry to take place,” says Kee.
Pasek agrees that hydrothermal vents could prove a good environment to promote phosphorus chemistry with the heat driving off the water to allow the P–O bonds to form. “Essentially it’s this driving off of water that you’ve got to look for,” he adds.
Pasek and Kee both agree that it is possible that both mechanisms — the meteorites in the shallow pools and the deep sea hydrothermal vents — could have been at work during the same time period and provided phosphorus for life on the young Earth.
Meanwhile David Deamer, a biologist from the University of California, Santa Cruz, has gone one step further by merging the two models, describing schreibersite reacting in hydrothermal fields of bubbling shallow pools in volcanic locations similar to those found today in locations such as Iceland or Yellowstone.
Certainly, La Cruz and Pasek’s results indicate that schreibersite becomes more reactive the warmer the environment in which it exists.
“Although we see the reaction occurring at room temperature, if you increase the temperature to 60 or 80 degree Celsius, you get increased reactivity,” says Pasek. “So, hypothetically, if you have a warmer Earth you should get more reactivity.”
One twist to the tale is the possibility that phosphorus could have bonded with oxygen in space, beginning the construction of life’s molecules before ever reaching Earth. Schreibersite-rich grains coated in ice and then heated by shocks in planet-forming disks of gas and dust could potentially have provided conditions suitable for simple biochemistry. While Pasek agrees in principle, he says he has “a hard time seeing bigger things like RNA or DNA forming in space without fluid to promote them.”In a historic move, France has become the first country outside the USA, and the first country with a centrally-organised, reimbursable health system, to approve no-expense pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for people who need it.
The French Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, announced today that PrEP would be available from mid-December, and reimbursable through the French health system from the beginning of January.
The positive recommendation for Truvada (tenofovir/emtricitabine) comes via a uniquely French health measure called a Recommendation of Temporary Use (Recommandation Temporaire d'Utilisation – RTU). This provides for drugs to be made available to people in urgent need on an ‘off-label’ basis, i.e. without a full Marketing Authorisation. RTUs are used for drugs that already have Marketing Authorisation for other uses – in this case, for HIV treatment.
Mme. Touraine said: “I am in favour of the RTU, which should take effect in the first two weeks of December.
"Given the level of efficacy of this approach, which has been recognised by all national and international scientific experts in the battle against HIV/AIDS, I take the financial responsibility for this treatment, which can contribute to complete our global strategy against HIV and AIDS, so it can be available without financial restriction.”
She added, however: "We can never say often enough that condoms are the best protection against HIV and other STIs…PrEP does not stop other STIs and, as a medicine, is not without adverse events.”
PrEP will therefore be available under the RTU “to individuals who cannot, for diverse reasons, use condoms systematically and who belong to groups where HIV incidence is very high.”
PrEP prescribing will only be available from HIV specialist physicians within a hospital clinic or HIV testing site, and will include counselling and follow-up.
PrEP will be offered as two alternative regimens: daily Truvada for anyone assessed as needing it, but also intermittent PrEP as studied in the Ipergay trial for MSM who have frequent condomless sex and do not have chronic hepatitis B infection. The Ipergay regimen consists of a double dose of Truvada 2-24 hours before sex plus one dose on each of the following two days afterwards, to be continued if condomless sex is continued. The French medicines agency ANSM, who complied to evidence dossier submitted to the Department of Health, comment that the Ipergay did not establish the effectiveness of intermittent PrEP in women (or trans men) or in MSM who have condomless sex only occasionally, and specifically warns against intermittent PrEP in people with chronic hepatitis B as this could cause drug resistance.
Mme Touraine praised the work of the French National HIV Research Organisation ANRS “who had the courage to implement these trials and also the NGOs. Particularly AIDES, which has promoted this tool in the public debate.”
Bruno Spire of ANRS is one of the Principal Investigators of the Ipergay study, whose finding of 86% efficacy for PrEP, along with the PROUD study, helped convince many that PrEP could be an effective public health tool. He told aidsmap.com: "This victory is due to the alliance between the French researchers and the HIV community-based movement; Ipergay was an excellent example of doing research not for people, but with people."
Jean-François Delfraissy, the Director of ANRS, said: “Marisol Touraine’s decision is of huge significance. It will enable everyone – health professionals, non-profit organisations, municipal authorities, researchers – to work together towards…eradication of HIV. This decision should now open the way for the authorisation of PrEP in other European countries.”
He said that implementation research would be conducted into the efficacy of PrEP projects set up in target populations and that PrEP would also be assessed in other vulnerable populations, notably women.
Aurélien Beaucamp, President of AIDES, commented that the decision was the culmination of three years of hard work by AIDES, who first proposed an RTU in January 2013, when the Ipergay study had already been running for a year.
“It’s very satisfying to see this initiative succeed,” he said. “This means that very soon we will be able to help people across France who need a new prevention tool for their lifestyle. PrEP must be part of an overall strategy to cut the chain of transmission.
“Everyone has a contribution to make to ending the HIV epidemic, including effectively-treated people with HIV who no longer transmit. However only 52% of HIV-positive people in France have an undetectable viral load: many efforts are needed still in France and internationally: and thanks to PrEP we will be better armed to fight the epidemic.”Image: Shutterstock Remix by Jason Koebler
There's now a way to track what government employees, including elected officials, are doing online during working hours.
A new plugin created by a software engineer in North Carolina lets website administrators monitor when someone accesses their site from an IP address associated with the federal government. It was created in part to protest a piece of legislation the president signed earlier this year.
In April, President Trump signed a measure allowing internet service providers (ISPs) to sell sensitive information about your online habits without needing your consent, rolling back Obama-era regulations intended to stop that very thing from happening.
Corporations like Verizon and AT&T hated the regulations (and spent a boatload lobbying against them), because they made it difficult to monetize the mountain of customer data they have the ability to collect.
Consumers, on the other hand, were outraged, and wondered what could be done to get back at the lawmakers who voted in favor of the measure. One appealing suggestion was to buy and release their browsing history, then release it to the public.
Almost immediately, a handful of GoFundMe pages dedicated to raising money for the cause popped up. While the campaigns are well-intentioned, what their creators don't realize is that what they want to do is illegal. The Telecommunications Act prohibits sharing (or selling) customer information that is "individually identifiable," except under special circumstances.
In other words, there's no database where you can purchase your Congressman's online porn habits and there likely won't be anytime soon, even with the data-collection regulations dismantled.
But a new tool created by Matt Feld, the founder of several nonprofits including Speak Together, could help the public get a sense of what elected officials are up to online.
Feld, a software engineer working in North Carolina, created Speak Together to share "technical projects that could be used to reduce the opaqueness between government and people," he told Motherboard over the phone. "It was born out of just me trying to get involved and finding the process to be confusing."
The tool lets website administrators track whether members of Congress, the Senate, White House staff, or Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff are looking at their site.
If you use Feld's plug-in, you'll be able to see whether someone inside government is reading your blog. You won't be able to tell if President Trump viewed a web page, but you will be able to see that it was someone using an IP address associated with the White House.
The tool works similarly to existing projects like CongressEdits, an automated Twitter account that tweets whenever a Wikipedia page is edited from IP addresses associated with Congress.
Feld's tool also works kind of like Congress browsing, a project that monitors when someone inside the Senate, House of Representatives, or the White House accesses GovTrack, a site that tracks legislation being debated in Congress.
Feld's project differs in several important ways from both CongressEdits and Govtrack's tool, though. For one, when it's finished, (Feld says the project is in its final stages) anyone will be able to use it. Feld also plans to organize all the data from the project in one central place, providing a more complete picture of what elected officials are doing on the internet.
Feld created the tool to get a window into what elected officials are doing during working hours online, but also as a kind of protest against the repeal of the FCC's internet privacy regulations.
If, for example, a dozen major news organizations were to add the plug-in to their sites, Feld would be able to release data showing what kinds of stories people in government were reading.
What also makes Speak Together's tool different is that it's going to have the capability (according to Feld) to differentiate from people using private Wi-Fi and those using public hotspots. Without the feature, it won't be possible to tell whether a federal employee read your website, or merely a guest using a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Feld created the tool to get a window into what elected officials are doing during working hours online, but also as a kind of protest against the repeal of the FCC's internet privacy regulations.
"The real [reason I made the tool] is to get the internet browsing law repealed," Feld said.
If you're interested in using Speak Together's tool on your site, you can reach out to Feld via Speak Together's site, or sign up on the tool's website. He says he plans to offer the JavaScript plug-in soon, for free.Jellyfish suck up so much food and thrive in hostile conditions, and they threatening to take over our seas, including the Gulf of Mexico
Jellyfish, common in the seas for eons, suck up so much food -- and give back so little -- that a dramatic population increase would gravely threaten the future of oceans worldwide, according to a new study.
Jellyfish could send once-productive seas, including the Gulf of Mexico, back to a more primitive state, if theories pointing to striking increases in the gelatinous creatures prove true.
They assault the base of the food chain, creating conditions where little can survive but jellyfish and bacteria, new scientific findings published this month reveal.
Scientists had already considered jellyfish a biological dead-end for their voracious appetites and low taste appeal to other animals. The creatures, renowned for their irritating sting, remove more food energy from the seas than they put in, pushing the oceans into an altered state that is much more hostile to other life.
The findings are a cause for concern because reports of jellyfish blooms are increasing, leading many scientists to speculate that water pollution, global warming and overfishing may be tipping the scales toward conditions more favorable for jellyfish.
Until now, jellyfish were considered little more than a nuisance. But Robert Condon, lead author of the new jellyfish study and faculty research scientist at Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, said their impact on the food web is serious and should be considered in regulating struggling fish populations.
Condon's findings in the |
wouldn't accept that as an answer, firing back: "So you can't tell me that you would vote Leave now?
"Jeremy Hunt when I interviewed him at the Conference told he that he voted Remain in the referendum - he was a chief advocate of Remain - he said now he would vote for Brexit because he says George Osborne's economic predictions did not come true and he said he was fed up with the belligerent attitude of the European Commission.
"He says he could change his mind. I don't quite understand why you can't, seeing you are Prime Minister leading us into Brexit?"
Iain Dale put the Prime Minister under pressure during the interview. Picture: LBC
After a short pause, Mrs May stated: "Iain, I could sit here and I could say I'd still vote Remain or I'd vote Leave just to give you an answer to that question.
"I'm being open and honest with you. What I did last time around was I looked at everything and came to a judgement and I'd do exactly the same this time around.
"But we're not having another referendum and that's absolutely crucial."
Political correspondent Michael Crick wasn't happy with her answer, pointing out:Some progressives are up in arms about a new law that would make it a crime to boycott Israel. Trouble is, there's no such thing.
On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union released a letter urging members of Congress to oppose the “Israel Anti-Boycott Act,” which, the ACLU said, “would punish individuals for no reason other than their political beliefs.” Not only would this law criminalize participation in a boycott of Israel – such as that urged by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement – but it would even criminalize “simply requesting information about such boycotts.”
Several condemnations followed. Glenn Greenwald, for example, said Wednesday at The Intercept that Congress was set to “Criminally Outlaw Support for Boycott Campaign Against Israel.” Greenwald went on to excoriate several members of Congress for failing to immediately oppose the bill immediately.
To be honest, I was all set to oppose the law myself, until I actually read it. Turns out, all of this is wrong. The ACLU misread the law, and Greenwald misread it even worse.
But they're not the only ones. Backers of the law have also misrepresented what it does, and exaggerated the threats it supposedly addresses. In other words, everyone is yelling and no one is making any sense.
Let’s start at the beginning, which in this case is 1977. In the throes of the Arab boycott of Israel, Congress passed the Export Administration Act, which made it a crime to participate in that boycott, or, for good measure, any other foreign-led boycott of a U.S. ally. This law is still in effect today, having been reauthorized several times. Take a look at the website of the Office of Antiboycott Compliance, which explains it to you in detail.
As the OAC explains, while the law addresses all “U.S. persons,” it is actually about corporations, which are forbidden from joining the boycott, or cooperating with the boycotters by furnishing them any information. Exceptions are provided for companies that are effectively forced to cooperate to avoid the “secondary boycott” of countries who do business with Israel.
To repeat, this is the law today. It is against the law to join in a boycott of Israel led by a foreign country. Companies may be fined up to $50,000 or five times the amount of the contested transaction (whichever is greater), and executives can be sent to prison for five years.
Flash forward to 2016, when the United Nations Human Rights Council passed four resolutions regarding Gaza and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem). It called for companies to “avoid, identify, assess and address any adverse human rights impacts related to their activities,” affirmed the two-state solution, called for an end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and, being a UN agency after all, requested additional reporting and consideration.
This, cried AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations, was a call to boycott Israel. Clearly it wasn’t – but that didn't matter. Earlier this year, a handful of members of Congress introduced the “Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which states, among other things, that “the UNHRC targeted Israel with a commercial boycott.”
In response, the bill would include any UN-led boycott within the 1977 law. Never mind that there are no UN-led boycotts; for members of Congress seeking to appear “pro-Israel,” striking back at a fictional one is sufficient.
That is, I promise, all the new law does: extend the 1977 law to UN boycotts as well as governmental ones. (If you don’t take my word for it, read it yourself.) Does it really “punish the exercise of Constitutional rights? Not any more than the 1977 law does, and it’s been in effect for 40 years.
And of course, that law is only enforced against corporations, not individuals attending a BDS rally or declining to buy Sabra hummus. It’s the Department of Commerce, after all. They don’t care about your personal SodaStream, or lack thereof.
The Daily Beast asked the ACLU about the discrepancies between their letter and what the bill actually says. In response, Brian Hauss, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said that “the right to engage in a peaceful political boycott is squarely protected by the First Amendment, and a proud part of America’s constitutional legacy. Whatever Congress thinks about boycotts targeting Israel, it should reject any attempt to expand the scope of criminal laws targeting peaceful political activity.”
That's a lot more nuanced than what pundits have been howling about these last few days, and it suggests that perhaps the ACLU is rethinking its position. But, to be fair, before the Left got this bill wrong, the Right got it more wrong. AIPAC, for example, heralded the law as a major legislative priority, saying it would “prohibit U.S. persons from cooperating with efforts by international organizations – including the U.N. – to boycott Israel.”
That is, at best, disingenuous. Really, the only thing the law does is add that em-dashed phrase “including the U.N.” But by trumpeting the law as a big deal, AIPAC gets to claim credit for a big win when it passes – which perhaps makes up for their colossal, humiliating, and totally preventable loss in opposing the Iran Deal last year. Like the members of Congress who are backing the bill, AIPAC is backing it to pander to its constituents.
Trouble is, the ACLU took AIPAC at its word – and topped off its laziness with incompetence, misreading the statutory provision about “requesting information about such boycotts.” Not to get in the weeds here, but that is flat wrong. Section 4(b)(C) of the bill inserts the words “or requesting the furnishing of information” into the part of the 1977 law that forbids companies from furnishing information about its business activities to boycotting entities.
In other words, it doesn’t penalize requesting general information about a boycott. It penalizes asking the UN for information about the specific business activities of others. That provision is still problematic, but it is not at all what the ACLU or Greenwald — who didn’t respond to a request for comment — says it is.
In other words, everyone is wrong: the ACLU, Greenwald, AIPAC and the bill’s sponsors. The actual bill is a nothingburger that fights an imaginary boycott – which is exactly why its cosponsors said things to Greenwald like “we have a different read of the specific bill language” and “this is the first time I have seen this issue raised.” They thought this was yet another meaningless pander to the Israel-First crowd – and they were right.
Zooming back, of course, this bill is indeed part of a troubling move to stigmatize the BDS movement, which at its heart is a campaign of non-violent resistance – though depending on who you talk to, that resistance is either against the brutal, half-century military occupation of the West Bank, or against the state of Israel itself.
Indeed, the BDS movement is highly disingenuous about this very ambiguity, refusing to define exactly what it is for and what it’s against. Is the BDS movement against Israel’s occupation, or against Israel’s existence? Is it for two states, or one state? By refusing to clarify its aims, refusing to condemn terrorism, and refusing to silence the anti-Semites within its ranks, the BDS movement has left itself open to the right-wing charge that its anti-Zionism is merely repackaged anti-Semitism.
Based on ten years of firsthand experience, I’d say that charge is roughly 95% false. But the inability of BDS supporters to call out the remaining 5% corrupts the entire enterprise and provides fodder for endless hysterical right-wing rants about anti-Semitism on college campuses, pride marches, and UN meetings. The Israel Anti-Boycott Act is partly based on that false equivalence – that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism – and partly based on the justified fear that Israel’s narrative is not convincing anyone anymore. With the failure of moderate efforts (the two-state solution, the Oslo process), the only thing left are the extremes: anti-Israel BDS on one side, Israeli nationalist policies on the other.
So, in a way, the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, and the ACLU’s opposition to it, are each a perfect response to the conversation about the BDS movement itself: confusing, pandering, and above all, angry.As Frankie Edgar attended UFC 159 this past weekend in his home state, the New Jersey native was reminded how much a fighter’s marketability factors into matchmaking.
Chael Sonnen, who on paper had a weak case for a shot at UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones‘ title, nonetheless got the pay-per-view headliner, and by all early indications, he helped make it a financially successful event.
Edgar admits he’ll never by the trash-talker Sonnen is. However, the former lightweight champion, who’s currently stuck in a three-fight losing streak following a drop in weight class and a failed bid at featherweight champ Jose Aldo‘s belt, believes one more win could get him another shot.
“Let’s be real about the way this goes,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on the night of UFC 159. “It’s not always the No. 1 contender that gets the title shots. Look at tonight. It’s who they invest money in and who’s a known name. In the lighter weights, just being that I’ve fought seven title fights in a row, I think I’m that guy. So I think it makes sense for them, and it obviously makes sense for me.”
That’s why he believes he’s just a win or two away from another fight with Aldo, or with Antony Pettis, who meets the champ in August at UFC 163. One pay-per-view event earlier, Edgar (15-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) meets fellow featherweight Charles Oliveira (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC 162.
“I’m going to go out there and fight to the best of my ability, and I hope it’s enough to get the attention toward my way,” he said.
Edgar is a bit of a riddle. He’s lost three straight and is 1-3-1 in his past five fights. But even the losses – two to Benson Henderson and one to Aldo – were close, and Edgar easily could have won any or all. A victory over Oliveira likely will shoot him up the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA featherweight rankings, where he’s an honorable mention simply due to the lack of a win in the division.
For the first time in three years and six fights, he won’t headline a show when he fights at UFC 162. Edgar knows title losses are largely forgivable, especially when they’re so close, but he also knows a defeat to Oliveira could be a substantial setback for his title hopes.
So is it refreshing not to be the center of attention and to have a little pressure taken off him?
“It kind of is, but what are we doing this for?” he said. “I want to do this to be the best and carry cards and be a headline guy. You don’t want to get comfortable saying, ‘It’s kind of nice to not having all the attention.’ That’s what pays the bills.”
So in his current training camp, he’s working diligently on one obvious hole in his game: slow starts. For the first time in seven fights, Edgar won’t fight more than three rounds. That makes a quick start and winning rounds decisively even more important.
“I’m always trying to improve in all areas, and that’s definitely something that being in these close fights brings to my attention,” he said. “I’ve got to either do something to make this gap wider, where there’s no doubt, or finish fights. So I’m definitely working on it in the gym.”
For the latest on UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.Image via Jherek Bischoff on Bandcamp
If you're a huge nerd who lives on Reddit and has no friends—or, as we like to call ourselves, a Twin Peaks fan—2017 was no doubt a big year for you. David Lynch and Mark Frost revived their seminal television show to great fanfare, and presented viewers with a brand new story, grander in scale, while retaining the eerie, uncanny, funny, warm heart of the original series.
The new season also kept much of the show's iconic music, as scored by composer Angelo Badalementi. And, if for any reason you happen to be missing those dreamy synths and string surges this holiday season, then please, look no further. Because, uh, Jherek Bischoff has reinvented six Christmas standards in the style of the soundtrack, and called it Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire Walk With Me. You know, just in case you want to creep yourself the fuck out, but with a Christmas tree in the room.
Under the careful ear of Bischoff (an alumnus of our Best Albums of 2016 list), "White Christmas," "The Christmas Song," "Christmas Time Is Here," "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night" are all transformed into themes that you'd be just as likely to hear playing over a shot of a girl's corpse in a tarpaulin, or an aerial sweep over some Douglas Fir trees as you would at a community carol service. It's a weird and actually quite moving blend of familiar sounds. Listen to it in your family home; avoid ceiling fans.
Follow Noisey on Twitter.(Image: Steffen Richter/Bicep2)
It was hailed as the discovery of the century. But now the researchers who earlier this year reported the first detection of primordial gravitational waves – ripples in space time hailing from the early universe – say they are not so sure after all.
“Has my confidence gone down? Yes,” says Clement Pryke of the University of Minnesota, co-leader of the team that reported the original result.
In March, the team, which uses a telescope called BICEP2 based at the South Pole, announced their discovery at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They also posted their results online.
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Today, the first peer-reviewed version of their results appears in the journal Physical Review Letters – and it backtracks on the certainty of the original announcement.
Star dust
Back in March, the BICEP2 team reported a twisted pattern in the sky, which they attributed to primordial gravitational waves, wrinkles in the fabric of the universe that could have been produced when the baby universe went through an enormous growth spurt. If correct, this would confirm the theory of inflation, which says that the universe expanded exponentially in the first slivers of a second after the big bang – many believe that it continues to expand into an ever-growing multiverse.
Doubts about the announcement soon emerged. The BICEP2 team identified the waves based on how they twisted, or polarised, the photons in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the earliest light emitted in the universe around 380,000 years after the big bang. Other objects, such as the ashes of exploding stars or dust within our galaxy, can polarise light as well.
The paper published today is significant because it is the first time the researchers themselves have dialled back on their original claims.
In the initial version of their paper, the BICEP2 researchers used a snapshot of a map from the Planck satellite, which gathers data on the CMB, that was presented at a conference in 2013. This helped them to calibrate parts of their analysis of a potential false signal from dust but led to some worry that the BICEP2 team had underestimated the amount of polarisation caused by dust in the Planck map.
“We don’t have a good handle on what the size of that dust signal is,” says BICEP2 member Colin Bischoff of Harvard University. “We still maintain that our data favour a cosmological origin of the signal over a dust origin, but it’s not as strong.”
Contamination high
The peer reviewed version of the paper omits one of the calibration models based on Planck data. In a footnote, the team says: “We have concluded the information used for the DDM2 model has unquantifiable uncertainty. We look forward to performing a cross-correlation analysis against the Planck 353 gigahertz polarised maps in a future publication.”
Another note on the paper, added after submission, refers to more recent Planck data that also points to a possible false signal. “While these papers do not offer definitive information on the level of dust contamination in our field, they do suggest that it may well be higher than any of the models considered,” write the team.
“It seems that real data from Planck is indicating that these dust models are under-estimates,” says Pryke. “The prior knowledge of dust at these latitudes in our field of view has gone up and so the confidence in the gravitational wave component has gone down.”
Ultimately, science moves forward not by peer review, but by replication. At least eight experiments, including BICEP3 and the Keck Array, which are both in Antarctica, POLARBEAR in Chile, and data from the Planck satellite due to be released in October, are already working toward that goal.
“When Planck does have a full data release of their polarised data, that will be really interesting,” says Bischoff. “Doing a full analysis of BICEP2 and Planck will be really powerful to help identify, really nail down what the signal is.”
Pryke is philosophical about the final outcome: “Data trumps models and that’s the way it is.”The Boondocks is an American adult animated sitcom on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. Created by Aaron McGruder,[1] based upon his comic strip of the same name,[1] the series premiered on November 6, 2005. The show begins with a dysfunctional black family, the Freemans, settling into the fictional, friendly and overall white suburb of Woodcrest.[2] The perspective offered by this mixture of cultures, lifestyles, social classes, stereotypes, viewpoints and racialized identities provides for much of the series' satire, comedy, and conflict.
The Boondocks ended its run on June 23, 2014, with a total of 55 episodes over the course of the show's four seasons. The fourth and final season was produced without any involvement from McGruder.[3] The series also airs in syndication outside the United States and has been released on various DVD sets and other forms of home media.
Development and production [ edit ]
The Boondocks began as a comic strip on Hitlist.com, one of the first online music websites.[4] The strip later found its way into The Source magazine. Following these runs, McGruder began simultaneously pitching The Boondocks as both a syndicated comic strip and an animated television series.[5] The former goal was met first, and The Boondocks debuted in newspapers in April 1999.
In the meantime, development of the TV series continued. McGruder and film producer/director Reginald Hudlin (President of Entertainment for BET from 2005 to 2008) created a Boondocks pilot for the Fox Network, but found great difficulty in making the series acceptable for network television. Hudlin left the project after the Fox deal fell through, though McGruder and Sony Television are contractually bound to continue to credit him as an executive producer.[6] Mike Lazzo, president of Adult Swim and executive producer for Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Space Ghost Coast to Coast, stumbled across the pilot and declared it "too networky". He then ordered a 15-episode season and told McGruder to "just tell stories".
The series has a loose connection with the continuity of the comic strip, though during the final year of the strip McGruder made a point to try to synchronize them. He introduced Uncle Ruckus into the strip, and the comic-strip version of Riley's hair was braided into cornrows to match the character's hair in the series. During Season 1, McGruder put the strip on a 6-month hiatus beginning in March 2006. He did not return to the strip the following November, and the strip's syndicate, Universal Press Syndicate, announced that it had been canceled.[7]
The opening theme song used in the series (slightly remixed for Season 2 and 3) is performed by hip-hop artist Asheru.
The series was produced in widescreen since the beginning, but the image was cropped to accommodate the 4:3 aspect ratio at the time of their original broadcasts as well as reruns. Adult Swim rarely crops widescreen material. Since the third season, the series has been produced in 16:9 high definition and presented in its original aspect ratio and resolution.
In 2014, it was announced that McGruder would not be involved in the show's fourth and final season. Adult Swim stated, "a mutually agreeable production schedule could not be determined."[8] The first episode of the fourth (and final) season was first broadcast on April 21, 2014, with the series eventually concluding its run on June 23, 2014.[9]
Setting [ edit ]
The series opens with the Freemans settling into the fictional, peaceful, and mostly white suburb of Woodcrest. Evidence for the real-world location of the fictional Woodcrest is mixed. Proponents of the Chicago's South Side theory cite the real-life suburb of Crestwood, Illinois and the similarity of the two names.[10] The first season features several Chicago landmarks: a skyline shot showing the Willis Tower, Grant Park, buildings of the Michigan Avenue Historic District, and Lake Michigan;[11] as well as elevated rapid transit endemic to the city, resembling the Chicago "L".[12] More conclusive evidence is presented in "The Trial of Robert Kelly", in which Riley asks Grandad, "Can you take us into the City tomorrow to watch the R. Kelly Trial?".[13] Grandad denies his request and tells him to walk, and Riley replies "But it's 40 miles!" R. Kelly is from Chicago, and his trial was held in there, giving more evidence that The Boondocks is in fact set in Illinois.[14] Another reference to Chicago is Martin Luther King Drive, a major street running through South Chicago, mentioned for its violent activity in the 9th episode of season 1, "Return of the King".[14] Additionally, in "Let's Nab Oprah", Ed Wuncler III, Gin Rummy and Riley go to Oprah Winfrey's television studio in an attempt to kidnap her. The Oprah Winfrey Show was recorded at Harpo Studios in Near West Side Chicago.[15]
Proponents of the Columbia, Maryland theory, cite other evidence, such as McGruder's own childhood there, where his father worked for the National Transportation Safety Board.[16] In the comics, Huey's cellphone number has a 443 area code, which belongs to the Baltimore metropolitan area,[17]. In "Wingmen," the Freemans fly 'home' to Chicago, where they lived before moving to Woodcrest, to attend a funeral.[18] In "The Fried Chicken Flu," a reporter on a passing television screen reports on the titular disease's effect on the state of Maryland.[19] In addition, in Season 4's first episode, "Pretty Boy Flizzy," a man references an upcoming concert at Woodcrest Post Pavilion, which may be a play on Columbia's notable concert venue Merriweather Post Pavilion.[20]
Characters [ edit ]
Huey Freeman (voiced by Regina King) – 10-year-old Huey Freeman is the family's moral compass and voice of reason. He is an intelligent, wise-beyond-his-years avid reader who is knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. He is heavily influenced by the theories of various left-wing social movements and social justice leaders. His brother and grandfather constantly ridicule and underestimate him, thinking he is a fool to have goals and values that aim higher than the expectations of mainstream American culture. It is mentioned that he has been declared a "domestic terrorist". While he promotes various social causes, he is openly contemptuous of Urban Gangster Rap/Hip Hop as portrayed in mainstream media for glamorizing wasteful extravagance, self-defeating lifestyles, and ignorance. Huey, unlike the other characters, rarely smiles; in the episode "Let's Nab Oprah" he smiles after his duel with Riley; he also smiles when Riley begins to win basketball games in "Ballin'". He is a highly skilled kung-fu fighter, and beats Riley with ease in all of their fights. He has only lost to a few opponents.
Riley Freeman (voiced by Regina King) – Riley Freeman is Huey's mischievous, rebellious 8-year-old brother, an enthusiastic follower of Urban Gangster Rap/Hip Hop. Though he is otherwise charming, clever, and artistically gifted, Riley maintains loyalty to those Gangster Rap ideals, even in the face of their self-destructive consequences. In "The Fundraiser" Huey tries to warn him directly about the foregone conclusions of his poor decisions, but Riley offhandedly rebuffs him. The bulk of the series focuses on Riley's misadventures (most of which are fueled by his love of gangsta rap and a desire to emulate other people he admires) or on his various outlandish schemes, which his grandfather often endorses and aids. Despite his wild nature and attempts to appear tough, Riley occasionally shows a softer, innocent side. While his brother practices martial arts, Riley is skilled in street fighting, as shown in "Home Alone" and "Smokin' with Cigarettes".
Robert Jebediah "Grandad" Freeman (voiced by John Witherspoon) – Robert Freeman (AKA "Grandad") is the grandfather and legal guardian of Huey and Riley. While he loves his two grandsons, he sometimes explodes in tirades of angry frustration over their wisecracking observations, constant schemes, and misadventures, although he has his own moments; for instance, his eagerly misguided dating pursuits unwittingly attract bizarre or dangerous women. According to Season 3's "It's a Black President, Huey Freeman", "Nobody knows exactly how old Robert Freeman is--not even himself." Robert often threatens to discipline his grandsons, mainly Riley with Three Stooges-style corporal punishment and has developed a remarkable degree of speed and dexterity in wielding his belt for this purpose. He was an avid civil rights activist during his salad days.
Episodes [ edit ]
Season Episodes Originally aired First aired Last aired 1 15 November 6, 2005 March 19, 2006 2 15 October 8, 2007 March 23, 2008 3 15 May 2, 2010 August 15, 2010 4 10 April 21, 2014 June 23, 2014
Both the comic strip and the cartoon were influenced by McGruder's love of anime and manga.[21] He cites Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo as sources of inspiration for the series' fight scenes. The opening sequence of Season 1 contains similarities to that of Samurai Champloo. Some of the humor is based on the characters' anime-style movements.[22] In 2006, McGruder explained in an interview, "We now have a Japanese anime studio named Madhouse to help us out",[23] but at some point, the deal with Madhouse fell through.[24] Instead, MOI Animation, an Emmy Award-winning South Korean studio, handled the animation for season two onwards.[25] As a result, the following seasons of the series have more detailed animation, as well as minor updates for most of the character designs.
The episode "Pause" presents a thinly veiled parody of Tyler Perry, presented as using his religion to hide his cross-dressing. The episode reportedly angered Perry, with the network responding to his complaints by saying that they should have warned him before the episode aired.[26]
On March 21, 2014, it was revealed via press release from Adult Swim that The Boondocks would be renewed for a fourth and final season.[3][27] However, it was also revealed that the fourth season would also take place without the involvement of the series creator Aaron McGruder. The reason cited for the split between the creator and the company was a disagreement over the production schedule of the fourth season.[3]
Social critique [ edit ]
Political criticism [ edit ]
The Boondocks gives commentary on American politics from an African American perspective.[28][29] The series accomplishes this by using satire and controversial statements, such as one of the opening lines in the series, "Jesus was Black, Ronald Reagan was the devil, and the government is lying about 9/11."[30] The show has also given input on subjects like the American government's response to Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq War, and other controversial political events that took place throughout the 2000s. When asked about the show and the approaches taken that make it so controversial, series creator Aaron McGruder said, "I just hope to expand the dialogue and hope the show will challenge people to think about things they wouldn't normally think about, or think about it in a very different way."[31]
Black cultural relevance and critique [ edit ]
The series typically features appearances by well-known entities (singers, rappers, public figures) within Black popular culture as well as parodies of them. Episodes often feature cameos, as in the episode "Let's Nab Oprah," which features appearances from Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Bill Cosby.[30] Other appearances and parodies within the show include R. Kelly on trial for sexual misconduct accusations, DMX's disbelief when told about Barack Obama running for president in an interview, and an episode that mimicked Juice.[32][33] The series also parodies famous news reports including a broadcast in which a freshman in high school was called a "nigga" by his teacher, who thought the word was acceptable to use. The Boondocks recreates this incident with Riley and his teacher.[34]
The series often challenges the ways African Americans behave and think.[28][29] It has used sardonic humor to teach lessons and get people thinking since it was a comic strip, critiquing the behavior of famous African Americans throughout the early 2000s.[28] McGruder was interviewed by Nightline in early 2006 on the episode "Return of the King", which sparked much controversy after Martin Luther King Jr. reprimanded a crowd of African Americans for being lazy and unaware of their political climate. In the interview, McGruder said, "In the episode, King is critical of our apathy and inactivity... We carry the blame of our own apathy and inactivity... We deserve to take a look at that and be honest about it."[35]
The "N" word [ edit ]
The Boondocks is known for its frequent usage of the "n" word, which has been a source of controversy for the show throughout its tenure.[31] McGruder once said about the word, "I think it makes the show sincere... the N-word is used so commonly now, not only by myself but people I know, that I feel it's fake to write around it and not use it."[28] He also said in a 2005 ABC News article, "This isn't the nigga show... I just wish we would expand the dialogue and evolve past the same conversation that we've had over the past 30 years about race in our country."[31]
Reception [ edit ]
The Boondocks has received critical acclaim. In January 2006, it was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 37th NAACP Image Awards alongside The Bernie Mac Show, Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, and Half & Half. The show won a Peabody Award in 2006 for the episode "Return of the King."[36] The first season garnered positive reviews, having a score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 21 reviews.[37] IGN named it the 94th-best animated series, describing it as a sharp satirical look at American society.[38]
Critic Jeffrey M. Anderson of the San Francisco Examiner said, "Each episode is beautifully crafted, with an eye on lush, shadowy visuals and a pulsing, jazz-like rhythm... the show is almost consistently funny, consistently brilliant, and, best of all, compulsively watchable."[39]
Mike Hale of the New York Times has considered The Boondocks among the top television shows of 2010, citing "Pause" as a "painfully funny" satire of Tyler Perry being portrayed as a superstar actor and a leader of a homoerotic cult.[40] In 2013, IGN placed The Boondocks as number 17 on their list of Top 25 animated series for adults.[41]
Criticism and controversy [ edit ]
This isn't the 'nigga' show. I just wish we would expand the dialogue and evolve past the same conversation that we've had over the past 30 years about race in our country. [...] I just hope to expand the dialogue and hope the show will challenge people to think about things they wouldn't normally think about, or think about it in a very different way. —Aaron McGruder during the series' launch in 2005[42]
The Boondocks has been a frequent subject of controversy since its comic-strip debut in 1999, with ABC News noting, "Fans and critics of The Boondocks loved and hated the strip for the same reasons: its cutting-edge humor and unapologetic, sometimes unpopular, views on various issues, including race, politics, the war on terrorism and the September 11 attacks."[42] Numerous outlets predicted the show would encounter controversy prior to its November 2005 debut, due to its casual use of the word "nigger".[43][44] According to an article in The Washington Post, references to Rosa Parks were removed from one of the series' first completed episodes within a week of her death.[45] In 2006, the Reverend Al Sharpton protested the first-season episode "Return of the King," for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s character's use of the word "nigga," saying "Cartoon Network must apologize and also commit to pulling episodes that desecrate black historic figures." Cartoon Network released a statement in response defending McGruder: "We think Aaron McGruder came up with a thought-provoking way of not only showing Dr. King's bravery but also of reminding us of what he stood and fought for, and why even today, it is important for all of us to remember that and to continue to take action," the statement said.[46] The episode was later awarded a Peabody Award for being "an especially daring episode".[47]
During The Boondocks Season 2, two episodes were removed from broadcast without any official word from the network.[48][49] Originally slated to air on November 16 and December 17,[49] "The Hunger Strike" and "The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show" were both heavily critical of BET. An exclusive clip of "The Hunger Strike" was given to HipHopDX.com in late January 2008, before both episodes were included in full on the Season 2 DVD release that summer. An anonymous source close to the show told HipHopDX.com that they heard BET had been pressuring Sony (the studio behind The Boondocks) to ban the episodes and threatened legal action.[49] Cartoon Network publicly stated that "...neither Turner nor Adult Swim were contacted by BET, Ms. Lee or Mr. Hudlin". However, BET's parent company, Viacom, did threaten legal action against Sony if said episodes were broadcast to air in the United States.[50]
Tyler Perry was reportedly infuriated by his depiction in the Season 3 episode "Pause", first aired in June 2010, although he has officially given no response.[51] The episode stars Winston Jerome, a parody of Perry, a "closeted, cross-dressing cult leader whose love of the Christian faith is a mask for his true sexuality," in what the Los Angeles Times described as "one of the sharpest public criticisms of Perry".[52] Soon after the episode aired, Perry got in touch with executives at Turner Broadcasting and "complained loudly" about the episode, threatening to rethink his relationship with the company.[53] In 2010, Time magazine named The Boondocks as sixth out of 10 of the Most Controversial Cartoons of All Time.[54]
Attempted film spin-off [ edit ]
McGruder launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $200,000 in order to produce a live-action film focusing on the character Uncle Ruckus. He stated that crowd-funding would be the sole source of funding for the film's budget.[55] The campaign was from January 30 through March 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m. EST, ending with 2,667 backers and $129,963 of the $200,000 goal.[56] The project ultimately never got off the ground.
Broadcast [ edit ]
The Boondocks airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in the United States and on NITV in Australia (in Australia Season 2 has also aired on The Comedy Channel). In Canada, Teletoon at Night, then known as "The Detour on Teletoon", aired the first two seasons, including several episodes that didn't air in the US. Sony Entertainment Television (and later Sony Max) broadcasts the show in South Africa. It has also been aired on TV3 and TV6 in Sweden, on Comedy Central in New Zealand. MTV Italy and Comedy Central Italy in Italy, and on channel TV3+ in Denmark.
In Russia, The Boond |
CMH) following existing norms, the army official said.
For details and to ascertain identity of the deceased, people have been told to contact army provost martial of Bangladesh Army over a hotline +88-0176-9012524.
Members of army, navy, air force, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action battalion and police took part in the over an hour operation starting at 7:40am, Brig Gen Nayeem.
Two Sri Lankans and a Japanese were among the 13 hostages rescued in the operation.
Six terrorists were killed and joint forces detained a suspected attacker from the spot, he said.
A pistol used by terrorists, folded butt AK 22 rifle, Improvised Explosive Device (IED), walkie-talkie set and a large number of locally made sharp weapons were recovered from the spot, he said.Boston police arrested a Boston University medical student yesterday in the slaying of a New York woman at a luxury Back Bay hotel last week and an earlier attack on another woman. Both victims had advertised personal services on Craigslist.
After an intensive manhunt along the Eastern Seaboard, Philip Markoff, 22, of Quincy, was stopped by police around 4 p.m. while driving south on Interstate 95 in Walpole, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said at a press conference last night at police headquarters.
The second-year medical student was charged with fatally shooting 26-year-old Julissa Brisman April 14 at the Marriott Copley Hotel and with the armed robbery and kidnapping of a prostitute who was tied up at the Westin Copley in the Back Bay on April 10.
Brisman had advertised her masseuse service on Craigslist; the second victim was a prostitute who advertised through the online classified website.
"We are very, very happy to have this man off the streets in a timely way," Davis said.
The arrest was made in two crimes whose brazen nature and swanky locale shocked Boston residents, drew national attention, and exposed the seamy world of prostitution fostered by the anonymity of the Internet. Police in Warwick, R.I., would not comment last night on whether Markoff is a suspect in a similar attack that occurred in a hotel there Thursday.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley called Markoff "a predator" who may have attacked other women he met through similar Craigslist ads.
"There may be other victims out there with a similar MO, a Craigslist MO, and if there are, we want to help you," Conley said at the news conference.
Authorities arrested Markoff following what Davis called a round-the-clock investigation that relied on forensic evidence including fingerprints, electronic evidence, and photographs of the suspect taken by hotel surveillance cameras.
Federal and state investigators and police from Massachusetts and Rhode Island "followed high-tech leads and used old-fashioned shoe leather," Conley said.
Ellen Berlin, chief spokeswoman for the Boston University School of Medicine, said Markoff has been suspended because of the criminal charges.
He is one of more than 600 medical students on the school's South End campus and was featured grinning broadly in a 2007 Globe photograph as he showed off his white medical coat with other students at the school's annual White Coat Day ceremony.
One medical school colleague recalled meeting Markoff at orientation and studying anatomy with him. She said, "He seemed like a nice guy, and he was a helpful, smart kid."
Markoff is engaged to be married and attended the State University of New York at Albany before entering medical school, according to two law enforcement officials.SAN FRANCISCO — Before handcuffing herself to the White House fence, former Petty Officer 1st Class Autumn Sandeen carefully pinned three rows of Navy ribbons to her chest. Her regulation dress blue skirt, fitted jacket, hat, and black pumps were new — fitting for a woman who spent two decades serving her country as a man.
Sandeen was the only transgender person among the six veterans arrested in April while protesting the military’s ban on openly gay troops. But when she watched President Obama sign the hard-fought bill allowing for the ban’s repeal, melancholy tinged her satisfaction.
“This is another bridesmaid moment for the transgender community,’’ the 51-year-old San Diego resident said.
The “don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy now heading toward history does not apply to transgender recruits, who are automatically disqualified as unfit for service. But the military’s longstanding posture on gender identity has not prevented transgender citizens from signing up before they come out, or from obtaining psychological counseling, hormones, and routine health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs once they return to civilian life.
As the Pentagon prepares to welcome openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members, Sandeen is not alone in hoping the United States will one day join other nations that allow transgender troops.
“There is really no question, it’s just a matter of when,’’ said former Army Captain Allyson Robinson, 40, a West Point graduate who has spoken to sociology classes at the academy she attended as a male cadet.
No one knows how many transgender people are serving or have served. But the Transgender American Veterans Association, an advocacy group founded in 2003, estimates there could be up to 300,000 transgender people among the nation’s 26 million veterans.
Military regulations state that men and women who identify with or present a gender different from their sex at birth have mental conditions that make them ineligible to serve. Those who have undergone genital surgery are listed as having physical abnormalities.
Until the American Psychiatric Association removes gender identity disorder from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as it did for homosexuality in 1973, that is likely to remain the case, Sandeen said.
The very diagnosis that keeps transgender Americans out of uniform has enabled some to obtain transition-related medical care and other services when they become veterans.
Sandeen said the veterans hospital in San Diego made it possible for her to start living as a woman once she retired from the Navy a decade ago.
“As soon as I got an appointment with the psychiatry department, the first thing I said to them is, ‘I have gender issues. I don’t know if I’m a transvestite or a transsexual or if I’m something in between, but I need to work this out with a therapist,’ ’’ she recalled.
She eventually received a recommendation to see a veterans health doctor who could prescribe estrogen.
Sandeen had lined up a work-study job at the hospital’s patient health library.
“February 6, 2003, my first day of being publicly female, I was working for $10 an hour at the VA helping other vets with health care needs,’’ she said.
© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.Not only will Professor Charles Xavier be appearing in Hugh Jackman's as-yet-untitled third Wolverine solo film, but we'll apparently be getting a new spin on Patrick Stewart's patriarch of the merry mutant family.
That's from Stewart himself, who told Screenrant:
“Oh, yeah I love being in those movies. I feel… I am very passionate about the X-Men movies and unlike Star Trek, where I was Captain of the Enterprise, but someone had already been captain of the Enterprise before me, William Shatner. Um, but well I created Professor X and now James is taking it over and he is wonderful so flattering to have him as a youthful me. Everybody associated with that project, they are fantastic… the actors, the crew and the directors and now that Singer is back directing it because the first two were wonderful movies. Yeah, I would go happy into old age doing more X-Men, but something tells me from what I read that Hugh said it may be over soon. I don’t know what the studio will think about that. We’ll see. He’s a terrific character, but I am looking forward to… if what I have been told is true… to a different version of Charles. We shall see.” That's quite a task, considering that we've seen different versions of Xavier, from different actors, in different time periods, with different philosophies, over the course of the franchise.Toronto police say they found a rosary, a Remembrance Day poppy, and a ladder inside the mystery tunnel (alright, "bunker") discovered near York University on January 14.
At a press conference this morning, cops said the chamber was 6 feet 4 inches from floor to ceiling, 2'10'' wide, and more than 30 ft. long. The walls and roof had been reinforced with wood and it appeared more than one person was involved in its creation, likely using shovels and a pulley system to remove the dirt.
There was even a sump pump to extract water and some sound suppression material.
It was "warm and comfortable" inside and likely used at some point during this winter.
Right now there's no evidence the bunker was the work of criminals (or a race of mole people.) The tunnel ran north-south before it was filled in and didn't appear to be heading in the direction of Pan Am Games venue, the Rexall Centre.
"There is no criminal offence for digging a hole," said Deputy Chief Mark Saunders.
Police are appealing to the public for more information.
The Hottest Club in TO is Mystery Tunnel. It has reinforced walls, a generator, & the DJ is a Catholic WW2 ghost. pic.twitter.com/smEOUSjjrH â jodie simpson (@JodiesJumpsuit) February 24, 2015
MORE TUNNEL IMAGES:
Map of the area near where the crucifix-shaped tunnel was found.
Top secret entrance as it was discovered.
Inside the tunnel.
View of the tunnel showing the reinforced ceiling and walls.
Rosary and poppy found in tunnel.
The roof of a separate pit containing a generator.
Inside the generator pit.
The generator.
Wheelbarrow used to remove excavated dirt.
Pile of excavated tunnel material and a plastic gasoline can.
More dirt.
Looking into the tunnel after excavation by police.
Another view of the excavated tunnel.
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: Toronto PoliceAn author and illustrator responsible for helping popularise Māori tales in schools and homes has died after a long illness.
Photo: Supplied
Peter Gossage - who died at the age of 69 on 30 July - has left behind a legacy of more than 20 children's books based on Māori mythology, including How Maui Slowed the Sun and Pania of the Reef.
Penguin Random House NZ publishing director Debra Millar said Mr Gossage was a trailblazer in bringing Māori stories to life, using vivid graphic illustrations and simple storytelling.
Ms Millar said it would be hard to find someone who grew up in New Zealand in the last 40 years who would not recognise his work.
"It's incredibly sad, I think he occupies a really special place in terms of New Zealand children's literature," she said.
"But of course his books and stories will live on - that's his legacy for us and for generations of children to continue to enjoy.
"There's really no one else like him."
Mr Gossage began as a graphic designer in an advertising firm and it was his illustrations of Māori motifs which first attracted the eye of a publisher, she said.
He has created books since the 1970's and a hardback copy featuring eight of his titles is due to be released this year.
Libraries and booksellers throughout the country have paid tribute to Mr Gossage online:
We're very sad to hear of master storyteller & author Peter Gossage's death. Arohanui. https://t.co/gnuBd2cXoI — WCL (@wcl_library) August 2, 2016
New blog post: Haere ra Peter Gossage - With great sadness, we share the news that beloved author & master Maor... https://t.co/CqKXD5gtuq — ChChCityLibraries (@ChristchurchLib) August 2, 2016
How Maui found his mother by Peter Gossage https://t.co/xQO9HbbCQ7 — PalmNorthCityLibrary (@pncitylibrary) August 2, 2016
Sad to hear Peter Gossage has died.His storytelling & singular illustrations were so definitive to so many Kiwi kids pic.twitter.com/HaR5BxJg7I — Unity Books AK (@UnityBooks) August 2, 2016Introduction
Denim, denim, denim – where would menswear be without it? It forms a significant part of our wardrobes, the backbone if you will, and has done so now for centuries.
Despite its perennial presence, denim has in fact been recognised as a major trend for this spring/summer. Designers such as Valentino and Calvin Klein have had their say and are championing this most rugged of fabrics for the season; using it for everything from tuxedos and suits to full denim ensembles.
Whilst its popularity is undeniably enduring, in its traditional guise of jeans, denim isn’t the most comfortable choice for warm weather.
Step forward the denim/jean short. Breezier than its full-length counterpart and far more weather-appropriate, especially as we begin the transition into autumn, denim shorts are a serious alternative to chino versions and a popular choice for denim-heads and streetwear aficionados come high summer.
Denim Shorts
Although they are still a controversial style for some, over the past couple of years denim shorts have cemented themselves as a casual summer staple. This popularity is highly unlikely to wane either, especially with mums and students up and down the country lopping old jeans into this shorter alternative – something we so happen to have a very handy guide to. After all, we can’t have you wandering around in mis-cut, lopsided jean/short hybrids can we?
Whether your denim shorts are a D.I.Y. effort or a more conventional purchase, the first thing to understand is that they are a casual piece. Although the short suits debate is currently dominating menswear – and shorts continue to plot to take over the realm of smart-casual – denim shorts won’t be fighting in the vanguard for this one. They will be firmly left behind to hold down the fort on the more casual side of the divide; pair them with tees not ties.
Length, as ever with shorts, is imperative. A knee length finish gives off a more relaxed air that is suited to casual ensembles, but they should certainly not extend further, they are shorts after all. Any longer and you encroaching on three-quarter length territory – i.e. sartorial wasteland.
Opting for a slightly higher cut that finishes a couple of inches above the knee will increase versatility. It’s certainly the cut favoured within current industry trends, especially when looking to dress shorts up a notch from typical t-shirt and trainer combinations.
Whatever length you favour, keep your shorts free from overpowering pockets and general bulk. They may be a more casual summer option but they still need to retain clean lines, and cumbersome side pockets certainly won’t aid this. A roll-up or two at the hem, especially if your shorts are D.I.Y. effort, is a nice finishing touch that shows you pay attention to the finer details.
Ways To Wear: Denim Shorts
Denim Shorts Lookbook
Look One: Summer Casual
As previously mentioned, denim shorts are an incredibly casual piece. Stay true to their streetwear roots and utilise them in this way by pairing alongside a similarly casual t-shirt. The printed tee is currently enjoying a bit of a moment after a recent bout of style stigma and it makes the perfect foil for off-duty denim.
Florals have been a major print trend this season. Work them into your look through the t-shirt and bring the outfit up a notch with some slightly smarter footwear, in the form of a pair of tassel loafers.
Alternatively, if loafers are a little too smart for your taste, a fashion trainer or even a desert boot can make a bold statement:
Topman Serge Denimes Floral Print T-shirt
Asos Denim Short In Super Skinny Fit
Alexander Mcqueen Suede Tassel Loafers
Look Two: Double-Denim
Double-denim: it never fails to spark debate or raise eyebrows when done wrong. However, when done right the Canadian Tuxedo is a superb style statement that will turn heads for all the right reasons.
This contrast sleeve jacket is bang on trend and makes mixing your denims that much easier due to the non-standard colours used. Layer a simple v-neck tee underneath and combine with light denim shorts to complete the double-denim ensemble.
A pair of Chuck Taylors are a fail-safe footwear option that the majority will already have in their casual wardrobe:
Reiss Dayton Short Sleeve Basic V-neck T-shirt Pinot
G Star Denim Jacket Hunter Mix Slim Fit Dark Aged
Vintage Renewal Levis 8 Inch Turn-up 501 Shorts
Converse Chuck Taylor Canvas Sneakers
Look Three: Smart-Casual
Bite the bullet and take steps to dress up this most casual of garments. Don’t look to break them into the shorts suit domain; an unstructured blazer offers a low risk way of working them with tailoring.
A burgundy blazer over a short-sleeve patterned shirt is both seasonally-appropriate and dressed down enough to complement the denim shorts.
If you want to be able to dress up your denim shorts, look for solid coloured versions with minimal fading, bleaching or distressing. The pair below come in a deep, rich blue tone that almost gives them the appearance of smarter chino shorts, enhancing their versatility and enabling them to be paired with smart-casual pieces.
In terms of footwear, smart-casual shoes will sit well within the look – a pair of suede bucks ties the smart and casual elements together perfectly. They also offer a nice tactile element, which is a great way to differentiate your look in the summer:
Allsaints Madre Shirt
Browns Unstructured Paper-silk Blazer
Asos Denim Shorts
Pointer Rosa Navy Suede Surfer Shoes
On The Streets
Seeing as denim shorts are the epitome of streetwear, it’s only right we take a look at how the style has translated to the streets:
Further Inspiration
For further inspiration as to the type of looks you can introduce denim shorts to, try the guides below:
Men’s Denim Shorts
Selected Denim Shorts
Acid Wash Denim Shorts
Vintage Levis Turn-up Shorts In Black
Topman Blue Bleach Denim Shorts
Oliver Spencer Washed-denim Chambray Shorts
River Island Light Wash Skinny Stretch Denim Shorts
Topman Blue Grey Denim Shorts
Topman Blue Denim Tie Dye Shorts
Denim Bermuda
Denim Bermuda
River Island Black Slim Denim Shorts
Criminal Coloured Denim Short
Asos Denim Shorts In Skinny Fit
Vintage Renewal Raw-cut Levis Shorts
Reclaimed Vintage Tie-dye Shorts
Final Word
Denim shorts have built on their popularity from 2012 and cemented themselves as a true spring/summer staple – perfect for brisk mornings yet light enough to wear as the temperature creeps up. Although strictly a casual option, it is these same qualities that will ensure they remain popular as we progress through to autumn.
With the material having now firmly established its place within our wardrobes all year round, denim is, and forever will be, a dominant menswear force.
But now we want to hear your view:
Are you a self-confessed denim-head?
What are your thoughts on denim shorts?
Does denim work in the height of summer?
How do you like to style your denim shorts?
Let us know in the comments section below…Hello!
I’ve never really been considered a deckbuilder. I have had a hand in building a lot of the most powerful tournaments decks lately, but it is very rare that I come up with a different idea that is good all by myself. Even if you take the deck I was mostly involved with in recent memory, Dark Depths from PT Austin, the idea was not mine – I was probably responsible for the other 52 cards in the deck, but the Hexmage/Depths did not come from me.
Regardless of that, though, I still manage to do well on the Pro Tour. In fact, I generally have a pretty good deck (which is never the product of my work alone). My goal for this article is to talk about deckbuilding from the eyes of someone who is not a deckbuilder – I’ll try to list some of the mistakes that most people make and how you can correct them.
Innovation is mostly overrated
A while ago, AJ Sacher wrote an article about how innovation was overrated. Conley then wrote a rebuttal article saying that innovation was, in fact, underrated. In my opinion, it is actually both. When I say I am not a deckbuilder, that doesn’t mean I don’t have ideas – I have plenty of them. Most of them – the overwhelming majority of them, pretty much all of them – are just not good enough. Why does that happen to me? Why is it that I of all people have so many bad ideas?
Well, the truth is, I don’t. It happens to me because I am normal. Chances are you’re normal too, and this happens to you just like it happens to me, except you don’t want to accept it. If you want to succeed at a higher level, you have to internalize that most innovation – from you, me, AJ, Conley, Mark Rosewater – is simply not good enough.
While it is true that sometimes you have to think outside the box, both in playing and in deckbuilding, I feel like people do it far too much. If you really care about winning, then you have to do whatever is best, not whatever is most different or most innovative. One of my favorite Harry Potter quotes (and, trust me, there are many of those, because Harry Potter is awesome) is when Dolores Umbridge says in book 5 that “progress for progress’s sake must be discouraged.” If you have a reason to be different, then be different, but challenging conventional wisdom just because you want to be known as the challenger of conventional wisdom will get you nowhere in a game of Magic, in fact quite the opposite. In this aspect, I would say innovation is greatly overrated – whatever advantage you think you are gaining by catching them off guard with your brew is probably 10 times smaller than you think it is, and likely does not make up for playing worse cards.
There is, however, another aspect. Though I do believe innovation will often harm you inside a game of Magic, it can bring great dividends outside of it. Let’s quote Conley in his article: “If we did not think that we were improving our chances at winning over the long run, we would probably not be doing what we are doing.” I completely agree, if you extending winning to more than that particular game of Magic. By innovating, you can become famous in the Magic community very quickly. You can become well liked very quickly, because people like innovation. You might also just enjoy playing your own decks more than you enjoy winning – all this brings dividends that might be way more important to you than match wins. I think that most people who innovate do it because of that, even if unconsciously – they force themselves to believe they have a better chance of winning with a brew, when in fact they just want to be different.
Let’s take Conley as an example again. Conley is a very famous player, a lot of people know him and a lot of people love him. Is that because of his results? Hardly so. Not that his results are bad, far from it, but they’re not enough to justify the amount of attention he gets – I’m sure there are a lot of people with similar results that you’ve never even heard of. The reason Conley is liked so much and that he is so famous is because he plays different decks. In this position, being innovative brings Conley more rewards than playing an accepted good deck; it’s possible that he would have t8ed two more GPs in his life if he had played regular decks, but he would probably be less known with those two top 8s than he is now.
It’s important to understand here that I am not judging – I am merely stating how it is. I completely understand why people do the things they do, and I do not think they’re wrong to do so, quite the contrary – if you’re Conley, I would say that right now you get more by playing a brew deck and finishing 8th than by playing a regular deck and finishing 4th. I just want to make sure that you, the reader, understand the implications of what you are doing so you can make a conscious choice. If you want match wins, then you are better off just playing a “good deck” the vast majority of the time. If you want a better chance at fame, recognition, fortune, women, then you should try to innovate. Just make sure you also understand that innovating is very very easy, but innovating and still winning enough that it will bring you this recognition is very hard. A lot of the decks I see around do look very creative, but it’s not hard to be creative when you take down the “good” requirement – I’m pretty sure anyone can do it and it does not give you much merit. There are hundreds of Conley Woods in every event, but you only know Conley Woods, since he is the one that wins enough despite handicapping himself, because that is what he does in almost every event. As far as match wins are concerned, by playing his own decks every time, Conley gives up more than he gains.
I do not say this from an outsider’s perspective only – I’ve definitely been through what I’ve described. I think I’ve played weird cards/decks because of other reasons than being good many times, but one of them really stands out. As you might know if you’ve read my story, when I was very young I played in GP Curitiba (Extended) with a Battle of Wits deck. The reason I played it (and it took me a long while to admit this to myself, believe me), was not because I thought it had the best chance to win. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think it was HORRIBLE; I thought I could actually win, but who are we kidding? The reason I played it was because I wanted to be different, I wanted to be recognized, I wanted to be in the coverage. And it worked, I did – there is even a picture of me despite not even day 2ing (and I had 3 byes, AND IT WAS SEVEN ROUNDS! I guess some decks are weird enough that you don’t have to do well at all). By the end of the tournament, everyone knew who I was – I’d wager more people knew who “the Battle of Wits kid” was than people knew who finished 5th place in the GP. Was it worth it? Looking back, no – I wish I had played a real deck. Especially because most people thought I had been an idiot, and that’s not a very good kind of popularity.
Traps we create to ourselves
One of the problems with building or selecting a deck for a tournament is that we really, really want our deck to be good. We all dream of winning with our own deck, with the one we designed and tuned especially for that tournament. We imagine Brian David-Marshall and Richard Hagon talking about us during the top 8 matches, and how no one had thought of that before. We imagine tweeting an apology to Mark Rosewater for breaking the format so bad they had to ban a card – maybe they’ll have to hire you to R&D to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We imagine writing it all in our winning tournament report. We imagine having to create a fan page on Facebook, because we’ll receive so many comments related to the deck that our non-Magic friends will actually be annoyed at the updates. Once we are at that point, how are we expected to let it go?
We must. We have to understand that, as much as we want our deck to be good, a lot of the times it is not, and then we have to move on. The biggest problem is that, as they say, there’s none so blind as those who will not see, and when our own creations are concerned, we really do not want to see. This starts in testing.
When we playtest, the goal should be to figure out what is good and what is bad, or how to play a certain deck/matchup. Yet, most people take playtesting way more seriously than they should – they do not really want to find out if their deck is good, they want to show everyone that their deck is good. If you think their deck is bad, or if you (god forbid) show them their deck is bad by beating it over and over, they’ll actually be angry at you. When that is the case, they start making excuses for themselves whenever they lose. With time, you learn to identify them – the easiest and most common one is “I got unlucky/you got so lucky!” When you find yourself thinking that too much in playtesting, stop and think for a while – perhaps it is not so, and perhaps your deck is not so good. There is an excuse that is way more dangerous, though, because it is so much easier to believe – “I played badly.”
The reason this is so much harder to spot as an excuse is that you admit to something, which makes it look like you’d admit to anything that is really wrong. It really does sound a lot more credible to you and to everyone else – after all, you’ve already admitted to being wrong, why would you not admit it if your deck was not good? You’ve clearly shown you are capable of it, and would have done it if you were actually guilty.
Imagine, for example, that your parents went away and you broke two vases during their trip. They come back, and you tell them the dog broke the two vases. They might believe you, they might not, and if they ever find out you did break one, then they’ll automatically assume you broke the other. Now if you go ahead and tell them you broke the smaller one but the dog broke the bigger one, there is a much better chance they’ll believe you, because you’ve already proved you can admit to your mistakes, and if you are admitting to one, why would you not admit to both? Whenever you do something bad, it always makes it easier to “escape” if you admit to the lesser thing. In a playtesting scenario, playing badly is clearly the lesser thing, and your deck being good the most important one – but admitting to playing badly does not mean your deck is good! I believe we do this a lot, even subconsciously, and it is very important that we are aware of what is really happening.
You can also see this point clearly in deckbuilders reports. When someone is famous for being a deckbuilder, they will very often say that they lost because they made a mistake, but that “the deck would have won.” The reason they do that is that they reputation as a deckbuilder is more important to them than their reputation as a player – they would rather you think they play bad (often because that ship has already sailed) than that you think their decks are bad, because that is the lesser of the things to admit.
Another important aspect is that we have a very selective memory – we remember the losses we should not have had, but we never remember the wins that we were given. Sometimes you think your deck is good and then you win a lot in the first playtesting session, but you should not try to care for results alone, but for how the games were played – perhaps you were getting lucky and skewing the results. Perhaps your opponent was not as good, which would also skew the results.
At GP Dallas, a friend of mine played a “brew” deck. He ended up one win short of day 2ing, and when I inquired about the deck, he replied with “yeah the deck was good, I could have won all the matches that I lost had I played differently, so it’s like the deck day 2ed.” That might even be true, but how about the matches that he won? Would he have won them if his opponents were playing differently? Is it fair to count the ones you mess up as “wins for the deck,” and then count the ones where you should have lost but your opponent messed up as “wins for the deck” as well? In this situation, I believe you’re just lying to yourself – again, you choose the lesser admittance.
Good decks play powerful cards
Lately, there have been a lot of authors who champion the idea that “good decks play powerful cards,” and I couldn’t agree more. The real problem with this “motto” lies in the evaluation of what a powerful card is. Nowadays, a common method is to make a top 10 list, and then see how many of those cards the top decks play. The problem is that the cards that go in the top 10 lists go there because they’re played in the best decks! This creates a sort of circular logic that would make Menendian proud, where “the best decks play the better cards, which are the cards that are played in the best decks” – makes sense and makes you look like a genius (after all your best cards will all be played in the top decks, and the top decks will play all your best cards), but doesn’t actually do anything for you.
I think the best way to do this is to just say that good decks will generally play cards that are intrinsically powerful. A powerful card is not one that “goes into a powerful deck” (because, again, that would be circular) – it is a card that crushed them, a card that you’re happy to draw when you’re behind, a card that makes a difference, a card they don’t want you to draw in a certain situation, a card that makes you wish “WHY AM I NOT PLAYING THAT CARD?” By the same level, a card is not powerful when you’re disgusted to draw it, when it makes you question why you’re actually playing it.
It doesn’t take much to realize that a card like Jace, the Mind Sculptor is more powerful than a card like Ornithopter – just hold the two for a moment, one in each hand, and keep reading them until it eventually comes to you. If you do not own a Jace, the Mind Sculptor to do the experiment, then close this article right now – clearly you do not take Magic seriously enough (this is a joke. It is directed at Kyle Boggeymans). If you do not own an Ornithopter, then you automatically pass, because all the bad people love Ornithopter (this is not a joke).
One of my biggest problems with decks like Ramp, WW Quest and Kuldotha Red is that they play a lot of extremely weak cards, thus becoming slaves of synergy. Memnite, Signal Pest, Llanowar Elves, and Rampant Growth are all horrible cards to draw at many points of the game, and if you play as many of them as you do in those decks, you’ll be in major trouble if some of your pieces are disrupted.
It is important to realize, though, that the best decks do not have to play the most intrinsically good cards. Faeries, for example, played some cards that were simply not “powerful,” like Scion of Oona, but context made them powerful. As long as the rest of your deck is powerful enough by itself, then you’re fine with some situational cards; it’s the “all weak but situationally strong cards” that I have a problem with.
Know the reasons
“Being powerful” is not enough justification for you to play a card, though. Every card you play should have a reason to be there, and, please understand this: the card text is not enough reason!
A while ago, I posted a Twitter message that said “Can someone explain to me why Liliana Vess is suddenly good?” in reference to the top 8 of GP Barcelona and the fact that she had never really been much played before, at least not in this format. Half the tweets I got back were almost copy/pastes of the card text. “She’s good because she discards cards.” “She can tutor for anything you want!” “Big Starting Loyalty!!” “She has a game-winning ultimate!” People, that is what she does, not why she is good. Besides, if that was all there was to it, I wouldn’t need to ask – I can clearly read the card myself.
More importantly, not only is this all written on the card, but this has always been written on the card. Last year, when no one played her, she discarded cards, tutored for cards and reanimated dudes just the same, and her starting loyalty was also 5. The real question was why she was good NOW, what changed in the environment to make her a good card when she wasn’t before.
Now, some people actually came up with something like “if you can deal with Sword via some sort of discard, then they will be left with 1/1s and 1/2s, which don’t deal with Liliana very well because of her big starting loyalty. Even if they do have Sword, it takes 3 turns for a Sworded mystic to kill Liliana, and every time they attack it they waste their Sword.” “Decks have been shying away from countermagic in favor of Inquisition, which doesn’t deal with Liliana” could also have been an explanation.
Now, that makes sense. Does that mean Liliana is good? No. But if she is good now, that is part of the reason why. People who answered, “Discard for free? sign me up!” are not trying to understand why the card is good. Why don’t you play Liliana in Vampires? It’s discard for free, tutors for any card you want, and the ultimate is even better there!
If they don’t know why it’s good, they’ll never know when it’s correct to have her in your deck, when it’s correct to tap out for her, when it’s correct to side her in or side her out, when it’s correct to throw a chump blocker in the way of a creature attacking her.
There are a couple ways to better understand the Whys. The first is to simply ask “why” instead of whatever you’re asking. A lot of the time, people come to me and ask, for example, “what would you side versus this deck” or “would you keep this hand on the play?” I then tell them what I’d side or if I’d keep, and they say “thank you.” They never ask Why. Then, the next day, they’ll face a slightly different match, or open a slightly different hand, and they’ll have to ask again, whereas if they understood the reasons then they would be able to think for themselves. During playtesting, you are the person you should be asking “Why?” to.
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about a month and a half away from seeing what happens when the aliens who attacked us 20 years ago in Independence Day regroup and come back to finish the job. As we’ve seen in viral news reports and the trailers for Independence Day: Resurgence released this year, we’ve already rebuilt, and we’ve even utilized alien technology to advance our weapons and society, including a global initiative that founded Earth Space Defense, which includes a military base on the moon.
Now another viral video has surfaced in the form of a recruitment video for Earth Space Defense with William Fichtner asking you to be all you can be…in space. We also get to hear part of a speech that President Lanford (Sela Ward) gives in the movie In addition, you can actually go enlist in ESD and play a few mini games to unlock some new footage from the film. Some of them even provide hints as to what story details we may find in the sequel. Watch the Independence Day Resurgence viral video after the jump.
Here’s the Earth Space Defense recruitment video for Independence Day: Resurgence from 20th Century Fox:
If you’re looking to kill time at work or just don’t have anything better to do, you can enlist in Earth Space Defense right here. Don’t get paranoid when you see the “Enlist” button on the same page as the U.S. Army logo. They’re not trying to trick you into joining the army, but they have sponsored the page with a link to learn more about real Army careers.
Once you enlist, you’re given four missions to choose from, and upon completing each of them, you can watch four different 30-second featurettes with some new footage from the film and talking heads from cast members like Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Jessie Usher, as well as director Roland Emmerich.
The interesting thing about the missions is they may provide insight into some of the story. For example, one has you tracking down microbes that allow the aliens to influence human thought through telepathy so you can create a serum that will stop the aliens from being able to enter human minds, just as they did to President Whitmore (Pullman) in the first Independence Day. Maybe that’s something we’ve already done when the movie starts or maybe that’s a plot point in the sequel. We’ll have to wait and see.
Speaking of former president Whitmore, there’s also a quick shot of him as a talking head where he doesn’t have that grizzled beard and he’s wearing a flight suit. So I think we can expect Whitmore to lose the distressed bum look and kick some alien ass again. However, with his daughter (played by Maika Monroe) stepping into action as well, there’s a chance we might see him die in this one.
We always knew they were coming back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next epic chapter delivers global spectacle on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.
Independence Day: Resurgence invades theaters on June 24.Disney’s Hollywood Studios Archives Star Wars Weekends
UPDATE NOVEMBER 9, 2015: Work will begin in 2016 on the 14-acre Star Wars-themed land announced at the D23 EXPO last summer. With construction underway, Star Wars Weekends will NOT be offered.
STAR WARS WEEKENDS — Since 1997, Walt Disney World has sponsored a series of special Star Wars Weekends in the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. Activities normally include celebrity appearances, as well as trivia contests and prize give-aways, Star Tours "ride-a-thons," and a Star Wars Cantina street party, complete with a live disc jockey. For a general idea of what happens during a Star Wars weekend, see our 2015 Info.
During Star Wars Weekends, celebrities from the Star Wars films and the animated series are on hand for motorcades and star conversations, as well as autograph sessions. Actors featured over the years include Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Anthony Daniels (C3PO) among others. Lots of costumed characters, from Luke Skywalker and Queen Amidala to Ewoks and Jawas, can also be found milling about the park, with plenty of opportunities for Star Wars fans to meet and greet them.
OFFICIAL 2015 PRESS RELEASE
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Beginning May 15, 2015, the Force returns to Disney's Hollywood Studios as Star Wars Weekends combines the fun and adventure of the Star Wars franchise with the magic of Disney Parks.
This year's event welcomes a new show, "Star Wars: Rebels," new locations for autograph sessions and merchandise and several Star Wars luminaries making their first hyperspace jump to Star Wars Weekends.
Bringing Walt Disney World Resort guests as close to the Force as they can get, Star Wars Weekends features more than 60 Star Wars characters roaming the theme park for meet-and-greet opportunities, a Star Wars motorcade, the "Symphony in the Stars" nighttime fireworks spectacular saluting iconic sounds of the films, event-exclusive merchandise at Darth's Mall, Star Wars-inspired dining offerings and specialty food and beverages, interactive activities, and more every weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) May 15-June 14, 2015.
Highlighting the event, Star Wars celebrities, including returning favorites and event newcomers, will appear in star conversations, talk shows, autograph sessions, and the motorcades each weekend. Bringing his evil prowess to Star Wars Weekends for the first time, actor Ian McDiarmid, Senator/Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars movies, will kick off Weekend I May 15-17. To balance out the appearance of the dark side with a beacon of light, actor Frank Oz, the voice of Yoda in the Star Wars movies, will make his first event appearance in Weekend V June 12-14.
Celebrities scheduled to appear at Star Wars Weekends 2015 include voices from the hit Disney XD series "Star Wars Rebels" and stars from Episodes I-VI of the Star Wars film franchise (entertainment is subject to change):
Weekend I (May 15 – 17)
Ian McDiarmid: Senator/Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
Senator/Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) Amy Allen : Aayla Secura (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)
: Aayla Secura (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) Tiya Sircar: Sabine Wren (Star Wars Rebels)
Weekend II (May 22 – 24)
Warwick Davis: Wald, Wicket W. Warrick (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
Wald, Wicket W. Warrick (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) Silas Carson: Ki-Adi-Mundi, Nute Gunray (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith)
Ki-Adi-Mundi, Nute Gunray (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) Vanessa Marshall: Hera Syndulla (Star Wars Rebels)
Weekend III (May 29 – 31)
Warwick Davis: Wald, Wicket W. Warrick (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
Wald, Wicket W. Warrick (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) Daniel Logan: Boba Fett (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Boba Fett (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: The Clone Wars) Steve Blum: Zeb Orrelios (Star Wars Rebels)
Weekend IV (June 5 – 7)
Ray Park: Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)
Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) Jeremy Bulloch: Boba Fett (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
Boba Fett (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) Ashley Eckstein: Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars: The Clone Wars; Star Wars Rebels)
Weekend V (June 12 – 14)
Frank Oz: Yoda (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Star Wars Rebels)
Yoda (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi; Star Wars Rebels) Ray Park: Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)
Darth Maul (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) Peter Mayhew: Chewbacca (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: A New Hope; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
Chewbacca (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: A New Hope; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) Taylor Gray: Ezra Bridger (Star Wars Rebels)
The host of Star Wars Weekends, actor James Arnold Taylor, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and "Star Wars Rebels," will also host the new Star Wars Weekends show "Star Wars: Rebels," where guests can relive the twists and turns of the first season of the Disney XD series with special guests from the show's voice cast. In addition to Ashley Eckstein's Weekend IV guest spot, she will also be joining every day of the event as host of "Padawan Mind Challenge – Family Edition."
Disney's Hollywood Studios guests can enjoy year-round Star Wars favorites at the theme park with a blast through a Star Wars adventure on "Star Tours – The Adventures Continue" and young Padawans can prepare to face the dark side with new lightsaber skills at Jedi Training Academy.
A celebration of all-things-Star Wars, the special event is included in regular park admission to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Guests can join in on the fun on social media using #SWW2015.Bob Dylan
2000-03-10
Early Show
Sun Theater
Anaheim, Ca, USA
LB-7204
Download: FLAC/MP3
Source: Sonic Studio Mics PA-6 > Sony D8
Transfer: DAT > Sony Standalone CD Burner > FreeRIP (FLAC) > Bulk Rename Utility (Track ID) > Trader’s Little Helper (FFP) > Torrent
Disc One
01. Roving Gambler (acoustic)
02. Tomorrow Is A Long Time (acoustic)
03. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) (acoustic)
04. Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic) (with harp)
05. This World Can’t Stand Long (acoustic) (with harp)
06. Dignity
07. Tell Me That It Isn’t True (first live performance of this song from Nashville Skyline) (Larry on pedal steel)
08. Things Have Changed (first live performance)
09. Not Dark Yet
10. Highway 61 Revisited
(encore 1)
11. Love Sick
12. Not Fade Away
(encore 2)
13. Blowin’ In The Wind (acoustic)The advice, which would be given to women considering terminations, has caused anger, with anti-abortion campaigners accusing doctors' leaders of forcing an "absurdly liberal agenda" on women in a vulnerable situation.
The draft guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is for all doctors, nurses and counsellors advising women contemplating terminations.
Its first recommendation on "what women need to know" instructs health professionals: "Women should be advised that abortion is generally safer than continuing a pregnancy to term."
The guidance also says that women who are deciding whether to have an abortion must be told that most do not suffer any psychological harm. Until now, their advice has been that while rates of psychiatric illness and self-harm in women are higher among those who had an abortion, there was no evidence that termination itself was likely to trigger psychological problems.
While few dispute that terminations carry fewer physical risks to a woman than those of pregnancy, the impact of abortions on psychological health is highly contentious.
Never before has official advice to doctors and nurses in Britain instructed them to use such comparisons to help pregnant women decide whether to keep a child.
Current guidance simply tells doctors and nurses that they should "be equipped" to provide accurate information about the relative dangers.
Josephine Quintavalle, of the Pro-Life Alliance accused the royal college of "manipulating the evidence" in order to promote a pro-choice message. She said: "I don't believe that most women considering abortions are worried it will kill them or are worrying about dying in childbirth; this is a blatant attempt to force an absurdly liberal agenda on women when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Speaking in a personal capacity, Prof Patricia Casey, a consultant psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “The message this sends out is very worrying. There are more than 30 studies showing an association between psychological trauma and abortion.”
The guidance, drawn up by 18 senior gynaecologists, nurses and abortion providers also says that pregnant women who are certain of a decision to terminate “should not be subjected to compulsory counselling”. Previous advice only requested that professionals provide the degree of support required by each individual.
Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: “This guidance isn’t a political document and isn't trying to persuade women to have abortions.”
After being alerted to the concerns by The Sunday Telegraph, the Royal College said it would now rewrite some of the recommendations, upon which consultation closed on Friday.
A spokesman said that while the authors of the guidance intended that the comparison between the risks of abortion and pregnancy was spelt out to those providing terminations, doctors should be able to use their judgment about whether to repeat the point to women in their care.Warner Bros. Has To Reveal The Process By Which It Sends Automated DMCA Takedowns
from the good-to-see dept
Warner has acted unscrupulously and dishonestly. Not only has Warner (along with four other major motion picture studios) filed this unfounded and contrived litigation against Hotfile employing overly aggressive tactics, Warner has made repeated, reckless and irresponsible misrepresentations to Hotfile falsely claiming to own copyrights in (or to have the owners' authorization to delete) material from Hotfile.com. Worse, Warner continued to make these misrepresentations even after Hotfile explicitly brought this rampant abuse to Warner's attention, ruling out any possibility that its wrongful actions were accidental or unknowing. Thus, Warner has knowingly made misrepresentations and it has engaged in DMCA abuse on an unprecedented scale by grossly misusing the powerful anti-piracy software tool that Hotfile specially created at Warner's request.
A judge found that Warner might be liable under Section 512(f) of the DMCA, which prohibits sending takedowns without having a basis for believing the content is actually infringing a copyright owned by the person initiating the takedown. The judge ruled that Hotfile had presented enough evidence of abuse that a jury could decide the issue. But before the case could be heard by a jury, the parties settled, and Hotfile shut down. So there was evidence that Warner may have crossed the line, but the details have been held under seal, inaccessible to the public. In February, EFF asked the court to release the sealed records that explain the court’s decision, including aspects of Warner’s robo-takedown system that Hotfile had challenged.
At an oral hearing in the Miami federal courthouse on Thursday, attorney Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik argued for EFF. Noting that court records are normally supposed to be open to the public, Judge Kathleen Williams ordered Warner to release certain information within ten days of Thursday’s ruling, and to propose a schedule for releasing the rest.
We covered the movie studio's lawsuit against cyberlocker Hotfile, which ended in a settlement, but there was an interesting side story involving a countersuit against Warner Bros. for abusing the copyright takedown process. From Hotfile's filing at the time:Among the works taken down by WB's bogus requests were open source software. WB admitted to sending bogus takedowns, but basically said there's nothing illegal about that and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Basically, WB says that you can take down the wrong files all day long and that's fine. The only thing you're not allowed to do in a DMCA notice is misrepresent that you're authorized by the copyright holder to file a takedown (even if the takedown is bogus).In settling, it seemed as though the issue of WB's abuse of the takedown process might fade away, but the EFF picked up that ball and ran with it, and now the court has ruled that Warner Bros. has to reveal the details of its automated takedown system to see if it's in violation of the DMCA's 512(f) clause regarding "misrepresentations" under the law. As we've described for years, 512(f) has basically been shown to be almost entirely toothless. However, there have been a number of attempts to change that. Here's EFF's summary of the judge's ruling here:While it's unlikely that anything will happen directly here, at the very least, the details here could be useful given that copyright law is up for reform, and that could (finally) include putting some teeth into punishments for abusing the DMCA takedown process to take down perfectly legitimate content.
Filed Under: automated takedowns, dmca, takedowns
Companies: eff, hotfile, warner bros.Aleksandr Boroday at a briefing on MH17 19 July 2014. Photo by RIA Novosti.
Pavel Kanygin, special correspondent for the independent Russian online newspaper Novaya Gazeta has been interviewing a number of the pro-Russian separatists and other political figures in Ukraine for some time. [See our translation of his interview with former Yanukovych Aide Anna German—The Interpreter).
Kanygin himself was once kidnapped by the Russian-backed separatists and freed on 11 May after a day-long ordeal in Artemovsk in Donetsk Region where he was beaten and threatened with murder.
On 13 August, he interviewed in Donetsk Aleksandr Boroday, the former “prime minister” of the self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic” who had just resigned from his post.
The Interpreter has provided a translation of most of the interview, with some annotation.
Boroday was furious about another interview (which we translated) given the previous week on 7 August by Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, who revealed that some prominent Moscow media executives had told him that Boroday called them to admit that he knew the rebels had downed a civilian airplane on 17 July.
What was most sensational about this interview for Moscow bloggers was Boroday’s remarks about a “fifth column” of betrayers of the “Novorossiya” idea within the Putin Administration. This captures the way in which the separatist movement both embodies Putin’s aspirations as well as constitutes a force challenging the corrupt nature of his regime. While Boroday didn’t name names, opposition leader Aleksandr Navalny was quick to draw the dotted lines in a tweet:
Ого, в интервью "Новой" Бородай сообщил, что "пятая колонна" – это Тимченко, Ротенберги, дети Якунина и Железняка pic.twitter.com/ZA753PcPjt — Alexey Navalny (@navalny) August 12, 2014
Translation: Oh-ho, in an interview with Novaya, Boroday reported that the ‘fifth column’ is Timchenko, the Rotenbergs, Yakunin’s children and Zheleznyak.
Navalny attached to his tweet a clip of the interview with Boroday where he has underlined in red certain phrases about “accumulating large material means,” “living abroad,” “yachts, wives” “accounts in Switzerland, townhouses in London or Cote d’Azure” — all references to particular oligarchs and their relatives.
Gennady Timchenko is the former co-owner of Gunvor Group, where Putin is rumored to have investments (Timchenko divested himself right before being put in the US sanctions list); Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, Putin’s childhood friends are owners of subsidiaries of Gazprom such as Stroygazmontazh; Vladimir Yakunin, head of Russian Railways, has been the target of investigative reporting on corruption by both Navalny and Reuters; and Sergei Zheleznyak is the vice speaker of the Russian State Duma or parliament. All of these officials have been put in the US sanctions list in connection with participation in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
In Donetsk, Kanygin described how Boroday chain-smoked, paced around his office with a portrait of Putin on the wall, and kept taking his pistol out of his holster during the interview — as artillery shells from the Ukrainian army fell a few kilometers away. He describes how Boroday wraps his iPhone in tin foil to keep spies from geolocating him yet is curiously upbeat about the prospects of the separatists’ cause, despite recent disruptions in their leadership and loss of territory.
Boroday believes that the Ukrainian army is technically outfitted by Western allies. This doesn’t actually square with the truth – the aid giving to Ukraine by the US and other Western nations is largely humanitarian, or consists of items like bullet-proof vests, not weapon systems.
But the belief that NATO is going to invade the Donbass any minute is prevalent among the separatists. “All the equipment of the countries of the former Warsaw Pact. From Bulgaria, from Poland have been put into motion, I think,” he says. He denied that the Ukrainians were managing to surround the city of Donetsk, and denied that he had anything to worry about either from Ukraine or Moscow.
On Whether Putin Will Dump the Separatists
Kanygin: It just strikes me that there’s so little security at a time like this. Most likely you’re aware of the latest rumors that the Russian intelligence agencies intend to remove the leaders of the DPR and LPR. Boroday: I will remind you that I am a citizen of Russia, and I surely don’t imagine that Russian intelligence agencies have plotted some kind of operations against me. Or against any other leader of the Lugansk or Donetsk republics. That’s sheer nonsense. My security guards me from the enemy, from the Kiev junta, from their mercenaries. And completely doesn’t guard me from Russian intelligence agencies, because I don’t need it.
He has a point. One of the most persistent received wisdoms of Western commentary is that the rebels are going to be dumped once Putin doesn’t need them to keep Ukraine unstable anymore. This is curiously at odds with that other obsession of Western commentary — and rightly so — that these people are themselves all GRU or FSB agents pulling the strings on the “people’s” struggle – and therefore decidedly agents of Kremlin-run institutions.
The fact is, in the 15 years of Putin’s rule, and well before that, these very people were deployed in multiple armed conflicts and ideological battles in the former Soviet Union, in Chechnya, Abkhazia, Transdniestria, even Bosnia. What seems to be happening now as they resign, one by one, is, like any agents, they are being extracted. Why waste trained, seasoned, employees? They can live to cause mayhem another day on another front.
On the “Russian World” Concept Including Belarusian, Moldovan and Ukrainian Territory
Kanygin tries to delve into the issue of the “non-indigenous” nature of the separatist struggle — which of course is now in the process of being changed with the appointment of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, a Donbass native, to replace Boroday as “prime minister.” This method is similar to the Soviet-era custom of appointing an official from the “titular nationality” as the head of a non-Russian republic, and putting a Russian deputy underneath him to keep an eye on him. Now it works in reverse – Boroday has been made “vice premier” of the DPR.
Kanygin: You are a citizen of Russia, I wonder how you communicate and find a common language with the residents of the region, citizens of Ukraine? Boroday: Why would I have to find a common language? Kanygin: I mean you’re a leader of the DPR, a citizen of Russia… Boroday: But we’re all Russian people! Why would I have to find a common language with them? If in their day the internal administrative borders of the Soviet Union, which were already demarcated rather strangely, suddenly became state borders, why would the resident of Donetsk be fundamentally different from the resident of Rostov? I’ll explain it to you: they aren’t different, they’re from one big country. And you should understand a fundamental thing. I’m often called a separatist, but I’m not a separatist, I’m against separatism in general! Who are the separatists? The Kiev junta are separatists. Because there is a gigantic Russian world which was formed for a thousand years. This is a common civilization — it is Russia, Belarussian and Little Russian (Malorossiyskaya, a term Ukrainians have always found offensive--The Interpreter). For hundreds of years we had a common state which was forged in sweat and blood. Kanygin: Alright. But where are the borders of this state? Boroday: They are well known. Where the Russian language is heard, where Russian culture is on the move, where Russian blood has been shed…
This new feature of DPR propaganda — that we’re not the separatists, they are — was echoed in Vostok Battalion leader Aleksandr Khodakovsky’s recent interview, where he insists that he is for a “united Ukraine” — because he means a united Russian Ukraine that is part of the “Russian World.”
Kanygin persists, asking what it would mean if Russian blood was shed in Estonia.
“Let me finish, if you are making an interview, then you yourself shouldn’t orate,” says Boroday irritably.
Boroday: Here are the borders of the Russian world, they are obvious, and we are fighting against the Kiev junta which for us is separatist. They want to take Ukraine away from our Russian world. Ukraine, which was always part of this world. Kiev, the mother of Russian cities. And the Pereyaslavskaya Rada is not an accidently phenomenon in history which united the Muscovy Rus’ of the time with Ukraine. So we are fighting with separatism, taking part in the latest historical process. It’s they [in Kiev–PK] who took part of the Russian world, grabbed it out from under, and organized a fratricidal mess, where a dozen and a half oligarchs rule which have nothing to do with Ukraine itself. And we are fighting for a global Russian idea. And the center as before is the city of Moscow, and for us, the capital is Donetsk and Lugansk and Rostov and St. Petersburg and other places where they speak Russian and Russians live. It’s very simple.
Boroday conceded that Latvia — even with its high percentage of Russian speakers — wouldn’t want to join Russia and had a different culture. So Novorossiya goes as far as it goes…
On Reports of Disarray in DPR Leadership and Strelkin’s Future
Kanygin then probed on the Strelkov resignation and the reports of disarray among the commanders of the DPR — and we see Boroday’s sanitized remarks are at odds with the frank remarks he was heard to say in a call intercepted by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), in which he called Strelkov “a f**king mad colonel.”
Kanygin: Aleksandr Yuryevich, how do you coordinate all these armed groups. There are these partisan detachments, there is Strelkov-Girkin and his people, there’s Bes (Igor Bezler), there’s [Aleksandr] Khodakovsky. There’s the impression that they operate independently of each other and sometimes war among themselves. There is the famous case of the shoot out of Khodakovsky’s fighters and Bes’ fighters at a police headquarters. Boroday: It’s total nonsense. Total nonsense! We have managed to establish, to put it mildly, mutual understanding with all the commanders. I have just come from a staff meeting where Zakharchenko and Girkin, that is Strelkov were present, and a representative of Khodakovsky’s (he himself is now fulfilling a special mission, but I talked with him on the telephone, what can you do.) Kanygin: But who is the commander-in-chief? Boroday: Today, a system has been built, I won’t say it’s my accomplishment, although it is a subject of efforts, in which the chief commander is Zakharchenko. and the fact that he is a local is important from the political and external political perspective. Since the Donetsk People’s Republic is a place of bifurcation on the map, its external contacts will only increase. And my position remains unchanged: the leader of the republic must be a native Donetsk resident. Now he has been forged. He has proved his ability to manage people and has been in battle. But Igor Strelkov is my old comrade and friend. And it is awkward to speak of some kind of contradictions between me and Igor since we have been friends for many years. Khodakovsky and I also maintain close relations. Kanygin: How did you meet Girkin? Boroday: We fought together in Transdniestria, but in various parts of the front, therefore we didn’t cross paths. But we became acquainted already after the war, in the 1990s, I don’t remember how. Kanygin: You don’t take part in historical re-enactments? Boroday: No, I don’t. Igor and I often joke about this topic by virtue of our old friendship…I myself regard them with skepticism. In Moscow, I was always a very busy person, therefore his attempts to invite me to re-enactment were fruitless. And he kept inviting me repeatedly — to Borodino, and somewhere else. Kanygin: Was this a hobby or was he training seriously? Boroday: Don’t be silly, please. Igor Ivanovich Strelkov is a completely trained military man with us. He’s had more than enough of these trainings. It is a hobby, and no more; some people collect stamps, some people collect butterflies, and Igor Ivanovich took part in re-enactments, a rather fun activity. I hope he’ll go on doing that if he survives after all these events. Kanygin: But he may not survive. Boroday: I’m not prepared to discuss that question. Kanygin: Do you concede the thought that many in Moscow likely don’t need you to return? Neither you or Girkin. Boroday: Wait. Which forces? The liberal-progressive community? Kanygin: Oh, no, I mean those around… Boroday: …who support your newspaper? Now I see the only force that doesn’t need for Igor Ivanovich and me to return!
On the ‘Fifth Column’ of Russian Opposition
Kanygin: Our newspaper is for peace, so that you and Igor Ivanovich would get involved not with war but your favorite re-enactments and media consulting. Write books, you’ve written them after all, take up gardening… Boroday: Well, let’s write them! Your editor-in-chief, Mr. Muratov, clearly represents that force, and he categorically doesn’t like my return in particular, or that of Igor Ivanovich’s to Moscow. And I understand all that. But I don’t fear Dmitry Muratov and don’t fear the personages of his ilk. Just like I don’t fear Mr. [Sergei] Kurginyan [head of the leftist ultranationalist movement Essence of Time who denounced Strelkov after the rebel retreat from Slavyansk 5 July—The Interpreter] and they are the same type of fruit. Kanygin: How? Boroday: Despite their seeming difference in world views, they all represent the liberal wing and work on instructions of the West, on direct instruction. In particular, your editor-in-chief — I won’t say that he works for the SBU but he works for their masters. And his claims [7 August on Ekho Moskvy—PK] that I supposedly called some media manager in Moscow on the day of the airplane crash and reported that we shot down some military plane – now there is a lie and a provocation. That is why I’m giving you an interview so that you have the opportunity to show yourselves as honest people and print what I am saying now. And I want to see what you print. I have such an internal task. Kanygin: You’re looking for the wrong enemies, I think. Boroday: None of us want war. Neither I, nor Igor. As for gardening, I’m not inclined. Regarding Mr. Muratov or now Bykov (I read his article “Why Aleksandr Boroday is Dangerous” with interest, so to say) – they are from the group of people who are a fifth column in the Russian Federation and work for the West. For our geopolitical enemy, which does not want the renaissance of our country…
On Rumors of Strelkov’s Ambitions for Leadership of Russia
Kanygin – But I’m not talking about your fifth column, Aleksandr Yuryevich. So surprisingly, it turns out that you and Igor Ivanovich became heroes in Russia. Potentially serious political figures. There is an opinion that the current elite simply doesn’t needs such rivals. Boroday: I will comment for you on these conjectures. And I will also answer for Igor Ivanovich, as they say here in Donetsk. Igor Ivanovich has zero political ambitions. He is absolutely uninterested in politics in any form. He is a normal, ordinary Russian patriot. And all that Igor Ivanovich wants after the war is one thing: to sit by the lake with a fishing pole and make it so that no one bothers him. Well, maybe he’ll go to a re-enactment with the Romans. No more serious actions from him, no matter how much they are imposed on him, are worth expecting. As for me, I also do not intend to engage in political activity besides possibly consulting which I did earlier. And I know that people know that in Moscow. You see I have a portrait of Putin hanging behind me. I don’t see a better politician for the Russian Federation for the foreseeable future.
While it’s distinctly possible that Boroday is prevaricating, it does seem that most of the discussion about the alleged political ambitions of Strelkov to replace Putin — and then the ensuing drama of expectations that he will be killed or removed as a result of Putin’s anger — seem to come not from Strelkov himself, but various ultranationalist figures using his image as a projection for their own ambitions for how they want Russia to be led.
Kanygin proceeds to ask Boroday about where he gets support, and gets the stock answer that this is from “the enormous Russian people” and “various sources” and “even Australia” and that much of it is “purely humanitarian.”
On Relationship with Russian Orthodox Businessman Konstantin Malofeyev
Kanygin: Do Russian businessmen also help? Boroday: Most likely. I just don’t know their names and last names. Kanygin: Konstantin Malofeyev is often mentioned. Does he sponsor you? Boroday: He is a philanthropist. But I haven’t talked to him about the subject of the Donetsk Republic, to be honest. I am acquainted with this man, I can say honestly he is my friend. He’s a good person. Yes, I worked with him. But again, refuting all kinds of nasty rumors, I didn’t work for him or in his company. I was never in Marshall Capital. I had my own company which worked with 20 clients, including Konstantin Malofeyev, and I provided consulting services for him. And what of it? I also worked with dozens of companies whose names I will not cite. Many of them are well-known and even international Western companies. Yes, yes, and you are surprised? There are such. Kanygin: And now what? You are after all involved in consulting.
On Denials Regarding MH17
Boroday: I don’t know. I don’t know…Here, I’ll show you (takes a small object covered in foil out of his bag–PK). This is my Moscow telephone, an iPhone, it is covered in many layers of foil, it’s a security measure. Kanygin: For what? Boroday: So that GPS satellites are confused and can’t determine my location. Kanygin: But you turn it on when you come into Russia? Boroday: That’s completely true. I turn it on when I come into the Russian Federation. But when I’m here, not a single call from Moscow reaches me here in the Donetsk Republic. That’s it. I have also a local telephone with a local phone (shows an ordinary Nokio push-button phone–PK). Kanygin: I don’t understand. But people can also use it to call from Moscow? Boroday: They can, too, but they don’t phone. That is why I am showing this to you — I was really angered by the statement of your editor-in-chief about the phone call to the media manager. In fact I learned about the plane not within 40 minutes, as he stated, but much later, when there was a meeting of the Supreme Soviet at the time. It was still continuing after the disaster for two hours, here in this building, on the second floor. Accordingly, |
that, although digital assets are an effective means of exchange, the bank was not advising clients to in invest in them.
Almost all major banks refuse to accept money after the conversion of the cryptocurrency. Let’s call things by their own names — traditional banks hate the crypto. But this hatred is stemming from the lack of understanding, fear of uncertainty and laziness rather than anger. The money that bank receives after the conversion of the cryptocurrency goes through compliance department where forty-fifty year old “experienced” employees simply do not understand what it is and where it came from. And here is the most stupid thing: if they spend time to sort out the issue, nobody will praise them for that (therefore they lack motivation), but if they make a mistake, they will be fired.
If you convert crypto into fiat and transfer to your bank account less than $50,000, most likely, everything will go smoothly, and you will tell the market that there are no problems and everything works without failures. If you convert from $100K to $300K, the situation is 50\50. But if more than $500K, you will definitely have to talk to your bank’s compliance. KYC, AML, source of funds… It would even be good that they ask all these questions if they were more tech-savvy (quick and convenient), and if they really wanted to figure it out. But no one wants to sort out your issues; therefore, you get your “account freeze” and “notification of the need to close within 30 days.”
Why does bank compliance is not willing to understand your issues? First, they already have a large and understandable business (with which they are familiar), and they are not interested in a new and small (albeit fast-growing) business because its profitability is still small, the risk of losing the current big business is big, and there are many issues they will have to deal with. Second, imagine a specialist in compliance. He/she is 40/50 years old, not highly paid, without any career perspectives. Their mindset is built on the past (instead of the future) and their decisions are conditioned “how to avoid something bad to happen” (instead of “how to help something good to grow easier and more convenient”). They see a lot of transactions daily and finally they see some odd transaction after the conversion of the crypt, and … they block it. Why? Not because they are bad people. Simply because they don’t know anything about blockchain, cryptocurrencies and ICO — and in their world “everything that is odd is forbidden”. They could even address the matter and the client, but it would take too much time and no one would give them a premium for this. But if they make a mistake, they will be fired. Therefore, they send a page or two of dreary questions, and then simply block the account.
Are there any “workarounds”?? For sure. In return to one or two pages of questions provide ten to twenty pages of meticulous and detailed answers, thus, “starving the bank out.” However, you need substantial capital for this purpose as you will have to spend money on your back office (lawyers and accountants) in order to collect and accurately store all papers, electronic statements and screenshots of all transactions on mining, receiving, buying and selling of the cryptocurrency; to be able to quickly reply with exhaustive explanations (with schemes and conclusions) about blockchain, cryptocurrencies and ICO; describe how you and your contractors underwent KYC, AML, source of funds procedures; provide full review and conclusion on your partner exchanges. You should better hire a large audit company (such as Deloitte or E&Y) $30–50K, which regulatory verifies what kind of business you do, who you cooperate with and how, where your crypto comes from and how you spend fiat money. You will also need to come up with different purposes of payments from your bank because the “receiving bank” will have questions about the origin of funds, and regular similar transactions with the same justifications will raise questions.
Alternatively, you can find some shitty bank in a third world country that will not ask you questions. But in practice the questions will not disappear anywhere and will arise each time you make a payment outside your shitty bank. Let’s assume you have found a shitty bank that is friendly to this type of operations, or have armed yourself with an army of lawyers / accountants / auditors and defeated your clear and large traditional bank. The problems will still be there. If you make transactions in US dollars (and most transactions are sooner or later transferred to dollars at some stage), then you face the “problem of correspondent banks” in the SWIFT system. Your bank should have a correspondent bank in the United States, so that its transactions are conducted around the world through such “superfluous intermediaries”. If suddenly your bank “gets on the radar” (will raise questions) of the correspondent bank (and sooner or later, especially with the growth of such transactions, questions arise), then your friendly bank will get to know who it should (not) be friends with. And this is the point when you need to make your choice whether you want to be as inconspicuous as possible in order not to attract attention, and be constantly hiding and avoiding questions. Or you have legally earned your money and want to build new services and a new economy, and do not want to waste time and resources on any political and bureaucratic nonsense?
Why the existing cryptocurrency wallets and cards can’t solve this problem? Since these are half-hearted solutions (it’s like gluing more and more plasters on the arm affected by gangrene). You depend on your partner bank. And if you reach some large amounts within its cash flows (in fact the business strategy of such partner banks that agree to such an additional risk is to “drown” your transactions in their core business so that they are not noticed, and receive additional income for the risk), the risks that this bank will be approached by senior bankers (regulators and correspondent banks) and asked to stop working with you are not eliminated but simply deferred to a later date. Check the spending limits for these kinds of cards — though it’s great that such cards do exist, — but the limits allow you to painlessly buy coffee and t-shirts, while such limits will not work for larger purchases or full-fledged business. They work only for retail customers. What shall SMEs or freelance entrepreneurs do?
The growth in digital banking is showing no signs of slowing down. Convenience, speed and security aren’t just extra benefits in consumers’ minds anymore. As a rule, traditional bank institutions struggle to build a loyal customer base, while the newly emerging digital-only banks, like Monzo or Tandem, have all the attributes of a strong brand and can keep customers both happy and engaged with their product.
There’s no doubt that mobile banking is one of the most fundamental parts of digital banking. In the future, we’ll see even more payment solutions that take advantage of the Internet of Things and consumers’ state of connectedness. Has the future of digital banking already begun? Several fintech experts argue that what we see today is not digital banking but simply digitized banking. Hundreds year old financial products are being adapted to the digital era and distributed via smartphones and the Internet. Many believe that the real innovation will sprout once the legacy banks and fintech startups move away from modernizing the digital experience and plunge themselves into launching new digital capabilities.
One direction that is shaping up to be an extraordinary one is blockchain banking. It’s a much faster, more efficient and less prone to error process than the traditional automatic clearinghouse (ACH) banking, which can save money and time for banks and make payments almost instantaneous for consumers. Smart contracts allow consumers to exchange money, shares, property or anything of value in a secure, conflict-free way without anyone in the middle to take a cut. Thanks to the transparency of smart contracts, buyers can easily check merchants’ reviews and previous ratings before buying as well as rate them themselves after receiving the item. The rise of cryptocurrencies, or simply digital money, has created a demand for a blockchain-based bank. It wouldn’t be outrageous to suggest that most of the future banks will be digital banks with traditional banking services, supporting both crypto and regular currencies.
It’s difficult to gauge what lies ahead, mostly due to yet untapped potential of the blockchain technology. But with the legacy banks jumping on the trend and new blockchain-based startups exploring innovative use cases of decentralized financial solutions, we can expect the future of digital banking to unfold in many unexpected ways. Once we move away from digitizing traditional banking services to inventing digital banking services that suit the blockchain era, we will experience increased accessibility and trust, cheaper and faster services and a significantly more automated banking industry.
CHANGE BANK
Change was founded in early 2016 in Singapore. Shortly after, angel investors backed the proposition with over $200k in early investment. Since the beginning Change CEO vision was to combine innovative companies in investment, e- wallets, remittance, credit and insurance to create a global fintech bank. Change aimed at simplifying banking in Southeast Asia. The team focus all efforts in creating a simpler and more innovative financial proposition, making use of blockchain technology to link independent high-performing fintech companies around the globe.
To accomplish this goal, it has launched an ICO campaign, which ended on October 16 and has raised over $15 mn.
Change mobile application starts with the e-KYC platform. It can on-board users from anywhere in the world, in record-time and requesting no more than what is needed automatically validating the users’ transactions with other third-party service providers through Tokenised KYC Information Sharing. The quest towards finance without borders starts here, designing a modern bank that is global from day one.
Launching in December 2017 Change’s crypto wallet with simple sign-up with minimal information required to store & send cryptocurrencies is being tested by beta testers. Change’s Wallet facilitates the storage of all major cryptocurrencies, easy management of crypto portfolios, simple transfers of funds between peers, and a multitude of other functionalities. Change’s crypto wallet is secured by applying the highest industry standards. Change works together with a leading wallet security provider in the industry to ensure the safety of funds. The funds are also secured by a combination of hot and cold storage solutions, which provides further security. The ID of the multi-asset wallet is user’s e-mail address and/or phone number. User registration automatically creates a blockchain wallet. Access to your wallet is locked by a 6-digit pin-code and any transfers out from your wallet is also secured by a 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) to provide an additional layer of security.
Every crypto investor faces the same problem: opportunities to exchange digital coins for goods and services in our everyday lives are very limited. Buying with cryptocurrencies should be as easy as buying with dollars, euros, or yen. Change Card is a card that intends to solve this issue, allowing users to spend their cryptocurrencies in millions of online and offline locations worldwide. Cryptocurrencies held within the Change wallet and will only be converted into fiat currencies in real time at the point of payment transaction. With cryptocurrency spending card Change brings cryptocurrencies to offline use. The first 500 cards (cards are not exist yet) are given to the first token sale contributors. In addition, card holders will be earning rewards by paying with Change Tokens.
Change issue cards using industry leader in crypto payments processing. The issuer is a principal member of leading payment gateways such as Visa and Mastercard in Europe and has strong security protocols, including real-time updates to electronic verification solutions & fraud. Change’s card systems allow for industry leading dynamic CVV functionality that generates a unique CVV for every transaction. Change Card holders can use the cryptos they stored on their Change wallets to pay for services and products at all Mastercard merchants around the world. The company plans to start sending out the first cards in December 2017, shortly after the launch of Change App.
In 2018, Change has set to launch the global financial technology marketplace on blockchain which will aggregate the best ways to invest, insure or lend and will let you use these services from a single interface & wallet. Change vision goes beyond just using cryptocurrencies for payments. “It is time that you could also use your cryptos to invest in stocks, P2P loans, real-estate or anything else you can imagine. It is time that you could buy travel or car insurance instantly with your Ether or take a loan in bitcoin. Not We just believe in de-centralized data but also in the power of de-centralized services. Think of Change as an “AppStore” for specialized financial service companies that outperform your bank, while removing the need to sign up or deposit funds to these services individually. Invest in a diversified stock portfolio or real estate, finance loans, sign travel insurance — all from one interface with complete transparency and zero delay.”
“We live in a time where for almost every single service a bank offers, there is a fintech company that utilizes state-of-the-art technology and a lean & mean team to provide a better, faster and cheaper service. This isn’t a forecast, this is today,” says Kristjan Kangro, CEO of Change. The company focuses on nailing one specific service, be it transfers (Transferwise), payments (Stripe), investing (Smartly) or insurance (Oscar). In order for the marketplace to be regulatory compliant, Change is building a multi-tiered standardized KYC (Know-Your-Customer) utility. Users won’t need to present extensive information to simply sign up for the app and get a crypto payment card. However, “to use regulated fintech services, you’ll need to verify your identity” says Kangro. Estonia’s e-Residency conducts a thorough background check, while also having a very strong potential customer-base to offer services to.
The API library will be open to all developers that wish to be part of our financial ecosystem. By opening our data, functionality and services to third-party developers, they can integrate their systems and Change can expand its list of innovative services.
Change marketplace integration allows various KYC information to flow within the Change financial ecosystem. This means that one digital identity will be applied across all partners that have integrated. As Change’s platform becomes the standard of the industry for shared KYC and easy integration, it will create a network effect to pull more and more fintechs in to the ecosystem. This is aimed to create a diverse financial ecosystem that collaborates, innovates and thrives. Change has partnered with the e-Residency project by the government of Estonia, the most advanced digital society in the world and it will be available to every of projected 10 million e-Residents. “Digital Identity is one of the keys to solving financial inclusion so we are delighted that Change is using our secure government-backed digital identities to help solve this issue and develop their business.” — Kaspar Korjus, Managing Director of e-Residency.
Vision of the all-in-one platform for financial services is not geographically bound by borders. Today’s technology and regulation allows us to create a de-centralized third-party marketplace that brings you the leading financial technology products. ANYONE can use the most suitable service provided from ANYWHERE. In 18 months, the Change API will be opened to credit and insurance.
Change enables the allocation of funds to financial services based in foreign countries, avoiding the bureaucracy of traditional banks, bringing to life the concept of truly borderless finance. Fintech companies benefit from joining the Change Marketplace as they are able to present their products to users of the crypto bank, with no geographical restrictions. Local companies, expanding their user base, reaching millions. The Change Marketplace is self- regulating, meaning that while initial approval is decided by the Change team, a fintech can only remain in the marketplace if it is popular and satisfactory the services will be rated and usage rates published.
Users will be rewarded for using the Change Card and other third party services on the platform — online or offline — receiving part of the transaction back in the form of Change Tokens. Any time a user makes an online or offline payment using Change Card, he or she will receive a 0.05% rebate in the form of Change Token. The rebate will double if the user pays using Change Token. This incentive benefits token users and holders, as it ensures that the currency is constantly being traded, making it more desirable and valuable. For example, a user that spends 3000 Change Token on a brand new laptop will receive a rebate of 3 Change Token.
Third-Party Service Providers (TPSPs) share 20% of their revenues generated from Change users with Change. This 20% is distributed between Marketplace investors and holders of Change token in a 1:5 ratio. With 16.67% going to marketplace investors and 83.33% being distributed to Change Token holders.
The Change has a team of 10:
· Kristjan Kangro, CEO — Serial entrepreneur. Previously CFO of Expara and CEO of SwingBy.
· Artur Luhaaar, Partner — Serial entrepreneur. Current CEO of Smartly (Singapore-based robo advisor) and former analyst at an investment firm.
· Gustav Liblik, Partner — Serial entrepreneur. Current CEO of Catapult, former CEO of Wastescanner.
· Edgars Simanovskis, CTO — Also the current CTO of Danabijak. Previously an iOS developer for various companies.
Change has a team of advisors, including Roger Crook, ex-CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Rob Findlay, Founder of Next Money, and Miguel Soriano, Professor at the National University of Singapore. Change has conducted regular meetings with companies across the fintech and cryptocurrency space.
NARBONNE
Narbonne will be a fully automatic bank without people and offices. Narbonne — a crypto bank for users and corporations. You will be able to spend your cryptocurrency around the world, using Narbonne debit cards.
It will use extensive experience in the field of online micro-lending, peer to peer lending and traditional bank lending. Narbonne team has experience in creating from the scratch financial institutions in the field of micro-lending in Spain, Germany and Russia. The company’s head office will be in Switzerland.
Narbonne Services:
1. For Deposits in crypto-currencies — Narbonne Wallet Safe
2. For any Settlement accounts for business — Narbonne Wallet Enterprise
3. Globally accepted Debit cards
4. Pledged and unsecured loans
Technology Implementation will include Application of smart bots with AI elements; Voice Control of online banking system; Face recognition system determining age and gender of person; A system made to handle online applications of lending and deposits.
Tech developed by Narbonne team has already become quite popular in the crypto community and is being used by over 40 fiat money organizations. These include banks and other famous micro-lending companies that are based all around the globe.
Overall it will have debit cards, automated lending, marketplace, private accounts safe wallets, secured currency, deposit derivatives and smart contracts.
Narbonne will use the system of initial coin financing for the Narbonne project. For this purpose, Narbonne will issue a token: the Narbonne Credit Coin (NCC). The token is acceptable by all Narbonne services. NCC token can be used to make loan repayments to Narbonne. There will be two groups to which tokens will be distributed namely, Narbonne’s debtors and partner’s lending institutions whose borrowers will use NCC. A total of 1000 million of tokens will be issued for this purpose. The token functionality issued initially is of ERC20 standard.
This year, NCC will be used by most of the lending organizations dealing in cryptocurrencies. Over the next year, the demand for NCC on exchanges can outgrow its original volume by a factor of 25, which would lead to an exponential growth of its value. From this point onwards, the currency will be founded on the loans made by Narbonne and loans that users have taken from other banks around the world. The following steps will be taken to create credit support for NCC: (1) Narbonne issues Narbonne Credit Coin (NCC). As a result of the ICO, a proportion of the tokens (35%) will be distributed among banks and lending institutions around the world. (2) As a condition for receiving these shares, these banks will have to agree to accept loan repayments in NCC.
Why is Narbonne a crypto bank project? Banks have long existed as centralized organizations for saving cash. Bitcoin destroys cash. Therefore, we have preserved the property of an organized bank: the technology for lending. We have re-invented the approach of banks of the past to create a decentralized crypto bank with a marketplace that will now operate globally without restrictions for all people. And our automated systems will help in this.
It can be said that some innovations spur other innovations, accelerating the emergence of newer and more advanced technologies. Innovations now are emerging so fast that that they become a part of our life almost without us noticing, because more agile companies are all trying to inspire customers to use their services.
Narbonne Team:
· The founder and CEO of Narbonne is Maxim Elsner. He founded AFCOM.TECH, currently one of Europe’s leading companies specializing in software development for microfinance and banking. He won the Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship Award.
· The Chief Operating Officer of Narbonne is Garcia Y. Maria. She has experience of work in Unicredit Bank. She Has a PhD Finance.
· The Chief Technology officer of Narbonne is Vasily Nesterov. He has experience of leading teams over 15 years in various technological projects. He also worked in Microsoft Azure.
· The developer team of Narbonne has developed software for 40 banks and microlending companies.
BABB
BABB (or Bank Account Based Blockchain) is the World Bank for the Micro-Economy, a decentralized banking platform that leverages blockchain, AI, and biometrics technologies to offer anyone in the world access to a UK bank account for peer-to-peer financial services. In June 2016 BABB raised seed funding and was accepted into the Level39 Accelerator Space in Canary Wharf. As of October 2017 the company plans to do an ICO planning to raise up to $50 mln.
“I believe BABB’s plan to bring banking services to everyone, through the blockchain and the latest mobile technology, will both provide new features not seen in the high street banks and include many who have been excluded from the traditional financial system,” said Guido Branca, CEO of BABB. The company doesn’t consider itself as a challenger bank but rather as an enabler helping existing banks and financial institutions to innovate.
The platform will allow users to “leverage their social connectivity and their money in new ways” with more control and greater transparency. It will connect users to each other, allowing peer-to-peer transactions over the network. Beneficiaries and senders will be connected directly, without resorting to unnecessary middlemen or middle-layers of technologies.
In March BABB announced that it has entered into an agreement with Contis Group Ltd to use their white-label license and Contis’ banking services infrastructure to provide UK bank accounts, transfer and card payment services. The first stage of this relationship will cover integrating BABB’s core blockchain banking platform with Contis’ banking services and payments infrastructure.
BABB plans to soft launch its blockchain-based banking platform in 2017. The company is currently applying for a full banking license and is seeking to enter the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sandbox. The company is building a banking platform based on a “permissioned” ethereum blockchain implementation of a distributed ledger using smart contracts technology. The platform is based on a decentralized information model to minimize costs while maximizing data fidelity and security. Using biometrics to facilitate client onboarding and transaction authentication, with big data analytics to optimize match-making and control risk and with AI-based customer self-service intended to provide banking services for all.
“This is why we say: “Everyone is a Bank” irrespective of their income level”. Every user downloads the app, provides a selfie and a voice print, and gets a UK based account upon activation. With the BABB app, you can open a UK bank account from anywhere in the world by taking a selfie and saying a passphrase. Once you’ve entered the BABB ecosystem, you become your own bank. Anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection can participate in BABB’s global marketplace. “You can send money to any other BABB user anywhere in the world instantly and for almost no charge. Simply choose the amount you want to send and the person you want to send it to, and confirm the transfer using your digital identity.” As a bank, you can exchange currencies directly without any middlemen. It’s cheaper, faster and easier than doing it any other way.
A multi-sided platform, BABB is designed to provide banking and other financial services to individuals and small businesses. Customer data will be encrypted and stored security on the blockchain where the permissions for who can access or use that will be entirely controlled directly by the customer.
The Black Card bridges the divide between the digital world and the physical world. It is a secure payment card that links directly with your BABB bank account via a secure QR code or NFC tag. It allows both a debit-like functionality, and can also be issued as a pre-paid card for your friends and family. Retailers can accept payment using the BABB card by simply downloading the BABB app and scanning the QR code or via NFC. Payment is made instantly into the retailer’s bank account and the funds can be used immediately. With the Black Card you are able to spend your BAX in shops and peer-to-peer. Payments can be made instantaneously, anywhere in the world or for online shopping.
No personal information is stored on the card itself. If you lose your card, you can easily disconnect it from your bank account, preventing anyone else from using it — all from your smartphone. If you find the card again, simply scan the QR code via your BABB app and it reconnects to your BABB bank account. New cards will be available very cheaply in shops and from major online retailers with next day delivery. Alternatively, pick up a spare from a friend, scan the QR code with your BABB app and you are good to go.
Social KYC: “Vouch for anyone you know, and give them access to a UK bank account using only a smartphone. BABB’s platform promotes trust. Therefore, on our network, other users’ trust is enough to open an account with core functionalities. Our innovative ‘Social KYC’ process allows anyone who is fully KYC-ed, with validated documentation, to vouch for other users and onboard them to the platform. In this way, we will extend our services to millions of people without requiring them to provide ID documentation. Our Social KYC mechanism will promote exponential growth of our user base. This is particularly useful for onboarding the unbanked in emerging markets, seeing as one of the main barriers they face is lack of documentation. As BABB’s value is proportional to the number of users on the network, there is a strong incentive for early adopters to encourage their peers to get on board.
Removing barriers to access. To open a UK bank account, the new member simply needs to download the app, take a selfie and say a passphrase. By utilizing biometrics and digital identity technologies, we can remove barriers to access and create a frictionless onboarding process. There is no need for documentation or face-to-face meetings with a bank managers. The whole process will be at your fingertips.”
Social KYC is a key part of our strategy to create fully banked communities and promote financial, economic, and social integration. It will include those who cannot provide relevant documentation such as low-income employees, refugees, and asylum seekers. People are stronger when they work together, and social KYC will enable communities to become fully connected.
It is an Open Platform. Any business can accept supported currencies, fully compliant, anywhere in the world. BABB will empower the microeconomy, improving lives and livelihoods and creating new opportunities for individuals and businesses across the world. Businesses and developers can create applications to plug seamlessly into the BABB platform. From freelancers employed in the gig economy to global corporations, BABB’s borderless integrated payment systems can reduce the cost of doing business.
Despite building its banking platform on top of blockchain technology, BABB has decided to stick with fiat currency as opposed to developing a pure digital currency–based banking platform. “Crypto is still a challenge,” BABB CEO Guido Branca told Bitcoin Magazine. “It will play a role, but we need to transition to that new landscape. Stakeholders (central banks, regulators and the banking community) are still evaluating [the use of digital currencies in the financial system]. We think the underlying technologies of blockchain, smart contracts, tokens and distributed ledgers have a role to play in easing this transition but we must walk before we run.” “We are specifically targeting the micro-economy/market while [other mobile banks] are doing more or less the same services (but branchless) as the established high street banks. We believe that the financial market is so huge that many different [mobile banking] models will coexist.”
Andrew Downin, innovation director at Filene Research Institute speaking during the 2017 CU Direct DRIVE conference in Las Vegas, said that BABB’s offering is an “intriguing development.” BABB cautious in that it is using a fiat currency [a government-based currency such as dollars, Euro or pounds] as opposed to developing a pure digital currency-based banking platform. Downin said this was a smart move. “We continue to see valuation risk in digital currencies such as bitcoin, and acceptance of these digital-only currencies is still nascent,” he said.
The BAX token is the native currency of the BABB platform. Token sale participants can buy and hold this currency and benefit from the value of the platform.
The BABB team is a diverse group of visionaries spanning an exceptionally broad range of experience, knowledge and cultures from across the globe:
· CEO, Rushd Averroes is founder of BABB, leading a diverse team of industry veterans to make his vision a reality. He is a financial inclusion specialist and has an MA from University of Greenwich in Microfinance and Financial Inclusion. Before that, he attended the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne and was awarded an IT Science Degree in 2006. Rushd has managed a highly successful Authorized Payment Institution (API) in the UK — Wowpaymobi.
· CTO, Jorge Pereira is an entrepreneur and technologist, with extensive experience in developing technology projects in a variety of areas, for local and global markets. He founded Seegno in 2008, a world-class web application development firm, where he remains as an advisor.
In 2013 he joined Uphold, where as CTO he was responsible for the design and architecture of the whole technology stack, as well as UI and UX of its products. Ever since, Jorge has focused intensively on fintech, developing products and technology around Cryptocurrencies, Distributed Ledgers, Regulatory Compliance, KYC/AML, Fraud Prevention, Risk Mitigation, Trading, Hedging, Bank Integrations and other areas related to fintech platforms and applications.
· COO, Adam Haeems is responsible for the daily operations of BABB. He has a Master of Finance from Cambridge University (Judge Business School) and joins BABB fresh from an accomplished trading career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and a $1bn global macro hedge fund (QCM). He is passionate about financial inclusion and improving market efficiency within the microeconomy.
POLYBIUS
Polybius Foundation, a financial services company established this year and registered in Estonia, is building a fully digital bank for businesses and individuals and the “first bank in the world to specialize in financial services for cryptocurrency startups and blockchain projects.” In February 2017 Polybius Foundation announced the opening of the Polybius Bank — the first European bank specializing in financial services for companies dealing with cryptocurrencies and blockchain worldwide. Polybius Bank will combine features of modern banking, IoT, Big Data and blockchain-based technologies while also meeting security and UX requirements. Polybius financial services will be fully interconnected with international systems to respond to the transaction needs of our customers worldwide. Polybius Bank will operate on the principles of an Open API, employing reputable innovations and service within the framework of payment and data processing industry.
Polybius Bank will offer a traditional selection of financial services such as deposits, credit financing and bank card issuance, but also services especially targeted at blockchain startups and projects such as credits secured by cryptocurrencies as well as the ability to create of investment portfolios based on cryptocurrencies.
Polybius Bank intends to apply for a EU financial institution license. The concept is similar to BABB App Ltd., a London-based startup that’s building a banking platform using Ethereum smart contracts. But according to our data, the European regulator has prohibited Polybius from using funds received from the ICO to fund capital requirements necessary to obtain a banking license. Not clear how the startup is going to deal with the issue.
The Digital Pass technology, developed by HashCoins and implemented into Polybius Bank, will serve as an automation and digitalization ecosystem, allowing us to not only integrate single companies, but entire industries enabling access to financial and industrial services in the same Pass, at a click’s hand. Digital Pass is an independent environment as a service, which will serve as a storage for encrypted individual information. The security of access to the information will be enabled by SSL certificates, dynamic PINs and, to some extent, by biometrical data.
Polybius Foundation, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ukrainian startup Attic Lab in April, will be using Attic’s OpenBankIT blockchain platform to provide payments. The other startups involved in the digital bank’s foundation include CryptoPay, a cryptocurrency payments firm, HashCoins, a developer of blockchain solutions, and AmbiSafe, a developer of Ethereum smart contracts.
According to Ivan Turygin, co-founder and chairman of Polybius Foundation, the company has big dreams for its digital bank as it aims “to build the ultimate financial infrastructure, sort of a ‘financial Google.’”
By providing the infrastructure for system-to-system communications, Polybius Foundation will act as a Trustee service and will be responsible for the control and execution of compliance-related directives. Designed to comprehend a variety of networks, the infrastructure of Polybius Foundation features a multi-segment decentralized data storage for personal data, cryptographic encryption of all entries and secure mechanisms of identification, authentication and authorization of individuals and companies by means of the interconnected instruments.
The data will be driven from all the channels related to services of Polybius Bank, Digital Pass and its trusted entities for further processing and analysis. Due to the sensitive nature of the information and to ensure the scalability in processing capacities, the evaluation of data will be automated by means of applied AI algorithms.
Polybius token — Polybius blockchain Share — represents the right to receive a part of company’s profit. All token holders are eligible for obtaining dividends according to their stakes. Any number of tokens (100％) sold at the end of ICO have right to receive 20％ of company’s profits. According to the company bylaws, at the end of a financial year 20％ of the company’s profit is transferred to an ETH wallet. The ETH is then redistributed to all holders of Polybius Tokens according to smart contract conditions.
While starting off as primarily a financial institution, the Polybius project is meant to grow into your daily servicer and companion ecosystem. Among other planned features are scoring and sensitivity systems for credit and insurance businesses, asset and currency trading systems, seed & VC investment tools, eID and Trust services and other features described in this Prospectus.
The Polybius ICO ended on 5th July, immediately ranking among the top five largest ICOs of 2017, raising $31 mn with 27,000 participants.
ICO proceeds are intended to be spent mainly, but not exclusively on acquisition of licenses, building out the systems, hiring the team and marketing. Polybius Bank will rely on a set of public and private licenses instrumental to comply with many regulations, existing in the financial field. Among them are the public EMI and banking licenses, the participation in Card Schemes, the creation of regulation-compliant identification mechanisms and other technical conditions to meet. Every milestone step is an advancement to a broader set of services at Polybius customers’ disposal.
During the initial step for a viable Polybius operation, a set of conditions needs to be met. Among the minimal requirements are licenses (small Electronic Money Institution (sEMI) or Payment Institution (P.I.) licenses) and mechanisms to comply with the law and financial regulations, Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT), etc). At this step, instead of the sEMI license, Polybius, will apply for a license for the Authorized Payment Institution (A.P.I.) for the sake of lowering the initial investment requirement. A.P.I. license is required to store clients’ money and organize payment processes. The time required to acquire the license is 3–9 months. Polybius A.P.I., will be legally considered a non-banking financial institution (NBFI-ND) and will not take deposits until acquisition of the banking license.
SWIFT membership is also required as one of the key elements for banking procedures. Joining the SWIFT network enables a bank to receive a Business Identifier Code (BIC), and to be able to communicate with other financial organizations via SWIFT messages for electronic money transactions. It may take up to 3 months for the application to pass through.
Polybius Payment Institution will adhere to the EPC Rulebooks to use them in the European payment and messaging network for the Euro zone. The EPC Rulebooks define principles of money transfer in Euro according to the European Union Regulatory Framework. The time required to join and to operate the EPC Rulebook network is expected to be 6 months. Compliance with specific rules, laws and regulations is of utter importance in banking environment. A banking institution is obliged to set and follow high standards of operations in order to protect its stakeholders. Besides that, the reputation of a bank can also be severely damaged by poor processes including KYC and AML/CFT techniques and software. We will use existing tested technologies to comply with the standards and the requirements.
P2P loans are a new model in credit systems, which allow organizations to establish a platform that links those looking for loans with those looking for small investments and profit. Such systems are a great way for financial institutions that match the lenders with the borrowers to generate a capital-efficient, credit risk free revenue stream on processing (e.g. platform maintenance, customer due diligence, scoring). We see a particular opportunity in cross-border P2P lending while most of today’s platforms are locked into a single jurisdiction.
The Polybius project is driven by a number of expert groups of with common vision everyone actively involved in the key strategic decisions, project planning and development. The team is regularly drawing on the expertise of the deep bench of the advisors affiliated with the project. Additional tech and finance professionals have committed to join the project.
The core team includes:
· Ivan Turygin (Founder and Chairman at HashCoins OÜ).
· Sergei Potapenko (Founder and CEO, HashCoins OÜ).
· Nikolay Pavlovskiy (Blockchain Engineer and CTO at HashCoins OÜ).
· Vitali Pavlov (Production Management and Chief Product Officer at HashCoins OÜ).
BANKERA
The rise of cryptocurrencies, or simply digital money, has created a demand for a blockchain-based bank. Bankera is a startup that’s catering to that demand. |
youth were bloated with testosterone and boosted by a huge surge in political consciousness. They started gathering, talking to each other, commenting on the moves and motives of political leaders. The shutdown brought more people into the political stream.
It was also a lightning rod for discontent among foreign business people living in Togo. They were suddenly denied their preferred channel of communication, making it impossible for them to reach out to families and friends back home. Naturally, most joined the chorus of opposition to a regime whose largesse they had previously enjoyed.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anti-government protesters in Lomé gather around a scrawled message saying: ‘Faure should leave’. Photograph: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images
I now have an experience to boast about; I’m a member of an exclusive club of countries that shut down the internet without going back to the stone age. Tell me, how many people in the world have lived under a dictator who could shut down the internet on a whim? My country just entered the Guinness World Records book as one of the top dictatorships. Any fame is better than no fame.
In the end, the shutdown was overwhelming stressful and negative. It was like living in a open prison: you could not reach out to your loved ones and they could not reach out to you, because someone had decided so, and was actively enforcing it against your will. Our lives have moved online to the point where an internet blackout is like a high security prison.
It’s not because one could have more time to read books when in prison that we should hail prisons.Today in Things That Are Not Made Up, famous Internet cat Lil Bub will host a talk show anchoring a new Discovery Communications digital venture called Animalist, created and developed by the company's video studio Revision3. The adorably disabled quadruped will host interview segments, conduct field reports and probably eat yogurt in a cute way or something.
You'll get to see it all at Animalist.com starting Oct. 3, when the first crop of shows—Lil Bub, Petsami and Big Cat Rescue, along with a dozen others—hit the Web. It's nothing if not ambitious. The site is shooting for 10 million views a month at launch, with 16 million a month by year's end.
Revision3, a subsidiary of Discovery since last year, created a science-themed Web channel called Test Tube. Just as Test Tube was loosely tied to the Discovery Channel and Science, Animalist will repurpose some Animal Planet content to boost its originals. The company hasn't had to create a writing staff from scratch for the Animalist crew, though. "When we first got talking to Lil Bub's owner Mike [Bridavsky], I said to my team, 'Wow, this guy's really creative!'" recalled Ryan Vance, svp of programming and development for Revision3. "And my team was like, "Yeah, dude, he's the reason Lil Bub is famous. The cat's not doing that.'"
Jim Louderback, CEO of Revision3 and Discovery Digital Networks, said that the new platform would explore material beyond This Cat Is So Cute You Guys. "We'll be doing reviews of pet products. People spend billions of dollars on everything from hamster balls to the pet flowbee. Nobody's ever done a comparative review of dog beds. Why not?" Louderback said. He added that Animalist would take an animal's perspective from time to time. "We tend to anthropomorphize animals," he said. "When animals look at us, they're thinking, 'Are you feeding me, or are you food?' Our goal is to get into that a little more."
Part of the project, Louderback explained, will be to distinguish Animalist's content from the rest of the Web universe's cat videos. "We want to see if we can create properties that have staying power beyond that first moment of 'Oh, isn't that cute' or 'Isn't that funny.'" A good example of that is Big Cat Rescue, about a nonprofit Vance said "is trying to make it so they don't exist anymore." The group rescues and places lions, tigers, bobcats and other animals that end up in the wrong hands—usually those of an unscrupulous exotic pet collector.
Animalist will offer "everything from your standard dynamic ads to full-on, baked-in integrations" to clients, Louderback said. "We can have individual elements of a show that are created in partnership with advertisers."
There may be other YouTube-famous names in the works. "We're talking to other celebrity cats, we're talking to celebrity dogs," said Vance. He paused. "We're also talking to human beings."For over 10 years the mission of social media practitioners has been to build a presence for your company on every social media platform available. The time, effort and energy expended by companies to achieve this has significantly increased your expenses without a corresponding increase in revenue. And what have you gotten for it? Friends, followers, fans--and probably few new customers. Perhaps the problem is social media itself; perhaps it isn't a viable business medium despite all of the hype. Consider these inherently problematic aspects of social media before you decide:
• Consumers see only what they want. Sales and marketing programs are successful when they get a strong message in front of consumers at the right time. Social media platforms can't do this. They, like the mobile devices they are often delivered upon, are consumer controlled technologies--companies can't control what content consumers will actually see. Companies can post during times when they are likely to have the largest reach, but they have no ability to influence who within their community will and who won't see the content. Contrast this with what Comedy Central learned: they could increase their audience on holidays by targeting younger people who were stuck visiting relatives. These consumers (who are potential customers) were often looking for a distraction and were more receptive to good content during those moments. Social media can hope to do this, but it can't actively intervene at those critical moments.
• Selling isn't a one-time event. You'd like to believe that your content is so compelling that someone sees it and they just have to buy--and deep down you know it isn't true. Good marketing and sales process--even good branding--is built upon consistency: an appealing message delivered on a consistent basis in a (relatively) consistent fashion. This causes the message to stick and when the opportune moment arrives, makes your brand or its offering foremost in a consumer's mind. But this is a somewhat outdated approach. PetCareRx learned this: they had much better results when they repeatedly prompted consumers to purchase right at a critical moment, such as just before a pet's medication was due for repurchase. Social media can hope generalized content produces this desired response but it can't be personalized it or deliver it in a way that will have the highest impact.
• Success is incremental. Great companies are great at converting consumers to customers, and they are also great at convincing those customers to then purchase more and purchase more often--often purchasing higher priced products or products with a higher margin. This is critical to long-term success because creating a new customer is significantly more difficult, and expensive, than creating an incremental sale. National Oil & Gas (owners of brands such as Marathon, Phillips 66, Sunoco, and Clark) applied this to achieve significant results by incenting customer who purchased fuel at the pumps to also purchase inside their collocated convenience stores--where profit margins were significantly higher. Social media can hope to steer existing customers towards that next purchase--it can hope to incent them to purchase products that have a higher profit margin--but success is unlikely.
The Proper Role of Social Media
Given these problems is social media a worthwhile investment? Absolutely--it still cannot be avoided by all but a few, most dominant brands. But to be used effectively it must be used with the understanding that companies are not in control of these platforms; they cannot actively control consumers during these interactions in the same way that they have traditionally using well crafted marketing and sales processes; they will always be at a disadvantage in what I call the corporate-consumer relationship. Therefore, if the goal of your social media initiative is to deliver tangible business results (and it should be), then it should always seek to return the company to a position of greater influence over consumer behavior--the position in which it's most effective. More specifically, the content delivered by your company via social media platforms must always be designed to influence consumers in this way.
To do this, content must whenever possible directed consumers back towards platforms that your company controls. And the only areas that you actually control are your own customer-facing physical locations and their digital equivalents: websites and eCommerce sites owned by your company. In both of these physical and digital spaces you can craft the consumer experience into what will convert consumers to customers most effectively, and do so at the highest percent of profitability. You can most effectively capture critical consumer data--what I call bridging data--that allows you to contact and influence these potential customers long after they leave these company controlled locations. And within these environments you can see how each individual consumer reacts to the environment and things within it. This will allow your company to not only target each consumer with highly personalized follow-up content designed to influence them to the company's best ends, but also see how your community reacts to specific prompts and redesign these environments to more effectively produce the results you are seeking.
There are some companies--again, only the most dominant brands--that can simply deliver content to their community via any social media platform and consumers will buy. Some few companies have amazing products and services explained via impactful content backed by brand recognition strong enough to do this. The chance that your company is one of them? Very small. The rest of us must do more if we are to succeed in the new social economy.
For more information visit: www.BigSocialMobile.comThe phone starts ringing at 8 am, a good one hour before Mahesh Kumar Agarwal reaches his office in Delhi’s Netaji Subhash Place. “Clients start calling if they get stuck and need guidance on GST-related matters,” says the 58-year-old chartered accountant. When his other mobile phone and landline also join the chorus, Mahesh turns to his children for assistance. And for good reason. All three of them — Minal, Komal and Aditya — are chartered accountants and well versed in the rules of the new tax.The eldest daughter Minal, 30, conducts GST impact analysis for foreign and large Indian corporations. She also advises them on GST rules and the changes required in their operations. Employees of a north India-based footwear manufacturer have always looked forward to July 1 when their company gave them discount coupons.This year, Minal advised the company to defer the practice because supply without consideration would attract GST. “Those who get lavish Diwali gifts will have to be content with cheaper stuff this year. If the value of the gift exceeds Rs 50,000, it will attract GST,” she says. Her brother Aditya, a freshly minted CA who passed the exam in 2016, conducts training workshops for SMEs. Last week, he was in Amritsar on the invitation of an association of cloth merchants. “Textile traders and manufacturers, who were exempt from tax till now, are completely clueless about GST,” he says.When it comes to GST preparedness, foreign corporations are far ahead of domestic companies. During an overseas trip, Minal was surprised by the sharp and cogent queries raised by the finance honchos of MNCs operating in India. Meanwhile, in India even those who are supposed to know all this are not clear about the basic tenets of the new law. “Many CAs don’t understand that though GST is a destination-based tax, the registration needs to be done only in the state of origin of the product or service,” says Minal.This severe lack of awareness about the new tax means GST-savvy chartered accountants like the Agarwals are in great demand. “My WhatsApp inbox is flooded with queries,” says Aditya. “It feels nice to be in the right place, at the right time.” At the same time, he understands that not all finance professionals will be able to tap into this opportunity. “GST is a new law and subsumes 17 other laws. Only chartered accountants who have developed expertise in this area will be in high demand,” says Aditya.The Agarwals also realise the need to update themselves on the law that is still undergoing changes. “The rules are still evolving and every day there is a new change in the law,” says Minal. It’s particularly challenging for older professionals such as Mahesh who have to forget the tax rules they learnt over the past 30-40 years. “We have to learn, relearn and unlearn a lot. If we don’t keep ourselves updated, the advice to the client will not be accurate or useful,” says Mahesh.Mahesh is delighted that his children have followed his profession, but insists he never forced them to. “Nowadays, nobody can force someone to choose a certain vocation. My children were interested in the profession and made their own choices,” he says. He may have been the inspiration, though. A 2016 research by Facebook shows that children are more likely to follow the professions of their parents and siblings. The study analysed data of 5.6 million people who had mentioned their professions in their profiles.If 80% of the five-member family are chartered accountants, it is hardly surprising that conversations at the dinner table are usually about double entries, debit/credit and balance sheet reconciliation. There are times when Mahesh’s homemaker wife Sunita feels out of place, especially when casual discussions between the four chartered accountants meander into professional territory.“She has got used to it but sometimes feels completely alone at the dinner table,” says Komal, the younger daughter, who completed CA in 2014. “My mother says, ‘You guys are making money but I am the one who is paying a price for it’,” Komal adds with a chuckle.Psychedelics changed the way a mother and daughter experienced death
http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/v1/unsecured/media/245991542/201506/1053/245991542_4324351550001_Marilyn-Howell-speaks-about-having-her-daughter-treated-with-MDMA-.mp4?pubId=245991542&videoId=4324291549001
Marilyn Howell describes her daughter’s experience undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.
Days before she died, Mara asked her parents to take MDMA with her.
The 32-year-old had spent the previous year doing anything she could to beat the odds and survive colon cancer. But the physical pain consumed her. She tried a spinal nerve block, a medicinal pump, even a healer in a remote village in Brazil.
But the high from MDMA, also known as Ecstasy or Molly, became the only thing that gave her relief.
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So her mother, Marilyn, honored her request.
“My daughter is dying and right now in this moment, I’m so grateful to be with her,’’ Marilyn remembers thinking as they took the drug. “I’m so grateful to have these moments of clarity and love and peace and joy. That I can hold this memory forever.’’
Mara asked her parents to move her limbs so she could dance. Marilyn picked up Mara’s arms and swayed them. Mara beamed with joy.
Two days later, Mara died.
Many facing the death of their loved ones are often plagued with deciding how best to live out days under intense — and often physically painful — awareness of their mortality. It’s a question whose answer can not be found in a medical textbook. For most, like Marilyn and Mara, the decision becomes a tailored act of love.
Marilyn, who wrote about their experience in her book, “Honor Thy Daughter,’’ found the use of psychedelics to be a turning point in Mara’s end-of-life care. It wasn’t meant to replace Mara’s palliative care — or to offer her false hope of living — but became a method of easing into mortality’s sting.
After growing up in Brookline, Mara became a teacher at Aurora School in Oakland, California. The interview, in 2004, included meeting the children. At the end of it, they hugged her and asked for her to be their teacher.
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“She was a vibrant, thoughtful, kind person. She loved her life, she loved what she did,’’ Marilyn said.
In the summers, she had volunteered for species research in places like Madagascar, Kenya, and Honduras. She used her experiences to bring classroom lessons to life. One day, her students noticed that lions and tigers were seen on boxes of Celestial Seasonings brand Madagascar tea varieties. Those species live on continental Africa, not on Madagascar. Her students wrote Celestial Seasonings about their error and made prototypes tea boxes with animals that live on the island.
She felt stomach pain before a planned fish study trip off the coast of Honduras. But she pushed herself on. That research trip would turn out to be her last.
Tests found that she suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, at worst. When she was finally diagnosed with cancer, it was too late. She was terminal.
In 2005, she underwent emergency surgery to have several organs removed. But surgeons could not remove the swollen lymph nodes behind her heart’s main valve, Marilyn said.
Still, Mara pushed away anyone who doubted her will to live. Mara’s pain became so unbearable,there were times Marilyn wished death would end her suffering.
When they felt they had exhausted all options, Marilyn received an email about an FDA-approved clinical trial at McLean Hospital in Belmont, in which end-stage cancer patients would use MDMA to help relieve anxiety and depression.
It seemed worth a shot to Marilyn, but not to her daughter: She said she wasn’t end stage.
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A decade later, researchers are still studying the effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy on improving the quality of life on patients with chronic diseases. So far, results suggest that many are able to let go of some of their fears.
Marilyn had heard of people on psychedelics having remarkable spiritual experiences. She encouraged Mara to try.
Mara did not qualify for the study because she was too sick, so Marilyn found an underground psychotherapist who would administer psychedelics. Marilyn detailed their transformative experience personal end-of-life journey in her book, “Honor Thy Daughter.’’ healing potential of psychedelic therapy
The sessions started with psilocybin, but as the pain worsened, Mara wanted something stronger. “I want this miracle. I want this spiritual experience,’’ she told her mother.
In his book, “Being Mortal,’’ Harvard physician Atul Guwande wrote this about end of life care: “You may not control life’s circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.’’
Mara, steeped in incredible pain, wanted physical and spiritual relief. Under the supervision of the psychotherapist, she took LSD, then medical marijuana. And finally MDMA.
It worked. She did not dwell in the pain. She talked about her childhood and her life. She accepted death. She told her mother she loved her in an effort so intense, it has stayed with Marilyn a decade later.
“MDMA gave us the whole person that we loved, for a little while — back to say anything that we might ever have wanted to say, and for her to be able to say anything,’’ Marilyn said.
The sessions were short-lived and they came with real risks. Since MDMA is an amphetamine, it raises the heart rate and blood pressure.
Indeed, researchers conducting studies on the use of MDMA for medical use say the drug is not intended to become a stand-alone treatment.
“It will always be administered under supervision,’’ known as MDMA-assisted psychotherapy,’’ says Rick Doblin, Boston-based founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. The group has been the primary funder for studies on MDMA.
Dr. George Aghajanian, a senior research scientist in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, said there’s not enough research to know exactly who will benefit from the drug since its effects are unpredictable.
Experts also caution about the drug’s lasting effects. Previous studies suggest that taking MDMA for long periods of time may permanently change activity in parts ofthe brain that regulate emotions. Abuse could also lead to depression, attention deficit, and memory loss — though the long-term risks seem obsolete in its use for end-of-life care.
Mara, who was already experiencing heart palpitations, did not stop her palliative care while undergoing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions. She was continuously monitored during the experiences.
In the final hours of her life, Mara lay in her mother’s home. Despite taking MDMA, Mara was unresponsive to any attempts to wake her.
“Oftentimes, when a person is dying, we have no idea if they’re conscious, or what they know. And what is most important is that we communicate through touch and through voice,’’ Marilyn said.
Mara’s father stroked her head, and Marilyn read aloud. Marilyn says Mara opened her eyes and looked at her parents with an expression of joy before she died.
At a memorial for Mara in Oakland, a mother of one of her students introduced herself to Marilyn. She said the only way her son had been able to handle Mara’s death was to make himself a cup of Madagascar tea. He drank one every afternoon.
“How many 12-year-olds do that?’’ Marilyn said.Sure, we’re all about the Flash these days, thanks to The CW’s awesome new series focused on a young Barry Allen... but do those superpowers really translate into real life that well?
A physics paper published at the University of Leicester in the U.K. digs into all the math of the Flash’s superpower, focusing specifically on a scene from early in the show’s run (which featured heavily in the trailers) that had the Flash saving a biker who was going to be hit by a car.
The full study is admittedly heavy on the science, but if you have a brain for numbers it’s worth checking out. Basically: They find that the Flash’s speed by intervening to save the cyclist would realistically do more damage than just letting the guy get hit by the car, since the Flash is moving so much faster. The conclusion recommends that the Flash lower his speed before making contact with someone to prevent injuries.
Of course, these physicists don’t take the Flash’s comic-book power of the Speed Force into account, so it’s kind of a moot point. But it’s still interesting to see these comic-book-y concepts broken down in real-life physics. So, in conclusion — good thing the Speed Force was created, and that this is all fiction, anyway.
(Via io9, Physics Special Topics)I’ve had quite a few questions from fans about how to fly with your dog, so I thought it was about time I go through and tell you what I know. I won’t claim to be an expert though, so if there is something I missed, feel free to let me know in the comments. Also keep in mind that I do receive special exceptions sometimes due to my celebrity status, but I will try and detail this for the average flyer ; )
Booking a Dog on Your Flight
So to start off, most airlines will say you can bring a small dog in the cabin of the plane if the dog is small enough to fit comfortably under the seat in front of you and is less than about 15-20 pounds (varies by airline). They also need to be in a pet carrier (travel bag) – recommended to be soft-sided. Here is me with my carry bag which I got from the JetBlue pet program called JetPaws.
Then there will be a pet fee that once again varies by airline, but in my experience has ranged from $50 – $100 per direction.
Some airlines will let you book the dog online with your regular ticket, while others require you to call in. Most airlines usually have a limit of about 2 dogs per flight as well! (Celebrities excepted).
Airline Pet Friendliness
We all know that some airlines have better customer service than others. I’ve only traveled a few, but here’s what I think based on my experiences.
JetBlue has awesome people service, and great dog service as well. The flight attendants usually don’t mind if I come out from under the seat and sit on Mum or Dad’s lap (all airlines will say the dog has to stay in the carrier under the seat for the whole flight). Then there’s WestJet, which is essentially the Canadian version of JetBlue. They have awesome people service as well, but they are less than accommodating when it comes to dogs. As soon as my nose peeps out from my bag, there’s an attendant there to say, “zip it up!“.
American Airlines isn’t that great with dogs either. They aren’t as bad as WestJet, but not as good as JetBlue.
I have also traveled Air Canada a few times, and they are very much like American Airlines in that their people service is less than par. Yet, ironically, they have the best dog service of them all! Their flight attendants are always happy to see me out and about from my travel bag. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that I had some really nice attendants, or maybe it’s just because they recognized me and were trying to suck up to my celebrity stature.
Now I am just speaking generally on my experiences with these airlines. There is always the chance that you will just find a super nice (or grumpy) attendant on any of these airlines who will make or break your flight.
Check out the small dog travel blog for more info and experiences on various airlines, dogjaunt.com.
How I Feel About Flying
I am a very comfortable flyer. In fact, I did a post a while ago called Jet-Settin’ Dachshund that you might want to check out after reading this one.
I took my first flight when I was just a few months old, and then at fairly regular intervals after that. So I am pretty well accustomed to flying.
However, during takeoff I get the nervous shakes. I look to Mum and Dad for affirmation that everything is okay. Once we’re in the air I am fine, and actually, even a little curious..
The landing is a bit scary as well.
One thing that Mum is always worried about is that I will pee in my carrier, just because it happened one time (geez, get over it, I was a puppy). Anyway, I like to hold it in the day of travel, and no matter how much Mum and Dad try, I won’t pee for a long time.
Actually, one time Mum brought along puppy peepee pads. After a long first flight, a connection, and then onto our second flight – I still hadn’t peed. So while on the plane, Mum asked (ordered) Dad take me into the bathroom, where he laid out the peepee pad to try to get me to go. I wouldn’t. So he tried peeing a few drops himself onto the pad to spur me into thinking it was appropriate. I was just disturbed by this, which didn’t help.
Mum always brings a bunch of small treats to feed me throughout the flight (so the swallowing equalizes my ears).
Traveling With Your Dog Outside Your Country
This is quite a bit different than traveling within your own country. If you are looking to take your doggy to another country though, I recommend you check to see if that country has a quarantine rule. Some will require you leave the dog in quarantine for around 2 weeks or more upon arrival to make sure the dog is healthy and not carrying any diseases.
As you can imagine, I am way too famous to do that.
Each country will have their own regulations for bringing a pet. I will use my upcoming trip to Bahamas as an example.
Traveling With Your Dog to the Bahamas
Here’s everything you need to do to bring your dog to the Bahamas:
You need to download and fill out an import permit application from the Bahama Tourism website. There are some restrictions listed in this document. For instance, the dog has to be at least 6 months old, have had the correct vaccinations, etc. Once you fill out the form with some basic questions about your dog, you have to mail it to the Bahamas Department of Agriculture with a $10 money order or cheque for processing fee. If you provide an extra $5 then once the application is granted, they will fax the import permit back to you instead of mailing it back. This is what I did to expedite the process. The permit is valid for traveling within one year from time of issue. You will need to bring this import permit with you when you travel. You also have to bring a Veterinary Health Certificate of the dog that has been issued within 48 hours before importation, and the vet also has to sign the import permit. Once you arrive, you need to give a duplicate copy of all the documentation to a customs officer, and then again, within 48 hours after arrival, the dog has to see a Bahamas vet for the same check (update: when we went to the Bahamas, no one even looked at our papers, and we never bothered to go see a vet on the island (there wasn’t even one on the island we went to). This part I would say is not necessary).
I can’t say I’m looking forward to the double-vet visit. As you can see, I can’t even look at a vet..
And actually, one thing I haven’t looked into yet is any regulations in coming back to Canada. So, good thing I did this post! I’ll get my manager on that right away.
So, it’s a long and complicated process, but it will all be worth it for the Bahamas! I can’t wait to strut my stuff down the beach!
If you have any questions or insights of your own, please let us know in the comments!
Keep jet-settin’,
~ Crusoe
My New Book! Featuring my worldly travels far and wide, from Europe to Mexico and more, and the whole story of my surgery and recovery! Rated 5 stars on Amazon! Get Yours!
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commentsMontana state Sen. Jerry O'Neil said he earns about $7,000 annually from the Legislature. Lawmaker asks to be paid in gold
A Montana state lawmaker is asking that he be paid in gold coins because of his lack of faith in the U.S. dollar amid a rising deficit.
Jerry O’Neil, a Republican just reelected in his northern Montana district, says his constituents told him he was not honoring his duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution, which O’Neil and Gold Standard supporters say requires the government to print money backed by gold.
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( Also on POLITICO: Blame GOP for cliff diving)
“I believe that if you take a look at the Constitution, that’s what it says,” he told POLITICO. “I think we’ve gotten a tremendously long way from it.”
So he wrote a letter to the state Legislature asking to be paid his public salary in gold and stating: “It is very likely the bottom will fall out from under the U.S. dollar. Only so many dollars can be printed before they have no value.”
( Also on POLITICO: Sequestration now in mainstream consciousness)
A former supporter for Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) failed bid for president, O’Neil said he hasn’t heard back from the Montana Legislature about his request.
“I believe that if you take a look at the Constitution, that’s what it says. Actually, I think we’ve gotten a tremendously long way from it,” O’Neil said. “If we don’t start paying that debt down, we’re going to lose the country.”
O’Neil said that he collects about $7,000 annually from the Montana Legislature. Currently, the U.S. Mint is selling the 2012 American Eagle One Ounce Gold Proof Coin (at face value worth $50) for $1,985.00.Some parishioners saw the men being handcuffed by police. They wondered why one man was face-down on the street outside their church, blood dripping from his face.
The incident outside St. Paul the Apostle Sudanese Episcopal Church, in which Phoenix police officers were accused of falsely arresting and abusing two Sudanese refugees, led to a recent $150,000 settlement to avoid a lawsuit.
Attendance at prayer services at the church near Seventh Avenue and Buckeye Road averaged more than 130 people prior to the incident, though word of the altercation "put fear into the community" of refugees, many of whom are now avoiding the neighborhood out of fear of racial profiling and police brutality, the church pastor said.
"The news of that incident, it caused the numbers to go down," the Rev. Anderia Arok said.
Services now average 60 to 70 people, Arok said.
The two Sudanese men who received the settlement were planning on attending a prayer service inside the church that day in July 2009, joining other refugees to discuss an international court's ruling on a regional dispute in their war-torn homeland.
St. Paul the Apostle, which is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, caters to Sudanese refugees.
An internal police investigation cleared Officers Jason Hammernick and Corey Shibata of any wrongdoing. City officials said similar settlements are approved to avoid the added expense of defending officers in court.
The notice of claim from the incident outlined how the officers "conspired to falsify" details of the case to justify their probable cause for booking the men on suspicion of resisting arrest and to "avoid being held accountable for their wrongful conduct."
Hammernick and Shibata told supervisors that they targeted the men as part of a routine traffic stop after running a license plate on a rented Nissan Xterra revealing that the vehicle had been used in a drug case months earlier.
Arok said the incident "looked like a humiliation," and that many parishioners believed that the escalation from the traffic stop resulted from racial profiling. He said the men were wearing ties and looked like church members, not anyone connected with illegal drug activity.
"We are not denying there are drugs in the area, but this was in front of the church," Arok said.
Aluk Bak Deng, 38, of Tucson, and Angok Atem, 28, claimed they were aggressively pushed and shoved outside the vehicle, though the officers said the men refused to comply with commands, which led to the physical escalation.
Bak Deng and Atem were with a third man sitting in the rental vehicle as they waited for Arok to open the church for the afternoon prayer service. Bak Deng, president of the Arizona chapter of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, was scheduled to speak at the service.RIO DE JANEIRO – Russia was stripped of a relay gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Games on Tuesday after one its athletes failed a retrospective doping test.
Yulia Chermoshanskaya, 30, tested positive to stanozolol and turinabol, and has been disqualified from the women’s 4×100 metres relay alongside her teammates and the gold medal withdrawn.
The Russian sprinter was also disqualified in the women’s 200 metres final where she placed eighth, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement, asking athletes’ governing body to consider any further sanctions.
Regulations stipulate the entire team lose medals in a relay if one of the runners fails a doping test. The three other Russians set to lose their gold from four years ago include Yulia Gushchina, Alexandra Fedoriva and Evgeniya Polyakova.
Belgium’s quartet of Olivia Borlee, Hanna Marien, Elodie Ouedraogo and Kim Gevaert now stand to be upgraded to gold, with Nigeria moving to silver and Brazil to bronze.
The Jamaican and British teams were disqualified in the 2008 final after they dropped a baton, while the United States failed to progress past the heats altogether after they dropped a baton.
The IOC said Chermoshanskaya claimed she had been injured in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Games and received injections on medical advice. Olympic officials said she should have declared the injections at the time.
Stanozolol is considered one of the most traditional steroids. Canada’s Ben Johnson most infamously returned an adverse analytical finding for the drug at the 1988 Seoul Games, where he was stripped of individual gold in the men’s 100 metres.
The IOC’s announcement is the latest doping controversy for Russia emerging from the Rio Olympics. The country’s track and field team are already banned from all international competition for systematic, state-directed doping.
Last month an independent World Ant-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned McLaren report confirmed widespread doping in Russia, including at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Investigations are also ongoing into systematic doping in other winter and summer Olympic sports in Russia.
Chermoshanskaya is so far the seventh athlete formally sanctioned in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games doping test re-analysis programme. Using enhanced techniques, the IOC has caught 98 athletes after retesting more than 1,000 samples.Severe air pollution blending the words smoke and fog
Not to be confused with Smoke
Smog is a type of severe air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century as a blending of the words smoke and fog to refer to smoky fog, its opacity, and odor.[1] The word was then intended to refer to what was sometimes known as pea soup fog, a familiar and serious problem in London from the 19th century to the mid-20th century. This kind of visible air pollution is composed of nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, ozone, smoke and other particulates. Man-made smog is derived from coal combustion emissions, vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, forest and agricultural fires and photochemical reactions of these emissions.
Smog is often categorized as being either summer smog or winter smog. Summer smog is primarily associated with the photochemical formation of ozone. During the summer season when the temperatures are warmer and there is more sunlight present, photochemical smog is the dominant type of smog formation. During the winter months when the temperatures are colder, and atmospheric inversions are common, there is an increase in coal and other fossil fuel usage to heat homes and buildings. These combustion emissions, together with the lack of pollutant dispersion under inversions, characterize winter smog formation. While photochemical smog is the main smog formation mechanism during summer months, winter smog episodes are still common. Smog formation in general relies on both primary and secondary pollutants. Primary pollutants are emitted directly from a source, such as emissions of sulfur dioxide from coal combustion. Secondary pollutants, such as ozone, are formed when primary pollutants undergo chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
Photochemical smog, as found for example in Los Angeles, is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes. These pollutants react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine with the primary emissions to form photochemical smog. In certain other cities, such as Delhi, smog severity is often aggravated by stubble burning in neighboring agricultural areas. The atmospheric pollution levels of Los Angeles, Beijing, Delhi, Lahore, Mexico City, Tehran and other cities |
in January 2013
On August 10, 2012, Howard was traded from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that also involved the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets. Howard took six months off from basketball after his April back surgery, and only had the combined four weeks of training camp and preseason to prepare for the season.[52][53] Still working himself into shape, Howard paced himself throughout the season on both offense and defense.[53] On January 4, 2013, Howard injured his right shoulder in the second half of the Lakers' 107–102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. At the midpoint of the season, the Lakers were a disappointing 17–24. Howard was averaging 17.1 points on 58.2% shooting, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, but also 3.6 fouls a game with 3.2 turnovers while making only 50.4% of his free throws.[54]
Howard with the Lakers in February 2013
Howard was upset that he was not getting the ball enough, and he felt that Kobe Bryant was shooting too much.[55] Moving forward, Howard said he needed to "bring it" and dominate in more ways than just scoring.[56] Howard missed games due to his recurring shoulder injury in January[57] and February.[58][59] In February, Bryant said that Howard "worries too much" and "doesn't want to let anyone down", urging him to play through the pain when Pau Gasol was sidelined with a torn plantar fascia.[60] Howard returned the next game after commenting that Bryant was "not a doctor, I'm not a doctor. That's his opinion."[61]
During the All-Star break, Howard adopted a healthier diet to get into better shape to anchor the Lakers' defense and run D'Antoni's preferred pick and rolls.[53][62][63] Still, on February 23, Howard said he was "not even close" to physically being where he wanted to be. Coach Mike D'Antoni attributed his conditioning to his difficulty with running the pick and roll with Steve Nash, a play the coach had expected would be a staple for the team.[53][64] The Lakers were 8–2 after the All-Star break, passing Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and Howard averaged 15.5 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks.[65] In his first game back in Orlando on March 12, Howard scored a season-high 39 points and had 16 rebounds in a 106–97 Lakers win. Booed throughout the game, he made 25-of-39 free throws, setting Lakers records for free throws made and attempted while tying his NBA record for attempts.[a] Howard made 16-of-20 free throws when he was fouled intentionally by the Magic.[66] With Howard anchoring the Lakers defense and his improved overall play,[67] the Lakers made the playoffs, but were swept in the opening round by San Antonio. Howard was ejected in Game 4 with over nine minutes left in the third quarter.[68][69]
Howard finished the season with his lowest scoring average since his second year in the NBA, but was the league leader in rebounding and ranked second in field goal percentage. Although he was recovering from his back surgery, he only missed six games all season—all due to his torn labrum.[70] Howard was named to the All-NBA Third Team after having received five consecutive first-team honors.[71] He became a free agent in the summer, and was offered a maximum contract of five years and $118 million by the Lakers.[70]
Houston Rockets (2013–2016)
Howard with the Rockets in March 2014, alongside teammate Chandler Parsons
On July 13, 2013, Howard signed with the Houston Rockets, joining James Harden to form a formidable duo.[72] Howard finished the regular season with averages of 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds and earned All-NBA Second Team honors.[73] During the 2014 playoffs, Howard averaged 26 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, but the Rockets were eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, losing the series 4–2.
After playing in the Rockets' first 10 out of 11 games to start the 2014–15 season, Howard missed 11 straight due to a strained right knee[74] before returning to action on December 13 against the Denver Nuggets and recording his 10,000th career rebound.[75] However, on January 31, Howard was ruled out for a further month due to persistent trouble with his right knee.[76][77] After setbacks forced him out for a further month and a total of 26 games, Howard returned to action on March 25 against the New Orleans Pelicans. He started the game but was held under 17 minutes by coach Kevin McHale and finished with just four points and seven rebounds in a 95–93 win.[78] Howard played only 41 games in the regular season.[79] The Rockets clinched their first division title in over 20 years[80] and made it to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost 4–1 to the Golden State Warriors.[81]
On November 4, 2015, Howard had 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Orlando Magic. He shot 10-of-10 to become the first Rocket to make 10 or more field goals without a miss since Yao Ming went 12-of-12 in 2009.[82] On December 26, he eclipsed 15,000 points for his career in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.[83] On January 18, 2016, in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Howard had 36 points and tied a career high with 26 rebounds en route to his 10th straight double-double, the league's longest active streak at the time, and his longest since a 14-game run in 2012–13.[84] On June 22, 2016, Howard declined his $23 million player option for the 2016–17 season and became an unrestricted free agent.[85]
Atlanta Hawks (2016–2017)
Howard with the Hawks in April 2017
On July 12, 2016, Howard signed a three-year, $70 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks.[86][87] With the retirement of Tim Duncan, Howard entered the 2016–17 season as the NBA's active leader in rebounds (12,089)[88] and blocked shots (1,916).[89] In his debut for the Hawks in their season opener on October 27, Howard grabbed 19 rebounds in a 114–99 win over the Washington Wizards. It was the most rebounds for anyone in their Atlanta debut, breaking the mark of 18 that Shareef Abdur-Rahim set on October 30, 2001.[90] On November 2, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 123–116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.[91] On February 2, he had a season-best game with 24 points and 23 rebounds in a 113–108 win over the Rockets in Houston.[92]
Charlotte Hornets (2017–2018)
On June 20, 2017, the Hawks traded Howard, along with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee and the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.[93] To begin the season, Howard became the first Charlotte player since Emeka Okafor in 2007 with four consecutive 15-rebound games.[94] In the fifth game of the season, he had another 15-rebound game.[95] On March 15, he scored 20 of his season-high 33 points in the second half of the Hornets' 129–117 win over the Atlanta Hawks.[96] On March 21, Howard recorded 32 points and a franchise-record 30 rebounds in a 111–105 win over the Nets, becoming just the eighth player in league history with a 30–30 game. He became the first NBA player with a 30-point, 30-rebound game since Kevin Love in November 2010, and the first player with a 30–30 game against the Nets since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 1978.[97] Howard finished the season with a franchise-record 53 double-doubles and joined Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to hold single-season records with two teams. Howard also became one of six players to average a double-double in each of his first 13 seasons in the league.[98]
On July 6, 2018, Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.[99] He was waived by the Nets immediately upon being acquired.[100]
Washington Wizards (2018–present)
On July 12, 2018, Howard signed with the Washington Wizards.[101][102] After missing all of training camp, every exhibition game and the first seven regular-season games with a sore backside, Howard made his debut for the Wizards on November 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, scoring 13 first-quarter points before finishing with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, three rebounds and four fouls in 23 minutes in a 134–111 loss.[103] On November 16, he recorded a season-high 25 points and 17 rebounds in a 115–104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[104] On November 30, he was ruled out for two to three months after undergoing spinal surgery to relieve pain in his glutes.[105][106]
National team career
Howard at the 2008 Olympics
Howard was named on March 5, 2006 to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program.[1] As the team's regular starting center, he helped lead the team to a 5–0 record during its pre-World Championship tour, and subsequently helped the team win the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.[1] During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard was on the team which won its first nine games en route to qualifying for the finals and a spot for the 2008 Olympics.[107] He started in eight of those nine games, averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and led the team in shooting.778 from the field.[108] In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.[109]
On June 23, 2008, Howard was named as one of the members of the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.[110] With Howard starting as center, Team USA won all of its games en route to the gold medal, breaking their drought of gold medals dating back to the 2000 Olympics.[111] Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.[112]
Player profile
Standing at 6 feet 11 inches tall (2.11 m) and weighing 265 pounds (120 kg), Howard plays the center position. Howard led the NBA in rebounding from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2012 to 2013. Howard's rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches in 2011, rare for a player of his size.[113][114] He demonstrated this skill in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest, where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson while slapping a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high.[115] The sticker showed an image of his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13", a paraphrase of Philippians 4:13.[116] Howard's leaping reach of 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) is the highest documented in NBA history, 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than Shaquille O'Neal's previous record of 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m).[113] As of December 2018, Howard's career average of 12.7 rebounds per game (in the regular season) ranked 13th in NBA history.[117]
Howard's abilities and powerful physique have drawn attention from fellow NBA All-Stars. Tim Duncan once remarked in 2007: "[Howard] is so developed... He has so much promise and I am glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking."[118] Kevin Garnett echoed those sentiments: "[Howard] is a freak of nature, man... I was nowhere near that physically talented. I wasn't that gifted, as far as body and physical presence."[118] Subsequent to a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala said: "It's like he can guard two guys at once. He can guard his guy and the guy coming off the pick-and-roll, which is almost impossible to do... If he gets any more athletic or jumps any higher, they're going to have to change the rules."[8] In December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Howard to be the most dominant center in the NBA.[119] Many sports pundits rated Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA.[114][120][121]
Howard has some weaknesses in his game. Offensively, his shooting range remains limited;[citation needed] he also led the NBA in turnovers in the 2006–07 season.[122] Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage.[citation needed][9] As a result, he is often a target of the Hack-a-Shaq defense and is annually among the league leaders in free throw attempts.[citation needed]
NBA career statistics
Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
* Led the league
Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2004–05 Orlando 82 82 32.6.520.000.671 10.0.9.9 1.7 12.0 2005–06 Orlando 82 81 36.8.531.000.595 12.5 1.5.8 1.4 15.8 2006–07 Orlando 82 82 36.9.603.500.586 12.3 1.9.9 1.9 17.6 2007–08 Orlando 82 82 37.7.599.000.590 14.2* 1.3.9 2.1 20.7 2008–09 Orlando 79 79 35.7.572.000.594 13.8* 1.4 1.0 2.9* 20.6 2009–10 Orlando 82 82 34.7.612*.000.592 13.2* 1.8.9 2.8* 18.3 2010–11 Orlando 78 78 37.5.593.000.596 14.1 1.4 1.4 2.4 22.9 2011–12 Orlando 54 54 38.3.573.000.491 14.5* 1.9 1.5 2.1 20.6 2012–13 L.A. Lakers 76 76 35.8.578.167.492 12.4* 1.4 1.1 2.4 17.1 2013–14 Houston 71 71 33.7.591.286.547 12.2 1.8.8 1.8 18.3 2014–15 Houston 41 41 29.8.593.500.528 10.5 1.2.7 1.3 15.8 2015–16 Houston 71 71 32.1.620.000.489 11.8 1.4 1.0 1.6 13.7 2016–17 Atlanta 74 74 29.7.633.000.533 12.7 1.4.9 1.2 13.5 2017–18 Charlotte 81 81 30.4.555.143.574 12.5 1.3.6 1.6 16.6 Career 1035 1034 34.5.583.095.566 12.7 1.5.9 2.0 17.4 All-Star 8 6 23.3.642.154.450 8.8 1.5.6 1.1 12.1
Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2007 Orlando 4 4 41.8.548.000.455 14.8 1.8.5 1.0 15.3 2008 Orlando 10 10 42.1.581.000.542 15.8.9.8 3.4 18.9 2009 Orlando 23 23 39.3.601.000.636 15.3 1.9.9 2.6 20.3 2010 Orlando 14 14 35.5.614.000.519 11.1 1.4.8 3.5 18.1 2011 Orlando 6 6 43.0.630.000.682 15.5 0.5.7 1.8 27.0 2013 L.A. Lakers 4 4 31.5.619.000.444 10.8 1.0.5 2.0 17.0 2014 Houston 6 6 38.5.547.000.625 13.7 1.8.7 2.8 26.0 2015 Houston 17 17 33.8.577.000.412 14.0 1.2 1.4 2.3 16.4 2016 Houston 5 5 36.0.542.000.368 14.0 1.6.8 1.4 13.2 2017 Atlanta 6 6 26.1.500.000.632 10.7 1.3 1.0.8 8.0 Career 95 95 37.0.586.000.545 13.8 1.4.9 2.5 18.4
Personal life
On November 18, 2007, Howard's ex-girlfriend, former Magic dancer Royce Reed, gave birth to their son, Braylon.[123] "'I was ashamed because I’d talked so much about being a Christian, professed my faith to the whole world, and here I was with a baby out of wedlock,'" Howard said. "'I felt like I didn’t need my relationship with God anymore, and that caused a lot of pain.'"[124] Howard won a defamation judgment against Reed in 2010, when a Florida judge ruled that she violated a court order prohibiting her from mentioning him in the media.[125] He had initially sought $550,500,000 in damages, claiming that she had disparaged him through Twitter and her appearances on the reality television show, Basketball Wives, as the couple's paternity agreement stipulated a $500 fine for each time she mentioned him in public.[126]
In October 2014, police in Cobb County, Georgia investigated claims by Reed that Howard abused their son.[127][128] Howard had admitted to hitting Braylon with a belt; he had been disciplined in the same manner while growing up, and he stated that he did not realize it was wrong to do so.[129][130] Howard was not charged in connection with the allegations.[131] Howard was also involved in a civil case with Reed over custody of their son.[128][130]
Howard has said, "'I came from a little box where everyone wanted to protect me from the big world I was about to enter. But when I finally got into that world and took a look around, I wanted to experience all of it.'" As of September 2017, Howard—who has never married—had fathered five children by five different women living in three different states. The children reportedly "visit Atlanta every off-season." In a 2017 interview, Howard said, "'It’s a tough situation, obviously... I should have been more responsible. I messed up. I sinned. But I won’t look at any of [my children] as a mistake. They’re all a blessing to me.'"[124]
Howard keeps approximately 20 snakes as pets and has appeared twice[132][133] in Animal Planet's reality TV series Tanked.[134][135] He owns a farm "in north Georgia where he relaxes [with] cows, hogs, turkeys and deer," and also grows vegetables on his estate.[124]
Philanthropy, faith, and public image
Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to "raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world".[136] He has stated he believes in reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy.[3] As of 2007, Howard—an avid listener of Gospel music—attended the Fellowship of Faith Church in Atlanta and was involved and active with its youth programs.[137] Together with his parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004.[138] The Foundation provides scholarships for students who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida.[138] The Foundation also organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and together with high school and college coaches and players, fellow NBA players are invited to be on hand at the camp.[139] For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award.[137] Within the NBA itself, Howard has participated in several NBA "Read to Achieve" assemblies encouraging children to make reading a priority.[137] In November 2009, the center was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.[140] In 2009, Howard, along with several other NBA players, joined the Hoops for St. Jude charity program benefitting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[141]
Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired April 2, 2006, in which Ty Pennington and his team built a new home and ministry offices for Sadie Holmes, who operates a social services ministry in the Orlando area.[142] He made another appearance on the show in the October 9, 2011 episode.
In 2014, Epix featured Howard as the focal point of a documentary about his life called In the Moment. The film was directed by Ross Greenburg and Executive Producers include Michael D. Ratner and Matthew Weaver.[143]
See also
Notes
^ [66] The previous Lakers records were held by Bryant, who made 23 twice—most recently in 2006 against New York—while Shaquille O'Neal attempted 31 in 1999 against Chicago.
ReferencesPolice said late Wednesday that they arrested a fourth suspect after a group of white supremacists allegedly opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters Monday night in Minneapolis. Local prosecutors have until Monday to file charges against the men being held, according to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
The Minneapolis Police Department said in a news release that they had arrested Joseph Daniel Backman, 27, in connection with the shooting that left five protesters injured. Police also confirmed the Tuesday arrests of Allen Lawrence “Lance” Scarsella III, 23; Nathan Wayne Gustavsson, 21; and Daniel Thomas Macey, 26. Blackman, Scarsella and Gustavsson appear to be white while Macey appears to be Asian.
Police said in the news release that they weren’t seeking any more suspects although the investigation was ongoing with the help of the FBI.
Court records showed one of the men who was arrested called a police officer he knew to confess to shooting the demonstrators.
A search warrant application showed that Scarsella called a Mankato, Minnesota police officer identified only as “Levin,” who was an old high school friend of his, at 1 a.m. Tuesday to confess to the shooting, according to the Star-Tribune. Scarsella told the officer that he went to the protests, sparked by the fatal police shooting of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, to livestream and then got into a confrontation with demonstrators, according to the newspaper.
Police searched Scarsella’s Bloomington home for white supremacist paraphernalia and found camouflage clothing, ammunition and several firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, according to the warrant obtained by the Star-Tribune.
The four men arrested appeared to connect through 4chan message boards for firearms enthusiasts and racially charged political commentary, according to the newspaper. The Star-Tribune also reported that Gustavsson and Macey were both are students in the gunsmithing and firearms technology program at Pine Technical and Community College.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman told the Star-Tribune that an extenstion for prosecutors to file charges against the four men expires at noon Monday. Previously, the newspaper reported that authorities were weighing whether to treat the shooting as a hate crime.SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes star Chris Wondolowski had a one-word reaction to the news that Frank Yallop was no longer his club’s coach:
“Speechless.”
Quakes players had speculated about the topic of their 2 pm Friday afternoon meeting. The idea of Yallop, just one win shy of 100 regular-season victories with San Jose, being replaced on an interim basis by longtime assistant Mark Watson did not appear on the list of possibilities.
“No one saw it coming,” Wondolowski said. “That was literally the last thing we [expected].”
But it came. Yallop delivered the news himself to the team, although the decision had been reached earlier in the week during discussions between him, Quakes president David Kaval and general manager John Doyle.
Kaval insisted to reporters that the decision was by mutual agreement, yet offered up precious little in the way of concrete reasons why Yallop – the Quakes’ only coach since the team’s resurrection in 2008 – had gone from reigning MLS Coach of the Year to unemployed in just six months’ time.
Kaval did assert that the team’s current 1-5-5 slide in MLS play and Yallop’s tactical decisions bore little or no part in the decision-making process.
“It really came out of a very open dialogue from all the parties,” Kaval told MLSsoccer.com. “It was almost like a lightbulb went off for everybody, and we thought this course of action, parting ways, made the most sense.”
Yallop could not be reached directly by MLSsoccer.com to confirm that explanation, which may strain the credulity of outside observers who have watched the Quakes fall flat in recent weeks, even after getting back several key players who began the year nursing injuries. San Jose have been outscored 10-1 over their last five matches in all competitions, including a disappointing 1-0 defeat last week to third-tier Charleston Battery in US Open Cup play.
Wondolowski likely gave inadvertent voice to most fans’ reactions when he told reporters, “[It would be] hard to fire a coach that wins every game – or, not fire, just mutually part ways.”
Wondolowski, who served as the spokesman for the Quakes’ players, described himself as being “devastated” and “gutted” at Yallop’s departure.
“For me personally, Frank has done so much,” Wondolowski said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He brought me here, had faith in me. I know for players too, they loved him. He didn’t lose the locker room, that’s for sure.”
For Watson, the ascension to his first MLS head coaching job came with a bittersweet tinge. Watson played alongside Yallop on the Canadian national team for much of the 1990s, then served as Yallop’s assistant with the Canadian side from 2004-06. Watson rejoined Yallop in San Jose in 2010.
“Mixed feelings, to be honest,” Watson said of his reaction to the news. “I’ve worked with Frank for a long time. He’s a great friend of mine. So it was very difficult on that side, because it was sad to see him go. But once the decision was made, my focus was purely on what I need to do to get this team going in the right direction and get some wins.”Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough criticized the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on President Donald Trump’s executive order halting immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
Scarborough said that although he thought the executive order was bad policy, the appeals court’s ruling was “laughable” and he said it will be overturned.
“Our law professors always told us — bad facts made bad law,” he said. “Horrific facts coupled with horrific politics makes for horrific law. That’s exactly what happened here.”
“This decision, though, is laughable,” Scarborough conitnued. “This is, for me, the most disturbing part of the entire case. And by the way, at the end, this isn’t going to matter because I think the White House is going to fix it up, briefly fix it up. They could do a couple quick changes and take care of these problems. But the Ninth said, ‘The government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the order have perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States.’ As if it is the executive branches job to actually get the Intel community in and say these are all the things that are going to happen. No, in fact, Barack Obama worked with a bipartisan Congress to come up with these seven countries, not because there was specific attacks, but because they saw deteriorating security situation that they wanted to remedy. They wanted to prevent attacks. That’s the entire purpose of that.”
“This will be overturned,” he added.The construction and mindset of Major League Baseball teams has changed since the implementation of the play-in wild-card game five years ago. More teams are in the mix. A club can hover around.500 for much of the season and still consider themselves playoff contenders. Front offices who realize their team is likely to compete in the play-in game can build their rosters to leverage themselves in the potential winner take-all match-up.
Some teams may be a pound for pound worse team than the team they are competing against, but may still have an advantage due to either a deep bullpen or ace starting pitcher that can shut down an opponent.
The Los Angeles Angels have such an advantage, and no, it's not Mike Trout. It's Garrett Richards.
The twenty-nine-year-old right-hander's career has been plagued by injuries. He has appeared in just 573 2/3 innings since 2013. He dealt with a knee injury in 2014, but more recently he has been dealing with on and off elbow issues.
Despite the injuries, one thing is for sure, Richards has been dominant when on the mound.
Richards has the 18th best fielding independent pitching since 2013 among those with over 500 innings pitched, just behind Yu Darvish and Jon Lester. His 54.4% ground ball rate over that same period ranks sixth in baseball. As a result, his home runs per nine innings is tied with Clayton Kershaw for best since 2013.
The only issue with Richards has been keeping himself on the mound. After coming out of his start on Opening Day after just 4 2/3 innings, he finally made his return exactly five months later on September 5.
As of September 21, the Angels sit 1 1/2 games back of the Minnesota Twins for the second wild card spot. If they can somehow leapfrog the Twins and make it into that play-in game for a likely matchup with the New York Yankees, they are as setup as anyone.
Richards is scheduled to make two more regular season starts and should line up to pitch in the playoff game. The Yankees have their own ace is Luis Severino, who would be a potential Cy Young candidate if it weren't for the historic seasons of Corey Kluber and Chris Sale, but the Angel's ace has been just as dominant.
Although an extremely small sample size, Richards has been worth over half a win in just 18 innings this year. He has a 2.38 FIP with a 2.00 ERA. If it wasn't for Richards' ace-like pedigree it could be seen as a blip on the radar, but it seems obvious he is healthy and pitching at an extremely high level.
For better or for worse, if the Angels can sneak into that playoff game, they are going to be rewarded for getting Richards healthy before playoff time. However, they are going to finish with a much worse record and run differential than whoever they face, whether it be the Yankees or potentially the Red Sox.
The Angels are a different team when he is on the mound. Starting pitching has been their biggest weakness this season. Their offense has been solid with the 3/4 of a season from Trout, the emergence of Andrelton Simmons offensively, and the addition of Justin Upton. Their bullpen has quietly been one of the best in baseball.
In a winner-take-all game, there may be no stronger team in baseball as long as Richards is on the mound. Outside of injury reports, you didn't hear his name much at all this season. If the Angels pull off the comeback, you will be hearing the name Garrett Richards a lot more come October.The Russian military is putting the finishing touches to its very own heavy military UAV. The drone is part of a wider modernization effort, with the cutting-edge flagship S500 missile system coming in 2017.
The drone “already exists,” according to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov.
The heavy UAV, created in cooperation with the Federal Security Service (FSB), will perform “a variety of tactical, operational and strategic tasks,” said Borisov, but he didn’t give any further details such as the name of the vehicle.
The Russian government is expected to release several innovations and upgrades in the near future, as part of defense modernization. Borisov mentioned at least four current projects, now "in their final stages of development."
The country’s latest state-of-the-art air defense system currently at the research and development stage – the S500 – will also appear in 2017, the deputy defense minister told RSN radio. It is an advanced version of its predecessor – the S400 and is designed to lock on to and intercept multiple ballistic missiles in seconds. It possesses the ability to operate at an altitude of up to 124 miles.
The new S500 is rumored to be able to engage 10 missiles at once and have a refined radar system, as well as make speeds of up to 4.3 miles per second. It’s also expected to rival US tech, which currently touts the RAS3 Patriot missile defense system against the S400.
In 2015, Russia will test its ‘Sarmat’ missile, expected for shipment before 2020. According to the senior official,“the missile is capable of delivering a 10-ton payload.”The super heavy liquid-propelled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has also received upgrades.“It will be able to fly over both the North and South Poles.”
READ MORE: Russian 'ABM killer' intercontinental missile to enter service in 2016
In the meantime, the Russian-French standoff with the delivery of the Mistral helicopter carriers has led to Russian readiness to accept almost any way out of the deadlock. The Defense Ministry disclosed on Saturday the figure it paid upfront for the Mistral delivery that never came.
“We paid one billion euro upfront, France has received payment. If it is unable to deliver Mistral, we intend to raise the issue of the repayment of debt,” Borisov said.
The Russian side is “open to any civilized solution to this situation,” whether it includes delivery or a return of the money spent, he stressed. The deputy minister also pointed out that either outcome will have no bearing on the ongoing modernization of Russian defenses.
READ MORE: Russia sanctions'must be lifted now' - Hollande
The Ukrainian crisis has strained relations between Russia and France, with Paris putting on hold the delivery of the amphibious assault ships to Moscow. President Francois Hollande is already wary of the strain foreign sanctions are putting on Russia, which he says are having an effect on Europe as well.This article first appeared on Bike Radar. Related Articles Trek Domane – A new bike for the cobbled Classics
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While most of his teammates opt for the uncannily smooth-riding Domane only for the Belgian classics – otherwise using Trek's more aggressive Madone model – C |
' is being diligently promoted in European culture. This is a complete change from traditional Western values that have kept Europe safe from outside invasion for centuries.
The sclerotic condition of our culture is much more of a threat than external enemies. One brick in the wall of problems we face is the spiritual poverty that insists that human life has no value in itself, that it is not a gift, and that we should not bring children into this cold, hostile world. These are nihilist notions. Such thoughts do not absorb other groups who have a living and vibrant cultural and religious life. They view life as positive and their traditions as a valuable gift worth passing on to the next generations.
The decline and fall of Rome has been explained by its decadent and 'bachelor culture,' much like what afflicts us in northern Europe. It is important that those who want to keep Western civilization alive do not amputate its roots and then think that it can still survive. Or should survive.I remember waking up one morning during summer vacation to the sound of Star Wars. I was around eight at the time and my brothers were in their mid teens. While I had been sleeping my two brothers, Joe and James, had been filming an opening credit sequence around the house. My oldest brother Joe was a movie buff so they would make their own little films on our video camera, and this particular film so far only had the opening titles. The shot consisted of him walking around the house and opening things like the oven or a closet to reveal credits which were scrawled on paper with a marker. And the music he chose to score this sequence (by which I mean he blared on a stereo as he filmed)? The main theme to Star Wars, that familiar John Williams triumphant score we hear every time we watch that scroll introducing another chapter in the saga.
Now as I prepare to see The Force Awakens tomorrow, I think of Joe, who died in 2008 in a car accident, I was fourteen and he was twenty three. I think of the biggest Star Wars fan I knew. The man who got me into movies, who taught me to appreciate horror films instead of being too afraid to watch them. The same guy who I would watch Kevin Smith movies with over and over. He loved movies and he showed me that I too could love just watching movies to the point where I don’t need to feel bad for saying, “Yes, I have watched Jurassic Park likely over thirty times.” I think of this man who was a huge Star Wars fan, who was not around to hear about Disney buying the franchise and plotting a sprawling future for those characters. Granted at this point there have been so many films I know he would have adored. The Dark Knight comes to mind, as does the new DCU. He would have thoroughly enjoyed any of Tarantino’s latest films.
It makes me hurt to think of that little boy he was. The one who would probably have jumped for joy to see what Luke Skywalker has been up to all these years. I know I cannot wait to see. These may just be movies, and I am no fool to know there are much grander things he should still be alive to see. But these films are a part of our collected history; they can define points in our lives or give us a world we stare at in awe for a couple of hours. I know Joe would be over the moons of Endor about this expanding Star Wars universe. I wish he knew how much I missed him and I wish that he was here to enjoy life with me. Even if it means sitting in the dark and staring ahead, we both appreciated the magic of movies and he is the man who made me into a fan.A couple of months ago, reflecting my growing infatuation with another sport, I opined that skyrocketing franchise values in the NHL should make a "hockey first" arena scenario more palatable to the powers that be.
Well, one of those powers currently be Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who seemed to crack open a window to that possibility, even in the midst of concern over a closed door to an NBA franchise. He did so in separate articles by Geoff Baker and Chris Daniels. In the Baker article, he sounds slightly negative. In the Daniels piece, he sounds a little more positive. Surprise, surprise.
From Baker's article... Murray says NHL commissioner Bettman asked him about modifying the MOU to allow for a hockey team to come first. "My pushback is always that I don't see that unless there is a financial model that's beneficial,'' Murray said.
From Daniels' article... That leads to an inevitable question. Would Murray support legislation that would alter the MOU for an NHL-first scenario? "I think that we would have to see a potential financial model proposition penciled out," said Murray, who noted that nothing had been submitted to his office.
NOT THE USUAL LINE...
Neither of those statements sound all that exciting for NHL-first prospects until you consider the kind of statements that our public officials usually make on the issue.
Every NHL-related statement from any Seattle official that I can recall has been something like "We must have an NBA franchise for this to pencil out" or "An NHL franchise on its own will not make this arena feasible" or "The NHL is just too big of a risk on its own."
By saying "We would have to see a potential financial model proposition penciled out," the mayor was expressing... gasp... openness to the idea that it COULD be feasible. He was leaving the door ever so slightly ajar. To my knowledge, he is the first city official to do so publicly. I can only hope that more will follow.
THE KIND OF EFFORT...
The Green Bay Packers left a door cracked open late in the fourth quarter last Sunday and the Seattle Seahawks kicked it off the hinges and beat them over the head with it for the rest of the game. That's how they got into the Super Bowl.
And that is the kind of herculean effort that Victor Coleman and his team will have to bring to convince Hansen and the local electeds to modify the MOU. Instead of onside kicks, Hail Mary two-pointers, and ballsy bombs, Team Coleman will have to shock and awe with lots of determination and even more money.
EXCUSE ME WHILE I GROSSLY OVERSIMPLIFY, BUT...
The Coleman group will have to show Hansen somewhere between one and $390 million dollars to make the option interesting to him. They may even have to buy him out completely if things go truly south with the NBA. Don't ever forget that he's put in a ton of effort and money in the purchase of land and in guiding the MOU to its current state.
It will cost somewhere between one and $120 million dollars to pique the interest of the city and will cost somewhere between one and $80 million dollars to get the county on board.
Only Hansen and the pertinent council members know how far the needle will have to move, but make no mistake: it will be a significant distance.
Come on, Victor. Kick that door off the hinges.As the House Committee on Financial Services readies for next week's hearings to discuss new regulations for the banking industry, lobbyists lined up to battle over the changes, extending a battle between small banks, big banks and big retailers.
In a letter submitted to Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 8, the American Bankers Association said the potential changes, "will cause severe harm to the entire banking industry and, in particular, to community-based banks and the communities they serve."
The ABA's dire warning is a response to proposed regulations by the Federal Reserve on debit card and credit card fees paid to banks by retailers every time a customer pays with plastic. The current proposal would reduce the fees paid by merchants to banks to a maximum of 12 cents per transaction. In 2009, the average cost charged to merchants per transaction was 44 cents. While a win for retailers, the new cap could result in a 70 percent decrease in profits for big banks. Smaller banks, like those represented by the ABA, are exempt from the regulation. They warn that retailers will favor big banks, which charge lower fees, over small banks.
An amendment, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act gave the Federal Reserve the power to cap the fees, known as interchange fees, that issuers of debit and credit cards charge to retailers for every transaction.
Big banks, which oppose the measure, have said that in order to recoup the lost revenue from interchange fees they might have to charge customers in other ways, such as placing fees on checking accounts or charging annual fees in order to hold debit cards.
Ed Meirzwinski of U.S. PIRG, an advocacy group that lobbied on the Dodd Frank bill, thinks it will ultimately benefit consumers. According to Meirzwinski, the Durbin amendment "is an answer to a broken marketplace." He believes that merchants will ultimately pass savings from lower interchange fees on to their customers in the form of lower prices in an effort to beat out competition. "Merchant business is competitive, bank business is not," Meirzwinski said.
Last year, after House approved the amendment, a lobbyist for the Retail Industry Leaders Association told the New York Times that the issue is, "really a decision between helping out small business or helping out large banks." The Retail Industry Leaders Association reported spending $1.9 million in 2010 lobbying on issues that include interchange fees. Large retailers that also included interchange fees among the issues they lobbied on also disclosed spending lots of money influencing Washington. Apple, Inc. reported spending $1.6 million on lobbying; CVS Caremark, the nationwide pharmacy and convenience story operator, reported $8.9 million in spending; and Starbucks, the ubiquitous coffee store operator, reported $730,000.
Because small banks are exempt from the provision, they may continue to charge what they were charging before Dodd-Frank. And based on what small banks have reported as the actual cost they bear for offering debit cards—31 cents per transaction, according to one Iowa bank—lowering fees could endanger their business.
Further, Peter Garuccio, a spokesman for the ABA, said the Durbin amendment might end up providing an incentive for retailers to entice customers to use the big banks through promotions. This could ultimately void the benefit the small bank exemption was supposed to provide.
Meirzwinski said any enticement to encourage discrimination against small banks by large retailers would be severely frowned upon by Congress. He thinks that something like that might warrant more action by the government.
According to OpenSecrets.org, the ABA was the top political contributor among commercial banks in 2010 at $2.8 million, and spent $7.4 million lobbying -- the most among commercial banks.
Bank of America, a big bank that will be affected by the new regulations, has also submitted an analysis to the Federal Reserve counseling the agency on how it should move forward. The bank reported spending $2.8 million on lobbying in 2010. Bank of America was also a contributor to Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., now the chairman for the House Committee on Financial Services, which is holding next week’s hearing.
Credit card companies such as Mastercard will also be affected by the new regulations because of a provision in the amendment that mandates changes in the way payments are routed, something that Mastercard and Visa handle. Mastercard reported spending more than $4 million dollars lobbying Congress last year on issues including interchange fees and they have submitted comments to the Fed to shape the final rule.There is an onslaught of high-quality ice cream shops heading to Los Angeles this summer, but keep your eyes peeled for Sylvia Yoo’s churro ice cream sandwiches from her guerrilla operation, Churro Borough.
In 2007, Yoo enrolled in culinary school in New York and eventually worked in some of the city’s most formidable kitchens, including Jean-Georges and WD-50. When she returned to LA she found work at an interior design firm, and tried balancing four days there and two days on the line at Red Medicine under then–pastry chef David Rodriguez. The pressure of maintaining both jobs was fierce and exhausting, and Yoo eventually left the restaurant.
“When I moved back to LA, it was the beginning of the ice cream boom, with places like Carmela and Sweet Rose opening shop. Working in pastry, ice cream was always my favorite thing to make and eat. I had dreams of running my own business, but I knew I needed my product to stand out.”
Cue the churro, an ideal balance of temperature, texture, and taste, and a favorite childhood memory that Yoo intended to give a makeover. She settled in the middle between two categories. She noticed the frozen kind, from TJ’s and Disneyland, were high on flavor but too chewy (or even stale). She sampled more from Churros Calientes in LA and La Churreria in NYC. Both were authentically Spanish, crispy, but not so overtly sweet. Then she began rolling churro dough into flat spirals. The increased surface area lent itself to ideal crispiness, the disc shape was perfect for ice cream sandwiches. Yoo describes her churros as almost beignetlike, with a nice dose of moisture on the inside.
Yoo makes all the components herself. Her ice cream tends to be on the creamy side, and she avoids strong citrus and tart flavors. She offers four standard ice cream sandwiches, including horchata with a homemade rice-and-almond-milk ice cream, Mexican hot chocolate, and two seasonal flavors (right now there’s orange creamsicle and berry panna cotta). Ice cream shakes with churro dipping fries, and Churrons (churro-flavored macarons) are in the works too.
Churro Borough’s been around since 2011, when Yoo did her first pop-up with Mexicali Taco Co. before their current brick-and-mortar location. She continues to cater weddings and other functions. She’ll be at the LA Street Food Festival at the Rose Bowl on June 28, and at Tasting Table’s Lobster Rumble West on August 1. Keep a lookout for pop-ups in July and August.
Photos courtesy of Sylvia Yoo.Hearts manager Craig Levein has contacted BBC Scotland to voice concern about ongoing criticism from pundit Michael Stewart which he deems to be driven by a personal grudge.
The pair didn’t see eye to eye when Stewart played under Levein during a spell on loan at Tynecastle from Manchester United 13 years ago, and the 36-year-old former midfielder has never made a secret of the fact he doesn’t like the current Hearts manager.
Michael Stewart, centre
While Levein has no issue with Stewart or anyone else voicing their opinion, he is disappointed with the BBC Scotland for allowing someone who has clearly stated he doesn’t like him to then be allowed such an elevated platform with the national broadcaster to analyse his work and, by extension, “whip up” sections of the Hearts support against him.
The manager doesn’t believe it is a coincidence that Stewart – a prominent radio pundit on Sportsound and a television analyst for Sportscene – has been his most vociferous media critic since he returned to Tynecastle in 2014, initially as director of football.
“Just because Michael says something, it doesn’t mean that we are doing everything wrong,” said Levein. “It is personal with Michael and he is just making a fool of himself. I don’t particularly like him and I hear he doesn’t like me. I’m actually not that bothered about Michael or what he says but I am annoyed at the BBC. For him to admit that he has an agenda and for them to still allow him the platform, for me, that is a nonsense.
“He is trying to whip up fans and, as I say, it is the BBC. They have allowed him that opportunity but I have had a conversation so we will see what happens. I have spoken to (BBC Radio Scotland editor) Tom Connor and we will see what happens. The details of the conversation will remain between Tom and I.”
While Levein was generally in lighthearted mood when discussing his nemesis, it is clear he felt a personal vendetta was at play after he was alerted to Stewart’s comments on Sportsound last Saturday evening in the aftermath of the goalless draw with Ross County. Stewart was clearly bemused with the manager’s upbeat post-match interview in which he played down the suggestion that a lot of fans had booed Hearts off and insisted his team had “played some really good football and created loads of chances”. The pundit described the claims as “bizarre” amid a scathing analysis of Levein’s three-month tenure as manager.
“Somebody drew my attention to what he was saying after the game on Saturday, when we played well and had all those chances, and it got to the point where I thought ‘listen, if he can’t accept that and is still trying to pick holes in it, for me, it comes back to the BBC allowing him to do that’. That is more worrying than what he’s actually saying,” said the former Scotland manager.
“Someone was telling me that he was trawling about on Saturday night trying to find stuff on the internet to prove that we hadn’t played well. It is hysterical. He just needs to chill. He’s going to self-combust one day, that’s for sure. He thinks he is doing his best for Hearts and I am certainly trying to do my best for Hearts.
“Listen, it is a bit of frivolity for me here – I probably shouldn’t get involved. But on a serious note, I do think that if someone has admitted that they have an agenda, to then give them a platform to continue to rant... I’m not at any point saying that I don’t deserve any criticism. I have had more criticism than most, particularly during my time at Scotland, but criticism of me at that time was valid. But when he has admitted he has an agenda and keeps going on about the same stuff over and over and over again, I just don’t see how that is fair. I just don’t get it. The BBC, for me, have always been a company that plays it straight down the middle. He doesn’t like me, he’s said that. He’s openly admitted it, and I don’t like him. I can take criticism if it’s fair and it’s based on something other than a grudge.”
Stewart started three matches and made six substitute appearances under Levein in the first three months of the 2004/05 season before the manager left to take over at Leicester City. Stewart then had two seasons with Hibs before returning to Hearts for a second spell in 2007, which lasted for three years and encompassed 100 games. The Edinburgh-born player was handed the captaincy by Csaba Laszlo at the start of what would be his final season at Hearts. Reflecting on his time as Stewart’s manager, Levein said: “All I can say about Michael is that his agent at the time was George Wright, who used to play here (for Hearts). We didn’t have any money at the time but George said that Man United would cover his salary. But we had to put something on the contract so it was £1 a week and, without doubt, it was the worst value for money I have ever had from any player, and that is a fact.”Rebel commander Alexander Khodakovsky of the Vostok (‘East’) Battalion interviewed in Donetsk
Reuters, Jul 8 2014
Rebel commander Alexander Khodakovsky of the so-called Vostok (‘East’) battalion speaks during an interview in Donetsk on Jul 8 2014. Khodakovsky, whose fighters also occupy positions in Donetsk, was critical of the decision to pull out of Slaviansk. (Photo: Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters)
– So what is the problem? Well, it starts with his criticism of the Slavyansk withdrawal, but then it snowballs, and it gets really personal, and Dugin of all people gets into it:
About problems with Khodakovsky
Colonel Cassad (Blog), Voice of Sevastopol, Jul 9 2014
Previously, Dugin also wrote: “There is information that Khodakovsky refuses to participate in the preparation of the defense of Donetsk and obey Strelkov.” Novorus.info confirms (below – RB) and adds itself: Military opposition of Republican command found in Khodakovsky traitor and provocateur. Regarding the comments requested our people in Donetsk, waiting for confirmation. Interestingly, when yesterday Strelkov in the interview mentioned the Vostok Battalion, he said that it is fighting near Schastye and fighting well and commander exemplary. But the names were not called, because Khodakovsky is holed up in the MakYgol, it means that the real fighting Vostok already in command of the other person. Concerning Dugin, he is representing the “party of war”, recently suffered for this by losing his professorial chair, mostly because in his conclusions he blamed Surkov (see below – RB) for promoting a line which is associated with Akhmetov, serves Kurginyan (a Russian anti-Strelkov propagandist – RB) in Donetsk using the protection of the people of Khodakovsky (most of which are now fighting at Schastye), which is about a miracle, is also very closely connected with Akhmetov. It should also be noted that the humanitarian aid, which supposedly brought Kurginyan to Donbass was just a cover.
Never mind Kurginyan, he is just a flack. What did Novorus.info say about Khodakovsky? This, more or less – MakYgol is my own guesswork of an untranslatable term, Макуголь or Макугле:
Provocateur Khodakovsky barricaded himself in the MakYgol
Novorus.info, Jul 9 2014
As reported in the morning, confirmed the fact is: no comments are coming out of the MakYgol. Fighters loyal to Novorossiya are leaving the Vostok Battalion. He’s only talking to people close to him, and maybe the SBU (Kiev secret service – RB). This rebellion against DND, which Kurginyan was only part of the plan. Military opposition of Republican command found in Khodakovsky traitor and provocateur.
Latest update:
The commander of the Vostok Battalion is hidden in the building of “Makeevugol”
Tatiana Dubovaya, Vesti.ru, Jul 9 2014
Almost all forces DND today are subject to the “commander in chief” of the unrecognized Republic Igor Strelkov. About it today at press conference was declared by the head of the mobilization Department DND, “people’s Governor” Paul Gubarev. By the way, Strelkov did not come to the press conference, though he was announced as speaker. According to Gubarev, the total number of fighters Donetsk and Lugansk national republics is 20,000 people. As for Alexander Khodakovsky, the head of the Vostok Battalion (associated with the oligarch Rinat Akhmetov – Author), he was one of the few commanders, who did not want to obey Strelkova. “I can’t tell all the details, but Khodakovsky is now in one of the buildings of “Makeevugol”, said Gubarev at the press conference. According to unofficial data, Khodakovsky with some representatives of the Vostok Battalion is holding there the defense. The greater part of the battalion reassigned themselves to Strelkov. But Igor Beszler with the Callsign Besz, opposite one of the leading commanders of DND. Gubarev said that DND will continue hostilities. “We will fight till the end,” he said, and said that very soon the DND will create a “full-fledged army with intelligence and counter-intelligence, the control center, its logistic services.” On the subject, Strelkov promises military courts and the salary 8,000 hryvnias (per month – RB) He suggests that if they want to do it on a contract basis, the soldiers will receive 6,000 to 9,000 hryvnias. Moreover Gubarev noted that “The source of funding, we have one: it’s the people.”
General Ivanov (who he?) gets in on the act, and even expresses an opinion, though doesn’t go so far as to speak of arms hoarding:
Khodakovsky protection barricaded themselves in Makeyevka
General Ivanov, Live Journal, Jul 8 2014
From Donbass, reports of actual rebellion in the militia of the DND. It is about the head of CV DND, Alexander Khodakovsky, which remains one of the most combat-ready units DND: the Vostok Battalion. As reported by a source in Novorossiya, Khodakovsky, with security and a part of the Vostok Battalion, has occupied the building trust “Makeevugol” in Makeevka. According to some data, there is an active preparation for defense and equipment items and weapon emplacements. Also from Donetsk has received information indicating that the devotees of Novorossia and our soldiers are leaving the Vostok Battalion and passing in subordination to the defence Minister of the DND, Igor Strelkov. Well, here! What was to be proved? Please tell me why “the most combat-ready” and showered with humanitarian aid from Russia through donations of citizens in CV, to escape in Makeyevka? They do not want to fight? And then what is the Vostok Battalion actually engaged in in Donetsk?
Let’s look at the things Dugin said about Surkov, some of which are new to me:
Dugin: “Russian spring” defeatist Surkov
Nakanune, Jun 11 2014
A well-known philosopher and political scientist, member of Izborsk club, Moscow State University Professor Alexander Dugin is convinced that the reason for the rather passive policy of the Kremlin towards Novorossia very personified: a former “grey cardinal” of the Kremlin, Vladislav Surkov. Says Dugin:
The situation with blocking decisive actions of Moscow from the inside gradually becomes clear. And again in the center of a conspiracy against Novorossiya which involves Ukrainian oligarchs, Atlantist agents of influence, liberals and corrupt security officials: all the same ominous figure of Vladislav Surkov. He was kicked out of AP, he surfaced in the government. Thrown out of government for what caught for a hand in the preparation of the Swamp (Bolotnaya Square, the ‘Moscow Maidan’ – RB), but he has again emerged as an assistant. And how do you think, on what subjects? On Ukraine.
In his opinion, Surkov blocks strong support of Novorossiya and creates the feeling that “Russian spring” finally must meet defeat. Said the philosopher:
Now he is preparing the final blow: his intrigues block the strong support of Novorossiya, create friction between patriots, create false expectations, prepare clever schemes that he himself takes part in, etc, all in order to complete the work of the Marsh: to unite the fifth-column liberals with the Russian patriots, who with each passing hour are getting more and more disappointed in Putin due to the fact that the impression that Putin is allowing the defeat of the “Russian Spring”.
If Surkov is not immediately suspended, it soon will be too late, and the situation will get out of control, fears Dugin. Said member of Izborsk the club:
Surkov work for Usaia and the oligarchs, obviously. What happens in Novorossiya, it was the dawn of the Russian revival and death struggle with oligarchdom. Now either/or: either the Russians defeat the evil (which is the project of salvation of Novorossiya), or evil (and its leaders in the fifth and sixth columns) defeats the Russians. If Novorossiya falls, that’s the end of Putin. The end. The end of Russia. Suspending Surkov is not a panacea, but letting him retain any authority in Ukraine will be fatal. Every day he manages to undermine some important undertaking, but formally there’s nothing that can prove he is doing this. And this will go on indefinitely.
Recall that Surkov recent months held the post of assistant to the President on relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, several weeks ago in Abkhazia there was a coup, and many experts have blamed it on Surkov.
here’s the real dirt, anyway:
The conflict Kurginyan-Gubarev-Strelkov
Politikus.ru, Jul 9 2014
Slowly clears up indignation and rage of Kurginyan, it seems, is the real cause. The armament of the new Russia were delivered: heavy weapons, effective weapons. But Strelkov constantly asserted that little, old, unusable. Gubarev is confirmed. Kurginyan, seems to have decided that they blatantly lie. And the answer is simply opens. All heavy weapons in Slavyansk in the end did not get. And settled in Donetsk, in the hands of Khodakovsky. He was taken away not just the best, and took away almost everything. In Slavyansk, where the weapons were actually needed, got crumbs. While Khodakovsky was useless, and periodically sent to slaughter people entrusted to him. Just because Khodakovsky so quickly escaped in Mariupol. It is not enough that a thief, he is constantly doing harm to Slavyansk, all done in order the city fell. I hope that Khodakovsky will be caught and hanged. Next to his current colleagues from the SBU and its owner Akhmetov.Lovelight -> NFA -> Lovelight, Jam -> The Main Ten -> Jam -> Dark Star Jam -> Other One Jam -> Jam
This is a very strange show. The start of Lovelight is clipped, with the recording improving from what is a ragged condition at first. The sound system has technical difficulties, with an intermittent buzz during portions of Lovelight from a bad electrical connection. There is some minor static at 9:30 of the first track. The vocals are very low in the mix, and difficulties with the sound system might explain a lack of singing during the second set, though the jams are very inspired. The recording includes a group chant between sets, which may include members of the band, crowd, a woman who sounds like Grace Slick, a child, an imposter-drummer, security etc.
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Reviewer: njpg - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 13, 2015
Subject: - Wow! Very weird show indeed, but the musical parts are incredible. This is probably a joint Dead/QMS show (aka the Quick and the Dead): both Gary Duncan AND John Cipollina are playing in the post-chant set: Cips is recognizable instantly by his unique trembling right hand vibrato style, and Duncan is also identifiable to Quicksilver fans such as myself. That second bass player is not Jack Casady, and is most likely David Freiburg...whose high tenor voice I'm pretty sure I can hear during the chant. It's interesting to me how comparatively huge and powerful Garcia's rig was at this point: Duncan and Cips had great amps (Cips' was, in particular, a monster of crazy innovative homemade engineering), but when Garcia takes the stage here they are both instantly dominated by the Owsley Stanley-modded Fender Twin Reverb in both volume and tone and the rewound Gibson Les Paul P90s. No band that small has ever sported a guitar-amp combo that powerful and clean with just the right amount of headroom for any guitarist, before or since! And it wouldn't have worked for anybody but Garcia. Getting a thick, smooth scream like that out of a Twin Reverb is basically impossible, generally speaking; you've got to have extremely strong, sensitive fingers and an absolutely insane mad scientist of a modification engineer. Garcia was a very fortunate man for a while. - April 13, 2015
Reviewer: info@drschoon.com - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 4, 2014
Subject: The Celestial Synapse 2.19.1969 - I was there The invitation is only loosely remembered and went something like this:: Hear Ye, Hear Ye, the Sons of Harbinger present The Celestial Synapse, February 19, 1969, The Grateful Dead, invitation only, free, The Carousel Ballroom.
Words can't convey what happened at The Celestial Synapse. Between the Grateful Dead sets, Steve Gaskin blew his counch shell and the 3,000-4,000 hippies, most stoned on acid, began chanting 'aum' and 'we are all one'. Literally and figuratively, that was the high point of the evening; and, for me, the era itself.
One observer (who was straight) later said 'it was the most pagan thing she had ever seen'. For me, the event was holy. It all depended on where your head is at. It still does.
I never expected to hear again what happened that night. But tonight when I happened onto this recording I realized, again, the miracle that IT IS.
Nameste,
We are all ONE - November 4, 2014The Celestial Synapse 2.19.1969 - I was there
Reviewer: sheflinm - - August 13, 2014
Subject: Hunter Thompson Does anyone else think Hunter Thompson may be speaking around 16 minutes in on the 'Chanting' track? - August 13, 2014Hunter Thompson
Reviewer: doug_the_dude - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 12, 2013
Subject: 2/19/69
THIS is one of those shows you feel privileged to be able to hear, like so many "lost" shows you read about and drool (Mickey's first show, for instance), but know in your heart that you'll never get to hear it. And even this one comes to us via a mislabeling that doesn't seem to have kept anyone from finding it, but I think the evidence is pretty clear even by simply listening to the show this is absolutely '69 Dead.
Don't be put off by the sound problems Lovelight goes through initially - the sound eventually gets all its bugs out - while it's hardly crystal-clear, it will certainly do. A lot through this early part of the set Mickey and Billy's percussion simply takes over, and the jam drifts and wafts and fades 'on' and 'off' at almost sheer random intervals. And how about that Pigpen singing a very, VERY hard-driven Not Fade Away on his own!
All that "celestial synapse"-Jam stuff in the middle, the chanting and whatnot, is interesting, certainly different, but ultimately kind of hippie-ridiculous. If you want to really hear how audience participation can enhance and actually uplift the Dead's sound, check out Mike Martin's AUD of 10/22/78, during the Ollin Arageed - *that*, my friends, is transcendence in music - not all this pseudo-Indian, post-acid-test, we're-so-enlightened-whatchamacallit. The kids that get a hold of the microphone during the droning pretty much sum it up with that "Scooby-Doo dum dum" :) Got to hand it to those little guys; they seem like the most intelligent beings in the room for a while there....
The goods come in spades when the boys come back out a solid 45-50 minutes of pure jam - that Other One stuff during the final ten-fifteen minutes is sheer, shredding madness! There is another guitarist onstage - Jorma, Duncan, someone or other...awesome stuff, so unique you can't possibly pass this up! Here you go - thanks LiA for your continually invaluable blog - http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2011/01/mystery-of-61968.html THIS is one of those shows you feel privileged to be able to hear, like so many "lost" shows you read about and drool (Mickey's first show, for instance), but know in your heart that you'll never get to hear it. And even this one comes to us via a mislabeling that doesn't seem to have kept anyone from finding it, but I think the evidence is pretty clear even by simply listening to the show this is absolutely '69 Dead.Don't be put off by the sound problems Lovelight goes through initially - the sound eventually gets all its bugs out - while it's hardly crystal-clear, it will certainly do. A lot through this early part of the set Mickey and Billy's percussion simply takes over, and the jam drifts and wafts and fades 'on' and 'off' at almost sheer random intervals. And how about that Pigpen singing a very, VERY hard-driven Not Fade Away on his own!All that "celestial synapse"-Jam stuff in the middle, the chanting and whatnot, is interesting, certainly different, but ultimately kind of hippie-ridiculous. If you want to really hear how audience participation can enhance and actually uplift the Dead's sound, check out Mike Martin's AUD of 10/22/78, during the Ollin Arageed - *that*, my friends, is transcendence in music - not all this pseudo-Indian, post-acid-test, we're-so-enlightened-whatchamacallit. The kids that get a hold of the microphone during the droning pretty much sum it up with that "Scooby-Doo dum dum" :) Got to hand it to those little guys; they seem like the most intelligent beings in the room for a while there....The goods come in spades when the boys come back out a solid 45-50 minutes of pure jam - that Other One stuff during the final ten-fifteen minutes is sheer, shredding madness! There is another guitarist onstage - Jorma, Duncan, someone or other...awesome stuff, so unique you can't possibly pass this up! - February 12, 20132/19/69
Reviewer: clementinescaboose - favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 30, 2012
Subject: Weird shit This show is definitely out there. The chanting is some of the weirdest shit you'll ever hear and literally made me laugh out loud at times. I didn't think Lovelight was anything special. But its worth it to stick around for the second set jams; the Main Ten>>Other One jam portion is inspired, esp. The Other One which has some pretty great playing and one of the wildest conclusions I've heard with Jerry really shredding it home...nice! - August 30, 2012Weird shit
Reviewer: robbicohn108 - |
it’s important for designers to sustain vector assets in Photoshop and not flatten them. Photoshop now allows you to save out SVGs, giving us one more reason to be nondestructive with our pixels.
5. Be Aware Of Screen Resolution
Speaking of SVG, it has really become a great approach to serving one asset that can adapt to any size and not lose fidelity. Having a Retina asset workflow, whether SVG or @2x/@3x images, has become part of a responsive practitioner’s workflow.
6. Compress
Performance is a worthy cause, not only for a developer but for a designer. I’ve often rationalized that if I want to include heavy web fonts and their Open Type features in my projects, I’ll need to make up the difference by aggressively compressing my images to stay within a performance budget. Third party tools like TinyPNG have made image compression a breeze.
Performance is a designer's task. Make sure you're squeezing any extra file size out of your images.
As our web design workflows and use of Photoshop continues to change, so will the site. While it encompasses a Photoshop-centric workflow, there’s a few tips for ones where Photoshop is used sparingly, as well. The guide only advocates that if, and when, you use Photoshop, communicate your intent as clearly as possible.
Fueled By Community
One of the primary focuses for Photoshop Etiquette is growth, manifested in more guidelines, more resources, and more perspectives. A feature has been added to the site providing easier access to submit a new guideline for review, something hundreds of designers and developers did over the years by tracking me down on Twitter or hunting down an email address.
In the wake of Google Translate’s inaccuracies, there’s also an open call for translations by community volunteers.
It’s exciting to see how Photoshop Etiquette has resonated with so many organizations and individuals. How can it help you and your team?After breaking down half of the preseason games, here are 10 players/units who either stood out or didn’t in week one.
Hot – Austin Collie WR – Andrew Luck will be good. Every QB has his own go-to-guy regardless of who the previous go-to-guy might have been. Collie caught three balls on five targets for 45 yards in game one. Reggie Wayne had no catches on only one target. Wayne is also 33 and doesn’t have the same speed he used to. Collie could cut into Wayne’s fantasy numbers.
Not – Evan Royster RB – Not concerned about the YPC average(3.0) because that was mostly due to the Buffalo D-line dominating early. But Royster ran soft and didn’t make anyone miss – he was only picking up the yards the play was designed and blocked for, and nothing more. In short, he looked like an average player, and we know how Mike Shanahan loves to yank around average RB’s.
Hot – Chandler Jones DE – The first round draft pick showed flashes of giving the Patriots a legitimate pass rusher for the first time in years. (I watched Andre Carter – he was fine, but he doesn’t really count). On consecutive plays he was able to draw holding calls on Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod and his tremendous height and power showed up all night. The Patriots with a pass rush could be a scary team.
Not – Pats o-line – Pats fans know that this is the most important unit on the team. If you don’t get pressure on Tom Brady you give up 30 points, simple as that. But when you can get in Brady’s face the Pats can seem very average. On Thursday, both offensive tackles had several blown blocks, including left tackle of the present and future, Nate Solder. The Pats are without several starters on the line at this point but this is a situation that needs to be monitored all pre-season.
Hot -Tyrod Taylor QB – The Baltimore signal caller showed pin-point accuracy and trust in his arm strength when throwing downfield. He also showed a willingness to stand and deliver from the pocket without relying exclusively on his foot speed. Essentially it was the exact opposite of everything we saw from the Raiders’ Terrelle Pryor. It might not mean much because he is stuck behind Joe Flacco, but keep an eye on this guy.
Not – Chris Johnson RB – I’m going to say that it’s not a good thing when your coach has to make excuses for you after week one of the preseason. Remove his one huge year from his stat line and tell me if you still think he should be a top-5 pick. Remember how DeAngelo Williams was overdrafted for years after his monster fantasy season (2008 – 18 TDs)? How did that work out for his owners?
Hot – Vick Ballard RB – Had impressive power and a willingness to create his own holes instead of dancing behind the line when he had to, finishing with 6 carries for 28 yards. But the biggest thing is that his main competition for the #2 RB job, Delone Carter, went down with injury. This may be the edge Ballard needs to grab the back-up role and give himself a shot at taking over during the season. Follow this player.
Not – Coby Fleener TE – He started and caught one ball for five yards. One game, no big deal. But I always have a problem with college players from the same team that are drafted highly together. Usually one player was dominant and the other benefited greatly from that player. So far Andrew Luck looks dominant…
Hot – Luke Kuechly LB – Tackling Machine. Four tackles, one forced fumble, made himself known on every play like you would expect of a dominant MLB. IDP leagues have to make this guy a priority.
Not – Kevin Kolb QB – Just watch his first throw from the New Orleans game. He appears to misinterpret the coverage, but his receiver still gets open. If he delivers the ball on time it is still a completion. Instead he holds the ball and waits for his receiver to complete his route before pulling the trigger. Easy interception. And an inexcusable play from a 6th-year player.Peru is the number one producer of counterfeit US dollars in the world. In 2015, just over 16 million forged bills seized in the US were of Peruvian origin, according to the US Secret Service. Millions of counterfeit euros and Peruvian soles have also been seized by police in Peru.
The forged dollars are finished by hand, giving them an exceptional quality which has earned the country its top spot as leader of this illicit global trade. And for the criminal gangs counterfeit money is cheaper to produce than cocaine.
In this excerpt from 'Lima's Fake Dollars,' VICE News meets a counterfeiter who goes through the final techniques used to make forged $20 bills look believable.
Watch "The World Leader in Counterfeiting: Lima's Fake Dollars"
Read "Peru's Booming Cocaine Business Is Turning It Into Latin America's Newest Narco State"Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press
With each side wanting something done, it stands to reason that the Green Bay Packers and receiver Jordy Nelson will eventually come to terms on a contract extension before the start of the 2014 season.
Nelson, 29, is scheduled to enter the final year of a four-year deal signed ahead of the 2011 season. He provided the Packers with production far outweighing that $12.6 million deal, and now he's ready to cash in on what could be his final major contract.
The Packers will likely back up the Brinks truck to Nelson's door sometime in the coming months.
Back in February, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the Packers were set on making Nelson's extension an offseason priority. Also that month, Adam Caplan of ESPN passed along word that the Packers and Nelson's representatives were already in discussions on a new deal, although no timetable was set.
At organized team activities Tuesday, Nelson told reporters he'd prefer a new deal be done before the season.
"You want it done so you and your family are comfortable, you want it done so you don't have to worry about it," he said, via the Associated Press. "I think on both sides. They get it done they can start working on someone else."
Nelson was coy about ongoing conversations with the Packers, but he appears to understand how the business of extensions work in the NFL.
"Everyone knows deals get done closer to training camp," Nelson said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
When two sides of a negotiation so clearly want a deal done, and such a deal makes so much sense for both parties, it almost always gets done. Expect Nelson's extension to come before September and possibly even before training camp, which begins in late July.
Working out the financials is the hurdle needing clearing for both Nelson and the Packers.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
There are essentially three tiers of upper-level receiver contracts currently in the NFL.
Nelson won't touch the top tier, which is rightfully occupied by Calvin Johnson ($16.2 million per year average) and Larry Fitzgerald ($16.1 million). And his value is almost certainly higher than the third tier, which can be loosely defined at the top by Victor Cruz ($8.6 million) and at the bottom by receivers making in the $6-7 million a year range.
That leaves Nelson somewhere in the second tier.
Behind Johnson and Fitzgerald and above Cruz sit seven receivers making between $9 and $12 million per year.
The seven receivers, in descending order by highest average value: Mike Wallace ($12 million), Dwayne Bowe ($11.2 million), Vincent Jackson ($11.1 million), Percy Harvin ($10.7 million), Brandon Marshall ($10 million), Andre Johnson ($9.7 million) and Greg Jennings ($9.0 million).
Top 10 WR Contracts, by Average Salary WR Team Average Salary 1. Calvin Johnson DET $16.2M 2. Larry Fitzgerald ARI $16.1M 3. Mike Wallace MIA $12.0 4. Dwayne Bowe KC $11.2M 5. Vincent Jackson TB $11.1M 6. Percy Harvin SEA $10.7M 7. Brandon Marshall CHI $10.0M 8. Andre Johnson HOU $9.7M 9. Greg Jennings MIN $9.0M 10. Victor Cruz NYG $8.6M Source: Spotrac.com
Wallace, one of the prized free agents of the 2013 class, signed a five-year, $60 million deal (with $30 million guaranteed) with the Miami Dolphins. He was 26. The Dolphins probably overpaid—unless you think Wallace is the third-best receiver in the game—for a straight-line track star, but Nelson still won't come close to matching his deal. It's an outlier better served as a baseline for the likes of Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas.
Wallace's big payday definitely got an assist from Bowe, who before free agency agreed to a five-year deal worth $56 million, with $15 million guaranteed, from the Kansas City Chiefs. Then 28 years old and just days away from entering unrestricted free agency with Wallace, Bowe leveraged the receiver-needy Chiefs into a big deal.
Kansas City's accepted offer in 2013 trumped the one signed by Vincent Jackson a year early. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Jackson, an unrestricted free agent, five years and $55.5 million, with $26 million guaranteed. He was 29 years old when he jumped from San Diego to Tampa Bay.
A very good haul for Nelson will likely look something like the deals for Bowe and Jackson, two comparable receivers. A four-year extension worth $52 million total would push Nelson's five-year earnings into the $56 million-range (including his 2014 cap hit of $4.4 million), right in line with both aforementioned receivers.
The Packers will look to other second-tier receivers to help gauge Nelson's value.
Harvin's deal with Seattle is worth $67 million over six years, with $25.5 million guaranteed. But his skill set is unique and mostly unlike Nelson's. He's a poor comparison in this situation (but maybe not for Randall Cobb, another priority for the Packers).
Marshall, 30, just recently helped reset the market. He signed a three-year extension worth $30 million with the Chicago Bears. The deal was heavy with guarantees, as $22.3 million of the contract is fully guaranteed.
Johnson's seven-year deal signed in 2010 contained $48 million in guarantees. He earned the money after back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons in which he solidified himself as one of the game's very best receivers. His average salary makes that deal now look like a relative bargain.
Finally, you have to wonder how much the Packers will value the deal signed by Greg Jennings in negotiations with Nelson. At 29 years old, Jennings left Green Bay and agreed to a five-year, $45 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings. It included $17.8 million guaranteed.
Overall, the seven receivers averaged five years, $53.7 million total and $26.4 million guaranteed over their respective deals.
And if we take out Wallace (outlier), Harvin (different kind of receiver) and Johnson (aged deal), the numbers come down to 4.5 years, $46.6 million total and $20.3 million guaranteed.
Nelson's eventual extension will almost certainly fall between Bowe and Jennings.
He has produced at an elite level, going over 1,000 yards in both 2011 and 2013 (an injury cost him four games in 2012). His 30 touchdown receptions rank fourth since 2011, and only five receivers have a higher yards-per-catch average (16.5).
Just as importantly, Nelson has developed a strong rapport with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who looks as comfortable throwing to Nelson as any receiver he's worked with over his six years as Green Bay's starter. The two have an innate connection, whether it's on a back-shoulder throw, in a scramble situation or when the game's on the line. Most remember Cobb's long touchdown to beat the Bears in Week 17 last season, but it was Rodgers' high-pressure completion to Nelson on fourth down that extended the Packers' final drive. No play better demonstrates the trust level between the two players.
NFL Game Rewind
Overall, Nelson has averaged 67 catches for 1,107 yards and 10 touchdowns per season since 2011. Those numbers trump the three-year averages for Bowe, Jackson and Jennings ahead of their deals.
Nelson benefits from a great quarterback, and the Packers invested draft picks into the position last month. But the Packers are likely just months away from putting Nelson firmly into the second tier of receiver money, which is right where he belongs.
Predicted Extension: Four years, $45.5 million total and $24 million guaranteed (Five years, $50.9 million overall)
In this scenario, Nelson receives $11.3 million per year in new money, and over half the new money is guaranteed. In total, his new five-year deal averages roughly $10.2 million and runs out when Nelson is 34. It's a significant price to pay for the Packers, but Nelson is a top-level receiver who will be projected to produce over the course of the entire deal.
All contract information provided by Spotrac.com.
Zach Kruse covers the NFC North for Bleacher Report.
Follow @zachkruse2Let me just go ahead and save you the time of posting your comments when I tell you I have four children: Yes, I know you think the world is overpopulated. But guess what? I don’t care.
Let’s be honest here — some people think that having four children is the most irresponsible thing in the world and trust me, those people never hesitate to share that fact with me. But honestly, to me, four does not seem like that many. I mean, sure it’s a little crazy right now and there’s not a lot of relaxing in my life going on, but it’s not like I’m running a freaking zoo over here either.
By now, I’m pretty accustomed to the downright hostile comments from people I will never meet about how many children I have (and newsflash: I might want more!), but by far, the most common theme I hear is how I shouldn’t have more kids because the world is overpopulated. Which frankly, just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
Let me get this straight. So, because the world is already overpopulated and because in some people’s minds that means our world is going straight down the pooper, therefore, I should limit my family size because we will eat up vital resources?
Um, no. It doesn’t work that way.
Maybe I should care about overpopulation, but I just don’t. Call me ignorant, but it seems to me that there are bigger problems in the world than how many children I do or do not have. Maybe by having more children I can teach them to speak out against racism or give the world a scientist who will cure cancer or maybe just a person who makes life a better place and plants flowers that are pretty. Is that really so wrong? I just don’t get the argument that we should limit family size based on the fear that the world is overpopulated. If we’re really that concerned about overpopulation, shouldn’t we be doing more productive things with our lives than writing hateful comments to people like me? How about organizing a recycling drive or saving electricity by not using your phone, hmmm? You have your priorities; I have mine — so leave me alone.
In my mind, it doesn’t make sense to limit my family size because the world might be doomed. It’s like the struggle I fight every day to not enjoy my own life because there are others suffering in the world. I aim to live a life of balance and mindfulness, but also to live, you know? Trust me when I say that we recycle more than the average Joe and I’m not burning up a hole in the ozone layer with our homegrown garden or the 500 jars of jam I make every summer. I’m doing my part to be environmentally-friendly, promise. But the truth is, I can’t live my life for other people, I can only live it for myself. There are people getting cancer at this very minute and babies hurting and children starving — I am very aware of these facts, but I do believe that by raising a happy family, I can combat some of the pure crap in the world right in my own home. Is that really so terrible?
Not to mention, we could all die at any moment by an asteroid or Ebola or probably something plotted by ISIS. So let’s remember the bright side, shall we?
More on large families
Big families can be green, too
How to manage the family laundry
How to furnish and decorate for a big familyalt="Pathfinder Online Interview" />
We recently had the opportunity to discuss many of the design concepts
behind Goblinworks' target="_blank">Pathfinder Online with CEO Ryan Dancey.
Learn more about what makes this fantasy sandbox MMO tick, including how
character advancement works, how open world PvP will be handled to add
depth to the game, and lots more in this exclusive Q&A.
Most online roleplaying games tend to use heavily modified rule
sets based on tabletop gaming. How will Pathfinder Online
leverage the core strengths of the Pathfinder RPG?
With Pathfinder we get a huge library of "objects" that we
can immediately use, many of which have been extensively playtested in
the tabletop game. There are thousands of monsters, magic items, spells,
and character abilities in that library, and we'll use them as the
baseline for our design.
While the game mechanics will be different between the tabletop game
and the online game, the tabletop game is a very good testbed for the
online game. There will of course need to be lots of balancing and
tweaking to bring something from the tabletop game into the online game
but we don't have to start from a blank sheet of paper.
Will there be any major concessions made to help translate the
Pathfinder RPG into a massive, online gaming environment, or is the
goal to remain as true as possible to the original IP?
The rules of the online game will be different than the tabletop game.
The tabletop game is designed to focus on small parties of heroic
adventurers. The online game is a bigger game in scope - it's a superset
of the tabletop experience.
The tabletop game is built around each player having an essentially
unlimited amount of real time to make decisions but the online game
will operate in real time so players will not have that luxury. The
tabletop game assumes there's rarely more than 10 people at a table and
often less, whereas the online game will enable hundreds and eventually
thousands of people to be interacting directly - and that has huge
implications. These things make the tabletop rules unsuitable for online
play.
The tabletop game is built around a combat engine. The online game is
built around an economic engine - combat is a part of that but a subset
of the whole. In the tabletop game you have lots of rules for combat and
things that happen during combat like spellcasting. In the online game
combat is a much smaller portion of the rules - we need rules for
crafting, and exploration, and social interaction, and logistics and
operating markets, etc. Since the tabletop doesn't have to worry too
much about those kinds of systems we have to create much of those rules
from scratch.
In the end, I expect that folks who come over from the tabletop will
find so much that is similar that they'll have an intuitive grasp on how
to play a fighter type character or a wizard type character and they'll
intuitively understand how the rules for those kinds of characters work,
because of the familiarity they have with the tabletop experience.
The concept of Crowdforging intrigues us. Could you expand on
how this process will help players determine what features are
implemented in the game?
Every software project has three variables: Time, money and resources.
You start with a big list of things you would like to build, and then
you start prioritizing that list and the factors that dictate the
priorities are those three variables.
Pathfinder Online is going to enable the players to have an
active voice in how those variables are manipulated. They'll know what
the priority list is for the development team, and they'll be able to
give input on how that list is built and how it is restructured from
time to time.
They'll also be involved in helping set game design policies that will
have deep and significant effects on the overall game. They'll be
helping decide things like how powerful a character should be at various
parts of its lifecycle, how much the economy should be affected by NPCs
and how long it should take to achieve various in-game objectives across
a wide variety of character types.
To do this we'll have a variety of tools. Sometimes we'll run polls or
votes. Sometimes we'll have a system where folks can submit ideas that
are peer reviewed and then reviewed by the designers. We'll likely have
a Player Council similar to what target="_blank">EVE Online has with the Council of
Stellar Management - a formal relationship with elected leaders of the
community who will represent the interests of that community directly.
To make this work we need a level of transparency that is rare in the
gaming industry. We can't have a lot of "secrets" or "surprises". And
people will need to educate themselves on what can be done with the
resources available; some of the best ideas are unfortunately
impractical despite their merits.
Our sister company Paizo Publishing has operated in this manner for
quite some time, subjecting a lot of their core rule design process to
public scrutiny. And my experiences at CCP put me in direct contact with
the Council of Stellar Management so I was able to see up close how that
kind of body can have a dramatic and positive impact.
It will be a wild, exciting, interesting and entertaining ride for
everyone involved.
alt="Pathfinder Online Tech Demo" />
Pathfinder wont have traditional MMO classes. Could you
discuss how players will be able to shape and advance their
characters skill set? Will there be any major limitations on how you
choose to pursue different roles?
This is a critical part of our design concept. We want to encapsulate
the idea of classes from the tabletop game but we also don't want to
limit players to the kind of rigidity that comes from class-based
systems. Sandboxes work best when players are able to make a very
diverse range of characters and they often come up with ways to advance
a character that are not anticipated by the developers but make perfect
sense within the logic of the game world.
We think we have a pretty innovative solution. In the tabletop world,
characters gain power by earning experience points. When a level
threshold is reached, the character is given a number of new benefits as
a result of "leveling up".
In Pathfinder Online, we stood that paradigm on its head.
Instead, as your character gains benefits, it moves closer to being
recognized as having "earned a level". The process of earning those
levels involves a character doing things that are meaningful to that
"role". So a character that is becoming more skilled with weapons and
becoming stronger and tougher will be recognized by earning a "level" of
Fighter, rather than vice-versa.
This makes it possible for us to anticipate a wide range of character
development options that we would be very challenged to make if we had
to pre-plot all the benefits of a traditional level-based system. In Pathfinder
Online, you might find that you've specialized as a character who
is really effective fighting other humanoids, whereas I might have
specialized as a character good against monstrous creatures and
aberrations. We might both have earned recognition with "levels" of
Fighter, but we'll be very different characters with very different
histories.
Folks who want to pursue the traditional roles in traditional ways will
have no problem doing that and they'll end up with characters that are
very similar to those you might find in a tabletop Pathfinder
game. But the system is broad enough that it enables players to explore
a fractal space of options and there will be a near-infinite combination
of character development options so that those "traditional" characters
will be joined by hundreds (or thousands) of other character types as
the players mix-and-match the system to suit their own needs.
Pathfinder Online will feature open world PvP; something that
can often be a deterrent for more casual gamers. Could you shed some
insight on how the PvP system will work, or how it will appeal to
gamers outside of the hardcore crowd?
"We've raised a generation of MMO players
who have a visceral negative reaction to the idea of PvP."
I think that PvP is the original sin of the MMO genre. It is the most
obvious place where the games have failed to match expectation and
potential with implementation. As a result we've raised a generation of
MMO players who have a visceral negative reaction to the idea of PvP. If
we were a supermarket, it would be like not having a dairy section
because some people got sick from drinking the milk. Rather than
abandoning dairy, you'd fix the supply chain to protect people's health,
and reward them with cheese, eggs, milk, etc. to make their lives more
interesting. The MMO industry mostly just shut down the dairy section
and walked away.
But I look at the successes and failures over the last 10 years and I
see PvP being a component of the successes, not the failures. I see EVE
Online growing from 20,000 to 350,000 subscribers in that
timeframe. I see World of Tanks exploding in popularity. I
see League of Legends become a titan in the online gaming
space. Call of Duty and Battlefield are
billion-dollar franchises. Halo effectively defined XBox. I
can't name an multiplayer online gaming success in those 10 years that
didn't have a strong PvP component. (OK, I can maybe put Minecraft in
that category - props to Mojang!)
Human conflict is fascinating. It drives the narrative of much of our
lives and much of our storytelling. When two people disagree about
something or compete for something, it introduces meaning to the
experience. The fundamental design goal of Pathfinder Online
is "maximize meaningful human interaction", and PvP is one facet of how
we intend to do that.
We look at the kind of PvP that exists in MMOs and in previous MMOs,
and we listen to what people say about those systems. We see some
patterns and hear some standard complaints. PvP brings out the very
worst in some folks - it's a license to act badly. PvP often has a
terribly unbalanced risk vs reward; you can get more out of attacking
other players than they get from defending against you or running away.
We think these are addressable issues. People behaving badly is
fixable. People exploiting a game system is fixable. It will take time,
a lot of iteration, and a lot of careful development and community
input, but I am convinced we can get PvP into the game in a way that
adds value rather than removes it.
PvP should be considered no more "hard core" than any other aspect of a
successful MMO that requires attention and effort to master.
In a recent blog post you noted that the end of the theme park
era for MMOs is nearly over. How will PFO help usher in the next era,
and what do you feel will be the major gameplay hooks that make it
possible?
The problem with Theme Park MMOs is that they cost too much to make,
take too long to develop, and don't sustain large communities over the
long term. Everyone looked at the exception - target="_blank">World of Warcraft - and assumed it was
the average. But we look at the history of the MMO market since
Warcraft released and we see the same pattern repeat itself over and
over: A big spike of interest on release, followed in six to nine
months by a collapse of player interest, followed by server
consolidations and staff downsizing, followed by a game that loses
development momentum and stagnates. Every major MMO release since
Warcraft has followed this pattern.
Along the way budgets have gone crazy. I would guess the baseline
budget for the games you've seen released in the past 2-3 years is $100
million. Star
Wars: The Old Republic cost more than $300 million. Yet
none of these games - not one - has managed to attract a paying player
community of more than a million people and hold it for more than 6
months. The economics of these games don't work. And that's why after href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/games/elder-scrolls-online" target="_blank">The
Elder Scrolls Online, there are no announced, high profile,
big budget AAA MMOs from any credible studio.
But MMOs as a business are doing really well. Millions of people are
playing them. In Asia, they're rapidly becoming as dominant an
entertainment format as TV or motion pictures. In the West, whole
generations of people are growing up with a virtual identity - nurtured
in venues like Club Penguin and Habbo. MMOs as a
concept are not going away and the demand for quality virtual worlds is
growing, not declining.
"Theme Parks require that development
teams keep churning out more content to keep players engaged.
Sandbox games can be built around the idea that the players ARE the
content."
The answer seems to be Sandbox. Theme Parks require that the game be
nearly feature complete before the first dollar of revenue can be
earned. Sandbox games can ship with limited features and add more
through iteration while still maintaining a high level of customer
satisfaction. Theme Parks require that development teams keep churning
out more content to keep players engaged. Sandbox games can be built
around the idea that the players ARE the content; give them tools to
interact with one another and they will happily do so. Theme Parks have
a business model that rewards short-term thinking, boom & bust
cycles, hiring binges and deep layoffs. Sandbox games have a business
model that rewards long-term thinking. You need to scale a Sandbox
carefully so that the population doesn't overwhelm the game, and the
staff needs to have a good coherence and continuity so that the game can
leverage its institutional knowledge.
To me the core defining virtue is persistence. Players being able to
make a mark on a game world shared by thousands of other humans is a big
deal. Sandbox is all about persistence. You build it, I see it, use it,
and maybe try to tear it down. That's a dynamic as old as human
civilization. Pathfinder Online is packed full of persistence.
Most of the objects in the game, from consumables to weapons and armor
to buildings will be created by player characters. Everywhere you go,
everything you do, everything you see, will have some aspect of
persistence.
I hope Pathfinder Online is a trendsetter. We
think we can make a compelling game with a smaller budget and a shorter
timeline than the industry has seen with Theme Park MMOs. We think we
can get to positive cashflow quickly, and that makes the business
self-sustaining. We think there's a nice market segment looking for a
fantasy Sandbox MMO and that we have a first-mover advantage. It will be
nice to look back in 10 years and see how accurate these predictions
are, but I have a pretty high confidence we're on the right track.
We'd like to thank Ryan Dancey and the Pathfinder Online team for
taking the time to talk to us about the game. There are a lot of great
design concepts behind PFO, and we'll certainly be paying close
attention to the game throughout development.Man makes 9 citizen arrests on Uber drivers; court not amused He also appears in anti-Uber Game of Thrones parody video
An Australian high court has ordered a man to stop performing citizens arrests on Uber drivers.
Russell Howarth, who has been protesting the ride-share giant for several years, "arrested" nine drivers over a 10-month period in New South Wales. He orchestrated five other citizen arrests and stalked an Uber driver through Sydney, a court decision stated on Monday.
According to the New South Wales Supreme Court, Howarth would book an Uber ride, after which he would inform the driver that he or she was breaking the law. He would then call the police and wait for officers show up.
Court documents show Howarth targeted UberX because he claimed it "operated contrary to the laws and regulations of this State, in contrast to the UberBLACK and UberTAXI services and other licensed and accredited private hire vehicles."
Buzzfeed reported that Howarth claimed on his now defunct website arrestinguber.com that he was a former London Metropolitan police officer and a counterterrorism agent at MI6.
A Court Has Ordered A Man To Stop Performing Citizen's Arrests Of Uber Drivers https://t.co/v7O5hZAhrd pic.twitter.com/3dKsCxg2Qg — BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 3, 2017
Howarth sent multiple tweets from three separate accounts (now all suspended) during the 10-month period in 2014-15, according to Justice Michael Slattery.
1 November 2014: "Whilst watching the Apprentice I have had a brainwave to seriously hurt Uber – give me few days [sic]...absolute KILLER!"
10 November 2014: "Ah dear Uber – I'm in another ILLEGAL UberX vehicle. Another arrest is imminent – he too has been LIED to! Tut tut Uber & I will not stop!"
25 November 2014: "Uber are not happy about this all...not happy one little bit...& know this @uber – I am merely warming up...time to "weaponise'"
Howarth also appears in an anti-Uber "Game of Thrones" parody video in which he defeats the masters and liberate the slaves from Uber's yoke.
"Relevantly, in the course of the footage, an image of Mr Howarth's face is also superimposed upon the male 'champion' in the footage, who helps to defeat the masters and liberate the masses of slaves from the throes of UberX, so that they may join the likes of On Tap and other UberX competitors," the decision read.
Troubling UBER incidents around the world Troubling UBER incidents around the world Photo: Uber Photo: Uber Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close Man makes 9 citizen arrests on Uber drivers; court not amused 1 / 44 Back to Gallery
The court determined Howarth's primary motive for the citizen's arrests was hurting Uber, and therefore the arrests were unlawful.
Justices enjoined Howarth from arresting, attempting to arrest, or threatening to arrest people using Uber, driving for Uber or working for Uber. The only exception would be if the arrest were in relation to a serious offense.As a result, the DOC has ordered a security review of its procedures in the other 10 correctional facilities across Minnesota, according to persons with knowledge of the investigation.
“They didn't follow policy, there really isn't an excuse at all, there are no excuses," said Barb Stoltz, retired program director at the prison in Oak Park Heights. Stoltz, the first woman to attain the rank of lieutenant in Minnesota’s Department of Corrections, had more than 30 years of experience in prison operations – 15 of those years at Oak Park Heights.
Surrounded with razor wire, built deep into the ground, the Oak Park Heights facility is a menacing place, housing almost 450 of the state's most violent criminals.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS showed Stoltz a Department of Corrections investigative report that detailed officers violating security policies surrounding the suicide of William St. John in November, 2015.
"It's unbelievable, incomprehensible, it shouldn't have happened,” Stoltz said. “Everything that happened that day and prior to that was wrong."
St. John, who was convicted of violent crimes including assault and bank robbery, was found in a prison shower.
After St. John’s suicide, DOC investigators reviewed security logs and videos in the complex where St. John was locked up. The DOC investigative report surrounding St. John's death exposed corrections officers routinely failing to do rounds and making false entries into log books indicating rounds had been made.
“Let’s say no rounds were done, you might as well not do a count, that could lead to an attempted escape perhaps, a hostage situation, murder, rape," Stoltz said.
A Warning Note
On Nov. 13, 2015, the day before St. John's death, a DOC incident report records a letter from him to prison staff that read, “If I go back to |
signaling or conducting map checks at night.
7. Signal Mirror. Besides using a signal mirror for signaling, applying camouflage or shaving, it’s also a good piece of equipment to deflect and manipulate light in order to view details of an impression.
8. Whistle. A whistle comes in handy when having to signal commands to other friendly elements over gunfire.
9. Magnetic Compass. Although a GPS is a good piece of equipment, it will never take the place of good compass.
10. Camouflage Trousers.
11. Trouser Rigger’s Belt.
12. Lighter.
13. Notebook. This notebook is used to record information gained during the mission, along with footprint data cards.
14. Map, Protractor and Lead Pencil.
15. Field Expedient Patch Kit. To quickly repair minor rips or tears to the uniform during a mission.
16. Rations. Should be high energy food items.
17. Boots.
Level 2
1. Load Bearing Equipment (LBE). In this case a Tactical Tailor MAV, Split Front rig.
2. Radio.
3. Magazines. No more than a basic combat load of ammunition for the weapon system should be carried on the LBE.
4. Electrical Tape. To secure items together while in the field.
5. Colored Surveyors Tape. For marking the last known sign.
6. GPS. The GPS is a good piece of equipment that can track the route of the squad and give the squad’s precise location. However, don’t become over reliant on technology that’s battery operated. When not pinpointing your location, keep the GPS turned off to conserve the battery life.
7. Strobe Light with IR Cover. For signaling friendly forces.
8. Multi-Tool. These are great for making small repairs and typically have a knife, file, flat tip and philips head screw driver, can opener and pliers.
9. Spare Batteries. Enough for all your equipment during the operation. When acquiring equipment, choose items that require the same type of batteries. AA batteries are compact and common enough that they can be found just about anywhere in the world.
10. Weapons Oil and Brush. A bottle of oil to protect and lubricate your equipment is essential in any environment. A shaving brush is also useful for brushing dust and debris from equipment.
11. Measuring Device. For taking measurements of impressions or showing scale when taking pictures.
12. Headlamp. A headlamp is a good item to have when it’s important to have both hands free such as conducting a prisoner search or some other type of exploitation.
13. 550 Cord. 25-30 feet of cordage should be carried for repairing, tying or lashing items.
14. Knife Sharpener. Carrying a sharpener is essential, as your knife won’t do you any good if it’s not sharp.
15. Camouflage Face Cream.
16. Water Bottles.
17. Knife. A multipurpose knife that has at least a six inch blade should be carried. The knife should be heavy, sharp and versatile enough to use for building shelter, various survival tasks or in use as a fighting knife. The knife pictured above was a collaborative design between the author and custom knife make Jeff Crowner.
18. Smoke Grenade. For screening or signaling.
19. Fragmentation Grenades. At least two fragmentation grenades should be carried when on patrol.
20. Individual First Aid Kit. This kit provides the necessary equipment to perform Self-Aid/Buddy-Aid and addresses the two leading causes of death on the battlefield, extremity hemorrhage and airway obstruction. Kit in photo includes: Tourniquet, (2) Elastic Bandages, Gauze Bandage 4-1/2″, Adhesive Surgical Tape, Airway Nasopharyngeal Airway, (4) Exam Gloves, (2) Pri-Med Gauze Bandages, EMS Shears, Triangular Bandage and Water Purification Tablets.
21. Gloves. Used to camouflage and protect the hands from sharp objects.
22. Mag-Lite Flashlight/Blast Match. The Mag-Lite is for tracking during night time conditions. A Blast Match is another great fire producing survival tool designed for all-weather use and can be operated with one hand in case of injury.
23. Rifle. The rifle that is issued. Contrary to popular belief, soldiers and Law Enforcement alike don’t get to pick and choose their weapon system or the caliber it shoots. No matter what type of weapon is issued, the operator needs to be an expert with it.
24. Weapon Accessories. Optical scopes or red dot sights may be required for the mission depending on METT-T. Also, a Target Pointer/Illuminator/Aiming Light is good to have for operations at night.
Level 3
1. Ruck Sack. This piece of equipment holds all mission essential equipment that’s to be carried by the tracker for extended operations. The size of this pack is dictated by the amount of equipment the tracker will need to sustain himself until a resupply can be requested. The estimated time on operation, terrain operating in and weather conditions the trackers will have to endure are all be factors to be considered.
2. Rations. Enough rations for 48-72 hours should be carried.
3. 3-Liter Hydration System. The tracker needs to carry enough water to last for the duration of the operation, or until a suitable water source is found, or resupply occurs. Water is always consumed from the pack first. Should the pack be dropped for any reason during the operation the tracker should have full canteens on his LBE.
4. Carlton’s CAT PAWS (Super Sneakers). CAT PAWS are a great item to place over the soles of the boot so the tracker can conceal his own tracks.
5. VIPER Hood. The Viper hood breaks up the recognizable and familiar outline and shape of the human head and shoulders. The best aspect of the Viper is that it is designed to be worn in conjunction with the trackers combat equipment without interfering with the trackers ability to get to the pouches on his LBE.
6. Large Trash Bag. For waterproofing or to store trash while on an operation.
7. Weapons Cleaning Kit. This kit should be capable of maintaining your weapon in a field environment. At a minimum, the kit should contain a bore brush, chamber brush, cleaning rod, slotted tip for patches, patches, CLP, lens brush for optics and an all-purpose utility brush.
8. Night Vision Device. Night vision is required when conducting operations at night.
9. Spare Magazines. Three extra loaded magazines.
10. Binoculars. Should be used whenever possible to detect the enemy from a distance. They also provide a larger field of view than a monocular or scope.
11. VS-17 Panel. The VS17 Signal Panel can be laid out on the ground to identify troop positions to friendly aircraft or to identify where help is needed.
12. E-Tool. The E-Tool is a lightweight collapsible spade shovel that can dig or chop.
13. Hammock. Depending on the operational environment, a hammock may be essential for staying dry when bedding down for the night.
14. Sewing and Equipment Repair Kit. This should include sewing thread, needles and safety pins.
15. Hygiene Kit. Minimal hygiene items such as nail clippers, tooth brush, tooth paste and small wash rag.
16. Compression Sack or Waterproof Bag.
17. Basha/Tarp. This needs to be large enough to provide protection from the elements as a shelter, or used as a makeshift litter to transport a casualty.
18. Sleeping Gear. Depending on the environment, this could range from a sleeping system with a ground mat for extreme temperatures, to a poncho liner for more tropical climates.
19. Gore-Tex Bivy. The bivy provides a waterproof, breathable cover that keeps out wind, snow and rain.
20. Bungee Cords. For quick lashing of items such as the tarp.
21. 550 Cord. 25-30 feet of cordage should be carried for repairing, tying or lashing items.
22. Spare Socks. Foot maintenance is imperative! Dry clean socks will help prevent blisters, hotspots and athlete’s foot.
Again, when deciding on equipment, choose items that are light and multipurpose. Fighting loads must be light so that the tracker may remain alert, agile and stealthy.
Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming John Hurth of TÝR Group as a Contributor on ITS. John is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier who served with 1st Special Forces Group at Ft. Lewis, WA where he participated in multiple deployments overseas to include two combat tours in support of the Global War On Terror. He now uses his years of tracking knowledge as the owner and lead instructor of the TÝR Group where he and his staff conduct training on various tracking techniques.The space shuttle Atlantis lands with drag chute deployed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on May 26, 2010 to complete its final planned mission, the STS-132 trip to the International Space Station.
Thisstory was updated at 1:04 p.m. ET.
NASA'sspace shuttle fleet will continue flying through at least early next year dueto delays with the agency's final two missions.
Spaceshuttle program managers officially decided Thursday to delay the launch ofNASA's next space shuttle mission to Nov. 1 and push back the last scheduledflight to late February 2011.
Themove was not unexpected? the space agency said in late June it was hoping to postpone the finalshuttle flightsbecause of cargo delivery and schedule conflicts. Both missions are bound forthe International Space Station.
Thenew plan delays the launch of Discovery? NASA's oldest space shuttle? from anearlier Sept. 16 target to Nov. 1.
Discovery'sSTS-133 mission is the orbiter's last scheduled flight and will deliver ashuttle cargo pod refitted to serve as a permanent storage closet for the spacestation. The shuttle will also deliver Robonaut 2, a prototype robot designedto assist astronauts working in space.
Delayspreparing Discovery's cargo for launch forced mission managers to push thelaunch date back. That shift forced another delay with NASA's final space shuttlemissionon the schedule? the launch of Endeavour to deliver a $1.5 billionastrophysics experiment to the space station.
Endeavouris NASA's youngest space shuttle and was slated to launch its experimentpayload, called the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, no earlier than Nov. 27. Butbecause Discovery's flight is delayed, so too is Endeavour's STS-134 mission.
Thenext available launch date for Endeavour is Feb. 26, 2011, NASA officials saidin a statement.
Launchslips for NASA's last space shuttle missions were anticipated by more than justmission managers.
InFebruary, President Barack Obama included $600 million for NASA's space shuttleprogram as part of the agency's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal. The funds wereset aside in case NASA needed to delay its final shuttle flights beyond theirplanned September 2010 retirement date.
Areport issued in March by NASA's Office of the Inspector General also predictedthat the space agency would have to fly some if its finalshuttle missions in 2011.
NASAtypically spends about $200 million a month to keep its space shuttle fleetflying, though agency officials have said they have enough funding in place tosupport operations through February 2011.
NASAis still waiting to hear from the White House if the space shuttle Atlantis?the current middle child of the U.S. orbiter fleet? will get a chance fly onemore mission.
Atlantisflew its 32nd and final scheduled mission in May to deliver a new Russian roomto the International Space Station. NASA is hoping to get a chance to launchthe shuttle one more time in June 2011 to deliver cargo and supplies to theorbiting lab. [Photos: Last Launchof Shuttle Atlantis]
Butto give Atlantis one extra shuttle flight, NASA needs approvalfrom the White House, which it does not yet have, by August to begin planningthe mission.
NASAis retiring its space shuttle fleet after 30 years of service to make way forfuture programs aimed at sending astronauts to visit an asteroid by 2025, thentarget missions to Mars.
Theplan is part of President Obama's new space exploration proposal, whichalso includes the cancellation of NASA's Constellation program developing newrockets and spaceships slated to send astronauts back to the moon.
Oncethe space shuttles retire for good, NASA will rely on Russia's Soyuz spacecraftto ferry astronauts to and from the space station until American commercialspaceships become available.This article is about Saint-Saëns's 1886 suite. For Christopher Wheeldon's 2003 ballet to Saint-Saëns's music, see Carnival of the Animals (ballet)
The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was written for private performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments, and lasts around 25 minutes.
History [ edit ]
Following a disastrous concert tour of Germany in 1885–86, Saint-Saëns withdrew to a small Austrian village, where he composed The Carnival of the Animals in February 1886.[1] It is scored for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute (and piccolo), clarinet (C and B♭), glass harmonica, and xylophone.
From the beginning, Saint-Saëns regarded the work as a piece of fun. On 9 February 1886 he wrote to his publishers Durand in Paris that he was composing a work for the coming Shrove Tuesday, and confessing that he knew he should be working on his Third Symphony, but that this work was "such fun" ("... mais c'est si amusant!"). He had apparently intended to write the work for his students at the École Niedermeyer, but it was first performed at a private concert given by the cellist Charles Lebouc on Shrove Tuesday, 9 March 1886.
A second (private) performance was given on 2 April at the home of Pauline Viardot with an audience including Franz Liszt, a friend of the composer, who had expressed a wish to hear the work. There were other private performances, typically for the French mid-Lent festival of Mi-Carême, but Saint-Saëns was adamant that the work would not be published in his lifetime, seeing it as detracting from his "serious" composer image. He relented only for the famous cello solo The Swan, which forms the penultimate movement of the work, and which was published in 1887 in an arrangement by the composer for cello and solo piano (the original uses two pianos).
Saint-Saëns did specify in his will that the work should be published posthumously. Following his death in December 1921, the work was published by Durand in Paris in April 1922 and the first public performance was given on 25 February 1922 by Concerts Colonne (the orchestra of Édouard Colonne).[2]
Carnival has since become one of Saint-Saëns's best-known works, played by the original eleven instrumentalists, or more often with the full string section of an orchestra. Normally a glockenspiel substitutes for the rare glass harmonica. Ever popular with music teachers and young children, it is often recorded in combination with Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf or Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.
Movements [ edit ]
There are fourteen movements, each representing a different animal or animals:
I "Introduction et marche royale du lion" (Introduction and Royal March of the Lion) [ edit ]
Strings and two pianos: the introduction begins with the pianos playing a bold tremolo, under which the strings enter with a stately theme. The pianos play a pair of scales going in opposite directions to conclude the first part of the movement. The pianos then introduce a march theme that they carry through most of the rest of the introduction. The strings provide the melody, with the pianos occasionally taking low runs of octaves which suggest the roar of a lion, or high ostinatos. The two groups of instruments switch places, with the pianos playing a higher, softer version of the melody. The movement ends with a fortissimo note from all the instruments used in this movement.
II "Poules et coqs" (Hens and Roosters) [ edit ]
Strings without cello and double bass, two pianos, with clarinet: this movement is centered around a pecking theme played in the pianos and strings, which is quite reminiscent of chickens pecking at grain. The clarinet plays a small solo above the strings. The piano plays a very fast theme based on the crowing of a rooster's Cock-a-Doodle-Doo.
III "Hémiones (animaux véloces)" (Wild Donkeys Swift Animals) [ edit ]
Two pianos: the animals depicted here are quite obviously running, an image induced by the constant, feverishly fast up-and-down motion of both pianos playing scales in octaves. These are dziggetai, donkeys that come from Tibet and are known for their great speed.
IV "Tortues" (Tortoises) [ edit ]
Strings and piano: a satirical movement which opens with a piano playing a pulsing triplet figure in the higher register. The strings play a slow rendition of the famous "Galop infernal" (commonly called the Can-can) from Offenbach's operetta Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld).
V "L'Éléphant" (The Elephant) [ edit ]
Double bass and piano: this section is marked Allegro pomposo, the perfect caricature for an elephant. The piano plays a waltz-like triplet figure while the bass hums the melody beneath it. Like "Tortues," this is also a musical joke—the thematic material is taken from the Scherzo from Mendelssohn's incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Berlioz's "Dance of the Sylphs" from The Damnation of Faust. The two themes were both originally written for high, lighter-toned instruments (flute and various other woodwinds, and violin, accordingly); the joke is that Saint-Saëns moves this to the lowest and heaviest-sounding instrument in the orchestra, the double bass.
VI "Kangourous" [ edit ]
Two pianos: the main figure here is a pattern of "hopping" chords (made up of triads in various positions) preceded by grace notes in the right hand. When the chords ascend, they quickly get faster and louder, and when the chords descend, they quickly get slower and softer.
VII "Aquarium" [ edit ]
( help · info ) Part of the original manuscript score of "Aquarium". The top staff was written for the (glass) "Harmonica".
Violins, viola, cello (string quartet), two pianos, flute, and glass harmonica: this is one of the more musically rich movements. The melody is played by the flute, backed by the strings, and glass harmonica on top of tumultuous, glissando-like runs and arpeggios in pianos. The first piano plays a descending ten-on-one, and eight-on-one ostinato, in the style of the second of Chopin's études, while the second plays a six-on-one. These figures, plus the occasional glissando from the glass harmonica towards the end—often played on celesta or glockenspiel—are evocative of a peaceful, dimly lit aquarium. According to British music journalist Fritz Spiegl, there is a recording of the movement featuring virtuoso harmonica player Tommy Reilly—apparently he was hired by mistake instead of a player of the glass harmonica.[citation needed] The recording in question is of the Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos label.[3][not in citation given]
VIII "Personnages à longues oreilles" (Characters with Long Ears) [ edit ]
Two violins: this is the shortest of all the movements. The violins alternate playing high, loud notes and low, buzzing ones (in the manner of a donkey's braying "hee-haw"). Music critics have speculated that the movement is meant to compare music critics to braying donkeys.[4]
IX "Le Coucou au fond des bois" (The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods) [ edit ]
Two pianos and clarinet: the pianos play large, soft chords while the clarinet plays a single two-note ostinato; a C and an A♭, mimicking the call of a cuckoo bird. Saint-Saëns states in the original score that the clarinetist should be offstage.
X "Volière" (Aviary) [ edit ]
Strings, pianos and flute: the high strings take on a background role, providing a buzz in the background that is reminiscent of the background noise of a jungle. The cellos and basses play a pickup cadence to lead into most of the measures. The flute takes the part of the bird, with a trilling tune that spans much of its range. The pianos provide occasional pings and trills of other birds in the background. The movement ends very quietly after a long ascending chromatic scale from the flute.
XI "Pianistes" (Pianists) [ edit ]
Strings and two pianos: this movement is a glimpse of what few audiences ever get to see: the pianists practicing their scales. The scales of C, D♭, D and E♭ are covered. Each one starts with a trill on the first and second note, then proceeds in scales with a few changes in the rhythm. Transitions between keys are accomplished with a blasting chord from all the instruments between scales. In some performances, the later, more difficult, scales are deliberately played increasingly out of time. The original edition has a note by the editors instructing the players to imitate beginners and their awkwardness.[5] After the four scales, the key changes back to C, where the pianos play a moderate speed trill-like pattern in thirds, in the style of Charles-Louis Hanon or Carl Czerny, while the strings play a small part underneath. This movement is unusual in that the last three blasted chords do not resolve the piece, but rather lead into the next movement.
Title page to "Fossils" in the manuscript including drawing by the composer
XII "Fossiles" (Fossils) [ edit ]
Strings, two pianos, clarinet, and xylophone: here, Saint-Saëns mimics his own composition, the Danse macabre, which makes heavy use of the xylophone to evoke the image of skeletons playing card games, the bones clacking together to the beat. The musical themes from Danse macabre are also quoted; the xylophone and the violin play much of the melody, alternating with the piano and clarinet. The piano part is especially difficult here—octaves that jump in quick thirds. Allusions to "Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman" (better known in the English-speaking world as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), the French nursery rhymes "Au clair de la lune", and "J'ai du bon tabac" (the second piano plays the same melody upside down [inversion]), the popular anthem "Partant pour la Syrie", as well as the aria "Una voce poco fa" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville can also be heard. The musical joke in this movement, according to Leonard Bernstein's narration on his recording of the work with the New York Philharmonic, is that the musical pieces quoted are the fossils of Saint-Saëns's time.
XIII "Le cygne" (The Swan) [ edit ]
Two pianos and cello: a slowly moving cello melody (which evokes the swan elegantly gliding over the water) is played over rippling sixteenths in one piano and rolled chords in the other (said to represent the swan's feet, hidden from view beneath the water, propelling it along[citation needed]).
A staple of the cello repertoire, this is one of the most well-known movements of the suite, usually in the version for cello with solo piano which was the only publication of this work in Saint-Saëns's lifetime. More than twenty other arrangements of this movement have also been published, with solo instruments ranging from flute to alto saxophone.
A short ballet, The Dying Swan, was choreographed in 1905 by Mikhail Fokine to this movement and performed by Anna Pavlova. Pavlova gave some 4,000 performances of the dance and "swept the world."[6]
XIV Final (Finale) [ edit ]
Full ensemble: the finale opens on the same tremolo notes in the pianos as in the introduction, which are soon reinforced by the wind instruments, the glass harmonica and the xylophone. The strings build the tension with a few low notes, leading to glissandi by the piano before the lively main melody is introduced. The Finale is somewhat reminiscent of an American carnival of the 19th century, with one piano always maintaining a bouncy eighth-note rhythm. Although the melody is relatively simple, the supporting harmonies are ornamented in the style that is typical of Saint-Saëns' compositions for piano; dazzling scales, glissandi and trills. Many of the previous movements are quoted here from the introduction, the lion, the donkeys, hens, and kangaroos. The work ends with a series of six "Hee Haws" from the donkeys, as if to say that the donkey has the last laugh, before the final strong group of C major chords.
Musical allusions [ edit ]
As the title suggests, the work follows a zoological program and progresses from the first movement, Introduction et marche royale du lion, through portraits of elephants and donkeys ("Those with Long Ears") to a finale reprising many of the earlier motifs.
Several of the movements are of humorous intent:
Ogden Nash verses [ edit ]
In 1949, Ogden Nash wrote a set of humorous verses to accompany each movement for a Columbia Masterworks recording of Carnival of the Animals conducted by Andre Kostelanetz. They were recited on the original album by Noël Coward, dubbed over or spliced in between sections of the previously recorded music. [7]
The poems are now often included when the work is performed, though usually recited before each piece. The conclusion of the verse for the "Fossils", for example, fits perfectly with the punchline-like first bar of the music:
At midnight in the museum hall The fossils gathered for a ball There were no drums or saxophones, But just the clatter of their bones, A rolling, rattling, carefree circus Of mammoth polkas and mazurkas. Pterodactyls and brontosauruses Sang ghostly prehistoric choruses. Amid the mastodontic wassail I caught the eye of one small fossil. "Cheer up, sad world," he said, and winked— "It's kind of fun to be extinct."
Notable audio/video performances [ edit ]What Is a Turkey's Snood?
(noun) The snood is a fleshy protuberance above a turkey's bill that may also hang down over the bill.
Pronunciation
SNOOOD
(rhymes with food, mood, skewed, and stewed)
About the Snood
The snood is similar to a wattle, and may be called a wattle when all of a turkey's face, head, and neck markings are described together, but it is a distinct feature. The base of the snood is just above the bill, and the total length can vary from just 1-2 inches to 5-6 inches or longer depending on the bird's gender, health, and mood. A short snood may stand upright and be pointed like a horn, while a longer snood will dangle down the bird's bill and may flop on one side or the other.
The snood's color ranges from pale white, gray, or ice blue to a richer blue, pink, red, or purple. Stronger, bolder colors typically indicate heightened emotions, such as aggression or mating readiness. The snood may also have a few fine, dark hairs protruding from it.
Because the snood is fleshy and blood-filled, it can change length quickly. A short, compact snood may indicate an agitated bird, and turkey hunters have noted the snood shortening and withdrawing when a bird feels trapped or threatened. This may be a defensive response, since a long, dangling snood can be a hazard in a fight: if the snood is injured, the bird may bleed profusely, and the snood could easily become infected through an open wound. Because turkeys can be aggressive, farmers who raise turkeys may have their birds de-snooded as chicks, removing the protuberance and lessening the risk of injury or infection.
What a Snood Isn't
The snood may appear similar to several other facial structures, and understanding the differences between them can help birders better appreciate the variations in bird anatomy. Similar features that aren't snoods include:
Cere : This is a fleshy patch of skin covering the base of the bill and often covering the nares (nostrils). The cere may swell if infected, but does not dramatically change color or size as the snood will and is more often completely flat or only slightly bulbous.
: This is a fleshy patch of skin covering the base of the bill and often covering the nares (nostrils). The cere may swell if infected, but does not dramatically change color or size as the snood will and is more often completely flat or only slightly bulbous. Basal Knob : This is an engorged, round structure at the base of the bill, but it is typically hard and does not change color or size as frequently as the snood, though it may change somewhat in breeding birds. It never, however, dangles over the bill.
: This is an engorged, round structure at the base of the bill, but it is typically hard and does not change color or size as frequently as the snood, though it may change somewhat in breeding birds. It never, however, dangles over the bill. Casque : This hard, horny structure may be either on the top of the bird's bill or on the top of the head. It does not change shape or size once it has fully grown, though some birds do have casques that vary during the breeding season. It is not largely flexible.
: This hard, horny structure may be either on the top of the bird's bill or on the top of the head. It does not change shape or size once it has fully grown, though some birds do have casques that vary during the breeding season. It is not largely flexible. Rictal Bristles: These are fine feathers or thin hairs at the base of the bill that are believed to help birds detect insects or protect the eyes and nares from debris or bacteria. Rictal bristles are not fleshy and do not change.
Identifying Birds by Snood
Only two birds have prominent snoods: the wild turkey and the ocellated turkey. The wild turkey has a much more developed snood, and some ocellated turkeys have such small snoods that they are not particularly noticeable. The snood is also not as variable or changeable on the ocellated turkey, though its length can change. Because this structure is restricted to just these two species, it is not necessary to see the snood for proper species identification, as both species have far more dramatic field marks than this one facial feature. The snood can help with other types of identification, however. If seen clearly, the snood can identify:
Gender : Males typically have much larger, more prominent snoods, especially during the breeding season. Some hens may lack snoods entirely.
: Males typically have much larger, more prominent snoods, especially during the breeding season. Some hens may lack snoods entirely. Sexual Readiness : When males are ready to mate, the snood will be long and more brilliantly colored. It remains this way throughout their courtship displays.
: When males are ready to mate, the snood will be long and more brilliantly colored. It remains this way throughout their courtship displays. Health : A long, prominent snood often indicates a strong, healthy bird, particularly during the mating season. Studies of snoods have detected better bacterial resistance in turkeys with longer snoods.
: A long, prominent snood often indicates a strong, healthy bird, particularly during the mating season. Studies of snoods have detected better bacterial resistance in turkeys with longer snoods. Emotions: A frightened turkey may have a paler, retracted snood, while an aggressive, angry bird will have a short but boldly colored snood. When relaxed and stress-free, the snood is generally shorter but still somewhat colorful.
Also Known AsCricket was played on the island as far back as the 1730s. How the game fell out of favour, and is now finding its feet again, is a tale and a half
Trent Johnston: Aussie bloke turned Irish hero © Associated Press
In December 2006, Warren Deutrom entered the office of the Ireland Cricket Union. His role was CEO, replacing Peter Thompson, who had left the job six months earlier. It had taken the ICU months to even work out if they wanted another CEO.
Their only other off-field staff member was a part-time PA called Marie. They had email accounts. That was about all.
Their offices were shared with organisations that looked after rowing, mountaineering, university sports and community games. All had bigger offices. Were more professional. And had far more staff.
Despite having qualified for the World Cup, Irish cricket was a minnow even compared to mountaineering.
****
"In the soft grey silence he could hear the bump of the balls: and from here and from there through the quiet air the sound of the cricket bats: pick, pack, pock, puck: like drops of water in a fountain falling softly in the brimming bowl," wrote James Joyce in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
Cricket fans from the Test-playing nations, even the newer ones, like to suggest that cricket is theirs. That people from other countries aren't smart or cultured enough to get the great game. But cricket was played at least as far back as the 1730s in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
Clongowes Wood College was playing cricket in the 1820s, and had its own local playing regulations - that you couldn't be out if you dragged on, and that the long stop could stop the ball with his coat. It was the school of Joyce. Colin Farrell played junior cricket. Samuel Beckett played two first-class games. Even Jedward have played cricket.
In 1855, Ireland beat the Gentlemen of England. At that stage cricket was the biggest sport in Ireland. WG Grace visited heaps of times. Ireland's debut as a first-class team was in 1902, when they beat a London County side that included Grace.
John Wisden took a seven-wicket haul against them. In 1865 they even had their own version of Wisden, John Lawrence's Handbook of Cricket in Ireland. In Sir Stanley Cochrane they had their own version of Kerry Packer and Allen Stanford, who built a ground, brought in big teams, paid county stars to play and also built a railway line into his ground.
Cricket was a major part of Ireland.
****
There is a Trent Johnston in every pub in Australia. Even if you didn't know he was Australian, one look at him would probably confirm it. Leaning on the bar, looking weathered from a life outdoors, getting on with everyone. The man's man. It's hard to imagine Johnston ever being young. It was as if he was born exactly the age he seems to have been since the 2007 World Cup, roughly mid-30s.
It is not uncommon for a Cricket Ireland employee to cover six or seven areas in their job. These are people who are passionate cricket fans, but even more passionate Irish cricket fans. The press box wifi network name at Malahide was "Go team Ireland", the password was "Bangalore2011"
This quintessential Aussie bloke has become an Irish hero. Kids running around playing cricket behind the stands at Malahide have his name on their back.
For major international teams, Johnston probably wouldn't be good enough. His bowling is nagging but slow. His batting is powerful, but his highest ODI score is 45 not out. For a major side he would be a bits-and-pieces player who is just not good enough at either discipline. For Ireland he is perfect. A utility player who can fill any gap. He has been the captain, the aggressor, the motivator, the professional, new-ball bowler and death-overs specialist. He has moved around the batting order and done whatever he needs to do for his adopted country. He's been their rock and their kick up the ass.
In the future, should Ireland continue to progress as they have done, they won't need players like Johnston. But without him over the last decade, Irish cricket wouldn't be where it is right now.
****
Malahide is a cricket ground. That is all. There is no grandstand. No gates. No toilets. Not even an indoor training facility. There is a Malahide Cricket Club building, but if it had better days, they were long ago.
Nothing else at Malahide is permanent. You might have seen the ground when Ireland hosted England and thought you saw more, but that was all an illusion, a costly illusion. An over €375,000 illusion. A 10,000-seat dream of what Ireland want. A home. As a joke, some locals were calling it Fortress Malahide as the temporary stands were erected.
Three weeks before the game was held, all the plans had to be changed when the grandstands were found to be in the wrong place*. Nothing is easy in Irish Cricket.
Each seat cost roughly €15 to be brought in and installed. Then those seats were sold for €40. That is €25 per seat to hire security, pay for England's travel, the brochures, promotion and everything else that goes with setting up a 10,000 people event. By the end, Cricket Ireland will have hoped to make a €30,000-40,000 profit. But this game was not about making money, it was about doing |
officials to stop offering these classes went unheeded, McCollum sued the school board in July 1945, stating that the religious instruction in the public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment—the principle of separation of church and state in the United States. McCollum also complained that the school district's religious education classes violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The principal elements of the McCollum complaint were that:
In actual practice certain Protestant groups exercised an advantage over other Protestant denominations.
The school district's calling the classes "voluntary" was in name only because school officials coerced or forced students' participation.
The power exercised by the Champaign Council on Religious Education in its selection of instructors, and the school superintendent's oversight of these instructors served to determine which religious faiths participated in the instructional program, and constituted a prior censorship of religion.
In her suit, McCollum asked that the Board of Education be ordered to "adopt and enforce rules and regulations prohibiting all instruction in and teaching of all religious education in all public schools in Champaign District Number 71, and in all public school houses and buildings in said district when occupied by public schools".
The Circuit Court of Champaign County ruled in favor of the school district in January 1946, and upon appeal the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling.
Decision of the Court [ edit ]
McCollum appealed the case to the U. S. Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case, taking oral arguments in December 1947. A number of religious groups including the American Unitarian Association, the Synagogue Council of America, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Baptist Joint Committee of Religious Liberty filed briefs in support of McCollum's position.[2][3]
On March 8, 1948, the Court ruled 8-1 in favor of McCollum, ruling that the classes were unconstitutional.
In the majority opinion, written by Justice Hugo Black, the Court held that
[The facts] show the use of tax-supported property for religious instruction and the close cooperation between the school authorities and the religious council in promoting religious education. The operation of the state's compulsory education system thus assists and is integrated with the program of religious instruction carried on by separate religious sects. Pupils compelled by law to go to school for secular education are released... in part from their legal duty upon the condition that they attend the religious classes. To hold that a state cannot, consistently with the First and Fourteenth Amendments, utilize its public school system to aid any or all religious faiths or sects in the dissemination of their doctrines and ideals does not... manifest a governmental hostility to religion or religious teachings.... For the First Amendment rests upon the premise that both religion and government can best work to achieve their lofty aims if each is left free from the other within its respective sphere.
Dissent [ edit ]
The lone dissenting justice, Stanley Forman Reed, objected to the breadth of the majority's interpretation of the Establishment Clause and stated that an incidental support of religion should have been permissible with a more narrow reading of the First Amendment.
Subsequent developments [ edit ]
The Supreme Court's ruling remanded the case to the Illinois high court for relief consistent with the federal ruling.
The high court revisited the issue of religious instruction in Zorach v. Clauson in 1952. The 6 to 3 ruling in the later case held that a New York program allowing religious education during the school day was permissible, because it did not use public school facilities or public funds.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Controversial Turkish Islamic author Adnan Oktar was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday for creating an illegal organization for personal gain, state-run Anatolian news agency said.
A spokeswoman for his Science Research Foundation (BAV) confirmed to Reuters that Oktar had been sentenced but said the judge was influenced by political and religious pressure groups.
Oktar had been tried with 17 other defendants in an Istanbul court. The verdict and sentence came after a previous trial that began in 2000 after Oktar, along with 50 members of his foundation, was arrested in 1999.
In that court case, Oktar had been charged with using threats for personal benefit and creating an organization with the intent to commit a crime. The charges were dropped but another court picked them up resulting in the latest case.
Oktar planned to appeal the sentence, a BAV spokeswoman said. No further details were immediately available.
Oktar, born in 1956, is the driving force behind a richly funded movement based in Turkey that champions creationism, the belief that God literally created the world in six days as told in the Bible and the Koran.
Istanbul-based Oktar, who writes under the pen name Harun Yahya, has created waves in the past few years by sending out thousands of unsolicited texts advocating Islamic creationism to schools in several European countries.
TENSIONS HIGH
The court decision comes at a time when political tensions in officially secular but predominantly Muslim Turkey are high as the ruling AK Party faces a court case that seeks its closure for alleged Islamist activities, a claim the party denies.
Oktar’s teachings echo those of Christian fundamentalists in the United States. He has publicly denounced Darwinism and Freemasonry in high-profile attacks.
Charles Darwin came up with the widely adopted evolutionary theory of natural selection in the 19th century.
Oktar’s publishing house has published dozens of books that have been distributed in more than 150 countries and been translated into more than 50 languages. He has a wide following in the Muslim world.
But Turkish commentators say the group’s books, numbering more than 200, are probably written by a pool of writers, a charge the author denies.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration, responding to heightened concerns about rogue drone flights near airports, unveiled a pre-Christmas rule on Monday requiring drone hobbyists as young as 13 years old to register their unmanned aircraft.
A man reaches out to catch a drone used to monitor rhinos in Africa to protect them from poaching during the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in New York, September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
The new online registry will require current drone owners to register by Feb. 19, while anyone who acquires aircraft after Dec. 21 would need to register before their first outdoor flight. After registering, drone owners will receive an FAA identification number that they must display on aircraft weighing between 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and 55 pounds (25 kgs).
The FAA’s online registration site, which will be launched next Monday, will charge drone owners a $5 fee, which officials said is the same charge required for manned aircraft, including Boeing 747 jetliners. To encourage participation, the FAA will waive the fee for the first 30 days that the registry is open.
Federal officials see online registration as one way to address a surge of rogue drone flights near airports and crowded public venues that has raised safety concerns among authorities across the United States.
Two months ago, U.S. officials vowed to have a drone registry in place before Christmas, when unmanned aircraft are expected to be a popular gift, including for teenagers.
Drone experts have warned that registration could face legal challenges.
On Monday, the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a group representing hobbyists, warned the new registry could violate a law approved by Congress in 2012 that prohibits the FAA from regulating unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, used by its members.
“AMA is disappointed with the new rule for UAS registration,” said AMA Executive Director Dave Mathewson. The group went to court last year to challenge an earlier FAA decision to class small UAS as aircraft. The litigation is still pending.
Under the new regulation, drone owners 13 years and older are required to register their craft, while the parents of younger children must register them.
“Unmanned aircraft operators are aviators and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters in a conference call.
Failure to register can result in a hefty penalty, including civil fines of up to $27,500 and criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and three years in prison.
But FAA officials said they intend to focus on encouraging compliance through a “Know Before You Fly” public education campaign backed by some manufacturers, retailers and local law enforcement.The idea was simple enough: publish as many absurd, obviously fake stories imaginable, and see if anyone actually falls for it. The results of this experiment were both fascinating and disheartening.
“BREAKING: Satire Makes Fools Of Gullible Trump Supporters.”
That’s the headline James McDaniel published on his intentionally fake news website, UndergroundNewsReport.com, earlier this month.
Within just two weeks of his website going online, McDaniel had already amassed more than a million views, thousands of comments on his stories, and hundreds of thousands of “likes” and “shares” on Facebook.
“While writing them, I was aiming for stories that no one would believe, but rather would be satirical in an age where disinformation is so prevalent,” McDaniel wrote on his website. “Just for fun, I decided to post some of the stories in Trump fan groups on Facebook to see the reactions.”Apparently: “This is a glimpse of politics in the age of social networking, politics as organized crime. The Black guy wearing black, LBPD say he is Walmart loss prevention. That's right he is on the job during this. The basic message here is that "NOBODY" cares about your safety here. Security will not call police, nor will they intervene. We thugs run this environment, YOU don't know where your at right now...tummyauto 4 days agoIn case you are wondering why I was filming, yes there is a reason. I am being group stalked in LA. No I am not Paranoid this is happening to people and its real. I have witnesses from the social services institution that is supporting me. And no I don't have any mental health problems. The community outreach from councilwoman Suja Lowenthal's office has seen the video and is working to improve bike parking at the mall but will not get involved in addressing stalking in the district. Quote, "It's pretty far reaching" Ramone Agulare, community outreach.This is a glimpse of politics in the age of social networking, politics as organized crime. The Black guy wearing black, LBPD say he is Walmart loss prevention. That's right he is on the job during this.More detailed explanation here.princeofnetworks.com/2009/09/24/web-2-0-culture-wars-the-end-of-effective-rule-of-law/tummyauto 5 days agoFilmed on a Kodak Zi6 attached to my messenger bag. After the video I called and waited 45mi after several calls for police to respond. LBPD officer watched video and blew it off. Said if I was afraid of him he could arrest him for terrorist threat, but since...Got forwarded to Ramone Agular in Councilman Loenthal's office where it lead to LBPD taking the video as evidence to charge the perp with something when he gets out of lockup. Where he is now for bike theft.My concern is with the older security guard clearly working with them. LBPD said they would investigate him, and that he should be fired. I rode by him yesterday, he's still there. All they need to do is dump his phone and look for ties to know offenders.So I think I basically got lip serviced. Turns out the only real currency these days is Public Relations. LB is concerned about it's image to a point so the more eyes view this the more chance there is of Lowenthals's office making enough noise to get the criminal culture turned around. Get the Plat security guard fired... Plat security is owned by an X LBPD BTW...”Not my video. Guy is in jail now. My first real LL. Enjoy & vote it.Source: www.vimeo.com/12623919A new report by a watchdog group has found the “first hard evidence” demonstrating that anti-Israel activity at universities is “at the heart of the rise in campus antisemitism,” The Algemeiner has learned.
The AMCHA Initiative on Monday released its “Report on Antisemitic Activity in 2015 at US Colleges and Universities With the Largest Jewish Undergraduate Populations.” According to a corresponding press release, this report is the “first empirical study of its kind,” showing that “the primary agents of antisemitic activity are anti-Zionist students and faculty boycotters.”
Indeed, according to the report, “The strongest predictor of anti-Jewish hostility on campus” is the local presence of a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
The report focuses on three kinds of activity: antisemitic expression, the targeting of Jewish students and BDS activity. With respect to antisemitic expression, it examines language or imagery that uses one or more of eight criteria included in the US State Department definition of antisemitism.
Among the report’s major findings are strong correlations between antisemitic activity or behavior and:
anti-Israel student groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
the presence of faculty who publicly support BDS and antisemitism
BDS campaigns
The report also finds that anti-Israel attitudes and activity “permeate and are inseparable from campus antisemitism.” It documents “more than 150 talks, rallies, films, displays, etc.,” containing “expression that demonized or delegitimized Israel by drawing on classic antisemitic tropes of Jewish evil, power and mendacity.” Moreover, “a majority of incidents that threatened the safety or well-being of Jewish students … were linked to Israel or Zionism.”
AMCHA Director Tammi Rossman-Benjamin told The Algemeiner that the report took two months to complete. She also stated:
Sadly, even after multiple student surveys reporting alarming levels … of campus antisemitism, university leaders remain in denial. That will be much harder now. For the first time ever we have objective confirmation of student reports, and we know what is responsible for the frightening escalation in campus antisemitism — anti-Zionism, mainly BDS. [U]niversity leaders must now begin to acknowledge the distinction between scholarly debate and criticism of Israel’s policies — which has every place on a university campus — and anti-Zionism, which is blatant antisemitism, and is the driving force behind the frightening rise in campus antisemitism.
Susan Tuchman, of the Zionist Organization of America, similarly noted to The Algemeiner:
The AMCHA study provides important empirical evidence that BDS and other anti-Israel activities on campus help fuel antisemitism and help create a hostile environment for many Jewish students. This study makes it clearer than ever that university leaders have to respond forcefully to hateful speakers and programs that demonize Israel, that single out Israel for condemnation and punishment, or that call for Israel’s destruction. For the safety and well-being of their Jewish students, university leaders must … educate their communities that these actions help breed the hatred of Jews and make Jewish students targets on their campuses.
A 2015 survey of North American undergraduates applying to go on a “Birthright” trip to Israel found that nearly a quarter of respondents reported having been blamed for the actions of Israel because they were Jewish; about a third had been verbally harassed because they were Jewish; and nearly three-quarters had been exposed during the previous year to at least one of six antisemitic statements.
AMCHA Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated, according to its website, to investigating, monitoring and documenting antisemitism on college and university campuses in America.Apple is working on strengthening the iPhone’s security measures, making it even harder for government agencies to break into an encrypted device, the New York Times reports, citing sources close to the company.
The fact that Apple is constantly working on improving various facets of the iPhone software, encryption included, is no news. But the NYT report claims the Cupertino company is specifically working to eliminate the approach the FBI is trying to exploit in order to crack open the iPhone of one of the gunmen who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December.
Specifically, the FBI wants Apple to use a feature that lets the company update the firmware of a locked iPhone without using a passcode, with the new firmware enabling the agency’s experts to brute-force crack the passcode. The phone that belonged to the San Bernardino shooter is an older one, an iPhone 5C, but a similar approach might work with the newer variants as well.
Now, Apple is working on removing that possibility from newer iPhones. One of NYT’s sources claims the company had begun working on that even before the San Bernardino attack, and several independent security researchers said it’s definitely possible.
"A lot of the security updates in the future will be not just to keep the hackers out, but to keep themselves out until the user authorizes the update,” security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski told the Washington Post, which also reported on the story.
Security and hackers always play a cat and mouse game, and no system is ever safe from being hacked into, especially if you have physical access to it. But Apple’s new efforts could mean that, at least for the foreseeable future, the company would not be able to help a government agency crack open an iPhone even if it wanted to.
In a nutshell, the FBI claims it's simply trying to get Apple to help it crack open a terrorist's iPhone, and the request got the support of many Americans and some public figures, including Donald Trump. In an interview with ABC World News Tonight's David Muir on Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained the company's stance on the issue, calling it one of Apple's biggest challenges. "We need to stand tall and stand tall on principle. Our job is to protect our customers," he said.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.After diving into the best new and continuing series of 2014, we now acknowledge the best reprints of the past 12 months. Years past, most of the works in this list traditionally brought old pages back into print, but now online comics (or works scattered along a host of media) are now finding a new home on the inked page. No matter what form you once read them in, these collections deliver a holistic view of amazing comics with an immaculate level of polish. Happy re/reading.
10. A Body Beneath
Writer & Artist: Michael DeForge
Publisher: Koyama Press
Yes, the stories on display here are uneven, but they are also primordial in more than one sense: they give insight into (Michael DeForge’s) growth and development as an artist, but even more so, they arise from a place of guts and muck only thinly overlaid by civilization and pretense. Like folk tales, they fill us with dread and take terrible but expected turns. This sort of viscera-level reaction is precisely DeForge’s greatest strength, and it has clearly been present from the beginning of his career. Hillary Brown
9. Set to Sea
Writer & Artist: Drew Weing
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Originally issued by Fantagraphics four years ago, Drew Weing’s Set to Sea remains a wonderful pocket-sized seafaring adventure. Now released in paperback, the graphic novel provides an immersive, harrowing experience, following the transition from innocence to experience for an aspiring poet kidnapped and forced into sailor life. A sort of Ferdinand (huge but gentle), the unnamed protagonist discovers his inner tough guy as he encounters pirates, hardship and the dangers of the sea throughout his involuntary adventure. Hillary Brown
8. Hip Hop Family Tree Book 2: 1981-1983
Writer & Artist: Ed Piskor
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Collecting his online comic on Boing Boing, Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree is nothing short of rigorous. The cartoonist streamlines a tangle of facts and figures into a cohesive history of America’s most subversive art form. The project showcases the power and versatility of the medium, channeling the era through sepia-stained pages and pulpy paper textures. Fresh. Sean Edgar
7. Escapo
Writer & Artist: Paul Pope
Publisher: Z2 Comics
Paul Pope’s Escapo feels like some half-forgotten dream gleaned from a Cirque du Soleil show, hoisting its performers through death traps that would make a James Bond villain jealous. With that said, this gem — first published in ’99 — also revels in the understated moments of its hero, escape artist Vic, as he pines for a high-wire beauty with romantic abandon. Just like its protagonist, the reader doesn’t escape this intoxicating gem with any easy answers — just an appreciation of the immensity of life and the complex problems that define it. The gloriously ornate set pieces are also colored in striking yellows, blacks and blues for the first time by the immensely talented Shay Plummer. Sean Edgar
6. Punk Rock Jesus
Writer & Artist: Sean Murphy
Publisher: Vertigo
Punk Rock Jesus’s version of the rumored messiah goes by “Chris,” and neglects to demonstrate magical abilities at any point during his saga’s six issues, newly gathered in a hardcover deluxe edition including new pages, concept art, author comments, covers, sketches and additional bonuses. To give you an idea of how many extras they loaded into this thing, the supplemental material comes close to equaling the story itself. Apparently Vertigo wanted to make sure readers get their $40 worth.
The farcical premise and on-the-nose social commentary of PRJ would be amusing on their own, but the focus on Chris’ coming-of-age and complex interpersonal relationships are what truly make this volume a trenchant, crucial read. A tale of a bioengineered religious icon with his own network TV reality show sounds hilarious in theory…until you realize this scenario isn’t a far cry from real-world plausibility. Then it becomes scary and kind of sad. Barry Thompson
5. Sock Monkey Treasury
Writer & Artist: Tony Millionaire
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics has provided no essays, notes, or context for these stories, just a beautiful presentation in a large, well-bound format with lovely endpapers. That may appear initially disappointing, but on the whole, it’s the right approach. These stories are almost unanalyzable; like some of the best works of children’s literature, they are better felt and experienced than pulled apart. Hillary Brown
4. Megahex
Writer & Artist: Simon Hanselmann
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Packaged like a DVD box set with an end-sheet inspired by John Everett Millais’ painting of Ophelia, Simon Hanselmann’s Megahex — a collection of his popular episodic comic — is much more ambitious than what its stoner characters might initially suggest. The small cast features Megg (a witch), Mogg (a cat/Megg’s lover) and Owl (a humanoid owl); the trio share a house where they spend most of their time smoking weed, watching TV and going on misadventures that start out comedic and slowly turn tragic. It’s not just Megg’s depressive episodes, which are impressively bleak on their own, but the self-sabotaging behavior that all the characters participate in, revealing a deep, clear sadness behind the arching narrative. There may be an abundance of stoner comedies, but very few stoner tragedies exist; Hanselmann’s subtle approach makes Megahex both at the same time, and reliably interesting even to those who have long since left extended adolescence behind. Hillary Brown
3. The Love Bunglers
Writer & Artist: Jaime Hernandez
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Hernandez’s Locas storyline has drawn comparisons to John Updike’s Rabbit series of four novels, but it may be just as accurate to compare this work to Proust. While Updike sticks to a fairly steady and predictable path, per the nature of his American exceptionalism theme, Proust and Hernandez have a tendency to meander. This straying can be frustrating, especially when it highlights secondary characters, but the realization that you have to surrender to the author’s judgment and direction is liberating. These digressions are a crucial part of the full picture being painted; if you are patient, you will be rewarded with gloriousness. Hernandez is clearly in the home stretch, as the end of The Love Bunglers makes clear, and his books display more depth, filled with both light and darkness, as time marches on. In other words, they’re only getting better. Hillary Brown
2.The Complete Zap Comix
Writers/Artists: R. Crumb, Rick Griffin, Paul Mavrides, Victor Moscoso, Spain Rodriguez, Gilbert Shelton, Robert Williams, S. Clay Wilson
Publisher: Fantagraphics
The arguable foundation of the underground comic book movement, The Complete Zap Comix collects every single issue of the seminal series in five hardbound volumes with an additional portfolio, all nestled inside a slipcase. Published in the late ‘60s, Zap gave Robert Crumb the vehicle to project his relentless honesty and social commentary alongside a rotating cast of other pioneering cartoonists. Provocative, filthy and unquestionably excellent, this collection is a crown jewel in comics history. It also includes the unpublished 17th issue, as well as the Zam mini-comic jam. Sean Edgar
1. How To Be Happy
Writer & Artist: Eleanor Davis
Publisher: Fantagraphics
To break the rules and still succeed, you have to know them well enough to quote them without even thinking about it. How to Be Happy, Eleanor Davis’ first collection of her shorter work, serves as both an illustration of that principle and a portfolio of what she can do. There’s no table of contents to guide the way nor story breaks to delineate chapters, save the shifting visual styles. While enmeshed in this reading experience, you have no idea how long it will last or where it’s going. Unlike the classic 32-page floppy comic arcs, in which the reader harbors an expectation that a chapter or story concludes between two covers with obvious transitions, each of Davis’ stories exists in a void. They might be one page. They might be 16. They break off at strange, unpredictable moments, concluding their narratives without warning.
Davis’ work can be messy, dangerous, frightening, delicate, thoughtful, brutal, painful, esoteric, tightly-focused, weird and sometimes frustrating. It manages to be all of these things and more within the course of these sadly brief 146 pages. Most of all, How to Be Happy is fearless and fantastic, unafraid to break rules or to make new ones. All eyes are on Davis for her next step. Hillary BrownAround 30 miles outside Lima, Peru sits Pachacámac, an important pre-Columbian archaeological complex filled with palaces, temples, plazas, and pyramids. It’s named after Pacha Kamaq, the ancient Peruvian "Earth Maker" creator, and was first settled around 200 CE. During the pre-Inca and Inca periods, Pachacámac was an important political, cultural, and religious center. But today, thanks to overcrowding and a lack of public services, impoverished shantytowns in the outskirts of Lima threaten to swallow the historic site.
“Like many archaeological sites in Peru, urban growth has encroached on the area,” writes Carolyn Barnwell for National Geographic’s Explorers Journal. “The site’s perimeter walls create a drastic line between utter spaciousness in the sanctuary and crowded development. Opportunistic land developers periodically organize mobs to knock down the walls protecting the site and claim ownership of the land. The developers then sell the land to those looking to escape the Lima crowds.”
To help save Pachacámac, the site’s museum formed a partnership with the Sustainable Preservation Initiative (SPI), a nonprofit that connects traditional communities with business and work opportunities at archaeological sites. Together, they helped organize a group of local women into an autonomous organization called Sisan (which means “flowering” in the Quechua language). They make and sell artisanal products inspired by Pachacámac’s history and design. According to organizers, this collaboration helps the women financially, and allows them to develop a newfound interest in the site's preservation.
Watch the women of Sisan in action in the National Geographic video below.
[h/t National Geographic]NEW DELHI — A 55-year-old man transporting cattle has died after being beaten by a mob of about 200 cow protection vigilantes in northern India, the police said on Wednesday.
The vigilantes, who are Hindu and consider cows sacred, surrounded six vehicles carrying cattle on a highway connecting Jaipur to New Delhi on Saturday and pulled out five men, apparently Muslims, and beat them, said Rahul Prakash, superintendent of the police in Alwar, a city about 30 miles from the site of the attack, in Behror.
One of the men, Pehlu Khan, died of his injuries on Tuesday. An official from Mr. Khan’s village said that he was transporting cows for use in a dairy. He denied they were being transferred for slaughter, which is illegal in Rajasthan, the state where the attack took place.
Video of the episode, which has circulated widely, showed men in white curled up on the roadside as they were kicked and whipped with belts and metal rods. The mob was so agitated that the police had to use force to disperse it, Mr. Prakash said.[ THE INVESTOR ] Samsung Electronics is reviewing plans to build a home appliance plant in the US, in response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist policies, the tech firm said on Jan.9.
“It is true we are considering the establishment of an appliance factory in the US. It is natural that an enterprise responds accordingly when a client nation’s policy changes,” a Samsung Electronics official told The Korea Herald. “Nothing has been confirmed yet.”
North America is currently Samsung’s largest home appliance market. Samsung is gaining around 30 percent sales of total appliances from US consumers, selling high-end products such as Family Hub refrigerators and premium quantum dot light-emitting diode TVs.
The Korean tech firm has so far been using its Mexico plants as a base to ship to the US, capitalizing on lower labor costs, no tariffs and geographical benefits. It has a plant in Tijuana, which produces televisions and monitors, and a factory in Queretaro making refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners.
Samsung Electronics gained the largest 18.8 percent share in the US home appliance market in the third quarter of last year, according to US market research firm Traqline. The firm has been promoting its premium appliance lineups by setting up Samsung Open House events at 300 stores of US consumer electronics retailer Best Buy since May last year.
Samsung’s local rival LG Electronics also recently hinted at the possibility of building a plant in the US. The firm’s newly appointed CEO Jo Seong-jin said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week that it would finalize the possibility of building a new plant in the US within the first half of this year.
By Shin Ji-hye/The Korea Herald (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)Share. The modern classic comic comes to the audio format. The modern classic comic comes to the audio format.
Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez is, hands down, one of the best comic books ever made. It’s a modern masterpiece with sinister characters, gorgeous visuals, and a deep mythology surrounding an old house and the magical keys the Locke family kids find there. Attempts to adapt it to a movie or a television show have thus far come up short, but the audio book version has just released from Audible. While the final product has incredible presentation, it’s not something we would recommend you try out if you’ve never read Locke and Key before.
The audio play covers the entire Locke and Key series from start to finish, laid out in six volumes. That means that this audio play lasts a whopping 13.5 hours, making it more of an audio epic than anything else. Don’t be intimidated by the length, though, as it’s something you can listen to in chunks and return to when you want another fix. But given how tense and intriguing the core mystery is, it’s hard to imagine not immediately diving into the next one.
The story follows the Locke family children -- teenagers Tyler and Kinsey and their little brother Bode -- as a family tragedy has them sent to an old family house, aptly named Keyhouse, where they discover magical keys with a variety of strange abilities: the Anywhere Key takes you to any place on Earth you can imagine, the Gender Key turns you from a boy to a girl or vise-versa, and the Ghost Key kills you dead so you can explore the grounds as a ghost. Of course, the tragedy follows them to their new dwelling, and a mystery unfolds surrounding a murderous spirit in the well and the magic of the keys themselves.
The voice cast is spot-on, with Zack Wells aka the villainous Dodge stealing every scene he appears in. The main Locke trio are voiced by members of the Upright Citizens Brigade, so know that Tyler, Kinsey, and even little Bode all have their essence captured perfectly. Several stars lend their vocal chords to the production, including Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) as the disturbed Sam Lesser, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as the lady in the well, and Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager) as the vile old grandma. While those three big names have been used as part of the marketing campaign, they all have relatively small roles, with the UCB actors carrying most the weight -- and doing a smashing job at it.
The score only adds to the already-high production quality. Ominous chords strike as the plot hits its trademark moments of horror, and scenes with magic are given a mischievous blend of notes that capture the wonder and fear of it all. The main theme is especially catchy and sinister -- like Darth Vader’s booming Imperial March -- and will have you humming it to yourself long after listening.
Now, let’s address the thing that’s probably been nagging at you this whole time.
The big hurdle to overcome when adapting a comic book to an audio book is finding a way to successfully capture the story despite losing all of the visuals. Comic books are a marriage of word and art, so the gut-reaction to hearing that the pictures have been removed feels almost like sacrilege. The impressive production of the Locke and Key audio play will immediately put your fears to rest -- the voice actors, musical score, and numerous sound effects all work together seamlessly to capture the tone and appeal of the comic.
However, there were several instances where the audio play faltered in conveying exactly what was happening. The Head Key scenes in particular felt short-changed. In the comic, we saw elaborate, detailed double splash-pages overflowing with symbols and metaphors, whereas in the audio play we hear some sounds and reactions but it falls short of getting the right amount of wonder and awe across. Without a narrator to describe precisely what’s happening, those scenes and several others just don’t work. These moments are few and far between, but they still exist.
On top of that, it's impossible for us to imagine a Locke and Key experience without taking in Rodriguez's amazing, breath-taking artwork. He has a style all his own and he uses it to great effect to convey the human emotion, bizarre magic, and horrifying surprises. His masterful layouts are packed with detail, so even if the reader pores over every visual, they still feel like they've missed a hidden morsel once they bring themselves to turn the page.
That’s why we’d only recommend this to someone who has already read Locke and Key in comic book form and wants to experience it all over again in a new format. The production is top-notch, so the few moments that don’t quite jive won’t be a problem because you already know what’s actually happening. The audio play makes an excellent companion piece to the comic book, one that heightens the experience and makes you feel the terror and magic all over again. But if you haven’t read the comic yet, do yourself a favor and save this audio book for after.
Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Lady Gaga are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter and IGN.Museums are known for storing objects of historical, scientific, artistic or cultural significance. What if we told you there's a new museum in Sweden that's entirely unique and celebrates the biggest failures of our time. It's true and very much real.
Based in Helsingborg, Sweden, the museum has a very apt name and it's called "Museum of Failure." The place, started by 43-year-old clinical psychologist Samuel West, showcases a wide range of products that were rejected and failed to survive.
You'd probably hear the success stories behind the first ever Mac, hand-made by none other than Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, but little would you know about the failures of Apple before it proudly made an impression of a perfectionist. Ever heard of Apple Newton? Probably for a reason.
"We know that 80 to 90 percent of innovation projects, they fail and you never read about them, you don't see them, people don't talk about them. And if there's anything we can do from these failures, it's learn from them," West told CBS News.
No one likes to flaunt their failures, but West wants us to remember the biggest failures of modern times and take a lesson from them (if not secretly giggle). Let's take a look at some of the featured failures at the Museum of Failure:
• Apple Newton • Bic for Her • Google Glass • Nokia N-gage • Orbitoclast Lobotomy (medical instrument) • Harley-Davidson Perfume • Kodak Digital Camera • Sony Betamax • Lego Fiber Optics
There is a total of over 70 failed projects featured in the museum that never made it to the market or were abruptly discontinued after their launch. If you are interested in visiting this museum and it costs you about €10. The museum is open from 12 noon to 6 pm daily.You know how Donald Trump has been insinuating once again that President Obama is a secret Muslim who sympathizes with Islamic extremists like the Orlando nightclub shooter? Well, he’s pushing a story saying that the president has provided aid to the predecessors of ISIS.
The presumptive nominee took to Twitter again this morning, where he shared this story from Breitbart’s Patrick Howley.
An: Media fell all over themselves criticizing what DonaldTrump "may have insinuated about @POTUS." But he's right: https://t.co/bIIdYtvZYw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2016
The story reads that the State Department under Hillary Clinton received a “secret memo” from a Defense Intelligence agent who said that Obama provided support to al-Qaeda’s Iraqi branch that eventually splintered off to become ISIS.
“The report identifies Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) as being one of the principal elements of the Syrian opposition, which the |
because of their identities.
Roughly two days ago, the entire world was stunned at the annoucement that Donald J. Trump would be the next President of the United States. His campaign was fueled, at the grassroots level, by animosity toward those he deemed “others”. His rhetoric was not merely divisive, it was also vitriolic. It motivated many violent crimes toward those that he cast outside the label of “American.”
Those who opposed Trump deeply feared that his victory would motivate even more hate against Americans. After only a single day, that appears to indeed be the case.
Below are the stories of those who have been assaulted or harassed by people who now believe that only some colors and creeds get to be American citizens. It is ugly. It is scary. It is very painful.
When people condescendingly tell you that it “will be okay” and to “not worry” — show them this. There’s a lot of reasons to worry for our beautiful, diverse nation.
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These stories are heartbreaking. The values of our nation are under siege, but that does not mean hope is lost. Democracy is about more than just showing up on Election Day. It is about standing up, speaking out, and defending the minority against the majority.
America is made great not by our leader, but by Americans. Often, the best eras in our country follow our darkest chapters.
Update: While we give benefit of the doubt to victims and survivors, we are also responsive to new information. Submit any corrections to Trending@ThoughtCatalog.com
Update 2: #1 was not verified by Walmart, while police say they have not been able to get in contact with the victim in the case of #4.In Abandoned, Military, Transportation / By Tom / 3 January 2013
Top secret aircraft, even those that have been publicly disclosed, remain mysterious long after emerging from the black world. When – and if – secret planes are declassified, they’re treated differently from other military aircraft, and the specifics of their hardware may remain under wraps for decades. While some ultimately go to museums, others are placed into storage well away from prying eyes, awaiting a fate that may take years to arrive.
One such fate that has befallen crashed, retired or failed projects over the decades is burial. Aircraft have literally been dragged into deep pits miles from public land, often near the enigmatic Groom Lake test site in Nevada, famously known as Area 51. Not only does Groom serve as a testing ground for the U.S. government’s most advanced programmes, it also serves as the final resting place of many of its most secret aircraft. Some of these classified planes have never been publicly acknowledged.
Stealth Tombs at Tonopah
(Image: Ikluft, cc-sa-3.0; US Air Force, public domain)
Despite its retirement in 2008, the famous F-117 Nighthawk ‘Stealth Fighter’ has been spotted flying again over the Nellis Test Range in Nevada. It’s believed six airframes have been reactivated (four flying and two spares), perhaps as low observable test platforms for the next generation of stealthy U.S. aircraft. The rest of the fleet, meanwhile, rests at the shadowy Tonopah Test Range Airport near Area 51. Unlike other retired military aircraft that go to ‘the Boneyard’ at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, stealth planes contain both toxic and sensitive technologies that make them harder to dispose of. One option, therefore, is burial.
(Images: Paul Crickmore; US Air Force, public domain)
Four pre-production YF-117s are displayed at museums across the United States. A fifth was scrapped at Palmdale in April 2008 to test effective methods of destroying F-117 airframes. Meanwhile, rumours persist that the mothballed fleet is in the process of being dismantled and buried at Tonopah, miles from public land. According to AviationIntel.com: “Some have even said the jets will get their own headstones with their unique names inscribed on them for posterity sake, although USAF officials have never corroborated such a claim.” If true, it marks a strangely eerie departure from the traditional aircraft graveyard, though underscoring an ongoing respect for the deactivated F-117s.
Unmarked Aircraft Graves at Groom Lake
(Images: US Air Force (1, 2, 3); US Military; US Navy; Geckow; public domain)
The Nighthawks may be the latest airframes to be entombed in the desert, but the practice is hardly new. More than 12 aircraft wrecks are known to have been buried in unmarked graves at Groom Lake since the 1950s. These include four U-2 spy planes, several A-12s (predecessors of the SR-71 Blackbird), an F-101 chase plane (crashed 1965), a Russian-built MiG-23 that had come into U.S. possession (crashed 1984) and two Lockheed Have Blue proof-of-concept aircraft that crashed near Area 51 while demonstrating technology for the F-117 in the late 1970s.
(Images: DARPA/US Air Force; U.S. Government via Lockheed, public domain)
When they crashed, these aircraft were still highly classified. Lockheed engineers have since searched fruitlessly for one of the Have Blue aircraft (above), which was said to be relatively intact. But the search was terminated when diggers allegedly began unearthing other classified projects. The Have Blue’s final resting place, thought to be south of the main hangar complex, has now reportedly been paved over.
(Image: Google Earth; Have Blue burial site rumoured to be in above vicinity)
Article continues – click Page 2.
Pages: 1 2 3Related Chad forces bomb Boko Haram positions in Nigerian town Suicide bombing in northeast Nigeria kills 7: Police, witnesses
Nigeria's military on Sunday repelled a Boko Haram assault on the key city of Maiduguri as violence raged across the country's northeast just two weeks before national elections.
The hours-long attack on the strategic capital of Borno state was the Islamists' second attempt to take Maiduguri in a week.
As government forces were holding off Boko Haram in Maiduguri, the airforce of neighbouring Chad was pounding the militants' positions in Gamboru, a town on Nigeria's border with Cameroon 140 kilometres (87 miles)to the northeast.
With near-relentless violence plaguing much of the northeast, and Boko Haram still in control of large swathes of the region, fears are mounting over the prospect of organising polls on February 14.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), which claims to be gaining momentum in the campaign against President Goodluck Jonathan, has rejected calls for the vote to be postponed.
But hundreds of thousands of voters in the northeast, an APC stronghold, could be disenfranchised by the unrest if the election goes ahead in two weeks.
Heavily-armed gunmen attacked the southern edge of Maiduguri at roughly 3:00 am (0200 GMT), setting off explosives as they tried to enter the city, several residents said.
Repelled in the south by troops backed by vigilantes, they regrouped and tried to take the city from the east, where they again met stiff resistance.
As the gunbattles raged, "the whole city (was) in fear," said resident Adam Krenuwa.
Defence ministry spokesman Chris Olukolade said the assault on the town, where the extremist group was founded more than a decade ago, was "contained" and that "the terrorists incurred massive casualties."
"The situation is calm as mopping up operation in the affected area is ongoing," he wrote in a text message, a claim consistent with witness reports.
Despite being under fire in recent months, Maiduguri has become a place of refuge for people forced to flee other areas in Borno that have been taken over by the Islamist rebels.
In other attacks in the northeast Sunday, a suicide bomber killed seven people in Potiskum, the economic capital of Yobe state, while two blasts killed five people in Gombe city to the south.
The bomber in Potiskum blew himself up shortly after midday outside the home of Sabo Garbu, who is running for a seat in the lower house of parliament on behalf of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Seven people died in the blast and seven others were injured, a police officer at the scene who requested anonymity said in an account supported by three witnesses.
Garbu and those attending his campaign meeting reportedly escaped unhurt.
It was not immediately clear if the attack was the work of Boko Haram.
In neighbouring Gombe state, a blast at a market killed two people, a witness said. The cause of the explosion was unclear.
Moments later, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up at a military checkpoint, killing a soldier and two others, said another witness. A military source who requested anonymity confirmed the attack.
Boko Haram, fighting to create a hardline Islamic state, has carried out dozens of bombings throughout its six-year uprising, which has claimed more than 13,000 lives.
Fearing the collapse of government control in areas controlled by the Islamists along their borders, Nigeria's neighbours have rallied to the fight against Boko Haram.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday backed an African Union proposal for a 7,500-strong regional taskforce.
Chad has already sent troops and aircraft to help repel cross-border Boko Haram incursions.
On Sunday, Chadian fighter jets went into action against Boko Haram in the town of Gamboru for a second day running, an AFP journalist witnessed.
Loud explosions were heard coming from the town while local and Chadian troops and armoured vehicles massed across the border in the Cameroonian town of Fotokol, pointing to a possible imminent ground operation.
A Chadian officer told AFP the airstrikes sought to pave the way for Gamboru "to be liberated."
Election officials have insisted Nigeria's vote will go ahead on February 14, but concede that voting will be impossible across much of the northeast.
Foreign observers have said that they will not even attempt to monitor polling in the region because of the unrest.
Jonathan, who is facing a stiff challenge from former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, has repeatedly tried to assure Nigerians that Boko Haram could be contained.
But those promises have consistently proved hollow, with the violence having escalated each year under his watch and his management of the crisis being fiercely criticised, including during the presidential campaign.
The APC's Buhari, a former army general who briefly led the country in the mid-1980s, has told voters that he will be able to curb the bloodshed but has so far not released a specific plan to deal with Boko Haram.
Short link:Since the U.S. election, attention has been cast on so-called "fake" news where false stories posing as legitimate information appear on Facebook and Twitter feeds.
Adding to the confusion for readers is the growing phenomena of information appearing on websites run by governments, companies and agencies.
"Basically it's another form of public relations," said Christopher Waddell, a journalism professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.
"They feel they're able to deliver whatever message they want to deliver better by going directly to the public," Waddell said. The media is left out as the traditional "gatekeeper" of information.
Governments creating their own stories is not new, but the practice has increased dramatically as consumers rely more on social media and mobile devices for news, and less on so-called legacy media outlets such as newspapers, radio and television stations.
In September, the City of Lloydminster launched its own news service called the "Lloydminster Record."
According to its website, the Record was launched to "provide clarity, balance and perspective to news coverage."
The city posted audio of interviews with officials on Soundcloud, and countered news coverage about the city's manager's travel expenses by publishing large volumes of financial documents.
Todd Corrigall, director of strategies and partnerships for the City of Lloydminster, said they haven't posted any new stories on the site since it launched, but they will if they think it's necessary.
"If there's an opportunity for us to provide that information to residents to give them a full and complete picture, that is a tool that is available to us," he said.
The Alberta Energy Regulator says its reSource website replaced quarterly newsletters and annual reports.
Lloydminster isn't the only organization creating its own news stories.
The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is funded entirely by industry and is responsible for regulating Alberta's oil and gas industry.
In June, the AER launched a new site called reSource. The site, featured prominently on the regulator's landing page, contains numerous articles about the work of the AER, and features written by "contributors."
In an email, AER spokeswoman Carrie Rosa said the agency has 28 full-time communications staff who handle internal business, media requests and contribute to the reSource site.
The site has a page featuring pictures and biographies of contributors who are AER communications staff.
Rosa said reSource replaced a blog, a quarterly newsletter and print copies of the annual report.
"The AER conducts annual public opinion research and Albertans have told us they want more information in plain language," she said. "The information on reSource does not replace traditional news sources, but supports it."
NHL.com won't touch some subjects
Waddell, who has written extensively on media and politics, said professional sports teams and organizations figured out the formula for getting information straight to fans a long time ago.
NHL.com, for example, sends its own reporters to cover games and generate statistics, but there are subjects league reporters likely won't touch.
"You can be pretty sure NHL.com is not going to be doing a big series about painkillers and hockey players or concussions and hockey players," Waddell said.
"What the corporate world and communications have been able to do, assisted by the internet, is to replicate the physical appearance and nature of news, hoping that the audience is not discerning enough to recognize the difference between public relations and promotional material, and what's actually news."
The Alberta government has several communication branches, ranging from 178 public servants employed as non-partisan department staff members, to political press secretaries, issues managers, and the 43 members of the Public Affairs Bureau.
The province sends out regular press releases and media advisories through its Public Agency News, and has its own in-house video production unit and YouTube channel.
Membership in the Alberta legislature press gallery has shrunk to numbers seen in 1949. (Alberta Legislature Press Gallery)
Waddell says the ability to craft corporate or government news has become much easier with the emergence of the internet, and the decline in the number of working journalists.
According to a submission presented recently by the Canadian Media Guild to Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, 16,500 journalism jobs have been lost since 2008.
Diminishing numbers in the Alberta legislature press gallery provide a good example of this drastic decline.
The gallery is marking its 100th anniversary in 2016.
It once had television, radio and newspaper reporters from across Alberta. Today there are fewer than 10 Edmonton-based journalists who cover the legislature on a regular basis.
With the volume of information now available, Waddell says readers are now forced to find out if the information they're reading comes from a reliable source.
"It really forces the viewer, listener, reader to be much more of their own editor in determining which sources they trust and what people they trust."An Undark review of health statistics collected during her tenure as Georgia’s public health commissioner reveals a decidedly lackluster record for Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, the Trump administration’s recent pick to head up the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An examination of actual health outcomes in Georgia before and after Fitzgerald’s arrival at the state’s Department of Public Health shows a mixed bag of results.
Fitzgerald held the state-level position for six years — from 2011 until her appointment this month to the Atlanta-based CDC by Tom Price, President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Like Price, Fitzgerald is a medical doctor who has worked for decades in Georgia, and her appointment has been welcomed in some circles, even winning praise from former CDC chief Tom Frieden.
Critics, meanwhile, have pointed to Fitzgerald’s odd association with unscientific anti-aging medications, and dubious partnerships with the sugary drink giant Coca-Cola in state-level anti-obesity campaigns.
An examination of actual health outcomes in Georgia before and after Fitzgerald’s arrival at the Department of Public Health offers a similarly mixed bag of results. During Fitzgerald’s tenure as Georgia’s commissioner of public health, for example, the state clearly improved on some measures, including immunization coverage for teenagers. But in a combined-outcomes assessment calculated annually for each state, Georgia’s ranking dropped from 37th place in 2011 to 41st 2016.
Of course, Georgia has long lagged behind other U.S. states on the majority of more than two dozen standard measures of public health collected and analyzed annually for the America’s Health Rankings report, a long-running state-by-state review of America’s public health status. The report, published each year since 1990, is produced through a partnership between the UnitedHealth Foundation, part of the Minnesota-based insurance company, UnitedHealth Group, and the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C.
In producing the rankings, staffers at the foundation and at Arundel Metrics, a Minnesota-based data analytics consultancy, compile data obtained from several U.S. agencies, as well as the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, and Trust for America’s Health, among others. The foundation releases its annual America’s Health Rankings report near the end of every year, and it includes an analysis of the nation’s overall health status, as well as the performance of each U.S. state on health measures ranging from the rates of adult smoking to premature deaths.
At Georgia’s Department of Public Health, one of Fitzgerald’s biggest challenges was shepherding the state’s response to an outbreak of Ebola that started in 2014. She is also known for her work on behalf of Georgia Shape, a program to reduce childhood obesity. However, the organization received $1 million in funding from Coca-Cola and emphasized physical activity while neglecting to mention reducing soda and sugar consumption.
Separately, she reportedly led efforts to improve childhood immunization rates, advocated for maternal and child health, reduced wait times for medications for HIV, and led efforts to discourage smoking.
A closer look at the Health Rankings report suggests that Georgia made progress on curbing obesity and improving other public health outcomes during Fitzgerald’s tenure as commissioner. The state’s national ranking on the prevalence of obesity went from 38th in 2011 to 31st in 2016. For immunizations among toddlers, Georgia went from 14th place to 11th place. For immunizations among adolescents, the state went from 29th place to 21st place, though the teen data were collected only from 2013 to 2016. The state’s ranking on cardiovascular deaths improved from 40th place in 2011 to 36th in 2016.
At the same time, the state’s ranking for smoking prevalence ended up in 2016 exactly where it started in 2011 — 27th in the nation. And the state’s ranking for percent of physically inactive adults or adults with a sedentary lifestyle dropped from 31st place in 2012 to 36th in 2016.
During a lecture she gave in 2014, Fitzgerald named other public health issues that were at the forefront of her mind. She said several health stats “keep me up at night,” including the 2013 America’s Health Rankings for Georgia on percent of children in poverty, infant mortality, years lost to premature deaths, percent of people who lack of health insurance, and high school graduation rate.
Within the America’s Health Rankings, the state’s placement for percentage of high-school graduations improved from 46th place in 2011 to 40th in 2016, but Georgia’s rankings worsened for the percentage of children living in poverty (from 40th to 49th place). For infant mortality, years lost to premature deaths, and percentage of people without health insurance, Georgia ended up in 2016 exactly or almost exactly where they started — closer to the bottom of the rankings than to the top.
The CDC did not respond to a request for a comment from Fitzgerald or the agency, but J. Patrick O’Neal, now the interim commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, did.
Relative state rankings on public health only provide a partial view into an administrator’s performance. At the same time, Americans might have hoped for a stronger track record.
“Because of the tremendous leadership and vision of my friend and colleague Brenda Fitzgerald, the department is well-positioned to move forward in addressing the important health matters that affect the lives of Georgians,” O’Neal wrote in an email on Wednesday to Undark. “The progress we’ve made in Georgia around early brain development, childhood obesity and creating a model for addressing the Ebola epidemic would not have been possible without the determination and persistence of Dr. Fitzgerald.”
In fact, no one person can turn around the public health of a state or nation, says Robert Lustig, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that the fact that Georgia has done worse under Brenda Fitzgerald as commissioner is necessarily a black mark against her,” he says.
It’s true that relative state rankings on public health only provide a partial view into an administrator’s performance, particularly in the face of growing populations and anti-tax sentiments. Tropical weather conducive to infectious disease outbreaks can also put southern regions at a disadvantage. And relative rankings can mask absolute progress, as well as fail to reflect the effort required just to keep a region’s health from worsening.
At the same time — and setting aside Fitzgerald’s embrace of bogus anti-aging science — critics suggest that Americans might have hoped for a stronger track record for the nation’s incoming top public health official. Many other people in the field of public health might have been better candidates for the job of CDC chief, Lustig said — particularly given her very limited research record and her past relationship with Atlanta-based Coca-Cola.
“The question is, ‘Is that a disqualifier for her being CDC director?’” Lustig asked. “In my view, the answer to that is absolutely, emphatically, yes.”
Robin Lloyd is the former news editor for Scientific American, and she writes frequently for Undark’s Cross Sections blog.Adan Salazar
Infowars.com
January 14, 2013
What just a few months ago was dismissed as a pipe dream or wishful thinking has today become a reality that will no doubt take the gun control debate, not just nationally but worldwide, to a whole new level.
Infowars.com has been reporting on this 3D printing innovator’s amazing work over the last few months. As Infowars breaks this story online, we wonder if the dinosaur press will realize the incredible significance of this – this technological development will circumvent unconstitutional magazine bans and could end the huge shortages we’re seeing. The future is now.
In November’s issue of Infowars Magazine, we wrote about Defense Distributed, a non-profit thinktank experimenting with the revolutionary technology of desktop 3D printing.
Defense Distributed’s goal is to provide a website that anyone in the world could visit to download the files needed to literally print out a working firearm, aptly dubbed a “wiki weapon,” using a 3D printer, a technology that’s already available to the average citizen and is also becoming increasingly affordable.
We are pleased to announce that a huge leap has been made in bringing that concept to fruition.
Yesterday, we received word from the group that they had produced a working 30-round AR magazine, demonstrably very capable as exemplified in a video of Defense Distributed’s un-official frontman Cody Wilson going to town using a fully-automatic rifle.
In the video, Wilson sarcastically asks, “How’s that national conversation going?” as he proceeds to fire a barrage of bullets from a gun notably outfitted with a 30-round 3D printed magazine.
AR Magazine’s Demonization and Scarcity
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, the AR 30-round magazine has become highly sought-after, despite the fact that a report by NBC concluded that suspected gunman Adam Lanza did not use a semi-automatic rifle during the shooting and instead left the weapon in his car during the assault.
The popular AR magazine is one of the items at the center of the heated gun control debate and is set to be banned if Cali. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s anti-assault weapons bill passes, which “Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.”
Top gun parts manufacturers have reported that they are having a hard time keeping this particular magazine in stock, with at least one manufacturer, Haus of Guns, reporting a backorder of one million magazines.
With people now able to print their own AR magazines, the burden on gun parts manufacturers should definitely be lightened.
David Gregory Got Away with Having an AR Magazine on NBC
Google Images screen capture
NBC’s David Gregory also recently received backlash for flashing an AR “high-capacity” magazine on national television during an interview.
A few weeks ago, during a segment on “Meet the Press,” Gregory decided it would bolster his anti-gun argument to flash a magazine at NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, while asking, “Isn’t it possible that if we got rid of these…we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?”
It was recently announced that, although many were outraged by Gregory’s audacity in breaking DC’s restrictive firearm laws, which prohibit magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, no charges would be brought up against him or NBC (surprise, surprise…).
The Atlantic Wire reported that Washington DC Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan decided against pressing charges on Gregory, saying that “the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States…”
Rep Steve Israel Sees Potential for 3D Printed Weapons
Courtesy of WikiWep DevBlog
While Defense Distributed’s ultimate goal of arming the world with 3D printed weapons is still quite a ways down the road, one Congressman fears the technology’s potential.
In December, Rep. Steve Israel (D–NY) announced that he would seek legislation renewing the federal ban on undetectable firearms set to expire at the end of this year.
According to his House site, Israel told lawmakers, “Congress passed a law banning plastic guns for two decades, when they were just a movie fantasy. With the advent of 3-D printers these guns are suddenly a real possibility, but the law Congress passed is set to expire next year. We should act now to give law enforcement authorities the power to stop the development of these weapons before they are as easy to come by as a Google search. ”
The piece of legislation Israel is referring to is the Undetectable Firearms Act which makes it unlawful to produce a firearm that is not detectable by a walk-through metal detector or X-ray machine.
As we noted in the November issue of Infowars Magazine, Defense Distributed is well aware of the “undetectable” law, and say their weapons will comply with said measure; however, they are keeping it a secret as to how exactly they plan to bypass this little piece of legislation: “We’ve been pretty public about telling people what we’re doing, but I’m not sure I want to give away the legal strategy here…Bottom line we’re gonna follow the law.”
What’s Next for Defense Distributed?
It remains to be seen where “A little American ingenuity,” as they note in their Youtube video, will take Defense Distributed, whose noble goal it is to provide a firearm portable defense to anyone who so desires it; however, as we stated previously, it should only be a matter of time before all anyone will need is the internet, a 3D printer, and some ammo.
Visit Defense Distributed where you can read reviews on the new mag or click here to download your “high-capacity” AR magazine now.
Alex interviewed Defense Distributed’s Cody Wilson on Monday’s Infowars Nightly News.
In October 2012, Infowars reporter Jon Bowne did an exposé on Defense Distributed.Source: FCA US LLC
Top image: FCA Brazil
Shifter image: author
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US will recall certain 2012-2016 Fiat 500 models to upgrade their clutch release system. An FCA investigation discovered that a small number of cars equipped with manual transmissions have reported clutch pedal travel that exceeded design parameters and overtime had caused component damage capable of restricting gear shifts and propulsion.The fix involves limiting clutch pedal travel to within design specs. The number of cars affected accounts for.01% of Fiat 500s sold, but to be thorough, the company is voluntarily recalling an estimated 39,217 vehicles in the U.S, 7,834 in Canada and 26,268 outside the NAFTA region.FCA reports it is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. Cars equipped with turbocharged engines are not part of this recall. This is breaking news, and we'll have more information as it comes in from sources. Owners will be contacted by mail if they are affected. However, owners can communicate with the FCA US Customer Care Center at 1-800-853-1403 if they have questions.Here is a handy link to check for recalls on your Fiat. Note, you may have to give the system some time to catch up for the most accurate results.Keep in mind if you call your dealer there may be some delays in getting detailed information as everyone gets up to speed on this recall. Make sure you visit the Fiat 500 Forum to find out the latest news.Human Rights Law Centre advises that if change to electoral law passes before hearing it undermines argument that parliament does not back vote
The government is set to delay a bill to improve processes for the postal survey on same-sex marriage after the Greens and marriage equality advocates warned that passing it may undermine the high court challenge against the vote.
Guardian Australia understands that the Human Rights Law Centre, representing Australian Marriage Equality and the Greens LGBTI spokeswoman Janet Rice in the challenge, has advised that passing a bill to set rules for the survey run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics could harm their chances in court.
Marriage equality advocates are to write to Labor, the Greens and crossbench warning them not to pass any bill prematurely. The Greens have already written to the government urging it to delay legislation.
On Wednesday the acting special minister of state, Mathias Cormann, told Guardian Australia: “The most likely timing for consideration of a bill to provide for additional legal safeguards... to support the fair and proper conduct of [the survey] will be after the high court’s hearings on 5 and 6 September.”
Privacy experts sound alarm over barcodes on marriage equality ballots Read more
On Friday the Cormann contacted Labor and the Greens, offering to extend electoral law provisions for authorisations of ads and banning misleading information, fraud, bribery and intimidation to protect the survey.
At first the government suggested the bill could be presented to parliament this week. It has given the bill to Labor, which is considering its position, and crossbench parties.
No details of the bill are publicly available but Guardian Australia understands it extends basic electoral protections and goes no further.
On Wednesday Rice told Guardian Australia: “We are concerned about the potential interaction of this legislation with the high court challenge so we have informed the government that our strong preference is for this legislation to be considered after the challenge is concluded.”
Rice said human rights “should not be put to a public vote” and described the plebiscite as a “hurtful waste of time” because, ultimately, parliament would have to vote to change the law.
On Sunday the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, raised the issue that passing a bill could have an impact on the cases, set to be heard on 5 and 6 September, just a week before ballots are due to be mailed on 12 September.
The constitutional law expert George Williams agreed, warning it could undermine the challenge.
“A key part of the case is that the executive doesn’t have parliamentary support [for the postal vote] … if new legislation expressly or impliedly provided support it could take the wind out of the sails of the challenge,” Williams said.
“[Labor and the Greens] have rejected legislation for the [compulsory] plebiscite. If they want to maintain the strength of the high court challenge, they should exercise caution with whatever legislation might be seen to support the postal vote.”
We must campaign for marriage equality with the same dignity and respect we are seeking | Tiernan Brady Read more
On Wednesday Guardian Australia learned that legal advice from the HRLC aligns with Williams’ concerns, and AME will urge its allies in parliament to block any attempt to fix the postal survey this week.
Cormann issued a statement on Wednesday saying he had made a new direction to address a reported loophole that could have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the postal survey.
He quoted the Australian Electoral Commission, saying 16- and 17-year-olds would never have been able to vote because they are only provisionally enrolled.
Nevertheless, he issued a new direction to the ABS “to make the intention absolutely clear” that only Australians who are 18 years or older on 24 August 2017 will be allowed to vote.
Labor and pro-marriage equality Coalition members have started to campaign for a yes vote. A Labor website declares “It’s Time for Marriage Equality”, echoing its successful 1972 federal election slogan. Coalition members have started a website, Lib Nats for Yes.
The national director of Libs & Nats for Yes, Andrew Bragg, told Guardian Australia his group was “collecting information [from volunteers] to support the campaign”.
He said the information “will be solely preserved for the campaign” and “will not be passed on” to the Liberal party or other third parties.
The Labor website contains a Labor party authorisation and links to policy that states information gathered “is also used to communicate with you about various material”.Vulnerable crossdomain.xml files can be used by malicious people to run CSRF attacks if the victim has Flash installed on their computer. In response to a post by chs on crossdomain.xml proofs of concept and Seth Art’s real-world exploit of Bing using crossdomain.xml, I created an application in Ruby which parses the Alexa top million site list (CSV, 10MB) and scans for vulnerable crossdomain.xml files. Vulnerable here is defined as a crossdomain.xml file which permits connections from any domain name (*). It sorts the domains into four categories:
Unable to connect: Ruby was unable to establish a connection to the website. Interestingly enough, a significant portion of Alexa’s top million sites were inaccessible during this survey.
Invalid or 404: Returned 404 or the returned XML was not valid.
Secure: The XML returned does not contain a reference to allow-access-from domain=”*”. This does not necessarily mean that the whole crossdomain.xml file is secure, just that it is not vulnerable to the most basic of CSRF exploits.
Permissive: The XML returned from a GET to /crossdomain.xml does allow access from any domain.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
The Code
I chose Ruby for this project because it has good XML processing libraries, is reasonably fast, and because I needed an excuse to practice Ruby.
require 'net/http' require'rexml/document' include REXML require 'csv' counters = { 'unconnect' => 0, 'invalid-404' => 0, 'permissive' => 0,'secure' => 0, 'total-count' => 0 } trap 'SIGINT' do print counters. inspect exit 130 end permissive = CSV. open ( 'permissive.csv', 'wb' ) CSV. foreach ( 'top-1m.csv' ) do | row | counters [ 'total-count' ] += 1 print "
" + 'Getting'+ row [ 1 ] + '...'begin xd = Net :: HTTP. get ( row [ 1 ], '/crossdomain.xml' ) rescue counters [ 'unconnect' ] += 1 print 'unable to connect' next end begin xd = REXML :: Document. new ( xd ) rescue counters [ 'invalid-404' ] += 1 print 'invalid xml' next end wildcard_access = false XPath. each ( xd, '//allow-access-from' ) do | access | next unless access. attributes [ 'domain' ] == '*' # <allow-access-from domain="*"> wildcard_access = true counters [ 'permissive' ] += 1 print 'permissive' permissive << row break end unless wildcard_access counters ['secure' ] += 1 print'secure' end end print counters. inspect
The Results
After 160,169 websites were inspected over the course of a few days, the script hung.
3,535 (2.2%) of the websites were down at the time of the scan.
84,883 (53%) of the websites had invalid or non-existent XML files at /crossdomain.xml.
67,097 (41.9%) of the websites surveyed had a “secure” crossdomain.xml file.
4,653 (2.9%) of the websites surveyed had insecure crossdomain.xml files.
A wildcard crossdomain.xml file is fine for certain websites, but a quick scan of the results reveals a number of banks, bitcoin websites, and popular entertainment sites (9gag and Vimeo included) with poor crossdomain.xml files. The results as a CSV with columns corresponding to the Alexa rank and the domain name.
Although a full scan of the Alexa top million was not completed, an alarmingly large number of sites have overly permissive and insecure crossdomain.xml files.Russia’s only aircraft carrier will visit Moscow’s small naval base in Syria later this year, BBC Monitoring reported citing a newspaper published by the Russian government.
“At the end of the year, most likely in early December, the Project 11435 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser the Admiral Kuznetsov will set off on a long-distance sea voyage during which it will call at the Russian Federation Navy's logistical support centre located in the Syrian city of Tartus,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, BBC Monitoring reported on Saturday, citing a Russian-language report in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a newspaper run by the Russian government.
The article goes on to quote a Defense Ministry staffer as saying that the route of the vessel’s “long-distance sea voyage” was already set and it was therefore unlikely to be affected by the civil war in Syria. The Admiral Kuznetsov’s stopover in Tartus is “in no way connected” to the Syrian civil war Rossiyskaya Gazeta paraphrased the staffer as saying, according to BBC Monitoring.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s only operational aircraft carrier. The article clarifies that Russia refers to the ship as an aircraft-carrying cruiser because |
Bachman also figured that First Solar's system make more efficient use of real estate than SunPower's, something that contradicts SunPower's claim and the estimates of others.
SunPower's system needs more space because it uses a tracking system to point the panels to the sun throughout the day. Crystalline panels perform the best when facing the direct sun.
By using the tracker, however, the panels need to be farther apart to avoid the shadow cast by other panels as they follow the sun, Bachman said. That means it would take more space to fit a SunPower system than a First Solar system at comparable capacity, he said.
First Solar tilted its panels at a fixed angle instead. Its cadmium-telluride panels might not be as efficient as SunPower's panels under direct sun, but the thin-film panels do better at converting diffused light.
SunPower, however, achieves a far higher efficiency. It sells panels that can convert 20 to nearly 23 percent of the sunlight that strikes them into electricity. First Solar's cad tel panels wallow around the ten percent range.While vegetables are considered a cornerstone of a low-carb diet, there are some that are clearly better choices than others. In general, it's best to choose vegetables that are less starchy or sweet and to watch your intake. Ideally, 1/2 cup of cooked or 1 cup of raw vegetables should contain no more than 5 to 6 grams of carbohydrates. Remember that cooking a vegetable often decreases the volume while also increasing the carbs per serving. A great way to find the number of nutrients in many foods is to search in the USDA's Food Composition Database.
The amount of carbohydrates in a vegetable is largely related to the type of vegetable it is. Broadly speaking, these can be classified as leafy vegetables, stem vegetables, seeded vegetables, or root vegetables.
Leafy Vegetables
Leafy vegetables have the least carbohydrates overall, as well as the least impact on your blood sugar. They're also rich in vitamin K, phytonutrients, and minerals. Some of the best options include:
Raw alfalfa sprouts have 0.7 grams of carbohydrates per 1 cup.
Spinach has just over 1 gram per 1 cup raw and 3.4 grams per one-half cup when it's cooked.
Swiss chard has 1.4 grams per 1 cup when eaten raw. When it's cooked, it has 3.6 grams per one-half cup.
Lettuce and other salad greens (such as endive, escarole, radicchio, and romaine) have around 1 gram per 1 cup eaten raw.
Bok choy has 1.5 grams per 1 cup, raw and shredded.
Eaten raw, heartier greens such as collard greens and raw mustard greens have around 2 grams per 1 cup.
Raw kale has less than 1 gram per 1 cup.
Stem Vegetables
Stem vegetables have slightly more carbohydrates per serving but they're still safe for most low-carb diets. The best options include:
White mushroom pieces or slices have 2 grams of carbohydrates per 1 cup when raw. Cooked, they're 4 grams per one-half cup.
Celery has 3 grams per 1 raw, chopped cup and 3 grams per cooked, chopped one-half cup.
Shredded raw cabbage has 4 grams per 1 cup and 4 grams for one-half cup cooked.
Asparagus has 5 grams per 1 cup when raw and nearly 4 grams for one-half cup cooked.
Fennel has 6.4 grams per raw, sliced 1 cup.
Cauliflower has 5.3 grams per 1 cup when it's raw and chopped and 2.5 grams per one-half cup of cooked, chopped cauliflower.
Broccoli has 6 grams per 1 cup raw and chopped and 5.6 grams per one-half cup when it's chopped and cooked.
Brussels sprouts have about 4 grams per one-half cup when raw and 5.5 grams per one-half cooked cup.
Seeded Vegetables
Botanically speaking, vegetables that contain seeds are classified as fruits. While some are considerably higher in carbs, others keep well below the 6-gram threshold. Some of the better options for seeded vegetables are:
Avocados have around 6.5 grams of carbohydrates per one-half cup, raw and cubed.
Cucumbers with their peels have about 2 grams per one-half cup when sliced and raw.
Green beans have 3.5 grams per raw one-half cup. One-half cup of cooked green beans is 5 grams.
Eggplant has 4.8 grams per 1 raw cubed cup and 4.3 grams per one-half cup of cooked cubes.
Okra has 3.7 grams per raw one-half cup.
Summer squash has about 5 grams per 1 sliced raw cup and 3.4 grams per cooked sliced one-half cup.
Zucchini has around 3.5 grams per 1 cup when raw and sliced. One-half cup of cooked, sliced zucchini has 2.4 grams.
Raw chopped or sliced tomatoes have 3.5 grams per one-half cup. The same amount has 4.8 grams when cooked.
Green bell peppers and red peppers have around 3.5 grams and 4.5 grams respectively per one-half cup when raw and chopped.
Raw peas with edible pods like snow peas and sugar snap peas have 3.7 grams per one-half chopped cup. When they're cooked, one-half cup contains 5.6 grams.
Root Vegetables
People often assume that root vegetables are high in carbohydrates, but that's actually not true. If you limit most of these to 1/2 cup serving, they're more than suitable for a low-carb diet. Root vegetables to consider include:
Radishes have almost 2 grams of carbohydrates per one-half cup of raw slices.
Jicama has around 5 grams per one-half cup raw and sliced.
Green onions (scallions) have almost 4 grams per one-half cup when raw and chopped.
Turnips have a little over 4 grams per one-half cup when raw and cubed.
Rutabagas have 6 grams per one-half raw, cubed cup.
Raw chopped celery has around 1.5 grams per one-half cup.
Carrots, when raw and chopped, have around 6 grams per one-half cup. Raw baby carrots have about 4 grams per one-half cup.
Onions have nearly 7.5 grams per one-half chopped raw cup.
Beets have 6.5 grams per one-half raw cup.
Leeks have 6.3 grams per one-half raw cup.
Higher-Carb Vegetables
The vegetables to be avoided on a low-carb diet are those that are sweeter and/or have a starchier texture. Examples include:By Sharanya Gopinathan
Photo courtesy Unicef.in
In our evaluation of the Budget 2017, which was loudly touted as a #Budget4Women, and our examination of Modi’s New Year’s promise of a Rs. 6000 cash transfer to some pregnant and lactating women, we had pointed out that the “new” scheme was actually just a re-packaging of an existing Congress government initiated program. Upon further inspection, it appears that the newly re-branded program would actually do even less for women than before.
Under the old scheme, pregnant women above the age of 19 were covered for two live births. Now, due to lack of available funds under the current budgetary allocation, the coverage will only extend to one live birth. Furthermore, immediately after the new scheme was announced during the Prime Minister’s New Year address (which for some reason was televised in bars on New Year’s Eve and spawned several hilarious drinking games), the Women and Child Development Ministry had said that the Centre would provide 60 percent of the funds required, with the individual states providing the rest of the funds. They have now announced that the Centre can only provide 50 percent of the funds.
So what will it take for a government to take women’s health seriously? When even a woefully lacking #Budget4Women fails to make the necessary budgetary allocations for one of the few schemes it actually promised women at all, it says something super depressing about how seriously the government takes women’s health, and about how eager it is to capitalise on the brownie points it gets for pretending to care.May 29, 2014
WACO, Texas -- Baylor's first two football games of 2014, both in the new McLane Stadium, will be televised on FOX networks, the Big 12 Conference announced Thursday. The 2013 Big 12 champions will open the season Sunday, Aug. 31, on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. CT against SMU, and the second game Sept. 6 vs. Northwestern State, will air on FSN at 6:30 p.m.
Baylor's third non-conference game, a road contest at Buffalo on Friday, Sept. 12, will be televised on ESPN at a yet-to-be-announced kickoff time.
The Aug. 31 opener will mark Baylor's inaugural game in the state-of-the-art on-campus stadium located on the Brazos River. Construction of McLane Stadium began in 2012 at a cost of $266 million. The Bears will play six games at their new stadium in 2014.
Head coach Art Briles enters his seventh season at Baylor in 2014 and returns 51 lettermen from last year's title team that won a school-record 11 games and played in the Fiesta Bowl, the school's record fourth straight bowl appearance.
Season ticket sales have been closed out for 2014, and information on single-game ticket availability for all Baylor home games will be announced in early July.Image copyright Royal Mint
The new 12-sided £1 coin - which comes into circulation on Tuesday - has a hidden security feature to make it difficult to counterfeit.
It is thought to involve material inside the coin itself which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.
But officials at the Royal Mint have not released any further details.
Other security measures include an image that works like a hologram, and micro-sized lettering inside both rims.
As a result, the Mint claims it will be the "most secure coin in the world".
It will replace the existing £1 coin, of which about one in 40 are thought to be fake.
"It's been designed to be fit for the future, using security features that aim to safeguard our currency, and currencies around the world, for years to come," said Adam Lawrence, chief executive of the Royal Mint.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption A brief history of decimal coins
The old coin will remain legal tender until 15 October this year, after which shops are under no obligation to accept it.
After that date, consumers will have to take the coin to a bank to exchange it.
Supplies of the new coin have initially been delivered to 33 banks and post offices around the UK (see list below).
The new £1 coin: Vital statistics
Image copyright PA
Thickness: 2.8mm - thinner than old coin
Weight: 8.75g - lighter than old coin
Diameter: 23.43mm - larger than old coin
Number to enter circulation: 1.5 billion - about 23 per person. Old £1 coins will be melted down to make new ones
Outer ring: gold-coloured, made from nickel-brass
Inner ring: silver-coloured, made from nickel-plated alloy
Where can I get one?
To start with, supplies of the new coin have been delivered to 33 banks and post offices throughout the UK, including seven in Scotland, three in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.
They will gradually become more widespread over the next few weeks.
Lloyds Bank, which has the biggest branch network in the UK, said most of its customers would start to see the coins from Wednesday this week.
The coins will be available on Tuesday in the following towns and cities:DUBAI (Reuters) - Street protests hit Iran for a third day running on Saturday, spreading to the capital Tehran with crowds confronting police and attacking some state buildings, and a social media report said two demonstrators had been shot dead in a provincial town.
The wave of anti-government demonstrations, prompted in part by discontent over economic hardship and alleged corruption, are the most serious since months of unrest in 2009 that followed the disputed re-election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Saturday’s protests, in fact, coincided with state-sponsored rallies staged across the Islamic Republic to mark the final suppression of the 2009 unrest by security forces, with mass pro-government events in Tehran and Mashhad, Iran’s second city.
Pro-government rallies were held in some 1,200 cities and towns in all, state television reported.
At the same time, anti-government demonstrations broke out anew in a string of cities and in Tehran for the first time where protesters confronted and stoned riot police around the main university, with pro-government crowds nearby.
Videos posted on social media from the western town of Dorud showed two young men lying motionless on the ground, covered with blood, and a voiceover said they had been shot dead by riot police firing on protesters.
Other protesters in the video chanted, “I will kill whoever killed my brother!” The video, like others posted during the current protest wave, could not be immediately authenticated.
In earlier footage, marchers in Dorud shouted, “Death to the dictator,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Social media video from Mashhad showed protesters overturning a riot police car and police motorcycles set ablaze.
In Tehran, the semi-official news agency Fars said up to 70 students gathered in front of its main university and hurled rocks at police, also chanting, “Death to the dictator.”
Related Coverage Iran blames foreign agents for death of two protesters: state TV
Social media footage showed riot police using clubs to disperse more protesters marching in nearby streets, and arresting some of them. The student news agency ISNA said police shut two metro stations to prevent more protesters arriving.
In Tehran and Karaj west of the capital, protesters smashed windows on state buildings and set fires in the streets.
Images carried by the semi-official news agency Tasnim showed burning garbage bins and smashed-up bus shelters in the street lining the university after the protests subsided.
Brigadier-General Esmail Kowsari, the Revolutionary Guards’ deputy security chief in Tehran, said the situation in the capital was under control and warned protesters would face “the nation’s iron fist” if unrest persisted.
“If people came into the streets over high prices, they should not have chanted those (anti-government) slogans and burned public property and cars,” Kowsari told ISNA.
The United States condemned the scores of arrests of protesters reported by Iranian media since Thursday.
President Donald Trump tweeted, “The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want change, and, other than the vast military power of the United States, that Iran’s people are what their leaders fear the most.”
State media quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi as saying in response to an earlier Trump tweet criticizing the arrests: “The Iranian people see no value in the opportunistic claims by American officials and Mr. Trump.”
The Telegram messaging app, with 40 million users in Iran, on Saturday blocked a channel that Iran’s telecommunications minister had accused of encouraging violence in the unrest, its Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov said on Twitter.
Iranian media and social media also reported protests in the cities of Kashan, Arak, Ahvaz, Zanjan, Bandar Abbas and Kerman.
People protest in Tehran, Iran December 30, 2017 in this picture obtained from social media. REUTERS
The elite Revolutionary Guards and its Basij militia, which spearheaded the security crackdown that crushed the protests of 2009, said in a statement carried by state media: “The Iranian nation... will not allow the country to be hurt.”
DISCONTENT
Openly political protests are rare in the Islamic Republic, where security services are omnipresent.
But there is considerable discontent over high unemployment, inflation and alleged graft. Some of the new protests have turned political over issues including Iran’s costly involvement in regional conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq.
Joblessness has risen and annual inflation is running at about 8 percent, with shortages of some foods contributing to higher prices and hardship for many families.
Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli warned against attempts to promote protests via social media.
“We ask people not to take part in unlawful gatherings. If they plan a gathering they should apply (for a permit),” he told the Young Journalists Club news website.
On Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets in Mashhad, one of the holiest places in Shi’ite Islam, to protest against high prices, shouting anti-government slogans. Police arrested 52 people, according to a judicial official.
State broadcaster IRIB said on its website it had not covered the protests after being told by authorities that “the issue should not be reflected on state radio and television”.
MOST DETAINEES FREED
Most of those arrested in the last two days had been released, state television said, without giving details.
Slideshow (8 Images)
“Enemy websites and foreign media continue to try to exploit economic hardships and the legitimate demands of the people...to launch illegal gatherings and possible unrest,” it said.
Though purely political protests are seldom seen in Iran, demonstrations are often held by workers over lay-offs or non-payment of salaries and by people who hold deposits in non-regulated, bankrupt financial institutions.
President Hassan Rouhani’s leading achievement, a 2015 deal with world powers that curbed Iran’s nuclear program in return for a lifting of most international sanctions, has yet to bring the broad economic benefits the government says are coming.
Unemployment has risen to 12.4 percent this fiscal year, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran, up 1.4 percentage points and leaving about 3.2 million Iranians jobless.As you walk through Peter von Tiesenhausen’s land, artwork emerges as if summoned from the ground up. Ships and nests made of willow branches appear along well-worn paths. Statues carved from logs stand watch from between the trees. In Tiesenhausen’s studio, small canvases that resemble the cracked earth of recent droughts are propped across the window sill and sketches of aspen trees (drawn with aspen ash onto aspen pulp paper) hang along the wall.
Philosophically and aesthetically, it’s clear that the landscape and the art are inseparable, and since 1997, the Alberta visual artist has pursued this argument legally as well, taking the unprecedented step of copyrighting his land as a work of art.
Tiesenhausen made the decision after years of legal battles with oil and gas companies that wanted access to the deposits of natural gas that sit just beneath his 800-acre plot of land. Under federal law, Alberta landowners have the rights only to the surface of their land. The riches that lie beneath are generally owned by the government, which can grant oil and gas producers access so long as the companies agree to compensate landowners. This compensation is usually for lost harvests and inconvenience, but, Tiesenhausen reasoned, what if instead of a field of crops these companies were destroying the life’s work of an acclaimed visual artist? Wouldn’t the compensation have to be exponentially higher?
“I’m not trying to get money for my land, I’m just trying to relate to these companies on their level,” says Tiesenhausen from his home near Demmitt, Alberta. “Once I started charging $500 an hour for oil companies to come talk to me, the meetings got shorter and few and far between.”
Tiesenhausen is in a unique position to understand both the realities of industry and the value of the natural world. As a young boy working on the family ranch, his daily job of surveying the cattle left him with an intimate understanding of the family’s land. He left school at 17 to work in the oil fields and eventually found himself in the Yukon in the early ’80s, digging away at surface gold mines. Before he committed to being a full-time artist in 1990, he worked crushing boulders in Antarctica while building an airstrip through the permafrost.
Today, Tiesenhausen is an artist, an active member of his community and a somewhat reluctant environmental icon. “I’m just a guy that likes to have an exciting life,” he says earnestly. “I went to the gold fields, worked in Antarctica, but what I found was that staying at home and making art was the most exciting my life ever got.”
In 2003, he presented his copyright argument before the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, which told him that copyright law was beyond its jurisdiction and he would need to pursue that in the courts. So far that hasn’t been necessary. The oil and gas companies have since backed off, even paying for an expensive rerouting of pipelines, and have yet to bother testing his copyright.
This fall, Tiesenhausen will get a chance to comment on the oil industry through his art, rather than the law. He’s been invited to the Gallery Lambton in Sarnia, Ontario, to create a yet-to-be specified new work in response to the 150th anniversary of North America’s first commercial oil well.The internet censors have given Facebook and YouTube the weekend to block every web page ordered by the court - or face legal retaliation.
Internet service providers (ISPs) have received an ultimatum from the telecom regulator: either block web pages prohibited by court order by Monday or be legally prosecuted and potentially lose the licence to operate.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is demanding that local ISPs remove the last batch of illicit web pages by Aug 7.
The regulator's call is a thinly veiled attempt to pressure Facebook and YouTube to fall in line. The government, which failed to rein in those companies directly, is now seeking to pit the ISPs against them.
ISPs, faced with the risk of losing their licences, could be forced to close content delivery networks, which function as the local servers for the tech giants.
"We suggest that Facebook and YouTube help ISPs remove the web pages," said NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith. "These ISPs are registered in Thailand and must comply with Thai law and court orders."
Illicit pages on Facebook and YouTube represent less than 1% of their total content.
"They should take care of the remaining 99% of the content," Mr Takorn said.
Takorn: 'Surprised' by how few of the pages were removed by Facebook and YouTube.
The NBTC held a meeting Thursday with representatives of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association (Tispa) to follow up on removal of the second batch of illicit pages.
From May 1 to July 16 there were 3,726 illicit pages, comprising 106 illicit pages already removed by the state agencies and 3,620 that were encrypted with the HTTPS protocol and must be removed by the ISPs.
Of the 3,620 pages, 2,556 were on Facebook, 980 on YouTube and 84 on other websites.
As of Thursday, 1,834 of the pages had been removed, leaving three days for the remaining 1,786 to be cleared out.
Facebook itself removed 41% of pages, while YouTube and other websites removed 80% and 19%, respectively.
"The figures surprised me because the illicit web pages removed by Facebook and YouTube were fewer than expected," Mr Takorn said.
The NBTC will call on Tispa to follow up again on Monday.
"Tispa must show an appropriate reason clarifying why if the prohibited content is still there," Mr Takorn said.
The NBTC will also hold a meeting with the Digital Economy and Society (DE) Ministry and the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) on Tuesday to consider measures to tackle any remaining illicit web pages.
"It's too early to say what we will do after Aug 7, but definitely the ISPs cannot run a business violating the court orders and Thai law," Mr Takorn said.
He noted that the DE Ministry holds direct authority to use the Computer Crime Act to regulate illicit online content, through a collaboration with the TCSD.
The NBTC, meanwhile, is the regulator overseeing ISPs.
The first batch of serious measures to pressure Tispa, Facebook and YouTube to remove illicit web pages took place in March, with 309 web pages removed.
With 131 web pages left, state agencies gave an ultimatum to ISPs in April to remove them all by a May 16 deadline.YouTuber KevJumba (real name Kevin Wu) is nearing three million subscribers on his main YouTube channel, but his greatest achievement stands several thousand miles away. After raising money for a charity called The Supply, Wu has made a positive impact on the Kenyan community, and his YouTube handle now lends its name to its very own high school.
As he writes in the Huffington Post, Wu first became involved with The Supply when the nonprofit posted a video where children urged their favorite YouTuber to visit Kenya and become involved in humanitarian efforts. Not one to back down from a difficult task, Wu accepted, and thus began a series of videos shot in Kenya, where Wu worked with children affiliated with The Supply.
But Wu’s videos weren’t meant to simply uplift spirits. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Wu does not keep any of the profits from his secondary vlogging channel, JumbaFund. Instead, he donates all of the proceeds to charity, and through his Kenya videos and other efforts, Wu was able to raise $50,000 for The Supply. With that money, the charity built a school. And that school is now named KevJumba High School.
That’s right, there’s a school named after a YouTube channel. In addition to thanking Wu for his charitable efforts, we should be happy that his channel, not some others, received such an honor. I think a Video Game High School High School would have gotten confusing after a while.German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble says if the Greeks don't like the rules they can leave, this is unfair and it won't work
There is a ritual in European politics that is stretching the patience of its citizens. International lenders push for a debt problem to be resolved. They are ignored. They withdraw loan facilities to the country they are worried about to provoke some action. Seconds before the country in question runs out of cash, Brussels – reluctantly backed by Berlin – runs to the rescue, ditching its hard line and emptying its purse in the process.
Like a mother and father accused of inconsistent parenting, Brussels is flip flopping in its treatment of countries that behave like children issuing one blackmail demand after another. Every time the German half of the relationship makes a speech about tough love, another adult in the family offers a helping hand. Last December a kindly uncle in the form of Mario Draghi, boss of the European Central Bank, stepped in. He reversed the policies of his predecessor by issuing hundreds of millions of euros to eurozone banks which invested in indebted states such as Spain, Italy and Portugal. It was nothing less than a back door handout.
Instead of being denied privileges and sent to bed early, the wayward children were being given another bowl of Smarties to chomp.
It's a farce that appears to have no end. The children know if they throw enough food and cushions around the room the parents fear a breakdown of the family.
Only consistency can win the day, which means showing more love now with some agreed rules to follow. Debts need to be cut for those countries we know have accumulated them to unsustainable levels. This move will benefit the naughtiest children, but that is necessary. And we have done it before and been rewarded with better behaviour.
Let us go back to the aftermath of the second world war and the way British people endured bread rationing to support starving Germans. If ever there was a naughty child it had been Germany, but the Americans and the British made a conscious decision to forgive because to punish was to repeat the mistakes of Versailles. The Allies handed over billions of pounds in cash and wrote off loans. The rules governing how Germany should get back on its feet were very basic, allowing Bonn to build a protectionist economy that dismayed the British and Americans who promoted free trade.
In the present crisis, German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble says if the Greeks don't like the rules they can leave the family. He says this even though the rules are more akin to corporal punishment than being sent to their room without dinner.
Not only is it unfair, it won't work. The cost of making life so miserable for the Greeks that they leave is too high for the family, which will then turn its stupidly severe eye on other rule-breakers.
Which is why Brussels will, at the eleventh hour, always back down.Benjamin Sinclair Johnson, CM OOnt (born December 30, 1961) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former sprinter, who won two Olympic bronze medals and an Olympic gold medal, which was later rescinded. He set consecutive 100 metres world records at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics and the 1988 Summer Olympics, but he was disqualified for doping, losing the Olympic title and both records.
Biography [ edit ]
Career background [ edit ]
Benjamin Johnson was born in Falmouth, Jamaica, and immigrated to Canada in 1976, residing in Scarborough, Ontario.
Johnson met coach Charlie Francis and joined the Scarborough Optimists track and field club, training at York University. Francis was a Canadian 100 metres sprint champion himself (1970, 1971 and 1973) and a member of the Canadian team for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Francis was also Canada's national sprint coach for nine years.
Johnson's first international success came when he won 2 silver medals at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. He finished behind Allan Wells of Scotland in the 100 m with a time of 10.05 seconds and was a member of the Canadian 4 × 100 m relay team which finished behind Nigeria. This success was not repeated at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki, where he was eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing 6th with a time of 10.44, nor at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas where Johnson placed 5th in the 100 m final with a time of 10.25.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he reached the 100 m final; after false starting, he won the bronze medal behind Carl Lewis and Sam Graddy with a time of 10.22. He also won a bronze medal with the Canadian 4 × 100 m relay team of Johnson, Tony Sharpe, Desai Williams and Sterling Hinds, who ran a time of 38.70. By the end of the 1984 season, Johnson had established himself as Canada's top sprinter, and on August 22 in Zürich, Switzerland, he bettered Williams' Canadian record of 10.17 by running 10.12. His professor was Charlie Francis.
In 1985, after eight consecutive losses, Johnson finally beat Carl Lewis. Other success against Lewis included the 1986 Goodwill Games, where Johnson beat Lewis, running 9.95 for first place, against Lewis' third-place time of 10.06. He broke Houston McTear's seven-year-old world record in the 60 metres in 1986, with a time of 6.50 seconds.[2] He also won Commonwealth gold at the 1986 games in Edinburgh, beating Linford Christie for the 100 m title with a time of 10.07. Johnson also led the Canadian 4x100 m relay team to gold, and won a bronze in the 200 m.
On April 29, 1987, Johnson was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada. "World record holder for the indoor 60-meter run, this Ontarian has proved himself to be the world's fastest human being and has broken Canadian, Commonwealth and World Cup 100-meter records," it read. "Recipient of the Norton Crowe Award for Male Athlete of the Year for 1985, 'Big Ben' was the winner of the 1986 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete."
By the time of the 1987 World Championships, Johnson had won his four previous races with Lewis and had established himself as the best 100 m sprinter. At Rome, Johnson gained instant world fame and confirmed this status when he beat Lewis for the title, setting a new world record of 9.83 seconds as well, beating Calvin Smith's former record by a full tenth of a second.
After Rome, Johnson became a lucrative marketing celebrity. According to coach Charlie Francis, after breaking the world record, Johnson earned about $480,000 a month in endorsements.[3] Johnson won both the Lou Marsh Trophy and Lionel Conacher Award, and was named the Associated Press Athlete of the Year for 1987.
Following Johnson's defeat of Lewis in Rome, Lewis started trying to explain away his defeat. He first claimed that Johnson had false-started, then he alluded to a stomach virus which had weakened him. Finally, without naming names, Lewis said "There are a lot of people coming out of nowhere. I don't think they are doing it without drugs." This was the start of Lewis' calling on the sport of track and field to be cleaned up in terms of the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs. While cynics noted that the problem had been in the sport for many years, they pointed out that it did not become a cause for Lewis until he was actually defeated, with some also pointing to Lewis's egotistical attitude and lack of humility. During a controversial interview with the BBC, Lewis said:[4]
There are gold medallists at this meet who are on drugs, that [100 metres] race will be looked at for many years, for more reasons than one.
Johnson's response was:
When Carl Lewis was winning everything, I never said a word against him. And when the next guy comes along and beats me, I won't complain about that either.
This set up the rivalry leading into the 1988 Olympic Games. However, it should be noted that in 1986, Canadian sprinter Mike Dwyer expressed concern that the use of drugs had reached "epidemic proportions" among Canadian sprinters, particularly among those who trained in the Toronto area. Atlee Mahorn also speculated that many sprinters were on steroids.[5]
In 1988, Johnson experienced a number of setbacks to his running career. In February of that year he pulled a hamstring, and in May he aggravated the same injury. Meanwhile, in Paris in June, Lewis ran a 9.99. Then in Zurich, Switzerland on August 17, the two faced each other for the first time since the 1987 World Championships; Lewis won in 9.93, while Johnson finished third in 10.00. "The gold medal for the (Olympic) 100 meters is mine," Carl Lewis said. "I will never again lose to Johnson."[4]
Olympic win and subsequent disqualification [ edit ]
On September 24, 1988, Johnson became the first sprinter from Canada since Percy Williams in 1928 to win the 100m final at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, lowering his own world record to 9.79 seconds. Johnson would later remark that he would have been even faster had he not raised his hand in the air just before he finished the race.[6] However, Park Jong-sei of the Olympic Doping Control Center found that Johnson's urine sample contained stanozolol, and he was disqualified three days later.[7] He later admitted having used steroids when he ran his 1987 world record, which caused the IAAF to rescind that record as well. Johnson and coach Francis complained that they used doping in order to remain on an equal footing with the other top athletes on drugs they had to compete against. In testimony before the Dubin inquiry into drug use, Francis charged that Johnson was only one of many cheaters, and he just happened to get caught. Later, six of the eight finalists of the 100-meter race tested positive for banned drugs or were implicated in a drug scandal at some point in their careers: Carl Lewis, who was given the gold medal; Linford Christie, who was moved up to the silver medal and who went on to win gold at the next Games; Dennis Mitchell, who was moved up to fourth place and finished third to Christie in 1992; and Desai Williams, Johnson's countryman who won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.[8]
Johnson's coach, Charlie Francis, a vocal critic of the IOC testing procedures, is the author of Speed Trap, which features Johnson heavily. In the book, he freely admits that his athletes were taking anabolic steroids, as he claims all top athletes at the time were, and also claims that Johnson could not possibly have tested positive for that particular steroid since Johnson actually preferred furazabol. He thought stanozolol made his body "feel tight".[9] The numerous athletes using performance-enhancing drugs at the time understood how long before a race, and possible drug test, they should stop using the drugs. Johnson later claimed that André A. Jackson, Lewis' Santa Monica Track Club teammate, who was inside the drug testing room in Seoul, may have placed the stanozolol in one of the beers Johnson drank in order to make urine for his test.[10]
On 28 Sep 2018, the Toronto Star ran an article on the lab report report which was created on Johnson sample during the 1988 Olympic Games. It was produced by the IOC doping control centre in Seoul two days after Johnson handed in a urine sample taken after the 100m run. The newspaper concluded that the assumed substance Stanozolol was traceable, but "inconsistencies" are found in the report. The Toronto Star goes on, that no Canadian Olympic team official saw the lab report in Seoul. The lab report was requested by Canada's chief medical officer, Dr. William Stanish. The Canadian team didn't object after the IOC medical commission assured "that its testing methods were unassailable."[11]
The Canadian reaction [ edit ]
Canadians rejoiced in the reflected glory of winning the gold medal and breaking the world record.[12]
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney watched Johnson set the new world record and after the race congratulated him over the phone. "It's a marvellous evening for Canada," Mulroney said in the televised conversation.[13]
Newspapers covered the occasion by concocting words such as "Benfastic" (Toronto Star, September 25, 1988) to describe it. Two days later, Canadians witnessed the downfall of Johnson, when he was stripped of his gold medal and world record. Mark Tewksbury, a Canadian Olympic swimmer hung a bed sheet banner out of his Olympic Village apartment window expressing 'Hero to Zero in 9.79'. In the |
day.[5]
At the time of the battle, Sparta and Athens were the two largest city-states in Greece. Once the Ionian revolt was finally crushed by the Persian victory at the Battle of Lade in 494 BC, Darius began plans to subjugate Greece. In 490 BC, he sent a naval task force under Datis and Artaphernes across the Aegean, to subjugate the Cyclades, and then to make punitive attacks on Athens and Eretria. Reaching Euboea in mid-summer after a successful campaign in the Aegean, the Persians proceeded to besiege and capture Eretria. The Persian force then sailed for Attica, landing in the bay near the town of Marathon. The Athenians, joined by a small force from Plataea, marched to Marathon, and succeeded in blocking the two exits from the plain of Marathon. The Athenians also sent a message asking for support to the Spartans. When the messenger arrived in Sparta, the Spartans were involved in a religious festival and gave this as a reason for not coming to aid of the Athenians.
The Athenians and their allies chose a location for the battle, with marshes and mountainous terrain, that prevented the Persian cavalry from joining the Persian infantry. Miltiades, the Athenian general, ordered a general attack against the Persian forces, composed primarily of missile troops. He reinforced his flanks, luring the Persians' best fighters into his center. The inward wheeling flanks enveloped the Persians, routing them. The Persian army broke in panic towards their ships, and large numbers were slaughtered. The defeat at Marathon marked the end of the first Persian invasion of Greece, and the Persian force retreated to Asia. Darius then began raising a huge new army with which he meant to completely subjugate Greece; however, in 486 BC, his Egyptian subjects revolted, indefinitely postponing any Greek expedition. After Darius died, his son Xerxes I restarted the preparations for a second invasion of Greece, which finally began in 480 BC.
The Battle of Marathon was a watershed in the Greco-Persian wars, showing the Greeks that the Persians could be beaten; the eventual Greek triumph in these wars can be seen to have begun at Marathon. The battle also showed the Greeks that they were able to win battles without the Spartans, as they had heavily relied on Sparta previously. This victory was largely due to the Athenians, and Marathon raised Greek esteem of them. Since the following two hundred years saw the rise of the Classical Greek civilization, which has been enduringly influential in western society, the Battle of Marathon is often seen as a pivotal moment in Mediterranean and European history.
Sources [ edit ]
The main source for the Greco-Persian Wars is the Greek historian Herodotus. Herodotus, who has been called the "Father of History",[6] was born in 484 BC in Halicarnassus, Asia Minor (then under Persian overlordship). He wrote his Enquiries (Greek – Historia; English – (The) Histories) around 440–430 BC, trying to trace the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars, which would still have been relatively recent history (the wars finally ended in 450 BC).[7] Herodotus's approach was entirely novel, and at least in Western society, he does seem to have invented "history" as we know it.[7] As Holland has it: "For the first time, a chronicler set himself to trace the origins of a conflict not to a past so remote so as to be utterly fabulous, nor to the whims and wishes of some god, nor to a people's claim to manifest destiny, but rather explanations he could verify personally."[7]
The battlefield of Marathon
Some subsequent ancient historians, despite following in his footsteps, criticised Herodotus, starting with Thucydides.[8][9] Nevertheless, Thucydides chose to begin his history where Herodotus left off (at the Siege of Sestos), and may therefore have felt that Herodotus's history was accurate enough not to need re-writing or correcting.[9] Plutarch criticised Herodotus in his essay On the malice of Herodotus, describing Herodotus as "Philobarbaros" (barbarian-lover), for not being pro-Greek enough, which suggests that Herodotus might actually have done a reasonable job of being even-handed.[10] A negative view of Herodotus was passed on to Renaissance Europe, though he remained well read.[11] However, since the 19th century his reputation has been dramatically rehabilitated by archaeological finds which have repeatedly confirmed his version of events.[12] The prevailing modern view is that Herodotus generally did a remarkable job in his Historia, but that some of his specific details (particularly troop numbers and dates) should be viewed with skepticism.[12] Nevertheless, there are still some historians who believe Herodotus made up much of his story.[13]
The Sicilian historian Diodorus Siculus, writing in the 1st century BC in his Bibliotheca Historica, also provides an account of the Greco-Persian wars, partially derived from the earlier Greek historian Ephorus. This account is fairly consistent with Herodotus's.[14] The Greco-Persian wars are also described in less detail by a number of other ancient historians including Plutarch, Ctesias of Cnidus, and are alluded by other authors, such as the playwright Aeschylus. Archaeological evidence, such as the Serpent Column, also supports some of Herodotus's specific claims.[15]
Background [ edit ]
The plain of Marathon today, with pine forest and wetlands.
A map showing the Greek world at the time of the battle
The first Persian invasion of Greece had its immediate roots in the Ionian Revolt, the earliest phase of the Greco-Persian Wars. However, it was also the result of the longer-term interaction between the Greeks and Persians. In 500 BC the Persian Empire was still relatively young and highly expansionistic, but prone to revolts amongst its subject peoples.[16][17][18] Moreover, the Persian King Darius was a usurper, and had spent considerable time extinguishing revolts against his rule.[16] Even before the Ionian Revolt, Darius had begun to expand the empire into Europe, subjugating Thrace, and forcing Macedon to become a vassal of Persia. Attempts at further expansion into the politically fractious world of ancient Greece may have been inevitable.[17] However, the Ionian Revolt had directly threatened the integrity of the Persian empire, and the states of mainland Greece remained a potential menace to its future stability.[20] Darius thus resolved to subjugate and pacify Greece and the Aegean, and to punish those involved in the Ionian Revolt.[20][21]
The Ionian Revolt had begun with an unsuccessful expedition against Naxos, a joint venture between the Persian satrap Artaphernes and the Milesian tyrant Aristagoras.[22] In the aftermath, Artaphernes decided to remove Aristagoras from power, but before he could do so, Aristagoras abdicated, and declared Miletus a democracy.[22] The other Ionian cities followed suit, ejecting their Persian-appointed tyrants, and declaring themselves democracies.[22][23] Aristagoras then appealed to the states of mainland Greece for support, but only Athens and Eretria offered to send troops.[24]
The involvement of Athens in the Ionian Revolt arose from a complex set of circumstances, beginning with the establishment of the Athenian Democracy in the late 6th century BC.[24]
In 510 BC, with the aid of Cleomenes I, King of Sparta, the Athenian people had expelled Hippias, the tyrant ruler of Athens.[25] With Hippias's father Peisistratus, the family had ruled for 36 out of the previous 50 years and fully intended to continue Hippias's rule.[25] Hippias fled to Sardis to the court of the Persian satrap, Artaphernes and promised control of Athens to the Persians if they were to help restore him.[26] In the meantime, Cleomenes helped install a pro-Spartan tyranny under Isagoras in Athens, in opposition to Cleisthenes, the leader of the traditionally powerful Alcmaeonidae family, who considered themselves the natural heirs to the rule of Athens.[27] Cleisthenes, however, found himself being politically defeated by a coalition led by Isagoras and decided to change the rules of the game by appealing to the demos (the people), in effect making them a new faction in the political arena. This tactic succeeded, but the Spartan King, Cleomenes I, returned at the request of Isagoras and so Cleisthenes, the Alcmaeonids and other prominent Athenian families were exiled from Athens. When Isagoras attempted to create a narrow oligarchic government, the Athenian people, in a spontaneous and unprecedented move, expelled Cleomenes and Isagoras.[28] Cleisthenes was thus restored to Athens (507 BC), and at breakneck speed began to reform the state with the aim of securing his position. The result was not actually a democracy or a real civic state, but he enabled the development of a fully democratic government, which would emerge in the next generation as the demos realized its power.[29] The new-found freedom and self-governance of the Athenians meant that they were thereafter exceptionally hostile to the return of the tyranny of Hippias, or any form of outside subjugation, by Sparta, Persia, or anyone else.[28]
Cleomenes was not pleased with events, and marched on Athens with the Spartan army.[30] Cleomenes's attempts to restore Isagoras to Athens ended in a debacle, but fearing the worst, the Athenians had by this point already sent an embassy to Artaphernes in Sardis, to request aid from the Persian empire.[31] Artaphernes requested that the Athenians give him an 'earth and water', a traditional token of submission, to which the Athenian ambassadors acquiesced.[31] They were, however, severely censured for this when they returned to Athens.[31] At some later point Cleomenes instigated a plot to restore Hippias to the rule of Athens. This failed and Hippias again fled to Sardis and tried to persuade the Persians to subjugate Athens.[32] The Athenians dispatched ambassadors to Artaphernes to dissuade him from taking action, but Artaphernes merely instructed the Athenians to take Hippias back as tyrant.[24] The Athenians indignantly declined, and instead resolved to open war with Persia.[32] Having thus become the enemy of Persia, Athens was already in a position to support the Ionian cities when they began their revolt.[24] The fact that the Ionian democracies were inspired by the example the Athenians had set no doubt further persuaded the Athenians to support the Ionian Revolt, especially since the cities of Ionia were originally Athenian colonies.[24]
The Athenians and Eretrians sent a task force of 25 triremes to Asia Minor to aid the revolt.[33] Whilst there, the Greek army surprised and outmaneuvered Artaphernes, marching to Sardis and burning the lower city.[34] This was, however, as much as the Greeks achieved, and they were then repelled and pursued back to the coast by Persian horsemen, losing many men in the process. Despite the fact that their actions were ultimately fruitless, the Eretrians and in particular the Athenians had earned Darius's lasting enmity, and he vowed to punish both cities.[35] The Persian naval victory at the Battle of Lade (494 BC) all but ended the Ionian Revolt, and by 493 BC, the last hold-outs were vanquished by the Persian fleet.[36] The revolt was used as an opportunity by Darius to extend the empire's border to the islands of the eastern Aegean[37] and the Propontis, which had not been part of the Persian dominions before.[38] The pacification of Ionia allowed the Persians to begin planning their next moves; to extinguish the threat to the empire from Greece and to punish Athens and Eretria.[39]
In 492 BC, after the Ionian Revolt had finally been crushed, Darius dispatched an expedition to Greece under the command of his son-in-law, Mardonius. Mardonius re-subjugated Thrace and made Macedonia a fully subordinate part of the Persians; they had been vassals of the Persians since the late 6th century BC, but retained their general autonomy. Not long after however, his fleet became wrecked by a violent storm, which brought a premature end to the campaign.[41] However, in 490 BC, following the successes of the previous campaign, Darius decided to send a maritime expedition led by Artaphernes, (son of the satrap to whom Hippias had fled) and Datis, a Median admiral. Mardonius had been injured in the prior campaign and had fallen out of favor. The expedition was intended to bring the Cyclades into the Persian empire, to punish Naxos (which had resisted a Persian assault in 499 BC) and then to head to Greece to force Eretria and Athens to submit to Darius or be destroyed.[42] After island-hopping across the Aegean, including successfully attacking Naxos, the Persian task force arrived off Euboea in mid summer. The Persians then proceeded to besiege, capture and burn Eretria. They then headed south down the coast of Attica, en route to complete the final objective of the campaign—punish Athens.
Prelude [ edit ]
Initial disposition of forces at Marathon
A picture reconstructing the beached Persian ships at Marathon before the battle
Marshlands at Marathon.
The Persians sailed down the coast of Attica, and landed at the bay of Marathon, roughly 25 miles (40 km) from Athens, on the advice of the exiled Athenian tyrant Hippias (who had accompanied the expedition).[43] Under the guidance of Miltiades, the Athenian general with the greatest experience of fighting the Persians, the Athenian army marched quickly to block the two exits from the plain of Marathon, and prevent the Persians moving inland.[44][45] At the same time, Athens's greatest runner, Pheidippides (or Philippides in some accounts) had been sent to Sparta to request that the Spartan army march to the aid of Athens.[46] Pheidippides arrived during the festival of Carneia, a sacrosanct period of peace, and was informed that the Spartan army could not march to war until the full moon rose; Athens could not expect reinforcement for at least ten days.[44] The Athenians would have to hold out at Marathon for the time being, although they were reinforced by the full muster of 1,000 hoplites from the small city of Plataea; a gesture which did much to steady the nerves of the Athenians,[44] and won unending Athenian gratitude to Plataea.
For approximately five days the armies therefore confronted each other across the plain of Marathon in stalemate.[44] The flanks of the Athenian camp were protected either by a grove of trees, or an abbatis of stakes (depending on the exact reading).[47][48] Since every day brought the arrival of the Spartans closer, the delay worked in favor of the Athenians.[44] There were ten Athenian strategoi (generals) at Marathon, elected by each of the ten tribes that the Athenians were divided into; Miltiades was one of these.[49] In addition, in overall charge, was the War-Archon (polemarch), Callimachus, who had been elected by the whole citizen body.[50] Herodotus suggests that command rotated between the strategoi, each taking in turn a day to command the army.[51] He further suggests that each strategos, on his day in command, instead deferred to Miltiades.[51] In Herodotus's account, Miltiades is keen to attack the Persians (despite knowing that the Spartans are coming to aid the Athenians), but strangely, chooses to wait until his actual day of command to attack.[51] This passage is undoubtedly problematic; the Athenians had little to gain by attacking before the Spartans arrived,[52] and there is no real evidence of this rotating generalship.[53] There does, however, seem to have been a delay between the Athenian arrival at Marathon, and the battle; Herodotus, who evidently believed that Miltiades was eager to attack, may have made a mistake whilst seeking to explain this delay.[53]
As is discussed below, the reason for the delay was probably simply that neither the Athenians nor the Persians were willing to risk battle initially.[52][54] This then raises the question of why the battle occurred when it did. Herodotus explicitly tells us that the Greeks attacked the Persians (and the other sources confirm this), but it is not clear why they did this before the arrival of the Spartans.[52] There are two main theories to explain this.[52]
The first theory is that the Persian cavalry left Marathon for an unspecified reason, and that the Greeks moved to take advantage of this by attacking. This theory is based on the absence of any mention of cavalry in Herodotus' account of the battle, and an entry in the Suda dictionary.[52] The entry χωρίς ἰππεῖς ("without cavalry") is explained thus:
The cavalry left. When Datis surrendered and was ready for retreat, the Ionians climbed the trees and gave the Athenians the signal that the cavalry had left. And when Miltiades realized that, he attacked and thus won. From there comes the above-mentioned quote, which is used when someone breaks ranks before battle.[55]
There are many variations of this theory, but perhaps the most prevalent is that the cavalry were completing the time-consuming process of re-embarking on the ships, and were to be sent by sea to attack (undefended) Athens in the rear, whilst the rest of the Persians pinned down the Athenian army at Marathon.[44] This theory therefore utilises Herodotus' suggestion that after Marathon, the Persian army began to re-embark, intending to sail around Cape Sounion to attack Athens directly.[56] Thus, this re-embarcation would have occurred before the battle (and indeed have triggered the battle).[54]
The second theory is simply that the battle occurred because the Persians finally moved to attack the Athenians.[52] Although this theory has the Persians moving to the strategic offensive, this can be reconciled with the traditional account of the Athenians attacking the Persians by assuming that, seeing the Persians advancing, the Athenians took the tactical offensive, and attacked them.[52] Obviously, it cannot be firmly established which theory (if either) is correct. However, both theories imply that there was some kind of Persian activity which occurred on or about the fifth day which ultimately triggered the battle.[52] It is also possible that both theories are correct: when the Persians sent the cavalry by ship to attack Athens, they simultaneously sent their infantry to attack at Marathon, triggering the Greek counterattack.
Herodotus mentions for several events a date in the lunisolar calendar, of which each Greek city-state used a variant. Astronomical computation allows us to derive an absolute date in the proleptic Julian calendar which is much used by historians as the chronological frame. Philipp August Böckh in 1855 concluded that the battle took place on September 12, 490 BC in the Julian calendar, and this is the conventionally accepted date. However, this depends on when exactly the Spartans held their festival and it is possible that the Spartan calendar was one month ahead of that of Athens. In that case the battle took place on August 12, 490 BC.
Opposing forces [ edit ]
Athenians [ edit ]
Athenians on the beach of Marathon. Modern reenactment of the battle (2011)
Herodotus does not give a figure for the size of the Athenian army. However, Cornelius Nepos, Pausanias and Plutarch all give the figure of 9,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans;[58][59][60] while Justin suggests that there were 10,000 Athenians and 1,000 Plataeans.[61] These numbers are highly comparable to the number of troops Herodotus says that the Athenians and Plataeans sent to the Battle of Plataea 11 years later.[62] Pausanias noticed on the monument to the battle the names of former slaves who were freed in exchange for military services.[63] Modern historians generally accept these numbers as reasonable.[44][64] The areas ruled by Athens (Attica) had a population of 315,000 at this time including slaves, which implies the full Athenian army at the times of both Marathon and Plataea numbered about 3% of the population.[65]
Achaemenids [ edit ]
According to Herodotus, the fleet sent by Darius consisted of 600 triremes.[71] Herodotus does not estimate the size of the Persian army, only saying that they were a "large infantry that was well packed".[72] Among ancient sources, the poet Simonides, another near-contemporary, says the campaign force numbered 200,000; while a later writer, the Roman Cornelius Nepos estimates 200,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, of which only 100,000 fought in the battle, while the rest were loaded into the fleet that was rounding Cape Sounion;[73] Plutarch and Pausanias both independently give 300,000, as does the Suda dictionary.[60][74][75] Plato and Lysias give 500,000;[76][77] and Justinus 600,000.[78]
Modern historians have proposed wide-ranging numbers for the infantry, from 20,000–100,000 with a consensus of perhaps 25,000;[79][80][81][82] estimates for the cavalry are in the range of 1,000.[83]
The fleet included various contingents from differents parts of the Achaemenid Empire, particularly Ionians and Aeolians, although they are not mentioned as participating directly to the battle and may have remained on the ships:[84]
Datis sailed with his army against Eretria first, taking with him Ionians and Aeolians. Herodotus 6.98.[85]
Regarding the ethnicities involved in the battle, Herodotus specifically mentions the presence of the Persians and the Sakae at the center of the Achaemenid line:
They fought a long time at Marathon. In the center of the line the foreigners prevailed, where the Persians and Sacae were arrayed. The foreigners prevailed there and broke through in pursuit inland, but on each wing the Athenians and Plataeans prevailed. In victory they let the routed foreigners flee, and brought the wings together to fight those who had broken through the center. The Athenians prevailed, then followed the fleeing Persians and struck them down. When they reached the sea they demanded fire and laid hold of the Persian ships. Herodotus VI.113.[86]
Strategic and tactical considerations [ edit ]
Persian infantry (probably Immortals ), shown in a frieze in Darius's palace, Susa in Persia (which is today Iran
From a strategic point of view, the Athenians had some disadvantages at Marathon. In order to face the Persians in battle, the Athenians had to summon all available hoplites;[44] and even then they were still probably outnumbered at least 2 to 1.[48] Furthermore, raising such a large army had denuded Athens of defenders, and thus any secondary attack in the Athenian rear would cut the army off from the city; and any direct attack on the city could not be defended against.[54] Still further, defeat at Marathon would mean the complete defeat of Athens, since no other Athenian army existed. The Athenian strategy was therefore to keep the Persian army pinned down at Marathon, blocking both exits from the plain, and thus preventing themselves from being outmaneuvered.[44] However, these disadvantages were balanced by some advantages. The Athenians initially had no need to seek battle, since they had managed to confine the Persians to the plain of Marathon. Furthermore, time worked in their favour, as every day brought the arrival of the Spartans closer.[44][52] Having everything to lose by attacking, and much to gain by waiting, the Athenians remained on the defensive in the run up to the battle.[52] Tactically, hoplites were vulnerable to attacks by cavalry, and since the Persians had substantial numbers of cavalry, this made any offensive maneuver by the Athenians even more of a risk, and thus reinforced the defensive strategy of the Athenians.[54]
The Persian strategy, on the other hand, was probably principally determined by tactical considerations. The Persian infantry was evidently lightly armoured, and no match for hoplites in a head-on confrontation (as would be demonstrated at the later battles of Thermopylae and Plataea.[87]) Since the Athenians seem to have taken up a strong defensive position at Marathon, the Persian hesitance was probably a reluctance to attack the Athenians head-on.[54]
Whatever event eventually triggered the battle, it obviously altered the strategic or tactical balance sufficiently to induce the Athenians to attack the Persians. If the first theory is correct (see above), then the absence of cavalry removed the main Athenian tactical disadvantage, and the threat of being outflanked made it imperative to attack.[54] Conversely, if the second theory is correct, then the Athenians were merely reacting to the Persians attacking them.[52] Since the Persian force obviously contained a high proportion of missile troops, a static defensive position would have made little sense for the Athenians;[88] the strength of the hoplite was in the melee, and the sooner that could be brought about, the better, from the Athenian point of view.[87] If the second theory is correct, this raises the further question of why the Persians, having hesitated for several days, then attacked. There may have been several strategic reasons for this; perhaps they were aware (or suspected) that the Athenians were expecting reinforcements.[52] Alternatively, they may have felt the need to force some kind of victory—they could hardly remain at Marathon indefinitely.[52]
Battle [ edit ]
Greek troops rushing forward at the Battle of Marathon, Georges Rochegrosse, 1859.
The Story of Greece Told to Boys and Girls, London: T.C. & E.C. Jack. "They crashed into the Persian army with tremendous force", illustration by Walter Crane in Mary Macgregor,, London: T.C. & E.C. Jack.
The distance between the two armies at the point of battle had narrowed to "a distance not less than 8 stadia" or about 1,500 meters.[89] Miltiades ordered the two tribes forming the center of the Greek formation, the Leontis tribe led by Themistocles and the Antiochis tribe led by Aristides, to be arranged in the depth of four ranks while the rest of the tribes at their flanks were in ranks of eight.[90][91] Some modern commentators have suggested this was a deliberate ploy to encourage a double envelopment of the Persian centre. However, this suggests a level of training that the Greeks are thought not to have possessed.[92] There is little evidence for any such tactical thinking in Greek battles until Leuctra in 371 BC.[93] It is therefore possible that this arrangement was made, perhaps at the last moment, so that the Athenian line was as long as the Persian line, and would not therefore be outflanked.[54][94]
Map showing the armies' main movements during the battle
When the Athenian line was ready, according to one source, the simple signal to advance was given by Miltiades: "At them".[54] Herodotus implies the Athenians ran the whole distance to the Persian lines, a feat under the weight of hoplite armory generally thought to be physically impossible.[95][96] More likely, they marched until they reached the limit of the archers' effectiveness, the "beaten zone" (roughly 200 meters), and then broke into a run towards their enemy.[96] Another possibility is that they ran up to the 200 meter-mark in broken ranks, and then reformed for the march into battle from there. Herodotus suggests that this was the first time a Greek army ran into battle in this way; this was probably because it was the first time that a Greek army had faced an enemy composed primarily of missile troops.[96] All this was evidently much to the surprise of the Persians; "... in their minds they charged the Athenians with madness which must be fatal, seeing that they were few and yet were pressing forwards at a run, having neither cavalry nor archers".[97] Indeed, based on their previous experience of the Greeks, the Persians might be excused for this; Herodotus tells us that the Athenians at Marathon were "first to endure looking at Median dress and men wearing it, for up until then just hearing the name of the Medes caused the Hellenes to panic".[89] Passing through the hail of arrows launched by the Persian army, protected for the most part by their armour, the Greek line finally made contact with the enemy army. The Athenian wings quickly routed the inferior Persian levies on the flanks, before turning inwards to surround the Persian centre, which had been more successful against the thin Greek centre.[98] The battle ended when the Persian centre then broke in panic towards their ships, pursued by the Greeks.[98] Some, unaware of the local terrain, ran towards the swamps where unknown numbers drowned.[63][99] The Athenians pursued the Persians back to their ships, and managed to capture seven ships, though the majority were able to launch successfully.[56][100] Herodotus recounts the story that Cynaegirus, brother of the playwright Aeschylus, who was also among the fighters, charged into the sea, grabbed one Persian trireme, and started pulling it towards shore. A member of the crew saw him, cut off his hand, and Cynaegirus died.[100]
Cynaegirus grabbing a Persian ship at the Battle of Marathon (19th century illustration).
Herodotus records that 6,400 Persian bodies were counted on the battlefield, and it is unknown how many more perished in the swamps.[101] He also reported that the Athenians lost 192 men and the Plataeans 11.[101] Among the dead were the war archon Callimachus and the general Stesilaos.[100]
Conclusions [ edit ]
There are several explanations of the Greek success. Most scholars believe that the Greeks had better equipment and used superior tactics. According to Herodotus, the Greeks were better equipped. They did not use bronze upper body armour at this time, but that of leather or linen. The phalanx formation proved successful, because the hoplites had a long tradition in hand-to-hand combat, whereas the Persian soldiers were accustomed to a very different kind of conflict. At Marathon, the Athenians thinned their centre in order to make their army equal in length to the Persian army,[102] not as a result of a tactical planning.[103] It seems that the Persian centre tried to return, realizing that their wings had broken, and was caught in the flanks by the victorious Greek wings. Lazenby (1993) believes that the ultimate reason for the Greek success was the courage the Greeks displayed:
Marathon was won because ordinary, amateur soldiers found the courage to break into a trot when the arrows began to fall, instead of grinding to a halt, and when surprisingly the enemy wings fled, not to take the easy way out and follow them, but to stop and somehow come to the aid of the hard pressured centre.[104]
According to Vic Hurley, the Persian defeat is explained by the "complete failure... to field a representative army", calling the battle the "most convincing" example of the fact that infantry-bowmen cannot defend any position while stationed in close-quarters and unsupported[105] (i.e. by fortifications, or failing to support them by cavalry and chariots, as was the common Persian tactic).
Contemporary depiction of the Battle of Marathon in the Stoa Poikile (reconstitution)
Aftermath [ edit ]
In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Herodotus says that the Persian fleet sailed around Cape Sounion to attack Athens directly.[56] As has been discussed above, some modern historians place this attempt just before the battle. Either way, the Athenians evidently realised that their city was still under threat, and marched as quickly as possible back to Athens.[106] The two tribes which had been in the centre of the Athenian line stayed to guard the battlefield under the command of Aristides.[107] The Athenians arrived in time to prevent the Persians from securing a landing, and seeing that the opportunity was lost, the Persians turned about and returned to Asia.[106] Connected with this episode, Herodotus recounts a rumour that this manoeuver by the Persians had been planned in conjunction with the Alcmaeonids, the prominent Athenian aristocratic family, and that a "shield-signal" had been given after the battle.[56] Although many interpretations of this have been offered, it is impossible to tell whether this was true, and if so, what exactly the signal meant.[108] On the next day, the Spartan army arrived at Marathon, having covered the 220 kilometers (140 mi) in only three days. The Spartans toured the battlefield at Marathon, and agreed that the Athenians had won a great victory.[109]
Mound (soros) in which the Athenian dead were buried after the Battle of Marathon. Tomb of the Plataeans at Marathon.
The Athenian and Plataean dead of Marathon were buried on the battlefield in two tumuli. On the tomb of the Athenians this epigram composed by Simonides was written:
Ἑλλήνων προμαχοῦντες Ἀθηναῖοι Μαραθῶνι χρυσοφόρων Μήδων ἐστόρεσαν δύναμιν
Fighting at the forefront of the Greeks, the Athenians at Marathon laid low the army of the gilded Medes.
In the meanwhile, Darius began raising a huge new army with which he meant to completely subjugate Greece; however, in 486 BC, his Egyptian subjects revolted, indefinitely postponing any Greek expedition.[18] Darius then died whilst preparing to march on Egypt, and the throne of Persia passed to his son Xerxes I.[110] Xerxes crushed the Egyptian revolt, and very quickly restarted the preparations for the invasion of Greece.[111] The epic second Persian invasion of Greece finally began in 480 BC, and the Persians met with initial success at the battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium.[112] However, defeat at the Battle of Salamis would be the turning point in the campaign,[113] and the next year the expedition was ended by the decisive Greek victory at the Battle of Plataea.[114]
Significance [ edit ]
The defeat at Marathon barely touched the vast resources of the Persian empire, yet for the Greeks it was an enormously significant victory. It was the first time the Greeks had beaten the Persians, proving that the Persians were not invincible, and that resistance, rather than subjugation, was possible.[115]
The battle was a defining moment for the young Athenian democracy, showing what might be achieved through unity and self-belief; indeed, the battle effectively marks the start of a "golden age" for Athens.[116] This was also applicable to Greece as a whole; "their victory endowed the Greeks with a faith in their destiny that was to endure for three centuries, during which western culture was born".[7][117] John Stuart Mill's famous opinion was that "the Battle of Marathon, even as an event in British history, is more important than the Battle of Hastings".[118] It seems that the Athenian playwright Aeschylus considered his participation at Marathon to be his greatest achievement in life (rather than his plays) since on his gravestone there was the following epigram:
Αἰσχύλον Εὐφορίωνος Ἀθηναῖον τόδε κεύθει μνῆμα καταφθίμενον πυροφόροιο Γέλας· ἀλκὴν δ’ εὐδόκιμον Μαραθώνιον ἄλσος ἂν εἴποι καὶ βαθυχαιτήεις Μῆδος ἐπιστάμενος
This tomb the dust of Aeschylus doth hide, Euphorion's son and fruitful Gela's pride. How tried his valor, Marathon may tell, And long-haired Medes, who knew it all too well.[119]
Militarily, a major lesson for the Greeks was the potential of the hoplite phalanx. This style had developed during internecine warfare amongst the Greeks; since each city-state fought in the same way, the advantages and disadvantages of the hoplite phalanx had not been obvious.[120] Marathon was the first time a phalanx faced more lightly armed troops, and revealed how effective the hoplites could be in battle.[120] The phalanx formation was still vulnerable to cavalry (the cause of much caution by the Greek forces at the Battle of Plataea), but used in the right circumstances, it was now shown to be a potentially devastating weapon.[121]
Legacy [ edit ]
Legends associated with the battle [ edit ]
The most famous legend associated with Marathon is that of the runner Pheidippides (or Philippides) bringing news to Athens of the battle, which is described below.
Pheidippides' run to Sparta to bring aid has other legends associated with it. Herodotus mentions that Pheidippides was visited by the god Pan on his way to Sparta (or perhaps on his return journey).[44] Pan asked why the Athenians did not honor him and the awed Pheidippides promised that they would do so from then on. The god apparently |
over for a Christmas breakfast. I made a few different kinds of breakfast casseroles. Casseroles are great because you do all the work the night before. In the morning you just pop them in the oven.
My traditional blueberry and cream cheese French toast casserole has always been a family favorite. However, plant-based versions can be tricky. I’ve learned to adjust my expectations.
Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
Note how I refer to this recipe as a Blueberry Breakfast Casserole. I don’t call it French toast. It’s tough to mimic the taste and texture of French toast without eggs. In contrast, this blueberry breakfast casserole features a mildly sweet taste with a pudding-like consistency under a crispy toasted top. It’s not the same as French toast, but it’s a pleasing combination of flavors and textures. Try topping it with a little blueberry walnut syrup for even more yumminess.
Print Blueberry Breakfast Casserole {vegan & gluten-free} This vegan and gluten-free recipe features a mildly sweet taste with a pudding-like consistency under a crispy toasted top. Prep Time 8 hours 15 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Total Time 8 hours 55 minutes Servings 8 -10 Ingredients 16 slices sprouted or gluten-free whole grain bread sliced into 1-2 inch pieces*
3 cups almond milk
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 banana medium, peeled and broken into chunks
1/2 lemon juiced
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil Instructions Place ½ tbsp. coconut oil in a 9x12 baking dish and use a paper towel to coat the bottom and sides of the dish. Add almond milk, chia seeds, banana, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon to a high-speed blender. Begin blending on low and turn up to highest speed and blend for about 40 seconds or until mixture is smooth and creamy. (You may need to scrape the sides at least once if chia seeds stick.) Place half of the sliced bread in the greased 9x12 baking dish and sprinkle with half of the blueberries. Repeat with remaining bread and blueberries. Slowly pour mixture from blender over the ingredients in the baking dish. Move the pitcher as you pour to distribute the mixture evenly. Cover baking dish and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until top begins to brown and mixture appears set. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Recipe Notes *Gluten-free breads tend to be small. If you are using a larger sized bread, you may need to reduce the number of slices. Use enough bread to fill the baking dish in two layers. Prep time includes the time it takes for the bread to soak up the liquid while it rests in the fridge overnight.Amazon announced a new free, same-day delivery service for its Prime members in Baltimore and 13 other metropolitan areas starting Thursday.
The service adds to a growing number of delivery options for members of the $99-a-year Prime service, including Prime Now, a one-hour delivery service for tens of thousands of primarily household items. Prime Now was announced in March.
The Seattle-based online giant began offering a same-day delivery service last year for $5.99 an order. Orders placed for the free delivery must be over $35 and be placed by noon to arrive by the end of the day.
"This is going to be a real life-changer for our members," said Chris Rupp, the vice president of Amazon's Prime service. "Instead of having to do errands after work, they can order their items and receive them before bedtime."
The free same-day service applies to more than a million items, including electronics, school supplies and vacation gear.
cwells@baltsun.comIndiegogo concepts are always a bit out there, and this one's no exception: Portal, a six-inch Android-powered smartphone that's impressively capable, waterproof, and flexible enough to wear on your wrist like Buzz Lightyear's communicator. Forget smartwatches, this baby's a goddamned gauntlet.
Judging by the specs, Portal's creators don't want to churn out some mid-range device: The Android-powered device would offer 64GB of storage, four cameras, and the pièce de résistance, a six-inch flexible organic TFT display. All of it would (hypothetically) pack into a flexible, morphable, warpable body that would laugh at your worries about bending it against your buttcheek.
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Okay, so you probably don't want to strap your smartphone to your wrist with two watch bands. That's more cumbersome than the most bulky and overgrown of smartwatches.
But you've gotta admit, in a world of slightly-beveled glowing rectangle smartphones that all look pretty much identical from 20 feet away, there's something charming about the audaciousness of a waterproof smartphone you can lash to your forearm like a Roman soldier's vambrace.
Is it audacious enough to reach reality? Well, the track record for crowdfunded dream machines is pretty bleak. And making a truly game-changing smartphone is a tall order—especially for a company that wants to build them right here in the U.S.A.
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But I kinda hope they succeed. I may not wear a six-inch smartphone on my forearm (nor even the four-inch mini model they hope to bring next), but I'd gladly fool around with a phone that could literally bounce back from a fall to the floor unscathed. [Indiegogo via CNet]Watch out for 3hree Things every Tuesday, where Riley Breckenridge, drummer of Orange County's favorite local alt-rock band Thrice, gives his take on life in Southern California as an OC native.
The McRib is back and coincidentally, so is explosive diarrhea.
I used to have a gullet of steel. In high school I dabbled in most of the fast food Irvine had to offer; a lunch the Carl's Jr. on Culver, a late night post-party mess of “meat” and cheese at the Del Taco a near University High School, or a Friday night pre-football game misery meal with the fellas at the Mc Donald's on Jeffery and Alton. In college, something in my pipes changed and my body started to rejecting 90 percent of the fast food meals I ingested. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but in short, if I ate poorly, I paid for it. It was a simple lesson, and one I'm thankful to have learned (although I'd love to have some of those hours back that I spent with a crippling stomach ache or sweating it out spackling toilets.)
]
Since my guts took a turn for the better (or worse, depending on how you look at it), I've made it a point to avoid fast food at all costs* save a few emergency meals on tour. And by “few,” I mean “maybe five or six in the past eight years or so.”
As a result, I missed most of the hullabaloo surrounding McDonald's McRib, it's demise, and yearly return(s). The limited exposure I've had to the sandwich with a cult following has come as a result of fast food advertising's stranglehold on televised sports and my multifaceted sports nerdery. Over the past month or so, It's been made painfully clear that the McRib is back, so with interest piqued and in the name of “journalism,, I decided to set aside a Saturday afternoon, purchase and eat a McRib, and see what all the fuss was about.
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
1) The Gory Details
A Saturday-morning-workout-negating 500 calories and 26 grams of fat housed in a boneless patty made with whipped pork parts, slathered with high fructose corn syrup rich barbecue sauce, topped with onions and pickles, and clumsily housed in a six-inch roll. The Brett Favre of fast food sandwiches, the McRib debuted in 1981, retired in 1985, unretired in 1994, retired again in 2005, re-unretired for a short spell in 2007, did the same in 2008, and most recently reared it's ugly head on November 2nd. McDonald's has described the sandwich as hearty, fulfilling, tangy, and sticky. While I'll give them “sticky,” I think they left out “horrifying”.
OC Weekly's Michelle Woo covered the return of the McRib in her piece on November 1st, and quoted an EW.com commenter as saying
“The McRib is like that really hot chick you hook up with every few years when she swings by your town. You never really know when she's coming back, she never stays long, and the reason she leaves again is never that clear, but man, good times when she's around.”
If I may take the liberty of rewriting that, I'd put it as such:
“The McRib is like that bargain barrel hooker you realize that you need to pay for because you haven't been laid in a few years, you're tired of masturbating yourself into a fine powder, and you hate yourself. You know damn well that you shouldn't do it, and you know the parting gift she'll leave you with is probably gonna burn one of more of your holes, but you do it anyways because she's cheap, she's right next to a gas station, and you didn't even have to get out of your car.”
[
A sad pile of self-hatred, misery, and synthetic foodstuffs.
2) The Immaculate Consumption
I ate it quickly, not because I liked it, but because I wanted to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible.
If I were to place the pork patty on a flavor scale, it would land somewhere between “the worst breakfast sausage ever” and “kitchen sponge.” Probably closer to “kitchen sponge”. Normally, I'd say you could coat just about anything in BBQ sauce and it would be edible, but this is no regular BBQ sauce, this is the work of McDonald's mad flavor scientists, and it tastes more of artificial smoke and rotten orange juice than anything else. Bonus: it came with hair. Namely, two dirty blonde hairs of the arm and/or pubic variety. OOH, FIBER!
Top that off with onions that have been McDonaldized into flavorless translucent chunks of yuck, and pickles that taste like you're testing a 9-volt battery with your tongue, and you've got yourself a sandwich that is primed to liquify your insides. An aside (regarding said pickles): Back in the high school pre football game meals days at Dirty Ronnie's I thought it would be funny to eat my meal with a pickle stuck to my forehead (because I was an idiot.)
I bought a quarter pounder, removed the pickle, stuck it to my forehead and kept it there for a good ten to fifteen minutes. It burned like hell, but for the sake of a (horrible) joke, I kept it there throughout the meal. No shit, I had a pickle chip-sized rash on my fivehead for three days afterwards. I'm convinced that those pickles are pickled in battery acid. Your condiments and paint thinner shan't be kindred spirits. Avoid at all costs.
3) The Unfortunate Aftermath
I lasted a full hour before I had to scamper to the bathroom. Most of that hour was spent trying to ignore the oily film that had coated my mouth and throat (all McDonald's meals leave you with “the film”), and trying to wash the scent of the barbecue sauce off of my hands and face.
That sauce, which I'm assuming is the same gut-rotting formula they use as a dipping sauce for their other whipped N formed meat oddity, the McNugget, just stuck around like a lingering acidic reminder that what just happened in my mouth shouldn't have. (Much like puking after a night of shitty BBQ and too many adult beverages that may or may not have happened to the person writing this column.)
It's safe to say that we can add the The McRib to the list of gifts that keep on giving. The greater part of my Sunday was spent either on the toilet or thinking about being on the toilet, as my stomach gurgled and growled its way through gastrointestinal gymnastics. (I think I actually heard it say, “You asshole. How could you do this to me?”) And the farting, oh the farting. I'm still peppering myself with shit whispers as I type this on Monday morning. Never again.The pork sponge slathered in bowel assaulting shame glaze is available until December 5th.
*In-N-Out and its glorious burgers are exempt from fast food categorization in my book.While Howard County alleges they want the community's input, it does not appear this is actually true. ("Howard County Council emphasizes need for community input in redistricting discussion," howardcountytimes.com, July 18)
On the Howard County Public School website under "Redistricting FAQs," parental concerns are presented as questions followed by answers dismissing those concerns.
For example, a sample question is: "We are a community and we don't want to be split."
Answer: "There is no definition of neighborhood that works for everyone," and so on.
Further, I sent an email expressing my concern that high schools were being redistricted in a way that would concentrate poverty — one school is projected to have 40 percent free- and reduced-price lunch [eligible students] and another school not more than three miles away with 1 percent —and was summarily dismissed with this pre-crafted answer: "There are 14 considerations... it may not be feasible to reconcile school attendance area adjustment with every factor."
When I made a suggestion for school choice with specific curriculum offerings (science, technology, engineers and math; International Baccalaureate; language immersion) to free up spots in neighborhood schools, I was informed "open enrollment has been discussed in the past, but there are no schools currently identified by the [school board] as open. If you have any alternative scenarios for consideration or questions, please let us know."
These answers show that the council is not considering and debating these important factors. They are summarily dismissing them, and I'm sure everyone else who has expressed concerns has received the same answers as I. No, the school board does not want our input, they just want to pretend they have an open process.
Diana Lee
ColumbiaWhen John Coltrane succumbed to liver cancer in 1967, he was at the forefront of the jazz world. No saxophonist was more admired by his peers or beloved by his fans. Coltrane was only 40 years old, but he was a genuine jazz hero who had somehow crammed a whole career of innovation and experimentation into the previous decade.
Coltrane’s death cut short his music-making, but hardly put a dent into his popularity or influence. You couldn’t escape it, no matter where you went. In the late ’70s, I lived in Tuscany for a half-year, and every month picked up a copy of Musica Jazz, the Milan magazine that covered the Italian jazz scene. Each issue included a listing of the best-selling jazz records in Italy, and every month without fail John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme was at the top of the chart—even though the album was more than a decade old and from half a world away!
I recall another telling incident, this time from the late ’80s, when I spent a day auditioning saxophone students for a music scholarship, and noted with interest that every one of these youngsters seemed to have chosen John Coltrane as a major influence. Yet not one of them was old enough to have heard him perform in person. At that juncture, it was hard to find any aspiring saxophonist, especially on tenor or soprano, who wasn’t a Coltrane acolyte.
I couldn’t blame them. Most of us immersed in jazz, myself included, were still focused on trying to understand and assimilate what Coltrane had left behind. In fact, we were so focused on his legacy that we spent little time wondering what he might have achieved if he had lived longer. At times, it even seemed as if this remarkable improviser had said everything he could possibly say on the horn. Even if he had survived into old age, how could an artist with so much music at his command have done anything more than repeat himself?
But a newly-released live album made during the final months of Coltrane’s life forces me to revisit the question of what this path-breaking artist might have achieved if he had hadn’t fallen victim to cancer. This surprising music, recorded in concert at Philadelphia’s Temple University in November 1966, has long been known to Coltrane devotees—mostly through word-of-mouth, although poor-quality bootlegs have occasionally circulated. Now Resonance Records, in partnership with Coltrane’s label Impulse, has released the complete concert on a double CD under the title Offering: Live at Temple University. Finally jazz fans can judge this unusual music for themselves.
The Temple University concert represented something of a homecoming for Coltrane. In his mid-teens he had moved to Philadelphia, and had gigged extensively in that city before getting the call to join Miles Davis’s band in 1955. Now more than a decade later, Coltrane was returning to Philadelphia as a world-beating sax star and the most famous exponent of the avant-garde movement in jazz.
But the audience at Temple University wasn’t going to give Coltrane a home town hero’s welcome. Even before the first number was finished, audience members started walking out. Others “looked as though they wanted to leave but sat rigid with disbelief,” according to jazz critic Francis Davis, who was in attendance that evening.
The recording leaves us in no doubt as to the reason for this response. Even by Coltrane’s standards, this music was transgressive and disturbing. At a now famous moment during the concert, Coltrane even put aside his saxophone to sing and pound on his chest—almost as if he had exhausted everything the horn could do, and needed to return to that most primal musical instrument of them all, the human body.
Listening to this performance almost a half-century after it took place, I still lack coordinates from the jazz world with which to map it. Instead I am reminded of my studies of shamans and trance-inducing music, a subject that has been a key focus of my interest and research in recent years. At Temple, Coltrane no longer operated as a jazz artist improvising melodies, but more like a mystic on a vision quest.
Researchers such as Andrew Neher and Barry Bittman, among others, have confirmed what non-industrial societies knew long ago—namely that musical rituals have a tangible impact on the people who participate in them. Brainwaves change, body chemistry is transformed, even white blood cell count improves. The scientific and anthropological studies agree on two key ingredients: the music must include drumming for its full effect to be felt, and the “song” should continue for at least ten minutes.
I’m not surprised that both these elements figure prominently in Coltrane’s late career music. Songs got longer and longer. A typical number would last 20 minutes or more during this culminating phase of his musical evolution. And much of his most inspired playing, in his final years, came in the context of sax-drum duets. Coltrane now sometimes performed with multiple percussionists, as at the Temple University concert, even though many listeners found this rhythmic layering overly busy and distracting. But, like a traditional shaman, Coltrane clearly believed that the drums served as a springboard to a higher order of engagement.
This perspective helps me understand so many other peculiar aspects of Coltrane’s late career work. Many fans have wondered why Coltrane, at this stage, was so willing to invite guest performers, of varying levels of talent, to join him on stage. Or why he seemed to select accompanists based on his personal relationship with them, rather than for their musical skills. And why did he spend so much time in interviews talking about spirituality instead of his famous substitute chord changes and other musical matters? In fact, why did he seem so ready to abandon these same harmonic advancements, the very stepping-stones that had taken him to the forefront of the jazz world?
If you view Coltrane as the “great man of jazz,” these decisions make little sense. But if you view him simply as a “man of greatness” perhaps we can understand both his path and what he might have achieved if he had lived. Yes, we are rightly skeptical with heroes of any sort in the current day, and any reasonable person ought to hesitate before looking for gurus on the concert stage. But John Coltrane may be the exception to this rule.
He changed the entire art form, but anyone who spoke to Coltrane for more than a few moments could tell that his real goal was personal transcendence. With Coltrane, the line between individual transformation and musical advancement had always been a blurry one, but increasingly so in the final years of his life. You simply can’t understand his decisions on the bandstand or in the recording studio if you view them merely as aesthetic responses to musical challenges. Other, larger considerations inevitably intervened—spiritual, interpersonal, socio-political. And I can only see those aspects of his legacy deepening if he had lived into middle age and beyond.
So I have a hard time envisioning Coltrane jumping on the rock fusion bandwagon that swept through the jazz world in the months following his death. But I can easily imagine him performing at the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh or at other philanthropic music events. No, I can’t picture him participating in the retro jazz movement of the ’80s, which celebrated a return to the ’50s vocabulary that Coltrane himself had played a key role in subverting. But I can imagine him mentoring younger players, or helping to spur positive change in Africa, Asia, and other places where his musical, spiritual, and political instincts would have found fertile ground for growth and transformation.
When I conjure up a mental image of John Coltrane at age 50 or 60—or even 88, as he would be if he were still alive and able to celebrate his birthday this month—I still see him with a saxophone in hand. But only some of the time. I suspect that he would have found ways to make a difference in the world even without a horn. And, most of all, I’d like to think that some of followers—and in the jazz world their numbers still are legion—would have followed him down that promising path.The 10 Most Popular Words Users Send to Chatbots
Efim Kolodkin Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 16, 2017
When designing an ideal chatbot, you should know the most common words & phrases users ask bots.
3. Stickers, including likes, cats, and standard Facebook emojis.
4. Multimedia — photos, GIFs.
5. “Help” — users want to know how to interact with a bot, so give a comprehensive answer or a list of the things the bot can help with.
6. “Are you real?”, “Are you a human or a bot”?” — your bot should have a personality as if it was a human.
7. “Tell me a joke,” “Can you tell a joke?” etc — most part of users still think a chatbot is somewhat of a game, so it’s better if you answer with an ice breaker.
8. Rude words — such as “F*uck”, “F*uck you”, “Fucker”, “You suck”, “I hate you”. `
9. Words of love — “Love you,” “Luv u.”
10. “Hey”, “Bye”, “Thanks”. That’s the way users usually finish the conversation, and don’t forget to reply to them!
If you have questions, just ask! I’m like a chatbot — I will answer 100%.The wildfire in north-eastern Alberta was sparked on May 1 and, fed by hot weather and tinder dry terrain, quickly flared up to a massive wildfire that has been nicknamed "The Beast". A helicopter flies past a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Canada Credit:Jason Franson /The Canadian Press via AP Authorities say it is the country's most destructive wildfire in recent memory, and it could be months before it is under control. Officials warned only significant rainfall could fully halt its spread. The blaze has scorched a staggering 161,000 hectares, or 1610 square kilometres, officials said. To put that into perspective, from the coast to Mundaring, and from the Gnangara state forest in the north to Jarrahdale in the south, it would completely engulf Perth.
The Canadian blaze is so hot and so intense that it has formed its own weather system. The thundercloud produced by the blaze is creating its own lightning, and consequently setting more trees alight, CNN reports. A huge plume of smoke rises from wildfires burning near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Credit:Darryl Dyck All of the 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray, a city about 650 kilometres north of Calgary, were forced to evacuate last week as the flames bore down. That's roughly the equivalent of evacuating the entire city of Mandurah. Officials have reported that at least 1600 properties in Fort McMurray had been destroyed. The blaze has scorched a staggering 161,000 hectares, or 1610 square kilometres, officials said.
Professor Bowman has just returned from Canada, where he had received a fellowship with the University of British Columbia to study fire ecology there. He agrees with fire expert Mike Flannigan from Alberta, who said that what was happening in Canada was entirely consistent with climate change. As a result, more of these types of huge fires could be expected. It sounds extreme, our cities could burn down, or parts of our suburbs could burn down, but it could happen. Professor David Bowman Professor Bowman said he was in western Canada at the start of the northern spring, which felt more like summer. Precipitation was low, about half of the average, and what snow there was melted early. April was exceptionally mild, with temperatures regularly in the 20s, while it even passed 30 degrees at the start of May. That is 15 degrees above the region's average May maximum.
"What I'm seeing all around the world now is clear evidence of the consequences of changing climate, which is adding that extra bit to an already messed-up problem," Professor Bowman said. "That's a key thing: all climate change is doing is making a really serious problem really, really serious. "Certainly this time of year [around Fort McMurray] there should have been a deep snowpack, and it should have just been a big soggy mess. "In modern times, the scale of this evacuation and the number of houses being burnt and the fact that the drama is still unfolding, I can't think of anything vaguely comparable in Australia. It's really the perfect nightmare." Professor Bowman said there were a couple of "really big take-home messages" for Australia from the situation in Canada.
One of those was realising that this could happen in Australian cities, and that residents needed to "take responsibility for living in these dangerous, flammable places". Residents needed to prepare their houses properly, have an evacuation plan, and not rely on the idea that "someone's going to come and put the fire out" if a bushfire did break out, he said. "I think the fire experts understand how bad things can get. What I think these fire events are doing is bringing right up into the consciousness of the general public the scale of this problem," he said. "Most people sort of have an awareness of it, but it's somebody else's problem and they're underestimating the risk. There just isn't a high level of situational awareness that this scale of catastrophe could happen. "Hopefully we can start cutting through and getting some serious traction and serious engagement. "Living in flammable environments is not 100 per cent safe and we're seeing a whole complex [group] of factors building up to the nightmare scenario. It sounds extreme, our cities could burn down, or parts of our suburbs could burn down, but it could happen."Viviano in link with Palermo
By Football Italia staff
Palermo could offer Inter goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano the chance to win a place in Italy’s Euro 2012 squad.
Viviano, who has almost recovered from knee ligament damage sustained in pre-season, is looking for a loan move away from San Siro this month.
With first team football at the Meazza blocked by Brazilian international Julio Cesar, the custodian wants to end the campaign elsewhere.
Inter signed the former Brescia player outright in the summer and were set to send him on to Genoa before injury struck.
Palermo have recently been linked with the Italian international, who stepped in for the injured Gigi Buffon during Euro 2012 qualifying.
The Rosanero sold Salvatore Sirigu in the summer to Paris Saint-Germain and they’ve had trouble replacing him.
Greek goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas started the season as first choice, but he has lost his place in the team to reserve Francesco Benussi recently.New Delhi: Exactly a month after officials from India, Australia, the US and Japan sat down for talks on cooperation in the “Indo-Pacific"—seen as a possible security framework among the four against a rising China—Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will meet her counterparts from Russia and China on Monday for discussions on deepening coordination in the Asia-Pacific region.
The move, said Lalit Mansingh, former foreign secretary, “is an effort by India to demonstrate that it has multiple options in a multipolar world and that it is not aligned with any one group or any one country."
On Monday, Swaraj will host Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov for the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting.
Originally scheduled for April, the RIC meet was postponed as Wang did not confirm his participation, with speculation rife that he had put off his visit to India to protest New Delhi’s decision to allow the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to travel to Arunachal Pradesh.
The RIC meeting comes as Russia and China are seen developing close bilateral ties against the backdrop of the two developing tensions with the US for separate reasons. In contrast, there seems to be growing convergence between New Delhi and Washington after decades of being seen on opposite sides. On the other hand, ties between India and Russia, once seen as partners, seem stressed given the growing warmth in India’s relations with the US.
The RIC foreign ministers’ meet also comes as India, Japan, US and Australia seem to have restarted a dialogue—abandoned about a decade ago due to Chinese displeasure—aimed at meeting the challenges posed by a rising China and its increasing presence and influence in the Indo-Pacific region, i.e. a large geographic swathe stretching between the US west coast to Australia to India and Africa. China has been warily eyeing the resumption of the “quadrilateral exchanges" while stating its hope that the group and its actions were not directed against Beijing.
According to officials in New Delhi, Swaraj and her counterparts are likely to discuss ways to broaden consultations among the three on the Asia-Pacific region. Officials from Russia, India and China had met in Beijing last December for an “in-depth exchange of views on the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, foreign policy towards Asia, regional security architecture, coordination within regional and multilateral fora, anti-terrorism and other acute, topical regional issues," a press statement from the Indian side said. “The three parties agreed that as important countries in the region, China, Russia and India have extensive common interests and close views on many aspects of regional agenda. Trilateral consultations will contribute to strengthening practical coordination on regional and global issues," the Indian statement had further added.
According to two Indian officials, the three foreign ministers could likely agree on further official level meetings in this format that would strengthen coordination and understanding.
Other issues likely to come up from India’s side include naming Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in the joint communique to be adopted at the Russia-India-China meeting for terrorist activities against India. Swaraj could also raise the subject of a Chinese block at the UN to India’s attempts to get the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed group, the Pakistan-based Maulana Masood Azhar, declared a terrorist by the world body. “This will be in the context of the three countries agreeing on the need to work together to defeat the scourge of terrorism," the second official cited above said.
Among other issues seen as priority for India that Swaraj was likely to bring up was China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a strand of which i.e. the China-Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC), passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India objects to this as it claims all of Kashmir as part of its territory.
India is also expected to discuss, mainly with Russia, the fast tracking of the 7,200km-long International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) linking India, Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia with Europe. Earlier this month, Iran inaugurated phase one of the Chabahar port, seen as a game changer for India which has been seeking an alternate route for access to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan that has refused to allow Indian goods to cross its territory for onward travel to Afghanistan and Central Asia.It’s 6am on a typical weekday in Marin County circa 1995. The sky is turning from black to foggy Bay Area gray as I approach the Golden Gate Bridge in my 1992 Honda Accord. I look at the car’s clock and know I have 90 minutes (give or take) to go before I reach my destination—my office on Ridder Park Drive in San Jose. That amounts to 70 miles, as the crow flies, with the same travel time heading home later in the day.
Welcome to my life in Silicon Valley during the pre-dot-com bubble days of IPOs and over-the-top spending for services that turned to vapor in short order. My daily work routine included meet-and-greets at the vast array of ’90s tech icons: Yahoo, Netscape, Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, AltaVista (part of HP), PointCast, and others. I was among a large group of hopefuls who wanted to be immersed in what was then the epicenter of the tech world but lived in other parts of the Bay Area. Like most of my colleagues, I couldn’t afford the exorbitant home prices of such cities as Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and San Jose.
My particular situation was one of risk/reward. Within days of moving with my wife and 2-year-old daughter from a rented condo in San Francisco’s Marina District to a home in Mill Valley (just up the road from where Jerry Garcia used to hang out), I was presented with an offer I could not refuse, a job that paid me more than twice what I was earning at the time. But there was a catch: The job was in San Jose, more than 70 miles from our new home. It was the most difficult decision of my career, but it allowed me to eventually provide for my family.
From November 1994 to December 2001, I commuted three days per week on average from north of the iconic bridge that links San Francisco to Marin County to that emerging tech wonderland, Silicon Valley. Along the way, as I traveled the circumference of the globe 20 times, I fully spun the odometer of two cars and made the journeys with only one traffic ticket and one small fender bender. (In one of those “you have to see it to believe it” moments, I also was awarded a large chunk of the Golden Gate Bridge that fell from the top of its span and lodged itself into the radiator of my then-new Lexus RX 300. In disgust, after a costly repair, I tossed that serendipitous souvenir into the trash not thinking it might have some eBay value to some oddball collector.)
It’s been more than a decade since we closed up shop in Larkspur, Calif., and headed east and south. Since those days, the longest work commute I’ve had has been about seven minutes from our home in Austin to the Daily Dot office. For the most part, my work trip has been from living room to home office.
To answer that proverbial question posed in the 1968 Dionne Warwick hit, yes, I knew the way to San Jose.
But it’s difficult to forget those days of yesteryear. I can close my eyes and vividly remember the truly awful route that took me from here to there. The excursions were a mix of freeways and city streets. Yes, I said city streets. Getting from Marin County to San Jose offers myriad possibilities, but I selected the one that took me through the streets of San Francisco (sans Karl Malden and Michael Douglas) because it offered a somewhat direct route and kept me off of Highway 101, the Bay Area’s biggest parking lot.
As the dawn breaks, the 11-mile ride from my home to the Golden Gate Bridge was uneventful. The scene from the starboard side of my journey was a postcard-worthy view of the sunrise in San Francisco sometimes shrouded in fog, giving the vista a dreamy, ethereal look. To my port side was the more rugged landscape of the Marin Headlands and some of the more exclusive areas of San Francisco, such as Sea Cliff and the Presidio. It was a lovely vision, but was a daily reminder that my trip has barely begun.
And to answer that proverbial question posed in the 1968 Dionne Warwick hit, yes, I knew the way to San Jose.
My way down 19th Avenue in the city was a stop-and-go affair dotted with stoplights, gas stations, dogwalkers, sanitation workers, strip malls, and some of the city’s best Vietnamese restaurants. As I left San Francisco city limits, I made my way onto Highway 280, which would take me past such iconic landmarks as Sand Hill Road, the tech venture capital mecca; the Linear Accelerator on Stanford’s campus; and Apple’s worldwide HQ in Cupertino (well before its i-device heyday). After completing that scenic portion of the journey, I merged onto Highway 880, heading east to the Ridder Park Drive exit in San Jose. From takeoff to landing, 90 minutes on the low end, two or more hours on the high end.
Beyond the $3 toll to cross from Marin to San Francisco, there were other prices I had to pay. The anxiety that comes with facing an overwhelming commute can throttle productivity and create tension in family relationships. Being seemingly on the other side of the planet, it was rare that I was able to help with daily tasks |
I guess [we] have the ability to say it was all bullshit—but I dunno. It was a joke that made us laugh really hard.
Harmon: If you analyze the canon of that episode, I think that technically has to be a construction, because the insect never leaves Shoneys, and has to believe that he is. So it's very likely, I think—probably necessary—to think that things outside the window are constructions. Now, what's the easiest way to construct something? Copy and paste. Why would you bother to construct something from the ground up when you can simply make an instance of something that already exists and tweak what you want to tweak, so I think it all depends. Where was Rick in 2001?
Roiland: Exactly! Where the fuck was he? He was probably in some Earth-based reality that was very similar to the one that they're in now. I just like how quickly he's like, "Oh. I know what this is!"
For you, where does the idea to have Rick be sort of a 9/11 truther come from?
Harmon: That's based on my reality. That's precisely how I reacted to 9/11. I'm not kidding. I was on phone with my friend Rob Schrab, and that's exactly what I said out loud—which I look back on with total shame! But I look back and go, Oh, that's a character. A guy who is woken up that early in the morning and is in his underwear watching people die—watching a national tragedy unfold—and the first thing in my head was, "We're gonna get away with writing less. They're gonna change the name of the country. They're gonna change our freedoms, and this is gonna impinge on my personal quest to be comfortable." It's pretty fucked up.
You mentioned earlier that you try and stay away from fan theories. My question isn't about the theories themselves but the way they're formed. Do you see a connection between conspiracies and those kinds of theories?
Yes, 100 percent. I think that when JFK was assassinated, the part of your brain that is ready and able to connect all the dots necessary to prove that there was an order to this, and it was a sinister order, are the same exact chemicals in your brain that you need to write stories—and that includes fan fiction.
You say that includes fan faction, but what else do you think is involved with that story-creating part of the brain?
When bad things happen to good people, when our friends get sick, when we get sick, when governments change hands, when you can look at a map and imagine how many stray dogs and cats are out there being neglected, and you start trying to look into that box of "What Reality Really Is," it's the creative part of your brain that pulls you back out of your box, and says, "Yeah, but here's the thing: There's white hats, and black hats, and high noon, and there's shootouts, and there's stories and there's love, and there's passion. And there's transformation, and there's change." When you feel that mental breakdown happening, that means you're about to get smarter. You're growing. You're inheriting the universe. You're becoming closer and closer to a thing called "God," and "you're gonna get through this. You're gonna get trough this." It's like when you have a bad trip on mushrooms or acid, your friend who says, "This is cool. This is normal. Even though the walls are talking to you. You just need some orange slices. You need to get through this, and it's important that this is happening. It's giving you perspective." Otherwise you'd just be like, "This is insane, so I'm insane, so nothing matters, so I think I'll go do something horrible in public."
Roiland: So definitely do acid, and JFK was an inside job.
Oh, you don't have to tell me. So one fan theory I do want to touch on is the idea that Rick is aware that he's a cartoon, and that we see that when he breaks the fourth wall. Is that bullshit?
Harmon: I always start from the place of, like, if I were living my ideal life, in that I was trotting across the galaxy and across timelines—and had lived for who knows how long and had seen so many fatal battles and lived to tell about it—wouldn't I, when I was backed up against the wall by Dracula in a sword fight, wouldn't I turn to a nonexistent camera and go, "We'll be right back."
Roiland: [Laughs uproariously.]
Harmon: Because we do takes like that when we're in bars and stuff. Someone says something, and we're like, "Check please!" So I start there, and go, Is it explainable through that lens, where Rick is just kinda crazy?
Roiland: I think it's just dumb. It's just funny to me.
Harmon: But that's a fan theory that I welcome.
Roiland: Yeah, [faux-dramatic voice] he knows.
Harmon: The idea that on some level Rick is conscious of not only multiple realities but multiple layers of reality...
Roiland: The sixth dimension...
Harmon: Or in simulation theory...
Roiland: Someone's watching! Yeah, that's true. Simulation theory straight-up. There's a big bank of monitors right now, and weird giant slug creatures are watching us.
Harmon: I went to Tulum with my girlfriend and the weather was so beautiful, and I was so in love with her, and because I'm kind of nihilistic and sci-fi oriented, the way that I coped with that love was to imagine that when I was looking into her eyes, that I was winning the game, and that the party full of friends who were watching me play this piñata game—the Roy game from Rick and Morty—that they were cheering when I looked into her eyes. Because those were the moments when I was actually figuring out that the meaning of life was to realize how lucky I was, and when I was speaking to her, I was actually somewhere with a hood over my head, with a room full of octopus creatures, watching me and going, "He gets it! He got it, he got it!"
Follow Mike Pearl on Twitter.Bruce is the Managing Director and founder of Atlantic Financial Inc., a global investment company whose primary focus is helping the global community. Bruce is a bitcoin lover and evangelist. He is a member of the Bitcoin Association is a not-for-profit group focused on increasing adoption of Bitcoin and related technology. As a libertarian he is well known in the bitcoin community and economic circles for his promotion of free markets and crypto currency. Thank you Bruce for speaking with us.
Bruce what is crypto currency to you and why are you so passionate about it?
Cryptocurrency to me represents freedom and change. I’d define it loosely as currency and related tokens which are digitally represented and backed by cryptography. I’m passionate about it because I believe it has amazing potential to change the world. Never before have we been able to send something of value in this manner without a trusted third party. It opens amazing doors and is very exciting.
You had some words to say regarding the Bit-License in New York. There has been talk of this also happening in California. Do you expect these things to continue down the road?
Yes, unfortunately. Sadly, we have become so conditioned as a society to think that government regulation is needed that something like this can occur now where 20 years ago the government was relatively hands off the Internet. Government meddling in this space is unlikely to yield any positive results and is very likely to cause a lot of damage including lost jobs and opportunity.
What do you see as the biggest potential with crypto-currency?
Well the ultimate potential is for the app of Bitcoin to replace some meaningful portion of the global financial system. This, in turn, would have all kinds of implications for personal empowerment and protection and would reduce power of a lot of bad actors including governments and major corporations.
What would you say is its biggest obstacle?
Right now, volatility is a key one. It’s also key to increase understanding. Hopefully as understanding increase, adoption will increase and this will lead to more stability.
Do you see bitcoin as a tool that can stop the chain of wars we’ve been experiencing for decades and decades?
Yes actually. To be unfortunately realistic, it will be an uphill battle…but it can indeed make a difference and that would be great.
How do you feel about the current downtrend people have been speaking on year end of bitcoins 2014 run?
The fall in price has been discouraging to be sure. However I see the front lines of new tech and new investment in the space and remain encouraged.
What are your thoughts on Ben Lawsky’s newest revision to the ‘bitlicense’ is it the lenient Xmas gift the media claims it is?
No. Many of us predicted this would occur in the way it has: bold announcements, followed by pretending to listen to the community, followed by a media show (and purposely timed arrest of Charlie Shrem) followed by a ridiculous proposal….followed by backing off from some aspects of the proposal to give the illusion that it is more reasonable. It’s not. Lawsky is a dishonest and corrupt unelected official who is an enemy to progress. Unfortunately the State has the guns and jails so we must abide by their crony driven political whims.
The dollar index is doing very well at the moment and the Ruble is not. How do you think these fiat currency activities affect Bitcoin’s current structure?
Some speculate so but to be honest Bitcoin is so small in terms of global economic size that I don’t think there is much of a relation.
What is your opinion on Alt-Coins and App-Coins in the market right now? Is there room for many CryptoCurrencies in your opinion, or are they just a waste of time?
Most are a waste of time, but if one does something that Bitcoin does not or serves an entirely different purpose, that can be interesting. Ideally I’d like to see these new coins piggyback on top of the existing Bitcoin Blockchain…this helps everyone.
Everybody loves to talk about main stream adoption. Recently we’ve seen PayPal, Microsoft and others open their gates to bitcoin. Do you think we still have quite a ways to go for mass adoption to happen?
We have a ways to go, but this is very encouraging to be sure. It’s like the early days of the web when it was major news that a big company got a web page. One day we were saying “Wow, Disney got a page, this thing is for real.”
What kind of things need to happen in order for Mass adoption to happen? For example does the market need to self regulate itself? Services protecting its users with insurance and theft protection. This kind of thing.
Self regulation would help, this also occurs through more mature teams and investors joining the space. Also, Bitcoin market size needs to increase which in turn likely decreases volatility. All of these things are developing and will continue.
Do you convince others to invest in bitcoin regularly or do you think the current downtrend or volitilty would scare people away?
I talk about Bitcoin all the time and do everything I can to convey my excitement that Bitcoin is disruptive and potentially world-changing tech. But I don’t urge people to invest. It is still risky and volatile and unproven. No one should invest more than they can afford to lose. But that does not stop me from discussing its potential with everyone I can. I honestly wear my Bitcoin shirt when I’m in a large public place like an airport. I love when people ask about it and I’ve done everything from address misconceptions to discuss the nature of what money is with strangers, best of all is when I run into fellow Bitcoin geeks.
Thank you Bruce for doing this interview with us. Thank you for your service in teaching free markets and decentralized applications.”Boontling” translates as “Boonville Language,” a reference to the largest town in the Anderson Valley. Those who speak the language could also be found in neighboring Anderson Valley towns like Yorkville, Navarro, and Philo. This complex dialect is essentially incomprehensible to non-speakers, as there are Boontling words for a wide variety of situations, and the dialect has its own legends, folk songs, and so forth which were passed down through the generations.
Boontling is a folk language native to the Anderson Valley of Northern California. Like many regional dialects, it is spoken by a limited number of speakers, and some speakers fear that it will “pike for the dusties,” a way of saying that it will disappear. The language attracted brief attention when it was featured on National Public Radio in the late 1990s, shortly before the death of its most well-known ambassador, Bobbly Glover, but like most folk languages, Boontling is not widely known outside of its home region.
The origins of Boontling lie in the late 1800s, when settlers descended upon the Anderson Valley to log, farm, and fish. Some historians have suggested that it probably started out as a private language spoken by children so that they could discuss sensitive topics in front of their elders, and that because children continued to speak it as they grew up, it slowly spread through the community. In addition to Boontling, Anderson Valley natives also spoke English, naturally, but many English speakers seeded their conversations with phrases and terms from the dialect, which itself contains a sprinkling of the Pomo Indian language, Gaelic, and Spanish, reflecting the diverse settlers of the community.
Most speakers today are codgy kimmers, or “old men,” leading residents of the area to fear that the language may vanish entirely, although some attempts at creating a comprehensive dictionary have been made. Some Boontling references can be seen scattered around the Anderson Valley; for example, Boonville's coffee shop is named the “Horn of Zeese,” which means “Cup of Coffee” in Boontling. Payphones in the Anderson Valley also bear a Boontling title, “Bucky Walter,” which means “nickel telephone,” although users might be dismayed to learn that a Bucky Walter costs much more than a nickel to use today.
The dialect floated to the public consciousness again in 2007, when the Eisa Davis play Bulrusher was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Play. Bulrusher was set in the Anderson Valley, and the play contained a number of Boontling references and phrases; the title roughly translates as “foundling”.The Fair offers up exotic attractions to rival those of any theme park. There’s rides galore on the midway, from the kid friendly to the more extreme for adrenaline junkies. Also along the midway, Esmeralda’s Steampunk Circus boasts feats of daring from world-class aerialists that you definitely shouldn’t try at home. Esports hosts a massive gaming show, where joystick fanatics can dive into VR realms, sample new games, and enter gaming competitions. You can even challenge the pros, if you think your thumbs are up to it. For old school fans, the Retro City Arcade has everything from the OG Pac-Man to pinball. And the whole family will enjoy viewing Rail Giants - explore some of the world's largest steam engines and diesel locomotives and see why they had such an impact on California's early history and industry.
Portals are immersive audiovisual spaces that connect communities around the world in live, full-body video communication. You can step into The Portal - Route 66 & Beyond, meet someone in an identical space somewhere else on earth, and speak to them as if you're standing in the same room.
Celebrate L.A.'s diversity at the Dragon Theatre, featuring the famed Beijing Acrobats; Plaza de las Americas, an Olvera Street showcase; George Lopez's Chingon Kitchen, offering authentic Mexican cuisine and artwork; local musicians, art and microbrews at Mi POCO LA; and CEEM, a weekend of African American culture (Sept. 7-9)
Adults can bring their ticket stub from the Fair and receive free clubhouse and general admission to the Los Alamitos Thoroughbred Fall Meet. Enjoy live wagering and panoramic views at the luxurious Top of the Park or craft beers and pub fare at the Finish Line Sports Bar & Grill.North Carolina (14-3, 2-1 ACC) vs. Wake Forest (10-6, 1-3 ACC)
Winston-Salem N.C. – Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Wednesday, 8 p.m.
ESPN2 (Karl Ravech, LaPhonso Ellis)
Quotables
“We have to do a better job of attacking the paint when we get the other team in the bonus. I thought we got Virginia in the bonus at a pretty early stage, and we didn’t get to the free-throw line enough times in my estimation, in terms of us putting pressure on them by driving the basketball.” -- WFU head coach Danny Manning following his team's 79-66 loss to Virginia on Sunday
PREGAME NOTES
Heels Continue ACC Chaos: Eight days after an abysmal performance in its ACC opener at Georgia Tech, UNC returned to its early season form in handing N.C. State its second-worst defeat in program history in Sunday’s 107-56 victory. The Tar Heels are at their best when classmates Justin Jackson and Joel Berry are both scoring – 89 combined points over their last two games – while they often struggle to find an offensive rhythm when one has an off day.
WFU Spotlight: Danny Manning’s third squad in Winston-Salem is a win away from matching last season’s win total, which highlights the significant step forward his program has taken. The Demon Deacons are still a work in progress, however, stockpiling wins against weaker opponents. Their 86-74 win over College of Charleston arguably stands as their best win of the season. Wake Forest has lost four of its last six games, including three of its four ACC contests.
Efficient Scoring: Wake Forest’s success this season has been rooted in offensive efficiency. The Demon Deacons are shooting 47.1 percent from the floor, 38.8 percent from 3-point range, and have four players averaging double figures. Manning’s squad assists on 58.1 percent of its field goals and is effective on the offensive glass (32.1 percent), which all leads to an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 115.3 (27th nationally), according to kenpom.com.
Point Direction: A primary reason for Wake Forest’s offensive success is sophomore point guard Bryant Crawford, who is scoring 14.3 points to go along with 5.9 assists per game. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder’s 2.3:1 assist-turnover ratio highlights his ability to take care of the ball while also finding his teammates in scoring positions. He’s averaging 6.8 assists against 1.3 turnovers in Wake Forest’s 10 wins this season.
Matchup to Watch: The Demon Deacons will offer a challenge that’s been a rarity of sorts for North Carolina this season: two quality bigs. Sophomore forward John Collins is in contention for All-ACC honors with his 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and he also leads the conference in ESPN’s player efficiency rating (33.8). Junior forward Dinos Mitoglou is posting 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds, while adding the challenge of knocking down 38.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. UNC’s post quartet outworked N.C. State’s bigs on Sunday, and a similar effort will need to occur to prevent a Demon Deacons upset.
Stat of Note: UNC has won more games against Wake Forest than any other opponent (158).
Last Meeting: UNC defeated Wake Forest, 83-68, in Chapel Hill on Jan. 20, 2016. Despite the Tar Heels shooting 26.5 percent after halftime – the fourth-lowest mark by UNC in a half at the Smith Center – they scored 17 points off turnovers to maintain a safe working margin throughout the game. Brice Johnson led UNC with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Series Record: The Tar Heels lead the series, 158-66. UNC has won 11 of the last 14 games.
Projected UNC Starters:
2 Joel Berry (6-0, 195, Jr.) – 15.4 ppg, 4.4 apg
3 Kennedy Meeks (6-10, 260, Sr.) - 12.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg
4 Isaiah Hicks (6-9, 242, Sr.) - 12.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg
44 Justin Jackson (6-8, 210, Jr.) – 17.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg
24 Kenny Williams (6-4, 180, So.) - 6.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Projected Wake Forest Starters:
20 John Collins (6-10, 235, So.) – 16.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg
13 Bryant Crawford (6-3, 200, So.) – 14.3 ppg, 5.9 apg
44 Dinos Mitoglou (6-10, 255, Jr.) - 10.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg
34 Austin Arians (6-6, 230, GS) – 8.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg
01 Keyshawn Woods (6-3, 205, So.) – 12.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg
UNC Info
Schedule/Results
Stats
Roster & Bios
Wake Forest Info
Schedule/Results
Stats
Roster & BiosStellar, the non-profit cryptography protocol to connect financial institutions, is awarding large amounts of its native currency, lumens, to the winners of the Stellar Build Challenge. In order to foster creativity within its ecosystem, Stellar said it would grant awards in the following four categories: Anchors, Applications, Exchanges and first time submissions.
Anchors are either banks, licensed money-service providers or mobile money operators that accept deposits, issue credits, and honour withdrawals on the Stellar network – vital to the success of the Stellar network.
The conditions for qualifying as an anchor or as an exchange and the amount of lumens being distributed for each challenge are listed in this blogpost.
Stellar CEO Jed McCaleb told IBTimes: "We are hoping to kickstart the Stellar ecosystem and it seems like awarding people with the lumens is a good option. We want people building on Stellar who are stakeholders, who are participating on the network.
"This way the lumens will go to the people who are actually building stuff, which I think will ultimately benefit the whole ecosystem down the line much more than just people that have a bunch of money.
"Stellar is this brand new platform and there are all kinds of things that will be built that we don't yet anticipate. Obviously there are exchanges and anchors and wallets, but beyond that I think there are a lot of innovative applications that we just haven't even thought of. It does enable a lot of use cases that were just not possible before."
McCaleb pointed out that this is a large community and the awards amount to quite a bit of money – two or three billion lumens is in the millions of dollars.
The lumens for first time submissions (originally dubbed Community Benefit awards) will be funded by any unclaimed lumens from the Bitcoin-Lumen Program. This aims to find ways to develop services that are fair, affordable, and community-driven, and at the same time drive uptake of the Stellar network to maximise efficiency and reach.
McCaleb added: "The idea is, that I think it is unlikely Satoshi will claim his lumens. So there will be a lot of lumens that are unclaimed with that, so rather than just putting them all back into Stellar.org, we thought it would be cool to do this novel thing. And if it's interesting to people, we will just kind of keep it going."
The first round of winners will be announced on 1 October 1 2016.Isaac Molho, a lawyer, long-time confidant and special diplomatic envoy of Benjamin Netanyahu, is the prime minister's associate who was detained for questioning by police Sunday in connection with alleged corruption in Israel’s procurement of submarines and missile boats from Germany.
Molho is suspected of promoting the deal with Germany during his diplomatic missions, part of the so-called "Case 3000" investigation. David Shimron, his law partner and his brother-in-law, was representing the German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Israel.
>> A discreet man for sensitive missions: Meet Isaac Molho, Netanyahu's confidant detained by Israeli police <<
Because the diplomatic missions were at the behest of the prime minister, the police are treating Molho as a public servant suspected of breach of trust. As part of a conflict-of-interest agreement he had signed, Molho committed to avoid dealing with any matter connected to his law firm’s clients during his diplomatic missions or in his conversations with Israeli officials.
>> Under interrogation: Netanyahu's right-hand man and left-hand man | Analysis <<
Michael Ganor (left) and David Shimron. Moti Milrod and Tomer Appelbaum
Police staged a confrontation between Molho and Michael Ganor, the former representative of the German shipbuilder building the submarines who turned state’s evidence in the case. The short confrontation, held in the offices of the police’s Lahav 443 anti-corruption unit in Lod, lasted about 10 minutes and was part of a larger eight-hour interrogation. On Sunday he was questioned by police for 15 hours. Shimron was also questioned again on Monday.
Molho said he had no connection to the submarine affair and did conduct any activities concern the submarine deal.
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Netanyahu’s name did not come up during the confrontation, said a source involved in the investigation. Molho’s interrogation on Monday did not concern his promoting the submarine deal during his diplomatic missions to Germany, said the source.
After questioning, Molho was released without any limitations except for being prohibited from leaving the country for 30 days. No date has yet been set for further questioning.
Shlomit Shimron, Molho’s wife and the sister of David Shimron, Netanyahu’s personal lawyer who also represented Ganor in the submarine business and is himself a major suspect in the corruption affair, declined to comment on the suspicions against her husband and brother.
“We are waiting for the truth to take the place of the lies, the evil and hatred. There are leaks and the media that is simply feasting on fake news,” she said.
Molho announced his resignation as Netanyahu’s special diplomatic envoy two weeks ago, but was expected to remain on the job until February.
Molho resigned only a day before the state was meant to respond to a petition to the High Court of Justice against his continued service as a diplomatic envoy. The petition argued that it was improper for Molho to be given sensitive diplomatic assignments while he was not a civil servant, and especially since his partner, Shimron, had been involved in the controversial submarine deal.
In a hearing on the petition Monday, the court accepted the state’s position that the resignation made the petition superfluous, but added that the question of whether a private person should be appointed a diplomatic envoy could be examined if Molho’s replacement is also a private citizen.
The court also added that Molho should leave his position as soon as possible, noting, “Under the current situation, [his remaining] does him no honor.” The state’s representative, Meital Buchman Schindel, argued that staying on the job until February was a reasonable amount of time to allow for “handing over the job in a careful and thought-out manner, without undermining the State of Israel’s foreign relations,” and that the public good required that he be part of the transition. “If we leave aside this new development [of Molho’s questioning,] Molho has filled a sensitive position for the State of Israel for many years and his sudden disappearance won’t serve the public interest,” Schindel added.
Molho’s own lawyer, Michael Rabello, noted during the hearing that no restrictions had been imposed on his work as an envoy.
Ganor signed a state’s witness agreement following his arrest earlier this year. Ganor was among the first of those arrested in the submarines case, for allegedly bribing Israeli officials and associates of the prime minister in order to lock in Israel’s purchase of three submarines and four missile boats from ThyssenKrupp for nearly 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion).
Molho served as special envoy twice, from 1996 to 1999 and then beginning in 2009. He conducted negotiations on Netanyahu’s behalf with the Palestinian Authority, was involved in cease-fire negotiations with Hamas in Gaza and has been a central figure in contacts with the Egyptians. He attended meetings of the security cabinet and was also involved in coalition negotiations.
Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid, who was finance minister when the deal with Germany was signed and who has given evidence in the case, said Monday at the start of his Knesset faction’s meeting, “All of Netanyahu’s closest circle is tainted by this case. I know what has not yet been published. There is no scenario under which Netanyahu won’t be summoned for questioning in the submarine case.”
After Molho was summoned for questioning, Likud tried to distance Netanyahu from the case.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is not in any way a suspect in the submarines case,” the party said in a statement. “That was correct, it is correct and it will always be correct. The media effort to cast doubt on the prime minister because some of his associates have been questioned is futile.”
Molho's lawyer, Zvi Agmon, commented on the allegations, saying his client had "contributed for years voluntarily to Israel's civil service, working for the benefit of the nation and not himself, and he has nothing to do with the submarine affair."BY Lisa Goldman | Thursday, September 13 2012
Updated
Tunisia is lifting Internet censorship. Information and Communication Minister Mongi Marzoug made the announcement on September 4 at the National Forum of Internet governance.
Under the deposed authoritarian leader President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose ouster in January 2011 triggered the Arab Spring, censorship of the Internet was extensive and draconian. Reporters Without Borders classified Tunisia as an "enemy of the Internet," while local Internet activists nicknamed the censorship Ammar 404, for the "404 Not Found" message they so often received when visiting various news, social media and information sites.
Censorship was eased after the Ben Ali regime was deposed, with access to popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well as popular news sites like Al Jazeera. But some restrictions remained in place.
Minister Marzoug promised "Tunisia will prove to the world that it has truly ended censorship."
But Tunisian cyber activist and President of the Tunisian Pirate Party Sleh Eddine Kchouk expressed considerable skepticism in response to the minister's announcement.
“Tunisia has always embraced advanced technologies when it comes to the virtual world, in theory. But in practice, it’s completely different,” he stated. Kchouk expressed dissatisfaction with continuous internet monitoring by the government and believes that the old practices of ousted president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali are still persistent.
Update: Khaled Koubaa, Policy Manager North Africa at Google, adds that he sees "positive signs" coming from the government.
One of the key positive sign is the National Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to be organized next year. But to be sure that we will really "end" Internet censorship in Tunisia we will need is to organize this National IGF in a multi-stakeholder way which will help to have a real discussion on key policy change in the actual Internet policies. The big challenge will be to put in place an open and participatory policy making process that will govern the Internet in Tunisia so the ecosystem will naturally reject any tentative of censor back the network. Combatting the censorship should be at the policy and standards level not only at content level. A policy that prohibit usage of a technical standard (like VoIP for example ) is simply censoring the right of users to use the technology to express themselves.
Personal Democracy Media is grateful to the Omidyar Network for its generous support of techPresident's WeGov section.Image copyright STR Image caption The Paris agreement is meant to reduce carbon emissions
US President Donald Trump is poised to pull the country out of the Paris climate accord, US media report, quoting senior officials.
The 2015 accord for the first time united most of the world in a single agreement to mitigate climate change.
It was signed by 195 countries out of 197 in a UN group on climate change, with Syria and Nicaragua abstaining.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Trump said he would announce his decision within the "next few days".
What was agreed in Paris?
Climate change, or global warming, refers to the damaging effect of gases, or emissions, released from industry and agriculture on the atmosphere.
The Paris accord is meant to limit the global rise in temperature attributed to emissions.
Countries agreed to:
Keep global temperatures "well below" the level of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and "endeavour to limit" them even more, to 1.5C
Limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity to the same levels that trees, soil and oceans can absorb naturally, beginning at some point between 2050 and 2100
Review each country's contribution to cutting emissions every five years so they scale up to the challenge
Enable rich countries to help poorer nations by providing "climate finance" to adapt to climate change and switch to renewable energy
To date, 147 out of the 197 countries have ratified the accord, including the US, where the accord entered into force last November.
Why does Trump object?
Mr Trump has previously called climate change "a hoax" devised by the Chinese government.
He promised to "cancel" the Paris deal during his election campaign last year, saying it was "bad for US business" because it allowed "foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy we use".
Image copyright AFP Image caption Paris celebrated when the climate accord came into force in November
His supporters argue the accord restricts America's ability to do what it wants with its energy resources - an important sector of the economy.
However, under the accord, countries set emission limits themselves - not an outside panel.
A slap in the face - Analysis by BBC News environment correspondent Matt McGrath
If he does decide to pull out of the accord, the key question is how will he do it?
The agreement stipulates a three-year waiting period before a country can give notice of leaving, which adds another 12 months and brings us to June 2021.
It could be that President Trump will be out of office before the US would be out of the deal.
Alternatively he could declare that the agreement is a treaty which in US law needs approval by the Senate. It's likely that the Republican majority in the chamber would mean the end of the road for Paris.
A more extreme option would be to pull out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change upon which the Paris deal is built.
It dates back to 1992 and was agreed by President George Bush, and left in place by his son, George W, who was no great fan of climate action.
Leaving this longstanding convention would only take 12 months, but would be seen as perhaps a bigger slap in the face for the international community, as it places strong emphasis on the environmental rights of developing nations.
Follow @MattMcGrathBBC
Can America leave just like that?
It remains unclear when or how the administration might plan to pull out of the climate agreement, the BBC's Paul Rincon writes.
A four-year period is required to quit the Paris deal but by pulling out of the UN's climate body - the UNFCCC - the US could extricate itself in one year.
However, this would represent a significant move: the US signed up to the convention in 1992, under then President George Bush Snr.
A small team including Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is working on the details of how the withdrawal will be executed, the Axios news site reports, quoting unnamed sources.
Does it matter if the US pulls out?
America is the world's second-biggest carbon dioxide emitter after China so its withdrawal would have a real impact.
Under the Paris accord, it is committed to reducing greenhouse emissions by 26-28% below its 2005 level by 2025.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Antonio Guterres: "The agreement doesn't collapse if a country leaves the agreement"
There are fears that other countries could follow the US lead or show less commitment to the goals of the Paris accord.
However, China, India and the EU have indicated they will stick with the accord even if Mr Trump moves to withdraw the US.
Speaking to the BBC earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the accord would survive regardless of Mr Trump's position.
What's the reaction?
Environmental groups like the Sierra Club said American withdrawal from the Paris accord would be a "historic mistake", while Friends of the Earth said the move would "sacrifice our planet to the fossil fuel industry" and make the US the world's "foremost climate villain".
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk threatened to step down from a pair of White House advisory councils if Mr Trump withdraws from the deal.
In recent days, the CEOs of dozens of companies including ExxonMobil Corp, Dow Chemical and Unilever NV have urged the White House to remain in the accord.
Exxon shareholders back 'historic' vote on climate
One of the US states leading the fight against climate change is California, and its governor told the BBC the US president was giving climate denial a bad name.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption California to 'work with China' on climate
There are dissenting voices within Mr Trump's own party. Senior Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham and Mitt Romney have warned the move threatens US standing and leadership.
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the British government would be "disappointed" if the US pulled out but they would not tell President Trump he was wrong.
The French government said it would pursue a "very aggressive" policy to uphold the Paris accord.
Formidable forces tug Trump - BBC News North America reporter Anthony Zurcher
While a presidential decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement would roil the international community and frustrate White House advocates of addressing climate change - including Donald Trump's own daughter - there are formidable forces within the administration in favour of such a move.
Economic nationalists like senior adviser Steve Bannon view withdrawal as very visible way for the US to demonstrate that it |
agent.
So let’s pick the story up later that afternoon, ages later. We had waited for a number of reasons at their house to go. I got sick of waiting and hiked up the way for lunch, and was now waiting at a nearby restaurant. I was trying to nurse by throat with cold coca cola out of a glass bottle, the cold fizz had a nice numbing. It was a nice joint, closed door and air con, I didn’t see any flies. The lunch had been really good, yellow rice and chicken and some furry stuff that was weird along with those potato fritter things they have here, what the hell are those called? I could live off just those. Now I was killing time with a painting they had. It depicted a middle aged modern looking woman in the center walking through an Asian street market. What got me was the honest detail, nothing was glorified, a lot of the vegetables and fish were in plastic egg crate cartons laying on the ground, the people didn’t look overly happy or sad to be climbing over one another in the rabble of the market, it was a strange place to find something with such honest realism, every inch of the painting was like so many markets I have seen first hand, and have photographed but never captured the way this did. Next to the painting was another painting of a rooster, and next to that a poster of Alex Van Halen next to his mammoth drum kit, holding his sticks and smirking. Finally, after a day of false starts a big yellow bemo pulled up and everyone came pouring out. They had actually gone out and flagged down a bemo to hire for the day.
For those of you playing along at home who may have missed the last few chapters here at the Indonesian Adventure, a bemo is a mini van with the seats taken out and replaced with long benches running along the inside. different colored bemos take different routes and it is the closet thing Surabaya has to a mass transit system. It is also the way I get to work when to lazy to bicycle.
Party bemo
Out of the bemo came the party people: Anna from Australia, Rowan from Alaska, Lauren from Missouri or someplace, Megan from South Africa, roommate Suchett from England by way of Tuscany, and his little lady Emily who was Indonesian through and through.
PARTY PEOPLE GET IN THAT PARTY BEMO AND GET ON WITH THE PARTY NOW!!!
Lauren wanted beer but Rowan didn’t want to stop. It was a two hour drive to, oh yeah, we were going to be staying in the town of Lawang, not Malang like I had told Suchett. In my defense they are close together and they do rhyme. In Lawang we would be staying in the very haunted hotel Niagara. They actually have a little trouble renting out rooms these days at the Niagara, Indonesians won’t go near the place. Indonesian culture is very steeped in fear of ghosts. A few weeks ago in a conversation class I asked my students to tell me about famous ghosts of Indonesia and the list just went on and on. And it’s not Johnny Appleseed hook from the mirror folklore kind of jive, no man that shit is serious to them. So an actuall haunted hotel to them is some bad ju ju.
Most of that day was spent trying to piece together the night before. At some point Anna lost her wallet, and everyone had a different unique story about where they had vomited, and every so often a new piece of the evening would be presented to the group via someones brief flash of memory bringing everyone that much closer to understanding the nature of their hangovers, and if they had smoked or not, and what ever happened with that boy so and so was making out with and what was his name and how did we ever make it home and what time was it and so on. Sounded night a great night, I was genuinely sorry to have missed out.
The road to Lawang goes past Trettes, I got to see my big blue friend again, this time way too overcast to see really, but I did get to glimpse parts of him. We were cramed in that bemo and when the traffic jam started we just didn’t care. I started reaching my arm out the window trying to give high fives to truckers, one guy driving a load of dirt reached across and slapped my hand to grand hoots in both vehicles. We started waving at every car, which delighted everyone. One woman in a van proudly held her baby by the window and had it wave back at us. One guy in another car passed us pastries, a guy hanging out of the door of a bus passed a lighter to Laurah, who lit her smoke, waited for the bus to catch up and passed the guys lighter back. Oh, but the best was the family who were directly behind us, we hollered back and forth at them for a while, when Anna had the idea to write a note with her number they called us and past that phone to every member of the family. They wanted to know our names, where we were from, and wouldn’t we rather go to Malang instead so they could fix us diner. That was a very tempting offer but we were on a mission and had to keep on rolling. Over the next hour, Laurah asked the driver to stop so she could pee at least five times and for some reason the guy wouldn’t do it. Finally he pulled over to a gas station and announced that the pit stop would cost us extra, I never heard how much. When we got to the place we put a wad of money in his hand, the exact amount he had told us earlier and walked in with him standing in the parking lot looking pissed off. Deals a deal.
The Niagara in Lawang was built by the Dutch in the 1900’s, and I couldn’t find anything in a quick google search on the subject, Rowan told me some story about a Dutch woman who was horrifically murdered by Japanese soldiers on the fifth floor, and that someone else jumped from the top balcony to their death. Rowan has been here before and this whole trip was her idea. Good idea, Rawan, good idea!
After check in and routine haggling session at the front desk, we went in search of sate and beer. Oh man, here is a cool thing about Asia, most places have their own take on meat on a stick. In Indonesia it is sate, which is meat roasted on a stick with a sort of peanut sauce. Good good. Maybe the best food in Indonesia I have found. Next to the hotel is a huge street market, Rowan had a place she had gone last time with which she had connected, so we found it again. The same lady was there and was delighted to see Rowan’s return. We were looking at the menu and Megan commented that in all her time in Indonesia she had never tried one dish, she is moving on next week which is a shame, she seems like good people. I asked her why she hadn’t tried the dish in question, she said it was cow’s nose, someone said she had to try it before she left and me being me I offered to have some if she did and next thing you know we are ordering a dish of cow nose. The food comes, and one whiff of the cow nose and Megan chickens instantly. I had to, it is a deep set rule of mine now that I have absolutely got to be brave and eat the strange food when it presents itself to me. Here is my list in order of strangeness:
dog
scorpian
sheeps eyes roasted on a stick (like yummy sate)
grass hoppers fried with green onions (all fried bugs are pretty much the same as far as I can tell, so that is about as strange as scorpian)
snake skinned in front of my eyes and roasted on a stick still slythering
congealed ducks blood
duck face
duck/chicken/pig feet
bacon prepared by Jordon Folley (do you know Jordan Folly? Please send her my love if you do.)
pork rines
zots candy (not bad strange, good strange)
and now, cow’s nose
People, take it from me, don’t eat cow nose.
That shit is gross you guys. It smells like a wet dirty mangy dog and it is gewey and chewy and I almost threw up a couple of times trying to get it down and everyone else almost threw up a couple of times watching me do it. It took a whole beer to try to wash it down and the second taste wasn’t much of an improvement. What has happened to me? How have I fallen this far? Am I the kid in highschool who will eat anything for a nickle? I guess so, but I have a rep to maintain at this point, and now I have this whole list going, so I do these things and hell you all know I ain’t proud of it, but who the hell knows. I guess I just confuse having an open mind with straight up stupidity at times. Anyway, don’t eat cow nose because it’s gross.
And for the record I would do it again, but only if I had never tried it before. I am now good on cow nose for ever.
So then we started just eating the sate and the smell of the cow nose dish started to get to us. I said we should try to eat some of the vegetables and pineapple that wasn’t cow nose to try to not offend the lady. Megan said she couldn’t take the smell and wanted to take it to the kitchen, and my reply was
“well, I really think if we send it back it would be really rude and, oh Jesus Christ get this thing out of here I can’t take it either.” And it was gone. That was the single grossest thing I have ever tasted. Lucky I had sate and beer to rid my poor mouth of the flavor.
We sat there for a while chewing sate and then the gado gado came, salad with egg and peanut sauce and vegetables. We all took turns drawing signs for the ladies wall, her request. She rated them, mine was dead last. I had writen “Your gado gado makes me glado glado” and I had drawn a ninja and a dinosaur.
Back to the Niagara. The place is opulent. It was all laid out in the first place for Dutch aristocracy rich enough to travel to Indonesia in the 1800’s, an entire floor would have been one master sweet and was now cut into single rooms, ceilings towering and rafters with ornate carvings and tile designs. We had three rooms, all joined by a common sitting area, each room with a huge balcony overlooking the city and the grounds. In the common room, behind a potted plant is the old elevator shaft. I moved the plant and to my surprise the oak door to the elevator shaft opened right up, I could see all the way down, and I could see up one floor, I could see the fifth floor. Aside from the outside of the building, this was one of two places I found where I could see any part of the fifth floor. We were on the fourth floor in the big sweets. The stair way went up to the next level had a large board at the top of the landing reading DO NOT ENTER in both languages. I guess the fifth floor is where the ghosts are, and I guess where the poor Dutch woman was killed by the Japanese soldiers.
Luarah and I went up the stairs past the DO NOT ENTER sign first chance we got. The bottom of the next flight of stairs was blocked off by a big steel gate with steel bars going up the banister to the ceiling. They were serious about us not going in there. We stood and we looked through the gate up the stairs. It was dark up there, the paint was peeling. And you know what? Something was not ok up there. It was slightly colder there than the floor below, and you know, it just felt different. I would just say not ok. I really didn’t like standing there, and I don’t know why. Laurah didn’t either and we both agreed to get the hell away. We sat downstairs talking about it, her contention was that it is clearly a pyschosematic thing, of coarse it feels creepy, we know that floor is said to be haunted. Rowan went up there and came down covered in goose bumps that you could see. It was a really creepy place.
Certain places have energy, memory almost. A stain which never washes or fades, just lingers. It is something we all know but never acknowledge to each other, or even to ourselves, and so it all goes by felt but unsaid.
For example: I was in a killing field in Cambodia once, didn’t know it was a killing field, my guide didn’t speak a lot of English so I thought I was climbing a mountain to over look a field where Khmer Rouge killed loads of people. In the center of the mountain was a cave, and when I walked in I knew immediatly that horror had happened there, not in a nearby field but right there in that cave. The air all around was pregnant with the linger of something aweful. On one side of the cave was a wooden platform which I didn’t walk up. I later found out that if I had I would have seen into a pit of human skulls. I later found out that the hole, a couple of hundred yards up in the top of the cave was where they were dropping people to their deaths because they had run out of ammo. The point of this grizzly story is that I fucking knew, I knew standing there that some bad shit had happened, and I knew it had to have been right there. I felt it. You feel it in a hospital and you feel it at a funeral home the same way, death stays as part of the surroundings. I felt something standing at those stairs, and it was creepy as shit. I think we all felt it.
That’s the best I got with the haunted hotel. I didn’t see any ghosts, I didn’t hear phantom steps, I didn’t get slimed. I had some strange dreams, I did dream my arms were being held to the matress and someone was screaming in my face, but it really was just a creepy dream inspired by being in a creepy place.
Megan had wine, real red wine, and we had a very nice relaxing several drinks in the common room that night. I raised a glass and toasted:
“New friends I hope in time will become old friends, and to the ghosts upstairs, may you find piece” we all drank. It was nice.
In the morning I took Anna’s camera and took a video of the bottom of the stairs up into floor five. It wasn’t nearly as creepy in the morning light. I hope to study the video in hopes of seeing small blips I hadn’t seen before or hearing weird noises which later prove to be someone yelling “get out” in Dutch.
My throat was killing me.
So that’s part one of last weekend. Mainly just Saturday, Sunday is coming soon. Meanwhile, I tried to do some research on the hotel, I posted a question about it to the good people on lonely planet thorn tree, I thought I would share the question I posted and the responses I got.
Who you gonna call? My friends and I stayed in the Niagara in Lawang last weekend. I know they say it’s haunted, we didn’t see any ghosts, but laugh if you want I am a sucker for this kind of thing. I just wanted to know if anyone has done any research into the story behind this place and why it’s said to be haunted aside from being a totally creepy place. And while we’re at it, does anyone have any good Indonesian ghost stories or dirt on Indonesian ghost folk lore. And for those of you just looking here for travel advice the Niagara is a really cool hotel next to a really cool market street.
Thanks guys 1 If you can read Indonesian, you have a nice summary of these things in this book.
I found it fun to read.
Of course there are many, many more local stories of ghosts and other similar beings throughout Indonesia.
Yet to actually see one myself - though according to my local friends I have heard them at least twice in North Maluku! :-) 2 some Indonesian bloggers have wrote abous this hotel. Like this one
http://hurek.blogspot.com/2007/03/hotel-niagara-di-malang.html
it’s in bahasa Indonesia. One of that blog’s visitor (garing) said, he was born in Lawang and yes he knew Niagara hotel got some misterious rumors. In the third floor, there was one room who never open to public. Some said that’s because this was the room where japanese soldiers kill dutch girl.
this hotel also known as hotel of three beautiful ghost. Garing used to be a guide to tourist from netherland. the initial plan of his clients was to stay 5 days at the hotel, but only 2 days and they had asked to move to other place. it happened at 1987.
they said saw ‘keranda’ ( a muslim bier) at the living room but then its dissappeared. but most of this blog’s visitor said they were more interested about the unique architecture of the hotel rather than its spookines. If you go to an Indonesian bookshop and ask for Roman Ilmu Ghaib, they will sell you several novels involving black magic. These novels will of course be in Bahasa Indonesia. Thanks as always to the good people at lonely planet for taking the time to reply.Overview
A multi-sig contract utilized with parity suffered a security flaw, that allowed funds to be taken. Full details: https://blog.parity.io/security-alert-high-2/
No Metal Internal Funds were taken via this security vulnerability, ETH or the MTL token. We are safe and took precautions before and after to increase security, including moving funds to cold storage from our modified multi-sig contract. We were in all hands on deck mode, regardless. We researched the blockchain, and we spent extra time double checking all values. We love the Ethereum community as a whole, and we hope this doesn't damage what everyone is trying to achieve.
You can view the audit of the Metal Token Contract here, which we've also taken extra care to get review on: https://blog.zeppelin.solutions/metal-token-audit-d7e4dbf17bcf
1,001 MTL from what appears to be a single user was taken. It is currently in "The Whitehat Hacker" Address (https://etherscan.io/address/0x1dba1131000664b884a1ba238464159892252d3a). If you had stored funds in a Parity Multi-sig wallet please check your funds. A summary on etherscan, if you view the address, details the plans of the whitehat group to return funds, but we won't be 100% certain until it happens.
Moving Forward
We'd like to send our best wishes to anyone that suffered loss and hope that as many funds as possible will be returned. We want to reiterate public/private key cryptography is strong, and using cold storage and hardware wallets remains one of the safest ways to store funds. Multi-signature is not built in directly to Ethereum, and so it is still experimental. Some hardware wallets to consider are Trezor, Ledger, or Keepkey as a method for additional security for Ethereum and ERC20 coins. Bitcoin Multi-Sig has been stress tested and has long been a security option for the industry, as a built in function of the protocol, so this does not reflect on Bitcoins use of Multi-Sig.Peter Molyneux's new studio, 22 Cans are creating a massively multiplayer game that includes £50,000 DLC. Curiosity will be the first in 22 experiments designed to explore our interactions with social media. And our bank accounts, by the sounds of it.
Players start in a 2001-inspired white room which holds a single black cube. And you've got a chisel. By tapping away at the cube you'll cause it to fracture, revealing hidden layers underneath. It's a bit like eating one of those impractical giant gobstoppers. Only there's one gobstopper, countless amounts of lickers, and one very expensive tongue-mod on offer.
“It's so intriguing that the first thing you do is to touch the cube, and as you do, you'll move towards it," Molyneux told Edge. "As you do so, words will fade in: “Curiosity” and that will fade away. Second: “What is inside the black cube?” As you get closer, you realise that as you tap, this almost imperceptible crack will appear, a hairline crack so tiny in this huge cube."
The really interesting part? After a certain amount of tapping the second stage of the experiment will begin. The DLC stage.
Players will be able to upgrade their chisels with real-money cash. And iron chisel will set you back 59p, but will tap 10 times harder than your starting tool. The range of chisels runs right up to a single Diamond model which costs a staggering £50,000 but is 100,000 times more powerful. "It's an insane amount of money," admits Peter, but the aim is to see whether pure curiosity will drive one player, or a syndicate of players assembled through social media, to buy the chisel. "This is not a money-making exercise; it is a test about the psychology of monetisation," Molyneux told New Scientist.
After a certain number of taps, the cube will open, revealing something "truly amazing, absolutely unique" to the player who performed the final hit. And that's the key - the more expensive your chisel, the more likely you are to see the money shot.
"There's only one black cube in the whole world, and everybody who's tapping and chipping and sculpting away at this cube is trying to find out what is in the middle. I'm not going to tell anyone," Peter promised Edge.
Peter is most looking forward to discovering how/when/if that player divulges the secret. "We will rely entirely on social media," he explains. "How will this person prove it? That in itself becomes a fascinating aspect of this experiment."
Another 21 experiments will follow Curiosity. Peter will learn a little bit from each one which, helping him realise a game he's planning on releasing in two years.
Curiosity will be launch on PC and mobile in six weeks.Colorado Democrats are setting up a taco truck outside of Donald Trump’s campaign office in Denver to register voters after a Trump surrogate said that more Mexicans moving to the United States would lead to “taco trucks on every corner.”
“My culture is a very dominant culture. It’s imposing and it’s causing problems. If you don’t do something about it, you’re going to have taco trucks on every corner,” Marco Gutierrez, the cofounder of Latinos for Trump, said of Mexicans in the United States.
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The remark, which was widely mocked, has ended up as fodder for Democratic attacks. The Colorado Democrats’ truck is scheduled to set up on Friday afternoon and register voters “eat lunch, talk with passer-bys about the stakes in this election,” according to a statement.
The Denver taco truck is not the only trolling the Democrats have done. The Arizona Democratic Party has changed its sign to say “Taco Trucks On Every Corner.”
The Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party in Colorado and Arizona are seeking to register Latino voters, who support Clinton by wide margins but historically turn out to vote at lower rates that whites do.
Contact us at editors@time.com.Mention Australia and it is odds on that kangaroos and Sydney’s Bondi Beach will spring to mind. With its rolling surf and bikini clad babes, Bondi was my favourite hangout as a teenager after I had arrived in Australia in 1947. Six weeks after sailing from Southampton, I stood with my parents gazing in wonder at the beautiful foreshores of Sydney Harbour. Our ship was the SS Esperance Bay and in 1940 her sister ship, the Jervis Bay, had gone down with all guns blazing saving an Atlantic convoy from the awesome firepower of the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer.
Five years later, after joining the Royal Australian Air Force as a trainee pilot, I graduated as a Sergeant in late 1952 with 205 hours on Tiger Moths and Wirraways – the latter being a beefed up Harvard. The RAAF needed replacement fighter pilots for the war in Korea and members of my course were asked to state their posting preferences. Having watched the Battle of Britain from the fields of Kent and being an avid reader of British comic heroes like Biggles and Rockfist Rogan, it seemed only natural that I chose to fly fighters, while others of my course went on to fly bombers and transports.
After graduation, I was posted to the fighter base at Williamtown, 80 miles north of Sydney – there to carry out 40 hours of operational training on Mustangs followed by 30 hours on Vampires. Those that passed the fighter course went to Korea to fly Meteors on operations. As it turned out, I never did get to Korea. Others on my course did, losing one killed and another shot down and taken prisoner. Meanwhile I went on a month’s leave to Sydney prior to starting fighter training. After three weeks of surf and sun at Bondi I began to miss the fun of flying and considered cutting short my leave in favour of travelling to Williamtown early. The first members of my course had gone straight to fighter training without taking leave and I was keen to meet up with them again.
An hour in the train from Sydney was the village of Schofields with a RAAF base of the same name nearby. No 22 (City of Sydney), based at Schofields, was a fighter squadron equipped with several Mustangs and a Wirraway. Hatching a plan, I scrubbed the idea of going early to Williamtown and instead decided to beg, borrow or steal a Wirraway from Schofields and get current again. As it turned out, I had to beg. My plan was to fly on one day and chase Bondi blondes on the next – repeat for the seven days of the week. So it was off with the Speedo’s (Aussie swimming togs) and on with my dark blue RAAF uniform and brand new pilot’s wings.
The Commanding Officer at Schofields was very accommodating and he let me share the Wirraway with others as safety pilot on instrument flying and the occasional dropping off of senior officers at other nearby RAAF bases. Most of these pilots had flown Mustangs and Meteors in Korea and were awaiting posting to permanent squadrons around Australia These pilots also flew the Mustangs based at Schofields and I watched with them with envy even though I knew that I would be soon flying the same type at Williamtown.
In between sunning myself at Bondi and flying the Wirraway, I spent idle moments in the cockpit of a Mustang reading the Pilot’s Notes and savouring the heady aroma of high octane fuel, glycol coolant and hydraulic oil. At knock off time, I would hitch a ride to the station in time to catch the last train to Sydney. Next day I would wake up, sniff the air, and decide between Bondi blondes or Schofields Mustangs. It was no contest. The Mustangs won every time, much to the dismay of my then current lady friend.
A few days before my leave was up, the CO called me to his office and said that as I had done a good job of hanging around his airfield and making it look untidy, I might as well fly a Mustang before I left for Williamtown. With that, he pointed to a beautiful fighter parked in the shade of some tall Norfolk pine trees that graced the edge of the tarmac. It was A68-144 being refuelled after having just returned from a gunnery exercise. I had earlier watched it land, not dreaming that soon it would be mine – all mine!
I thanked the CO profusely with my forehead not quite touching the ground, while at the same time only half listening as he sternly warned me not to bend his aeroplane. Strictly speaking he was probably sticking his neck out by letting me fly at all. After all, I was not a full time member of his squadron. But in those days, COs were gods of their own patch and only the brave or foolish questioned their decisions. The way I saw it, he was a Wing Commander and I a mere sergeant, and who was I to question his decision!
Having eaten a hearty last meal at the Snake-Pit – or Sergeants Mess as it is more formally known – it was down to the flight hut to sign the Form EE77 maintenance sheet and gear myself up with parachute, flying helmet, and oxygen mask. As an afterthought, I slipped a copy of Pilot’s Notes Mustang into the knee pocket of my green RAAF issue flying suit. Just in case it was needed you understand.
By now the Merlin engine had cooled down which meant that there was less chance of over-priming and an exhaust stack fire. I had seen one Mustang catch fire while starting and the long gouts of fuel fed flame that belched from the exhaust stacks had almost reached the cockpit. Meanwhile the ground staff helped me strap in and stood by while I carried out a left to right cockpit check. No checklists in those days – it was all in the head. In contrast today, one sees Cessna flying school checklists twice the length of the drills needed to fly a Mustang.
Having got the thumbs up from the ground staff and noted the readily available fire extinguisher, I started the engine. A few lazy rotations of the four bladed propeller then the Merlin burst to life. After checking that the oil pressure was rising, I eased the throttle back to 1300 rpm and completed the after-start checks.
ATC knew it was a first solo on type and kindly kept a Wirraway orbiting in the circuit area while I completed the run-up facing into wind on the duty runway. The Merlin engine tends to overheat unless the coolant radiator is facing into the wind and this shows by quickly rising temperatures on the coolant temperature gauge. A jet of hot liquid squirting from a valve on top of the engine indicates a dangerous glycol temperature and unless the engine is shut down immediately, severe damage can result.
Having been cleared for takeoff, I closed and locked the canopy, tightened the throttle friction nut and carefully lined up. The forward view was now blocked by the engine. A glance at the rudder trim confirmed that it was correctly set to 5 degrees right bias, and after a last look at the coolant temperature I set the radiator shutter from open to auto. This ensures automatic regulation of the coolant temperature during the rest of the flight.
And then it was on for young and old. With the control column hard back to lock the tailwheel, I released the brakes and slowly opened the throttle to 61 inches of manifold pressure. There was no real trouble in holding the aircraft straight down the runway providing you don’t force the tail up and cause a gyroscopic swing to occur. However, the sheer volume of noise from the Merlin almost deafened me while at the same time the acceleration pushed me back hard against the seat. After the small throttle movement of the Wirraway, I seemed to be forever pushing the Mustang throttle forward. Having never ridden a donkey, let alone a beast like a Mustang, I found it had quickly got ahead of me by the time I realised I had passed liftoff speed.
Once airborne, I remembered the pilots notes caution not to apply the brakes lest they were hot and seized on. After fumbling the gear lever to up, I felt the satisfying clunk of the gear locking into the wings. With another long pull back on the throttle to attain climb power of 44 inches of manifold pressure, I eased back the pitch lever from 3000 to 2650 rpm. By now the speed had got to 150 knots without trying and once settled into the climb I noticed the VSI steady at 2500 fpm.
It was then I realised that I had been holding my breath! The sheer magic of flying the nearest thing to a Spitfire kicked in, and I thought how wonderful it was to be alive and flying this fantastic aircraft. Yet all things are relative, and when only a few weeks later I was asked to fly a Mustang on short notice, after having by then flown single seat Vampires, I bitched like crazy because I didn’t want to fly a noisy old Mustang after a jet engine Vampire! Such is the arrogance of youth and as I write this today, I would give my left whatsit to fly a Mustang again.
After climbing quickly to 15,000 feet, it was time to get the feel of the Mustang at high speed. The aircraft was a delight in aerobatics although I shied away from upward rolls (340 knots entry speed) in case I stalled and spun off. Having carried out a roll off the top of a loop at 300 knots and barrelled around some fluffy cumulus, it was time to try an intentional spin. The pilots notes warned against leaving power on during a spin because as much as nine or ten thousand feet may be lost during recovery. That was a serious height loss in any language, and although practice spins were not recommended to be started below 12,000 feet, I climbed back to 15,000 feet just to make sure. I was glad I was wearing a parachute!
Having checked all clear below, I closed the throttle fully and gradually raised the nose. There is a marked yaw when power is changed in the Mustang but I was ready for this and kept the aircraft in balance. At the pre-stall buffet it was a case of full rudder in the direction of the desired turn, and full back stick. Then we were away, with the nose falling steeply initially, then rising above the horizon, while the rate of turn in the spin alternately slowed and speeded up Having quickly carved off 3000 feet, I thought enough is enough and took standard recovery action. There was the expected slight delay in stopping the spin as the rate of turn increased momentarily, then the recovery was complete and I pulled out of the dive. No great drama, but having been brought up on Wirraway spins, I can vouch for the old saying that if you can fly a Wirraway, you can fly anything.
Then I carried out some dirty stalls but apart from one particularly vicious wing drop because I had not kept an eye on the skid needle, the recoveries were quite docile. A few steep turns and a fun-run through some cloud tops then it became time to go home. While I was tempted to flash over the airfield in a classic fighter buzz and break, it was clear that with only 210 hours up my sleeve, a sedate circuit entry would be more appropriate for my level of experience. A good decision, as it turned out a few minutes later.
The downwind checks included radiator shutters to auto, flaps to 20 degrees, mixture to run, and carburetor air to unrammed filtered. Over the fence was planned at 100 knots. Everything went fine until shortly before turning base when I selected the gear lever down and nothing happened. Thank goodness I had the Pilots Notes with me.
ATC cleared me to circle the aerodrome while sorting things out. The book said to rock and yaw the aircraft. I did that but the wheels stayed up. There was plenty of fuel so endurance wasn’t a problem, but it was late in the afternoon and I didn’t want to miss the last train to Sydney. The CO came on the radio and led me through the remaining emergency procedures, which included pulling the fairing door emergency control. To my relief the landing gear locked down and I returned for another crack at landing.
The view over the nose on final was fine until the round-out when the runway disappeared and I was left with only a limited side view. After a prolonged float, which was too high for comfort and with the Merlin merrily popping and crackling away, the Mustang hit firmly on all three points. With the stick full back, the landing run was kept moderately straight by use of the lockable tailwheel.
As the Mustang rolled to a stop I slid back the canopy and unclipping my oxygen mask savoured the scent of country fresh air. The feeling was wonderful and after retracting the flaps and opening the radiator shutters, I made a careful 180 and taxied back towards the shade of the tall Norfolk pines. A relieved CO gave me a pat on the back for bringing his Mustang home in one piece, and the ground staff invited me to their Mess for a drink. The first beer went down as the last train to Sydney pulled out of the station.Fredi Morales was looking forward to turning 21 on Friday, and he’d planned to celebrate reaching legal drinking age with an evening of fun with friends at a nightclub, his brother said.
Instead, friends and relatives are mourning his death after he was hit by a police SUV while he crossed a street on foot in north suburban Wheeling.
Morales, of Des Plaines, came to the Chicago area about two years ago to work and send money back home to his mother in Mexico, said his brother, Oscar Morales, who lived with him.
“He wanted to succeed and to help our family,” said Morales. “Whatever we made we would send to our mother so she would be more or less taken care of.”
The accident happened as Fredi Morales was crossing McHenry Road around 5:45 a.m. Sunday, Wheeling police said. He had been with friends and was headed to his car before the accident, said Steven Goldman, an attorney representing the Morales family.
As Morales was crossing the road, a Wheeling police officer in an SUV was trying to get closer to a westbound driver who’d committed a traffic violation, said Deputy Chief Todd Wolff. The officer was preparing to initiate a traffic stop and had not turned on his emergency lights or sounded his siren before the accident, Wolff said. Morales was wearing dark colors and the road was dimly lit, authorities said.
A 20-year-old man died early Sunday morning after being struck by a police vehicle along McHenry Road in Wheeling. A 20-year-old man died early Sunday morning after being struck by a police vehicle along McHenry Road in Wheeling. SEE MORE VIDEOS
Following departmental policy, the officer has been put on indefinite paid leave, the deputy chief said. Wolff declined to identify the officer but said he’s a 22-year veteran with no disciplinary history.
“Our sympathy and prayers go out to the Morales family at this very difficult time,” Wheeling police said in a statement.
As the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team continues to investigate, Goldman has started his own inquiry. He said he plans to explore the circumstances of the crash and the alleged traffic violation that spurred it.
Lori Wood, who lives near the scene, woke up early Sunday and saw the police SUV pass the front of her house, she said. She was in the back yard |
unclear who will develop its new chassis.
HRT fell out with chassis constructor Dallara this year and has since had Toyota Motorsport GmbH pull out of a deal to develop its car for 2011. However, the team insists that a new car is being developed and Kolles is confident the team has learnt from the mistakes it made last season.
When asked by HRT's press officer what the "actual situation of the team" is, Kolles responded: "We are working to have a better package than last year [2010]. From my point of view, the season was not as good as we would have liked it to be in terms of performance and this has to improve. Obviously this depends on a lot of factors but we are working to achieve our goals."
He is also confident that a new deal to use a Williams gearbox will help improve performance. "It cannot be wrong to have a package which proved to be on a regular basis in Q3 in qualifying," Kolles said.
HRT owner Jose Ramon Carabante said this week that the 2011 car is being built "in Germany and in England", leading to speculation that Oxfordshire-based Formtech, which worked closely with Super Aguri, is behind the project.
Formtech supplies composites to F1 teams including Renault, Lotus and Toro Rosso, but has also built and run a F1 chassis to current specifications based on the 2006 Super Aguri.
Formtech boss Mark Preston, who after serving as Super Aguri's technical boss acquired the assets of the failed team along with German investors, said: "Formtech... would fit perfectly with Hispania to provide the resources they might need. If we were able to launch Super Aguri in just 100 days, then almost anything is possible."
Looking back at the last season, Kolles insisted that the 2010 car was not as bad as it appeared. Despite no major aerodynamic developments over the course of the year, Kolles said HRT missed out on the coveted 10th place in the constructors' championship due to the inexperience of its drivers - who he swapped in and out of the team at late notice depending on how much sponsorship money they could bring.
"It was a difficult year but we were the most reliable new team," he said. "I think the only reason why we did not finish 10th is that teams like Lotus and Virgin had more experienced drivers during the whole season. I think that in testing we showed quite a good performance in relation to the other new teams.
"We improved over the season. Reliability was the first objective. We learnt a lot and hope that from now on we can concentrate more on improving the performance."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.One of the major leaps forward in gut science began with an accidental shooting at a trading post on June 6, 1822. A fur trader named Alexis St. Martin took a bullet in the abdomen, leaving him with a hole ripped through his muscle, bone and internal organs. Nobody expected him to survive. But he did. And the hole through his body survived, too.
In the process of healing, St. Martin’s skin knit itself together in such a way that he was left with a puckered opening under his breast that went all the way through to his stomach. His doctor, William Beaumont, could literally tie a bit of food on a string, shove it into St. Martin’s stomach through the hole, and pull it back out again. Using this one weird trick, Beaumont extracted samples of the man’s gastric juices. Over eight years and more than 200 awkwardly invasive experiments, St. Martin and Beaumont gave humanity its first real understanding of how digestion works and what happens inside the black box that is the gut.
It’s the first day of this week’s series on gut science. We’ve written about why we’re so obsessed with constipation and made a video about what poop can tell us about our health — and there’s more to come later in the week.
Today, scientists around the world are carrying on Beaumont’s groundbreaking work — only this time the path to knowledge lies through not the stomach, but the bowels. Scientists and the public at large are intensely focused on intestines, the processing of food that takes place in them, and the microbial communities that live and work in their depths. Federal spending on research related to the microbiome — the communities of microbes that live in you, animals and the natural environment — is rising. In fiscal year 2012, the U.S. government spent just more than $200 million on microbiome research projects. By 2014, that had risen to more than $450 million. And just last week the Obama administration announced the National Microbiome Initiative, a $121 million federal investment for “cross-ecosystem microbiome studies,” with additional cash from private agencies.
All of the new research promises to change our understanding of the strange alchemy that links the sandwich you ate for lunch with the teeming mass of symbiotic organisms living inside you. If we know more about that relationship, perhaps we can better diagnose your body’s systemic health.
This week, FiveThirtyEight’s science team will be separating fact from hype, doing a gut check on gut science. You can already learn about the history of constipation anxiety and what it can tell us about gut health. And there’s a video waiting for you about researchers in Canada who freeze-dry human poop. On Tuesday, you’ll discover how science’s bias toward Western cultures is helping to distort our understanding of what a “normal,” “healthy” gut ought to look like. On Wednesday, you’ll find out whether probiotics are worth a damn. And finally, on Thursday, you’ll dive into the surprising connections scientists are finding between your gut and your brain.
Our goal is to make the inner workings of your bowels as visible as that stray shot made the inner workings of Alexis St. Martin’s stomach. Come on, take a peek.This video from the CDC illustrates and explains the science behind a concussion and the importance of recovery time for the human brain. (CDC via YouTube)
This video from the CDC illustrates and explains the science behind a concussion and the importance of recovery time for the human brain. (CDC via YouTube)
Football is on trial, and the evidence against it is mounting. The speed with which America’s favorite game has gone from celebrated to excoriated is breathtaking. Just as stunning, no one seems to have a solution to reverse the trend.
Where is the perfect helmet, the rule changes or the unexpected Solution X that heals the sport now that its essential nature is known?
Could football really just go away? Or wither rapidly, just as boxing fell swiftly from a popular American sport to a disreputable guilty pleasure with a limited audience?
The latest pair of cleats to drop — and they landed with loud symbolic clatter — was the unexpected retirement of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland. The 24-year-old quit after a brilliant rookie year with 108 tackles and many accolades. A rising star with no extensive concussion history, Borland was uninjured and would have earned $530,000 this coming season. But after extensive research, he chose to quit.
How many more will follow, and how soon? The potential NFL draft class of 2025 is now 12 years old and needs many years of permission slips from adults to put on pads. How many signatures will they get?
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, a leading rookie last season, is retiring from the NFL over health concerns related to repeated head trauma. (Reuters)
“I just honestly want to do what’s best for my health,” Borland told ESPN’s Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. “From what I’ve researched and what I’ve experienced, I don’t think it’s worth the risk... [I’m] as sharp as I’ve ever been.... I’m concerned that if you wait till you have symptoms, it’s too late.... I can’t claim that ‘X’ will happen. I just want to live a long, healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise.”
What we’re seeing is a cascading progression, a toppling of dominoes. And they are falling faster than anyone expected. Borland is the fourth NFL player within a week to retire while healthy and no more than 30 years old. He’s the second NFLer since the Super Bowl to attribute a very early retirement to fear for his life.
If a 5-foot-11, 248-pound heat-seeking missile of a linebacker calls it quits after one year of exposure to the NFL life, what happens next? We can guess what some of the future watershed moments will be, but their ETA just moved up — a lot.
For now, at least, for every player who steps away from the game, 12 more are waiting in line to replace him. But for how long?
When will the first college with a noticeable football tradition cancel its program as a simple, common-sense concession to medical decency? It’ll happen.
When will the first high school league, perhaps after a spinal cord or concussion-related tragedy, decide that a dozen others sports are enough variety and say, “Football is banned here.” That will happen, too.
Once I would have thought such landmarks were 20 years in the future. But as momentum builds and they’re met more rapidly, how will parents across the United States explain to their friends, their neighbors and even to their own parents that they are allowing their sons to play tackle football? Where do I buy soccer futures?
Many of us who have worked close to sports and football have had a gut sense for many years that football was far more dangerous than scientists or the sport itself acknowledged. But where was solid documentation? How long would it take to be believed? And after that, how many more years would it take for football to become disreputable or sad, like boxing — a sport that was chosen only by those who saw it as their only way to climb up the sociological ladder?
But many of us were wrong. We never dreamed that when the great Junior Seau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the honor would be nearly three years after his death. Seau was the perfect football hero — violent on the field but kind, smart and civic-minded off it. His committed suicide at age 43, shooting himself through the heart so science could study his brain for evidence that a life of contact had led to his madness and despair.
Borland was a junior at Wisconsin when Seau killed himself. Like Borland’s whole football generation, a huge wave of new football facts — and decades of NFL lies and strategic misinformation — swept over him as he joined the league.
As suicides such as Seau’s and Dave Duerson’s hit the news, the NFL reached an incredibly incriminating concussion settlement with the NFL players’ union for $765 million to its retired players. Earlier this year, a judge questioned whether that sum is sufficient.
Football’s huge problem is that the latest data indicate repeated blows to the head at any age — not just big hits by big players in the pros or college — can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and brain damage. Those cute little kids in their comically big helmets and shoulders pads — what a hoot — are apparently at risk, too.
Change often arrives at a modest speed that allows us to analyze, adapt, accept and usually embrace our inevitable future. But sometimes, even in sports, the shift is so fast and violent that we hardly grasp its arrival before a radically different reality suddenly has become our new norm.
That’s where football sits now, its billions in wealth built on decades of human wreckage. Life can’t seem to resist irony, especially with a malicious, or perhaps long-deserved twist of the knife. Last month, a vast TV audience held its breath in delighted disbelief at one of the best football games ever played: the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory. At its best, is any sport so unpredictably entertaining?
Yet a month later, it’s rational to wonder how long that sport will flourish. We’ll still have Super Bowls for plenty of years. But, unless something extremely unexpected happens to change the fundamental (and now undeniable) dangers of the game, football’s bleeding isn’t going to stanch. There is a vast difference between a sport in which one unlucky hit out of a million leads to tragedy and one in which mere participation may lead to neurological hell. It’s the difference between a game parents reluctantly allow their sons to play and one they absolutely oppose.
With an increasingly rapid flow of chilling data points, such as Borland’s retirement, the future of football is coming into view, racing at us over the horizon. It’s a blank line on a permission slip, where a parent’s signature used to be.NAIROBI (Reuters) - President Mwai Kibaki’s government accused rival Raila Odinga’s party of unleashing “genocide” in Kenya on Wednesday as the death toll from tribal violence over a disputed election passed 300.
Opposition supporters carry wooden sticks as houses and shops burn in Nairobi January 3, 2008. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
“It is becoming clear that these well-organized acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing were well planned, financed and rehearsed by Orange Democratic Movement leaders prior to the general elections,” said the statement read by Lands Minister Kivutha Kibwana on behalf of his colleagues.
Odinga’s party shot back that the government was also “bordering on genocide” by ordering police to shoot protesters enraged by Kibaki’s victory in the December 27 polls that international observers said fell short of democratic standards.
Both sides alleged massive rigging.
Kenya is an important ally of the West in its counter-terrorism efforts, takes growing money flows from China, and is used to being the peacemaker in African hot-spots like Somalia and Sudan rather than the problem.
Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe was targeted in the initial violence, but revenge killings by Kikuyus are on the rise in mayhem that rights groups say has been exacerbated by a police crackdown on rioting and looting.
Apparently offering an olive branch to the ODM, which draws most of its support from western Kenya’s Luo tribe, Kibaki invited all members of the new opposition-dominated parliament to a meeting at State House in Nairobi.
But no opposition MPs attended as Odinga demanded outside mediation: “We cannot dialogue with a thief,” he told reporters. “We are not interested in talking with Kibaki without international mediation.”
A statement by Kibaki’s office deplored the violence and vowed to secure roads “so essential goods and services can reach people in the areas and other countries in the region”.
CREDIT RATING HIT
Ghanaian President and African Union Chairman John Kufuor has been urged by the West to mediate and was waiting to talk to Kibaki before deciding whether to go himself or send a team.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Kufuor would fly to meet Kibaki and Odinga on Thursday. Late on Wednesday, Finance Minister Amos Kimunya told BBC Radio there was no need for Ghana’s president to come.
Odinga plans a mass rally on Thursday that the government has banned on security grounds.
The use of the word genocide will horrify Kenyans, used to being viewed by the world as a stable democracy, an investment and tourist destination and oasis of peace in a volatile region.
The turmoil delayed trading in the shilling currency, which then dropped to a six-week low. Stocks also fell and tea and coffee auctions were postponed.
Standard & Poor’s cut Kenya’s long-term local currency credit rating to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-‘ and said if the violence was not resolved, the foreign currency credit rating could be lowered as well. It put both the long-term foreign and local currency ratings on “CreditWatch with negative implications”.
Kenya’s long-term foreign-currency rating from S&P is B+ and its long-term issuer default rating from Fitch Ratings is B+. Moody’s Investors Service does not rate the country.
“MORE THAN 300 DEAD”
More than 300 people have died in an explosion of tribal violence since Kibaki’s disputed re-election on Sunday.
British Foreign Minister David Miliband and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for an end to violence and “an intensive political and legal process” to end the crisis.
As young men armed with machetes manned roadblocks in rural areas, a trickle of office workers in the capital Nairobi made it through police cordons to begin the new working year.
A local and an international rights group gave a death toll of “more than 300” and accused Kenyan security forces of having “bloodily repressed” protests by opposition supporters.
“As a reaction, some protesters are responsible for the assassination of Kikuyus,” added the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the International Federation for Human Rights.
On Tuesday, about 30 Kikuyus died when a mob set fire to the church where they had taken sanctuary in the western town of Eldoret. It was one the worst outbursts of violence that has uprooted nearly 100,000 Kenyans, some fleeing to Uganda.
There were growing examples on Wednesday of revenge killings by Kikuyu militants. In Naivasha town in the Rift Valley, scores of people were injured in retaliation for the church killings.
Slideshow (9 Images)
The Kikuyu have dominated political and business life in east Africa’s biggest and fastest-growing economy since independence from Britain in 1963.
Adding to the chaos, Kenya’s electoral commission head Samuel Kivuitu said: “I do not know” when asked if Kibaki won.
Kivuitu pronounced Kibaki the victor on Sunday, and his remark stunned Kenya and cast further doubt on the result.This article is from the archive of our partner.
Solidifying its place among other dumb budget cuts, the city council of Topeka, Kan., on Tuesday voted to repeal its law making domestic violence a crime. As The New York Times reported, the move is meant to "force District Attorney Chad Taylor to prosecute the cases because they would remain a crime under state law, a conclusion with which he grudgingly agreed." Both the District Attorney and the city have cited budget cuts as the reason for passing the responsibility of protecting victims of abuse to elsewhere. And now that the rest of the nation is watching, the stand off is even more puzzling. "I absolutely do not understand it," Rita Smith, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said after the vote to The Kansas City Star. "It's really outrageous that they're playing with family safety to see who blinks first."
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.From RationalWiki
A motte and bailey castle.
Motte and bailey (MAB) is a combination of bait-and-switch and equivocation in which someone switches between a "motte" (an easy-to-defend and often common-sense statement, such as "culture shapes our experiences") and a "bailey" (a hard-to-defend and more controversial statement, such as "cultural knowledge is just as valid as scientific knowledge") in order to defend a viewpoint. Someone will argue the easy-to-defend position (motte) temporarily, to ward off critics, while the less-defensible position (bailey) remains the desired belief, yet is never actually defended.
In short: instead of defending a weak position (the "bailey"), the arguer retreats to a strong position (the "motte"), while acting as though the positions are equivalent. When the motte has been accepted (or found impenetrable) by an opponent, the arguer continues to believe (and perhaps promote) the bailey.
Note that the MAB works only if the motte and the bailey are sufficiently similar (at least superficially) that one can switch between them while pretending that they are equivalent.
The MAB is a fallacious argument style.
Form [ edit ]
Person A asserts [Controversial Interpretation of Viewpoint X]. Person B critiques [Controversial Interpretation of Viewpoint X]. Person A asserts that they were actually defending [Common-Sense Interpretation of Viewpoint X]. Person B no longer has grounds to critique Person A; Person B leaves the discussion. Person A claims victory and reverts to supporting [Controversial Interpretation of Viewpoint X].
Origins and explanation [ edit ]
The term "motte and bailey" was created by Nicholas Shackel, a British professor of Philosophy. Shackel named it after the motte-and-bailey castle, in which a highly-protected stone-fortified keep (the motte) is accompanied by an enclosed courtyard protected by sharpened wooden palisades (the bailey).[1][2] Shackel used the phrase to criticize postmodernists who switch between arguing for uncontroversial statements, such as stating that culture influences a person's interpretation of the world (an easy-to-defend motte), and promoting highly controversial positions, e.g., that interpretations of the world based on religious mythology are as valid as scientific interpretations (an indefensible bailey). When the bailey (every-viewpoint-is-valid) is confronted, they often retreat to the motte (culture-shapes-our-experiences) and mock the critic for -- supposedly -- thinking this isn’t true.
The phrase was more recently popularized on Scott Alexander's blog Slate Star Codex:[3]
A Motte and Bailey castle is a medieval system of defence in which a stone tower on a mound (the Motte) is surrounded by an area of pleasantly habitable land (the Bailey), which in turn is encompassed by some sort of a barrier, such as a ditch. Being dark and dank, the Motte is not a habitation of choice. The only reason for its existence is the desirability of the Bailey, which the combination of the Motte and ditch makes relatively easy to retain despite attack by marauders. When only lightly pressed, the ditch makes small numbers of attackers easy to defeat as they struggle across it: when heavily pressed the ditch is not defensible, and so neither is the Bailey. Rather, one retreats to the insalubrious but defensible, perhaps impregnable, Motte. Eventually the marauders give up, when one is well placed to reoccupy desirable land. For my original purposes the desirable but only lightly defensible territory of the Motte and Bailey castle, that is to say, the Bailey, represents philosophical propositions with similar properties: desirable to their proponents but only lightly defensible. The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed. Shackel 2014[4][5]
Scott Alexander[3] (and related bloggers[6][7]) used the term to criticize two-faced proponents of social justice.
This method is an example of the "two-step", in which one repeatedly appears to concede weaker parts of an argument, then re-asserts the original claim, unaltered. The name refers to a quick and repetitious dance step. It relies on short attention span, short memories, and/or rapidly changing audience.
Goals [ edit ]
By arguing the weak bailey, yet temporarily retreating to the strong motte when attacked, the arguer can claim (or pretend):
That the arguer never admitted to being wrong about anything. Strictly, this is true -- they never explicitly admitted defeat.
That the arguer has been defending the strong position the whole time.
That the critic is a fool for not agreeing with an obviously correct statement.
That the controversial belief is counter-intuitive yet true, since it appears unassailable.
What it is not [ edit ]
Clarifying one's views to exclude an incorrect, expansive interpretation is not a motte-and-bailey fallacy, provided that what you defend is a correct and intended interpretation of your earlier statements. The problem with the motte and bailey is that it represents a constantly shifting target: now easy, now hard.
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Islamic 'Bonnie and Clyde' face Sydney court charged with planning a terrorist attack
Updated
A married couple who referred to themselves as the "Islamic Bonnie and Clyde" have been charged with conspiring to plan a terrorist attack.
Sameh Bayda and Alo-Bridget Namoa, both 19, were already on remand for terrorism-related charges when their charges were upgraded to conspiracy to prepare or plan a terrorist act during a hearing at Sydney's Central Local Court today.
Court documents revealed the pair was allegedly conspiring to use a knife or knives to carry out a stabbing attack.
The charge is based on allegations levelled at them when they were arrested early last year.
Bayda is already accused of collecting documents in Arabic containing instructions on how to make an improvised explosive device and how to carry out a stabbing attack.
Namoa, a Muslim convert of Catholic-Tongan heritage, is accused of recklessly possessing a hunting knife and Islamic flag, as well as instructions in Arabic on how to make a detonator for an improvised explosive device.
They have been in custody since the beginning of last year.
Namoa was also previously convicted for refusing to answer questions about her husband's charges in the NSW Crime Commission.
The questions put to Namoa included references to a text message conversation she had with Bayda in which she used the term "Islamic Bonnie and Clyde".
According to court documents, she was also asked about Islamic State propaganda, whether her husband gave her a knife, and whether he was planning to martyr himself.
In a statement, NSW Police said the couple had their charges upgraded as part of an ongoing investigation known as Operation Chillon.
"Today's charges follows an extensive investigation by officers from the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team and ongoing consultation with the Commonwealth DPP," NSW Police said.
"The charge carries a penalty of life imprisonment."
Bayda and Namoa did not appear in court during the brief hearing and will remain in custody.
Their case will return to court on March 15.
Topics: terrorism, law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, crime, police, sydney-2000
First postedAlan Pardew will remain as Newcastle's manager according to the club, who responded to rumours that they had been talking to other candidates.
Reports in France last week suggested that the club had been linked with St Etienne coach Christophe Galtier.
Club officials clarified the situation at a fans' forum on Monday outlining that "incorrect media reports" would be looked at by their legal team.
Newcastle lost seven of their last eight league games and finished 10th.
It was a difficult finish to the season for the Magpies. They started 2014 in eighth position with 33 points from 19 games - only four points off a Champions League spot.
Newcastle fans chanted "Pardew out" during the match at Arsenal
But after the departure of influential midfielder Yohan Cabaye to Paris St-Germain at the end of the January transfer window, Newcastle's form dipped dramatically, picking up only 16 points from the following 19 fixtures.
Banners calling for Pardew to leave were paraded at matches in the second half of the campaign, while the manager suffered the ignominy of a seven-game ban for his headbutt on Hull's David Meyler during his side's 4-1 win at the start of March.
The former Southampton and West Ham manager succeeded Chris Hughton in 2010 and was then rewarded with an eight-year contract for guiding the Magpies to fifth during the 2011-12 season.
However, the St James' Park club finished only 16th the season after and struggled again during the latter half of the 2013-14 campaign.75 years after their first Munster football title Clare are champions again after beating Kerry in Limerick.
Clare had reached the Munster Football final for the first time in 43 years and were seeking a title they had won only once previously and that was in 1917. Their opponents Kerry had 63 Munster titles. Clare started the game without their injured forward David Keane and after five minutes they had missed a penalty.
It was Kerry who struck first with a point from Billy O'Shea. Before Clare had their first score on the board Kerry keeper Peter O'Leary had saved Gerry Killeen's penalty. Despite the setback Clare did settle and should have been further ahead than their one point half time lead.
Early in the second half veteran Jack O'Shea missed a great chance for Kerry. With twenty two minutes remaining Colm Clancy scored Clare's first goal to make the score 1-08 to 0-08 and Clare supporters began to believe this could be their day. A Jack O'Shea point reduced the lead to two points before a long Gerry Kileen dead ball into the Kerry goal mouth was eventually turned into net by Martin Daly.
With thirteen minutes remaining the Banner men were five points ahead. Kerry managed to cut the lead to three points but despite a few scares it was Clare who finished stronger and had the final say with another Gerry Kileen point. The final whistle brought wild scenes of celebration and the great line from RTÉ match commentator Marty Morrissey, a Clare man,
And I can tell you that there won't be a cow milked in County Clare for at least a week.
The final score was Clare 2-10 Kerry 012.
The highlights shown here are taken from The Sunday Game broadcast 19 July 1992. The commentators are Marty Morrissey and Pat Spillane.Favorite Source Music of '17
Choose one answer:
#1 Crush from Romeo + Juliet- Garbage
1000 Airplanes on the Roof- Phillip Glass
107 Steps from Dancer in the Dark- Björk
A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics from A Beautiful Mind- James Horner
Agnus Dei from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Alfonso Muskedunder- Todd Terje
Also Spach Zarathustra- Richard Strauss
An Olive Tree- Basia
Anvil Chorus from Il Tovatore- Guiseppe Verdi
Arrival of the Birds from The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos- Jason Swincoe
At the End of the Day from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
Bird Set Free- Sia
Blue Shades- Frank Ticheli
Both Sides Now- Joni Mitchell
California Dreamin'- The Mamas & The Papas
Chandelier- Sia
Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra- Joseph Schwanter
Cortege Macabre from Grohg- Aaron Copland
Crazy- Patsy Cline
Crown Imperial- William Walton
Crystal- Simon Dobson
Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet- Sergei Prokofiev
Danse Bohème from Carmen- Georges Bizet
De Profundis from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Devotions: Kyrie Eleison from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend from Moulin Rouge!- Marilyn Monroe
Enigma Variations- Edward Elgar
Entering the Nightmare from Dreamscape- Maurice Jarre
Eric's Song- Vienna Teng
Everything Must Change- Bernard Ighner
Exit Music (for a Film) from Romeo + Juliet- Radiohead
Fanfare for the Common Man- Aaron Copland
Finlandia- Jean Sibelius
Flight of the Bumblebee- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Fly to Paradise- Eric Whitacre
For Good from Wicked- Stephen Schwartz
Free Bird- Lyanrd Skynard
Grow 'Till Tall- Jonsi
Habanera from Carmen- Georges Bizet
Hide and Seek- Imogen Heap
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2- Frantz Liszt
Hunting Wabbits- Gordon Goodwin
Interplay for Piano Four Hands and Orchestra- David Gillingham
Into a Virtual World- Amin Bhatia
Kissing You from Romeo + Juliet- Des'ree
Lady Marmalade from Moulin Rogue!- P!nk feat. Missy Elliot, Lil' Mya, & Christina Aguilera
Land of Confusion- Genesis
Liquid Dance from Slumdog Millionaire- A.R. Rahman
Little Fugue in G Minor- Johann Sebastian Bach
Little Green Men- Steve Vai
Look Down from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
Mars from The Planets- Gustav Holst
Master of Puppets- Metallica
Master of the House from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
Miraculous Mandarin- Béla Bartók
Miranda from Prospero's Books- Michael Nyman
Moonlight Sonata- Ludwig van Beethoven
Moving On from Lost- Michael Giacchino
Music for Prague 1968- Karel Husa
My Way- Frank Sinatra
NO one To kNOW one- Andy Akiho
Nature Boy from Moulin Rogue!- eden ahbez
Nessun Dorma from Turandot- Giacomo Puccini
O Superman- Laurie Anderson
Offertory from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Old Home Days- Charles Ives
On My Own from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
On the Nature of Daylight- Max Richter
One Day More from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
One Study One Summary- John Psathas
Only Time- Enya
Overture from Barber of Seville- Gioachino Rossini
Pax: Communion from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Peer Gynt No. 1, Morning Mood- Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto No. 1- Keith Emerson
Piano Concerto No. 2- Sergei Rachmaninoff
Pilentze Pee (Bulgarian Traditional)
Prelude- Thank you Scientist
Psychopomp- Thank you Scientist
Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory- Gene Wilder
Raveling, Unraveling- Phillip Sparke
Remembering the Future from Wait of the World- Stephen Melillo
Ride of the Valkyries from Die Valkyrie- Richard Wagner
Serenada Schizophernia- Danny Elfman
Shofukan- Snarky Puppy
Simple Song from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Song for Eight Unruly Tipsy Poets- Zhou Long
Symphony No. 2- John Barnes Chance
Symphony No. 3- Vittorio Giannini
Symphony No. 3- Aram Khachaturian
Symphony No. 10, Mvt. 2- Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 12- Dmitri Shostakovich
The Adoration of Veles and Ala from Scythian Suite- Sergei Prokofiev
The Battle from Les Miserables- Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel & Herbert Kretzmer
The Death of Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet- Sergei Prokofiev
The Sound of Silence- Disturbed
The Sun's Gone Dim- Johann Johannson
The Triumph of Time- Peter Graham
Theme from We Are Marshall- Christophe Beck
Things Get Broken from Mass- Leonard Bernstein
Toccata from Piano Concerto No. 1- Alberto Ginastero
Wave- Beck
Where Am I Going?- Gino Vanelli
Where the Streets Have No Name- U2
Wicked Game- Chris Isaak
Wine Dark Sea- John Mackey
Young and Beautiful from The Great Gatsby- Lana Del ReyGov. Sam Brownback uses a private e-mail address to communicate with his staff and others, meaning that many of his communications would fall outside the bounds of the state’s open records law.
The governor’s use of private e-mail came to light after The Eagle requested e-mail records from numerous top administration officials. The governor’s office released those records last week.
In the records, the governor’s staffers used official government e-mails while Brownback used a private e-mail address. Eileen Hawley, the governor’s director of communications, confirmed that Brownback uses a private e-mail address.
“The Governor prefers to communicate in person or on the phone whenever possible,” Hawley said in an e-mail. “However, when he does use e-mail, he uses a personal e-mail account. E-mail sent by the Governor to staff usually comes to those staff members’ state accounts.”
Sign Up and Save Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle
The governor has previously said he uses a private cellphone instead of a state-issued one, meaning his cellphone records are not public records. He said he prefers to pay for the phone himself rather than charge the state.
The Eagle reported in January that Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan, had used a private e-mail address to send a draft of the state budget several weeks before it was released to lawmakers.
Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, called the governor’s use of private e-mail a cause for concern.
“The purpose of the open records act is to provide for sunshine and open government — not government done behind closed doors in the proverbial smoke-filled room,” Carmichael said. “And what we see here is an example of the people’s business being done in an electronic smoke-filled room behind closed doors.”
He said if public officials are using a private e-mail to skirt open records laws, “then the question becomes what are else are they doing that we can’t find out about?”
Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, recently issued an opinion stating that private e-mails from public officials fall outside the bounds of the Kansas Open Records Act as it is written.
Brownback’s e-mails to staff would be public records if the staff member were on a government account. But a news outlet or a person could obtain those records only by knowing which staffer Brownback had e-mailed and on what date.
A person could not request the governor’s e-mails directly, making it significantly more difficult to search for the records.
“You don’t know how to target what you’re looking for,” said Doug Anstaett, executive director of the Kansas Press Association.
The governor’s communications on private e-mail with people outside of government would not fall under the open records law at all.
AG’s opinion
Schmidt recently recommended that lawmakers fix the private e-mail loophole. Two bills, SB 306 and SB 307, have already been introduced based on those recommendations.
Schmidt’s proposed changes would essentially make any e-mail a public official sends within the course of their duties subject to the open records law, while other e-mails would remain exempt. He said that would balance the importance of open government with public employees’ right to privacy.
“In my view, it should not be lawful to circumvent open government laws by conducting public business on private e-mail accounts,” Schmidt |
] Retail deliveries began in Spain and Norway in September 2011[139][140] in Switzerland in November 2011,[141] and in Germany in January 2012.[142][143] As of January 2018, the Leaf was available in more than 60 countries in four continents.[144]
Since December 2010, Nissan sold 49,117 Leafs worldwide during its first two years in the market, making the Leaf the world's best-selling highway-capable electric car ever.[145] With global sales of more than 22,000 units in 2011,[146] the Leaf surpassed the Mitsubishi i MiEV as the best selling all-electric car in history.[147] Global sales during 2012 reached 26,973 Leafs, a rise of 22% over 2011 sales, led by Japan with 11,115 units, an 8% increase over 2011 sales; followed by the United States with 9,819 units representing a 1.5% rise over 2011 sales.[148] During the first half of 2012, the Leaf had a market share of 49% of global sales of all-electric cars.[149] The sales milestone of 50,000 units delivered worldwide was reached by mid February 2013.[150] A total of 47,716 Leafs were sold during 2013, up 77% from 2012,[151] and making the Leaf the world's best-selling plug-in car in 2013.[152]
[153] Shown a first generation Leaf model. The U.S. is the top-selling Leaf market with 126,747 units delivered by the end of October 2018.Shown a first generation Leaf model.
As of mid January 2014, and just after three years in the market, global sales totaled 100,000 units.[154] During 2014 a total of 61,507 Leafs were sold worldwide.[155] In 2014 the Leaf ranked as the world's best-selling plug-in car for the second year in a row.[152] Global sales totaled over 158,000 units at the end of 2014.[156]
Global Leaf sales passed the 200,000 unit milestone in December 2015.[157][158] Total sales totaled 43,651 units worldwide in 2015, down 29% from 2014,[159] and making the Leaf the world's second best-selling plug-in car in 2015 after the Tesla Model S.[152] The leading market in 2015 was the United States with 17,269 units sold, down 42.8% from 2014,[160] followed by the European market with 15,630 units.[159]
Global sales in 2016 climbed to 51,882 units, including the Chinese-assembled rebadge Venucia e30, helping the Leaf to narrowly surpass the Tesla Model S, and rank as the top selling plug-in car in 2016.[161][162] Sales in 2016 were led by Europe with 18,718 units, followed by Japan with 14,793, North America with 15,512.[152] Global Leaf sales passed the 250,000 unit milestone in December 2016,[163] and the 300,000 mark in January 2018, allowing the Nissan Leaf to rank as the world's best-selling highway-capable electric car in history.[144] As of December 2016, the United States ranked as the top selling market with 103,597 units delivered,[164][165] followed by Japan with 72,494,[166] and Europe with 67,829 units.[152][155][159] The leading European market was Norway with 19,407 new units registered up until December 2016.[164][167] Due to the significant number of used imports registered in the country, there were about 27,500 Leafs on Norwegian roads as of 31 December 2016.[167][168] The UK ranked second with 15,000 units sold by mid-September 2016.[169]
Global sales in 2017 fell to about 47,000 units, in anticipation of the second generation.[170] When the latter reached the market in 2018, global Leaf sales reached a record level of 87,149 units, third behind the Tesla Model 3 and the BAIC EC-Series.[171]
Battery leasing option
A Nissan Leaf at a quick-charging station in Latvia
Initially the Leaf was sold in all markets including the battery pack and is not compatible with QuickDrop battery swapping developed by its alliance partner Renault.[172][173] In April 2013, Nissan announced that sales of the 2013 Leaf will begin in the UK in June 2013, and it will offer a battery leasing option for the three available trims. Pricing for the battery leasing in the UK starts at GB£70 (~US$108) a month for a 36-month lease limited no more than 12,100 km (7,500 miles) a year, with a maximum of GB£129 (~US$198) a month for a 12-month lease with no more than 24,000 km (15,000 miles) driven. The battery leasing option lowers the price of the level entry model to GB£20,990 (~US$32,230) before applying the Plug-in Car Grant.[116][117]
In several European countries, except Norway, Finland, Iceland, Ireland and the Baltic markets, the leasing option will also be offered, resulting in a purchase price reduction of €5,900. The battery monthly charge starts at €79 (~US$103) for a 36-month lease limited no more than 12,500 km (7,800 miles) a year, with a maximum of €142 (~US$186) a month for a 12-month lease with no more than 25,000 km (16,000 miles) driven.[118]
Global sales [ edit ]
[1] The Nissan Leaf is the world's best-selling all-electric car in history, with global sales of over 380,000 units by December 2018.
Since its introduction in 2010, global sales totaled more than 380,000 units by December 2018, making the Leaf the world's all-time best-selling highway-capable electric car in history.[1] As of October 2018, the United States ranks as the top selling market with 126,747 units,[153] followed by Japan with 100,000 units delivered by April 2018,[174] and Europe with 100,000 units by June 2018.[175] The European market is led by Norway with 33,156 new Leafs registered up until October 2018,[164][167][176][177] but due to the significant number of used imports registered in the country, there were 48,235 Leafs on Norwegian roads as of 31 October 2018, representing over 25% of total all-electric car registrations in Norway.[178] Ranking second is the UK with over 25,000 units sold by early June 2018,[179] but due to used exports to neighboring countries, only 22,919 were registered at the end of June 2018.[180]
The following table presents retail sales by year since deliveries of the Leaf began in December 2010, for the national markets with cumulative sales of more than 500 units through the end of 2017.
Nissan Leaf sales by top national markets
between 2010 and 2017 Country Total 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 US[160][181][182][183][184] 114,827 11,230 14,006 17,269 30,200 22,610 9,819 9,674 19 Japan[152][155][185][186][187] 96,999 16,925 14,793 9,057 14,177 13,021 11,115 10,310 19 Norway[176][188][189][190][191] 22,781 3,374 4,162 3,189 4,781 4,604 2,298 373 UK[192][193][194][195] 22,359 5,463 4,463 5,236 4,051 1,812 699 635 France[196] 12,113 2,381 3,887 2,200 1,600 1,438 524 83 Canada[197] 5,519 946 1,375 1,233 1,085 470 240 170 Germany[198][199][200][201] 4,918 841 1,121 831 812 855 451 7 China[202][203] 4,032(1) 1,961 1,273 582 216 Netherlands[204][205][206][207] 3,157 513 666 447 510 462 265 294 Sweden[208][209][210][211] 3,542 981 836 841 438 317 129 Spain[212][213][214][215][216] 2,159 530 344 344 465 263 154 59 Italy[217][218][219][220][221] 2,103 448 460 389 332 323 146 5 Denmark[222] 1,202 20 85 224 577 211 73 12 Ireland[223][224][225][226][227] 1,366 258 352 405 192 43 69 45 2 Belgium}[228][229][230][231][232] 1,510 389 466 162 178 141 114 60 Austria[233] 1,151 384 333 156 121 88 64 3 Australia[234][235][236][237] 997(2) 384 156 109(2) 173 188 77 19 Switzerland[238] 831 131 158 145 106 178 74 39 Total top markets 293,545 44,814 49,624 43,354 60,259 47,152 26,247 21,785 40 Total global sales[146][148][151][155][156][159][152][170] 303,678 ~47,000 49,245 43,651 61,507 47,716 26,973 22,094 50 Notes: (1) Chinese sales correspond to the rebadged Venucia e30. (2) Sales in Australia through September 2015.
Reported problems [ edit ]
Initial problems
In April 2011, Nissan announced that customers in the United States and Japan reported problems in restarting their Leaf vehicles after switching the motor off. Nissan said the problem does not pose any accident risk.[239] On 15 April. Nissan announced that the problem only affected a small proportion of Leafs. Nissan engineers identified a programming error in an air conditioning system sensor that sometimes triggers an erroneous high voltage alert when the air conditioning unit is switched on, due to the increased demand for power. The system issues an Inhibit Restart command, which does not prevent driving the vehicle, but does prevent it restarting after it is turned off. The solution requires reprogramming of the Vehicle Control Module by a Nissan dealer. Nissan announced a "service campaign" to apply the software fix to all 5,300 Nissan Leafs in operation around the world, but it was not an official recall because it was not a safety problem.[240][241][242] The applied software update also improves the car’s on-board range calculation system, which several Leaf owners reported was overestimating the number of miles left. In addition, the update changes the state-of-charge bars display to provide a true reserve capacity; the driver now has up to five miles to find a charging spot after the car reaches the zero miles remaining mark.[243]
Battery capacity loss
In May 2012, several U.S. owners reported seeing only 11 of 12 battery capacity bars on the in-car display which led them to believe they had lost some battery capacity. As time went on, more people reported seeing the problem, and some had lost two, three, and even in rare cases, four battery capacity bars. The battery capacity loss problem seems to be concentrated in regions with a hot climate, and Phoenix, Arizona and the state of Texas in particular. In July 2012, Nissan responded by saying they were investigating the problem, and a carmaker spokesman also said that "the problem is isolated to maybe 0.3% of the 13,000 Leafs on U.S. roads," the company reportedly has loaned cars to some Leaf owners in Arizona as it researches the issue. This is equivalent to around 40 vehicles that have experienced a loss of any battery capacity bars.[244][245]
By early September 2012, a Nissan Executive Vice President said that there is "no problem with the Leaf battery, and that any customer complaints were merely the result of instrument problems."[246] As a response, a group of 12 Phoenix Leaf owners participated in an independent test in controlled conditions organized by Leaf driver and EV advocate Tony Williams that took place on 15 September 2012. The test confirmed that the Leaf has poor instruments, but the test also found significant loss of range in some cars reflecting battery capacity loss. The worst affected Leaf showed around 60 to 65% of its original battery capacity remaining, and was only capable of driving 95 km (59 miles) before running out of charge.[246][247][248]
Based on a complete evaluation that Nissan Americas conducted with seven different Leafs in its Arizona Testing Center, the carmaker found that the common link among the seven Leafs from Arizona was that all of them had covered much higher mileage than the 20,100 km (12,500 miles) Nissan used to estimate the rate of battery capacity loss over time. All of them had covered at least 50% more than the Nissan estimated average, with 31,500 km (19,600 miles) as the average mileage for the cars evaluated. According to Nissan, that average is "more than double the average Phoenix customer mileage of 7,500 miles per year." Nissan concluded that "the cars and the battery packs are behaving as we expected."[249][250] As a result of this assessment, Nissan published an open letter to Leaf owners explaining the results of the assessment and the details of normal battery capacity loss expected over time. The company also decided to set up an independent advisory board to study how the company may improve its communication with customers about the performance of the Leaf. The group will be led by Chelsea Sexton, known for her prominent role in the marketing of the GM EV-1 electric car. She will select the members of the advisory board that would make recommendations to Nissan.[250] By late September Nissan reported that around 450 Leafs have been sold in Arizona, and in the interest of customer satisfaction, two units with battery loss problems were repurchased using the buyback formula modeled on Arizona's lemon law.[251][252] One of the owners that had their Nissan Leaf repurchased established a blog in order to persuade other potential Nissan Leaf buyers in hot climates to reconsider buying this particular vehicle.[253][better source needed] By mid September, Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that there is an improved second generation battery coming online that will cost less than the previous one.[254]
In January 2013, Nissan USA announced that it will offer an extended battery warranty on the 2013 model year Leaf and will include 2011 and 2012 model years as well.[45]
A 2015 report by insurance company Warranty Direct, stated that of 35,000 Leafs sold in Europe, three had a battery failure. That is 0.01% cars immobilized compared to 0.255% for internal combustion engined cars.[255]
On 7 July 2015, U.S. Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima of the 9th Circuit U.S. approved the class action settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, valued at $24 million.[256]
In March 2018, a study in New Zealand showed accelerated reported battery decline in 30 kWh Leafs compared to 24 kWh Leafs. [41] In response to this problem, Nissan issued a software fix, on 6 June 2018 in the USA [257] and somewhat later in New Zealand [258]. Consumer NZ advises affected owners to "go back to the dealer who sold the car (also likely to be the importer) and ask it to pay for the software update. You can also claim any reasonable costs you incur to get your car repaired."[259]
Related cars [ edit ]
Leaf Aero Style
Nissan unveiled the Nissan Leaf Aero Style concept car at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon. The Leaf Aero Style exterior has a new front bumper, extended side skirts, restyled mirrors, LED daytime driving lights, and special wheels.[260][261]
Leaf Nismo
Nissan unveiled the Leaf Nismo RC (Racing Competition) demonstration car at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. This electric car has the same battery pack and motor as the Leaf but is designed and constructed as a racing car with a full carbon fiber monocoque body which makes it about 40% lighter than the production Leaf.[262] Leaf Nismo RC is projected to have a running time of around 20 minutes under racing conditions, and in preliminary testing it accelerated from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 6.85 seconds and has a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h).[263][264] Nissan built eight of these rear-wheel drive cars.[262]
Another concept from Nismo was unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the Leaf Nismo Concept. It was designed as normal highway-capable automobile and uses the same 80 kW electric motor as the Leaf.[265] In January 2013, Nissan announced that the Leaf Nismo will be produced in low volumes by mid-2013, and sold in Japan only. The Leaf Nismo uses the Leaf's all-electric drive train with no extra power or performance improvements, but has an aerodynamic body kit with styling influenced by the electric Leaf RC demonstrator, new alloy wheels, and interior improvements.[266]
Infiniti LE
The Nissan Infiniti LE concept all-electric car was unveiled at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. It is based on the same platform as the Leaf, but it is expected to become Nissan's luxury electric car. It was expected to go into production in 2014.[267] In May 2013 the company said that it was waiting for inductive charging industry standards before launching the vehicle.[268][269]
Venucia e30
Nissan and its joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor unveiled a production version of the Venucia e30 electric car at the 2012 Auto Guangzhou. An earlier version, the Venucia E-Concept, was unveiled at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. The car was initially scheduled for production in China by 2015. The Venucia e30 shares the bodywork, dimensions, electric-drive specifications and several other aspects of the Leaf. Dongfeng Nissan started pilot projects in 15 Chinese cities to promote the Venucia e30 with local governments.[270][271] A total of 216 units were delivered in December 2013. These units were marketed as Venucia Morning Wind and they were badged Leafs since local production had not begun at the time.[202] In April 2014 Dongfeng Nissan announced that retail sales of the Venucia e30 were going to begin ahead of schedule.[272]
The Venucia e30 was launched in the Chinese market in September 2014.[273] The e30 has the same 24 kWh lithium ion battery as the Nissan Leaf, with an energy consumption of 14.6 kWh/100 km and a range of 160 km (99 miles).[274]
Nissan Leaf Aero Style
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC
Nissan Leaf Nismo Concept
Infiniti LE concept car
Venucia e30 (China)
Autonomous car
Nissan installed its autonomous car technology in a Nissan Leaf for demonstration purposes
In August 2013, Nissan announced its plans to launch several driverless cars by 2020. The company is building in Japan a dedicated autonomous driving proving ground, to be completed in 2014. Nissan installed its autonomous car technology in a Nissan Leaf for demonstration purposes. The car was demonstrated at the Nissan 360 test drive event held in California in August 2013.[275][276] In September 2013, the Leaf fitted with the prototype Advanced Driver Assistance System was granted a license plate that allows it to drive on Japanese public roads. The test car will be used by Nissan engineers to evaluate how its in-house autonomous driving software performs in the real-world. Time spent on public roads will help refine the car’s software for fully automated driving.[277] The autonomous Leaf was demonstrated on public roads for the first time at a media event held in Japan in November 2013. The Leaf drove on the Sagami Expressway in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo. Nissan vice chairman Toshiyuki Shiga and the prefecture’s Governor, Yuji Kuroiwa, rode in the car during the test.[278][279]
Motorsport [ edit ]
An Electric Production Class was formed for the 2011 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Chad Hord raced a Leaf in the event.[280] The off-road racing driver ascended the 19.99 km (12.42 miles) course in 14 minutes and 33 seconds to win the class.[281] The interior of the car was removed and replaced with mandatory racing seats, safety harness, and a roll cage.[282]
Reception [ edit ]
Nissan Leaf charging at a public station in Mexico City
There were 20,000 pre-orders in the United States for the vehicle's debut.[283] After hitting this milestone in September 2010, Nissan stopped taking reservations in the United States until many of the initial orders had been delivered in early 2011.
The Leaf has received awards from multiple organizations. Notable awards include the inclusion by Time magazine as one of the 50 best inventions of 2009.[284] At the 2010 Washington Auto Show, the Leaf was given the 2010 Green Car Vision Award by the Green Car Journal (GCJ), who noted that the Leaf "will provide the features, the styling, and the driving experience that will meet the needs of a sophisticated and demanding market, while producing zero localized emissions and requiring no petroleum fuels."[285] Popular Mechanics, upon awarding the Leaf its 2010 Breakthrough Award, explained that the Nissan Leaf is "not the first pure EV, but [...] hits the mainstream like none of its predecessors." Popular Mechanics also alluded to the Leaf's 160 km (100 miles) range, which is said to be "enough for most commuters for the price of an average vehicle – and with a much lower operating cost than gasoline-powered vehicles."[286]
Other awards received by the Leaf include the 2011 European Car of the Year,[287] EV.com’s 2011 EV of the Year,[288] 2011 Eco-Friendly Car of the Year by Cars.com,[289] 2011 Green Fleet Electric Vehicle of the Year,[290] it was listed among the 2011 Greenest Vehicles of the Year by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,[291][292] also listed by Mother Earth News among its "Best Green Cars" of 2011,[293] and also was ranked first in Kelley Blue Book Top 10 Green Cars for 2011.[294] The Leaf won the 2011 World Car of the Year,[295] and was a finalist for the 2011 World Green Car.[296] Ward's Auto listed the Leaf's 80 kW electric motor in Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2011.[297] Until October 2011 the Leaf was ranked as the most efficient EPA certified vehicle for all fuels ever.[298][299] In December 2011, the Leaf was awarded with the 2011–2012 Car of the Year Japan at the Tokyo Motor Show.[300]
Criticism [ edit ]
In 2009, a former Tesla Motors marketing manager criticized Nissan for the lack of effective thermal management system of lithium-ion battery packs.[301] He also said there may be an overestimation of the 160 km (100-mile) range that was computed using LA-4 or "city" mode, which may underestimate the energy draw during highway driving conditions.[301][302]
The American magazine Consumer Reports noted that while charger costs vary between US$700 and US$1,200, an at-home charger and its installation cost more than US$2,000 even for simple installations.[303] Nissan estimates a typical charger installation costs US$2,200. The article did not mention that home charger installations were eligible for a 50% federal tax credit up to US$2,000.[304] Consumer Reports noted that the first 5,700 Leaf buyers could get free chargers with federal support in 13 cities. The consumer group also reminded that many older houses could require upgrading the electric service panel to install a 240-volt circuit, which can cost several thousand dollars.[303] The additional 220–240-volt charger is required in the countries—mainly in the Americas—that do not have a 220–240-volt domestic grid, if an owner wants faster charging than under 110–120-volt.
There are a variety of EVSE manufacturers for the Nissan Leaf including SPX, Schneider, Leviton, Aerovironment, Blink and GE. Some are priced at less than $850. Since the on-board charger in the Leaf can draw as little as 15 amps, many home installations can be as simple as adding a dedicated 20 amp circuit and receptacle in the garage.
Consumer Reports also called buyers' attention to the fact that the Leaf's total out-of-pocket costs include a US$595 acquisition fee and a US$395 disposition fee. The consumer group also emphasized that the lease price of US$349-a-month applies only to buyers with good credit (Tier 1, or a FICO score of 700 or above); for those with less than optimum credit, the monthly rate would increase. They reminded buyers that the lease comes with a 23,000 km/year (15,000-mile-per-year) allowance, but additional miles will cost extra.[305]
One study showed that some of the 30 kWh Nissan Leaf battery packs are degrading at around three times the rate of the 24 kWh variant at 2 years of age.[306] This was eventually found to be an instrumentation problem, and has since been rectified by a software update.[307]
See also [ edit ]Monsanto’s aggressive ad campaign has taken a new twist, and now readers of one of the country’s biggest health magazines are in the crosshairs.
The agrochemical and GMO seed giant recently chose Shape magazine and its 1.6 million readers as the distribution channel for its “Be Part of the Conversation” ad campaign, and many of them are not happy to say the least, taking to Shape’s Facebook page to voice their displeasure.
Even though the United Nations recently said that small-scale organic farming is the only way to feed the world, Monsanto is still hell-bent on pushing its own version of reality (that GMOs are needed to feed a “growing population”).
Will Shape continue to puts its credibility at risk by publishing these ads or will a reader backlash force them to pull the ads like Oprah’s magazine recently did?
Diet Tips Brought to You By Monsanto
Recently, the Facebook page GMO Free New Jersey posted a link to pictures of Shape’s two-page Monsanto spread, which focused on Monsanto conflating its own operations with completely unrelated “sustainability” practices like conserving water.
Three tips from Shape staffers on their own personal conservation efforts were also included, lending a personal touch to the top health magazine’s shocking partnership with the chemical and GMO giant (see picture below).
Perhaps the most egregiously patronizing aspect of the partnership is the inclusion of Monsanto in the “Diet Tips” section of Shape’s website (see this link).
The article doesn’t mention eating GMOs specifically, but it does once again associate Monsanto with “health,” which couldn’t be further from the truth (see this link for just a sampling of the dangers of GMOs and Monsanto chemicals).
Commenters Take to Shape’s Social Media for Change
Speaking out against the inclusion of the Monsanto ads in their favorite health magazine, many readers have begun posting on Shape’s Facebook wall.
Does Shape have something to hide? Many of the commenters believe so as they report that their posts are being rapidly deleted with no warning.
In response, a petition is reportedly in the works, with hopes of getting Shape to drop the ads as Oprah’s magazine quietly did. While the campaign has faced challenges thus far, it should be noted that similar efforts against pro-GMO media outlets and even school textbooks have been successful.
One thing’s for sure: at the end of the day, the reader will have the ultimate say about whether the misleading ads will be allowed to continue or not.
For more information or to voice your opinion on Monsanto “Diet Tips,” you can head over to Shape’s Facebook page by clicking here. You can also like us on Facebook for more.
A Message From the Founder Have you figured out what not to eat, but still have no idea what you actually should eat in order to truly THRIVE in this lifetime? Millions of people are seeing results on diets like Keto, Paleo, and Raw Vegan, but give up when the going gets tough because these diets are clearly not the easiest to follow long-term. Enter 'The THRIVERS DIET,' a simple, practical and most importantly sustainable diet and lifestyle guide from my good friend Derek Henry of the website Healing the Body. Derek overcame 13 different chronic disease conditions using the simple, concise plan found in this guide, and now he's offering it exclusively to AltHealthWorks readers. Order the guide today and you'll get access to all of Derek's secrets distilled into one easy-to-follow eBook, plus 70 free recipes, printable PDFs and much more. Grab Your Copy Now at a our special discounted rate before the price goes back up!
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commentsImage caption Sir Norman Bettison will leave the force on 31 March
West Yorkshire's Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison is to retire in the wake of the Hillsborough report.
He announced he planned to leave the service on 31 March 2013.
Last month, he was referred to the police watchdog over his conduct after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 in which 96 Liverpool fans died.
At the time of the tragedy he was a South Yorkshire Police inspector who attended the match as a spectator and later took part in an internal inquiry.
In a statement Sir Norman said: "Recent weeks have caused me to reflect on what is best for the future of policing in West Yorkshire and I have now decided to set a firm date for my retirement."
'Loss to policing'
He added: "I hope [my departure] will enable the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to fully investigate allegations that have been raised about my integrity.
Analysis Sir Norman Bettison's appointment as Merseyside's top police officer in 1998 was controversial because of the Hillsborough tragedy. Many of the families of those who died in April 1989 believe Sir Norman was part of a team that tried to cover up what really happened. The Hillsborough Independent panel's report found 164 statements had been altered by senior officers at South Yorkshire Police. Mr Bettison admits being part of an internal review team that looked into what went wrong but has always denied changing statements or having anything to hide. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is reviewing referrals made over Hillsborough, including the role of Sir Norman Bettison. His resignation means that no disciplinary action could be taken against him if the IPCC finds any evidence of misconduct in office.
"They need to be fairly and fully investigated and I welcome this independent and formal scrutiny."
Sir Norman said the timing of his retirement would enable the county's police and crime commissioner, who will take up office on 22 November, to immediately begin a search for his successor.
Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died in the Hillsborough tragedy, said she was "absolutely delighted that he's going".
The chairwoman of the Hillsborough Families Support Group told the BBC "he should have gone a long time ago".
Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin died on the Leppings Lane terrace, said she thought the findings of the recent report left Sir Norman with no choice but to retire.
Sir Norman's current contract with West Yorkshire Police was due to end in 2014.
Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said Sir Norman's retirement would be a "great loss to policing".
'Nothing to hide'
He said: "At the national level he has made an outstanding contribution to the work of the police service as a whole in cutting crime and keeping the public safe.
"His depth of knowledge and experience is highly regarded within the service."
Sir Norman's referral to the IPCC came after complaints from members of the public following the release of previously unseen government papers about the disaster at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989.
Image caption Ninety-six Liverpool football fans died after a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground on 15 April 1989
A crush during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest resulted in the deaths of 96 people.
The Hillsborough Independent panel's report found 164 police statements were altered, 116 of them to remove or alter "unfavourable" comments about the policing of the match and the unfolding disaster.
Sir Norman previously defended his role in the aftermath of the disaster, saying: "I never altered a statement nor asked for one to be altered."
He also said: "I really welcome the disclosure of all the facts that can be known about the Hillsborough tragedy because I have absolutely nothing to hide."× Suspect arrested in Scotty McCreery’s home burglary
RALEIGH (WTVD) — Raleigh police have arrested a suspect in connection with the home invasion style robbery where American Idol winner Scotty McCreery and some friends were the victims.
It happened around 2 a.m. Monday at an apartment complex near the N.C. State campus where McCreery is a student.
According to Raleigh police, three armed people came into the home and took wallets, cash, and electronic items before fleeing.
Police estimate the value of the items stolen as over $1,600, including a $400 iPhone belonging to McCreery, and a $1,200 laptop belonging to one of McCreery’s friends.
No one was hurt.
“They were like ‘Get down. Get on the floor and give us everything you got,'” said someone in the 911 call.
The caller said the robbers told the group to count down from 100 before they were allowed to get up.
On Wednesday, police charged Mikkail Jamal Shaw, 19, with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Authorities are still searching for the other suspects.
McCreery, a native of Garner, won the tenth season of American Idol.
He is finishing up his sophomore year at N.C. State.
Anyone with information that might assist detectives is asked to call Raleigh Crime Stoppers at 919-834-HELP or visit http://www.raleighcrimestoppers.org.
McCreery addressed the incident on Twitter Monday:PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti will stake claim to form government at a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Saturday afternoon.
The chief minister designate will lead a joint delegation of PDP and BJP, which will hand over letter of support to the Governor.
“BJP and PDP will jointly meet Governor N N Vohra at 3:30 PM today in connection with government formation,” said leader of BJP Legislative Party and former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh I.
Mehbooba will be accompanied by Singh, leader of the BJP Legislative Party, party’s state president Sat Sharma, MP Jugal Kishore and senior PDP leaders and MPs Tariq Hamid Qarra and Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
“BJP will hand over the letter of support for formation of the coalition government to the Governor. A suitable date will be decided for the swearing-in ceremony,” Union Minister Jitender Singh said.
Governor’s rule was imposed in J-K on January 8 after Mehbooba decided against taking over the reins following her father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s death.
PDP and BJP had formed an alliance on March one, last year with Sayeed as the Chief Minister. Both the sides had formed an Agenda of Alliance which sought to address internal and external dimension of the state.
First Published: Mar 26, 2016 12:42 ISTA report released by the Government Accountability Office questions Hollywood's billion dollar losses claims, citing a lack of evidence as the main reason for the doubts. On the other hand, the Congress-commissioned report emphasizes that piracy may also benefit the entertainment industries and third parties.
The PRO-IP Act is a United Stated law that aims to combat copyright infringement by increasing civil and criminal penalties for offenders. As part of the Act, Congress has instructed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to quantify the impact of piracy on the economy. The results of this investigation have now been published in a report.
The report puts the claimed ‘massive losses’ by the entertainment industries in a different light. After having interviewed many experts and plowed through the relevant literature, GAO writes that it cannot make any solid conclusions about the financial effect piracy has on the economy as a whole.
“Lack of data hinders efforts to quantify impacts of counterfeiting and piracy,” is one of the main conclusions from the report.
One of the problems signaled by the GAO is that government officials admit that they simply reply on statistics and reports from the entertainment industries without conducting research on their own. These reports naturally lack transparency about the source of the figures and are often written to sell a political agenda through lobbying efforts.
Although the GAO report cannot make any strong conclusions on the financial impact of piracy and counterfeiting on the economy, the writers do note that piracy can have several benefits for consumers and businesses.
“Some authors have argued that companies that experience revenue losses in one line of business—such as movies—may also increase revenues in related or complementary businesses due to increased brand awareness,” the report states.
“For instance, companies may experience increased revenues due to the sales of merchandise that are based on movie characters whose popularity is enhanced by sales of pirated movies.”
Another aspect that was mentioned is the positive impact piracy has on the revenues of third party companies. The example of routers is given in the report, |
site below for more detailed installation and troubleshooting guides. OpenELEC is a free download.
OpenELEC
You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.Please be aware that downloading files from unknown sources is dangerous and potentially harmful to your computer.
ok so, first download the dx9.dll from the following link (has been scanned and confirmed to be safe)and place it in your "steam/common/fallout new vegas" directorythats it. for me and at least many other persons (at the time of this writing) gpu usage has gone up and npc slowdown as well as general framerates have improved. try it out and lemme know if its working for others.UPDATE: ignore that megaupload link. fallout nexus has itfor those of you worried about downloading a random link some stranger posted (dont blame you) you can find the dx9d9.dll on your computer here"C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-directx-direct3d9_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_c223c2c8c219cb6aJust search your C:\Windows folder and it will pop up MS's version directly from DX and MS. " (could break fraps) -thanks wolfpupalso to give credit where it is due,i found the dll here initially http://segmentnext.c...-freezes-fixes/
Edited by Rohugh, 20 October 2010 - 03:46 PM.
Link removed, the MU has been questionedEarlier this week, there was a report that Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke are on a “collision course” if the San Francisco 49ers continue losing games. There will be something to answer for if this team finishes in the dumps, but for the time being, things seem to be fairly smooth between the two of them.
On Wednesday, Kelly talked about their working relationship. The discussion opened with someone asking about the comfort level in place with Baalke on the road scouting as much as he does. Kelly did not think it was a strange, and went on to detail how it works, and how they work together.
We have not heard any anonymous rumblings of problems between the two. The “collision course” report seemed sufficiently general, and less about how the relationship is right now. We also heard some comments from Ted Robinson that seemed to raise questions about the coaching staff. But again, we are not getting the rumblings of friction that we started to hear before Jim Harbaugh departed.
And so, for the time being, the relationship goes on. It appears to be improved from the relationship Kelly had with Howie Roseman, but as I’ve said before, I think Kelly probably sees a “football guy” in Baalke, and that leads to a better relationship.
Whatever the case, the team will continue to stink, Trent Baalke will continue to be out scouting, and we’ll wait and see what happens.
What is it about how the building is set up that you guys feel comfortable as an organization to have Trent Baalke scouting as much as he does during the week?
“I’m confused. That’s his job.”
I don’t think every general manager spends as much time on the road as he does, but--?
“That’s his choice. It’s just, the guys who aren’t on the road are watching tape in their office. So, it’s just, do you want to watch it live or do you want to watch it, you know, and I think what Trent does a good job of is when you’re not watching the tape in your office, you’re actually out there at the colleges, you’re getting more background information on the individual player that you’re looking at. So, say it’s the quarterback at Cal. You can watch 11 games on the quarterback at Cal in your office or you can also watch him in person and then talk to [University of California head coach] Sonny Dykes about him. So, there’s plus or minuses, but if anything occurs here, as [Sacramento Bee reporter] Matt [Barrows] alluded to last week, he’s only a phone call away. So, if something were to happy, right, we could have a conversation.”
Did you find the phone?
“I did find the phone. So, that was a good thing. We met on it after last week when Matt said you could actually call him. I was like, ‘I did not know that but now I do know that.’ So, with him being on the road, the fact that he is just a phone call away, if something, but on a day-to-day basis here, there’s not really unless there was an explosion in the kitchen or something, I don’t what Trent being here, he’s here Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I talk to him when he leaves. Usually he leaves after practice on Wednesday to go somewhere to watch a Thursday game. He may stay out on Friday and then he’s back on Saturday or meets us at the game site on Saturday. So, I think the flow of it’s pretty good and the unique combination of, whenever Trent is not here, [assistant general manager] Tommy Gamble is here and whenever Tommy Gamble’s not here, Trent is here. So, I think they’ve worked out a really good schedule from that standpoint.”
At this point in the season, do you guys talk about this is what we need in the future or are those talks about the future?
“Yeah, we’ve had conversations like that. We talk daily. Whether it be the first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. It’s, before we leave, we’ll get together or the first thing in the morning where maybe our third-down meeting went really long and Trent left and it was 10-o’clock or 10:15 or 10:30 when our meeting ended on Tuesday night. Then, the first thing I do when I get in here at 5:45 is I’ll get a run by Trent’s office and we’ll get a chance to catch up if we didn’t meet the night before. We meet daily.”Usually, to make a STALKER mod, it's required that you make everything 700% harder, possibly while pouring homebrewed vodka into any available orifice and glueing beard-extending bear fur directly to your face. Lost Alpha is a little more subtle. It started life as a pure restoration of Shadow of Chernobyl's cut levels, but later expanded into a more expansive project: creating a new parallel story that takes place across these restored and recreated zones.
The mod has now been officially released, after an unfortunate leak dashed the creators chances of having their work become an official paid-for expansion to the series. Now, it's instead a great, free excuse to dig the oldest Stalker out from its bunker.
"It was a hard decision to release the game in such a quick, and unplanned way," writes Lost Alpha modder "CrommCruac". "I have to say, I'm very proud to our active team members, because we created something which is beyond our imagination. It looks awesome, it plays just fine, but somehow its still not perfect."
"We will try to update the game whenever we can to make it even better than it is now. Keep in mind, we made all of this in our free time, and mainly for free to play, we did our best to make it very close to our dream game. We feel we succeeded in that, now the question remains: Is it close to what You have dreamed of? Let's find it out together in the Zone!"
You can download Lost Alpha now from ModDB.A year ago Oakland, California resident Craig Cannon started riding a road bike. Last Friday he started a 48-hour ride that netted 95,623ft / 29,146m of elevation gain to topple Jacob Zurl's previous record of 94,452 ft / 28,789m. BikeRadar spoke with the 26-year-old Cannon about what it was like to ride the same 12% hill 228 times in a row for a total of 339 miles / 545kms.
BikeRadar: How did you decide on this record?
Craig Cannon: In May I was having beers with a friend. Her friend had just completed the Everesting thing [climbing the height of Mt Everest in one day]. I thought, I can do that. The biggest ride I had done then was 12,000ft. So I went to South Park Drive, in Berkeley and did the Everest. I didn't have any support. I bought a pizza, left it in my car at the bottom with a bunch of water bottles, and just did it. It took me 40-41 laps of the climb, and about 13 hours of ride time, and I felt good after it. I thought, I could totally do more. So I started Googling around, and found some climbing records. I didn't even know that was a thing.
What did you do to prepare?
I set up two tests before fully committing. First, I wanted to see if I could stay awake for 48 hours. So I did that while doing a few rides, took a 90min nap, then did Mt Diablo with my friends. Second, I rode the exact course on South Park Drive I thought I would use for the record attempt, for 24 hours straight.
South Park Drive averages 12%. That's steep.
Yeah, it is. But it is quiet and the pavement is good. There are no crossroads on the way back down. My friend Paul McKenzie told me I should not do a shallower climb, as I would use calories fighting wind resistance. The climb is consistent, not pitchy.
Many big rides exist on strava. but there is none quite like this: many big rides exist on strava. but there is none quite like this
There are many impressive rides on Strava - but none quite like this
What did you use to record a 48hr ride?
I have a Garmin 510, and I taped a cable on my top tube to a battery pack in my saddle bag. Then later I taped another battery to my handlebars.
What bike, and what gearing did you use?
A steel Sycip with Shimano 105 and 50/34, 11-32.
What did you eat?
Perpetuem Café Latte. It has carbs, protein and some caffeine.
What was the hardest part?
The nights were hard, but no one really showed up for the first day, which was hard. My mom flew out from Boston, and stayed awake for 48 hours. And I had friends riding with me for a lot of the time. They knew the pace, and kept me on it.
Once I crossed 50K [feet of elevation], I was like, I got this. I came out hot, and was getting 3,000ft an hour. Then I burned all of that in three breaks. The last break was Saturday at 3am. I had some knee pain. So I took pain killers and slept for like 20 minutes.
So what’s next?
I am going to be riding my bike a lot more. People asked how I could get through something like this, but I just love riding my bike.
Cannon celebrates after two days in the saddle: cannon celebrates after two days in the saddle
Cannon celebrates after two days of riding up a steep hill — over and over and overIn mid-May, facing growing public complaints about the militarization of local police forces, President Obama signed an executive order that would ban the Pentagon from transferring certain “inappropriate” military gear, notably grenade launchers and bayonets, to police departments.
Because apparently anything with the word military or any derivatives is going to have support from someone on the Hill, Sen. Pat Toomey (R – PA) today announced a bill aiming to block the president from making any restrictions at all on the transfers.
Toomey complained in an open letter that the White House was weighing the lives of police against the public backlash against militarization and police crackdowns on dissent, insisting the government should never even consider the idea that police are causing unrest through their tactics.
Toomey in particular objected to the banning of certain armored military vehicles from usage except under “certain circumstances.” The ban signed by the White House was related only to vehicles with tank treads.
Interestingly, though Toomey insisted he had no objection to the ban on bayonets, he is insisting on removing all restrictions, including those on bayonets provided to police forces.ATHENS (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund should decide whether it will fund Greece’s current bailout program by the end of the year and help Greece conclude a key bailout review on time, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Sunday.
Euro zone governments in June approved another 11th-hour credit line for Greece, worth nearly $10 billion, after the IMF said it would join the country’s current bailout, the third since 2010, in principle.
“We can live with or without the IMF presence,” Tsipras said in a press briefing at a trade fair in Thessaloniki. “What we cannot do is live with the IMF setting one foot in and leaving one foot out.”
The end of the year would be a “reasonable timeframe” for the Fund to decide, he said. Athens intends to wrap up its next bailout review quickly, he said, adding that Greece would be financially independent in 2018.
The euro zone and the IMF have loaned Greece about 260 billion euros ($312.86 billion) since 2010. In return, Greece has imposed austerity measures that have cut its output by a quarter and eliminated thousands of jobs. The lenders review Greece’s progress quarterly before approving loan payouts.
Tsipras’ government and the IMF have often locked horns over Greece’s fiscal progress, its economic targets and reforms in the labor market. Greece adopted more austerity measures for 2019 and 2020 to convince the Fund to join its program and push for further debt relief.
Tsipras came to power in 2015 promising to end austerity but then signed up to the new bailout, worth 86 billion euros. He said on Sunday the government would assess fiscal progress for 2017 and offer handouts to the vulnerable, if Greece exceeded its targets.
“We ought to be careful in the coming period,” he said. “We need to have a full picture of the economy... we are above targets and we will make sure that there will be a dividend for the vulnerable, which we will announce at the right time.”
Greece exceeded its goal for a primary budget surplus - which excludes debt servicing - in 2015 and 2016. Last December, Tsipras unexpectedly announced a one-off Christmas bonus to pensioners, angering the country’s lenders. On Sunday, he said any similar move would be made in consultation with the lenders.
Slideshow (5 Images)
Asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a system to screen investments in strategic sectors from non-EU countries, he said Athens wanted to attract investments both from Europe and from outside the block.
“Right now, our country is thirsty for investments,” he said at the at the Thessaloniki trade fair, which this year is honoring China. “Greece can only benefit when it becomes a bone of contention for investment initiatives.”
China has invested heavily in Greece. It bought a 51 percent stake in Piraeus Port (OLPr.AT) last year and a minority stake in power grid operator, ADMIE, this year.The multiplayer survival genre continues to grow. Add Nether to that category, a new open-world shooter in development by Chicago-based studio Phosphor Games. Revealed exclusively to PC Gamer today, Nether will feature persistent online worlds where players are left to live their own stories, create alliances and secure safe houses to survive. But interestingly, it's a post-apocalyptic world that won't include zombies.
A decade after an unknown cataclysm destroys humanity, the survivors in the world of Nether work just to get by. Wandering the shattered bones of once-great cities, those left behind scavenge, make alliances, fight bandits and live in fear of the mutated creatures that hunt them.
The modern multiplayer survival game may have been pioneered by DayZ and copied (poorly) by Infestation: Survivor Stories (aka The War Z), but there's still a lot of room for the genre to explore. Nether hopes to capture that feeling of freedom and anarchy that DayZ does so well, but to do so inside a very different environment and with smoother, first-person gunplay. In particular, Nether's focus will be on an urban, vertical world partially inspired by the West Loop of Chicago.
“The city being so vertical and three-dimensional and dense really is a very different gameplay experience,” Chip Sineni, creative director for Phosphor Games, told me. “A lot of our guys were big fans of DayZ early on... but they're very complementary kinds of games. It's not like one kind of game is necessarily better than another, they're just very different kinds of experiences.”
Nether's urban density is at once its greatest asset and its greatest risk. Wide-open fields in DayZ take players far away from each other, but a good sniper rifle or binoculars can help close the distance and make sure that players are forced to interact with each other, for good or bad. In an urban environment, though, players can pass within yards of each other without being aware of it. Looting an empty apartment building, for example, would make you invisible to anyone passing on the street below.
Making this isolation feel fun is a big challenge, and Sineni acknowledges that Phosphor is still trying to find the perfect balance between big and too big, dense and too cluttered. Up to 64 players will be able to log onto a server at a time, so finding space for all of those players to feel alone and yet part of a community of survivors will be a thin line to walk.
“There's just so much foliage and rubble and debris that we're trying to figure out how we make it work. It's very easy in a dense city to just hide,” Sineni said. “In our game it's very easy for someone to be very close to you, but you're behind some garbage so they can't see you.”
With the freedom of a persistent open-world environment, a lot of player-driven stories will be free to emerge. Temporarily teaming up with a stranger could be the start of a new friendship or the first step to getting stabbed in the back, and players will be free to trade or steal needed supplies. Voice chat support will be built into Nether (a feature that Infestation sorely lacked at launch) so players can approach each other with a friendly greeting and their hands on their weapons.
A player or group can clear out and control a building or floor, turning an abandoned townhouse into an encampment for as long as they have the strength to hold it. The most powerful player groups may be able to clear and set up camp in office buildings or skyscrapers and live safely above the streets. Like in DayZ, players will log in to find themselves exactly where they last logged out. With good security, it will be possible to build a place that feels like home.
And then there are the monsters. Phosphor is breaking free of the restrictions imposed by gaming's now-ubiquitous Zombie plague by creating a brand-new enemy with its own set of rules. The Nether are mutated creatures that hunt mostly by sound. If they catch your trail, though, the meandering beasts become aggressive, terrible foes. Teleporting around the map, they circle behind you with unnatural screams, disappearing and reappearing as you try to shoot them.
“We wanted it to be where even one creature is something to be terrified about if you don't have the gear,” Sineni said. “In some ways, it's a multiplayer horror game, where there's something out there.” He references the movie Alien, where one organism is devastating and can wipe out anybody. That's the feeling the team is looking for: fear of being hunted by a formidable opponent.
The Nether will be able to leap high into the air to better navigate the vertical spaces of the city, and if you start to run away they will teleport to chase you down. “You can outrun a creature if you make some kind of bee line and just keep running and running and don't look back; there's a chance you'll get away. But if you turn to engage it, one of you is going to die: you or him.”
Dedicated servers will have the option of a “hardcore” mode with true permadeath, but the default server setting will just take your equipment away, leaving you with your customized character, name and earned skills and experience points. Sineni hints at possible RPG elements, but the team is still working on deciding what those will be.
Phosphor will make those decisions and guide the overall feel of the finished game by enlisting help from the community. Nether is planned for a closed beta release this fall and will take player feedback to decide what works and what doesn't until Nether is ready for launch.
“Something we really want to see is, rather than keep focusing on features that players may not care about, we really want to get it out there early and then have the community guide us,” Sineni said. “Maybe what we think is going to be a really big feature is something that you don't care about, and you'd rather us focus on this other thing.”
Nether is now taking registrations for players to get into the closed beta and help give feedback for the finished game. For more screenshots, check out page 2 of this post; you can also see more screenshots and video on Nether's website.The Whitest Kids U' Know is an American sketch comedy troupe and television program of the same name. The group consists of Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger, Sam Brown, Timmy Williams and Darren Trumeter, though other actors occasionally appear in their sketches. They were accepted into the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2006 and won the award for Best Sketch Group.
History [ edit ]
The Whitest Kids began in 1999 when Trevor Moore, a young comedian from Charlottesville, Virginia, transferred to New York's School of Visual Arts film program. Moore previously produced a local TV sketch-comedy show in Virginia titled The Trevor Moore Show, but it was later canceled.
After making the rounds at local New York City comedy clubs, he eventually met fellow SVA film student Sam Brown[1] from Massachusetts and SVA Graphic Design student/actor Zach Cregger, from Arlington, Virginia. By chance, all three lived in the same dormitory. According to an IFC interview, Trevor Moore says that the group's name originated during a freestyle rapping session on a subway, when one of their friends said, "You guys are the whitest kids I know."[2]
The troupe started off as an officially sanctioned club at School of Visual Arts. During the early years, WKUK included writer and director Jon Kovel, Oliver Lyons, Anthony Mair, and singer Tina Tiongson. Timmy Williams also joined in late 2001 and was the only member at the time who did not attend SVA.[3]
The Whitest Kids U' Know held near-monthly free shows at SVA's amphitheater, which would frequently fill to capacity.[4] Finally, in 2003, as Moore approached graduation, the group separated officially from the school, and all but Moore, Brown, Cregger and Williams left the troupe. Darren Trumeter, an actor and filmmaker who had worked previously with Cregger, was then added that same year.[5]
Starting in 2003, the reinvented troupe started touring the various comedy venues in New York City, concluding in early 2005 with a well-attended show at Caroline's, a famous stand-up comedy club in Times Square.
Television [ edit ]
In 2005, the Whitest Kids began working with noted comedy producer Jim Biederman. In early 2006, Biederman and the Whitest Kids sold the show to the Fuse network after the Whitest Kids won the Best Sketch Group award at the Aspen Comedy Festival. Production of the first season took place in New York City, during the summer of 2006. The first season of The Whitest Kids U' Know premiered in March 2007. It was an instant hit for Fuse, and the show was picked up for a second season immediately.
However, due to what Fuse perceived as extreme comedy, the second season order came with limitations on content. The group considered walking away from the pick up order over the new content restrictions. Then former head of Fuse programming, Jennifer Caserta, left to become the General Manager of the IFC network and brought the Whitest Kids along with her to IFC. At the time, Fuse and IFC were both part of Rainbow Media. The Rainbow Media executives felt that the Whitest Kids program was more appropriate for IFC than Fuse, so they approved the switch.
On July 12, 2007, Trevor Moore posted a message on the Whitest Kids U' Know's official website stating that the second season of the Whitest Kids' TV show would move to the Independent Film Channel (IFC). According to Moore, they were excited about the channel switch because it allowed for no commercial breaks, with vulgarities and obscene content uncensored.[6] However, IFC began airing commercials during their programming on December 8, 2010, and the show was censored at certain times of day (including removing stronger sexual language such as "fuck" and censoring any nudity), despite promises that it would remain unedited.[7]
Shooting for season two of the show started on August 13, 2007, and debuted on IFC on February 10, 2008.
The season one DVD was released on February 5, 2008. It was stated several times on the show that the season will be first released uncensored on DVD. However, IFC started to air uncensored episodes of season one just two months before the DVD release.
The tenth episode of season two was broadcast live on IFC. The sketches performed on stage were based on their stage shows.
The third season, which premiered on IFC on January 27, 2009, in the 10 pm time slot, was composed of ten 30-minute episodes as well as 20- and 15-minute episodes. Both formats played on IFC.
The fourth season premiered on June 11, 2010, on IFC, continuing with the 10/30-minute and 20/15-minute episode formats.
The fifth season premiered on April 15, 2011, and was the final season of the show. The format of 10 half-hour episodes remains, with each episode ending with a segment of The Civil War on Drugs, a full-length film starring Whitest Kids troupe members reimagining the American Civil War as a war on drugs.[8]
Recurring characters [ edit ]
Candice - The most common woman's name in the sketches of this comedy troupe. Almost every time a female name is mentioned it is Candice.
Jerry Bronham – A hunter seen in the sketches "Sexy Fawn," "I Don't Know Bob," and "Point/Counterpoint", played by Trevor Moore. He is incredibly tasteless, promoting things such as baby skull-seeking bullets and making jokes about his best friend's death. He is not above killing innocent people and has even killed a baby before (though by accident). Moore confirmed him as a recurring character in the commentary of the season one DVD.
Satan – The Lord of Hell. His appearance varies throughout sketches. In "Demon Ouija Board," he is a disembodied booming voice who reminds Balthalthazar (possibly a deliberate misspelling of Balthazar) that the sole job of demons is to entertain. In contrast, he appears in Act 3 of "Opus Acts 1–4" as a horned humanoid who rants about people making assumptions on who he is. Satan is also mentioned several times by various Whitest characters throughout the sketches.
Abraham Lincoln – The 16th President of the United States. He is seen in the sketches "Abe Lincoln," "John Wilkes Booth," and "The Civil War on Drugs." Abraham Lincoln is played by Zach Cregger and John Wilkes Booth is played by Trevor Moore. In "Abe Lincoln" and "John Wilkes Booth", he is the victim of John Wilkes Booth's assassination attempts, though in each sketch the circumstances are quite different. In "Abe Lincoln", Lincoln disrupts a performance of Hamlet, frustrating Booth sitting in the audience, and is consequentially bashed to death. In "John Wilkes Booth" the president is victim to constant harassment by Booth, who sneaks into the theater and hits him with a variety of objects while saying Sic semper tyrannis. In "The Civil War on Drugs," Trevor Moore and Sam Brown portray activists who travel to Washington D.C. to see Abraham Lincoln and make marijuana legal, thinking the entire American Civil War was about it.
The Boss – A powerful and rich executive of a company whose purpose or product is unknown. The Boss is well known for considering unusual and violent situations as normal and not worth making a big deal out of. In "Sniper Business"/"Business Battle," he calmly explains to an employee at his office that business is about hard work and integrity – while trying to avoid and kill a sniper hired by a rival business. The Boss is also seen in "Asian Hooker," where he tries to coordinate and run an office meeting while chained to a bed and a screaming Vietnamese hooker. As the meeting progresses, the hooker's pimp enters and stabs her repeatedly, while The Boss continues to run the meeting to the best of his abilities, despite objections from his colleagues. The Boss reappeared in "Not Particularly Sure," claiming that he does not know what his company actually does. The character is usually played by Trevor Moore, and is characterized by his deep, official, and serious voice.
Billy Matherson – Billy Matherson has appeared in multiple sketches and is depicted as a young male child. He has appeared in the sketches "Irresponsible Television," "Genie," and a few others. Not much can be said about Billy Matherson himself as his character and situation seems to vary from sketch to sketch. In "Dear Black People," his name is changed to Danny Matherson.
Caleb – Not strictly a recurring character, but Caleb is typically a name that has been used several times, along with the names "Brian", "Rick" and "Candice". Unlike most other characters that share a name, Caleb's character is relatively consistent. He is usually depicted as an average teenager who is always getting in some sort of trouble. He appears in "Blue Whale Dick," "Homeschool," "Walk of Shame," and "We Buy Drugs", and is mentioned in "Call of Duty," played by different Whitest Kids members each time, but most commonly Darren. His last name varies, with "Matthews", "McLaughlin", and "Carlyle" having all been used.
SuperDog – Perhaps more of a prop than a character. SuperDog has made appearances in several episodes of season three, with Sam carrying him around. SuperDog also has a cult following of humans who think of him as a god.
Meredith - Much like Candice, Meredith is usually the name of a character's spouse. Whenever a character's wife is mentioned, her name is usually Meredith. Her marriage is usually troubled, or she has already been divorced, as seen in the "Office Sniper" and "Helicopter Wife" sketches.
Sasha The Fabulous – Pops in the end of several sketches in the fourth season to say her catchphrase: "Oh, Hell no!"
Adolf Hitler – Hitler is played by Trevor Moore and appears in the sketches "Charlie Chaplin", "Little Hitler" and "Triumph of the Ill", a rap song about his desire to stop being the Führer and instead become a rapper. Hitler also makes appearances in some sketches filmed when the troupe was still part of the SVA. There are also references to Nazism and the Nazi regime.
Films [ edit ]
Moore and Cregger wrote, directed and starred in the 2009 comedy film Miss March.
In 2012, Moore wrote on his website that a true Whitest Kids U' Know movie was planned, and that the script was currently being written.[9]
On February 11, 2017, Moore announced via Instagram that the film's script had been completed.[10]
Album [ edit ]
The Whitest Kids U' Know is the debut album of the New York City-based sketch comedy troupe, released in 2006.A wide variety of individuals -- usually ranging from drunk to stupid to both -- have invaded the pitching during football matches over the years, but I don't think any of them have ever done it while wearing a Pokemon backpack. Until now.
Early in the second half of Bayern Munich's big match against Borussia Dortmund, the invader ran right through the center circle as Bayern prepared to take a free kick from their own half. After the man did a knee slide to cheers from the crowd, he was escorted off. The incident would've been like a thousand others before, had it not been for the fact that he was dressed like a time traveler from 1993 in faded, high-water jeans and an incredibly ugly sweater tucked into those jeans and wearing Pikachu on his back. He wore a hat with an upturned bill that had the word "katze!" (cat) written on it.
The match went on to end in a 1-1 draw after the interruption. But more importantly, the world was saved from whatever was inside his Pikachu.The sheriff’s deputy is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, and was fired Wednesday.
TACOMA — A Pierce County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy has been fired after investigators accused him of having sex with an inmate.
The News Tribune reports that 29-year-old Jason Pardes was arrested for investigation of second-degree rape Tuesday. He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail, and he was fired Wednesday. No charges have been filed.
The inmate is a 34-year-old woman who has been in custody since 2014 for assault, drive-by shooting and eluding officers. She acted as the getaway driver in a robbery in Fife and was shot in the chest during a shootout with police.
Investigators believe the sexual contact occurred in a multipurpose room of the jail. Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said that even if it was otherwise consensual, such relations are illegal because the inmate is under correctional supervision.
Pardes was hired 11 months ago.Given that income inequality affects many tens of millions of people in the US, you might think politicians would want to address the issue. Can you imagine the voting block you could assemble? Someone could be an officeholder for virtually as long as they wanted.
Heaven knows the US has an unbalanced distribution of wealth. Below is a table from last year's Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report that shows middle class wealth holdings by country.
That the US ranks so low is truly astounding. Here's a reaction from Senator Bernie Sanders about a week ago.
This is truly unbelievable. The U.S. middle class has a lower share of wealth than China, India and Brazil. pic.twitter.com/GeX5Cpzr1a — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 5, 2016
The bulk of Americans don't have to feel someone else's pain because they have their own, although it's all relative, of course. Still, what a massive potential voting bloc.
But for many decades, no political parties have really taken on the problem because the don't listen to the middle class, as researchers have shown:
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence. The results provide substantial support for theories of Economic-Elite Domination and for theories of Biased Pluralism, but not for theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy or Majoritarian Pluralism.
A major reason that Sanders made the showing he did in the Democratic primaries and why Donald Trump won the Republican was the feeling of being powerless. According to an ongoing RAND Corporation study, the greatest predictor of whether a Republican supports Trump, according to The Economist, is whether the person agreed with the statement, "People like me don't have any say about what government does."
This is why the supposedly non-story of alleged influence trading by the Clinton Foundation rings strongly for many, even as plenty of people in the media try to dismiss it and the initial AP story (which, granted, had some major flaws). Think about it through the following steps:
Since only 3 percent or so of the documented meetings Hillary Clinton had over nearly two years of information she released were with people not employed by government, it seems fair to say that getting a meeting with her while Secretary of State was very difficult if you weren't a representative of some government.
The number of businesspeople and major investors who might want such a meeting is probably easily in the thousands, given the number of multi-national corporations there are.
The number of significant philanthropists who might want to influence policy likely also easily runs into the tens of thousands.
The number of people at NGOs and other non-profits who would love to bend the ear of a major political power holder is, again, easily in the tens of thousands.
I personally think that the number in total could be in the millions, but cap it at 100,000.
As of the beginning of summer, there were just under 5,500 people who had given at least $5,000 in total over time to the Clinton Foundation, according to the foundation's own records.
Say all of them might have had a reason, whether business or philanthropic, to either attempt influencing policy or asking for a favor. That would be 5.5 percent of the total. So, if donations to the Clinton Foundation weren't a factor in granting meetings, you might expect that a handful of the meetings went to donors.
But more than half of the non-governmental people who got meetings were donors to the Clinton Foundation.
As DNC Chair Donna Brazile said when questioned by Martha Raddatz about e-emails showing " Clinton Foundation officials looking for invitations for major donors to State Department events, including a presidential speech, including sitting next to Vice President Biden":
First of all, Martha, the way I look at it, I've been a government official. So, you know, this notion that, somehow or another, someone who is a supporter, someone who is a donor, somebody who's an activist, saying I want access, I want to come into a room and I want to meet people, we often criminalize behavior that is normal. And it's -- I don't -- I don’t see what the smoke is.
Pair |
to pure head voice, either of which can lead to the development of an imbalanced technique. They are often so impatient and eager to produce a fully mature sound that he finds that “half the battle is keeping them out of trouble, while doing everything I can to support and preserve their enthusiasm.”
A mature, operatic sound requires full cord closure, balanced registration, and vocal folds that are developed to the point where they can produce an even, organic vibrato. Until adulthood, the larynx does not descend to the point where a singer can access the full length of what will become their supraglottal tract; children also have not yet developed the facial bone structure required to balance out their resonance. A young violinist can learn on a quarter- or half-sized instrument that is in all other ways similar to a full-size violin. A young pianist can modify fingerings until their hands are large enough to grasp full chords and still offer viable interpretations of much of the same repertoire their older peers perform. But a young singer’s instrument is not yet even a fair facsimile of the voice they will later access as an adult. Thus there can be no true operatic prodigies. The young voice simply has not physiologically matured to the point that it is capable of projecting a healthy, balanced sound over an orchestra in an opera house. Aided by a microphone, an adolescent singer may be able to mimic some of the sounds typical of an adult operatic voice, but they can only do so by manipulating, tensing and pushing their voice in a way that can only be sustained for very brief periods of time and will eventually lead to vocal fatigue or injury. It is an approach to singing that will never yield true vocal and artistic mastery but will rather create entanglements that will delay or even derail the possibility of actual operatic excellence.
This is why Bretan’s performance raises such deep concerns for experienced opera singers and voice teachers. She possesses both a promising voice and strong musical instincts, but most of the sounds she is producing are the result of effortful, unsustainable manipulations of a body that is not yet mature enough either to create these sounds in a free, organic way or to withstand such pressure without significant risk of injury. The hazardous technical problems I note include the following:
Her vibrato is tremulous and irregular and is accompanied by shaking in her tongue and jaw. An organic vibrato depends in part on well-modulated registration, and it may be that she is not yet able to fully engage the muscles governing heavier registration. This may also explain why the cut of “Nessun dorma” she chose to perform omits the low D at the very beginning – she may simply not be capable of producing a focused sound in her primo passaggio yet.
She performs these syllabic phrases with virtually no legato, pumping breath into individual notes and syllables rather than streaming her air continuously throughout each phrase. This is an extremely fatiguing process, and while it can produce a sequence of richly produced tones it cannot deliver the long, beautifully shaped lines required for Puccini; it would also be hard to sustain for a period longer than the one minute and twenty seconds of this excerpt.
Bretan’s breathing is quite labored. She is squeezing every molecule of air she can manage out of her slight frame in order to generate her sound, with her shoulders rotating internally, her sternum pressing down and her ribs squeezing in. She inhales so frequently as to obscure the text, most notably breathing in between the first and second syllables of “vincerò” in order to power up and sustain the climactic high note.
To my ear, she is artificially darkening her sound and mimicing a more mature resonance by holding her larynx down and over-rounding her lips.
Bretan’s Italian diction is completely unintelligible and her rhythms are approximate and vague. In our conversation, Andrade emphasized the importance of complementing vocal technical study with language and musicianship instruction even as a beginner; after all, the duration of each syllable and the shape of each vowel are both important components of how one’s technique should be deployed moment to moment. In addition, opera is an art form requiring intense collaboration between the singers, the orchestra and the conductor; while singers will sometimes perform an aria out of context, it still requires the real-time participation of other musicians, and the skill to engage in such collaboration is an inherent component of our art form. And, of course, opera singers perform without amplification. These numerous ways in which Bretan’s preparation and presentation deviate from what we commonly associate with classical singing lead us, along with Batman, to dismiss her efforts by exclaiming “That’s not opera!!” accompanied by a vicious slap.
Now consider once again the rapturous ovation that greeted the performance upon which I have levied my pedagogical and artistic critique. Consider also the delighted sentiments it inspired in your Facebook friends. Finally, consider how our instinctive response to these expressions of astonishment and admiration is to exclaim, “That’s not opera!!” and deliver a virtual slap to anyone who isn’t savvy enough to realize it for themselves. They are likely to react to this admonishment by concluding that we are jealous and that we are snobs.
They have a point.
In Pursuit of Common Ground
When we see an untrained 13-year-old singer receive such accolades for an appropriation of a beloved Puccini aria, does it make us jealous?
Of course it does. We ache for that era when a beloved opera singer like Beverly Sills guest hosted The Tonight Show and appeared on The Muppet Show. We’re nostalgic for the stunning success enjoyed by The Three Tenors as well as the way their wide popularity helped attract new audiences to opera houses throughout the 90s. Even if some purists might object to the way that these celebrity opera singers packaged their performances to communicate better over the airwaves or to a stadium audience, these were master singers sharing their hard-earned artistry with the masses and reaping their adoration. With opera companies now struggling to survive and ticket sales on the decline, it would be impossible for us to look without jealousy upon a reality TV contestant as she inelegantly co-opts this repertoire and receives widespread exuberant praise.
Does our desire to correct Bretan’s fans about the nature of opera make us snobs?
If in so doing we convey a message that they were wrong to find themselves transported by a performance that they loved, I am afraid that indeed it does. This was an opportunity for them to discover that they could be moved in a particular way by a genre of music that had previously failed to catch their attention. If, instead of embracing this opportunity and inviting them to discover how much more there is to admire and explore, we instead express the opinion that they only enjoyed it because they are too uneducated or uncultured to understand what a travesty they were witnessing, we quash their joy and confirm whatever suspicions they may have previously held that opera is, in fact, not for them.
It is only natural that we would have these impulses, but it is vital that we rise above them. Rather than criticize Bretan’s fans, we must instead strive to discuss our love of opera with the same unfettered zeal that she shared with the world through her singing.
When someone comes to you, the opera expert in their life, to express their appreciation for such a performance, do what you can to draw them out. Ask them what they found so appealing about it. Ask them how it made them feel. I believe that many, if not most, were responding to the unrestrained way she courageously channeled genuine feeling through her voice. This is what we all seek to do with our singing. Share with them your experiences of what it feels like to do that and how much it means to you, and invite them to listen to the artists who inspire you. If you are able to tap into their enthusiasm, you may find them eager to learn about how much more potentially astonishing it can be to hear great artists perform live, unamplified, accompanied by orchestra in an acoustically wonderful hall. If her youthful earnestness and excitement are part of what moved them, you can encourage them to listen to the young singers you appreciate or share examples of roles written to be performed by children, such as Yniold in Pelléas et Mélisande and the shepherd in Tosca. They will likely be able to distinguish for themselves the contrast between an untrained 13-year-old imitating an adult sound and a well-prepared junior opera singer, and that will provide material for further conversation. If it turns out that they are not really drawn to opera but simply enjoy the reality TV circus, then at least you made a genuine effort to share something meaningful with them. But there is a real possibility that a listener who appreciated the kind of unfettered, expansive singing that Bretan demonstrated may be on their way to discovering a love of classical singing, and it is your job to lure them from the gateway drug of reality TV down the road to becoming a full-blown opera addict.
Televised talent shows can be highly exploitive of the artists who are drawn to compete in them, and we should advise our friends, students and children of the potential hazards of participation. Child “prodigies” like Jackie Evancho and Charlotte Church will never garner the admiration of those of us who have spent our lives pursuing the craft of classical singing; nor will crossover darlings like Andrea Bocelli or Sarah Brightman. Yet there is no denying that these singers command mass appeal. When operatic repertoire receives exposure at their hands and is greeted with great enthusiasm, let us regard it as a potential boon for our art form and community, warmly welcome these new enthusiasts, and seek to share with them the wonders we know await those who are willing to immerse themselves in this profound and time-honored art form.
For more information about Andrés Andrade and Citywide Youth Opera, please visit http://www.citywideyouthopera.orgOn November 17th, 2015, Todd W Schneider published a blog post titled Analyzing 1.1 Billion NYC Taxi and Uber Trips, with a Vengeance in which he analysed the metadata of 1.1 billion Taxi journeys made in New York City between 2009 and 2015. Included with this work was a link to a GitHub repository where he published the SQL, Shell and R files he used in his work and instructions on how to get everything up and running.
There was a question in the README.md file that struck me: "Why not use BigQuery or Redshift?" to which Todd replied, "Google BigQuery and Amazon Redshift would probably provide significant performance improvements over PostgreSQL."
Truth is, outside of geospatial-specific queries, many columnar-based store engines would be a benefit to this dataset in terms of query performance. In this blog post I'll look at getting the raw data from its original sources, denormalising it and importing it into a Redshift Data Warehouse on AWS.
UPDATE: This blog post uses Redshift's free tier instance type which doesn't have enough capacity to store the entire dataset. I've since published a blog post where I use a ds2.xlarge instance which can store all 1.1 billion records.
Your Disk Drive is the Bottleneck The high water mark of disk space usage for the data alone in this exercise is ~600 GB. If your going to run anything in this blog post on your machine I recommend doing so on an SSD drive. If you don't have an SSD drive with 640 GB of space available I'd suggest launching an EC2 instance on AWS with 640 GB of SSD-backed storage or launch a 640 GB droplet on Digital Ocean.
Why Not Skip PostgreSQL & Import the Raw Data Directly? Todd's scripts pull 6 datasets, each with their own schemas and in some cases, data which needs to be cleaned up and transformed before it can be of use. Redshift isn't a great place to do transformations on data, it really should be cleaned up before it arrives.
Gathering 190 GB of Data The following was done on a fresh install of Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS with 1 TB of drive space. The first thing I need to do is install PostgreSQL 9.3, Postgis 2.1, git and unzip. $ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install \ git \ postgresql-9.3-postgis-2.1 \ unzip With those in place I can clone Todd's repo and begin to download the raw data. I've grouped all the URLs into a single call and use 6 concurrent instances of wget to download the data. $ git clone https://github.com/toddwschneider/nyc-taxi-data.git $ cd nyc-taxi-data $ cat raw_uber_data_urls.txt \ raw_data_urls.txt | \ xargs -n 1 -P 6 wget -P data/ & The data takes ~190 GB of space so you'll want to run this on a fast internet connection with an equally fast disk drive to store it all on. I spent my Saturday afternoon mostly looking at the following: yellow_tripdata_2010-02.csv 60%[=========================> ] 1.15G 3.53MB/s eta 4m 11s yellow_tripdata_2010-03.csv 40%[================> ] 908.90M 3.27MB/s eta 7m 9s yellow_tripdata_2010-04.csv 34%[==============> ] 905.32M 3.01MB/s eta 9m 9s yellow_tripdata_2010-05.csv 30%[============> ] 813.28M 2.35MB/s eta 9m...
Importing 190 GB of Data into PostgreSQL If you haven't assigned permissions to your Linux user account in your PostgreSQL installation then you'll need to do so. Replace'mark' below in the two spots it appears in with your user name (run whoami to find out what your user name is). $ sudo su - postgres -c \ "psql -c 'CREATE USER mark; ALTER USER mark WITH SUPERUSER;'" To start the import process you'll need to initialize the database and then begin importing the trip data for the Green and Yellow Taxi datasets. $./initialize_database.sh $./import_trip_data.sh I ran the import process on a mechanical drive and it took 72 hours to import. I'd estimate 10% of the import process was bottlenecked by my CPU while indices were being created and the remaining 90% was bottlenecked by having both the database and raw data sat on the same drive and having an import process suffer from slow, random I/O. The following will import the 2014 and 2015 data for Uber: $./import_uber_trip_data.sh Todd's repo comes with scripts that wrap up a lot of ETL complexity and they work very well out of the box. I only came across two issues when importing the data into PostgreSQL (one issue was resolved prior to publication of this blog post). During the import phase for the Uber 2014 data I came across the following error message: ERROR: date/time field value out of range: "4/13/2014 0:01:00" HINT: Perhaps you need a different "datestyle" setting. CONTEXT: COPY uber_trips_staging, line 15076, column pickup_datetime: "4/13/2014 0:01:00" This same issue came up with every file in the Uber 2014 dataset but it appears to only have affected a minority of records. I raised an issue regarding this, hopefully there is a transformation process that can clean this data up. When this process is complete you should have 321 GB of drive space taken up by your PostgreSQL database. $ sudo su - postgres -c "du -hs ~/9.3/main" 321G /var/lib/postgresql/9.3/main PostgreSQL should also be reporting row counts that come close to the following: $ psql nyc-taxi-data SELECT relname table_name, lpad ( to_char ( reltuples, 'FM9,999,999,999' ), 13 ) row_count FROM pg_class LEFT JOIN pg_namespace ON ( pg_namespace. oid = pg_class. relnamespace ) WHERE nspname NOT IN ( 'pg_catalog', 'information_schema' ) AND relkind = 'r' ORDER BY reltuples DESC ; table_name | row_count ---------------------------------------+--------------- trips | 1,120,559,744 uber_trips_2015 | 14,270,497 spatial_ref_sys | 3,911 central_park_weather_observations_raw | 2,372 nyct2010 | 2,167 uber_taxi_zone_lookups | 265 yellow_tripdata_staging | 0 cab_types | 0 uber_trips_staging | 0 green_tripdata_staging | 0 Keep in mind these row counts are estimates. Anything less than a SELECT COUNT(*) FROM <table> will be less than authoritative for getting row counts from PostgreSQL. The reason why I didn't just run a count on the trips table is that PostgreSQL needs to do a sequential scan which very slow when looking at a billion+ records on a mechanical drive.
What's up with the 14M Uber Records for 2015? The number of properties differ so greatly between the 2014 and 2015 dumps of data from Uber that Todd decided the 2015 data gets to go live in its own table. There is enough information missing from the 2015 dump that I've decided to not include it in the denormalising process. If you wish, this data can be exported separately at a later point and imported into your data store of choice.
Exporting 1.1 Billion Rows I will now create a file in which PostgreSQL can dump the results of the denormalising query into in CSV format. I want to break the 1.1 billion rows up into 2GB, gzip-compressed files. These should be the optimal size for loading into Redshift in parallel. If you look at this example line I exported (by appending LIMIT 1 to the query below) you'll see it's 484 bytes long. 27767932,CMT,2009-01-04 04:02:25,2009-01-04 04:09:59,,,-73.991838999999999,40.722442999999998,-73.998007000000001,40.740388000000003,1,1.8999999999999999,7.7999999999999998,0,,20,0,,,27.800000000000001,Credit,,0101000020E61000006EF9484A7A7F52C0B01C2103795C4440,0101000020E6100000768BC058DF7F52C0E92CB308C55E4440,yellow,0,0,0,56,-39,34,1473,36.01,1,Manhattan,003601,1003601,E,MN27,Chinatown,3809,1165,81,1,Manhattan,008100,1008100,I,MN13,Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flatiron-Union Square,3807 If that's the average length of a row when in CSV format then the whole dump should produce around ~500 GB of raw data. If gzip offers us a 5:1 compression ratio then ~500 GB of raw data should be 100 GB when compressed. I can take 1.1 billion row count and divide by 50 and that will give me 22 million lines per 2 GB gzip file. If I round that down a bit in order to not expect too much from the compression ratio that leaves me with 20 million lines per CSV creating ~50 - 60 x 2 GB gzip files. Before running the dump consider taking the 190 GB of raw data in the nyc-taxi-data/data folder off your drive in order to ensure you don't run out of space while exporting this data. The 190 GB of raw data is likely larger than the compressed, denormalised data that's being exported and not having it on your working drive means you shouldn't have to worry about drive capacity at this point. Before I export from PostgreSQL I'll create a folder that PostgreSQL has access to where it'll store the gzip files. $ mkdir -p /home/mark/nyc-taxi-data/trips $ sudo chown -R postgres:postgres \ /home/mark/nyc-taxi-data/trips I'll then connect to PostgreSQL: $ psql nyc-taxi-data Replace the /home/mark/nyc-taxi-data/trips path at the bottom of the query below with the complete path you've created. Remember that PostgreSQL demands the output path be absolute and not relative. COPY ( SELECT trips. id, trips. vendor_id, trips. pickup_datetime, trips. dropoff_datetime, trips. store_and_fwd_flag, trips. rate_code_id, trips. pickup_longitude, trips. pickup_latitude, trips. dropoff_longitude, trips. dropoff_latitude, trips. passenger_count, trips. trip_distance, trips. fare_amount, trips. extra, trips. mta_tax, trips. tip_amount, trips. tolls_amount, trips. ehail_fee, trips. improvement_surcharge, trips. total_amount, trips. payment_type, trips. trip_type, trips. pickup, trips. dropoff, cab_types. type cab_type, weather. precipitation_tenths_of_mm rain, weather. snow_depth_mm, weather. snowfall_mm, weather. max_temperature_tenths_degrees_celsius max_temp, weather. min_temperature_tenths_degrees_celsius min_temp, weather. average_wind_speed_tenths_of_meters_per_second wind, pick_up. gid pickup_nyct2010_gid, pick_up. ctlabel pickup_ctlabel, pick_up. borocode pickup_borocode, pick_up. boroname pickup_boroname, pick_up. ct2010 pickup_ct2010, pick_up. boroct2010 pickup_boroct2010, pick_up. cdeligibil pickup_cdeligibil, pick_up. ntacode pickup_ntacode, pick_up. ntaname pickup_ntaname, pick_up. puma pickup_puma, drop_off. gid dropoff_nyct2010_gid, drop_off. ctlabel dropoff_ctlabel, drop_off. borocode dropoff_borocode, drop_off. boroname dropoff_boroname, drop_off. ct2010 dropoff_ct2010, drop_off. boroct2010 dropoff_boroct2010, drop_off. cdeligibil dropoff_cdeligibil, drop_off. ntacode dropoff_ntacode, drop_off. ntaname dropoff_ntaname, drop_off. puma dropoff_puma FROM trips LEFT JOIN cab_types ON trips. cab_type_id = cab_types. id LEFT JOIN central_park_weather_observations_raw weather ON weather. date = trips. pickup_datetime :: date LEFT JOIN nyct2010 pick_up ON pick_up. gid = trips. pickup_nyct2010_gid LEFT JOIN nyct2010 drop_off ON drop_off. gid = trips. dropoff_nyct2010_gid ) TO PROGRAM'split -l 20000000 --filter="gzip > /home/mark/nyc-taxi-data/trips/trips_\$FILE.csv.gz"' WITH CSV ; When this completes you'll have your first accurate count of the number of records in the trips table printed out: COPY 1113653018 I'll set the ownership of the trips folder back to my user so I can work with it without restrictions. $ sudo chown -R mark:mark /home/mark/nyc-taxi-data/trips
Uploading in Parallel to S3 I now want to upload the gzip files to AWS S3. There are a number of utilities I'll install to make this possible. $ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install \ python-pip \ python-virtualenv \ parallel $ virtualenv redshift $ source redshift/bin/activate $ pip install \ awscli \ https://github.com/s3tools/s3cmd/archive/v1.6.1.zip#egg = s3cmd Make sure the AWS S3 bucket you upload to is in the same region you want to launch your Redshift instance in. $ s3cmd --configure... Default Region [ US ] : US... This will create a new S3 bucket I can use to upload the data to. $ s3cmd mb s3://trips_metadata_example Bucket's3://trips_metadata_example/' created This will upload all the gzip files 8 at a time. $ cd trips $ find trips_x [ a-c ] *.csv.gz | \ parallel -j8 \ s3cmd put { / } s3://trips_metadata_example/ \ --progress If you average 1 MB/s in upload speeds to S3 it'll take around 30 hours to upload all ~105 GB of data. Redshift needs a manifest of the files we'll be loading in. $ vi trips.manifest { "entries" : [ { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaa.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xab.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xac.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xad.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xae.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaf.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xag.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xah.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xai.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaj.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xak.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xal.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xam.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xan.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xao.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xap.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaq.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xar.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xas.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xat.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xau.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xav.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaw.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xax.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xay.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xaz.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xba.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbb.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbc.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbd.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbe.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbf.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbg.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbh.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbi.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbj.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbk.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbl.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbm.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbn.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbo.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbp.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbq.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbr.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbs.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbt.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbu.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbv.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbw.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbx.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xby.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xbz.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xca.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xcb.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xcc.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true }, { "url" : "s3://trips_metadata_example/trips_xcd.csv.gz", "mandatory" : true } ] } The manifest itself will also need to live on S3. $ s3cmd put trips.manifest s3://trips_metadata_example/
Sizing up a Redshift Cluster When you first enter the Redshift section of the AWS console you may see the following: If you've never created an Amazon Redshift cluster, you're eligible for a two month free trial of our dc1.large node. You get 750 hours per month for free, enough hours to continuously run one dc1.large node with 160GB of compressed SSD storage. So cost shouldn't be much of a worry if you're just trying this out for the first time. A Redshift Cluster can have anywhere from 1 to 128 compute nodes. Each of these nodes have anywhere from 2 to 16 slices. Each slice allows Redshift to ingest up to ~6.5 MB/s of data. So the more nodes you have and the more slices per node you have the faster you can ingest data into Redshift. If we go with the free, single-node dc1.large cluster type we should expect that a single 2GB gzip file will load into the trips table in about 5 - 6 minutes. If that rate is sustained for the whole dataset it should finish in about 6 - 8 hours.
Loading 1/5th of a Billion Records into Redshift The only down side with the dc1.large cluster type is that it will only have enough drive space to load around 200M records. The cluster needs free space of at least 2.5x (minimum, not maximum) the incoming data size to use as temporary storage space for sorting the data in each table. When we import 10 gzip files containing 200M records, at one point we will use 95% of the drive capacity available. When the import is complete the disk usage will drop down to 22%. It is possible to break the import up into small jobs that run in sequence instead of in parallel in which case you should be able to fit more data into the a dc1.large cluster. The cheapest, single-node cluster type that can accept ~500 GB of uncompressed data and sort it will be the ds2.xlarge which has 2 TB of mechanical storage and runs for $0.85 / hour on us-east-1. To contrast, the single-node, dc1.8xlarge has 2.56 TB of SSD-backed storage and runs for $4.80 / hour in the same region. Redshift is I/O-bound and SSDs can often be 5-20x faster than mechanical drives. With that in mind consider if the $3.95 / hour savings is worth more than your Analyst's time. For the purposes of keeping costs at $0 and time boxing this blog writting exercise to a week of my time I'll be loading 200M records into a dc1.large cluster type.
Redshift Up and Running Below I'll set the environment variables for my AWS access credentials and set the master username and password for my Redshift instance. $ read AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID $ read AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY $ export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID $ export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY $ read MASTER_USERNAME $ read MASTER_PASSWORD $ export MASTER_USERNAME $ export MASTER_PASSWORD Before creating the Redshift cluster make sure the AWS CLI tool's default region is the same region your S3 bucket is located in. You can run the configure command to update any settings and ensure they're as you expect. $ aws configure... Default region name [ None ] : us-east-1... The following will launch a single-node, dc1.large data warehouse with 7 EC2 compute units, 15GB of RAM and 160GB of SSD-backed storage. $ aws redshift create-cluster \ --db-name trips \ --cluster-type single-node \ --node-type dc1.large \ --master-username $MASTER_USERNAME \ --master-user-password $MASTER_PASSWORD \ --publicly-accessible \ --cluster-identifier trips-data \ --availability-zone us-east-1a This will create a Redshift cluster with your default security group. To be able to connect to Redshift, add your IP address you're connecting to Redshift from to your default security group. It should take a few minutes for the cluster to become available. The following will refresh the status of the cluster every ten seconds. When you see the status as available you should be able to connect to it. $ watch -n10 aws redshift describe-clusters You can use the PostgreSQL interactive terminal to connect to Redshift. $ PGPASSWORD = $MASTER_PASSWORD \ psql -h trips-data.cttuaolixpsz.us-east-1.redshift.amazonaws.com \ -p 5439 \ -U $MASTER_USERNAME trips The following will create the table for the denormalised trips data. CREATE TABLE trips ( trip_id INTEGER NOT NULL DISTKEY ENCODE LZO, vendor_id VARCHAR ( 3 ) ENCODE LZO, -- Sort keys shouldn't be encoded (compressed) pickup_datetime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL, dropoff_datetime TIMESTAMP NOT NULL ENCODE LZO, store_and_fwd_flag VARCHAR ( 1 ) ENCODE RUNLENGTH, rate_code_id SMALLINT NOT NULL ENCODE LZO, pickup_longitude DECIMAL ( 18, 14 ) ENCODE MOSTLY8, pickup_latitude DECIMAL ( 18, 14 ) ENCODE MOSTLY8, dropoff_longitude DECIMAL ( 18, 14 ) ENCODE MOSTLY8, dropoff_latitude DECIMAL ( 18, 14 ) ENCODE MOSTLY8, passenger_count SMALLINT NOT NULL DEFAULT '0' ENCODE LZO, trip_distance DECIMAL ( 6, 3 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, fare_amount DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, extra DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, mta_tax DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, tip_amount DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, tolls_amount DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, ehail_fee DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, improvement_surcharge DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, total_amount DECIMAL ( 6, 2 ) DEFAULT '0.0' ENCODE MOSTLY8, payment_type VARCHAR ( 3 ) ENCODE RUNLENGTH, trip_type SMALLINT ENCODE LZO, pickup VARCHAR ( 50 ) ENCODE LZO, dropoff VARCHAR ( 50 ) ENCODE LZO, cab_type VARCHAR ( 6 ) NOT NULL ENCODE LZO, precipitation SMALLINT DEFAULT '0' ENCODE L |
3:15 a.m., he offered the woman a ride home and she accepted.
McKay brought her to his personal car and drove her and another officer back to the east-end station. Two other officers saw the woman in the back of his car and alerted supervisors.
At the station, McKay changed out of his uniform and then returned to the car alone to drive her home.
He spent approximately 45 minutes in her Mountain residence, where they engaged in consensual sexual activity.
Visentini said McKay's actions were serious, purposeful and deliberate, later adding that he showed a remarkable lack of judgment.
He "embarrassed himself, his family, the service and the community."
He cautioned McKay that he would likely lose his job if he ended up before the tribunal again.
Visentini also warned all officers that "all such matters will go to tribunal... there will be no sweeping under the rug."
Outside of the hearing, McKay's lawyer, Gary Clewley, called the penalty serious, but added that McKay knows it's fair.
"He's prepared to take his medicine and move on," he said.
During the hearing Visentini remarked on a pattern of behaviour, given that both recent disciplinary matters involved sexual misconduct.
Clewley took some exception to this, saying the two incidents are "are not exactly the same, this was one of those errors in judgment made late in a shift … he knows it was a dumb thing to do."
Clewley described McKay as being an otherwise diligent officer. He also noted that McKay wanted to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity, partly to spare the woman from being called as a witness.
"I don't think it was a fireable offence, because it was consensual, and most of it took place off duty," he said.
Hearing officer Terence Kelly accepted the joint submission, calling the sentence acceptable.
His formal, written judgment will be released in about two weeks.
noreilly@thespec.com
905-526-3199 | @NicoleatTheSpecThe Commission on Presidential Debates did one very important thing: Got it right — and, in the process, checked off every box to keep the usual suspects from howling over a group or gender not being represented.
That's an important thing to do in today's hyper-sensitive PC culture.
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For starters, NBC's Lester Holt was the biggest no-brainer going in the field. He's seen as objective, isn't polarizing and is actually trusted by most on both sides of the aisle.
The first debate may be watched by as many as 100 million people. Rest assured that Holt will not disappoint; he'll ask solid, substantive, tough questions.
The second debate — a town hall affair — also features quality choices. ABC's Martha Raddatz has experience on the presidential debate level, while CNN's Anderson Cooper has hosted more presidential town halls than anyone on the planet, via his experience in the primaries.
Fox's Chris Wallace was the best selection the commission could have made for the third and final debate. Those who automatically believe that, since Wallace is a Fox product, he skews right have never watched him on "Fox News Sunday." Democrats and Republicans alike will say he's tough on both sides and doesn't pander to anyone. He's one of the few real journalists left out there.
Like an NCAA Tournament selection special, often the story is about who didn't make the cut. In this case, the notable name is Fox's Megyn Kelly, who finished second in a recent Morning Consult poll asking who should be chosen for a moderator spot. Cooper finished first.
So why not Kelly? For the same reason one respected insider told me a few weeks ago for a story on this very process and subject.
"I think she's a solid moderator based on what we saw in the primaries. She's tough, measured and prepared. But there's just too much history with [GOP nominee Donald] Trump,” one prominent media writer told The Hill. “She'll end up being the story if he publicly objects to her being chosen, which he almost undoubtedly would. It may even lead to him boycotting the debate, and that's the last thing anybody wants.”
Precisely. Nobody doubts Kelly's qualifications, but the distraction of a rematch with Trump in a debate format would have been enormous to the point of becoming more the story than the debate itself. That said, Kelly would have been a great choice for the vice presidential debate — away from Trump — but with Wallace landing the third presidential debate, the commission couldn't award two Fox hosts with only four total slots available.
CBS's John Dickerson could have very easily been chosen, as well. Nobody on the network side was as polished and prepared as the veteran Dickerson, but the commission chose the very capable Elaine Quijano — who does fine work for CBSN — instead for the VP debate.
The same argument could have been made for CNN's nonpartisan and pragmatic Jake Tapper — as synonymous with D.C. politics as they come — but the nod went to Cooper, who was also exceptional in primary debates and particularly with the town hall format.
In the end, the commission picked a black man, a Filipino-American, a gay man and a white woman. But while that checks off the boxes for the PC crowd, it shouldn't be viewed through that prism.
Holt, Raddatz, Cooper, Wallace and Quijano all were awarded their spots because they earned the right to be there. And even Trump likely won't have a problem with any of the selections, nor will the risk averse — especially when it comes to media — Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE.
The Commission gets an A+.
Let's hope that's the grade when it's all said and done on Oct. 19 as well.Everson Griffen was shut out until late in the fourth quarter, but the streak remains alive.
With 5:37 left in the Vikings’ 23-10 win Sunday over Green Bay at U.S. Bank Stadium, the defensive end burst through to sack Brett Hundley for a 6-yard loss. It marked the first time in his career Griffen has had a sack in six straight games.
“I cannot do it without my front four,’’ said Griffen, who has seven sacks in Minnesota’s six games. “We have the best front four in the league. We get the job done on a daily basis. We feed off each other and play for one another. We love each other.’’
Griffen, an eight-year veteran, had a stretch of five straight games with at least one sack in October and November 2014. He’s now two shy of the team record for sacks in eight straight games, set by Jim Marshall in 1969 and tied by Jared Allen in 2010 and 2011.
“It’s an all-day affair for those offensive tackles when they’ve got to go against him,’’ said Vikings coach Mike Zimmer. “I think Everson continues to do a good job, he’s a good leader on this football team.’’
SMITH’S EXTRA PRACTICE
Following Thursday’s practice, safety Harrison Smith stayed long after all other Vikings players had departed to catch balls spit out of an automatic ball machine.
It paid off.
Early in the fourth quarter Sunday, with the Vikings up 20-10, Smith made a diving one-handed interception of a Hundley pass. He got up and ran 19 yards to the Packers 35, leading to a 53-yard field goal by Kai Forbath.
“I hope it does (help),’’ Smith said of practice with the ball machine. “I was really just making sure I got it knocked down, and I had a chance to finish.’’
Smith also had 1 1/2 sacks. It marked the first time in his six-year career he has had more than one sack in a game.
BANGED-UP VIKINGS
The Vikings entered the game without injured quarterback Sam Bradford (knee), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (groin), guard Nick Easton (calf) and safety Andrew Sendejo (groin), all starters.
Those four were inactive along with wide receiver Rodney Adams, tackle Aviante Collins and defensive end Tashawn Bower.
Two more players were hurt during the game in linebacker Anthony Barr, lost for the second half with a concussion, and wide receiver Michael Floyd, lost in the third quarter with a calf injury. Floyd, a St. Paul native, had started his first Vikings game in place of Diggs and had one catch for five yards.
Replacing Sendejo was Anthony Harris, whom Zimmer said did a “decent’’ job. Sirles, who took over for Easton, said he generally as satisfied but that he “gave up a couple of pressures’’ he shouldn’t have.
Easton’s injury enabled rookie guard Danny Isidora to be active for the first time in his NFL career. He got into the game on special teams.
NEW KICKOFF RETURNER
Vikings rookie wide receiver Stacy Coley returned kickoffs after running back Jerick McKinnon had handled the duties for the first five games.
Zimmer said one reason for the change was McKinnon taking on a more important role following running back Dalvin Cook being lost for the season with a torn ACL Oct. 1 against Detroit.
“Jerick is getting a lot more plays with the offense, so that was just part of it,’’ Zimmer said, “I wanted to take a look at Coley, see how he does. We haven’t got a lot of production out of that spot this year and I’d like to get some more production.’’
Coley didn’t provide much. He had one return for 19 yards. There were two touchbacks, including one in which Coley was unsure about downing the ball or taking it out of the end zone until he downed it about an inch behind the line.
NEW VIKINGS CELEBRATION
The Vikings didn’t roll out any celebrations Sunday as elaborate as the “Duck, Duck, Gray Duck’’ one on Oct. 9 at Chicago. Still, there was one that got some attention.
After McKinnon scored on a 27-yard screen pass in the second quarter, he and Sirles danced in the end zone. Sirles said the moves were modeled after “Hit Dem Folks,’’ a hip-hop dance that became popular a few years ago.
“Me and (McKinnon) have been planning that for like three years, just joking around, back before (group) celebrations were legal and this year when they’re finally legal, we were like, ‘All right, we’re going to do it,’’’ Sirles said.
With his dance moves on Twitter, Sirles said he’s “been getting crushed for it.’’
GOODELL VISITS
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended Sunday’s game.
Goodell wanted to get another look at U.S. Bank Stadium, site of Super Bowl LII in February. It marked the third straight year Goodell has attended a Green Bay game at Minnesota.ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- A central Florida man is accused of trying to electrocute his father after finding out he was the sole beneficiary of the man's will.
In a news release, Ormond Beach police said Monday that 81-year-old John Knudsen told them his 44-year-old son, also named John Knudsen, held two black wires to his chest early Thanksgiving morning. Police say the older man passed out briefly but sneaked out of the house when his son left the room.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that police say the two initially argued Nov. 22 after the son was told to get a job.
Police say the son is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault on an elderly disabled person. Jail records don't indicate whether he's hired an attorney to contact for comment on the case.There hasn’t been a whole lot of news about the Department of Justice investigation of Harvard University since I last mentioned the issue back in August.
To refresh your memory: the DOJ was responding to a complaint from a coalition of Asian-American groups that their people, Asian-Americans, are discriminated against by Harvard admissions officers.
Back then in August, the DOJ was just staffing up for an investigation. It seems that now they’re getting ahead with it. So at least I infer from this column by Betsy McCaughey [Email her] in Wednesday’s New York Post: Ending Ivy-League Bigotry. [November 28, 2017]
According to Betsy, Jeff Sessions’ DOJ has advanced to the point of demanding admissions records from Harvard.
Harvard, she says, is stonewalling like crazy. They haven’t delivered a single document. DOJ imposed a deadline of December 1st —which Harvard has apparently just (grudgingly) accepted (it’s trying to add a condition that “allowed government lawyers to look at the records only in the offices of Harvard’s lawyers, according to people close to the case”. [Harvard Agrees to Turn Over Records Amid Discrimination Inquiry, By Anemona Hartocollis, NYT, December 1, 2017]
This is nothing new. Harvard got sued in 2014 by a mainly Asian-American group on the same grounds—that Harvard runs a quota system on admissions to keep the numbers of Asians down. It has been stonewalling on that, Betsy reports:
Harvard has spent millions of dollars on legal maneuvers and court filings, trying unsuccessfully to get the lawsuit dismissed and to shield the college’s “holistic” admissions process from scrutiny. But a federal judge is compelling the college to hand over six years of admissions records … This lawsuit is expected to be tried in Boston late in 2018, but no doubt will end up at the US Supreme Court.
The first thing to be said about this is that of course Harvard does discriminate against Asian-Americans. Ron Unz crunched the numbers j ust five years ago over at The American Conservative in a brilliant piece titled “The Myth of American Meritocracy” [November 28, 2012] You can also find the essay in Ron’s book of that title.
The centerpiece of Ron’s essay: a killer graph comparing the steady rise from 1990 to 2011 of the Asian-American college-age population with the dead-flat proportions of Asian-American admittances to Ivy League schools, held down firmly in a tight band between thirteen and eighteen percent.
Of course they are discriminating. Who doesn’t know it?
Betsy McCaughey is upbeat about the situation. Here’s her closing paragraph:
Harvard’s racial-quota system is indefensible. Fortunately, its days are numbered, because finally we have a Justice Department willing to fight for colorblind fairness in college admissions.
Needless to say, I’m going to take a much darker view. East Asians have higher mean IQ than whites, and of course far higher than mestizos and blacks. They especially excel at disciplines needing visuo-spatial skills. IQ aside, it seems likely they also have higher proportions of the personality characteristics that suit a person to high intellectual endeavor.
If Harvard and other high-prestige universities practice color-blind admissions, therefore, Asian-Americans will be way over-represented, and way-way over-represented in fields like math and computer science.
Betsy actually sees this:
Asian-American students now win nearly half the places at California Institute of Technology, up from only a quarter in 1992.
Okay, Betsy, but here’s my question: Is this actually good for America?
Think of the kind of resentment, anger, and bitterness that blacks feel when they see other races succeeding more than they do. Wouldn’t color-blind admissions just add a new layer of resentment in American society—with whites (known as “Americans” until the 1965 Immigration Act) watching Asians flood into the Ivies, displacing them?
Immigration patriots in the early 20th century strove to keep out East Asian immigrants, not because they “hated” them, as the infantile language of our current discourse would tell you, or because they thought them an inferior race, but because they feared mass immigration of East Asians would produce an overclass, generating discontent and resentment among legacy Americans.
As Kevin Macdonald wrote here at VDARE.com in 2004:
Many restrictionists, far from feeling they were members of a superior ethnic group, worried that their people could not compete with Japanese and Chinese.
I think that worry was reasonable. What would Betsy McCaughey say if I confronted her with it?
I’m sure she would respond with a stream of race-denialist blather. “There are no innate differences between the races,” she’d protest. “That’s a horrible thing to suggest! We just need the right social policies. Fix the schools! Save the black family! …”
We’ve heard it all a thousand times. Race denialism is state dogma in the 21st-century West. No one with a gig writing op-eds for the New York Post is going to turn race-realist.
Unfortunately, race-realism is true and race-denialism is a lie. That being the case, we have to choose between two evils: unfairness in college admissions, or higher levels of social discord.
To date we have chosen Door Number One. Are we quite sure that wasn’t the better choice—the lesser of two evils?
If you go to a doctor with a bacterial infection—an infected blister perhaps—he can give you an antibiotic, and you’ll be cured. If you go to him with a broken leg, he’ll get it set for you, and soon you’ll be playing tennis again. Doctors can fix things and cure things.
If, however, you go to the doctor with arthritis, or diabetes, or a leukemia like the one I have, he can’t fix it, he can’t cure it. What he can do is manage it: set you up so that the pain and inconvenience are the least possible. We can’t cure those conditions, but we can manage them, minimizing the trouble they cause us.
ORDER IT NOW
America’s race problem is like that. There’s no cure, although the race denialists breezily assure us there is. We can’t fix the schools to produce equal racial outcomes. God knows, we’ve been trying for decades, with essentially zero results. W e can’t make whites as smart as East Asians; Mother Nature’s standing in the way.
What we can do—what we do do—is manage the situation, to keep social discord at a minimum. Race quotas in college admissions is one aspect of that management. It works pretty well.
As I said back in August, though:
This is one of the holes we have dug for ourselves this past half century with mass immigration and multiculturalism. Do I know how to get out of the hole? No. I do know, though, that if we adopt Derbian Minimalism as our immigration policy with 1) no further settlement of foreigners from anywhere and 2) severe restrictions on numbers of foreign students, we might at least stabilize the situation.
There: I just said it again. We’ve foolishly, heedlessly made a mess for ourselves with these decades of mass immigration.
Now there are two things we have to do:
One: We have to manage the mess as best we can.
Two: We have to stop making it worse.
John Derbyshire [email him] writes an incredible amount on all sorts of subjects for all kinds of outlets. (This no longer includes National Review, whose editors had some kind of tantrum and fired him. ) He is the author of We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism and several other books. He has had two books published by VDARE.com com:FROM THE DISSIDENT RIGHT (also available in Kindle) and FROM THE DISSIDENT RIGHT II: ESSAYS 2013.The First Lunar Rover
NASA
Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) on August 1, 1971, at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The first Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) on the moon, stands to the right.
Rove On
NASA
Apollo 15 launched 40 years ago this week on July 26, 1971. In this photograph, Apollo 15 lunar module pilot Jim Irwin loads the lunar rover with gear in preparation for the first lunar spacewalk at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The lunar module "Falcon"stands at the left in this image. The undeployed Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector lies on top of Falcon's Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly.
Apollo 17 Lunar Rover Drive
NASA
Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene A. Cernan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site in 1972.
Recycling Center Needed On the Moon
NASA
Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott photographed the Lunar Rover at the end of the last EVA.
Astronauts Ride in Style in New Moon Truck
NASA Edge.
This view of NASA's Small Pressurized Rover shows its ability for sideways and rotating 'crab-like' movements.
NASA's Space Exploration Vehicle
Regan Geeseman
During the 2008 Desert RATS tests at Black Point Lava Flow in Arizona, engineers, geologists and astronauts came together to test the surface version of the Space Exploration Vehicle.
NASA's Chariot: Not Your Father's Lunar Rover
NASA
While designing the lunar truck, JSC engineers threw out some traditional assumptions on what a vehicle needs — such as doors and seats — and added new capabilities such as active suspension, six-wheel drive with independent steering for each wheel.
Have Moon Rover, Will Travel
NASA
Engineers test the ATHLETE moon rover on one of the long dirt roads found just outside JPL.
Presidential Trip for New Moon Rover
NASA's prototype Small Pressurized Rover at Johnson Space Center participates in a "dress rehearsal" demonstration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade.
Robotic Lunar Base With Legs Changes Everything
JPL/Caltech
JPL's RoboAthlete rover prototype tackles a hill in trials.
Mock Moon Buggies From Germany, Puerto Rico Win NASA Race
NASA/MSFC
Racers from the International Space Education Institute in Leipzig, Germany, won first place in the high school division of NASA's 17th annual Great Moonbuggy Race. The race is organized by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.So much for certainty? Just two months later, Australia starts changing the carbon tax.
The Australian Government,via Greg Combet, announced this week that Labor’s version of certainty is the kind that is un-certain. For two years they’ve been emphatically declaring that “Australia needs certainty” or it’s variant, “Business needs certainty”. (Right before that, they were emphatically declaring that “There will be no carbon tax”, so later, when they did exactly what they said they wouldn’t do, we found out what certainty means to the Australian Labor Party. It isn’t the kind of certainty that helps business and voters “establish beyond doubt” what a vote for a Labor Government means.)
While people are saying we have now linked Australia’s carbon “price” (from 2015 onwards) to the EU market. In effect it was linked before, as I mentioned here. Now that link is rearranged. Previously Australian companies could buy ultra cheap EU options but had to top them up to the floor price, but now they won’t have to pay extra to lift it to $15/ton.
Mr Combet said the government was not considering any other changes to the scheme. [Source: The Australian]
Yes, and we believe him don’t we?
Things are slightly more sane than they were last week, but the difference is negligible, and may not come into effect if the Coalition wins the next election a year from now. We are discussing changes to a scheme that may never occur in order to solve a problem that never was.
BlueScope Steel chairman Graham Kraehe said that the government’s move to dump the controversial $15-a-tonne floor price was a “tiny step in the right direction”. “However it completely fails to address the major issue,” Mr Kraehe said. “For three years until July 2015, Australian businesses already struggling to compete due to a high Australian dollar, high costs and excessive regulation will also be subject to the world’s highest carbon price.” [The Australian]
I explained previously that while Europeans can buy credits for $4 per ton (and Australians will pay $23 — or at least $15) This new move would change that from 2015.
Scott the energy trader puts the changes into perspective with some details
When I spoke to Scott on the phone, the word he used about these changes was “panic”. He said he could not explain the details of this madness easily to the man on the street, but the number of changes, the backflips and the unexpected and random nature of them suggested bureaucrats were in a state of panic.
It was …”A development we didn’t expect until about a week ago regarding which scheme Australia could link to for our certificates. Previously we could only have purchased CERs – which are down at $3.50 Aussie for 2012 CERs. Now with the proposed formal linkage to the European scheme we will be tied to their scheme pricing, ie EUAs which for the comparable period of 2012 are currently trading at ~ $9.80 Aussie. Still only a limit of 50% can be used here in Aus until 2018. Included in that 50% limit is a sub limit of 12.5 % for how many Kyoto compliant, ie CERs, (and some other acronyms, ERUs etc..) can be used. It is a significant change. One of the many questions will be how Australian businesses will be saddled with the same price when many Euro businesses are getting free permits (notwithstanding out own Export Assistance aspect to the legislation)…it’s still not apples with apples.
According to the energy trade market, experts don’t think carbon credits will be worth much in 2015, nothing close to the value the Australian Treasury models put on them.
Another interesting aspect which is surely going to end with egg on Combet’s face is the fact that he came out and reaffirmed the 2 year old Treasury forecast of a carbon price of $29 for 2015/16. The market here today smacked down the back end – though in thin volume – because no one really believes it is going to be anywhere near that. Eg NSW calendar 15 carbon inclusive are trading this week at $53 while the carbon exclusive is around $47, ie the market says $6 for carbon in 2015. Given the first part of 2015 will still be fixed price of ~$25.35 and the second half will be floating somewhere around $12 implied by 2012 EUA prices giving approximately $18.50 expected for the full 2015 year….the market is saying it is highly probable that Abbott wins and throws the whole thing out….and certainly no implied $29 there to support Treasury.
The $25 billion revenue hole
Henry Ergas predicts that if the carbon tax falls to only $10 or so (instead of $29), the governments forecast revenue is now missing about $25 billion from 2015-2020.
Labor has lots of revenue holes at the moment.
“Future governments may need to raise $120 billion – or almost $20,000 for the average four-person family – by the end of the decade to pay for Labor’s spending commitments.” [Financial Review via Bolt]
Why hog-tie us to a collapsing EU economy?
The price of carbon after 2015 will depend heavily on what European bureaucrats do. They can, at a flick, wipe out many paper credits, pushing up the price, and Australians will have to pay more for their energy, but we’ll get no say at all in those decisions. The EU is not a mining economy, and doesn’t export a lot of coal either, so they certainly won’t be taking those industries into account when they”fix” the price in this very unfree market. Henry Ergas unpicks it all so well:
Not that anyone would want to say unkind words about the EU’s economic policy skills – it is a sin to speak ill of the dead. But even assuming the EU manages to pull off the second resurrection in recorded history, it is hard to imagine economies less like Australia’s. And with the EU accounting for less than 5 per cent of world emissions, it is hardly as if we are linking to carbon markets that are particularly representative, deep or resilient. On the contrary, those markets’ most striking feature has been persistent instability. Then again, maybe that is why the Greens can live with this change: because it means the Australian carbon price will ultimately be set by countries without any base in natural resources, much less in mining. No need for the Europeans to worry about what carbon prices, if any, are being charged by Australia’s resource competitors – and worry about them the EU certainly won’t. Yet we should. The EU exempts virtually all its export industries from its emissions trading scheme; we don’t exempt ours. So it is the EU that will decide, but our living standards that will suffer. With the Nobel prize in economics only weeks away, whoever devised this scheme won’t be wasting any money in sending the monkey costume off to the dry cleaners.
But then since we didn’t get a say in the carbon tax in the first place, I suppose you could say not much has changed.
UPDATE: Don’t forget to vote in Climate Prat of The Year at Pointmans blog. It’s a tough choice.
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please wait... Rating: 9.4/10 (61 votes cast)QPR are preparing to cash in on
Adel Taarabt in the January transfer window, with Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli both interested.
The Moroccan playmaker was inspirational in the club’s promotion season, but has struggled to reproduce that form in the top-flight.
Adel Taarabt’s QPR career is approaching its end (PA)
He has also complained publicly about his salary and clashed with some of the more experienced players at Loftus Road, including captain Joey Barton.
QPR’s owner Tony Fernandes has now grown tired of the 22-year-old and told manager Neil Warnock that he can sell him, reports the People.
Funds generated from the departure of Taarabt will be reinvested in the team in January.
Paris Saint-Germain are known to be keen on the player, but it has also emerged that Napoli are thinking of making a bid.
QPR’s transfer adviser Gianni Di Marzio revealed Napoli representatives recently visited Loftus Road to see him in action.
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‘I really hope they are going to make a bid for Adel Taarabt,’ he told Radio Kiss Kiss.
‘He is very extrovert and spectacular, a real juggler of the football. He is a player who belongs on the big stage.’Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov ForMemRS[3] HFRSE (Russian: Николай Иванович Вавилов, IPA: [nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ vɐˈvʲiləf] ()) (25 November [O.S. 13 November] 1887 – 26 January 1943) was a prominent Russian and Soviet agronomist, botanist and geneticist best known for having identified the centres of origin of cultivated plants. He devoted his life to the study and improvement of wheat, corn, and other cereal crops that sustain the global population.[4][5][6][7][8] Vavilov's work was criticized by Trofim Lysenko, whose anti-Mendelian concepts of plant biology had won favor with Joseph Stalin. As a result, Vavilov was arrested and subsequently sentenced to death in July 1941. Although his sentence was commuted to twenty years' imprisonment, he died of starvation in prison in 1943.
Life [ edit ]
Vavilov on a 1987 Soviet stamp
Vavilov was born into a merchant family in Moscow, the older brother of renowned physicist Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov. "The son of a Moscow merchant who'd grown up in a poor rural village plagued by recurring crop failures and food rationing, Vavilov was obsessed from an early age with ending famine in both his native Russia and the world."[9]
He graduated from the Moscow Agricultural Institute in 1910 with a dissertation on snails as pests. From 1911 to 1912, he worked at the Bureau for Applied Botany and at the Bureau of Mycology and Phytopathology. From 1913 to 1914 he travelled in Europe and studied plant immunity, in collaboration with the British biologist William Bateson, who helped establish the science of genetics.[1]
From 1917 to 1920, he was a professor at the Faculty of Agronomy, University of Saratov. His son Oleg (with his first wife Yekaterina Sakharova) was born in 1918.[10]
From 1924 to 1935 he was the director of the Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences at Leningrad. Impressed with the work of Canadian phytopathologist Margaret Newton on wheat stem rust, in 1930 he attempted to hire her to work at the institute,[11] offering a good salary and perks such as a camel caravan for her travel. She declined, but visited the institute in 1933 for three months to train 50 students in her research.
Vavilov's first marriage ended in divorce in 1926, after which he married geneticist Elena Ivanovna Barulina, a specialist on lentils and assistant head of the institute's seed collection. Their son Yuri was born in 1928.[10]
While developing his theory on the centres of origin of cultivated plants, Vavilov organized a series of botanical-agronomic expeditions, and collected seeds from every corner of the globe. In Leningrad, he created the world's largest collection of plant seeds.[12] Vavilov also formulated the law of homologous series in variation.[13] He was a member of the USSR Central Executive Committee, President of All-Union Geographical Society and a recipient of the Lenin Prize.
Vavilov's mugshot
Vavilov encountered the young Trofim Lysenko and at the time encouraged him in his work. At the time Lysenko was not the best at growing wheat and peas, but Vavilov continued to support him and his ideas. It was not until later when he was under pressure from the Soviet State that Vavilov began to criticize the non-Mendelian concepts of Lysenko, who won the support of Joseph Stalin. As a result, Vavilov was arrested on 6 August 1940, while on an expedition to Ukraine. He was sentenced to death in July 1941. In 1942 his sentence was commuted to twenty years' imprisonment; he died of starvation[14] in prison in 1943.[15]
The Leningrad seedbank was diligently preserved through the 28-month Siege of Leningrad. While the Soviets had ordered the evacuation of art from the Hermitage, they had not evacuated the 250,000 samples of seeds, roots, and fruits stored in what was then the world's largest seedbank. A group of scientists at the Vavilov Institute boxed up a cross section of seeds, moved them to the basement, and took shifts protecting them. Those guarding the seedbank refused to eat its contents, even though by the end of the siege in the spring of 1944, nine of them had died of starvation.[9]
In 1943, parts of Vavilov's collection, samples stored within the territories occupied by the German armies, mainly in Ukraine and Crimea, were seized by a German unit headed by Heinz Brücher. Many of the samples were transferred to the SS Institute for Plant Genetics, which had been established at Schloss Lannach [de] near Graz, Austria.[16]
He died in a workcamp in Siberia on 26 January 1943.[17]
Vavilov was an atheist.[10]
After his death [ edit ]
In 1955, Vavilov's life sentence was pardoned at a hearing of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union, undertaken as part of a de-Stalinization effort to review Stalin-era death sentences.[18] By the 1960s his reputation was publicly rehabilitated and he began to be hailed as a hero of Soviet science.[19]
Today, the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry in St. Petersburg still maintains one of the world's largest collections of plant genetic material.[20] The Institute began as the Bureau of Applied Botany in 1894, and was reorganized in 1924 into the All-Union Research Institute of Applied Botany and New Crops, and in 1930 into the Research Institute of Plant Industry. Vavilov was the head of the institute from 1921 to 1940. In 1968 the institute was renamed after Vavilov in time for its 75th anniversary.
A minor planet, 2862 Vavilov, discovered in 1977 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh is named after him and his brother Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov.[21] The crater Vavilov on the far side of the Moon is also named after him and his brother. The story of the researchers at the Vavilov Institute during the Siege of Leningrad was fictionalized by novelist Elise Blackwell in her 2003 novel Hunger. That novel was the inspiration for the Decemberists' song "When The War Came" in the 2006 album The Crane Wife, which also depicts the Institute during the siege and mentions Vavilov by name.
is used to indicate this person as the author when botanical name.[22] The standard author abbreviation is used to indicate this person as the author when citing
Timeline [ edit ]
Maize diversity in Vavilov's office
1887 – born 25 November, in Moscow. [2]
1911 – graduated from the Moscow Agricultural Institute. [2]
1917–1921 – professor of the agronomy department of the Saratov University.
1919 – theory of the immunity for plants.
1920 – formulation of the law of homology series in genetical mutability.
mid 1920s – Vavilov befriends the young peasant Trofim Lysenko and begins taking him to scientific meetings
1921(−1940) – |
alcoholics goes beyond basic intellect. That need to escape reality can often run way deeper than most could imagine, and this is why society is so perplexed when they see people relapse after such devastating warnings such as liver failure. We have to keep working towards breaking the stigma, to try to allow an environment where alcoholics feel it’s ok to admit a problem and work to deal with the underlying problem. If however we decided to go down the same root as smoking, almost vilifying people who drink too much, we will further install in children of alcoholics the failing of their parents, and how society views them as bad people and this will only further add to COA’s silence. So when looking at the smoking campaign, a softened approach would be beneficial for everyone.
Advertising campaigns.
Advertising campaigns have been mentioned so I will discuss. We all know the smoking campaigns adds. They were pretty shocking.
We have to act with caution when looking at alcoholism. Simply transferring an idea like the picture above could have adverse affects in relation to children of alcoholics. I mentioned earlier about going from being able to smoke anywhere, to feeling bad about smoking at the bus stop, it worked for smoking but children of alcoholics have to deal with deep feelings of loneliness on a daily basis. Feeling that we don’t belong, or that we are not as good as everyone else, that people are going to find out how terrible we really are. If we then we had to deal with these kinds of posters or adverts on a daily basis, would it not take us away further away from the safe environment we crave to be able to discuss how we feel? They could have a real detrimental effect on the way children of alcoholics perceive the world. People will argue that these campaigns will push to shock people into stopping drinking. I accept there are people who are drinking a little too much who could maybe be converted by shock tactics but that’s not the vast majority of what we are dealing with here. I do not believe shock tactics really work anywhere near as much on alcoholics as they would on smokers. Most alcoholics shock themselves on a weekly, even daily basis, way more than any advertisement could possibly do, and guess what, they drink again. That is the merry-go-round of alcoholism. So I think taking some of what we have learned from the smoking campaigns is a great idea, as long as we are adapting to the problem we are dealing with. A softer approach that is aimed towards COA’s could have a huge effect. Again I reiterate that our focus is towards the children of alcoholics. Using something like the 6 C’s would be a great starting point.
We are trying to let children know that drinking too much is not normal and that they themselves can grow and still find positives in life, in spite of a parents drinking. Look at the stats….
We need to look to break this cycle now, and I believe, as I’ve said already, focusing on the children gives us a much better opportunity of breaking that cycle now. It will also make those that maybe could be shocked into stopping drinking think as well, but without adding stigma. I also think that focusing on the children will keep more public onside. We don’t want to enter into war with everyone that consumes alcohol.
Keeping everyone on side.
This is important too. Lots of parents drink in a very healthy way with no negative effects whatsoever on their children. In short, we don’t want to get into bashing alcohol. It’s ingrained in our society and people will shut off instantly if we take the approach of just labelling it as bad. Let’s make the dangers clear, while not attacking. Again I think that focussing on the children really does give us that opportunity. We are here to help children that are affected. That’s our goal. I believe if we shoot for that goal, the ripples could be huge for the future, and referring back to the stats, could be hugely preventative. I am the child of an alcoholic, and I didn’t even know it until I found Nacoa. Just imagine if as a ten-year old, I saw a Nacoa poster. I started watching their social media. Then emailed. Then called the helpline. Maybe, just maybe I would have made the change at age 15… not 25. And that 10 years caused a huge amount of pain for me and those I came into contact with, especially my kids. Quicker help could have broken the cycle much much sooner.
I’d really like to have people’s thoughts on this so please do comment. Also if you have ideas that could drive some good policy for children of alcoholics then Liam Byrnes website is the place visit.London Irish has signed Canadian international Ciaran Hearn for the remainder of the season.
The centre was ever present for the Maple Leafs during the recent Rugby World Cup, regularly receiving acclaim for his work in attack and defence. His fine form during the World Cup saw him named in the Tier Two team of the tournament.
Hearn has made 49 appearances for Canada, featuring in both the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, as well as representing his country in the World 7s Series.
Commenting on his decision to sign for London Irish, Ciaran Hearn said: “Joining London Irish presents me with a great opportunity to play in the toughest domestic Club competition in the world. I’m delighted to be joining a club with such ambition and I’m looking forward to working in a professional environment with great players. This will only develop my game and allow me to build on the momentum generated during the Rugby World Cup.”
London Irish Head of Rugby Operations, Glenn Delaney added: “Ciaran has had an outstanding World Cup campaign with Canada. His level of physicality and ability to distribute and contribute to an all-round game has been very impressive. It is a great opportunity for him to come and experience what it is like to play in probably the toughest domestic league in the world, and for London Irish to get in a player who will work hard and push for a starting place. We look forward to his arrival.”This article is over 6 years old
NullCrew group, linked to Anonymous, publishes details of what appear to be academics' usernames and passwords
An investigation has been launched after a group that supports the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claimed to have hacked Cambridge University computer systems.
The group named NullCrew, linked to the computer hacking network Anonymous, said it had targeted several university departments and broken into databases.
The group published details of what appear to be usernames and passwords online and in a statement to the Guardian passed through their Twitter account said: "We'd like to say that we aren't finished with the operation, and we aren't the only Hacktivist group to be fighting.
"Julian Assange has been fought against for speaking his voice. NullCrew along with all of Anonymous are fighting this, and will not stop.
"If truly, the proper thing doesn't happen with Assange, the United Kingdom will forever be a target to Anonymous and NullCrew, and all the other groups associated with Anonymous."
The information published by the hackers appears to include 17 login details of academics in the centre for research in the arts, social sciences and humanities.
Others believed to be targeted were the sector of biological and soft systems, the department of chemical engineering and biotechnology and the centre for applied research in educational technologies.
A spokesman for the university said: "A group calling itself NullCrew claims to have obtained login details for some web-based resources hosted on university systems.
"As a preventative measure these have been taken offline while IT staff investigate the claims.
"The hacking group itself has not claimed to have compromised the email login details of members of the university, and there is no evidence to substantiate such a suggestion."poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201609/50/1155968404_5135357274001_5135359755001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true The Battleground Project Trump puts a boiling battleground in play In pivotal North Carolina, two contentious local issues are overshadowing almost everything else.
When Donald Trump took his campaign to High Point, North Carolina, Tuesday, his topics ranged broadly from trade to immigration to terrorism. In other words, none of the hot-button issues that are currently roiling the political landscape in the battleground state that’s looking increasingly essential to his hopes of winning.
Unlike the presidential contest in nearly every other swing state, North Carolina’s is framed this year by two local battles overshadowing almost everything else.
Story Continued Below
There is House Bill 2 — the so-called bathroom bill which has energized young liberals and older conservatives in what’s viewed by many as a battle for the soul of the state. Then there is the furor over voting rights, which has provided Democrats with a major organizational and energy boost among African-Americans.
“The intensity that you see on the national level is on steroids in North Carolina, because not only do you have this presidential race where they’re both here all the time, you also have a highly-charged governor’s race and Senate race with the issues of HB2 and voting rights litigation all rolled up into one,” explained Bruce Thompson, a Raleigh attorney and a longtime, high-profile Hillary Clinton supporter in the state. “There cannot be another state that has that kind of intensity. It comes up in every conversation. It’s not just the insiders talking about it. It comes up on the sidelines of my daughter’s field hockey games."
The two issues form a unique backdrop in a place that suddenly occupies a pivotal role on a hardening electoral map. Top Clinton aides can’t envision a scenario in which Trump loses North Carolina but wins the White House. In a memo circulated to donors on Monday evening, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook framed the state’s 15 electoral votes as something close to a must-win for Trump.
The Trump campaign is acting accordingly, with three straight weeks featuring visits to the state from the GOP nominee, including his rally Tuesday. His allies are hoping the polarizing politics surrounding HB2 and roughly 35 legal showdowns in Raleigh this month about voting rights will rally conservatives to his side, putting a GOP-leaning state squarely in his column, and stamping out Democrats' Southern advances in one of Clinton’s most frequently visited states.
Democrats believe the local fireworks provide Clinton with an unprecedented chance to juice up enthusiasm among young voters, college-age whites and African-Americans — the groups she’s relying on to capture the state.
The contentious governor’s race has set the tone, with GOP Gov. Pat McCrory and Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper locked in a contest that’s been so defined by McCrory’s signing of HB2 that Democrats have mulled how to saddle Trump with the governor’s baggage — a twist on the mechanics of the presidential race in other swing states, where Democrats have framed Trump as drag on down-ballot candidates.
“It may be that what’s keeping North Carolina in play is that Hillary could be getting Cooper’s coattails,” said one veteran Democratic operative in the state.
The Trump campaign did not respond to several requests for comment.
The “bathroom bill” issue — which is controversial largely because of its provision that individuals may only use government-funded restrooms corresponding to their gender at birth — has become a defining one for Clinton, whose campaign has made a habit of seizing on local controversies in whichever state she’s visiting since the early days of her primary.
North Carolina has seen businesses and some local entertainment staples flee since the bill’s passage in March, with few departures as politically stinging as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s decision to pull its college football championship game from Charlotte or the NCAA's move to ax seven in-state events — including men’s basketball tournament games. Wired Magazine this week estimated that the bill had cost North Carolina nearly $400 million already.
"They are huge things that are happening within the state and I think not only is it going to help us,” added Clinton’s states director, Marlon Marshall. “It’s going to help Democrats up and down the ticket.”
According to an Elon University poll released Tuesday, 60 percent of likely voters said North Carolina’s national reputation is worse as a result of the passage of HB2.
Clinton’s in-state forces have used the headlines to highlight what they say is Republican-led intolerance that has led to economic harm — a case that’s animated the highly educated white voters in the Research Triangle area who could carry her to victory.
Speaking last week in Greensboro, where some of the basketball games would usually be played, Clinton hammered the message home: “Look at what’s happening with the NCAA and the ACC,” she said. “This is where bigotry leads, and we can’t afford it."
The Democratic nominee has also weighed in on the voting rights fight that’s been raging since the state implemented rules eliminating same-day registration and requiring an ID in 2013, calling such regulations “a blast from the Jim Crow past” in early September as she campaigned in Charlotte.
Clinton’s in-state team has four lawyers working on staff to bolster her voter protection program, and Democratic attorneys there have been engaged in this fall’s fight since 2014. But the dispute returned to the forefront earlier this month after a series of legal rulings about the state’s voting laws — including one from the Supreme Court that restored one-stop early voting — pushed the onus onto the state’s counties to construct plans for approval by the Republican-led State Board of Elections. Democrats then piled lawyers in to work with the local proposals, guaranteeing they had legal representation in each of the more than 30 counties where there was a fight over the plan.
Ensuring that voters can take advantage of one-stop early voting could help Clinton enormously with the state’s large population of rural African-Americans who are not registered voters. And it gave the Clinton campaign a chance to rally black voters in the cities around the idea that the restrictions were racially motivated in the first place.
“There will be more early voting in North Carolina than there was in 2012,” explained Marshall, making the case that the very presence of more early voting will be a motivator. “That’s a way to energize our base, and get them to show up to the polls."
Trump, for his part, has also drilled down on North Carolina. The attention has paid off: He’s within 1 percentage point of Clinton according to the POLITICO Battleground States polling average. According to the new Elon poll, when including voters leaning toward one of the candidates, Trump and Clinton were deadlocked at 45 percent, with Libertarian Gary Johnson pulling 7 percent of the vote.
Unlike Clinton, Trump's focus in North Carolina has been on an anti-trade deal message that especially resonates among older, white working class voters who have lost jobs in industries like textiles. "Hillary Clinton supported NAFTA, she supported China's entrance into the World Trade Organization, and she supported the job-killing deal with South Korea that she helped to push through," he said at his High Point rally.This is a digitized version of an in-store cassette tape that was played within a Kmart store. See the title of the file for the month and year. I worked at Kmart between 1989 and 1999 and held onto them with the hopes that they would be of use some day. Enjoy!
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Reviewer: OhFUwC - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 20, 2018
Subject: Beautiful
Please re-encode this in 24bit 96kHz FLAC. This is the greatest thing ever. - November 20, 2018Beautiful
Reviewer: NaomiTee - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 24, 2018
Subject: Thank you for uploading this! This is so great! I love listening to these tapes and they bring back so many fond memories of shopping at Kmart. We are lucky for the time being -- we still have ours, and while it's not the only discount store in town any more, there are things I can find here that I can't anywhere else.
I, too, wonder the same thing, whether the instrumental tracks were specially recorded for Kmart or if they are standard elevator music jingles that many companies used. I really l like the instrumental at the beginning -- whoever wrote it knows a snappy melody when he or she hears one. Yes, the piano interlude is a bit jarring, but overall, it's a really smooth track.
Thank you again for saving these! - August 24, 2018Thank you for uploading this!
Reviewer: lndn22 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 24, 2018
Subject: Wicked! Thank you ever so much for this treasure. - August 24, 2018Wicked!
Reviewer: Link Crawford - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 3, 2017
Subject: Fantastic! This is so totally up my alley. I love stuff like incidental music...old jingles/commercials and the like. I also have a pretty high tolerance (compared to many) for muzak, so these are great fun.
My personal favorite is actually the first instrumental. I love it (well, the bright piano bridge that pops up a couple times isn't my favorite, but I love the rest of it.) With all our internet technology, there still isn't much help in identifying instrumentals.
Which brings up another question...I wonder whether the instrumentals on this tape are all "real" songs (legitimate releases by existing bands) or are some of them written especially for kmart? Some of them (like the first one) sound mighty generic.
(Updated Oct 2nd, 2017) muroface...I was so hoping that you were on to something in naming that first song. That link was to some sort of remix of that song with a simple guitar part dubbed overtop of it. Released in 2016. But this song had to have been released in the 80's. Still wondering... - October 3, 2017Fantastic!
Reviewer: ryandaniels - favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 19, 2017
Subject: Odd in the best possible way Thank you for the great upload. I've been trying to figure out the title of the first song for a while now. Anybody who is able to name it is doubtlessly worthy of all the internet respect I can muster! - September 19, 2017Odd in the best possible way
Reviewer: RicoDavidus - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 22, 2017
Subject: W H E R E....H A S T H E T I M E G O N E......
Mark Davis worked behind the Service Desk at the Naperville, IL Kmart in the late '80s and early '90s. Every month, corporate office issued a cassette to be played over the store speaker system — canned elevator-type music with advertisements seeded every few tracks. Around 1991, the muzak was replaced with mainstream hits, and the following year, new tapes began arriving weekly. The cassettes were supposed to be thrown away, but Davis dutifully slipped each tape into his apron pocket to save for posterity. He collected this strange discount department store ephemera until 1993, when background music began being piped in via satellite service.
Nearly 20 years on, Davis has digitized his whole collection, 56 cassettes in all, and just recently, made the recordings available at Attention, Kmart shoppers: here's one for the oddity file.Mark Davis worked behind the Service Desk at the Naperville, IL Kmart in the late '80s and early '90s. Every month, corporate office issued a cassette to be played over the store speaker system — canned elevator-type music with advertisements seeded every few tracks. Around 1991, the muzak was replaced with mainstream hits, and the following year, new tapes began arriving weekly. The cassettes were supposed to be thrown away, but Davis dutifully slipped each tape into his apron pocket to save for posterity. He collected this strange discount department store ephemera until 1993, when background music began being piped in via satellite service.Nearly 20 years on, Davis has digitized his whole collection, 56 cassettes in all, and just recently, made the recordings available at archive.org accompanied by some more background on this bizarre treasure trove. For a taste, listen below to the sweet, sweet sounds of October 1989. - July 22, 2017W H E R E....H A S T H E T I M E G O N E......
Reviewer: fliegs - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - July 14, 2017
Subject: thank you thank you for creating this website. many memories of k-mart, all good! i have been a loyal customer since 1963. still a loyal customer in 2017. my store is located in Waterford Mi. 5100 Dixie Hwy. this is the best K-mart i have been in so far. been in many stores in my years. in NYC and MI. this store is well stocked, neat, clean and has great employees. check it out if you live within driving distance. i don't go to Target or Wal Mart.
nor Kohl's. nothing of ny interest there for me. K-Mart has things other store do not have. - July 14, 2017thank you
Reviewer: jyeomans - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 5, 2017
Subject: Kmart stuff
Thank you
Jane, jyeomans@ Hi there I am a photo editor at a magazine, trying to source some Kmart items for a photo shoot, can you let me know if you have anything in addition to these amazing tapes?Thank youJane, jyeomans@ bloomberg.net - June 5, 2017Kmart stuff
Reviewer: muroface - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 30, 2017
Subject: First track
http://gardnsound.com/track/closing-to-part-one is Closing to Part One by Gardnsound, on the album W (I think?) - May 30, 2017First track
Reviewer: Tomato Hentai - favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 10, 2017
Subject: Never been to a Kmart, but... I've never been to a Kmart since we don't have them in Canada, but damn, this is actually really nice to listen to. At least the first song two songs are, which are the only two I've listened to so far. - May 10, 2017Never been to a Kmart, but...
Reviewer: BrettB74 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 25, 2017
Subject: Awesome! I absolutely love this stuff. Does anyone have information about the first song? I've heard it some place before but I can't remember.. - April 25, 2017Awesome!
Reviewer: kimothebeatmaker - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 5, 2017
Subject: Nostalgic Wow. You've just taken me back to the beautiful days of my childhood. Thank you. I hope these will forever stay available, as they are treasure to me. Is there anyway I download these?
By the way, to the guy denoising them and making them sound better...that's ruining it. The fuzz and the tape saturation is what makes these cassette tapes sound so authentic. - February 5, 2017Nostalgic
Reviewer: Meatpies - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 4, 2016
Subject: Oh wow!! Okay, so my time working for Kmart was ten years before this, but still it's a great piece of retail history! Good job!! - October 4, 2016Oh wow!!
Reviewer: gigitiji - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 27, 2016
Subject: 42:10 Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WApR71W07p4
:-) "In My Mind" by Janey Street:-) - June 27, 201642:10 Song
Reviewer: Valet2 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 9, 2016
Subject: Denoising
The music on these cassettes is awesome!! I believe these recordings could be denoised and the sound quality improved. Exampler: http://valet2.com/sounds/kmart-denoise-2.mp3 The music on these cassettes is awesome!! - June 9, 2016Denoising
Reviewer: ColaLadyJ - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 22, 2016
Subject: Great Documentation of an Era Gone By Thanks for uploading and sharing. Great piece of history. I was directed here by a Dan Bell video on YouTube. Good job! - February 22, 2016Great Documentation of an Era Gone By
Reviewer: Sparky1039 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 19, 2015
Subject: Second Song Name Finally tracked it down. The second song at 2:32
is Nicolette Larson's cover of Larry Willoughby's "Building Bridges". The track is off her album...Say When. - December 19, 2015Second Song Name
Reviewer: EdisonLite - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 2, 2015
Subject: Mystery Song at 42 minutes in I was listening to that mystery song at 42 minutes in, since a couple people were asking who this artist is. I didn't recognize the song, but soon it hit me, "I know that voice!".... as it's a friend of mine! She was signed to Arista Records in the '80s and released one album with them. Her name is Janey Street. She charted with "Under the Clock" and "Say Hello To Ronnie" from her album "Heroes, Angels & Friends" but not this song. I checked the album, and this song in question is "In My Mind" - the last song on the album. I'm so glad I have this whole album on CD (I'd been looking for years) - it's very rare but it's available as a bonus gift if you pay for a 1-year membership to her fan club. Great songs. Great person. Great songwriter. (I've written 4 songs with her myself - as that's what I do for a living). I'll have to let her know that people were asking about this song! - November 2, 2015Mystery Song at 42 minutes in
Reviewer: JanetLC69 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 29, 2015
Subject: NAME OF SONG AT 42:10??!! It is driving me insane!! anyone know the artist or the song title?! - October 29, 2015NAME OF SONG AT 42:10??!!
Reviewer: crapfan #1 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 23, 2015
Subject: Vocal songs... I don't know about all the songs, but songs played include Nicolette Larson's "Building Bridges", Neil Diamond's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas", Barbra Streisand's "Clear Sailing" (from 1984's "Emotion" album), Johnny Mathis' "When The Lovin' Goes Out Of The Lovin'", Lee Greenwood & Barbara Mandrell's "To Me", Dionne Warwick's version of EWF's "Can't Hide Love", Engelbert Humperdinck's "Can't Help Falling In Love", Olivia Newton John's "Goodbye Again", and Tom Jones' "That's Where I Belong"...I still don't know what the song is at 42:13, but the singer sounds awfully familiar. There's also a disco tune at 102:26 that I'd like to know and an instrumental that sounds like 80's Herb Alpert towards the end, yet I can't pin it down...I do hate earworms!!! - October 23, 2015Vocal songs...
Reviewer: Stargate38 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 19, 2015
Subject: I love it! Nice! But who sings the vocal songs, especially at 42:13? I tried googling the lyrics, but I couldn't find it. - October 19, 2015I love it!
Reviewer: culturejunkie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 15, 2015
Subject: Awesome Thanks for uploading these. It's a great piece of history and a slice of consumerism. I wonder who the announcer is! Also, if you didn't hear, Martha Stewart is a lifestyle consultant for Kmart. - October 15, 2015Awesome
Reviewer: jonearle - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: I'm obsessed with this. Nothing left to say. - October 14, 2015I'm obsessed with this.
Reviewer: Richard W. Todd - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Don't Know Why I Love This So Much I haven't consulted with Martha Stewart or anything, but I assume she would recommend listening to this fascinating bit of history. Thanks so much for uploading it! - October 14, 2015Don't Know Why I Love This So Much
Reviewer: Roski - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Perfection Thanks. This is a great collection. - October 14, 2015Perfection
Reviewer: peachtreecodeman - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Awesome It's hard to imagine that, back then, there was still crime and wars and bad stuff...but this music makes you forget all that. Thank you. - October 14, 2015Awesome
Reviewer: mightysquirrel - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Thank you so much! Just ask Martha Stewart, our consultant for everything in the store! - October 14, 2015Thank you so much!
Reviewer: ricky90501 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Thank you!! I can't really explain but I've always had this strange fascination with old elevator music. Perhaps the way it takes you back to the good ol days when things were a lot simpler. Anyway, you are godsend! Thanks for sharing these! So grateful for your interview on NPR. - October 14, 2015Thank you!!
Reviewer: breiss1 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 14, 2015
Subject: Holiday season tapes? Do you happen to have the tapes for November or December 1989? Holiday Kmart muzak? - October 14, 2015Holiday season tapes?
Reviewer: Stellablu122 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015
Subject: Dual action rubber lid? Is that still on sale by chance? - October 13, 2015Dual action rubber lid?
Reviewer: AmandaNumberOne - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015
Subject: Muzak (of shit) Kinda into the muzak up til 1:51, but I can imagine how fucking mind-numbing/boring/annoying/infuriating it must have been after the third+ time of hearing it. Thank you for this time capsule. As a former retail associate, I empathize and salute you. - October 13, 2015Muzak (of shit)
Reviewer: yeahwellyaknow - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015
Subject: Thank you! Seemingly meaningless, a submission like this is vitally important to capturing the consumer-based culture of the 80's and 90's. Regarded by most as throwaway material, these tapes, oddly enough, are probably more important than historical accounts of this time period. It sounds dramatic, but you've really done a great service for American history!! - October 13, 2015Thank you!
Reviewer: T. sardonicus - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015
Subject: Urgh. This makes me want to kill myself, probably with liquor and benzos, so it will be slow, painful and depressing.
Which is to say, it's just like being in a K-Mart in the late '80s. Yay...? Five stars. - October 13, 2015Urgh.
Reviewer: MajorDonut - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 13, 2015
Subject: Highly recommended Just ask Martha Stewart, our entertainment and lifestyle consultant. - October 13, 2015Highly recommended
Reviewer: 5easypieces - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015
Subject: Hope you're ready for Gerald McRainey I was not prepared for the CBS "Major Dad" advertisement at 18:00. - October 12, 2015Hope you're ready for Gerald McRainey
Reviewer: teddyBrogan - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015
Subject: Best This is the best. - October 12, 2015Best
Reviewer: buckflix - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015
Subject: Thank you. You are a true saint. Praise. - October 12, 2015Thank you.
Reviewer: konklone - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 12, 2015
Subject: What a magical time 1989 must have been The world was just so calm and full of shopportunity - October 12, 2015What a magical time 1989 must have beenPhilippine president Rodrigo Duterte has launched an expletive-laced attack on the European Union for demanding that he stop efforts in the country’s congress to reinstate the death penalty.
“Why are you trying to impose on us? Why don’t you mind your own business? Why do you have to f**k with us, goddamn it?” he told a meeting of Philippine residents in Myanmar during a visit.
In September, the maverick Philippines leader launched the same expletive against the EU when it criticised his war on drugs, which has killed an estimated 7,080 people since July last year and earned widespread criticism internationally.
“Do not impose your culture, or your belief in what would be a government in this planet. Do not impose on other countries, especially us,” he continued, pointedly expressing this part of his speech in English.
Last week, the European Parliament called for the Philippines to “immediately halt ongoing proceedings to reinstate the death penalty.”
Mr Duterte is trying to reinstate the death penalty to support his war on drugs.
Earlier this month, the Philippine House of Representatives approved a death penalty bill, which allows for the execution of drug convicts by hanging, firing squad, or lethal injection.
The EU also expressed “alarm” at Mr Duterte’s call to lower the age for criminal responsibility to nine years.
In the same resolution, the lawmakers called for the release detained Philippine Senator Leila de Lima, who has been Mr Duterte’s fiercest critic. She has been held on drugs charges, which Ms de Lima says are “trumped up”.
Mr Duterte did not mention this aspect of the EU’s demands but last week his spokesman Ernesto Abella condemned the call as interference in domestic affairs.
Mr Duterte said many countries in Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, used the death penalty and that was why he was trying to revive.
He also said that European countries also imposed the death penalty, which is not technically true, with the exception of Belarus.
“As if the other countries of EU there’s no more death penalty. There are still a lot,” Mr Duterte said.MAC has come under fire lately for allowing animal testing (while it has been entirely phased out in the US, the company sells products in China and is, therefore, required to test on animals under Chinese law). However, MAC still does a great deal to ensure that its social and environmental impact is felt through its Viva Glam program where celebrities pick and sell their own shades with all proceeds going to charity. Additionally, Back-to-MAC encourages customers to recycle their MAC product containers after they are finished with them by returning six (6) containers to any MAC counter or store for a free MAC lipstick ($16 value) of their choice.
Did we miss any of your favorites? Share your eco-friendly and health-conscious beauty shopping tips with us in the comments!484 SHARES Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reddit
A new report from Nielsen suggests that not only is public awareness of virtual reality at record levels, it’s nearly doubled year on year.
Away from business analysts’ wildly varying estimations on how much virtual reality as a business segment is and/or will be worth, it’s very difficult to gauge just how well VR is doing as a technology outside of enthusiast communities. We know that Samsung has confirmed more than 5 million Gear VR units are now in the wild for example, and of course the headlines of Sony surprising themselves with PlayStation VR’s early sales figures – approaching 1 Million going in to 2017. But just how much is VR on people’s radar?
A new report just published from gaming statistics stalwarts Nielsen, suggests that visibility of immersive entertainment and the desire to own hardware that can deliver it is looking pretty healthy heading into the 2nd half of 2017, amongst millennials at least.
Nielsen’s ‘U.S Games 360 2017‘ report states that from over 2000 people (50% male/female split) interviewed, 27% of people aged between 25-34 said that they intended to buy a VR headset, with 17% of 18-24 year olds saying the same. Of that group, 69% were men, 31% were women.
In terms of which VR platform those people were looking to invest in, 10% of people who identified themselves as gamers (over the age of 13) stated that they were looking to buy a PlayStation VR, with 9% looking to opt for Samsung’s Gear VR. The Oculus Rift follows close behind with 8% with the HTC Vive trailing surprisingly far behind at 5%. Groups identified by Nielsen as ‘General Population’ responded similarly, although overall intent was lower and Samsung’s Gear VR topped the poll at 7%.
And in terms of gauging overall awareness of virtual reality platforms, Nielsen found that 34% of the general population over 13 years knew about the Gear VR, with the PlayStation VR recognised by 26% and the Oculus Rift 25%. Again, somewhat surprisingly, the HTC Vive trails at 10% recognition among those polled.
A similar trend, albeit with higher overall recognition, was present among gamers over 13 too.
Generally, when compared with other gaming technology, VR adoption still ranks quite low but according to Nielsen, overall awareness of VR is up from 28% of the general US population in 2016 to 51%, that’s an impressive bump in stats.
Overall then, it’s no surprise that something like the Gear VR, which has been marketed intensively by Samsung alongside its best selling Galaxy smartphones and is sold at a low relative price (assuming you’re already buying a phone of course) tops |
fortunate to have Ray officially on our roster and look forward to him bringing the same passion and motivation he demonstrated on the field and in the locker room into our FS1 studio programs and digital platforms.”
In addition to being on TV, Lewis will make contributions to Fox’s digital platforms. Fox certainly hopes that he’ll bring the passion he had in his playing career to television.PREV NEXT Order Prints
A love letter to a 10th Mountain Division soldier has been returned home, decades after it was written at the tail end of World War II.
Its return was a combination of good luck and some Internet sleuthing by an Australian couple.
Carolyn DePodwin wrote the letter to her husband-to-be Horace in July 1945, as he served as a technical sergeant with the division’s 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, in Italy.
“I had just heard from him that he expected to be coming home before being shipped to Japan with his division,” Mrs. DePodwin said, in a statement released by her retirement home, Cedar Crest, in Pompton Plains, N.J.
Following the defeat of Axis forces on the European front, Mr. DePodwin’s unit sailed back to the United States in August 1945. Mr. DePodwin tucked the letter in one of his economics books.
As the division’s soldiers sailed out of New York to head for the Japanese front, reaching Montauk Point, American forces dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings spurred the Japanese surrender and the end of the war.
“The rest is history,” she said.
Carolyn and Horace were married in 1948, and Mr. DePodwin’s post-military life included jobs with General Motors, as a trade adviser to the Kennedy Administration. He also served as dean of the Rutgers University Graduate School of Management from 1966 to 1982, according to his obituary.
The couple was together for 62 years until his death in 2010.
Mrs. DePodwin donated the book, unaware of the letter inside, to a local library. The book was later put up for sale online, where it was purchased by an Australian couple, who discovered the letter.
The couple searched the name “DePodwin” online, and found his obituary, which listed his time working at Rutgers.
The Australian couple then sent the letter to the school, who transferred it, in its original envelope with attached 6-cent Airmail stamp, to Mrs. DePodwin.
Mrs. DePodwin told the staff of the retirement home she was delighted to have it back.
At last, her letter was home.BHOPAL: Centre gave its nod to set up CBI’s ‘special Vyapam scam zone’ in Bhopal on Tuesday, besides sanctioning requisite staff for investigations into the mammoth scam.In its first status report before Supreme Court, CBI team investigating Vyapam scam proposed setting up a special zone and sought a manpower of 500. This is the first such scam, in which agency floated a proposal for setting up a special zone. “Colossal task of investigating 107 cases of corruption and nearly 50 cases of suspected deaths related to Vyapam scam with more than 2,000 accused cannot be done with existing manpower and infrastructure,” stated CBI status report before Supreme Court on September 10. The zone has been named “AC HQ-II Zone” of CBI and orders have been issued to provide supporting infrastructure such as building, furniture, vehicles and computers with necessary accessories and stationery.CBI sought sanction of 496 posts, including 108 constables, 36 head constables, 18 assistant sub-inspectors, 36 inspectors, 63 inspectors, 18 DSPs, 9 ASPs, 9 SPs and three DIGs.The special zone would entail a recurring expenditure of Rs Rs 24.07 crore and non-recurring spent of Rs 55 crore.On September 24, CBI launched multiple raids in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh after taking over probe. Forty premises were searched, including residences of scam accused in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and Lucknow, Allahabad in UP. However, nothing substantial was found.Officers from central excise and customs, income tax and nationalized banks had to be included in raid team to meet staff crunch. Officials claimed to have seized incriminating documents from some premises, which had already been raided by Indore crime branch, special investigation team (STF) and special task force of Madhya Pradesh police in last three years, said sources.David Keith Martz Will Now Have To Meet Strippers In Car
The odd, perverse saga of a California helicopter pilot has entered its latest chapter, with the news the FAA issued an emergency revocation of David Keith Martz's license this week.
As ANN reported, Martz drew the FAA's attention last month, after a video went public showing Martz operating a helicopter over southern California while engaged in a sexual tryst with porn star Puma Swede. The video was made in 2007... but came to light on Hollywood gossip site TMZ.com after a helicopter flown by Martz was forced to land at Van Nuys February 1 after allegedly flying too close to a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter.
"These actions showed a careless and reckless disregard for safety and showed that he lacks the care, judgment and responsibility to hold a commercial pilot certificate," FAA spokesman Ian Gregor told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Martz has run afoul of the FAA several times before. In 1986, his license was revoked for flying with a forged medical certificate. In 2002, he received a 30-day suspension for doing aerobatics below 1,500 feet and over a populated area.
In 2003 Martz again lost his license, this time for landing too close to personnel on the ground at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Finally, the FAA suspended him for 230 days in 2005 for flying passengers in a helicopter he knew was damaged.
Martz is appealing the latest revocation, Gregor added. An administrative hearing will likely occur within the next 30 days.It was a surreal moment two weeks ago when analysts on Goldman Sachs’ earnings conference call pressed CFO David Viniar to jack up leverage. They seem to think that the worst of the credit crisis is behind us, so Goldman should goose its risk profile to increase returns. This is remarkably short-sighted.
Yes, leverage is down, but only relative to the obscene levels reached a year ago. Measured by tangible common equity, the biggest banks are still levered over 20 to 1. If banks learn nothing else from the financial crisis, it’s that they should err on the side of prudence, carrying substantially more capital than appears necessary.
(Click table to enlarge in new window)
Tangible common equity remains the crucial measure of bank capital because it’s the primary cushion to absorb losses. When that cushion gets low, creditors panic. Bank runs ensue and the financial system ceases to function.
A nickel of equity for every dollar of assets is a pathetically small capital cushion. And today, banks substitute federal guarantees for liquid capital. Policymakers are afraid to remove the guarantees because they don’t want to precipitate another collapse. The financial system can’t stand on its own until its capital cushion is rebuilt.
Now consider the analyst comments on Goldman’s call: Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Guy Moszkowski asked how the firm plans to deploy “what looks like pretty significant excess…capital;” Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski pronounced himself “stunned” by the increase in Goldman’s TCE.
To be sure, Goldman’s 5.7 percent ratio of TCE to tangible assets at the end of the second quarter surpassed rivals’. And it was up significantly from 4.6 percent in the the previous quarter. But how far have banking standards fallen that 6 cents against a dollar of assets is considered an excessively prudent cushion?
And other banks are in worse shape. Citigroup exited last quarter with a puny TCE ratio of 2.3 percent, which implies leverage of 43 to 1. That’s an improvement over 1.7 percent in the previous quarter, but it’s still awful.
The majority of the big banks are hovering between 4 percent and 5 percent, which implies leverage between 20x-25x. For the complete list of the top nine banks, see the chart above.
Thanks for the recent improvement go to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, whose stress tests forced the big banks to raise capital. But they haven’t raised enough. As unemployment rises, charge-offs on credit card and other consumer loan portfolios will accelerate. As property values stay depressed, impairments on mortgages and home equity loans will increase substantially.These losses will eat through banks’ small capital cushions quickly.
And Calyon analyst Mike Mayo expects the worst is yet to come. In a recent note to clients he said peak loan losses during the current cycle will “approach if not exceed peak loan losses during the Great Depression.” To deal with that, banks need to de-leverage. They need to take risk off their balance sheets. Mayo estimates they’re “just one-third complete” with this process.
In the meantime, banks are using various accounting gimmicks to hide leverage. For instance, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase have $165 billion and $145 billion of off-balance sheet assets, respectively, that will have to come back on their balance sheets next year. Taking account of them now would reduce their TCE ratios by 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Bank of America has $470 billion of off-balance sheet assets, though they haven’t disclosed what will end up on the balance sheet.
A counterargument is that using TCE as the test for capital is excessively prudent, that regulatory measures like “Tier 1” are sufficient. But Tier 1 includes capital like preferred stock as equivalent to TCE. But it’s not because it isn’t in the first loss position of the capital structure. Banks that blew through this buffer last year saw their balance sheets disintegrate in a matter of hours.
FBR Capital Markets analyst Paul Miller argues that Tier 1 capital has been “polluted” by preferred stock offerings. At the end of the first quarter this year, TCE made up “just 53 percent of Tier 1 capital for the top 11 banks, down from an average of 91 percent” between 1991 and 2006. Afraid of diluting common shareholders, they sold preferred stock instead. In the end they gamed regulatory capital standards, substituting inferior capital for TCE.
The comments on Goldman’s call show that the pre-crisis mindsets have not changed. Less than a year from one of the greatest financial meltdowns in history, many analysts seem to think 17x leverage is “excessively” prudent. That is mind-boggling.Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade and team management had a "positive" meeting Saturday as the deadline for his player option for the 2017-18 season approaches.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune cited a source saying the talk went well, and the team is preparing as if Wade will be back for a second season with his hometown franchise.
Wade, 35, has until June 27 to decide whether he will pick up his $23.8 million player option for 2017-18. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game last season, his first in Chicago after spending his first 13 with the Miami Heat.
While still a good player, Wade has reasons to jump at the chance to make $23.8 million next season rather than hit the open market. He shot a career-low 43.4 percent from the floor while also missing 20-plus games for the third time in four seasons.
The market for oft-injured 35-year-old guards is never especially robust, even ones with Wade's resume.
“Whether there are a lot of options (elsewhere in the league) or not, I’m in a very good situation," Wade said in April. "As a player, you can decide what you want to do. And I have a lot of money to decide if I want to take it or not. It’s not a bad thing because I worked my butt off for it over my career, so no rush in my mind."
The Bulls are entering an uncertain offseason after disappointing with a 41-41 record. Jimmy Butler has been the subject of trade rumors dating back to before the deadline, and the team will likely spend all summer fielding calls from other teams.
Wade said Butler was a "huge component" of him being with the Bulls. Butler met with team management last week, and it's unclear what assurances were given on either side. But if Wade's meeting was "positive" as reported, it would be reasonable to assume Butler and Wade will likely be back next season.Sen. Bob Corker admonished President Donald Trump on Sunday after the president lashed out at him on Twitter.
"It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning," wrote Corker, the Republican senator from Tennessee.
The tweet came an hour after Trump extensively criticized Corker, repeating claims that the senator sought Trump's endorsement before deciding against seeking reelection in 2018 — though Corker's own chief of staff said that the president offered to endorse the senator just last week.
Despite lobbying from top Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Corker decided against running for reelection as polls indicated he may have been vulnerable to a Republican primary challenger.
Some on the right, like former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, were considering backing a primary opponent.
Sunday's clash online was just the latest public spat in a relationship that has deteriorated significantly since Trump flirted with tapping Corker to be his 2016 running mate and nominating Corker to a cabinet position.
In May, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the White House was in a "downward spiral" following reports that Trump had revealed highly sensitive intelligence to Russian officials.
In August, Corker criticized President Donald Trump's comments about white-nationalist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, saying Trump "has not demonstrated he understands the character of this nation."
And earlier this week, he criticized Trump for undermining Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's efforts to establish diplomatic channels with North Korea amid heightening nuclear tensions. Corker said Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, and White House chief of staff John Kelly are "those people that help separate our country from chaos."White House advisers Jared Kushner and Stephen K. Bannon are in the midst of a feud — one that's being waged in the media. The Fix's Callum Borchers explains how it's typical of the inner turmoil that's plagued the Trump administration from the start. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
We don't yet know what Stephen K. Bannon's fate in the Trump White House is. But judging by President Trump's own words, it doesn't sound particularly good.
In a brief exchange with the New York Post's Michael Goodwin on Tuesday, Trump seemed to deliberately place Bannon at arm's length, suggesting that his role as an adviser has been oversold and even appearing to threaten Bannon's job.
Goodwin says he asked Trump if he still has confidence in Bannon, who is reportedly feuding with Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. And Trump didn't exactly disabuse Goodwin of the idea that Bannon is embattled. In fact, he did quite the opposite.
“I like Steve, but you have to remember he was not involved in my campaign until very late,” Trump said. “I had already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn't know Steve. I’m my own strategist, and it wasn't like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary.”
Ouch. Bannon joined the campaign in August for the lion's share of the general election, taking on the role of campaign CEO. He and Kellyanne Conway, the campaign manager, were the titular heads of the campaign. Trump then kept Bannon on as his chief political adviser in the White House, serving alongside chief of staff Reince Priebus.
Here's what you need to know about the man who went from Breitbart News chairman to Donald Trump's campaign CEO before his appointment as chief White House strategist and senior counselor. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
In his comments to Goodwin, Trump also nodded to the tensions that exist in the White House and appeared to place the onus on Bannon to make things right — or else.
“Steve is a good guy, but I told them to straighten it out or I will,” Trump said.
Trump is certainly an unorthodox and unpredictable politician, but these comments from basically any other politician would signify the beginning of the end for Bannon. Perhaps it's frustration speaking and we shouldn't read too much into them.
But the Trump White House also has a demonstrated history of distancing itself from and downplaying the roles of aides who turn out to be liabilities. And that sure seems to be the tree Trump was barking up here.
Shortly before national security adviser Michael Flynn was asked to resign over having misled the White House about his contact with the Russian ambassador, top Trump adviser Stephen Miller also declined to give him a vote of confidence.
“That’s the question that I think you should ask the president, the question you should ask Reince, the chief of staff,” Miller said Feb. 12 on “Meet the Press.” Flynn resigned the next day.
Since then, the White House has downplayed Flynn as a “volunteer of the campaign” and has suggested the contributions of former campaign head Paul Manafort and informal adviser Roger Stone were also minimal.
Bannon has been a lightning rod from his first days at Trump's side, owing to his nationalist policies and his previous leadership of the news outlet Breitbart. Bannon once described Breitbart as a platform for the alt-right, a small, far-right movement that seeks a whites-only state.
And at the very least, the unsolicited marginalization of Bannon's contribution to Trump's campaign really has to sting Bannon personally.HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 01: Nick Novak #8 of the Houston Texans kicks a 38 yard field goal out the hold of Shane Lechler #9 in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Reliant Park on November 1, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Houston (CBS Houston) – The NFL’s new touchback rule could change the way kickoffs are executed.
During the NFL Annual Meeting, owners voted to move touchbacks on kickoffs to the 25-yard line in an effort to reduce kick returns, which is viewed as one of the most dangerous plays in football.
Some veteran kickers and NFL coaches don’t think that the number of kickoff returns will necessarily shrink, as the owners perceive.
“Maybe the NFL thinks they’re going to limit returns with the new rule, but I don’t know. We’ll have to see how that plays out, there may be more directional type kicks to try and funnel the coverage into a corner of the field. These kickers are so skilled at being able to place the ball in certain areas on the field,” Bill O’Brien said.
The Texans currently have a battle for their kicker spot between veteran Nick Novak and rookie Ka’imi Fairbairn. Usually kicker jobs in the league are won based soleny on who is a better field goal kicker, but perhaps the new touchback rule provides a new way to watch the kicker battle unfold.The High Court recently overturned private copying exceptions introduced last year by the UK Government, once again outlawing the habits of millions of citizens. The Intellectual Property Office today explains that ripping a CD in iTunes is no longer permitted, and neither is backing up your computer if it contains copyrighted content.
Late last year the UK Government legalized copying for private use, a practice which many citizens already believed to be legal.
The UK Intellectual Property Office noted that the changes were “in the best interest” of consumers and that they would bring copyright law into the 21st century.
However, the new regulation was short-lived. Fearing a loss of income several music groups objected at the High Court, which subsequently agreed that the new legislation is unlawful.
As a result the changes were overturned last month and the previous limitations were reinstated. To find out what the public can and can’t do under the law, TF reached out to the UK Intellectual Property Office, which provided some very clear answers.
“It is now unlawful to make private copies of copyright works you own, without permission from the copyright holder – this includes format shifting from one medium to another,” a spokesperson informed us.
The IPO specifically notes that copying a CD to an MP3 player is not permitted. This means that iTunes’ popular ripping feature, which Apple actively promotes during the software’s installation, is illegal.
Also, under the current law iTunes is actively facilitating copyright infringement by promoting their CD-ripping functionality. This means that the company could face significant claims for damages.
Apple’s iTunes installer offers ripping advice
There is more though, as the law affects much more than just ripping CDs. Simply copying a song in an automated computer backup or storing a copy on a private cloud hosting service is also against the law.
“…it includes creating back-ups without permission from the copyright holder as this necessarily involves an act of copying,” we were informed by the Government spokesperson.
Strictly speaking this means that UK citizens are not allowed to make a backup of their computer. After all, pretty much every computer contains copyrighted media. Needless to say, this turns almost the entire country into ‘outlaws’.
The Government is not happy with the High Court decision but it hasn’t decided whether it will propose revised private copying exceptions in the future. Copyright holders previously suggested allowing private copying in exchange for a tax on blank CDs and hard drives.
“As this is a complex area of law, the Government is carefully considering the implications of the ruling and the available options, before deciding any future course of action.”
As reassurance, the Government notes that that people shouldn’t be too concerned because copyright holders are not known to come after people who make a backup of their computers.
“The Government is not aware of any cases of copyright holders having prosecuted individuals for format shifting music solely for their own personal use,” the IPO spokesperson says.
However, copyright holders can take people to court over both CD-ripping and computer backups, if they want to.In the wake of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's radio interview where he made bizarre remarks about extending the "right to choose" to after-birth abortion (or medical neglect), Sen. Ben Sasse authored the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Late in the afternoon on Feb. 25, extremist Senate Democrats voted in favor of legalized infanticide.
The bill would require health care providers to "exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child" who survives abortion as they would to "any other child born alive at the same gestational age." The bill failed to invoke a cloture vote because 44 Democrats voted in favor of infanticide, including seven presidential aspirants — Sens. Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Forget massive tax increases and incoherent green deals. This should terrify us.
President Trump tweeted: "The Democrat position on abortion is now so extreme that they don't mind executing babies AFTER birth.... This will be remembered as one of the most shocking votes in the history of Congress. If there is one thing we should all agree on, it's protecting the lives of innocent babies."
What was network TV coverage of this vote in the first 24 hours? Zero on ABC, CBS and NBC. Hours after, Sanders appeared in an hourlong "town hall" on CNN and did not get a single question on this. Warren was interviewed by Chris Hayes on MSNBC for 11 minutes and no question.
These networks offered more airtime and sympathy to vicious "ISIS bride" Hoda Muthana trying to re-enter America than they did for defenseless newborn babies, just as they felt the story of Northam wearing blackface was far worse than his favoring a woman's "right to choose" infanticide. Blackface drew hours of coverage, and infanticide drew about five and a half minutes on the Big Three network shows.
The Democrats claimed the bill was unnecessary, since babies rarely survive abortions and when they do, they're typically unable to surviving long outside the womb. You know what else is rare? Waterboarding a few suspected terrorists. But they railed against that for years.
Sen. Tom Cotton rebutted the Democrats, saying that in Florida alone in 2017 — in "one state in one year" — 11 babies were born alive after attempted abortion. Someone could raise these babies free of medical violence.
Even if this were to save just one baby — one tender little innocent child — isn't it worth it? Not if you don't believe these children have a right to live.
Democrats sounded like Northam. Sen. Tina Smith complained the bill "puts Congress in the middle of the important medical decisions that patients and doctors should fix together without political interference." It's part of a "war on women's health," insisted Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Sen. Mazie Hirono bizarrely claimed the bill would force doctors "to provide care that is unnecessary or even harmful to patients."
Caring for a baby — even a doomed baby — is "harmful"?
They also tried to claim survivors of abortion are already protected by the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002. That law established that in federal law, the terms "person," "human being," "child" and "individual" include every infant born alive, even after an abortion. But it did not punish doctors for aiding infanticide. When that law passed and was signed by then-President Bush 17 years ago, the network coverage was... zero.
If we can accept infanticide as a viable position, our civilization is finished.
L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the agents are drinking. It’s upfronts season in New York! This is the week the broadcast networks throw fancy parties to announce the new shows they’ll be canceling in a few months and celebrate the returning veterans whose survival was brokered through a bruising backroom combination of studio strong-arming, dumb luck, and blind optimism. Over the next few days I’ll be posting my thoughts on all of the announcements, with the giant caveat that I haven’t yet actually seen any of the new shows in question. Which isn’t such a big deal because, odds are, you won’t be seeing them for very long either.
Next up: ABC
The Situation
On the surface, ABC (which, it must be disclosed, shares a corporate parent with Grantland) would appear to have three major advantages going into the 2013-14 season. Scandal, its sudsy Thursday-night body wash (as in adult soap; I’m not giving this up until it catches on), is TV’s hottest drama, the rare modern show given time to find its audience that actually went ahead and found it. Modern Family, though now more sour than sweet, remains a ratings giant and Emmy magnet on Wednesday nights. And rival NBC is still around, hemorrhaging viewers and doing things like this, making it the easy and obvious target for the jokes of easy and obvious TV critics.
But dig a bit deeper and it’s clear: ABC is in a situation more desperate than a housewife and one not even Olivia Pope could fix. Despite the above-mentioned tentpoles — and including reliable reality performers The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars — ABC has actually spent the last two seasons in an epic-fail-off with the Peacock punching bag, spending most of 2013 in last place among the 18-to-49-year-old viewers that advertisers care about. President Paul Lee’s highly touted 2012 crop of new dramas — Last Resort, 666 Park Avenue, Zero Hour, and Red Widow — all detonated faster than a nuclear missile from a rogue submarine inadvisably parked on Thursday nights, and the non–Shonda Rhimes hours that survived (weakened Revenge, word-of-mouth-fueled Nashville) are teetering. Still, Lee’s plan to stop the bleeding is a good one: He intends to broadcast most of his dramas as two uninterrupted blocks of 12 episodes in the fall and spring, à la Lost. The only issue? These new shows aren’t Lost.
Thing are better on the comedy side, where Modern Family remains an anchor, The Middle remains underrated, and Suburgatory, now held for midseason, remains underwatched. But the status quo is still plenty bleak. Lee’s foolish Tuesday-night game of sitcom chicken with Fox’s Kevin Reilly left both sides bruised, but it was ABC that suffered heavier casualties: The flawed but frisky Don’t Trust the B—- succumbed to its wounds in March, and Lee pulled the plug on the truly brilliant Happy Endings last week. A better-run network would have found a place for such an ascendant, original sitcom. ABC not only green-lit The Neighbors, it renewed it.
The Hope
That America’s greatest superpower is falling in love with Clark Gregg. That the only thing wrong with Rebel Wilson was her delightful Australian accent. That Snow Patrol still has a few ballads in its back catalogue suitable for soundtracking a risky surgery. That 15 years after Seinfeld, our nation is once again ready to fall in love with family of kvetchy Jews. That if you bundle as many new series on the same night as possible, they can’t all fail together — and hey! Did you hear about that Malkovich-as-a-pirate show on NBC?
The Shows
Promising:
A week ago I wrote a column considering the failures of superhero stories on the small screen. In it, I suggested that the best possible way to import some of the box office–dominating caped currency would be for television to explore the smaller stories occurring just to the side of the alien invasions and Times Square smackdowns, to really unpack the idea of what it might mean to be an ordinary human in a suddenly superpowered world. I’m no pre-cog and my mutant abilities begin and end with knowing how to get under the skin of Walking Dead fans, but it sure seems like Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is the exact show I was imagining. There’s a reason the Avengers director calls his website “Whedonesque,” and that reason is shot through every frame of this trailer like gamma rays into Bruce Banner: It’s punchy, it’s funny, and it makes being stuck on the ground with a bunch of normals look as exciting as getting a piggyback ride from Iron Man. My only caveats: Other than Ming-Na Wen, this may be the dullest-looking cast ever assembled for anything; the one-sheet must resemble an Abercrombie magazine ad from 1998. And I worry that Whedon & Co. may end up Dumpster-diving into Marvel’s remainder bins for C-list villains not bound for the big screen. Though, when you think about it, that could also be amazing.
The Goldbergs, from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company, fast-forwards The Wonder Years into the VHS era and replaces the family Christmas tree with a bright and shiny menorah. Though everyone appears to be Wang Chunging a bit too much for my taste in the trailer, I have to believe that any show with Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids), and, as the forgetful grandpa, George Segal (California Split) can’t be all bad.
A sitcom called Trophy Wife and co-created by a veteran of the decidedly not hilarious Private Practice doesn’t seem all that promising. But look again: The executive producers are Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, key players in the peak seasons of The Office; the pilot was directed by Pitch Perfect‘s Jason Moore and the cast is the best assembled by any network this pilot season, including Bradley Whitford, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, the toothy kid from This Is 40, and two of comedy’s most unfairly unsung ladies, Natalie Morales and Michaela Watkins. Toplining in the title role is Malin Akerman, professional good sport and the prettiest pratfaller in the game.
Did I mention all three of these shows will be airing on Tuesday nights without any preexisting series to serve as an anchor? This is either a massive bet of confidence or the desperate all-in of a defeated gambler. (I’d continue this analogy with jokes about flops or the river, but neither seems appropriate in this context.)
Puzzling:
One lesson that networks never seem to learn is that being “in business” with wonderful, popular people doesn’t always equal wonderful, popular programming. In fact, it often results in the opposite. Super Fun Night began life last year as a multi-camera CBS pilot showcasing the charms of Australian writer/actor Rebel Wilson. When CBS realized their core demographic still equated the word “rebel” with the War of Northern Aggression and passed, ABC stepped in to try to get an ascendant comedy star under a restrictive seven-year contract as quickly as possible a deserving project on the air. Now recast and reconceived as a single-cam, the most generous thing you could say about Super Fun Night is that it may be a grower. The decision to make Wilson American seems odd, and the jokes — many of which revolve around Wilson in light-up lingerie — seem limited. Still, funny people have a way of being funny. This Night might not last long enough to see it happen.
Conversely, one lesson I’m thrilled that networks never seem to learn is that Kyle Killen writes twisty TV shows that sail over the heads of casual viewers and skate under the Mendoza Line of acceptable ratings. Three years ago Killen’s Lone Star lasted two episodes on Fox. In 2012, his smart, affecting Awake lived and died on NBC. Now it’s ABC’s turn, and it looks as if they’ve got the most marketable version of Killen yet. Mind Games (original, better title: Influence) appears to be a cerebral procedural about two brothers — one a slick ex-con (Christian Slater), the other a bipolar genius (human wet willie Steve Zahn) — who form a business helping clients get what they want through psychological motivation and manipulation. Best case, this is a heady Numb3rs. Worst case, it’s Sneakers meets Terriers meets early cancellation. But I’m intrigued.
Also: The soapy Betrayal (“Her lover is the defense attorney!”), the spooky Resurrection (decades-old Midwestern dead people are reborn in a field in China; Omar Epps investigates), the sporty Back in the Game (Bad News Bears in Breaking Gender Stereotypes and Keeping James Caan Employed), and the psychotic, psychedelic Once Upon a Time spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (Alice is a Victorian mental patient; the white rabbit looks like a CGI Howard Hesseman).
WTF:
At the all-media session yesterday, Paul Lee announced that he had canceled Happy Endings because it was “too narrow.” In its place, he’s given a series order to something impossibly slight. Mixology, from the credited writers of the first Hangover film, tracks the nocturnal movements of bland, vaguely pretty people, their token ethnic friend, and one guy with a beard who’s meant to suggest Zach Galifianakis as they attempt to get wasted and get lucky on a single night — and not necessarily in that order. The trailer features jokes about how black guys were “right” about “big booties,” a Lothario who can’t remember the name of a recent conquest, a handsome English guy ralphing into a purse, and that golden chestnut of screenwriter fantasies, the hot girl who tells emo boys to stop acting like “bitches” and ravages them. Yes, comedies can get better, and yes, this is just a few minutes of cherry-picked inanity. But Mixology reminds me of a noxious schlub passed out in the corner of a bar: It’s too exhausted to be gross but still plenty gross to merit a wide berth.
Also: Lucky 7, about coworkers who win the lottery, feels like it was canceled by NBC years ago. (Oh wait! It was!) Killer Women, from producer Sofia Vergara, stars Tricia Helfer as a pistol-packing Annie in the Texas Rangers. (No, the other kind.). I get that the goal is telenovela froth mixed with Tarantino spray, but the sight of an entire church congregation emptying their sidearms into traffic doesn’t seem like winning bad taste to me. It just seems like a loser.Getty Images
After coming in 10th in the Olympic long jump in 2012, Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin spent three years focusing primarily on football. But now he’s focused on making the U.S. Olympic team in Rio, and he’s jumping longer than ever.
Goodwin jumped 8.42 meters (27 feet, 8 inches) in a competition in England on Sunday, and with that jump along with his 8.45-meter jump last month, Goodwin now has the two longest jumps in the world this year. Goodwin is far outdistancing the 7.80-meter jump that earned him 10th place in 2012, and also outdistancing the 8.31-meter jump that gold medalist Greg Rutherford had in 2012.
If Goodwin makes the U.S. Olympic team, it won’t necessarily be good news for the Bills, who would be without him in training camp and at least the first two weeks of the preseason. However, the Bills knew when they drafted Goodwin that it was possible he’d turn his attention back to the long jump.
Goodwin played in just two games last season before going on injured reserve. His best year was his rookie season in 2013, when he caught 17 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns, and added 351 yards on kickoff returns.New Orleans tourism gurus are looking to fill the space where the empty World Trade Center now sits with people by 2018. Whether the hulking building will still be there is another question.
Local tourism officials joined together on Monday, April 22, to announce the new plans and release architectural renderings of their vision for a holistic riverfront development, which would include tearing down the World Trade Center building, knocking out the ferry landing, and making major renovations to the Convention Center.
Mark Romig of the NO Tourism and Marketing Corp., Stephen Perry of the NO |
jargon.
Don’t claim your paper contributes more than it actually does. (I refereed a paper this week where the author claimed to have invented principal component analysis!)
Ensure all figures have clear captions and labels.
Include citations to the referee’s own work. Obviously you don’t know who is going to referee your paper, but you should aim to cite the main work in the area. It places your work in context, and keeps the referees happy if they are the authors.
Make sure the cited papers say what you think they say. Sight what you cite!
Include proper citations for all software packages. If you are unsure how to cite an R package, try the command citation("packagename").
. Never plagiarise from other papers — not even sentence fragments. Use your own words. I’ve refereed a thesis which had slabs taken from my own lecture notes including the typos.
Don’t plagiarise from your own papers. Either reference your earlier work, or provide a summary in new words.
Provide enough detail so your work can be replicated. Where possible, provide the data and code. Make sure the code works.
When responding to referee reports, make sure you answer everything asked of you. (See my earlier post “Always listen to reviewers“)
If you’ve revised the paper based on referees’ comments, then thank them in the acknowledgements section.
For some applied papers, there are specific statistical issues that need attention:
Give effect sizes with confidence intervals, not just p-values.
Don’t describe data using the mean and standard deviation without indicating whether the data were more-or-less symmetric and unimodal.
Don’t split continuous data into groups.
Make sure your data satisfy the assumptions of the statistical methods used.
More tongue-in-cheek advice is provided by Stratton and Neil (2005), “How to ensure your paper is rejected by the statistical reviewer”. Diabetic Medicine, 22(4), 371-373.
Feel free to add your own suggestions over at stats.stackexchange.com.
RelatedWashington, DC - In the opening foreign policy acts of Donald Trump's presidency, he is defining American interests much more narrowly than past US leaders and is championing economic nationalism over international cooperation, drawing sharp and mocking criticisms both at home and abroad.
Following a blundering first trip overseas trip, Trump announced a unilateral decision to withdraw from the US-sponsored Paris climate accord. He criticised the mayor of London on Twitter following the attack over the weekend, and in the US renewed his call for a controversial ban on travel to the United States from six Muslim countries.
"We have never really seen from a Republican leader in the modern era anybody as completely isolationist and anti-cooperation as Donald Trump," said David Victor, professor of international relations at the University of California, San Diego.
"There is no question that the Trump presidency is going to accelerate the American exit from its international leadership, institution-building role. That is a more dangerous world where it's harder for any individual country to muster the incentives to go off and build effective international institutions. It's a world that is going to be a whole lot less cooperative," Victor told Al Jazeera.
OPINION: Donald Trump and electing Islamophobia
Analysts see a president who is deeply unpopular in the US. To remain in power, Trump needs to secure his right-wing political base. That means delivering on campaign promises. Trump's chief political strategist in the White House, his campaign adviser Steve Bannon, is an ardent advocate for Trump's "America First" approach. It's a winning message among disenfranchised workers in the rural US who provided Trump with his margin of victory in 2016.
Add to that, Trump appears to have a highly narcissistic personality that drives him to invite constant ratification of the legitimacy of the election, credit and respect from the people around him. That makes it difficult for cabinet secretaries to tell him he's wrong.
"It's troublesome. You can't talk about it in any quantifiable, definitive sort of way, but we have to be honest with ourselves, this is an unusual leader. He does have authoritarian instincts. This level of narcissism colours his behaviour and his choices," said Jeffrey Gemin, a senior fellow The Atlantic Council and an expert on the Trans-Atlantic relationship.
OPINION: How Donald Trump could make America great again
The pressure on Trump to deliver for his voters is amplified because in many respects he has failed so far to produce real results in a number of key political initiatives. His push to repeal and replace Obamacare, the US' health insurance exchange markets established under former President Barack Obama, failed early tests in Congress. Tax reform legislation is delayed. His executive orders, particularly the Muslim travel ban, are tied up in litigation.
Worse for the White House, the FBI and Congress are investigating his campaign ties to Russia. This week, former FBI Director James Comey will testify before a Senate committee for the first time since Trump fired him in an ill-advised move to ease pressure from the Russia investigation. Democrats in Congress will use the scandal to stymie Trump's policy agenda.
"None of Trump's foreign policy moves seem to hook up much together other than he seems to be checking off some of his campaign promises," said Richard Longworth, a distinguished fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and an expert on the Cold War, NATO and globalisation.
Trump's speech at the new NATO headquarters in Brussels was not well received. It was an opportunity for the new American president to thank NATO members for their support following the September 11 attacks and speak to NATO's loftier goals of peace and stability. Instead, Trump chose that moment to pressure allies to increase their defence budgets.
"That was really a problematic speech. It just displayed bad manners. The entire speech was inappropriate," said Cecile Shea, a former US Department of State Foreign Service officer in the Asia Pacific who specialises in international communications.
"You could see it, watching the other leaders standing around, how uncomfortable and embarrassed they were that he was saying those things in this setting," Shea told Al Jazeera.
OPINION: The normalisation of Donald Trump
Trump was unprepared to engage in substantive discussions at the G-7 summit in Taormina. Behind closed doors, he signalled an unwillingness to commit to a declaration on climate action and said he was still undecided. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her distress afterwards.
"We have to know that we must fight for our future on our own, for our destiny as Europeans," Merkel said in remarks describing the G-7 talks with Trump as "difficult and unsatisfactory".
Upon his return to Washington, Trump and his White House team organised a grandiose Rose Garden event to announce his decision to withdraw from the Paris accord.
"The rest of the world is actually looking at this and wondering, you know, what's leaked in the water supply at the White House," Victor said.Jaywalkers are a dire threat to society. At least, that's the apparent conclusion to be reached from an Orlando, Florida police officer's actions.
The officer*, driving his police cruiser*, hit a pedestrian* as the man stood in the crosswalk* against the signal*.
ALSO SEE: Car Narrowly Misses Getting Crushed By Giant Boulder: Video
So far, situation mildly screwed up, but more or less normal--accidents happen. It's what comes next that is surprising*. And deplorable*.
The officer gets out of his car*, appears to talk to the injured pedestrian*, and then gets back in the cruiser and drives off*.
CHECK OUT: Come On Jet Truck Light My Fire, Try To Set The Sign On Fire
Later, the pedestrian makes a call to 911*, corroborated by another woman's call minutes after*. In it, the pedestrian tells his simple, but uniquely Floridian, story*.
Perhaps the ultimate lesson to be learned here: cops are people, too*. Sometimes stupid, mean people*.
* = allegedly.Wall Street banks are refusing to let their customers purchase Bitcoin Futures according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
If you want to trade Bitcoin Futures you will need a licensed and registered bank like Chicago Merc (CME), Chicago Board (Cboe), Nasdaq, and Cantor Fitzgerald who have stated they will support Bitcoin Futures in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. Because the gatekeepers at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML), Citigroup Inc. (Citi), JP Morgan Chase and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) say they’re “refusing” to list the futures for customers.
According to a letter from the Futures Industry Association, the main futures industry lobby group whose members include the largest Wall Street banks, to the CFTC, the introduction of bitcoin futures “did not allow for proper public transparency and input”.
“It is also our understanding that not all risk committees of the relevant exchanges were consulted before the certification to launch these products,” the letter added.
While other brokerage firms like Goldman Sachs are clearing some of its clients for trading Bitcoin futures limiting the futures exposure, Bussiness Insider reported.
“Goldman Sachs will clear bitcoin futures trading for some of its clients, according to a person familiar with the plans,” marking a decidedly dramatic turn of events,” Akin Oyedele wrote. “Goldman is still exploring whether to play a role in other aspects of cryptocurrencies such as market making, Goldman will decide who gets to trade bitcoin futures on a case-by-case basis, a source told Business Insider.”
Goldman Sachs is the biggest futures broker in the United States according to Greenwhich.
Another reason for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to be smug is because “Interactive Brokers Group Inc. will offer customers access to Cboe’s bitcoin futures, but only for so-called ‘long’ traders betting on a bitcoin price increase, Chief Executive Thomas Peterffy said in an email,” The Reporter noted.
As we get closer and closer to a foreseeable reality without central bankers and bankers with a total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies nearing 500 billion dollars the bankers who see cryptopia doesn’t include them will continue to panic.
As Bank of Commerce President Alex O’Brien commented on bitcoin earlier this year they are scared that cryptocurrency will make them obsolete and not needed.
“I’m scared for the banking industry because I think that Bitcoin and Litecoin, the concepts behind them and the way the blockchain works, is something that could knock banks out of the game,” O’Brien said.
As a fun fact and a reminder Thomas Peterffy is already known for his hate of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Peterffy took out an ad in the Wall Street Journal to warn regulators about bitcoin futures last month to request the Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC] “require any clearing organization that wishes to clear any cryptocurrency or derivative do so in a separate clearing system isolated from other products,” he wrote.
The planned launch in the next week of futures contracts by the Chicago exchanges CME Group and today’s launch of CBOE Global Markets will be very interesting to keep an eye on as Bitcoin and on some brokerages, even Bitcoin Cash, face mainstream adoption. Will it stifle the volatility? Additionally, another Bitcoin futures exchange is planned by LedgerX which has already been approved and regulated by the U.S. Commodities and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
This next week’s launch will ultimately determine what to expect when the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (Nasdaq) and Cantor Fitzgerald LP list Bitcoin derivatives on their own exchanges next year.
How will institutional investors money drive the Bitcoin price? This is history in the making for the cryptosphere. So far the market has reacted negatively losing a value of [FIAT: $4,000.]
Bitcoin is currently trading at [FIAT: $13,758.70] down from an earlier value in the week of [FIAT: $18,000] or a loss of (-$4,242) while alts are for the most part all in the red according to Coin Market Cap at the time of this report.
Want an edge in the crypto markets? Subscribe to our free newsletter. Follow Coinivore on Facebook, at Twitter and Steemit.The steady disclosures of past lobbying activity by campaign aides, and the struggle to minimize firings, continue to plague John McCain's presidential campaign -- but the reality is that these problems only get worse the deeper anyone digs. There you'll find an anti-cigarette tax campaign on behalf of Lorillard Tobacco and a full-scale campaign to persuade the US Senate to approve use of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste site.
McCain has sprung a trap on himself, demanding exceptionally high ethical standards for public officials, while simultaneously turning his campaign operation into a home for some of Washington's lobbying kingpins -- men and women who specialize in just the influence peddling McCain has repeatedly deplored.
On his own campaign web site, McCain declares:
"Too often the special interest lobbyists with the fattest wallets and best access carry the day when issues of public policy are being decided.... [McCain] has fought the'revolving door' by which lawmakers and other influential officials leave their posts and become lobbyists for the special interests they have aided....As President, John McCain will see to it that the institutions of self-government are respected pillars of democracy, not commodities to be bought, bartered, or abused."
In glaring defiance of such reformist claims, McCain selected former Texas Congressman Thomas G. Loeffler as his national finance co-chairman, despite the fact that Loeffler matches to perfection those officials McCain demonizes, the ones who pass through a revolving door in order to "leave their posts and become lobbyists for the special interests they have aided."
After dumping Loeffler and four other high-dollar Capitol Hill rainmakers, McCain is twisting in the wind as he tries to justify retaining in key campaign posts three other leaders of the special interest community: Campaign Manager Rick Davis, senior strategist Charles (Charlie) Black and top foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann. Every one of them would feel more pride than shame in being described as "special interest lobbyists with the fattest wallets and best access who carry the day when issues of public policy are being decided."
Once a politician is forced down the path of ethical purity, however, the genuine difficulty emerges with the realization that few if any of the men and women who help run campaigns have clean hands.
Were McCain to decide to really turn over a new leaf, what would he do, for example, in the case of Mike Hudome, president of MH Media in Bethesda, Md., a firm which has been paid $10.6 million for television ads by the current McCain campaign? Year in, year out, who pays the bread and butter fees that keep food on Hudome's kitchen table? Just take a quick trip on the web to MH Media's web site and you will get a taste of the kind of work MH Media does:
This is an example of an "issue campaign" MH Media proudly undertook in behalf of Lorillard Tobacco Company, aimed at killing a proposed $1.50 tax on each package of cigarettes in New York. The US Chamber of Commerce has also been a MH client. Here is what MH claims on its website to have done for the business association:
"Faced with powerful opposition from a coalition of casinos and environmental groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce turned to Mike Hudome at [MH Media] for an issue advocacy campaign to secure support for President Bush's proposal to store the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. On the other side, were [environmental and tourist] interests.... raising questions about the safety of President Bush's plan. In just a weekend, MPGH produced 12 different radio ads and purchased $1.5 million of media time in 44 markets. The ads presented a clear choice for Senators: Stand up for your constituents and support President Bush's plan to get the waste out of their communities or side with the out-of-state special interests who want the waste to continue piling up in their communities. The ads, which aired during Congress' weeklong 4th of July recess, were pivotal in securing Senate support for President Bush's Yucca Mountain plan. On July 9, 2002, the Senate voted 60-39 to move forward with the proposal."
One of the Senators voting yes on filling Yucca Mountain with radioactive waste was John McCain.
At a more subtle level, the McCain campaign is enmeshed on every front in the network of Washington special interests: for example - and there is nothing illegal about this - the campaign uses Public Opinion Strategies (POS), a polling firm with a stellar ethical reputation, to conduct surveys. But POS is also pulling in hefty fees from an astonishing range of corporations and associations that want something from government - something they are paying to get. Go to the POS web site and check out the client list. Here is a small sampling:
Aetna Inc.; American Hospital Association; American Plastics Council; Associated Builders & Contractors; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Chemical Bank; Food Lion, Inc.; McDonalds; The National Association of REALTORS; The National Football League; NBC; Pfizer Incorporated; Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America; Proctor & Gamble; Software Publishers Association; The Trump Organization; Verizon; Waste Management, Inc.
The more you look at McCain's dilemma, the more he appears to be the victim of his own ethical crusades.
Now, he and his lobbyist-strategists, including Davis, Black and Scheunemann, must figure out some way to get out from under this paralyzing issue and bring to an end the repeated questions raised during every McCain television appearance about the propriety of having lobbyists in charge.
When hit with a major lobbying flap in February, McCain declared, "These people have honorable records, and they're honorable people, and I'm proud to have them as part of my team." He then sought to bring the subject to a close:
"I don't have any more comment about this issue...I'm moving on. I'm talking about the issues and the challenges of America and the big issues that Americans are concerned about. I addressed the issue and addressed every question that was addressed to me."
It didn't work. New controversies emerged, staffers were unceremoniously fired, and McCain has not found a way to get what had been his signature issue - reform - to stop nipping his ankles at every turn.
If McCain junked his entire campaign and tried to live up to his "own" standards, his bid for the Presidency would become a lonely endeavor with very uncertain prospects.Select Page 1 - AMD's New Rysen CPU and Instruction per Clock
Date: Thursday, December 15, 2016 Author: Kyle Bennett
AMD's New Ryzen CPU - SMT and IPC AMD's New Horizon live streaming event this week gave us some insights to its new Zen based desktop CPU that will marketed under the name of "Ryzen." While there was a lot fluff, AMD CEO Lisa Su did invite us to benchmark along with it at home, and of course screwed that up, but it has now been corrected.
AMD Ryzen CPU IPC and SMT
On Tuesday of this week AMD presented to us its "New Horizon" event. This event was a soft launch of its upcoming desktop CPU that carries the architecture codename "Zen." This desktop Zen-based processor will be marketed under the name of "Ryzen." Undoubtedly a lot of us computer and gaming enthusiasts are excited about this, I know I certainly am.
While we can debate the worth of the content presented to us at New Horizon, as we know for sure that tech companies work hard to show new products in the best possible light, AMD did throw us guys that actual understand performance metrics a bone.
The video below shows that moment in the presentation. And AMD goes on to invite us to run the benchmark at home to compare and shares with us the file that is used in its Blender rendering benchmark....or did it?
The test is simply the new Ryzen CPU at 3.4GHz compared to an Intel Core i7-6900K processor. Both these are 8 core / 16 thread processors, which makes it a good comparison. The Ryzen CPU is not using any form of boost, but rather its locked base clock of 3.4GHz. The Intel 6900K is being run at stock with Turbo Boost, which makes things a bit fuzzy seeing the clocks are dynamic. Also, in notes that were shared by AMD on the Intel system being used, it notes that it is running 2400MHz dual-channel memory with a 16GB footprint. A bit odd since the system supports quad-channel RAM, however in the testing I have done in the last couple of days here, it seems that this particular Blender scene is not tremendously sensitive to memory bandwidth. I have run tests with RAM up to 3400MHz with etc. Toggling back and forth between dual and quad channel memories at cited 2400MHz seems to make no difference at all in this particular test, so if you see someone complaining about that, their point is moot for this discussion.
Blender is an open source 3D rendering program. It is a good program to use for looking at CPU Instructions per clock, and for reaching into multiple processor cores and threads. AMD suggests that we use version 2.78a 64bit so we downloaded that. AMD shared with us the file that it used for the demo as well and is downloadable from its New Horizon site and we moved forward with trying to replicate its Intel results, which showed a render time of a bit under 36 seconds.
Matching AMD's New Horizon Ryzen Results
So assuredly, me and many others started looking into the results. My primary reason was to validate what AMD was telling us in that the new Ryzen at 3.4GHz is pretty much on par with the performance of a Core i7-6900K. Now I do not have a 6900K on hand, but I do have a 6950X which is a 10C/20T processor, both of which are Broadwell-E CPUs.. Thankfully, in the BIOS of the motherboard I have using, I can disable cores, so that is what I did. Then I went on about my way to match AMD's 6900K results.
Long story short, I could not replicate the results, nor could anyone else for that matter. I tried till the wee hours of the morning to make sense of the results. Surely a lot of tinfoil hats were put on, but I was firmly in the camp of just being confused rather than looking to conspiracies. While AMD has made a lot of marketing claims in the GPU arena in the last year that are simply horseshit, this was CEO Lisa Su presenting and I simply give more value to her statements than I do to AMD's Roy Taylor's and Raja Koduri's.
We sent emails to AMD which were never answered. AMD did however finally come forward to confirm that it did not share the Blender file with the correct rendering variables.
"AMD_james281 - Set render samples to 150. A new file with the sample level set correctly will be uploaded shortly. Apologies for the confusion.
Blender 2.78a x64 is what we used, binary download from blender.org."
So this morning when we got time, we loaded everything up again with the new file from AMD's New Horizon page which seems to load the correct Blender rendering variables.
With our 6950X CPU cut down to 8C/16T in the BIOS, with the same core and thread count (and core architecture) as the 6900K processor that AMD used in its Blender demo, and all our cores clock locked to 3.5GHz, we were able to "match" the results shown at AMD's event in relation to Ryzen Blender performance. This result shows us coming in at just under 36 seconds render time.
The Bottom Line
First and foremost, WTF AMD? I love the fact that you shared the benchmark files and system specs with us, but if you are going to do this, at least hire some people that will make sure to get this right the first time. The last thing AMD needs is a self-manufactured conspiracy theory jump-off point. And spellcheck the damn slides? Yes, I am surely a bit of hypocrite on this last point, but HardOCP is far and away from a multi-million dollar tech company with its resources. On to what is important.
AMD has allowed us at least one data point to run with during its Ryzen soft-launch, and for that we are thankful. From what we can "prove" here today is that AMD's Blender demo was not smoke and mirrors and the Ryzen at 3.4GHz is possibly a little bit faster than Intel's Broadwell-E CPU that was launched earlier this year. This is a pretty big deal! This actually shows us that AMD and its Ryzen CPU have a shot at being competitive in the desktop CPU market almost assuredly.
Now IPC is not everything. We all know that clock speeds are a big part of that equation. Given that AMD noted Ryzen's TDP at being under 100 watts, it is very conceivable that we might see Ryzen scale to 4GHz and possibly a bit above that. But assuredly, I think in the mind of the enthusiast, if AMD can push clocks to 4GHz, Ryzen will very likely be a win. Obviously pricing is another lynchpin that will come into play.A Baltimore County police officer appears to have shot and killed himself in his Bel Air home, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Roads were closed and class was delayed three hours at Patterson Mill Middle and High schools Monday morning because deputies were trying to make contact and negotiate with James Ward, who was arrested and suspended without pay after a barricade that ended in gunshots in April.
In that incident, deputies first responded for a domestic dispute involving a suicidal subject who was drinking heavily. Schools were dismissed early while Bright Oaks community residents were forced to take shelter. Ward ended up being shot non-fatally by deputies after a standoff that lasted a few hours. The Sheriff’s Office said Ward fired first.
Ward was identified at that time as a 19-year veteran with the force who worked in the White Marsh precinct.
This morning, deputies first reported to the home in the 2000 block of Stratton Court around 1:34 a.m. for a reported of a suicidal person.
They tried but failed to make contact with Ward, then established a perimeter around the home. A special response team was called to the scene.
After several hours of failed attempts to contact Ward, members of the Special Response Team entered the house and found Ward’s body.
No deputies fired any shots and no deputies, or community members, were injured during the incident.
Investigators and Forensic Service Unit Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division are conducting a comprehensive investigation.
All schools in the surrounding area are now operating on normal dismissal schedules and all roads have been opened.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on FacebookPARIS, March 15 (Reuters) - France’s agriculture ministry on Saturday banned the sale, use and cultivation of Monsanto’s MON 810 genetically modified maize, the only variety currently authorised in the European Union.
The French government, which maintains that GM crops present environmental risks, has been trying to institute a new ban on GM maize (corn) after its highest court has twice previously struck down similar measures.
The decision is timed to avert any sowing of GM maize by farmers before a draft law is debated on April 10 aimed at banning planting of GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
“The sale, use and cultivation of varieties of maize seed from the line of genetically modified maize MON 810 (...) is banned in the country until the adoption, on the one hand, of a final decision, and secondly, of (EU) community action, “ said a decree published on Saturday.
Annual sowing of maize in France gets under way in the second half of March.
The current Socialist government, like its conservative predecessor, has opposed the growing of GMO crops in light of public suspicion and widespread protests from environmentalists.
Longstanding differences between EU countries resurfaced in February when they failed to agree on whether or not to approve another GM maize variety, Pioneer 1507, developed by DuPont and Dow Chemical, leaving the way open to the EU Commission to clear it for cultivation.
France is trying to win support to overhaul the EU rules.The Virginia Basketball program has arrived at quite an odd cross-roads They have been touted all year as a team with unwarranted talent and high expectations, but there has always remained a downside. It has seemed as though UVA has been the team that can be successful, but probably won’t be. People have pointed to any number of drawbacks of this team, such as lacking a true dominant post presence or that the team can’t sustain a deep tournament run due to their bad luck in recent years.
It’s funny how a couple wins and Michigan State’s early loss has spiked Virginia’s chances, and silenced many of those nay-sayers. Not that UVA won’t still have tough games ahead; it’s the fact that Michigan State’s loss has created disharmony in the basketball world, and now Virginia can truly play their breed of basketball without fear or trepidation. Nonetheless, challenges lie ahead.
A historically tough tournament team in the No. 9 seeded Butler Bulldogs (22-11) were one of those challenges standing in the Cavalier’s way on Saturday night. They gave the top seeded Virginia team (28-7) all they could handle in this second round matchup.
In typical UVA fashion, the game was remarkably close and evenly matched in the first half. The play by the Bulldogs forced five uncharacteristic tournovers by UVA, and parlayed the Bulldogs to a two point lead at halftime. But Virginia, as they have done all year, came out of the half with a slight adjustment, changing their entire play.
The 22 points put up by Malcolm Brodgon are certainly not forgotten, but the big games by players like Mike Tobey (10 points) and Marial Shayok (12 points) truly put UVA at a different level offensively. Anthony Gill also made his presence known posting a solid 19 points and eight rebounds. Add in the suffocating defense that these Wahoos are known for, and it was easy to see how they pulled away at the end with a 77-69 win.
But what does this all mean for Virginia? It has been mentioned all around the sports world that their path to the Championship is as clear as any, and it truly is Virginia’s to lose. The upcoming matchup against Iowa State does start raising angst, though. Competing in the Big 12, the Cyclones are no stranger to tough competition, and facing adversity square in the face. Iowa State had a very successful season, winning in many disadvantageous situations.
There truly is no way to speculate which teams will be the last ones standing in the next couple weeks. The upsets have already come in an incredible amount this year, and to think that anyone has a clear forecast of the teams that will be in the National Championship game in Houston would be foolish.
But if anyone could make the case for a team to be in the Finals, with the possible remaining games left, Virginia would have to be right at the top of that list. In my Now or Never article, I made it quite clear that if Virginia is going to win the National Championship, this will be the year. ESPN also wrote an article today, stating that UVA has the highest percentage chance of winning the title (21% chance) of any team remaining, based on the BPI.
Everything that has happened thus far has been to Virginia’s benefit, referencing things that aren’t even under their control. Michigan State losing and Virginia gaining a favorable schedule due to other losses makes it seem like it is UVA’s destiny to be the last team standing. Fate has long been said to be stronger than will, so with fate on their side, Virginia very possibly could win this thing.
As long as they just keep playing how they have all year, they will be tough to beat down the road. Obviously, we have a lot of basketball to play, so we will soon see how they chart their path in the next two weeks.Donald Trump said the world was “gloomy” before he was elected president.
After he beat Hillary Clinton in a stunning upset on election night, the president-elect credited himself with banishing gloom and lifting the markets this week.
“The world was gloomy before I won — there was no hope,” he tweeted Monday. “Now the market is up nearly 10% and Christmas spending is over a trillion dollars!”
The world was gloomy before I won – there was no hope. Now the market is up nearly 10% and Christmas spending is over a trillion dollars! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016
Trump also squared off with Barack Obama after the president essentially said he could have beaten Trump and won a third term during an exit interview with David Axelrod. (RELATED: Barack Obama Needs Time To Think About Himself Once He’s Out Of Office)
Trump fired back on Twitter.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
April 17, 2017, 3:07 PM GMT / Updated April 17, 2017, 9:03 PM GMT By Tracy Connor
Search warrants from the investigation into Prince's overdose death were released on Monday, revealing that prescription medications were found all over his house — including some in the name of a confidant who claimed he didn't know the singer was addicted to pain pills.
The court documents detail investigators' efforts to obtain cellphone and Internet records after Prince was found dead April 21 at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.
Prince performs during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Field on April 26, 2008 in Indio, Calif. Kevin Winter / Getty Images, file
An autopsy determined he died of a fentanyl overdose, but the documents do not indicate if authorities have pinpointed the source of the killer dose of the synthetic opioid. No one has been charged with a crime in connection with Prince's death.
The warrants say that controlled substances were found in different parts of the Paisley Park complex, often in vitamin bottles. Some were in a suitcase labeled with a Prince alias, Peter Bravestrong, along with a page of handwritten lyrics to the 1987 hit "U Got the Look."
Several medications were prescribed to Prince under the name of Kirk Johnson, his longtime bodyguard, assistant and personal friend, the warrants show.
Prince's physician, Dr. Michael Schulenberg, issued a prescription for the pain killer oxycodone on April 16, 2016 — the same day that the singer's plane had to make a post-concert emergency landing when he "passed out" while aboard after taking pain pills.
Schulenberg told investigators he put it in Johnson's name "for Prince's privacy," one warrant says. An attorney for the doctor, however, said in a statement that he "never directly prescribed opioids to Prince, nor did he ever prescribe opioids to any other person with the intent that they would be given to Prince."
In the suitcase next to Prince's bed, detectives found at least two bottles with pills prescribed by Schulenberg under Johnson's name on April 7: the anti-nausea drug ondansetron hydrochloride in a Vitamin D bottle, and the painkiller Percocet in a bottle labeled ondansetron.
The day before Prince's death, Schulenberg prescribed three drugs for him: clonidine, which is used to treat high blood pressure and attention deficit disorder, and the anti-anxiety agents Valium and hydroxyzine pamoate. Johnson picked them up from the pharmacy and claimed it was the "first time he had ever done something like that for Prince."
Johnson told investigators he was "unaware Prince was addicted to pain medication." But a representative of the rehab Recovery Without Walls told detectives that Johnson had contacted them because the star was struggling with opiate use.
Andrew Kornfeld, the son of the rehab's owner, was at Paisley Park when Prince's body was found. He admitted to detectives that he was carrying pills for which he did not have a prescription — chiefly buprenorphine, which is used to treat addiction — but said he would not have given them to Prince without a doctor's authorization.
The warrants sought access to Prince's computer as well as to cellphone records for any devices in use around Paisley Park immediately before and after the singer's death.
The detective noted that "interviews with those who were at Paisley Park the morning Prince was found deceased have provided inconsistent and, at times, contradictory statements."
An attorney for Johnson said in a statement that the documents unsealed Monday show "it is clear that Kirk Johnson did not secure nor supply the drugs which caused Prince's death," but did not address any of the other medications found.
Schulenberg's lawyer said he had fully cooperated with the investigation and is a "caring and responsible physician."
Among the other revelations in the warrants:
Prince stopped using a cellphone after being hacked, depending on email and a landline.
He was in a romantic relationship with singer-songwriter Judith Glory Hill from 2014 until his death.2013 YoYoFactory Mystery Box! YoYoExpert
It’s OFFICIAL.
For three years now we have worked together with YoYoFactory to bring to you the YOYOFACTORY MYSTERY BOX! Each year a huge success with lots of people going home with some really awesome stuff! Check out some of the YouTube unboxing videos HERE! For 2013 we are doing it again and we think this years box is that much better!
Each mystery box has over $140 worth of YoYoFactory stuff for an amazing $45.00!
AND… ONE OUT OF EVERY TEN BOXES is WORTH OVER $200!!!
EVEN BETTER… ONE LUCKY BOX includes a RICHOCHET Making that Box WORTH OVER $400!!!
How do you score one?!
Starting Monday November 25th (Thanksgiving Week) YoYoExpert will make two announcements each day Monday through Thursday. (Eight Releases in Total!)
Once the announcement is made – a countdown begins to release!
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Each morning we will announce ‘Time Windows’ to watch – announcements will be made followed by short countdowns to the various releases of this years Mystery Box!
ALL Mystery Box ship Friday November 29th regardless of purchase date.
The 2013 YoYoFactory Mystery Box ‘Week’!!!Rumors are going around that Allison Mack, Clark Kent’s adorkable best friend on Smallville, is a “key recruiter” of a sex cult DOS. The cult’s title stands for “dominus obsequious sororium,” Latin for “master over the slave women”; last month, the New York Times reported that they also brand women with cauterizing rods, and that leader Keith Raniere allegedly forces members to go on “near-starvation diets” to satisfy his sexual needs.
Aaaand here’s the testimony of terror from a former publicist in The Sun:
[Frank Parlato] claims that to join, |
Markus 2009, Howell 2009, Rodrigues 2009).
The “extent” of sea ice (usually defined as area of the ocean covered by more than 15% of ice) is most commonly used when discussing changes in Arctic ice. Unlike the Antarctic case, the growth of Arctic ice area in winter is constrained by the land masses which almost completely surround the Arctic Ocean.
Credit for AOOS (Alaska Ocean Observation System) data Cavalieri, Markus, and Comiso. 2004. AMSR-E/Aqua Daily L3 12.5 km Brightness Temperature, Sea Ice Concentration, & Snow Depth Polar Grids V002, 2002 to 2009. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center.
For the Arctic, there are records of the annually advancing and receding ice edge on charts going back to the beginning of the 20th Century and some from even earlier (Walsh 1978, Mahoney 2008, Vinje 2003). It is possible to reconcile the early ice chart and aerial reconnaissance data with satellite data processed for ice edge, despite technical difficulties and several different algorithms and definitions (Comiso 2008, Comiso 2009, Spreen 2008, Anderson 2007). There are enough recent overlapping independent data series to attempt to resolve these differences and develop long term climatic records with quantifiable errors (Walsh and Chapman 2001, Rayner 2003, Bronnimann 2008, Cavalieri 2003, Scott and Meier 2010).
Looking at the long term trend of Arctic ice extent using satellite data back to 1972, and linking them as best we can to historical observations going back to the late 19th Century, there is a dramatic downwards trend, though shorter term, decadal (and regional) variations are apparent. These variations are relatively small compared with the seasonal variation between September minimums and March maximums.
Long term seasonal trends in Arctic Ice extent. The data from HadISST and the ESMR “merged” data have been normalized to the SSMR and SSM/I record. The trend line is fitted to the three Summer month mean values (Walsh and Chapman 2001). The HadISST record from 1900 to 1944 is interpolated data fitted to observations and chart data, and uncertainties are larger.
Higher resolution seasonal data and annual average values with trend from 1953 onwards.
In 2007, there was a large decrease in summer Arctic sea ice extent. By this time the summer minimum had diminished to around 40% of the 1979 to 2000 average. The amplitude of the swing between summer and winter extents has also increased, partially as a result of the increasing proportion of young ice forming in winter and more rapidly melting in summer in the warming Arctic environment (Goosse 2009).
It can be seen that in 2008 and 2009, the summer minimum sea ice extent increased slightly from the very low 2007 value. So does this mean that the arctic sea ice is recovering? Looking at the long term trends, the average long term decline is accelerating (Comiso 2008). It seems unlikely that this trend could be reversed over the course of two or even three years, and several periods of temporary multi-year increase are evident in the record. Are extents in 2008, 2009 and 2010 any different through the rest of the annual cycle? Let us zoom in further.
Animation of annual trends over the SSMR and SSMI satellite sensor period, month by month. All trends are significantly negative.
With hindsight and the benefit of two more years worth of data it is possible to view the anomalous 2007 decrease in ice extent as a temporary deviation away from the longer term downward trend (similar to those in 1990 or 1995). This trend appears to continue below model predictions (Stroeve 2007) and though recent refinements to climate modeling work has shown that an imminent dramatic change in this trend or “tipping point” is unlikely, at least in the Arctic (Notz 2009, Eisenmann and Wettlaufer 2009), these models still suggest a substantially Ice free Arctic before 2100 (Wang 2009, Boé 2009, Zhang 2010).
Can we say anything else about the amount of sea ice? Extent is the most visible proxy for the total amount of ice, and as we have seen we have relatively good ice boundary records for many Arctic regions for most of the 20th Century. Extent is important but to determine the total amount of ice we need observations of ice thickness in order to estimate ice volume. Ice thickness data from before the 1950s is sparse. Recently declassified submarine sonar based data from 1958 onwards, covering more than 38% of the Arctic Ocean, shows that overall ice thickness has almost halved in the past 30 years, and the thinning trend is accelerating (Kwok and Rothrock 2009). Observations over the whole Arctic region from before 2007 showed that the reducing ice extent was accompanied by a significant reduction in older sea ice (Rigor 2004), and a corresponding reduction in overall ice thickness (Yu and Maykut 2004, Lindsay 2009, Wang 2010, Shirasawa 2009). This average Arctic thinning trend, as measured by satellite radar altimetry (Giles 2008) and ICESat satellite laser altimetry (Kwok 2009), continued through 2008 and 2009 despite the increase in minimum ice extent. The loss of older ice has also continued through 2009 (Nghiem 2010). Satellite radar backscatter (QuikSCAT) data, which can highlight textural differences between new and older ice, cross checked with airborne and surface data records from 2008 and 2009 confirm that the winter perennial ice extent had reduced to the lowest levels on record.
Arctic wide studies show that the ice loss has not been constant or uniform over the entire Arctic area. Over the past ten years older ice around the North pole towards Siberia has diminished rapidly, whilst an area North of the Canadian Coast remains least affected (Agnew 2010, Haas 2010).
Movie of QuikSCAT 13GHz RADAR Scatterometer data clearly showing build up of new first year ice and areas of older ice, and the changes in overall extent and reductions in older ice from 2000-2009. Credit for images David Long, Brigham Young University, JPL NASA.
Even here, ice shelves which are estimated to be more than 3000 years old have “calved” or fractured since 2000, and recent voyages have provided direct observational data (Barber 2010, Barber 2009) showing that many areas reported as multi-year ice in 2009 by satellite sensors was in fact “rotten”, containing approximately 25% open water. Thus 2009 ice coverage as reported by satellites is likely to be an overestimate. Even so the satellite records showed that at the end of summer 2009, whilst about a third of the ice cover was second-year ice (an increase in proportion over 2007) multi year ice had reduced to a fifth of the total ice cover, the lowest in the satellite record. When age, thickness and extent are all combined, the total volumes of Arctic Sea ice through 2008 and 2009 are also estimated to be the lowest on record (Maslowski 2010, Tschudi 2010, press release). However it is the fact that these estimates are the most recent points on longer term downwards trends in extent, thickness and volume that is most important. Against this background, claims of recovering Arctic ice are not supported by the overall evidence.
Estimates of ice volume since 1985(from Tschudi 2010) Image credit Jim Maslanik and Chuck Fowler, Colorado University, and Ron Kwok, JPL (NASA)
Although at the end of March 2010 Arctic ice extent enjoyed a brief anomalous increase due to cold weather conditions in the Bering and Barents seas, this ice is thin and young, and though there is also an increased proportion of overall second year ice since 2009, much of this has formed North of the Fram Strait and also in a large lobe North of Alaska along with a proportion of the remaining multi-year ice. Based on recent patterns of ice melt and motion it is likely that the scene is set for significant loss through 2010.
Viewed in a global context the amounts of polar sea ice are small compared with the massive total volumes of ice in the land based ice caps of Greenland, Antarctica, and the Himalayas. The Arctic sea ice is a diminishing and progressively thinning layer floating on the Arctic Ocean, and this makes it increasingly fragile and vulnerable to a number of related mechanisms which are likely to further enhance ice loss. The consequences of this loss for the inhabitants of the region could be profound (Ford 2009).Powerful: Alvaro Negredo has been offered to Tottenham on the cheap (Picture: Getty)
La Liga side Sevilla have offered Tottenham a cut-price deal for striker Alvaro Negredo after suffering a financial crisis.
The Andalusia-based club are currently reeling after it was revealed that they are almost £15million in debt, and facing years of budget cuts after gambles by the club’s owners.
President Jose Maria Del Nido confirmed the news at Sevilla’s AGM on Thursday, and announced that at least one of the team’s best players must be sold to aid recovery.
‘I am presenting the worst results of all my years,’ said Del Nido.
‘We have done badly, we have not taken the right road, and we have been making mistakes for two years.
‘Without selling players we will return to the mediocrity of the last decades. I want to aspire to something and not wander through the league without pain or glory.’
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Sevilla have a host of top talents who could be sold to pay off the debt, including Jesus Navas, Diego Perotti, Ivan Rakitić and Frederico Fazio, but striker Negredo looks set to be the man sacrificed.
The 27-year-old has previously been a target for a host of Premier League clubs, and according to local paper El Confidencial, Sevilla have offered long-term admirers Tottenham a cut-price deal in January if they can rush through a deal.
Tottenham are rumoured to have enquired about Negredo last summer, only to be told he would cost in excess of £25million. But if Spurs can pay up front, Sevilla are now ready to do business for £17million.
It’s a hefty price tag, but given Andre Villas-Boas’ need for a new centre forward in the new year Negredo represents an ideal purchase.Washington (CNN) White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Tuesday the White House plans to use monies in a border security spending increase to initiate construction of the border wall at the core of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.
Mulvaney said the Trump administration will use several hundred million dollars of a $1.5 billion border security spending increase approved in the soon-to-be-approved bipartisan budget deal to begin work on the wall.
"When you heard in the last 48 hours about the deal, did you think we could build this?" Mulvaney said, pointing to a picture of 20-foot high steel wall on the US-Mexico border. "I bet you didn't. Nobody did. OK."
That's despite the fact Democrats touted the agreement as a win and claimed it blocked new funding for border wall construction.
"The (budget deal) does not fund President Trump's immoral and unwise border wall or create a cruel new deportation force," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Sunday in a statement.
Read MoreI have an article in editorial limbo with the Spectator Life magazine – should be out in September – called ‘Death of the Wine Snob.’ You can probably guess my argument but you’ll have to wait until September to appreciate its full vision. I wrote most of it from LA earlier this year. There I visited a wine merchant with my wife and father-in-law, Jonathan. I asked the woman behind the counter to recommend a few not too expensive Rhoney Californian wines. In an off-hand way she turned three bottles upright and then rattled off technical details about them. One of them was from a producer, Wind Gap, who I’ve had before. I mentioned that I liked it but preferred a blend they did called Orra, did they have that one? Then something odd happened, the woman got a bit flustered, and then a bit cross and said something along the lines of I’ve never heard of it. I seem to have upset her by mentioning a wine that she didn’t know.
I wanted to talk about wine, she wanted to get competitive. She then mentioned a red from Arianna Occhipinti, I said I liked that red but preferred her whites. ‘Whites? She only makes one white.’ 15 love! Things really deteriorated when Jonathan told her that I write a wine column in England, her response was to tell me about a wine podcast that she made. Had I heard of it? Sadly I hadn’t. She looked furious.
It was a very odd experience exacerbated by being heavily jet-lagged (so jet-lagged that I thought I might have imagined the whole thing). It took me a while to realise why it seemed so familiar. Of course! Record shops in my teens and early 20s. This woman would have gone down a storm at Rough Trade in Notting Hill. I suppose it is inevitable that as wine becomes cool, it is going to attract record shop types. Whereas once they would have obsessed over white label imports from Chicago, now it’s the Cote du Py from Marcel Lapierre. Either way the result is the same, these people want to use their knowledge to make you feel small. Makes me long for a good old-fashioned wine snob. At least I knew where I was with him.
AdvertisementsAs corruption allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) have heated up over the past week, CNN is conspicuously quiet on the matter. Of course, CNN also employs the governor’s brother, Chris Cuomo, as host of its morning show New Day.
Family ties or coincidence?
Using TVEyes, a search for “Andrew Cuomo” and “New York Governor” across CNN’s programming going back to July 18 — when the New York Times published its first significant article about the allegations — renders zero hits.
The Times breathed new life into the situation when it reported Monday on Cuomo’s denial that he or his office had interfered with the investigations of an anti-corruption commission that he himself created.
Aides to Cuomo actually did, however, have contact with the commission, directing it not to investigate a New York real estate board with ties to Cuomo, according to a separate Times story.
Additional background on the commission via the Times:
Mr. Cuomo created the Moreland Commission in July 2013, saying he wanted to root out corruption and reform state laws that for decades have enabled it. But he abruptly shuttered the panel in March after striking a deal with legislative leaders that netted only modest reforms.
Both MSNBC and Fox News, as well as the Daily Show, have covered the story multiple times:
On July 23, MSNBC covered it twice.
On July 24, MSNBC covered it twice and the Daily Show did one segment on it.
On July 25, Fox News covered it once and the Daily Show did another segment on it.
On July 26, MSNBC covered it once.
On July 28, MSNBC covered it twice
On July 29, MSNBC covered it once.
On July 30, MSNBC covered it once.
Is CNN just ignoring the story or is there a blackout? Is it because the powerful Cuomo has a brother working as a lead anchor at CNN?
CNN viewers will recall that back in December, Chris interviewed his governor brother on air regarding a Metro train derailment.
We’ve reached out to CNN for comment, but have yet to hear back.
[Image via screengrab/CNN]
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>> Follow Eddie Scarry (@eScarry) on Twitter
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.comCLOSE Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, the juror dismissed from the Menendez trial because of vacation, speaks to the media outside of the federal courthouse on Thursday, November 9, 2017 in Newark, NJ. Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com
Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, the juror dismissed from the federal corruption trial for Sen. Bob Menendez, speaks to NorthJersey.com outside of the federal courthouse on Thursday, November 9, 2017 in Newark, NJ. (Photo11: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)
NEWARK, N.J. — A woman excused from the jury Thursday at the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez said she was dead set against convicting the New Jersey Democrat and his co-defendant.
“If I would have been there all the way to the end, it would have been not guilty," said Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, 61, of Hillside. "All the way to the end, not guilty.”
But in what appears to be a stroke of bad luck for Menendez and his co-defendant Salomon Melgen, the U.S. district court judge overseeing the case dismissed Arroyo-Maultsby on Thursday so she could take a long-scheduled vacation.
The 12-person jury in the case has not reached a unanimous verdict after three full days of deliberations and will resume its discussions Monday with an alternate juror in Arroyo-Maultsby's place.
More: Cup of Politics: What's at stake as Bob Menendez corruption trial nears an end
More: Menendez verdict may depend on how judge instructs jury on the definition of bribery
Arroyo-Maultsby described the dynamics in the jury room as "very stressful" and said the "majority is still saying not guilty."
But there is at least one adamant holdout, she said, and estimated that three or four jurors total were leaning toward a conviction.
"We have someone in there that definitely doesn't want to hear it," she told reporters as she left the federal courthouse in Newark. “I think it’s going to be a hung jury.”
She also said she felt the government was "railroading" Menendez.
"I didn't like this experience," she said. "The unfairness and how it's being presented, talking about him being corrupt. I think the government is corrupt. I think the government was the crooked one, not Menendez."
Senator Bob Menendez with his children Robert and Alicia Menendez, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse on Thursday, November 9, 2017 to wait while the jury continues to deliberate in his corruption trial. (Photo11: Amy Newman/NorthJersey.com)
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Miles Feinstein, a noted defense attorney who handled many government corruption cases, said the departing juror’s statements creates fertile ground for a mistrial.
He said the fact that the departing juror is so adamant in her refusal to convict is a real blow to the defense. But now that she’s gone, and the deliberation has to start over, there’s real pressure on other hold-out jurors to cave in just to finish the process.
“The fact that they have to start over, that’s really putting pressure on the jury,” Feinstein said.
CLOSE U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) arrives at the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse on Thursday, November 9, 2017. Menendez is on trial for corruption charges. Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com
Arroyo-Maultsby's reasoning for doubting the government's case and holding that the men were "not guilty on all counts" echoed many of the arguments made by defense attorneys during the nine-week trial.
"That's his friend," she said of Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor who has been close with the senator since the 1990s. "And if his friend wanted to take him anywhere he wants, why not? Just because he's a senator, his friend can't take him anywhere?"
She added: "When they said that it was going to be conspiracy, that they planned this, that’s to me, I don’t see that. Planning that, no, I don’t see that. That’s a friendship.”
Menendez stands accused of using his office to help co-defendant Melgen secure visas for his foreign girlfriends and to intervene in a lucrative port security contract in the Dominican Republic and a multimillion-dollar Medicare dispute.
In exchange, prosecutors argued in court, Menendez took bribes in the form of luxury vacations, free flights on Melgen’s private jets and $660,000 in political contributions.
Menendez has vigorously denied the charges, saying that he will be vindicated at trial and run for re-election next year.
In total, Menendez faces six counts of bribery, three counts of honest services fraud, one count of conspiracy, one count of interstate travel to carry out bribery and one count of making false statements on his congressional financial disclosures to conceal the crimes.
Melgen faces the same charges except for the false statements accusation.
The fraud charges carry the most serious penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Sen. Robert Menendez leaves the Martin Luther King Jr. Building and U.S. Courthouse in Newark on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. (Photo11: Michael Karas/Northjersey.com)
At one point Thursday, Arroyo-Maultsby said there was discussion among jurors about potentially talking to the judge overseeing the case, William H. Walls, to see if he could help break their impasse.
"I told them that they're holding back on what I want to say and that we should go and let the judge know how we feel, and they didn't want to," she said. "They said, well, let's go more, maybe he might change our mind. But then, I told them they weren't going to change mine and there was no reason for them to try to change my mind."
She also suggested that the other jurors might have been stalling during deliberations in hopes of getting an alternate less dug-in on her view of the case.
“Really, personally, I think they was holding and taking their time so the next person could come on," Arroyo-Maultsby said.
Feinstein said the process has been tainted by letting the woman begin the deliberations with her vacation looming, knowing that she might not finish them.
And jurors are not allowed to discuss the case with anyone outside the courtroom until after a verdict has been reached. The fact that the juror was excused and then chose to speak to the press has violated the secrecy of the deliberation process, he said.
“This opens a real can of worms,” Feinstein said. “The trial should not be in this position at this time.”
Feinstein wasn’t sure whether the judge was required by law to advise the departing juror against talking to the press, but he said it would have been “common sense and logic” that he would do so.
“I said to them, 'Please, make the right decision,' because they’re the one that’s not going to be able to sleep at night.” Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, dismissed juror
The situation could have been avoided if the juror had not been allowed to begin deliberations in the first place, given that she might not be able to finish them.
“I would argue that a vacation is trumped by your duty as a juror,” Feinstein said. “A vacation, as opposed to what’s at stake here? Go on vacation some other time.”
Arroyo-Maultsby said she wrapped up her civic duty with some parting words for her fellow jurors.
“I said to them, 'Please, make the right decision,' because they’re the one that’s not going to be able to sleep at night,” she said.
On his way out of the courthouse Thursday, Menendez said — without knowing the views of the dismissed juror — he had "faith" that the replacement juror would join the others in reaching a not-guilty verdict.
"I want to thank the juror who was excused for her service," he said.
Deliberations will not be held Friday, Veterans Day, and are scheduled to resume Monday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Follow Nicholas Pugliese and Catherine Carrera on Twitter: @nickpugz and @cattcarrera
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2hZBtLwWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives unveiled legislation on Wednesday that, if passed, would significantly expand domestic oil production by permitting offshore drilling at least 50 miles from U.S. coasts.
An oil platform is seen from the air, located 100 miles (161 km) off the coast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico June 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi
The package gives all U.S. states the option to allow drilling between 50 and 100 miles off their shores. Areas further than 100 miles from the coast would be completely open oil exploration.
After vigorously opposing calls from Republicans to lift the moratorium on offshore drilling, Democratic leaders recently softened their position agreeing to allow votes on drilling as a part of larger energy bills.
Under the Democratic bill, national marine sanctuaries and monuments would remain off limits and the U.S. Defense Department would still be able to designate national defense areas off the coasts. Any oil exploration would have to protect the coastal environment.
The eastern Gulf of Mexico would also be closed to offshore drilling until 2022.
Democrats said they would announce on Thursday when lawmakers will vote on the package.
In this election year, disputes over increasing energy production have prevented lawmakers from passing significant energy legislation.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has pushed strongly for increased offshore drilling, while the Democratic presidential contender, Barack Obama, changed his stance to support limited drilling.
The House energy package offers much more of the Outer Continental Shelf for oil exploration, than a proposed bipartisan bill energy bill in the Senate.
That package, supported by 16 Senators, would open only the coasts of Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas to offshore drilling. The Gang of 16 bill would also open the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to offshore drilling, the House energy package tackles conservation and energy efficiency as well as releasing oil from the nation’s emergency stockpile.
Measures in the House energy package include:
- Selling 70 million barrels of light crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
- Offering renewable energy and efficiency tax credits that would be funded by repealing some tax breaks for oil industry
- Requiring oil companies to develop the leases they already hold
- Requiring more frequent lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.About 150 protesters gathered outside Roseburg Airport where President Obama is expected to land this afternoon.
About 150 protesters gathered outside Roseburg Airport where President Obama is expected to land this afternoon. He’ll be meeting with victim’s families from last week’s shooting at Umpqua Community College, which left 10 dead and another nine wounded.
John Palmer from Klamath Falls, was outside the Roseburg Airport Friday protesting Obama’s visit.
“I respect the man’s title and his office,” he said. “Most people believe that he is politicizing this and using this as a platform for gun control and I don’t think it’s genuine. I don’t think he really cares about the families and the loss and the tragedy. I think he cares more about pushing his agenda.”
Obama is making the stop ahead of a meeting with Democrats in Seattle as well as a fundraiser in San Francisco.
Mike Mires drove down from St. Helens, Oregon to protest the President’s visit.
“I don’t think that he should’ve stopped,” Mires said. “It’s kind of like a quick stop on his way to raise money for his party and for his agenda, and he’s just — like I say — he’s using the victims and their families as pawns.”Producer Bruce Campbell tells a packed Paramount Theatre at the world premiere that the graphic remake is the first in a planned trilogy -- and "Evil Dead 2" is already being written.
AUSTIN -- The gates of Hell were opened to a new generation of filmgoers in Austin on Friday, as South by Southwest hosted the world premiere of Evil Dead -- Sony's slick, shockingly graphic remake of Sam Raimi's 1981 no-budget horror masterpiece. And judging by the cheers, screams and assorted gagging sounds coming from the packed house at the Paramount Theatre, the effort was a worthwhile one.
"We're like proud uncles of this young man," said Bruce Campbell, star of the original and a producer on the remake, of director Fede Alverez. The 35-year-old Uruguayan was hand-selected by Raimi to resurrect his signature film on the strength of Alverez's 2009 short, Panic Attack!. "We're glad we got him because we won't be able to afford him much [longer]," Campbell added.
VIDEO: 'Evil Dead' Trailer Is Bloody, Bloody Mayhem
Raimi wasn't able to attend the screening, being otherwise preoccupied with the opening of a "tiny, little independent film" known as Oz the Great and Powerful, Alvarez joked.
In theaters April 5, Evil Dead stars Jane Levy (Suburgatory), Shiloh Fernandez (Red Riding Hood), Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore as the film's requisite cabin-in-the-woods bait. Like in the original, the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to an orgy of demonic possessions and dismemberment -- plus enough blood to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. But the film's R-rating was not hard to come by, according to producer Rob Tapert.
"It really wasn't a fight to get it through," Tapert said. "That was really shocking and a blessing."
During the late-night Q&A session, Alvarez revealed that he and co-writer Rodo Sayagues have already begun work on the script for Evil Dead 2, with Campbell later adding that the team envisions the films existing as another standalone trilogy.
SXSW: 5 Narrative Films With Buzz
Campbell, a lantern-jawed fan favorite, kept the crowd in stitches with a string of off-the-cuff one-liners (at one point he described the remake as "The Big Chill with carnage and mayhem"). But most of all he wanted to dispel any notions that a remake of the beloved original was tantamount to blasphemy.
"We were a little embarrassed seeing the green garden hose shooting s--t out," he said of one particularly sloppy FX sequence from the 1981 version. "But are we going to go back like George Lucas and fix it? No."
The line drew some of the loudest cheers of the night.The protesters camped outside east Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque have lived with the fear of violent dispersal for more than a fortnight, but that did not stop housewife Aza Galal pitching camp there with her six-year-old son last Thursday.
"We don't care about death," said Galal on Monday afternoon, her hijab resting underneath a rainbow-coloured parasol, her son Saif tugging at her clothes. "We believe in one thing. When your time to die comes, you will die. So will you die as a courageous martyr, or as a coward? That's the point: we want to die as martyrs."
Since the end of June, tens of thousands of supporters of the deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi have camped on two sites in Egypt's capital, one near the city's university, west of the Nile, and the other across town at Rabaa. At first, the protesters were mostly from Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, and they gathered to demand his rule continued; once Morsi was overthrown by the army on 3 July, after days of mass protests, they then pushed for his reinstatement.
As the weeks passed without Morsi's release from detention, this demand has seemed increasingly unlikely to be realised – and the protesters increasingly in danger. State officials have promised to forcibly disperse the camps for a fortnight, prompting fears of a third state-tolerated mass killing of Morsi supporters in a month. Fears grew on Sunday, as rumours swirled that the crackdown would happen at dawn on Monday, but the camp was untouched.
Despite the constant threat of an attack, the camps have become increasingly organised and entrenched – becoming more like tent cities.
The camp at Rabaa, on a blocked-off suburban crossroads, sits behind several makeshift walls – some built with cement, others with sandbags and still more with paving stones ripped from the street. Street vendors sell water pistols, sunglasses, groceries and fruit. One tent houses an exhibition about those killed during protests earlier in the month. At the centre of the crossroads, preachers speak from a large stage, or lead prayers. At the southern entrance, a large marquee built for last week's Eid celebrations contains a mini fairground.
Despite the real threat of further bloodshed, the protesters are going nowhere. "When I heard that the sit-in might be attacked on Monday, I came back running" said Moaz Ahmed, a teacher who helps to police the four entrances to the camp, where there are bag and ID checks. "I don't care if I die or not."
Ahmed was unarmed, with only a blue crash-helmet and a Manchester United tracksuit for protection. But Cairo residents and human rights activists say there may be more deadly weaponry inside. Several bodies bearing marks of torture have allegedly been found in the region of the camp, prompting allegations that it houses torture cells. Those at the camp claim that the only people hurt at Rabaa are thieves and infiltrators from state security. "If there's a thief, he will get a fair beating," said Gehad al-Haddad, a Brotherhood spokesman. "But we will take him outside the sit-in [afterwards] and we will let him go."
Critics of the campers argue they simply seek martyrdom instead of solutions, and that they pander to naive western sensibilities. But campers claim they have real grievances and face worse bloodshed if they return home without the new military-backed government guaranteeing their safety. And for most, after the massacres of recent weeks, the only guarantee that would mean anything would be the return of Morsi.
"If we leave the square, it will be worse than the 90s," said Suzanne Abdel Qadir, referring to the brutal Hosni Mubarak-era crackdown against the Islamists. "We're back to the days of oppression under Mubarak. If we go home then the fight is over." Morsi's critics point out that while Islamists had an easier time during his presidency, he never attempted to tackle wider police brutality.
"I'm prepared to be here forever, until our president comes back," said Aza Galal. "We all voted for democracy. And then because some people gathered in Tahrir Square, they put our votes in the rubbish bins."
Opponents of Morsi argue that while he was elected democratically, he was uninterested in upholding wider democratic values and only served the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood. In an attempt to counter this argument, Rabaa's organisers have erected large English-language signs that suggest the camp houses a broad spectrum of beliefs. "Artists for Morsi" hangs over one tent. "Liberals for Morsi" stands next to another empty tent. The most speculative, "Christians for Morsi", stands with "Christians" crossed out. Elsewhere in Egypt, attacks on Christians have risen since Morsi's removal – incited, some allege, by Islamist extremists.
The makeup of the camps is varied, but not in the way that their organisers suggest. While the camps were begun by the Brotherhood, who remain the largest faction, the Brotherhood no longer completely controls settlements that also contain ultraorthodox Salafi factions from hardline groups such as Gama'a Islamiya – or those unaffiliated with any Islamist group, such as Aza Galal, who travelled with her husband from Alexandria.
These divisions cause tensions. The young, western-oriented Brothers who organise the speakers' rota at the central stage complain of Salafis seizing the microphone uninvited. The Guardian was asked by a senior Brotherhood official to stop interviewing a Salafi for fear that he would dilute the Brotherhood's message. According to one Salafi, one new Islamist group – the General Islamist Current – held separate prayer sessions to the Brotherhood during Eid.
The Brotherhood denies negotiating with the military, but some sources suggest senior Brotherhood officials have contemplated a compromise that would see the camp disbanded in exchange for the release of senior Muslim Brothers from prison. But others warn that most at Rabaa – particularly those unaffiliated to the Brotherhood, or those whose relatives died earlier this month – would not stand for this.
"A large section of the Rabaa protesters, even those from the Muslim Brotherhood, would find any negotiation that fell short of the main demands a betrayal of the cause," said Salafi journalist Mostafa Sharky. "If this were to happen, these would creates massive divisions within Rabaa and the Brotherhood."
Rank-and-file Islamists at Rabaa refused to countenance the thought of the Brotherhood's leadership agreeing to a compromise. "No, no, no," said Aza Gala. "No one from the Muslim Brotherhood will agree to it. People died for this cause. If [the leadership] agree to these compromises, people will leave them."
Additional reporting by Marwa AwadAnna Mulrine
U.S. News & World Report
March 22, 2008
As the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq fades from the front pages, analysts are turning their attention to what is often called the forgotten war. Many fear that progress in Afghanistan is stalled and that the country is in need of major new measures to reinvigorate the war effort against the Taliban and other extremist factions.
To that end, talk is increasingly turning to a troop surge for Afghanistan. The conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank, which was instrumental in designing the current surge strategy in Iraq, in January convened an “Afghanistan Planning Group” that will shortly announce recommendations for an influx of troops into Afghanistan as well. “It’s clear to everyone who looks at it that more troops are necessary in Afghanistan,” says Frederick Kagan, an AEI fellow and an architect of the surge strategy in Iraq.
It is clear to U.S. military officials that efforts in Afghanistan are faltering and that more troops could help turn the tide. Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and now the deputy chairman of NATO’s military committee, says that there is currently a shortage of maneuver and infantry forces in the country. What’ s more, he adds, there are not enough troops to train the Afghan Army and police. “That’s the greatest shortfall,” he adds.
To that |
increases in the price of your needed medications? Please tell us more about it by commenting below.Inside San Francisco's stolen bike warehouse Police hold hundreds of recovered bicycles, but there's no easy way to identify owners
Above, Lt. Joe Cordes looks at an evidence tag on a bicycle at the police storage facility in Hunters Point. Above, Lt. Joe Cordes looks at an evidence tag on a bicycle at the police storage facility in Hunters Point. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close Inside San Francisco's stolen bike warehouse 1 / 13 Back to Gallery
Collecting dust in an evidence warehouse in Hunters Point are several hundred bicycles stolen on the streets of San Francisco.
There are rows of mountain bikes, road bikes, rusted clunkers, fat-tired cruisers, fancy carbon fiber, and new and old frames of every color.
The cycling cache, which recently stood at more than 800, is the fruit of the San Francisco Police Department's labor - the bicycles were recovered in stings, raids, stakeouts and chop shop busts - yet none of the bicycles has been claimed.
The problem, according to Officer Matt Friedman, the department's point man on bicycle theft, is that there's no way to find the rightful owners.
"We haven't been able to identify the owners," Friedman said. "It's just an ongoing issue that the SFPD is continually responding to.... We need more people to actually report bike theft, to know their serial numbers and to take pictures of their bikes."
The crowded warehouse is a stark reminder of just how many bicycle thieves are freewheeling around San Francisco and how difficult it is to stop them.
Cycling at forefront
The problem is an outgrowth of a cycling renaissance in San Francisco that has, in turn, exposed a snowball effect of flaws in the system. For instance, few bicycles are registered, there is no citywide system to keep track of them, and there is no organized way for victims to find their property. Without that information, most bike thefts go unreported, crimes cannot be pinned on culprits, and recovered bicycles are rarely claimed.
An estimated 4,085 bicycles were stolen in San Francisco last year, according to the 2012 State of Cycling Report released recently by the city's budget and legislative analyst. But police received only 817 reports of bike thefts or attempted thefts because such crimes are significantly underreported, Friedman said.
Nearly half of the reported thefts occurred in downtown areas, including Union Square, the Tenderloin, Civic Center, Market Street, South of Market and along the Embarcadero.
"The numbers are pretty astounding," said Kit Hodge, the deputy director of the 12,000-member San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. "It's definitely a growing problem. We're very interested in working with the city to reduce the amount of theft."
Getting back bikes
Police recovered 864 stolen bicycles last year, but only 142 were returned to their owners. The report said few bicycle owners record the serial numbers on their frames, take photographs or record other identifying details. Even if they did, it stated, no coordinated bicycle registry program exists that officers could refer to when they recover a bike.
Also, the study found, bicycle theft investigations are generally not given high priority. That's because there are not enough officers or resources available and other more serious crimes generally take precedence. The San Francisco District Attorney's Office does not have data on the number of people prosecuted for bicycle theft. Police and bicycle advocates believe only a small fraction of thieves are ultimately brought to justice.
"You see a suspicious guy with a bike, you run the serial number and it comes back negative, so what you have is a guy with an expensive bike," Friedman said. "What do you arrest him for? It's the same with the chop shops. If I'm going to take somebody's liberties away, I've got to have proof."
Police know, for instance, that there is a bicycle theft ring that operates in and around Civic Center and that there are chop shops throughout the city where bicycles are taken apart and rebuilt or valuable parts are removed, but until now they have not been able to do a lot about it.
Policing by Twitter
The wheels of justice are finally beginning to turn, according to city politicians and police, who are joining forces in an attempt to halt what everyone agrees is an ever more sophisticated crime network.
Friedman recently established a Twitter account -@sfpdbiketheft - where residents can report thefts or post photographs of lost bicycles or mug shots of bicycle theft suspects. The Twitter account was recently used to connect theft suspects spotted in Golden Gate Park loading bicycles into a van to a burglary in the Richmond District. A carbon fiber Colnago and a rare Eddy Merckx racing bike, worth about $8,000, were returned to the owner, Friedman said.
The bicycle coalition and police are setting up workshops on bike-locking techniques, garage security and other antitheft strategies. Officers at the Mission Station have held two workshops, one of which was co-sponsored by Google. The nonprofit group San Francisco Safe, or Safety Awareness for Everyone, is in the process of setting up a citywide online bicycle registry program.
City officials and businesses are working together to build more secure bicycle parking structures, but bike theft is difficult to stay on top of, Friedman said. Pilfered bicycles are showing up in increasing numbers on Craigslist, he said, and he has recovered nearly a dozen over the past few months that were stolen and listed for sale on the site.
"It's a regional problem," he said, adding that he has been trying without luck to reach someone at Craigslist to figure out how to prevent the sale of stolen bicycles. "We really need to take a regional approach to this problem and work with bicycle coalitions and police agencies and really start a regional task force."
Craigslist representatives could not be reached for comment.
2-wheel commuters
The growth in thievery has come at a time when the number of San Franciscans commuting by bicycle is at an all-time high. Bicycle commuting has grown 71 percent since 2007, according to the city's cycling report. San Francisco is now third in the nation in ridership behind Portland, Ore., and Seattle.
Market Street alone saw a 43 percent increase in the number of people cycling between 2010 and 2011, the largest jump in the number of pedalers in any single year. Infrastructure improvements, including a new bicycle-sharing program, have had a lot to do with it. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has put in new bikeways and bicycle lanes on Market Street, John F. Kennedy Drive, Cargo Way and Cesar Chavez Street. More than 25 miles of bike lanes have been added over the past six years, bringing the citywide total to 65 miles.
Two hundred of the 858 bicycles in the evidence warehouse were recently donated to charity, police said. The Bicycle Coalition and the city's Human Services Agency agreed to refurbish them, but that still leaves more than 600 unclaimed bicycles and, undoubtedly, plenty more to come. Hopefully, Friedman said, there will eventually be enough information circling around the city for the owners to be reunited with their property.Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has no regrets with falsely accusing Mitt Romney of paying zero taxes for ten years during the 2012 presidential elections.
“So the word is out that he has not paid any taxes for ten years,” Reid said on the Senate floor in August 2012. “Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn’t.”
Under criticism and repeated denials by Romney, Reid later put out a statement backed by an “extremely credible source,” which turned out to be billionaire Jon Huntsman, Sr, the father of the former Utah governor and Romney rival, according to Double Down by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. PolitiFact rated Reid’s allegation “Pants on Fire.”
When asked about his comments in a new interview by CNN’s Dana Bash, Reid, who recently announced he would retire in 2017 after his term is up, rebuffed those who said his attacks were “McCarthyite.”
“Well, they can call it whatever they want,” Reid said. “Romney didn’t win, did he?”
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When you look back a decade, it’s easy to feel that little has changed. Sure, you had a different job back then, there were other shows on TV, and no one had described your shoes as “on fleek” just yet, but what’s different, really? Yet when asked to think about the year 2006, most people today would probably Google it on a smartphone.
Right then and there, you have your answer: Smartphones have changed everything.
Ten years ago, there was a good chance you owned a Motorola Razr flip phone, sent about 65 text messages a month to close friends, and did almost everything digital on your home computer, likely a bulky desktop PC. YouTube was less than a year old. Netflix was still mailing DVDs around. The iPhone was still a year away, and its famous App Store wouldn’t launch until 2008.
These days, an ordinary phone owner send 65 texts every two days, and more than half of all internet browsing takes place on a smartphone. You can reach anyone, anywhere, instantly, and you can communicate with them in ways you couldn’t imagine even a decade ago.
In the heady days of 2007, Paris Hilton was a hot celebrity, the Motorola Razr V3 was a hot phone, and text messaging was just taking off. (Credit: MTV
We’re in the middle of the largest communication shift in human history, and absolutely none of us are seeing the forest for the trees when it comes to this technology. But if the digital world has changed what we talk about, what kind of impact is it having on how we talk? In what ways is it altering English, and how we think and process language?
Texting is a new language, and you’re bilingual
If you read anything about the English language in the news, there is a good chance that it has a headline like “The death of grammar and punctuation?” Everything is falling apart, and it’s all technology’s fault. A lot of smart people believe that popular new ways of communicating — like texting, tweeting, and updating your status on Facebook — are so informal that they are guiding English to its grave.
“Now we can write the way we talk.”
They have a name for this phenomenon, too: textisms, the abbreviations, acronyms, emoticons, emoji, and other attributes associated with the rise of texting and instant messaging. A lack of capitalization, too much CAPSLOCK, failure to punctuate properly, using asterisks to convey an emotion like *scared*, #hashtagging, and gamer l33t speech are also all considered textisms — netspeak, if u prefer.
The lack of proper grammar and spelling in 160-character text messages or 140 -character tweets, they argue, is a clear sign that the English language is dying, and the next generation of kids will grow up illiterate. And it’s hard to blame them when this sentence:
“I had a great time. Thanks for your present. See you tomorrow”
… often looks like this in a text:
“Had a gr8 time tnx 4 ur present. C u 2mrw :)”
“It’s almost scary to think of what the future holds,” Emily Green wrote on the Grammarly blog (the word blog itself is an early textism of sorts) in an article titled Why text messaging is butchering grammar. “Texting is eroding literacy in young adults. The next generation of adults will be faced with serious literacy issues, which could lead to even more serious problems. We’re already facing some grammar and literacy barriers between generations.”
She’s right, in one way: USA Today’s list of “essential texting acronyms every parent must know” is an eye-opening read for any PIR (parent in room) who just learned what “Netflix & chill” means. Some research, like this 2012 Penn State study, seems to corroborate the alarming message about grammar as well, arguing that teenagers who use “techspeak” perform worse on grammar tests.
John McWhorter argues that texting has made us more literate than ever, not less. (Credit: TED
But what’s really happening may be the opposite. Instead of getting dumber, teenagers may have gained a new cognitive ability. You could consider texting, chatting, and instant messaging entirely new forms of communication, different from spoken or traditional written English. For the first time in the history of man, technology has put our friends and contacts within fingers’ reach at all times. Anyone with a phone or computer can now write to each other as fast as they speak in person.
“What texting is, despite the fact that it involves the brute mechanics of something that we call writing, is fingered speech,” John McWhorter, author and associate professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, said in a 2013 TED Talk. “Now we can write the way we talk.”
Texting, he argues, is ushering in new writing forms and rules, meaning that not only is it not a bad thing for grammar, it actually means we have a generation of people who are bilingual in a new way — able to seamlessly switch between speech, writing, and an entirely new mode of communication that has its own linguistic rules. The bad grammar in our texts is a sign that we’re more literate than ever, not less, he says.
“Texting is an expansion of young people’s linguistic repertoire.”
“What we’re seeing is a whole new way of writing that young people are developing, which they’re using alongside their ordinary writing skills, and that means that they’re able to do two things,” McWhorter said. “Increasing evidence is that being bilingual is cognitively beneficial. That’s also true of being bidialectal, that’s certainly true of being bidialectal in terms of your writing. Texting is actually evidence of a balancing act that young people are using today, not consciously of course, but it’s an expansion of their linguistic repertoire.”
Teenagers seem to agree. As far back as a 2008 Pew study, 60 percent of teens questioned did not think that their “electronic texts” were the same as “writing.” But they also admitted that they weren’t perfect. Sixty-four percent said that at least some informal writing had slipped into their schoolwork from time to time, but 86 percent believed strong formal writing skills were important to their future success.
Words never stop changing
The invention of a secondary language may seem impressive, but many people still believe literacy is dying. Professors and writers have complained about the decline in grammar and spelling among the youth for centuries.
“Over the history of time, there has always been people saying ‘the language is going to hell’ — and it’s always the older generation talking about the newer generation,” Jane Solomon, a lexicographer and senior content editor at Dictionary.com, told Digital Trends. “It’s just a matter of perception. English is constantly evolving, constantly changing. Some people believe that English stopped evolving slightly before they were born, and that’s just not the case.”
Is the Texas Drawl dying? Smartphone users have learned to “code switch,” or easily swap, between writing formally and writing in textisms, and this newfound skill to swap identities from one text to the next may carry over to their voices and dialects as well. Lars Hinrichs calls this the “modularizing” of dialects — and he thinks human beings are getting very good at it. Hinrichs is a part of the Texas English Project at the University of Texas at Austin, and has studied dialect changes in Texas English since 2008. Texas English is that extra-strong Texas South dialect, which uses words and phrases like “Thank ye kindly,” “y’all,” “winduh” (window), “howdy,” or “git-r-done!” The Texas English dialect and others around the country are taking on a completely new, more modular life, thanks in part to the internet, smartphones, and other communication technology. Texans are now able to switch in and out of dialects and accents, swapping them strategically at the drop of a dime. “[Barbara Johnstone, professor of English and linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University] was talking to businesswomen from Texas who don’t really use [Texas English] across the board anymore,” Hinrichs explained. “One woman said, ‘My Texas accent makes me $80,000 a year,’ because she can use it to butter up her clients. There are certain social stereotypes that are ideologically connected to those traditional accents. You can use them playfully whenever you want to activate those stereotypes.” Before the digital age, Texans would have what Hinrichs described as a continuum of an accent that merely ranged from formal to informal. They might try and speak standard English in church, but elsewhere they would speak in their normal accent or dialect. These days, the switch can occur minute to minute. Modularizing our dialects/accents (and identity, to some degree) is a new ability that, like texting, seems to represent an added level of depth to modern language skills.
The way someone talks and writes, she said, is a product of where and when that person grew up.
“Look at prepositions that are changing that people in my generation say, which people in the previous generation would never say,” Solomon said. “One example of this is the expression ‘bored of’ versus ‘bored with’ or ‘bored by.’ ‘Bored of’ is more recent, and it’s really a generational divide. This is something I don’t even think about at all but it’s a mark of when I happened to be born.”
Such shifts in grammar and wording are always happening. It’s natural for words to drift into one another over time, McWhorter writes in his latest book, Words on the Move — but they seem to be shifting faster than ever thanks to technology. And regional words and phrases are also bubbling up to national or worldwide levels at a faster pace.
“[Previously,] if there was a word that was used by a small group of friends in the mountains somewhere in the world, and those friends never left the mountains, that word would never leave the mountains. Now, with the internet, if one of them has a really big Twitter following, that word can suddenly spread beyond that geographically isolated place,” Solomon told us. “There’s a difference in how words spread because of how the world is connected now by the internet and technology.”
In much the same way that modern smartphone users are becoming bilingual, they’re also learning to swap between other, new types of communication. Communities often have their own language rules and dialects, and people are learning how to “code switch” between them.
“The internet has its own regions,” said Solomon. “There’s a style that’s very particular to Reddit; there’s a style that’s very particular to Twitter; there’s a style that’s really particular to Instagram. In all these different places, people talk a little bit differently. But I think people know how to code switch. Someone who speaks on Reddit would not turn in a college paper in that language, and they know not to do that.”
Are emoji replacing English?
In online communities like Reddit, words can disappear just as quickly as they spread these days. LOL or “laugh out loud” was one of the first acronyms associated with netspeak online, originating in the 1980s and flourishing in the late 90s and early 2000s, but it may be on its way out. Facebook studied posts in May 2015 and found that LOL was used only 1.9 percent of the time when compared to competing words like haha (51.4 percent) and hehe (13.1 percent), along with emoji (33.7 percent).
Emoji started as prettier versions of text emoticons like the smiley face or sad face, but have quickly grown into much more. There are now 1,922 emoji on the iPhone. Hundreds of faces, objects, flags, families of every skin color, activities, and more now have an emoji image. Apple is such a fan that in iOS 10, a feature will suggest emoji replacements for words.
For example, if you plug in this familiar text:
“I had a great time. Thanks for your present. See you tomorrow”
On an iPhone with iOS 10, Apple will suggest you change it to:
“I had a time. for your. See you tomorrow”
Emoji are the hottest new texting trend, and there is already a debate over the negative impact they’re having on language. (And no, I’m not talking about the peach butt emoji.)
According to Kyle Smith of the New York Post, emoji are ruining civilization. Smith argued, using broad strokes, that sentences like “Had a gr8 time tnx 4 ur present. C u 2mrw” look like a “sonnet” compared to what people are doing with emoji these days. For example, many people go far beyond what Apple suggests, ending up with texts more like this: “Had a time, tnx. 2mrw! “.
Citing USA Today’s use of emoji in one of its weekend newspaper editions, Smith said that cavemen drew pictures to communicate because their ideas were simple; language is supposed to offer subtlety and complexity.
“Leaving the language corner of your brain to grow cobwebs and instead turning your attention to the picture-generating muscles isn’t a bold leap into the future, it’s a giant leap backward: in ambition, in maturity, in evolution,” wrote Smith. “It’s like deciding that going to the restroom is too much trouble and relying on Depends instead.”
But are typed smiley-face emoticons and their emoji descendants really turning smartphone users into cavemen that wear diapers?
So the USA today put FB’s new emojis in their print edition. It feels so wrong on paper IMHO via @jodiontheweb pic.twitter.com/dv7AhFL1Ke — Felicity Morse (@FelicityMorse) October 9, 2015
Linguist Gretchen McCulloch took the time to see if it was possible to speak in all emoji and rid ourselves of words forever. The answer was a definitive no.
Emoji help add emotion to text to avoid being misunderstood, and have evolved into a fun tool to add new meanings to pictures, but she argued that they are mainly a fun new “supplement to language,” and cannot replace it entirely, no matter what language doomsdayers say.
“Emoji and other forms of creative punctuation are the digital equivalent of making a face or a silly hand gesture while you’re speaking,” McCulloch wrote on Mental Floss. “You’d feel weird having a conversation in a monotone with your hands tied behind your back, but that’s kind of what it’s like texting in plain vanilla standard English.”
Emoji add that personal touch, according to Paul JJ Payack, president and chief word analyst at the Global Language Monitor. His site has been at the forefront of using big data to understand how technology is impacting languages around the world since 2003.
“Emoji are every bit as much a communication tool as the letter A,” Payack told Digital Trends. “We don’t know how it’s going to evolve so some people poo-poo it, but they’re fantastic, useful bits of language.”
Payack believes emoji and textisms are such a revolution that they may eventually become a formal part of English. Instead of an alphabet, there will be an “AlphaBit” also filled with letters, numbers, emoticons, and emoji. Other languages may not be as lucky as English, though.
Thousands of languages are dying
You are reading this article in English, but there are around 7,100 other known living languages around the globe, according to Ethnologue. You wouldn’t know it from browsing the World Wide Web, though. You might like to think of the web as a diverse place filled with the world’s knowledge, but only a fraction of active languages spoken around the globe are online. English and other dominant languages have a stranglehold on the internet, explained linguist and mathematician András Kornai in a recent scientific paper titled “Digital Language Death.” The future for a language that isn’t properly maintained and spoken online may not be rosy.
“The internet is bringing into more stark relief the fact that there are languages out there that are dying,” Kornai, a professor at the Budapest Institute of Technology and senior scientific advisor at the Computer and Automation Research Institute at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, told Digital Trends. “By the traditional criteria of language vitality, 30 to 40 percent of [all] languages are endangered and on the verge of dying.”
“30 to 40 percent of all languages are endangered and on the verge of dying.”
The scale is staggering. More than 2,800 languages could disappear, according to the Endangered Languages Project, and take hundreds, maybe thousands of years of human history with them. Look online and the problem compounds.
“By digital criteria, we see that the vast majority of languages, although they may be preserved, they are not making the transition to the digital realm,” Kornai continued. “That means that 95 percent of them, or more, are left behind, and we’re never going to see them on the internet other than as preserved specimens.”
The die-off is even worse, according to Kornai’s research, on places like Wikipedia. Of the roughly 7,100 languages still alive, he concluded that only 2,500 of them may survive for another century, fully intact and healthy. Worse, only about 250 or so “vital” languages will make the digital leap in any meaningful way.
The dying languages probably aren’t ones you’ve heard of. Many are spoken in remote villages where elders either do not have the means to get online or simply aren’t interested, and the youth are learning a more common language like English or Hindi instead of their parents’ tongue.
“India is a good example where most people, if they’re literate, are literate in English,” Alan Black, a professor at the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, told Digital Trends. Black is teaching a seminar on endangered languages this fall. “Once you get into middle school and beyond, they’re probably being taught in English, mainly because regional languages don’t really work. People in the big cities will typically speak multiple big languages and the only real common language is probably English — or maybe Hindi in the north, but mostly English.”
On this world map, green dots represent at-risk languages, orange dots represent endangered languages, and red dots represent severely endangered languages in danger of disappearing forever. (Credit: Endangered Languages Project
“People become more literate in English, so if you give them technology, they’ll do their short messaging in English,” Black continued. “They will not send their messages in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, etc., because there isn’t good support for them.”
Imagine if you couldn’t buy a laptop with a keyboard in English? Chances are, you’d learn to type in whatever language your keyboard came in. Broad support for a language on a software and hardware level indicates that the region where it is spoken has a strong enough economy that it will carve out a little piece of the internet for its language.
But the internet has clear favorites — call them incumbents. There are two dozen or so of what Kornai calls “thriving” hyper-connected languages like Japanese, Spanish, and Mandarin, which are used by native speakers and foreigners all over the world. These languages dominate the internet and technology industries. And online, one rules them all.
English dominance and the rise of China
English reigns supreme. Even if English isn’t your first language, it is probably your second. It’s not the most spoken language, but it was the first online and has become the global standard for aviation, software, film, military, and science communication, according to Payack. Part of the reason for its incredible success is how malleable it is. English can and does change as new people begin speaking it.
Some of China’s larger language traits could creep into English as more Chinese people learn to speak it.
“English has about a million words and French has 100,000 or 200,000 words,” he told Digital Trends, explaining how tightly France holds onto its language. “But in English, we take everything. If someone comes up with a word in a call center in India, it can become a part of the language. The English language is welcoming.”
Payack’s Global Language Monitor tracks the robustness of the English language, which reached 1 million words back in 2009 and grows at about 14.7 words per day, according to his methods.
The next decade may be especially interesting for English. The rise of China as a global superpower has brought hundreds of millions of Chinese speakers online, and we’re only beginning to feel the impact of its many languages and dialects on technology and the internet. Some of China’s larger language traits could creep into English as more Chinese people learn to speak it.
“There are a lot of Chinese English speakers — think about the things that they have in their language that could come into English,” Black, the Carnegie Mellon university professor, told us. “They don’t have determiners, so no ‘the’ and ‘a.’ Could we drop those? They don’t have plural in the same sense, so would we remove that? They also don’t make a distinction between he and she, and you wonder whether that might eventually come into English.”
“There may be simplifications that happen in the common language that are coming from the individual languages of the new speakers, and that is sort of possible,” he continued. “We may see some things in the future of international English that are simplified in order to make it easier for nonnative speakers.”
As Chinese speakers flood online, their language may actually morph the way we speak English. (Credit: Li Yang/Unsplash
The future may have a lot more Chinese in it, but it probably won’t sound a lot like the inter-planetary sci-fi western verse of Joss Whedon’s Firefly, where English speakers merely say a few expletives in Chinese. International English may one day sound as foreign to us as a teenager’s text messages might look to a time traveler from 1975.
Slow down for Siri
People speaking International English may have a tough time trying to talk to modern computers, too. It seems like every piece of tech now takes voice commands, from cars to phones, to Xboxes. Voice assistants like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa are embedded in all sorts of products, each eager to hear your commands. Unfortunately, they do a poor job understanding what you’re saying even if you speak in perfectly clear English. And if you have an accent, your chance of being understood by a computer is dangerously close to zero.
“Are we modifying the way we speak when we’re speaking to machines?”
But that doesn’t mean Texans or other folks with a strong accent can’t use Siri. They still try, but they have to work around its inability to understand dialects.
Many people have actually developed a new accent that they use to communicate with tech products, according to Alan Black, and it evolved from failed attempts to be understood on the telephone, and talking to automated telephone voices. People often talk more slowly and clearly on the phone, and tend to use a similar clear, slow, monotone voice, to talk to tech, hoping against hope that it will understand what they’re saying.
“We’ve clearly learned to speak on the telephone. We speak in a different way. We speak clearer, with less dialect, less accent,” said Black. “The question is, are we modifying the way we speak when we’re speaking to machines? And the answer is yes, we are. If you’re standing next to somebody and they’re talking on their phone, you can usually tell if they’re talking to a machine of if they’re talking to a human because if they’re talking to a machine, they’re more articulate, speak in clear sentences, and they don’t interrupt the machine because that doesn’t work.”
Gavin McInnes illustrates, in spectacularly profane fashion, why virtual assistants like Siri don’t play nice with strong accents. (Credit: Gavin McInnes
Black said companies like Apple do not encourage people to consider voice assistants as friends because they might start talking too casually to them. This is partially because they cannot yet understand complex sentences or requests — but also so that users actively tame their accents and dialects.
“If you look at Siri, the voice they’ve chosen for it is a helpful agent who is not your friend,” continued Black. “I have no idea whether they did this deliberately, but one of the effects is that people speak to her more clearly and more articulate than what they would do if she was their friend.”
Siri is teaching folks how to modularize their accents and dialects to a greater degree, but voice isn’t the only affected area. Typing in accents has gotten more difficult as well.
“They should deal with accents and not force the spell checkers to erase them.”
According to Lars Hinrichs, who is part of the Texas English Project at the University of Texas at Austin, the increase in autocorrect features on smartphones and computers is rubbing out accents and unique dialects right along with spelling errors.
“Every day I find myself trying to write something nonstandard, but [spell check is] on your case. You can’t have an ‘in’ ending, and they give you the ‘g’ whether you want it or not,” Black said. “It’s very constraining … It should be the next frontier with these companies. They should deal with [accents] and not force the spell checkers to erase them.”
Overeager spell checking is especially concerning for English dialects that are endangered, like Jamaican Creole. According to Hinrichs, 90 percent of Jamaicans grow up speaking it, but don’t know how to write it. Thanks to autocorrect on smartphones and computers, many attempts to write Creole are converted into standard English. Personality and uniqueness are drained from the language one word at a time. Autocorrect is also teaching those who use smartphones, web browsers, or word processors that the way they’re writing is wrong, and this is the right way.
The way to fix this is to get the Jamaican dialect recognized more officially inside the country, around the world, and online, but like many endangered languages around the world, what’s missing is the infrastructure to make this happen. Jamaica is not a rich country, and those affected by this change may feel lucky to have a smartphone at all.
What language will AI speak?
Voice assistants, smartphones, PCs, and most of the tech world may have a tough time with dialects and accents today, but in a few years, they may begin to talk and write back to people so frequently that they form their own dialects and begin to affect ours.
Mohamed Musbah is the vice president of product at Maluuba, a Canadian company working on the next generation of artificial intelligence. He spends his days imagining a world where AI assistants like Siri and Alexa actually work.
Maluuba’s goal, he told Digital Trends, is to help machines (AI) converse with us in much more natural dialogue, and to give them actual ‘reading comprehension’ so they can truly understand words and learn how to interact with people. It has had some luck, too. Earlier this year, Maluuba’s AI was able to ‘read’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and answer multiple choice questions correctly with about 70 percent accuracy.
In the future, he imagines AI assistants, or “bots,”’ that people chat with all the time, at work and at home. They can do a lot more than tell us the weather, and are a much more vocal, contributing part of society.
The growth of AI There are so many limitations with AI voice and text assistants that we humans are bending over backward trying to get them to understand a single word we’re saying, according to Mohamed Musbah of Canadian company Maluuba, which focuses on machine literacy. “When you unpack Siri, it’s not really an AI assistant,” Musbah told Digital Trends. “It’s more a system that’s trained to understand 20 to 25 [questions] really well.” Currently, an AI assistant like Siri can understand preprogrammed language. You can ask it where the nearest sushi restaurant is, but ask a follow-up or anything about that restaurant and it will fall flat: The calculations are just too complex, explained Musbah. It has no idea how to make sense of our second or third question and put it in context. This is why people talk in a monotone to Siri, and type robotic queries when they search for things on Google. There’s a long journey ahead. “Five years from now, if we’ve taught a machine to be as intelligent as a 2-year-old child — a 5-year-old child would be amazing — but if we teach it to the point where it has simple fundamental reasoning capabilities or understanding capabilities against the environment that it’s in, then we’ve truly solved something remarkable,” said Musbah.
In a world where voice assistants can comprehend words, and hopefully understand a few more languages and dialects easier, Musbah believes humans will give their mundane tasks to machines. Businesses will have human workers and bot workers, and both will likely have to learn new language tricks to understand one another.
But if machines play a more active role speaking with humans and writing to them, will English take on a new robotic tone? Will people all learn how to code switch to yet another new dialect?
Payack isn’t optimistic: “Bill Gates says by 2040, robots will take over many jobs,” he said, adding that “the next horizon is ordering at McDonalds and computers will talk back to you.” When that happens, robots “could actually limit the expansion of words because they aren’t thinking like we are. They are straight and narrow.” Payack believes that “if you have enough robots in society,” they could limit word growth.
The best way to prevent that may be to make sure that robots and AI of the future are well read and are fed a healthy diet of unbiased, clean data. Much like a child who grows up sheltered and brainwashed may end up believing lies are truth, a bot that is fed biased data will turn into a bot that uses skewed language.
“If you teach a machine to learn language that’s heavily biased or skewed toward one topic, let’s say being taught to learn like a conservative or a liberal, it becomes really, really good at just doing that,” Musbah said. “It’s one area we researchers have to think a lot about. Diversity of data is an extremely important aspect of advancing this space.”
For proof of this, look no further than the chatbot Microsoft “Tay” that launched in March. After one day interacting with people on Twitter, enough people fed it racist, sexist, horribly mean tweets that it became a completely deplorable (to borrow a term) sounding tweeter, and had to be shut down.
Regulating the data that creators feed AI in the next decade may be as important to their language development as their ability to reason.
The future is going to be totally :)
So, assuming the aliens from |
. (Amazon has not officially picked up The Cosmopolitans to series, but it has ordered additional scripts. Here’s hoping.)
Amazon
The current gold standard for this sort of filmmaking on TV, of course, is Amazon’s astonishing Transparent. Creator Jill Soloway cut her teeth working on other people’s series: Six Feet Under and United States of Tara. It took her years of hunting and pecking to put together Afternoon Delight, her very fine first feature. But the deep vein Soloway tapped into with that film — of good sex and bad guilt and the strange, blinding ennui of Los Angeles sunlight — could only yield so much in an hour and a half. By bringing her personal, cinematic vision to television with Transparent, Soloway has enlivened both her art and the medium. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen on TV and yet TV is the only place it could ever exist.
Transparent is almost impossibly tender and yet so sharply observed it took my breath away. All the highly specific quirks of the kibitzing and kvetching Pfefferman clan — the old vinyl on the shelves, the cereal boxes in the basement, the secrets in the closet — create an atmosphere of dazzling intimacy. The way Soloway notes those details is pure cinema; the way she delicately weaves them all together into a vibrant whole is TV at its generous, expansive best. Transparent has received well-deserved praise for its commitment to inclusion both in front of and behind the cameras. But one of the ways Transparent shows respect to its characters, its subject matter, and, above all, its audience, is through patience. A good TV series, like life, swells and develops at its own inimitable speed. Not that I extended the same courtesy back to the show: I gobbled up all 10 episodes in a single weekend. (More, thankfully, are on the way.)
Many of Soloway’s Sundance-scarred peers are now angling for the same privilege. Some, like Lynn Shelton (Humpday) and Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl), have already scored development deals. Others are already well past that. David Gordon Green (George Washington, Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down) just saw his Amazon pilot Red Oaks get picked up to series. And the Duplass brothers are currently wrapping up production on Togetherness, an HBO sorta-comedy that tackles many of the same issues of intimacy and family that have dominated their more-lauded-than-seen movies. I say the more the merrier. As even the more forward-thinking networks begin to back away from writer-driven oddness and seek solace in the dependability of genre and gore — FX just chose Tyrant and The Strain over my beloved The Bridge; it chose poorly — the rush of hungry filmmakers into television is more than welcome, it’s necessary. Think of how many writer-directors are stewing out there in rejection slips and frustration. When is the last time Hal Hartley made a movie? When’s the last time Sofia Coppola made one that was worthwhile? Nicole Holofcener, who for years has been brilliantly chronicling the complicated friendships of women of a certain age, must have a TV show in her. (Her most recent film, Enough Said, starring small-screen supernovas James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, was outstanding; it had the sort of keenly observed world you can sink into like an old couch.) I’d love to see Joe Swanberg take a crack at an ensemble comedy; his Drinking Buddies stumbled beautifully across the straight line that separates Friends from actual friendship. And if I were a Yahoo exec, the first thing I’d do after seeing Dear White People would be to sit down with director Justin Simien and not stand up again until a contract is signed.
Itinerant craftsmen like David Fincher elevate their material in any medium. But these smaller-bore auteurs arrive to television with entire worlds in their heads and loud, distinct voices that, for too long, have struggled to be heard. Unlike their more high-profile peers, they don’t come to TV as tourists or gentrifiers. They’re simply grateful outsiders blessed with the ability to burrow deeply inside of their subjects and, by so doing, take unique advantage of what has always made television exceptional: the time to tell a long story and the opportunity to deliver it to people directly where they live. I understand why a classicist like David Chase sought transcendence in the art house. But the best place for that sort of deeply felt, intensely personal expression is now in the home.MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Shelley Moore Capito is the most popular politician in a deep-red state that loves President Donald Trump and distrusts big government. And yet the West Virginia Republican is threatening to torpedo the GOP’s best shot at dismantling Obamacare, one of Trump’s top domestic priorities.
The first-term senator has emerged as one of the staunchest holdouts against Senate Republicans’ bid to overhaul the nation’s health care system, voicing concerns about the bill’s consequences for older Americans and rejecting swift funding cuts for a Medicaid program that’s played a key role in combating her state’s opioid epidemic.
Story Continued Below
Those objections, voiced by at least a half-dozen other moderate Republicans, foiled Senate leadership’s plans to speed a repeal bill to a vote. And it’s left Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just weeks to end a deepening impasse, with no signs that the weeklong July Fourth recess has brought the GOP closer to uniting its conservative and moderate factions around a repeal plan.
But if Capito is feeling the heat in a state that Trump won by more than 42 percentage points, she isn’t showing it. Back here in West Virginia, where more than 30 percent of families rely on Medicaid, she doesn’t hesitate at the prospect of casting the vote that kills the GOP’s repeal effort.
“I only see it through the lens of a vulnerable population who needs help, who I care about very deeply,” the 63-year-old lawmaker said in an interview. “So that gives me strength. If I have to be that one person, I will be it.”
Capito’s resolve illustrates how intractable the debate over replacing Obamacare has become for a Republican Congress nearly seven months into a repeal effort that GOP leaders initially hoped would take just weeks.
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Her record, meanwhile, illustrates why Republican leaders thought they could get repeal done quickly: Capito voted more than 40 times to dismantle Obamacare as a House member. As West Virginia transformed from a Democratic stronghold into a reliably Republican state, Capito won her Senate seat in 2014 by one of the largest margins in state history. The following year, she voted with virtually all Senate Republicans for a bill repealing major parts of Obamacare — without a replacement — that they knew President Barack Obama would veto.
Capito remains perhaps the most well-liked and politically secure lawmaker in a state where more than two-thirds of voters backed Trump for president, polls show. And yet, with the GOP on the precipice of tearing down Obamacare, she appears further than ever from budging on the Senate bill.
West Virginia has big health care problems, she said, and the GOP’s current proposal doesn’t do enough to address them, even after Republican leaders agreed to earmark $45 billion over a decade to fight the opioid crisis. Addiction experts say that sum falls well short of what’s needed to reverse the epidemic.
Capito harbors deep concerns about rolling back funding for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion amid the opioid epidemic. More than 40 percent of funding for drug abuse and mental health treatment in the state comes from Medicaid expansion covering low-income adults.
She’s also alarmed at projections that the legislation could leave thousands more in West Virginia without coverage or paying far more for it. West Virginia has long ranked among the country’s sickest states, placing near the bottom in life expectancy as well as obesity and tobacco use. But it’s what’s happened over the past few years, as heroin swept across the state and created a full-blown health emergency, that complicated Capito’s path to “yes” on any repeal bill.
In 2015, West Virginia counted 725 fatal drug overdoses, the nation’s highest rate by far. That number climbed to 879 last year, the vast majority of which involved at least one opioid.
“We are the No. 1 state with the problem of heroin addiction and opioid addiction,” said Kevin Knowles, a Martinsburg city councilman.
Knowles became the area’s first recovery-services coordinator last year, taking on responsibility for connecting residents with rehab facilities, running support groups and serving as the primary lifeline for addicts across hundreds of square miles in the state’s easternmost region. He runs the operation on a $70,000 annual grant — just enough to hire two additional employees.
Martinsburg and surrounding Berkeley County are among the state’s hardest hit by an opioid epidemic that’s spread indiscriminately through the community. Last summer, a candidate for Berkeley County sheriff needed to be revived twice in 12 hours from apparent opioid overdoses.
The GOP repeal effort “would affect this state tremendously, in a negative way,” said Knowles, a Democrat.
Outside his office, Knowles erected a Christmas tree over the holidays on which residents could hang ornaments memorializing friends and family lost to addiction. More than 50 ornaments now hang there, each bearing at least one name.
State and federal resources for the opioid fight here are already stretched thin. There are no treatment centers within a three-hour drive, and finding recovery facilities willing to take uninsured patients suffering from addiction is incredibly difficult. If Medicaid’s expanded coverage is rolled back and the program’s funding is capped as part of the GOP’s repeal bill, addiction counselors worry the area will lose what grant money it does receive to fight the drug crisis.
“It does come down to money,” said Peter Callahan, a psychotherapist who’s heading an effort to build a detox center in Martinsburg. “We’re close to D.C., we’re close to Baltimore, and we have no services.”
In Cabell County to the west, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams estimates it would take $100 million a year to adequately fight opioids in just his county alone.
“We have the single largest public health policy crisis in the nation,” said Williams, a Democrat and a fierce critic of the Senate bill. “You’re either all in, or if you’re anything less, then you’re all out.”
That Capito still opposes the repeal bill, even after Republican leaders added the extra funding for opioids, has heartened those trying to beat back the crisis. And so far, even Republicans in the state are holding off going after one of their own.
“I think Sen. Capito is finding the best approach,” West Virginia GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas said, adding that he believes Capito recognizes how important it is for the state that Republicans dismantle Obamacare.
But Capito is questioning whether Republicans can pass a bill on their own. On Thursday, after a long day with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin as they accompanied Energy Secretary Rick Perry around the state, she made a case for working with Democrats on a compromise bill focused on fixing the health care system’s flaws. McConnell last week also suggested Republicans could soon turn to fixing Obamacare — presumably with help from Democrats — if they can’t repeal it.
“Collaborating with Democrats on the other side, to me, is not an exercise in futility,” Capito said, noting that she has spoken with Manchin and other Democrats about tackling health care together. “That may be where we end up, and so be it.”
Speculating further than that, she added, is premature. Senate Republicans could quickly strike a deal, pass a bill and follow through on their seven-year repeal pledge before the month is out.
“I think that remains to be seen,” Capito said. “That’s the eye of the needle, and I think it’s being tried to be threaded. But I’m not sure.”Apple may be a cult sensation of sorts in the handheld device market, a media darling, but when it comes to smart phones, no one touches the Android operating system by Google. And when it comes to market share, Google's Android owes a lot of its sales power to the Chinese.
According to U.K.-based Informa Telecoms & Media, roughly two-thirds of all smart phones in China run on Android, making China the biggest Android market on God's green earth.
It's going to get even bigger.
According to Informa, about 786 million smartphones have been sold in the world this year, up 45 percent from 2011 sales. And that increase is being driven by a demand for phones that run on the Android system, said Malik Saadi, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. He estimated that about 67 percent of the devices sold this year in China will run Android.
You wouldn't know that by watching CNBC. Apple is the only tech company making phones according to their news flow.
“Despite the economic downturn, the global smartphone market is enjoying healthy growth and consumers are actually spending more to acquire more technologically-advanced devices. It is estimated that around 786 million smartphone devices were sold in 2012 including the devices powered by non-certified variants of Android that are proliferating in China," he said in a press release. China is by far the fastest-growing smartphone market with a year-on-year growth of 85 percent in 2012 and this growth is being driven by the demand for Android phones. You won't see people camping out for them, or singing funny songs hailing their creator, but that's beside the point. Google Android rules the smartphone world and by Informa's estimates it will account for well over 50 percent of worldwide sales in the next three years.
Sales in China of devices powered by Android already exceeded 50 percent in the first half of the year, and Informa estimates that two in every three handsets sold in the country over the whole of 2012 are powered by Android.
“Looking forward, Android is expected to continue gaining market share globally and, by 2015, one in every two handsets sold worldwide will be powered by it. However, according to Informa Telecoms & Media, the market share of this platform could potentially peak – or even decline – after 2016 owing to a more aggressive penetration of the alternative operating systems, most notably Windows Phone,” Saadi said.
What, no mention of iPhone 6? How dare he.
The iPhone and Microsoft’s Windows Phone hold minority shares of China’s total smart phone sales at around 5 percent and 1 percent, respectively. However, thanks to Nokia’s partnership with China Mobile, Windows Phone is expected to improve its share in 2013 to 2 percent, but the iPhone is expected to lose market share unless Apple manages to create a TD-LTE, a 4G standard variant used in the Chinese market.
See also:Written by Nastassia Baroni on February 28, 2014
Outspoken Soundwave Festival promoter AJ Maddah has said he is “devastated” that next Monday’s Soundwave festival in Perth will be Western Australia’s last, finally confirming the long-predicted news that skirmishes with local governments and high costs have made the Western Australian festival circuit a financial and logistical burden.
FasterLouder reports, Maddah blamed a “perfect shitstorm” of reasons when explaining the situation to Ballarat community radio station The Voice FM last night. “Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong,” he said. “It’s really, really sad but the reality of the situation is that Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have been subsidising Perth since the thing went national.”
“It’s also the combination of the perfect shitstorm of the Perth governments – both local and state level – being very difficult and making it really clear that they don’t really want to deal with festivals,” Maddah continued. “They don’t really care if we don’t go there.”
The long, drawn-out battles between Western Australian governments and touring music festivals came to a head earlier this year, when Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit announced the cancelation of the event in WA for the foreseeable future. While AJ Maddah, who also promoted the Big Day Out this year, also hinted to the demise of Soundwave on the West Coast.
Maddah predicted the end of Soundwave in Perth a few weeks back via Twitter, proclaiming, “I reckon there will be zero festivals going to WA in 2015.” He also expressed doubt about the future of the Adelaide leg of the festival, but later confirmed the event will tour there in 2015. “We’re looking at 4 cities. I count Adelaide as East Coast,” he wrote.
Political reasoning aside, Maddah also highlighted economic strains, revealing that the costs of the Perth show added a hefty levy on top of tickets for the event in other cities, which many punters have criticised for being too steep. He said the “so-called ‘mining boom'” has created “astronomical” prices for doing business in Perth.
The promoter explained that the expense of taking 60 odd trucks across the Nullarbor and thousands of people to Perth for Soundwave has become “just crazy”. Maddah said dropping Perth from the Soundwave schedule could make tickets for the 2015 shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide up to $20 cheaper.The D.C. metro models how the region would change if there were no subways or buses
Officials from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are out in the city all the time talking about the costs of the capital region’s transit system – the money it takes to run the thing, the investments required to expand service and build new lines, and the fares needed to pay for it all. But no one talks much about the benefits, the real benefits, not just for faster commuting times, but for the region on the whole. WMATA officials have been thinking about this around the agency’s 35th anniversary, and as planners prepare to make the case for what should come in the next three decades. Here's the question: what does transit investment really buy the region? WMATA has come up with a clever strategy – one that appeals to the public imagination as much as the rational bean-counter – to make its argument. "We think one of the best and possibly only ways to measure how valuable something is," says Justin Antos, "is by taking it away and looking back at what you’ve lost."
Antos, a WMATA transportation analyst, has for the last several months been managing a study [PDF] that makes the business case for transit in the D.C. area. The agency tried to isolate the actual impact of rail lines on economic development, property values and tax revenues in the immediate vicinity around each station (they conservatively estimate that Metrorail boosts the value of property within a half mile of stations by about seven to nine percent). But they also modeled what the region would look like if its transit never existed. And this is where things get really interesting. WMATA took the same transportation demand model that it uses to project ridership on a new line and instead ran a couple of scenarios with the region’s transit literally turned off. All of it: the regional rail, the buses and the metro system. "It was literally just imagining Washington, and all of a sudden, you wake up tomorrow, and the transit system isn’t there," Antos says. "What would you do?" People, it turns out, do something very interesting. They stop making long car trips because the traffic is so bad. In one hypothetical scenario, Antos took away the transit but kept the rest of the area’s road infrastructure the same. People were allowed to change their trip patterns – to chose different jobs or shopping centers – and most of them stopped crossing the region to get to those things. "The congestion was forcing people to regress into a more local economy," Antos says. "We looked at that and realized we were watching the economy splinter. All of a sudden, we weren’t watching a regional economy function where workers could find jobs in the whole region."
People weren’t crossing county lines – or even rivers – to get anywhere. WMATA then ran a second scenario in which the transit disappeared, but the region added new roads to get people to where they travel today. Just to keep congestion at present levels, the region would have to add more than a thousand lane miles of arterials and highways, at a cost of about $6 billion. This would be the rough equivalent of adding 15 more lanes to the already massive beltway that encircles the city – or, all of these roads, many of which run through the core of downtown, where street expansion would be all but impossible: Of course, all these drivers would also need somewhere to put their cars. Today, about 200,000 people a day ride some form of transit to the District’s downtown core. If all those people drove instead, the city would need the equivalent of 166 blocks of five-story parking garages. Wrap all of them around the White House, and it would looking something like this: Antos admits that all of this sounds a little ridiculous. But that’s sort of the point. And some of these scenarios aren’t so far-fetched. Before Washington built the Metrorail system, the city was actually mulling plans to extend a highway right through the center of town here: Today, where that behemoth of an interchange would have sat right on top of Mount Vernon Square, there is instead a metro line below ground, and a mixed-use grocery store and apartment complex above. Cities are changing fast. Keep up with the CityLab Daily newsletter. The best way to follow issues you care about. Subscribe Loading... It’s easy to see how the loss of transit could ripple out even further, impacting everything from greenhouse gasses to the city’s green space to its water quality. At that point, this exercise in counterfactuals starts to get really complicated (and beyond the scope of what even Antos could wrap his head around). The point, though, is that transit produces an awful lot of benefits – parking garages deferred, congestion mitigated, jobs created – we don’t think about enough. “Part of the study was to put in context the choices that our region faces in the future, which are that we can either continue to protect and expand our transit investment, or we can basically just keep it static, or even let it degrade,” Antos says. “You can’t just way ‘we chose not to expand.’ There’s some other alternative that you would be forced to live in. And we have to take a gander at what that alternative would be, so we can make informed decisions.”× Washington secretary of state to skip meeting in Tennessee due, in part, to new law there
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington secretary of state says no one from her office will attend a national conference in Tennessee in part because of a bill signed by the governor there allowing counselors to refuse to treat patients based the therapist’s religious or personal beliefs.
Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican, said in a statement Wednesday that after consideration she will not go to the National Association of Secretaries summer meeting.
She also cited the state primary election happening shortly after the meeting and modernizing state systems as reasons for her to stay in Washington state.
Supporters say the bill protects the rights of therapists and allows them to refer patients to more appropriate counselors. Opponents say the legislation is part of a wave of bills around the nation that legalizes discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.
“I have decided that neither I nor anyone from my office will attend the summer meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) in Nashville,” Wyman said in her statement issued Wednesday. “I have been considering this, since our state primary is shortly after the conference and we are modernizing our state corporations filing system. My staff and I know that we need to be focused on our priority, Washington.
“Also entering into my decision was today’s action by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to sign a bill that allows mental health counselors to refuse treatment of patients based on the therapist’s religious or personal beliefs,” she added.By Caroline Lawrence (Regular Contributor)
The ancient Romans were sophisticated in surprising ways. Take going to the bathroom, for example. In first century Rome, there were over one hundred public latrines, many of them with marble seats, scenes from Greek mythology on the walls, running water and ancient Roman toilet paper provided.
But what DID they use for toilet paper? Well, you could use a leaf, a handful of moss or your left hand! But what most Romans used was something called a spongia, a sea-sponge on a long stick. The stick was long because of the design of Roman toilets. Public facilities had a long marble bench with holes on top – for the obvious thing – and holes at the front: for the sponge-sticks. There were no doors or dividing walls. You sat right next to your friend and did what you had to do.
Most Romans wore tunics (a garment like a long tee-shirt) and probably nothing underneath. So you could just hike it up in back and sit on the cool marble seat, leaving the front of the tunic to cover your knees and your modesty. You would sit there, chatting with your friends, and when you finished your ‘task’ you would rinse the sponge in the channel of running water at your feet and – without standing up or revealing anything – you would push the spongia through the hole at the front, give your bottom a wipe, rinse off the spongia… and leave it in a basin for the next person to use!
Gotta love those ancient Romans.
For further reading:
As the Romans Did, by JoAnn Shelton
Pompeii, by Peter Connolly
Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, by Adkins & Adkins
Caroline Lawrence is the author of the Roman Mysteries series. Visit her website at www.romanmysteries.com.
IMAGE: Picture of Ostia toiletsRENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman couldn't make it from the showers to his locker by himself Sunday night.
Needing assistance, he leaned on Bobby Wagner, and together they slowly and methodically made their way to Sherman's stall. He took a seat and received attention from Seahawks medical personnel. Sherman was shivering, and he scrunched his face in clear discomfort as he got dressed.
"They said I had a fever, but I had the shivers and some other... it was bad," Sherman said Wednesday. "It was bad stuff."
Sherman played 95 snaps on defense and four more on special teams against the Arizona Cardinals for a total of 99. He suffered from heat exhaustion and was in rough shape as the team began its journey back to Seattle.
"They didn't let me lose consciousness, but I definitely wasn't focused," said Sherman, adding that he got two bags of IVs. "That's why they wouldn't let me go for a long time until I got my focus back, and they looked me in the eye, and they just kept saying I wasn't right and I was looking clammy and stuff like that. But after a while, you get some energy, you get some food in you, you get your stuff back.
Richard Sherman was one of many Seahawks that were driven to their limits in Sunday's overtime game at Arizona. Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
"I was too tired to be that concerned. I think other people were more concerned than I was, but I was just trying to get cooled down and get some energy back in me. It was just a blur. I don't remember being too concerned. I remember them saying something about a stretcher and paramedics, and I was like, 'Yeah that’s not how we’re going to end this today.'"
Sherman wasn't the only one drained from Sunday's game. Safety Kelcie McCray played 108 snaps -- 95 on defense and 13 more on special teams. Linebackers Wagner and K.J. Wright played 102 apiece. Earl Thomas played 99. And cornerback DeShawn Shead played 95.
It was a physically taxing game, and now the team has to fly across the country and face the New Orleans Saints in their next matchup.
That's why Pete Carroll has his team focused on recovery.
That starts with sports science, the department headed by director of player health and performance Sam Ramsden.
"The support system allows us to really be able to evaluate each guy, based on the load that he's undertaken and all that," Carroll said. "It does help us, and we really are responding to that regularly throughout the week, regardless of what happened in the week before. It's a common practice for us now to check it out, know how many plays a guy got, what kind of exertion, we can estimate from the games, and then what's necessary for the next week.
"If you asked me four or five years ago if I would be doing this, I would've said no. Coaches for years have done it, really just through their sense and instincts and savvy and all that, and now we have some more support. It's proven to us to be very effective."
Players fill out questionnaires each morning, detailing their stress levels, soreness and sleep. They were monitors during practice that provide the team with valuable data.
After last week's game, the directions were clear: get eight to nine hours of sleep each night, hydrate and load up on carbohydrates.
"I've been big on sweet potatoes," Shead said. "I love sweet potatoes, so it's been easy. You don't have to tell me to carb up on sweet potatoes."
On Monday, Carroll moved meetings back to give players more time to sleep. On Wednesday, certain players such as Sherman and Wagner didn't practice.
Shead said he's more fatigued than sore. He has an 18-month-old daughter, but he still has managed to get enough sleep.
"My wife does a great job of letting me get some rest," Shead said. "When the offseason comes, it's my turn to let her get rest."
The Seahawks' challenge on defense this week is to bounce back physically before taking on Drew Brees and company.
Asked how he's feeling three days after the game, McCray said, "I still wouldn't say it's normal, but I feel like everybody's having problems right now. That game really took a lot. But we're back this week and ready to get back to work."Whether we love it or hate it, there’s no getting away from the fact that the nose is the most protruding part of the face and one of our most distinguishable features. From tribal ornaments and oriental piercings to Hollywood nose jobs – it’s no wonder that humans throughout history have made such an effort to make this body part look good.
But the history of nose beauty ideals has been changeable and at times dark. For example, in early Europe the hooked “Roman” nose signified beauty and nobility. The Nazis on the other hand despised it and saw it as a characteristic of Jewish people. Even more broadly, Jews like Shakespeare’s Shylock typically ended up being portrayed with a hooked nose to represent evilness.
But among all this murky pseudoscience, some biological facts and questions have remained obscured. For example, why is there such ethnic variation when it comes to nose shape? Our work, published in Nature Communications, has now begun to answer this question by identifying a number of genes associated with nose shape.
Evolutionary origins
Evolutionary scientists first started shedding light on the issue by suggesting that the nose is a result of adaptation to changing climatic environments as humans migrated out of Africa into colder climates. The narrower, pointy nose of Europeans was proposed to have evolved to adapt to the cold, dry climate so that the cold air could be warmed up and moistened through the nasal passage before it reaches the lungs. Similarly the broader, flatter noses in East Asians and Siberians, who were the ancestors of Native Americans, were also explained to be a climatic adaptation to minimise heat loss in a cold environment.
Since natural selection only works at the genetic level, this leads to the next obvious question: what are the genes that give rise to such variation in our noses? This question has proven difficult to answer. Some mutations have been found to cause malformations of the skull and face in humans and other animals, but genes for normal facial variation have remained largely unknown.
Part of the problem is that most studies have been restricted to a single continental population – the Europeans. Such studies have an inherent limitation, since if almost everybody in that population have a particular feature, then there is no variation in the traits to run a statistical analysis on, even if that feature is markedly different in other continental populations.
Author provided
We used a large Latin American data set called the Candela cohort collected from five countries, ranging from Mexico to Chile. This represents huge variation in continental and subcontinental ancestry as well as geography and environment. As Latin Americans are a mixture of Europeans, Native Americans and Africans, they provide immense genetic diversity. We previously used this cohort to find the first genes associated with variation in ear shape and hair features.
In the new study, we looked at thousands of people in this data set to examine common genetic variants to see if any variant is associated with a specific nose type. Our colleagues Macarena Fuentes-Guajardo from University College London and Mirsha Quinto-Sanchez from the Centro Nacional Patagónico in Argentina characterised the participants’ facial variation through 2D and 3D analysis of facial photographs. We started with categorical features such as broad/average/narrow noses, in some 6,000 individuals, and went on to more precisely quantify nose features through 3D in about 3,000 individuals.
Known genes
The upper part of our nose is made of bones while the lower part is made of cartilage. We found that the width of nose bridge, the endpoint of the bony part of our nose, is associated with the gene RUNX2, which is known to be involved in bone development. So if you have a wide nose bridge, you may be carrying a certain version of this gene.
In addition, nose wing breadth, the width of our nose across the nostrils, is associated with the genes GLI3 and PAX1. Meanwhile, various nose pointiness traits such as nose protrusion, nose inclination and nose tip angle are associated with DCHS2, which is involved in cartilage growth. All of these genes are previously known with respect to bone or cartilage development, and rare variants of them have been characterised with skull and face malformations in humans or other animals. However, until now we hadn’t realised that they actually play a part in normal facial variation.
Author provided
Our results are not only important for explaining the differences in nose shape between different continents. Some of the identified nose genes also corroborate our evolutionary history – providing the first steps towards a genetic basis of nose-shape evolution which led to the ethnic variation we notice today. Interestingly, the genes GLI3, DCHS2 and RUNX2 are known to have changed a lot in modern humans compared to archaic humans such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, who also had slightly different-looking noses. This is particularly true for GLI3, which is undergoing rapid evolution in modern humans.SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A runaway piglet stopped traffic in San Francisco’s Mission District Tuesday morning, according to Animal Care and Control officials.
The piglet was reported running in traffic in the area of 19th and Dolores streets this morning between 7 and 7:30 a.m., and by the time animal control officers arrived on the scene a crowd had gathered to try to catch her, according to Animal Care and Control spokeswoman Deb Campbell.
ALSO READ: Macabre Mystery: Bighorn Sheep Skull Discovered Near Newark Mall
The piglet, who has since been dubbed “Janice,” was eventually captured by Brother Damian with the Society of Saint Francis, a nearby Franciscan society.
“Only in San Francisco could a wayward piglet expect to be rescued by a representative of the Patron Saint of Animals,” Campbell noted.
ALSO READ: Google Robot ‘Dog’ Faces Off Against Ticked-Off Terrier
The pig is doing well and resting comfortably this afternoon. No one has come forward to claim her yet, but if she is not claimed in five days she will likely be turned over to a rescue group, officials said.
© Copyright 2016 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Contrast how the residents of 16 cities around Britain answered questions about the capital’s impact on their lives - and compare these results with the national poll. Read the full report here
What other cities really think of London - get the data
All figures unless otherwise stated are provided by YouGov PLC. The poll was commissioned by the Centre for Cities for a joint project with the Centre for London.
Methodology
City survey: The total sample size was 1,688 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken from 11–19 March 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in each city surveyed (aged 18+). These were Newcastle, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Brighton & Hove, Leicester, Southampton, Southend, and Milton Keynes.
National survey: Total sample size was 2,478 adults, of which 2,209 were from outside London. Fieldwork was undertaken from 11–12 March 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).Lauren Kaelin/Benjameme.net
Messing With Texas
The Texas GOP very nearly stole a vote with 180,000 people watching. The Internet stopped it. Here’s what you didn’t see on TV.
Rachel Sklar Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jun 26, 2013
It’s 4:39 a.m. and Christopher Dido’s UStream channel has only just gone dark. I don’t know him, but the Austin-based citizen journalist has been my after-hours window into the Texas state legislature since shortly after 1 a.m., or midnight, Central Time, when the official Texas legislature livestream concluded on YouTube. Before that, I and 180,000 others had been glued for hours to the drama unfolding in the bare-knuckled fight over SB5 — Senate Bill 5 — which would all but abolish abortion rights in the state.
What should have been a dry parliamentary proceeding — like watching paint dry on C-SPAN — was a riveting spectacle featuring a thirteen-hour filibuster, a grassroots uprising, a stolen vote, a Twitter revolt, umpteen points of parliamentary inquiry, a stunning 3 a.m. reversal and a new national feminist hero.
Texas state senator Wendy Davis announced the filibuster on Twitter, vowing to stand, literally, against “the most anti-woman, anti-family legislation that Texas has ever seen.” SB5 was what’s |
their every move and every conversation for the show
Much loved: The successful Bravo series also stars model and swimwear entrepreneur Caprice
Marissa has been quite the busy lady lately as she welcomed her first girl on April 21 - Queen Elizabeth's birthday - at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.
Her pregnancy however was a difficult one as spent the last month on bed-rest following her diagnosis with both placenta previa and placenta accreta.
'Without going into too much detail, we've been unlucky a few times and in the early stages of this pregnancy,' the lifestyle blogger admitted to E! News in March.
'It looks like it was going in the same direction, but now all clear and looks good.'SAUSALITO, Calif. — Parse, the app development platform that Facebook bought in 2013, has already been used to help create more than half a million apps. In the future, Parse wants to grow those numbers by potentially being a platform of choice for Oculus and other next-generation app developers.
During an on-stage interview at VentureBeat’s Mobile Summit here today, CEO Ilya Sukhar said that Parse “will try to gobble up more and more of” the kind of functionality for virtual reality (VR) apps, wearables, and other next-gen tools for which developers already turn to the platform with two-dimensional apps: commoditizing much of the apps’ mobile backend tools. The goal, Sukhar said, would be that “people don’t need to think about this stuff as they (build) for VR and as they move to new mobile interfaces.”
Facebook bought Oculus last year for $2 billion. Recently, the company acknowledged for the first time that it plans on developing apps for the VR platform. But there has been no previous public talk of using Parse to help develop those VR apps.
Image Credit: Dean Takahashi
Interviewed by VentureBeat’s Jordan Novet, Sukhar said that there’s already a strong integration between Parse and Unity, a 3D development tool used to make experiences for Oculus and other VR platforms. Because of that, he said, “you can already build an Oculus game or app on Parse.”
Parse could be very useful, Sukhar suggested, for figuring out how to solve some of the backend difficulties that building VR apps entail. Developers will have to think about networking issues, as well as ensuring their servers are strong and fast. Those are similar problems as the ones faced by developers of standard 2D apps. “We showed people how to build that stuff on Parse,” he said. “You can do that same thing with a standard template for VR apps.”
Although Sukhar hinted at how Parse could play an important role in Oculus apps’ development, he didn’t offer any specifics.
Given that the Oculus team is still building its consumer headset, and still figuring out content for the system, “it’s going to be awhile,” he said, before we see Facebook — meaning Parse — getting deep into the development of apps for the VR platform.Scottsdale Parkour Freerunning is open to all ages and skill levels with no experience required. We are dedicated to helping you reach you goals no matter how big or small they may be. Students will learn to use their bodies to their full potential and get one of the best workouts imaginable. Building strength, balance, agility, and spacial awareness, parkour will take you to the next level of fitness. Scottsdale Parkour Freerunning has the best WFPF certified coaches in the valley utilizing authentic, real world apparatuses for learning parkour and freerunning. We offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced parkour and Ninja Warrior classes for all ages, along with open gym times to come work on you skills or just have some fun. Many of our coaches also offer private lessons for students who want a 1 on 1 learning experienceFor other political movements known by this name, see Podemos
Podemos ( Spanish: [poˈðemos], translated in English as "We can")[a] is a political party in Spain founded in January 2014 by political scientist Pablo Iglesias in the aftermath of the 15-M Movement protests against inequality and corruption.[14][15] Podemos is a left-wing populist party[16][17][18][19][20] that seeks to address the problems of inequality, unemployment and economic malaise that followed in the wake of the European debt crisis. Podemos has called for a renegotiation of austerity measures and seeks to curtail the Treaty of Lisbon. The term "populist" is sometimes used by political opponents to refer to the party in a pejorative way.[21][22][23]
Podemos is the second largest political party in Spain by number of members after the People's Party (PP).[24] It became the third largest party within the first 20 days it allowed membership, with 100,000 signing up in that period[25] and its membership grew to more than 487,000. In the 2014 European Parliament elections on 25 May 2014, Podemos received 7.98% of the national vote, with 1,200,000 votes cast, electing five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).[26] At the elections for the national parliament on 20 December 2015, Podemos received 21% of the vote and became the third largest party in the parliament, with 69 out of 350 seats.[27] On 9 May 2016, Podemos formed the electoral alliance Unidos Podemos with United Left, Equo and minor left-wing parties.[28] In 2018, the party joined Maintenant le Peuple.
History [ edit ]
Foundation [ edit ]
Podemos came from the aftermath of the Indignados movement against inequality and corruption in 2011.[29] The group was inspired by the populist leaders of Latin America's "Pink tide", which included Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales.[30]
Its origin can be found in the manifesto Mover ficha: convertir la indignación en cambio político ("Move A Piece: Turn Indignation Into Political Change"),[31] presented over the weekend of 12 to 13 January 2014, which was signed by thirty intellectuals and personalities, such as Juan Carlos Monedero, associate professor of political science at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM); the actor Alberto San Juan; Jaime Pastor, associate professor of political science at the National University of Distance Education (UNED); the writer and philosopher Santiago Alba Rico; the former leader of the Left Trade Union Current Cándido González Carnero; and Bibiana Medialdea, associate professor of applied economy at the UCM.[32]
Podemos' manifesto argued that it was necessary to create a party list for the European Parliament elections that year, with the goal of opposing the dominant policies of the European Union from the left. Even though he was not one of the signatories of the document, on 14 January it was announced that Pablo Iglesias, a professor of political science at the UCM and a TV presenter, was to head the movement.[31] The movement was organized by the party Anti-Capitalist Left (Izquierda Anticapitalista),[31] the Spanish section of the Trotskyist Fourth International,[33] which had written the Mover ficha manifesto in its internal documentation, designing the stages to launch the new movement.[34] One of the points highlighted by Iglesias was the derogation of the 135th article of the Constitution, which was made in 2011 by the major parties People's Party (PP) and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE); full application of the 128th article of the constitution ("All wealth of the country in all its forms and no matter who owns it, is subordinated to the people's interest"); and maintaining abortion rights.[35] They also demanded Spain exit from NATO and support self-determination rights.[36]
The Podemos movement was officially launched on 16 January 2014 in the Teatro del Barrio in the Lavapiés neighbourhood of Madrid. A press conference was given, with the attendance of hundreds of people, at which spoke Pablo Iglesias; Juan Carlos Monedero; the USTEA trade unionist, Marea Verde activist and Anti-Capitalist Left member Teresa Rodríguez;[37] the psychiatrist and member of the Marea Blanca, Ana Castaño; the researcher and analyst Íñigo Errejón; and the social activist, militant and head of the Anti-Capitalist Left party list for Madrid in the 2011 general elections, Miguel Urbán. Its fundamental goal was to oppose the austerity policies which were being applied.[38]
In order to run in the European elections of 2014, the members of the bare bones of Podemos set themselves three conditions: to receive the support of at least 50,000 people; that both the programme and the lists of candidates be prepared through open participation; and that unity be sought with other parties and movements of the left,[38] such as United Left,[31] the Popular Unity Candidacy, the X Party, the Andalusian Workers Union, Anova and the citizens' mareas ("tides").[36] The 50,000 signatures were obtained in less than 24 hours[39] and the Podemos website crashed due to the high traffic.
In August 2015, Podemos endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election. The party's international secretariat released a statement saying: "In Podemos we share Jeremy Corbyn's view that another Europe is not just possible but necessary". It added: "Against the irresponsibility of the troika and the Eurogroup, against the Europe of financial lobbies and puppet representatives, a new democratic and social Europe is emerging, and Jeremy Corbyn's victory would be a great step in that direction".[40]
2014 European Parliament election [ edit ]
On 25 May 2014 Podemos entered candidates for the 2014 European Parliament election, polling with 7.98% of the national vote and thus was awarded five seats out of 54.[41][42] The party's MEPs joined the European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) group.[43]
Regarding the election, Pablo Iglesias was described as pessimistic by El País: "We have lost these European elections. They have been won by the People's Party. We cannot be happy about this". He stated that his objective is to "move forward until we throw the PP and the PSOE out of power"[44] and that "[w]e will now work with other parties from the south of Europe to make it clear that we don't want to be a German colony".[44] Iglesias said Podemos MEPs would not take the standard MEP salary of more than €8,000 a month, stating that "not one of our MEPs will earn more than €1,930, an amount that's three times the minimum wage in Spain".[45]
First party congress [ edit ]
On 5 June 2014, Pablo Iglesias announced that the Asamblea Ciudadana "Sí se puede" (Citizens' Assembly "Yes, it can be done") would take place in the autumn. Iglesias also announced that a team of twenty-five persons would be responsible for preparing the assembly, to be chosen in open elections (in which anybody could participate) with closed lists, with no limit to the number of lists which could be presented. The vote took place over the Internet on 12 and 13 June.[46] Two lists were presented, one of them headed by Iglesias[47] and the other promoted by the Círculo de Enfermería ("Nurses' circle").[48] The technical details of the election and the deadlines generated discussion within Podemos. In a meeting of Podemos circles which took place on 8 June in Madrid, there was criticism for both the closed lists and the short deadlines, which allegedly led to fewer lists being presented.[49] The electoral process in which 55,000 people participated gave the victory to Iglesias' list, with an 86.8% of the vote.[50]
A major part of the citizens' assembly consisted in the writing of documents defining the political and organizational principles of the party as well as resolutions the party would adopt. Any member of Podemos could present a document and these would be adopted or rejected in a vote with all members of Podemos participating. These documents would determine the structure of the party; and after that, internal elections would take place, again with the participation of all members of Podemos, to fill the positions defined by this structure.[51]
The citizens' assembly had a meeting in Madrid during 18 and 19 October. On 19 October, Podemos membership was 130,000[52] and on 22 October it was 170,000.[53]
The citizens' assembly resulted in the adoption of resolutions by the party, which were the five most voted, all of which were submitted by circles. Every member could vote for five resolutions. The approved resolutions were on improving public education (45%), on anti-corruption measures (42%), on the right to housing (38%), on improving public healthcare (31%) and on auditing and re-structuring the debt (23%).[54]
Podemos supporters in Madrid, 31 January 2015
The ethical, political and structure documents proposed by the "Claro que Podemos", which included Luis Alegre, Carolina Bescansa, Íñigo Errejón, Pablo Iglesias and Juan Carlos Monedero were approved by 80.7% of the vote, surpassing "Sumando Podemos" 12.3% of the vote, promoted by the MEPs Pablo Echenique, Teresa Rodríguez and Lola Sánchez in the vote for the structure document.[55][56]
2015 local elections [ edit ]
In October 2014, Podemos decided not to stand directly in the May 2015 local elections in Spain.[57] Instead, it decided that its members would support local grassroots candidacies, most notably Barcelona en Comú, the citizen platform led by anti-evictions activist Ada Colau in Barcelona and Ahora Madrid (led by ex judge Manuela Carmena) in Madrid.
2015 general election [ edit ]
At the general election on 20 December 2015, Podemos reached 20.65% of the vote and became the third largest party in the parliament after the People's Party with 28.71% and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party with 22.02%. In the new parliament, Podemos hold 69 out of 350 seats and this result was described as ending the traditional two party system in Spain.[58]
Unidos Podemos [ edit ]
Following the failure of the 2015–2016 Spanish government formation negotiations to create a stable coalition government, on 2 May 2016 a second general election was called for June 2016.[59][60] To contest the election, Podemos formed an electoral alliance with United Left, Equo and regional left-wing parties, the official name being announced on 13 May 2016 as Unidos Podemos ("United we can").[28] They got 21.2%.
Andalucía [ edit ]
Podemos branded as "Adelante Andalucía" together with the left and the Greens (left) and Primavera Andaluza in the 2018 2018 Andalusian regional election.
Policies [ edit ]
Podemos presented a collaboratively written programme for the European elections 2014. Some of the most important policies were:
Reception [ edit ]
The support obtained by the new formation after the European elections in 2014 resulted in multiple analyses and reactions. While some sectors welcomed the results, there were also expressions of concern. Pedro Sanchez, Secretary General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2014, branded Podemos populist on numerous occasions at the beginning of his term[61] while much of its electorate opted for the new party.[62] The New York Times stated that a challenge for Podemos would be putting together a true agenda noting that "the party’s 36-page campaign program reads like a wish list, with little detail about how it could be financed at a time when Spain is still struggling under a heavy debt burden".[63] Vicente Palacio of Fundación Alternativas said that Podemos could have "very beneficial effects in terms of regenerating the Spanish democratic system", but is in danger of going "toward populism and demagogy, as has happened in the case of Beppe Grillo and his Five Star Movement in Italy".[63] As of November 2014, the PSOE has instead chosen to distance itself from populism and the extreme left to preserve the center left.[64][65]
The leader of Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) Rosa Díez said that similarities can be found with the Greek left-wing coalition Syriza, with the Five Star Movement of Beppe Grillo and even with the French right-wing National Front of Marine Le Pen.[66] The spokesman for the People's Party María Dolores de Cospedal said that poll results show a radicalization of the left vote.[67] Esperanza Aguirre, another prominent member of the People's Party, accused Pablo Iglesias of "being with the Castrismo, with Chavismo and ETA", which Iglesias responded to statements described as "slander" and announced he would consider legal action.[68]
The leaders of Podemos also tried to distance themselves from the government of Venezuela following allegations of "murky" funding since many Podemos leaders were linked to Venezuela and other "revolutionary" movements in Latin America.[69][70] Consulting work in leftist Latin American governments involving several members, including Iglesias, earned their consulting organization, Center for Political and Social Studies Foundation (CEPS Foundation), €3.5 million, which helped fund the television debate shows that helped Podemos' popularity to increase quickly.[69][70] Podemos called for an external auditor to observe accounts from February 2014 to December 2014 which showed that the total income from both private donations and state subsidies was at about €947,000, though the largest donors to the party were Podemos' own five MEPs.[69]
Since March 2015, journalists have been critical of the relationship between the political party and the traditional media.[71] In this sense, the Madrid Press Association (APM) issued a statement in March 2017 to give shelter to a collective of professionals who claimed it.[72] The party's formation and campaigning were the subject of the documentary Politics, Instructions Manual.
Popular support [ edit ]
According to GlobalPost, Podemos and other parties of the left have suddenly grown because of Europe's economic difficulties.[73] Unemployment, especially among young Spanish adults, has created a positive sentiment towards Podemos and their appeal to the unsatisfied youth of Spain with an "irreverent style".[73] Podemos also used its very well run social media presence to its benefit to find popularity.[73]
After it received the fourth highest number of votes in the European elections, news related to the growth of Podemos started to be published. The hashtag Pablo Iglesias was the number 1 trending topic on Twitter in Spain the day after the elections[74] and Iglesias appeared on the front page of prominent Spanish newspapers. Before the elections, Podemos was already the most popular political force within social networks, but it had increased from 100,000 to 600,000 "Likes" on Facebook between May and July 2014.[75] The CIS' quarterly survey, polling over July 2014 (two months after the elections) showed Podemos as the second most popular party regarding direct intention of vote, surpassing the PSOE, but being a 0.9% behind the PP.[76] In late July, Podemos started to allow individuals to sign up, with 32,000 people registering as members in the first 48 hours through Podemos' website for free.[77] In the first 20 days, Podemos already had about 100,000 members, becoming the third largest Spanish party by membership, surpassing United Left (IU), Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), Convergence and Union (CiU) and Basque Nationalist Party (PNV/EAJ).[78] In August 2014, Podemos already had 442,000 more "Likes" on Facebook than the "Likes" of the rest of the parties combined, having 708,763, with more than 2.6 million views on its YouTube channel.[75] In September 2014, the interview of Iglesias in Viajando con Chester had almost 3 million watchers, being the most watched programme in its timeslot with 14.5% of the audience share.[79] In October 2014, Iglesias' participation in La Sexta Noche (in which he was also interviewed) rose the audience share of the programme to 16,2%, which is its historical maximum.[80] Iglesias' interview in Salvados also made the programme have its best ever audience, with a 23.8% and 5 million watchers.[81] In late October, Podemos had more than 200,000 members.[82] On 2 November 2014, El Pais published an opinion poll which gave Podemos 27.7% approval rating, compared to PSOE's 26.2% and PP's 20.7%; and gave Podemos a direct intention of vote of 22.2%, compared to PSOE's 13.1% and PP's 10.4%.[83] The party lost much support in the polls during the final months of 2015 when elections were approaching (sinking to 13%) whereas during the election campaign experienced a huge rise in support in the polls up to 20% of vote days before the election.
Electoral performance [ edit ]
Cortes Generales [ edit ]
Senate [ edit ]
European Parliament [ edit ]
European Parliament Election Seats Vote % 2014 5 / 54 1,253,837 (#4) 7.98
Membership history [ edit ]
Date Membership (approx.) 28 July 2014 0[25] 17 August 2014 100,000[25] 27 October 2014 200,000[82] 29 December 2014 300,000[2] 16 April 2016 400,000[2] 23 May 2018 500,000[2]
Regional branches [ edit ]
Alliances [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Image caption Daniel was with classmates on a five-day break to Norfolk
The National Trust was not to blame for the death of an 11-year-old schoolboy fatally crushed by a branch in woods in Norfolk, the High Court has decided.
Daniel Mullinger, of West Bergholt, Essex, died and three children were injured at Felbrigg Hall, near Cromer, when the branch fell from a tree.
He was among 10 children on a Monster Trail at the hall in June 2007.
His mother Wendy and three other families had sought compensation from the landowner, the National Trust.
But all lost their damages action.
In a statement released through their solicitor the families said that it was "a difficult decision to accept".
"The path where the accident occurred was upgraded to a medium risk path specifically because the paths under the tree were used by about 4,000 school children a year on organised trips.
"The families are very disappointed with the decision but it is unlikely there will be an appeal.
"Four years on this incident remains a very personal tragedy for the four families involved."
Daniel Mullinger died instantly when the 70ft (21m) branch fell from a 180-year-old beech tree in the Great Wood at the 17th Century stately home.
Claim rejected
Three other pupils from Heathlands Church of England Primary School in West Bergholt were injured.
Harry Bowen, now 15, uses a wheelchair, although he can walk short distances with crutches.
Max Farley, 14, and Katie Farthing, 15, both suffered multiple fractures as well as psychological injury.
The three teenagers were at London's High Court for the hearing last month but Mr Justice Mackay was told that Daniel's family had not felt able to attend.
The judge rejected the claim that the trust's tree inspectors failed to exercise reasonable care in their task.
"I regretfully conclude that I cannot find that the defendant was negligent or in breach of its duty in respect of this tragedy."
Lawyers argued that the tragedy would have been averted had inspectors spotted a defect in the ancient beech tree and "tagged" it for remedial action.
Cruellest coincidence
Mr Justice Mackay said the decision that no action was needed in the event proved "wrong and disastrous consequences followed".
Ruling in favour of the National Trust, the judge said it was "the cruellest coincidence" that the branch just happened to fall just as the school party passed beneath it.
Even the most careful risk assessment can "by its very nature be proved wrong by events", the judge said.
He also remarked that assessing the integrity of an ancient tree was "an art not a science".
He concluded: "I accept these inspectors used all the care to be expected of reasonably competent persons doing their job, and the National Trust had given them adequate training and instruction in how to approach their task.
"It would also be requiring the National Trust to do more than was reasonable to see that the children enjoying the use of this wood were reasonably safe to do so.
"I regretfully conclude that I cannot find that the National Trust was negligent or in breach of its duty in respect of this tragedy".
Sympathy with families
Nick Champion, on behalf of the National Trust, said: "The awful events of that day four years ago have affected so many people, including the team at Felbrigg and in many ways have impacted on everyone's lives since then.
"We hope that the case has provided some sense of relief and greater understanding.
"The judge ruling for the National Trust in no way undermines the great sense of personal tragedy that must be felt and our sympathies are with the families involved.
"It is important to the trust that Mr Justice Mackay found our policies to be clear, robust and comprehensive.
"And we were reassured to hear that he felt that our tree inspections had been carried out competently."A top surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersSenate Dems seek to turn tables on GOP in climate change fight Bernie Sanders Town Hall finishes third in cable news race, draws 1.4 million viewers Woman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid MORE (I-Vt.) says she will not accept an offer to join the Green Party's presidential ticket.
"I'm going to keep fighting in the party, even though I'm disappointed," Nina Turner told Cleveland.com in an interview Monday afternoon.
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"I'm a Democrat, and that's worth fighting for."
Turner was one of Sanders’s most prominent surrogates during the primary battle against Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE. The former state senator resigned a top post at the state Democratic Party to join Sanders.
She had been offered a vice presidential slot by Jill Stein, who is considered the heavy favorite to win the Green Party's nomination at the party convention this week.
Stein is seeking to woo disaffected Sanders supporters into her corner. Her campaign is now polling in the low single digits.
Turner claims the Clinton campaign blocked her nominating speech for Sanders at last week's Democratic convention. She had expressed interest in considering Stein's offer.July 1, 2016 6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you’re ambitious, you’re bound to feel like a failure from time to time. Lofty goals lead to inevitable moments when you aren’t yet living up to your expectations.
We live in a world that reinforces this feeling. Though most people won’t admit it -- other than the guy with the ‘He who dies with the most toys wins’ bumper sticker -- in the back of our minds, we equate material possessions with success.
It’s a shame we fall prey to materialistic thinking because we certainly know better. A study by Strayer University found that 90% of Americans believe happiness is a bigger indicator of success than power, possessions or prestige. Digging a little deeper, 67% defined success as “good relationships with friends and family,” and 60% said it is loving what you do for a living. Only 20% stated that monetary wealth determines success.
But saying and doing are two very different things.
Related: 14 Things Ridiculously Successful People Do Every Day
When it comes to success, our eyes often lead us astray. It’s hard not to feel like the most successful people are those with the biggest houses, the most expensive cars, and the most influential friends. Regardless of what you achieve, there’s always someone with more, and this can make you feel like you’re losing. The problem isn’t your lack of toys; it’s believing that toys indicate true success.
Real success is about who you are and how far you’ve come. If you ever worry that you’re not as successful as you should be, you may be evaluating yourself against the wrong criteria. Sometimes you just need a reminder as to what you’ve really accomplished in life. The success indicators that follow will help you do just that.
1. You’re no longer the center of the universe. We all know “successful” people who act like they’re the center of the universe. It’s their world and the rest of us just live in it...right? That’s not success. True success requires the ability to feel empathy -- to realize that other people’s feelings and dreams are just as important as ours, and we cannot succeed without them.
2. You stay positive. Hope and optimism are essential components of a happy life. If you dwell on the things that go wrong, you become bitter and resentful. When that happens, you fail -- no matter what you may have achieved. Real success means always seeing the bright side and believing you have the power to make even the worst situations better.
3. You know that failure isn’t forever. You’ve learned that the only people who never fail are those who don’t try. When you fail, you don’t automatically assume that you’re a failure. Instead, you embrace each failure as an opportunity to learn something -- and then you move on. If you still struggle with this at times, know that you’ll never experience true success until you learn to embrace failure. Your mistakes pave the way for your success by revealing when you’re on the wrong path. The biggest breakthroughs typically come when you’re feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It’s this frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution you’ve been missing.
Related: The 8 Secrets of Great Communicators
4. You keep things in perspective. Sometimes bad things happen. It’s part of life. For most of us, however, our very worst day would seem like a vacation to somebody who has real problems -- like not having enough to eat, or trying to survive a civil war. Locking your keys in the car -- or even getting passed over for a promotion -- aren’t that bad once you learn to develop perspective. If you’ve mastered the ability to keep your problems in perspective, mark it down as a huge success.
5. You ask for help when you need it. Refusing to ask for help, no matter how much you’re struggling, is a sign of emotional immaturity. Asking for help means that you no longer feel like you have something to prove by being perfect. It shows you aren’t afraid of people discovering your weaknesses and you understand no one succeeds alone.
6. You realize that life isn’t a zero-sum game. It’s not a see-saw, either. Just because somebody else achieves a big success, that doesn’t mean you suffer a loss in equal proportion. You just didn’t win that particular time. One sure sign of success is the ability to celebrate others’ achievements with sincere enthusiasm.
7. You can tell the difference between drama and excitement. Remember the days when stable relationships were boring, and you quickly got tired of anyone who treated you as they should? If that kind of “drama” is a thing of the past, congratulations. If you prefer stability and depth to drama, you’re succeeding.
8. You no longer care what other people think. You only worry about what other people think when you still feel like you have something to prove. Conversely, you know you’ve “made it” when you don’t worry about that anymore -- when you’re true to yourself and your principles, and satisfied with your life. You know you’ve made it when you understand that other people’s opinions are just that -- opinions. They have no effect on reality. They don’t change who or what you are.
Related: 8 Ways Intelligent People Use Failure to Their Advantage
9. You accept what you can’t change and change what you can. There’s a difference between pessimism and practicality. If there’s a hurricane headed your way, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. But once you accept that the hurricane is coming, you can start working to mitigate its effects. If your company downsizes and you get laid off, every moment you spend in denial just delays whatever is waiting over the horizon. You’re able to move on only when you start exploring your options and making plans to change what you can. Taking responsibility for changing the things you don’t like about your life is one of the biggest indicators of success.
Bringing It All Together
There’s no sense in feeling like a failure just because you think you should have a better job, a bigger house, or a nicer car. Real success comes from the inside, and it’s completely independent of circumstance.I have a framework that I find very helpful in teaching my apprentices how to design. It’s 3 steps:
Here are the details.
The first step to being just a competent designer—or a competent anything, for that matter—is doing what someone else can do. It’s a test: can you follow directions? Except, instead of following directions you read or hear, you follow directions that you see.
It’s no coincidence that junior designers often get trained up by doing production work after an art director has set an art direction. If the art director makes the main headline 48px bold Helvetica with 16px of margin on each side, do you do the same on every screen you design? Sounds simple, but many junior designers struggle to even get this down. Why? Many want to be chefs but aren’t willing to be line cooks first. It’s not glamorous work, but it builds design muscles, muscles that you’ll need in order to get better and advance to the next step.
Think of it like learning to draw by tracing. In fact, it’s literally the same thing. The first few assignments of my designers’ apprenticeships are taking screenshots of existing websites, pasting them into Sketch or Photoshop, dropping the opacity and locking the layer, and tracing over it to produce the same layout, colors, illustrations, typography, and everything else needed to reproduce the site pixel for pixel.
In his article Copy If You Can: Improving Your UI Design Skills With Copywork, Erik Kennedy extols the virtues of copywork as a great way to practice and hone UI design skills. Even more, it gets you out of going to your usual bag of tricks and instead gives you new ones to add.
Done right, copywork exposes you to design decisions you simply wouldn’t have made on your own. Erik Kennedy
Whether new to design or a seasoned creative director, this simple exercise will get you warmed up, like stretching before a long run.
Once you can confidently imitate any style you come across, you can start to tweak the elements to feel more custom to the way you need to use it. This step has the least parameters and needs the least guidelines, because it’s up to your imagination and the amount of changes you’re willing to try.
I’m a firm believer in the idea that there’s nothing new under the sun. Said differently, everything is a remix. Freed from the pressure that all things designers do need to be original works of art, I can instead focus my efforts on what sources to combine in a unique way that my audience is less accustomed to.
Pablo Picasso is well known for his original Cubist work, but most people don’t know that he was an excellent classical artist first. He could draw and paint photorealism as well as any of the great masters, but it wasn’t until he got that down that he ventured into his own unknown stylistic territory.
In his Wall Street Journal article, The Genius of the Tinkerer, author Steven Johnson describes a concept he calls the adjacent possible. He tells the story of a young orthopedic surgeon who, while diving in the Great Barrier Reef, observes a species of coral that seem to be able to heal itself as it breaks. Years later, while operating on a patient, he recalls this coral and its amazing bonding powers. Several years and patents later, his method is the leading way that orthopedic surgeons around the world help their patients mend their broken bones.
The adjacent possible is about taking two seemingly unconnected ideas and metaphorically placing them next to each other to see how they might work together. Clients often hire me to invent unique and original art directions for them. I can deliver on this by using the adjacent possible to steal my way to something original.
The strange and beautiful truth about the adjacent possible is that its boundaries grow as you explore them. Each new combination opens up the possibility of other new combinations. Steven Johnson
Let’s look at how this works in practice.Another day, another Rem? Well, perhaps not that often, but there is a major focus on Rem with Re:Zero merchandise. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do feel that other characters are being neglected. However, if you’re a fan of Rem (and many people are), you have a variety of choices at hand.
This latest figure from Chara Ani is a 1/7th scale statue of Rem looking way too innocent for that weapon she has at her side. She’s leaning on a pillow base with a surprised expression. The statue is based off of an illustration from Comics Alive 2015, May Vol. according to the CDJapan listing, but I was unable to find the illustration for sake of comparison. If anyone has it, please send it my way and I will be sure to update the post! That aside, the attention to detail on this figure looks impressive.
This version of Rem will be released in October, so if you’re interested you may want to scoop her up ASAP as the pre-orders usually sell out rather quickly.
Pre-order:
CDJapan
Play-Asia
As always, please check out my other Re:Zero-related posts for more great stuff! Thanks for reading and all |
years ago. This offseason, it took $60 million from the Raptors. Carroll is one of the best 3-and-D guys in the game, and Toronto was lucky to get him.
Utah Jazz | PF | Last Year's Ranking: NR
An intriguing talent yet due to his non-flashy game and general quiet demeanor, Favors is often seen as an afterthought with the Jazz. Favors seems determined to change this perception, already saying he wants to be an All-Star and his play this season may be able to help push the Jazz into the playoffs.
Toronto Raptors | SG | Last Year's Ranking: 49
He suffered his first major injury then finished the regular season playing the finest all-around basketball of his career. If he bumps his 3-point percentage up a little, he is going to get a gargantuan contract next summer.
Orlando Magic | C | Last Year's Ranking: 75
There's a thin line between a versatile, terrific offensive player who's not good defensively, and one who's genuinely bad on defense. Vucevic isn't good, but he's also not painfully bad. His offensive repertoire is better and more diverse than he gets credit for. The Magic's big man is valuable both from a team building aspect and as a trade asset. But can you succeed without a rim protector beside him?
Milwaukee Bucks | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 48
For five (losing) seasons in Detroit, Monroe was so solid. He's a gifted player, and the Bucks should run a lot of their offense through him. As long he's only guarding centers, he should fit in fine defensively.
Milwaukee Bucks | SF | Last Year's Ranking: NR
He does things almost nobody else can, and he was far more aggressive as a sophomore than as a rookie. The 20-year-old has this spot more because of potential than productivity, but there are plenty of reasons to believe he'll keep improving.
Atlanta Hawks | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 63
Usually Teague has a "meh" regular season and a tremendous playoff run, but last year it was the opposite. Teague is blossoming into one of the best game-managing point guards in the league, able to run a fluid offense in Atlanta at a high octane while remaining dangerous on the cut and from the perimeter. His playoffs, however, were a disappointment. More growth is needed for him to make the leap the Hawks need from him.
San Antonio Spurs | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 19
Is anybody else worried about how banged up Parker looks playing basketball these days? If his quickness is gone, his game won't age well. If he's able to rejuvenate his body and be the slippery version of Parker, the Spurs will be as dangerous as ever.
Minnesota Timberwolves | SF | Last Year's Ranking: NR
Wiggins doesn't have a great handle yet and his jumper needs to last for an entire season, but he was absurd the final two months of the season. He was asked to be one of the top defenders in the NBA as a rookie. He held his own, too.
Chicago Bulls | C | Last Year's Ranking: 11
What a fall. Noah was No. 11 on this list last year, an MVP candidate as a point-center who defended like his life depended on it. All that's changed is his health; here's hoping last year was an anomaly.
Brooklyn Nets | C | Last Year's Ranking: 41
If Lopez were healthy and his persistent foot injury was not such a problem, he'd be way higher on this list. When healthy, Lopez is the most talented offensive center in the league. When healthy, Lopez can be the anchor for an efficient Nets offense that wears defenses down to a nub. When healthy, Lopez is a fiery competitor who make his team dangerous and has made serious strides defensively. Unfortunately, Lopez is almost never fully healthy.
Washington Wizards | SG | Last Year's Ranking: 43
The leap we see from Beal every year when the playoffs come around is the exact level of play we want to see through an entire regular season. Beal's game is so good at a weak shooting guard position, but health and consistency are needed to justify a top-40 ranking.
Memphis Grizzlies | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 39
Old Man Z-Bo remains a devastating offensive force and rebounder, the heart and soul of a Western Conference contender in the Grizzlies. Yes, he's slipped some as age has caught up with him, and the game is rapidly evolving in a way that makes it hard to keep him on the floor with all the athletic stretch fours in the league. But Z-Bo can still take any defender and work him over for big points on any night. You may be able to beat Zach Randolph, but you're sure going to feel it the next day.
Chicago Bulls | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 66
Experiencing a career rejuvenation in Chicago, Gasol became an All-Star and immediately made the Bulls a more well-rounded team. Gasol could potentially thrive even more in new head coach Fred Hoiberg's offense this season.
Dallas Mavericks | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 14
What more can be said about Nowitzki? The forward's game has been on a slow decline over the last couple of seasons yet he was still an All-Star last season. As long as he has his patented one-legged fadeaway, Nowitzki will still be an offensive threat and the main reason the Mavs will be competitive.
Miami Heat | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 20
Dragic is the best guard finishing at the rim in the NBA. Stop naming people and wondering if they're better than Dragic. I assure you he finished with a higher percentage and he gets to the rim all the time so it's a healthy sample size. Can he be that player consistently next to Dwyane Wade?
Detroit Pistons | C | Last Year's Ranking: 51
He's one of the very best rebounders in basketball, an imposing pick-and-roll threat and he's younger than Frank Kaminsky. This is what franchise centers look like, though the Pistons must wish his free-throw percentage (.389) wasn't so gross.
Phoenix Suns | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 37
There were just five players to finish with 24 points, seven boards, eight assists and two steals per 100 possessions last year: James Harden, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry... and Bledsoe. He's versatile, he's fast, he's strong, he's improving as a scorer, he's a monster in transition, and generally speaking, he's just a Tasmanian Devil that wrecks the opponent. Bledsoe is on the rise.
Memphis Grizzlies | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 32
The term "game manager" has a negative connotation, usually associated with not being able to do any of the things that star players can do. But Conley bucks that trend by being superb at simply running an efficient offense (no really, the Grizzlies finished 12th in offensive efficiency last season), knock down key shots (he's their best and most consistent shooter), manage egos and make sure the team is run the way the coaching staff wants. There's a reason that Team USA wants him around every summer. Conley simply makes the team he plays for better, period.
Golden State Warriors | SF | Last Year's Ranking: NR
It wouldn't have been weird if he'd won Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player. Green got neither, but he'll settle for a championship ring. The crazy thing is he's still getting better -- he wants to be a dead-eye 3-point shooter.
Oklahoma City Thunder | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 30
Much like Draymond Green, Ibaka doesn't function like your typical "star" but every team would kill to have him. You just can't find other guys who are elite rim protectors and floor spacers. If the Thunder have a great early-season record, maybe this year he finally makes an All-Star team.
Los Angeles Clippers | C | Last Year's Ranking: 45
The idea of paying Jordan like a max player a year ago seemed absurd. His jump in production plus the jump in salary camp and the leap in hysteria surrounding his free agency drama now puts the pressure on him to justify the big deal. He needs to be better defensively to do it, but he's capable.
Toronto Raptors | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 26
If Lowry could have sustained his production from November and December, he would have been on an All-NBA team. He was inconsistent after that, though, and so were the Raptors. Does his offseason weight loss mean he can be his best self for longer stretches?
Utah Jazz | SG | Last Year's Ranking: 47
If Hayward played in the East last season, he might have snuck into the All-Star conversation. He played in a slow-paced system, but his per-100-possession numbers (29 points, seven boards, six assists) were tremendous. Hayward can be the best player on an up-and-coming team, and can be the second- or third-best player on a title team. He'll have to be even better if the Jazz want to reach the playoffs this year.
Atlanta Hawks | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 35
The perfect stretch-four for Coach Budenholzer's system, Millsap may be one of the more underrated players in the NBA. Millsap led the Hawks in scoring (16.7 points) and rebounding (7.8 rebounds) last season and should produce similar All-Star numbers this season.
Portland Trail Blazers | PG | Last Year's Ranking: 25
With the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge, Lillard is now the sole superstar on the Blazers. Lillard has improved each season he has played and will now take an even larger role in Portland. He should be able to handle the pressure, but Portland will need to add another capable player to help Lillard lead the Blazers into the future.
Miami Heat | SG | Last Year's Ranking: 28
Sure, Wade may not play a full season but in those games he does suit up, there are few players better than him. With their new additions and the return of Chris Bosh, Josh McRoberts and the re-signed Goran Dragic, the Heat are expected to be one of the top teams in the East, but will only go as far as Wade can take them.
Cleveland Cavaliers | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 5
When he was in Minnesota, Love was considered one of the better players in the NBA and someone in desperate need of some help. After one year in Cleveland, you had people wondering if the Cavs made a mistake by dealing Andrew Wiggins for him. Love can easily make those questions look stupid, but he has to fit into his role as the third guy.
Golden State Warriors | SG | Last Year's Ranking: 42
Thompson has made 784 3-pointers in his career. The second most for a player in their first four seasons is Stephen Curry with 644. Thompson is a historic 3-point shooter on a team with the greatest shooter of all time. Now throw in Klay's increasing free-throw rate, evolving passing game and some of the best on-ball defense for shooting guards and you have one of the most dangerous perimeter players in the NBA.
San Antonio Spurs | PF | Last Year's Ranking: 15
Two San Antonio Spurs are in the top 20, but Aldridge will be the team's No. 1 offensive option. The four-time All-Star figures to fit extraordinarily well in Gregg Popovich's system -- don't be surprised if the 30-year-old has the best year of his career.
Elite 100: 20-1Yesterday, EW reported that Tim Miller, the director behind Fox’s most lucrative X-Men film to date, Deadpool, has exited the production of Deadpool 2 over creative differences with the film’s star Ryan Reynolds.
Per EW:
The studio announced Miller was developing the sequel with Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick back in April. However, Deadline notes that Miller and Reynolds experienced “mutual creative differences” over the project that eventually resulted in the director’s amicable departure.
As soon as the news broke, a couple of lauded horror practitioners attempted to throw their hats in the ring as potential replacements for Miller: Jen and Sylvia Soska, the Canadian filmmaking duo responsible for Dead Hooker in a Trunk, American Mary, and See No Evil 2 (among other) have been die-hard Deadpool fans since long before the film dropped, and would love nothing more than to give the sequel shot!
On Facebook, the Twisted Twins put out a call to action for their literal Army of followers:
Jen Soska: Hey guys and grrls! I know you all have lives and jobs and maybe children and/or pets, but we have a situation. Deadpool 2 needs a new director. Hopefully there is no one selected yet as we’re hunting down a meeting, but if ANY of you have the time or inclination to go absolutely BATSHIT online about how Deadpool 2 should really be directed by the two of us, I would be ever so grateful.
Fans mobilized and have drenched social media with a litany of posts, tweets, and meme’s; you can check out my favorite below.
While I have no way of predicting how effective such a campaign might be (do we actually live in an age where fans can influence the productions of our favorite films?), it certainly couldn’t hurt. And I agree that the Soska Sisters definitely have what it takes to make a Deadpool sequel incredible!
In the original Deadpool (2016): Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces operative who now works as a mercenary. His world comes crashing down when evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) tortures, disfigures and transforms him into Deadpool. The rogue experiment leaves Deadpool with accelerated healing powers and a twisted sense of humor. With help from mutant allies Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), Deadpool uses his new skills to hunt down the man who nearly destroyed his life.Image: Cindy Sue Causey/Flickr
Reputation is everything on the dark web. In a space where each person in a deal is anonymous, users need to be able to be reasonably sure they are going to receive the specific drug or weapon they ordered.
Now, recently launched AlphaBay dark web market is introducing a system that should allow practically any type of deal to be linked to a user's reputation through the use of "digital contracts" verified by AlphaBay.
Each contract costs $5 to initiate, paid to the market administrators, and it's entirely up to the users what to put in the contract.
Buyers and vendors can already make custom agreements. That isn't new, "but contracts are for more long term business," alpha02 told me over encrypted chat.
"For example, a user wants to buy X pieces a week of something, or someone wants to give special treatment," alpha02 said.
When one of the parties of the contract feels they've been cheated, they can, in a similar way to PayPal, raise a dispute. At this point, an AlphaBay moderator will step in and decide on an appropriate action. That might result in a "failed" contract being added to the offending user's profile, meaning that others can see that they have a habit of going back on their promises.
"Too much may result in banning," alpha02 continued.
Alternatively, if the contract is pulled off without a hitch and both parties emerge satisfied, the users' "completed" contract count will increase.
These contracts are the continuation of the reputation systems already present on the dark web, which users leave ratings of vendors and their products. That doesn't stop scamming outright, but it does help build an element of trust.
One problem that immediately jumps out is that whoever is moderating the contract could be biased towards one of the parties involved. The moderator "will get demoted if this happens," alpha02 said.
Presumably, since these contracts are just between two different users, those participating can decide to sell whatever they want. However, alpha02 says they will still try to keep the dealings within the rules of the market.
"Hitmen will never be allowed, as we don't want this kind of attention. We don't allow services that are here only to hurt people, like hitmen," alpha02 said.
In the volatile dark web, with scams, disappearances and site closures, anything that even hints at stability is probably going to be welcomed by users. Whether these contracts will actually be used remains to be seen, but they are another manifestation of an apparently lawless space regulating itself.Ali Velshi & the CNN Money Team take on the dismal February jobs report. How will the job market recover? Watch a special AC360� Friday at 11 p.m. ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. economy continued to hemorrhage jobs in February, bringing total job losses over the last six months to more than 3.3 million, and taking the unemployment rate to its highest level in 25 years.
The government reported Friday that employers slashed 651,000 jobs in February, down from a revised loss of 655,000 jobs in January. December's loss was also revised higher to a loss of 681,000 jobs, a 59-year high for losses in one month.
Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast a loss of 650,000 jobs in February.
"The economy is headed south with a vengeance," said Kurt Karl, head of economic research for the U.S. unit of insurer Swiss Re.
The unemployment rate rose to 8.1% from 7.6% in January. It was the highest reading since December 1983 and higher than economists' projections of 7.9%.
Most workers who have jobs today are not old enough to have worked in a labor market this bad, while 13% of workers weren't even alive the last time unemployment was at this level.
The survey of households found 12.5 million people are now unemployed, the most since records started being kept in 1940.
The U.S. economy has now lost 4.4 million jobs since the start of 2008. To put that in perspective, that's about equal to the total number of jobs in each of the following states -- Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina -- at the end of 2007.
"It's a dismal report. We thought we'd have another month like this, and I think we have a couple of more coming," said Tig Gilliam, chief executive of Adecco Group North America, a unit of the world's largest employment firm. "We've got a lot of layoffs being announced that haven't been implemented."
Gilliam said he expects the unemployment rate to rise to 9% within the next few months.
Other economists echoed Gilliam's view that the battered labor market has yet to hit bottom. John Silvia, chief economist at Wachovia, pointed to the weekly initial jobless claims, which are still above 600,000 a week, and the large increase in the number of people working part time when they'd prefer full-time work as signs of more job losses to come.
"I'd love to believe this is the worst, but I suspect we'll continue to lose jobs for months to come," he said. "All we can hope is that the pace would slow down."
The Obama administration issued a statement saying that the jobs report and overall economic problems are the reasons why it moved quickly to get an economic stimulus package passed by Congress last month.
"There's no doubt that we have a long way to go to get this economy moving again, and the jobs numbers are one more reminder of that," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One.
But some economists questioned whether the stimulus package will be able to do much to address job losses in the near term.
"The stimulus won't have immediate effect on job creation even though some planned layoffs could be cancelled," said Sung Won Sohn, economics professor at Cal State University Channel Islands. He said most of the job growth that the $787 billion in government spending will create won't be seen until 2010.
Underemployment rate keeps rising as well
The number of workers with part-time jobs who either can't find full-time positions or have had their hours cut jumped by 787,000 in February to 8.6 million.
Counting those part-time workers, along with discouraged job seekers no longer counted as unemployed by the government, the so-called underemployment rate hit 14.8% in February, up from 13.9% in January. This was the fifth straight record high for that reading, which has been calculated since 1994.
Silvia said the cut in total hours worked and the jump in those now working only part-time are both signs that the overall economy will continue to slow.
He said many people with part-time jobs are not earning enough to pay their bills. That will probably lead to more cuts in consumer spending, which in turn will lead to more drops in revenue for businesses and more layoffs.
The job losses were widespread, with manufacturing and construction companies, as well as business and professional services firms all losing more than 100,000 workers.
The report also showed that businesses in more three-quarters of the sectors in the economy reduced the number of jobs in the last month. Over the last three months, 83.2% percent of industries have lost workers, a record high for that reading.
"What started in construction and manufacturing and financial services has spread to every industry," said Gilliam.
Got a question about jobs or unemployment? We want to hear from you. Send us an email and attach a photo and your question could be answered in an upcoming story on CNNMoney.com.We explain what's up with Russia's naval base in Crimea, a brief history of the peninsula, the Tatars and Peter the Great
• Recent events
• Why does Russia have a naval base in Crimea?
• A brief history of Crimea and Crimean Tatars
• Peter the Great gets his own section
On Thursday, Crimean ministers held a vote in their regional parliament to join the Russian Federation and secede from Ukraine, and to organize a referendum on the issue for 16 March. The move comes as international tensions continue to mount over the presence of Russian troops in the peninsula, which reportedly now number 30,000.
Ukraine's interim prime minister warned the Crimean parliament that "no one in the civilised world" would recognize its referendum, calling the vote "unconstitutional" and "illegitimate". But the referendum has the support of the Russian parliament, with the speaker of the upper house saying that Russia would "unquestionably back" the referendum's choice.
The EU and US are mulling sanctions – so far targeting a small number of individuals with visa bans and asset freezes. This comes as a team of OSCE observers has been prevented for a second day from entering Crimea by unidentified armed men.
• Geographic limitations and ambitions: Russia's capacity to reach the sea is limited by geography, so ports in the north and south seas, leading to larger waters, are crucial.
As the map below illustrates, Sevastopol is a strategically important base for Russia's naval fleet, in addition to being Russia's only warm water base. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a 1997 treaty with Ukraine allowed Russia to keep its Black Sea Fleet pretty much intact (with 15,000 personnel currently stationed) and lease the base at Sevastopol (extended to expire in 2042).
The Black Sea and Sevastopol. Photograph: /Wikimedia
As Orlando Figes, author of Crimea: The Last Crusade, wrote last week:
Crimea was bound to be the focus of the Russian backlash against the Ukrainian revolution.... For more than 20 years, ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, its rule by Kiev has been a major source of Russian resentment – inside and outside Crimea – and a major thorn in Ukraine's relations with Russia. The Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation – by which Russia rents its naval base at Sevastopol from the Ukrainian government – is so far-reaching in the rights it gives the Russians to exercise their military powers that it is seen by many in Ukraine to undermine the country's independence. In 2008 the Ukrainians said they would not renew the lease when it expired in 2017. But they buckled under the pressure of a gas-price hike and, in 2010, extended the Russian navy's lease until 2042.
• Projecting power: Sevastopol has been an important hub to project Russia's naval power on a global platform. The Black Sea Fleet has seen a flurry of activity since 2008: during the war with Georgia that year, the fleet staged blockades in the Black Sea. The Russian navy was actively engaged with Vietnam, Syria and Venezuela (and up until March 2011, Libya) "for logistics and repair services in their principal ports". It has also been alleged that Sevastopol has served as the main source in supplying the Assad regime during Syria's civil war and proved useful with Russia's role in dismantling Syria's chemical weapons last year. After Syria's civil war forced Russia to stop using its naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus last year, Sevastopol became even more crucial.
Tom Barton (@TomBartonJourno) #Russian forces scupper a ship in the only entrance to Donuzlslav bay in western #Crimea, trapping Ukrainian vessels. pic.twitter.com/2yD8gU7tZz
You can find our explainer on the issue of Ukraine's territorial integrity here, and the on the diplomatic deal that's at stake here.
• Before Tsarist subsumption: For five hundred years – roughly the middle ages in Europe – Turkic and Tatar tribes traded rule of Crimea. The peninsula spent a few hundred years as a Muslim Khanate and then an Ottoman vassal state, until Russia annexed it in 1783, under Catherine the Great, who thought the region symbolized Russia's links to antiquity. (She proceeded to parcel out land to aristocrats and build classical-style palaces and gardens.)
By 1900, the Crimean Tatars, once the majority, had been halved by wars and campaigns of Russification. Their population was halved again in 1917, and shortly after that, Stalin forcibly deported most of the remaining Tatars to central Asia. Unsurprisingly, Tatars have largely held fiercely anti-Russian sentiments for a very long time. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tatars have been returning, and though they number upwards of 200,000, they're still a minority.
• Crimean War: With its Black Sea fleet based in Sevastopol, Tsar Nicholas I knocked the Ottoman Empire out of the region – a hugely symbolic feat considering Russia's tricky relationship with its Muslim population and its centuries in need of a fleet.
Pro-Russian Cossacks share a laugh next to a war monument in Simferopol. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
But Nicholas' overconfidence in Crimea in part led to the Crimean war with Britain and France, whose leaders sought to stop Russia's expanding borders and to slow its influence in the Middle East. The allies won the war, bestowing British culture with the Charge of the Light Brigade, Florence Nightingale and Timothy the Tortoise. The Russians lost, but Tolstoy's Sevastopol Sketches made sure that the 11-month siege of Sevastopol stuck in the national memory. (Between Sevastopol in 1854 and Leningrad in the second world war, the notorious Russian "siege mentality" may begin to make sense.)
• Khrushchev to Yeltsin: Crimea was given to Ukraine by premier Nikita Khrushchev (himself born at the border with Ukraine) to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's inclusion in the Russian Empire, a "donation" many in Russia still see as illegitimate. Surprisingly, Boris Yeltsin, the first president of post-Soviet Russia, didn't propose an acquisition of Crimea during negotiations to dissolve the Soviet Republics.
• Let's build some boats: Peter the Great changed the course of history in countless ways, and was an extremely strange man and very serious about boats. (He supposedly said "A great leader who has an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has two." As a child, he would order around the children of other noblemen as "regiments" pretending to prepare for war. As an adult, he built a small boat by hand and used it to sail across the Neva, the river that runs through St Petersburg.) After a long trip in his youth to western Europe, in particular Amsterdam, where he studied shipbuilding, he returned to Moscow obsessed with dragging Russia into modernity – and making it a rival of the nations he saw in Europe.
Peter the Great: an odd duck
Peter saw Russia's limited access to the ocean as one of its greatest weaknesses, and though it meant tens of thousands of dead serfs to build a city on a unforgiving swamp, he had St Petersburg built on the Gulf of Finland for this very reason: he would reach the sea at every opportunity. With his new northern capital giving access to the Baltic, Peter countered the power of his arch-rival, King Charles XII of Sweden. (To give you an idea of how deep-seated the contest over Ukraine is, Peter defeated Charles' attempt to conquer Ukraine at the 1709 battle of Poltava.) To the south, Peter fought wars against the Tatars (who else) to gain access to the Black Sea, and built Russia's first naval base in Taganrog in 1698.Athena Bitcoin buys & sells Litecoin!
What is Litecoin?
Litecoin is a digital currency, like Bitcoin, that can be used as "digital cash" via the Internet. Launched in 2011, Litecoin is the longest running cryptocurrency around besides Bitcoin. Compared to its bigger brother, Litecoin features faster confirmation times and a lower transaction volume. This means you can send litecoin quicker and for much less cost per transaction. Typical fees are between one to twenty cents USD! Several online merchants and services accept Litecoin because of these lower fees.
Does my Athena Bitcoin Wallet work with Litecoin?
No, unfortunately the Athena Bitcoin Wallet is Bitcoin-only, but our technology provider has released the Edge wallet which is compatible. You can even log into Edge using your Athena username and password. You may also use another Litecoin-capable wallet (see below), or you may use a Litecoin address (beginning with "L") from the website or person you wish to pay directly at the ATM. If you can bring an image of a Litecoin QR code that would be best. Otherwise you may type the Litecoin address in manually. Be careful to type it in exactly as displayed to you.
Can I use Litecoin on my phone or computer?
Yes! There are third-party wallets and services available to help you store and transact with Litecoin on your phone or desktop computer. We can recommend that you look into the following options, but we cannot guarantee their functionality, security, or suitability for any purpose, nor do we provide technical support for these wallets: Edge (Apple iOS/Android), Coinomi (Apple iOS/Android), LoafWallet (Apple iOS/Android), Jaxx (mobile/desktop), Electrum-LTC (desktop), LiteVault (web-based), Ledger (hardware), Trezor (hardware), and LiteAddress (paper wallets / cold storage).
Bitcoin or alternative currencies? What should I use?
All currencies sold at an Athena ATM have valid uses both as a payment form and as a speculative asset. Bitcoin is the most valuable and most widely used cryptocurrency.
If you are looking to save network fees using a digital currency or are looking for a faster transaction experience and your destination also accepts one of these currencies, then one of the alternative currencies will likely be a better choice for your payment. You can purchase them directly from our ATMs with cash; the process is nearly the same as buying bitcoin. Just remember that Litecoin addresses begin with "L" or "M" and you will need a valid address to receive litecoin.
Where can I find an Athena ATM that sells Litecoin?
Litecoin is available at ALL Athena ATMs in our network! Please see our Locations page for your nearest ATM.England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce will not be offered a new contract by the Football Association when his deal expires at the end of June.
Pearce, 51, has been in charge of the Under-21s for the last six years.
Pearce's coaching career December 1996 - February 1997: Caretaker manager at Nottingham Forest
- Caretaker manager at Nottingham Forest May 2002: Joins Manchester City coaching staff
Joins Manchester City coaching staff March 2005: Succeeds Kevin Keegan as Man City manager
Succeeds Kevin Keegan as Man City manager February 2007: Becomes part-time England Under-21 manager
Becomes part-time England Under-21 manager May 2007: Sacked by Man City
Sacked by Man City June 2007: U21s lose in European Championship semi-final
U21s lose in European Championship semi-final July 2007: Named full-time U21 manager
Named full-time U21 manager June 2009: U21s lose European Championship final 4-0 to Germany
U21s lose European Championship final 4-0 to Germany June 2011: England knocked out at group stage of European Championship
England knocked out at group stage of European Championship October 2011: Appointed coach of Team GB side for London 2012 Olympics
Appointed coach of Team GB side for London 2012 Olympics Feb 2012: Caretaker manager of senior side
Caretaker manager of senior side Aug 2012: Team GB lose in Olympic quarter-final
Team GB lose in Olympic quarter-final June 2013: U21s lose all three group games at European Championship
U21s lose all three group games at European Championship June 2013: FA announce Pearce's contract will not be renewed
The former Manchester City boss and his players have been criticised following England's early exit at the European Under-21 Championship this month.
"I'd like to thank Stuart Pearce for his hard work," said departing FA chairman David Bernstein.
"Nobody can doubt his commitment to the job throughout his time as Under-21 coach.
"He has done extremely well in qualifying for finals tournaments, but after the disappointment of the past two tournaments we believe it is time to change coach.
"On behalf of everyone at the FA, I'd like to wish Stuart well for the future."
The FA said no decision has been made on Pearce's successor.
Former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate - the bookmakers' favourite - and ex-England boss Glenn Hoddle have been linked with the post.
Michael Appleton, who worked with senior England manager Roy Hodgson and FA director of elite development Dan Ashworth at West Bromwich Albion, and recently-retired Everton midfielder Phil Neville, who was part of Pearce's backroom staff in Israel, are other possible candidates.
"It is important the organisation now considers the best approach for the role of Under-21 coach and how this works best within the overall England structure before making any new appointment," added Bernstein.
Pearce, who was also coach of Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, led England to four European Under-21 Championships.
They reached the semi-finals in the Netherlands in 2007 and lost in the final to Germany two years later in Sweden.
Expectations were high when the squad headed out to Israel for this year's tournament, as they had been unbeaten since November 2011 and won their last nine games without conceding a goal.
Analysis The general consensus is Gareth Southgate, the former head of elite development at the FA, is the favourite to take over. I think he would enjoy the opportunity of getting back into management. I know from speaking to him in the past it is something he has looked at possibly doing. Whether this role is one that appeals to him, only he would know.
But they were eliminated in the group stage, for the second tournament in a row, after losing all three games to Italy,Norway and Israel.
Pearce placed responsibility for his side's early exit on the players, saying: "The players haven't delivered. I'm really disappointed with my team."
Goalkeeper Jack Butland was among members of the team saying they wanted the ex-Nottingham Forest defender to stay on as coach, commenting last week: "It is us that have not performed".
Pearce was also unhappy he was unable to take several players to the tournament because of their senior team commitments, but had indicated he was keen to carry on in the role.
Former Tottenham manager David Pleat believes that more should be done to ensure the Under-21 side has its best players more readily available.
"There has been reluctance from some managers to make their young players available. The whole set-up needs looking at," he told BBC Sport.
Media playback is not supported on this device Pearce says players did not deliver
"Unless the FA gets tougher with leading clubs and we regard the nation's results as more important than the clubs, then we are going to continue to have problems."
Jack Rodwell, Kyle Walker, Phil Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck were all called up to the senior squad recently for friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil.
Luke Shaw, Callum McManaman and Raheem Sterling were all unavailable because of injury while Andros Townsend had already voluntarily withdrawn from the squad when he was fined and given a suspension by the FA for breaching betting regulations.ADVERTISEMENTS
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Swiss-based international commodity trading company Mercuria along with financial services companies ING and Societe Generale is working on a large Blockchain-based oil trade.
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Reuters reported that Mercuria’s chief executive and co-founder Marco Dunand announced the deal during the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that is focusing on the topic digitalization among top global oil companies and trading houses.
Dunand told Reuters that Mercuria is shipping an oil cargo with African crude to China and selling it to ‘ChemChina’, a shareholder of Mercuria, along with the partnership of ING and Societe Generale that are helping out in executing the deal.
“The energy industry will have to digitalize more and more in oil production, refining, shipping. So traders will also have to participate,” Dunand said. “It is a pre-archaic process. So introducing Blockchain will allow passing title from buyer to shipper to seller without going through a massive paperwork of bills of lading.”
Presently, when the goods are shipped from buyer to trader to seller, the captain of the ship issues a document called ‘bill of lading’ and stamps it, which has to be carried to acknowledge the receipt of the cargo shipment. These documents will then go to the customers, surveyors, and others, whereas the carrier should issue letters of indemnity in case documents are not processed in time.
This is where the Blockchain technology comes in. In the case of the Blockchain, it works as creating a |
Update February 5th 2016]
Yesterday, the Azure IoT Hub was released as GA and there are some changes on its offer starting from the natively support for MQTT 3.1.1 protocol. You can find more information at this new blog post.A month ago, after causing a spike in cotton prices following the imposition of an export ban, India promptly overturned said surprising move following a surge in protest from not only various trade local groups, but more importantly China, whose already razor thin margins would become negative if input costs soared even further. The whole process lasted about 72 hours from beginning to end. Days after, desperate to fund ongoing budget shortfalls, the government shifted its attention to price controls in a market it knew China would absolutely not mind to having the price kept artificially low - gold. What happened then was an announcement by the government to impose to levy an excise duty on unbranded jewelry. The response was swift - a countrywide strike among India's jewellers who all went dark, crippling demand from one of the traditionally strongest gold markets in the world. And all this happening at a time when the wedding season is at its peak, with Akshaya Tritiya, one of the biggest gold buying festivals later in the month, making the period crucial for jewellers. As of hours ago, the Indian finance ministry has caved, and while it took three days to end the cotton export ban, it took three weeks to end the excise duty proposal, India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the government would consider scrapping a budget proposal to levy an excise duty on unbranded jewellery. The result will be three weeks of pent up demand for precious metals being unleashed suddenly, likely pushing spot gold far higher, to where it would be had this latest artificial price control never been established.
More from Reuters:
"The strike has been called off today onwards. We will be starting our shops from tomorrow," said Kumar Jain, vice chairman of the Mumbai Jewellers Association. Jain said the strike would resume on May 11 if the tax rollback does not materialise. The strike was staged to protest against an excise levy on unbranded jewellery of 0.3 percent, and a tax collected at source on transactions worth more than 200,000 rupees. The annual budget also doubled import duty on gold to 4 percent. The moves were game-changers for the $200 billion a year jewellery industry and experts had predicted they could cut gold imports by a third to 655 tonnes in 2012, allowing China to overtake India as the biggest gold importer. The strike by jewellers resulted in a loss of 200 billion rupees, according to industry officials.
That is not quite correct: the loss will now become a disproportionate profit, as demand for gold, which never really left, but merely could not be satisfied, comes back with a vengeance. Think cash for clunkers inverted. The other impact will be a surge in gold imports, which in turn pushes demand for any kind of gold, paper and physical, rapidly higher.
Keep an eye on gold futures when they open for trading later this afternoon.Reforming Britain’s relationship with the EU could boost trade, reveals Dan Hannan MEP in a new report Britain and the EU: A Solution, published by the Centre for Policy Studies on Friday 12 December.
Pointing to Switzerland the MEP explains that despite the country not being a member, Swiss exports to the EU in 2013 were 450 per cent per capita what Britain’s were.
Dan Hannan explains:
“There is no reason that the British couldn’t do even better than the Swiss. Britain is 63 million people to Norway’s 5 million and Switzerland’s 8 million. Britain runs a massive trade deficit with the EU (but a surplus with the rest of the world). On the day Britain left, the country would become the EU’s single biggest market, accounting for 21 per cent of its exports – more than its second and third largest markets (the US and Japan) combined.”
With UK opinion polls increasingly favouring a free trade relationship with the EU that does not involve political amalgamation, the author sets out nine objectives for the Government:
1) Fiscal freedom from the EU
No financial transactions taxes, no green levies, no EU airport duties and no harmonisation of VAT.
2) UK citizenship
Britain should disapply the EU Citizenship that was created by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. There should be no automatic assumption of mutual voting entitlements, residence rights or social security claims.
3) No Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Britain is penalised both positively and negatively by the CAP, paying more into it and getting less out.
4) No Common Fisheries Policy
Around 60 per cent of North Sea fish are in British territorial waters. But, under the CFP, Britain’s quota is equivalent to 25 per cent by volume or 15 per cent by value.
5) Independent diplomacy
Britain should pull out of the European External Action Service – the EU’s diplomatic corps. Close intergovernmental links with European neighbours should of course be retained, as well as the military obligations that go with NATO membership.
6) Common law, not EU law
Britain should withdraw from the EU’s Area of Freedom Security and Justice – that is, the common judicial space created in 1998, within which a shared legal code is enforced by a European magistracy (Eurojust) and police force (Europol).
7) British social policy
All employment laws and social policies from the European Union should be returned.
8) Supremacy of Parliament
Sections 2 and 3 of the 1972 European Communities Act should be repealed or amended so that EU law no longer has automatic precedence over UK law on UK territory.
9) Reform of Immigration Policy
New European immigrants should not receive unemployment benefit until they have been in the UK for a minimum of one year.
Daniel Hannan MEP - Friday 12th December 2014The Knicks have been a disaster so far in the 2013-14 season with only a home opening win against the Bucks for the fans to cheer for in the confines of Madison Square Garden. That win came on October 30th, so the Knickerbockers went the ENTIRE month of November without winning a game at home.
Here's the complete of teams and people that have more wins inside Madison Square Garden than the Knicks since Halloween.
NHL
New York Rangers: 5
Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, and Boston Bruins: 1
(12/2 Update, Winnipeg Jets: 1)
NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Bobcats, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and New Orleans Pelicans: 1
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Men's College Basketball
UConn and Arizona: 2
Duke, Indiana, Boston College, and Drexel: 1
Men's College Hockey
Boston University: 1
College Wrestling
Hofstra and Cornell: 2
Princeton, Illinois, Penn, Rutgers, Maryland, Drexel, Bloomsburg, Stony Brook, and Stevens Tech (Division III!): 1
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Boxing
Gennady Golovkin, Mike Perez, and Ola Afolabi: 1
That's a lot of teams that have experienced victory at the World's Most Famous Arena since the last time the Knicks did. Drexel University has had TWO different teams win there.
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If the Knicks lose their next home game against the Orlando Magic on December 6th, two more college basketball teams will join the list. The MSG Holiday Festival with Stony Brook facing La Salle and St. John's taking on Fordham is the next day.HOUSTON, Texas- An off-duty deputy shot and killed an alleged robbery suspect inside a Houston fast-food restaurant.
Employees at Raising Cane’s tell KHOU that customers were still eating inside the restaurant when a man walked in through the side door and attempted to go straight to the cash register.
Immediately, they say they knew they were being robbed.
However, an off-duty deputy was inside the restaurant at the time of the robbery. Investigators say the restaurant hired the deputy to provide security after several Raising Cane’s in the Houston area were robbed.
The deputy reportedly pulled out his gun and told the alleged suspect to put down his weapon.
When he refused, the deputy shot and killed the alleged suspect.
KHOU reports that an employee was treated after being grazed by a bullet, and a customer was treated by paramedics for shock.A New York man known for his unusually large penis was patted down by airport security at San Francisco International last week after they questioned him about the bulge in his pants, he said.
Jonah Falcon, 41, who has been featured in several documentaries about the world’s biggest penises, was returning from a trip in San Francisco on July 9 when he was stopped at security by TSA agents who spotted something out of the ordinary hanging to the left in his pants, he said.
“They wanted to know if I had something in my pockets, and when I said no, they asked if I had some sort of growth,” he said.
When he replied that it was just his penis, they “checked the area around it” but didn’t frisk him too severely, he said. They also wiped his hands to check for explosive powder.
Falcon said the delay was mostly amusing to him and only delayed him for about 5 minutes. He said it was the first time his penis had caused a security concern.
“I”ve gone through the (airport scanner) before, and I wasn’t worried,” he said. “What was the worst that was going to happen — I was going to have to whip it out for them? I’m used to that. Sometimes when people ask me about it, if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll just show them.”
Falcon’s penis has been reported as 9.5 inches when flaccid and 13.5 inches when erect, according to Rolling Stone. He has been featured in documentaries on HBO and overseas and has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He works as a video game journalist and as an actor with small roles in movies and television shows, according to his Internet Movie Database profile.
Falcon tweeted about the airport delay and the Huffington Post was the first to report on the incident.
A spokesman for the TSA at SFO was not immediately available for comment. Falcon said the agents were “professional” about the security check.
“It was probably harder on them than it was on me,” Falcon said.SNc Channels:
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Jul-15-2009 14:06 TweetFollow @OregonNews Viva Palestina Convoy Arrives in Gaza The current convoy, which first tried to cross into Gaza on July 11th, faced numerous obstacles.
Courtesy: vivapalestina.org
(PALOS HILLS, Ill.) - To chants of ‘Viva! Viva! Palestina!’ more than 200 members of the Viva Palestina convoy made it into the Gaza Strip Wednesday after spending about six hours at the Rafah border processing paperwork. American Muslim for Palestine officials listened to the celebration via the cell phone of a Viva Palestina volunteer. Before a crowd of Gazans, convoy organizer British MP George Galloway said, “We are saying to President Obama, the world is looking. The situation in Palestine is intolerable. You have to stop this. That means you have to take action because actions speak louder than words. “I’m really proud to say that Viva Palestine USA helped to break the siege. We will cry out against the world … We will continue to bring convoys until the siege is finally ended.” Israel’s two-year siege of the Gaza Strip has plunged the tiny area of 1.5 million people into a humanitarian crisis. And Israel’s three-week assault further devastated the area when the military bombed homes, schools, mosques, hospitals and universities. The attack killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, wounded more than 5,300 and left more than 50,000 people homeless. From the ground a Gaza resident said this convoy as well as others like it are essential tools not only in fighting the effects of the siege but to also raise awareness around the world about the plight of the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. The Viva Palestina volunteers will go to Gaza City today, where they will spend the night. On Thursday, they will meet with victims of Israel’s January assault before heading back to Cairo, Kevin Ovenden, Viva Palestina director told an AMP official by phone. The current convoy, which first tried to cross into Gaza on July 11, faced numerous obstacles, according Ovenden. The convoy left Cairo early Wednesday morning to make the 10-hour trek to Rafah. The convoy is taking two ambulances and 11 truckloads of medical supplies but has left behind hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of vehicles earmarked for hospitals and nongovernmental organizations. Egyptian authorities have refused to allow the vehicles to enter Gaza through its Rafah border. Currently, the sedans and pick-up trucks are in a secure location in Alexandria, Ovenden said. After he returns from Gaza, Ovenden said he would remain in Egypt for several days to try to get the vehicles released. Israel wants the cars and trucks to be transported to Gaza through Israel, something Viva Palestina refuses to do, Ovenden said. Viva Palestina will take into account the desires of the thousands of individuals and organizations who generously donated to the convoy, he added. “We are missing more than one-half (of the convoy),” Galloway told the crowd about the impounded sedans and pick-up trucks. “These vehicles are desperately needed. And I’m here to tell you they will be delivered one way or another.” The American Muslims for Palestine calls on its supporters to continue to pressure the Egyptian government to release the vehicles by calling the Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S., Sameh Shoukry, at 202.895.5400. Ask for the vehicles to be released and to be exported to Gaza through the Rafah border. ================================================ Source: American Muslims for Palestine is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to educate the American public about the issues pertaining to Palestine and its rich cultural heritage. To learn more about the Gaza convoy, visit: vivapalestina.org
Gaza | Israel | Palestine | Religion | Politics | Most Commented on
Articles for July 14, 2009 | Articles for July 15, 2009 | Articles for July 16, 2009Bush Talks Trump, Describes 'Pretty Ugly' Political Climate In Pair Of Interviews
Enlarge this image toggle caption Getty Images Getty Images
It started out a simple, human interest story featuring a former president and his post-White House hobby — painting watercolors of world leaders, and now, portraits of American soldiers, wounded during military service.
But before long, that president, George W. Bush, made real news by doing something he had never before done in a public forum since leaving office: discussing at length the current occupant of the Oval Office.
Bush spoke on the set of NBC's Today show. Then, hours later, came an interview with People magazine, and more language that can only be seen as a careful critique — but still a critique — of the early days of the Donald Trump presidency.
This is not just another president weighing in on public events and American politics.
In fact, all through the Obama years, Bush avoided opining on questions about the policies of his successor. He held his tongue when Obama reversed his executive orders. He was quiet when Obama likened Bush-era policies to driving the car "into the ditch." Bush once told CNN, "It's a hard job. It's difficult.... A former president doesn't need to make it any harder." In a speech in Canada just weeks into the Obama presidency, Bush told his audience he wouldn't spend his time criticizing Obama, "and if he wants my help, he can pick up the phone and call me."
Which brings us to NBC's Today on Monday morning.
It was Bush's first interview since Donald Trump was sworn in as president.
TODAY via YouTube
Bush was promoting his newest paintings, featuring the faces of wounded soldiers. They have been collected in a book called Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors.
Host Matt Lauer started by asking about the division in the country following the brutal 2016 presidential campaign, and about how the transition to President Trump compared with when Bush took office after the controversial 2001 election. (In both cases, the loser of the popular vote won in the Electoral College.) Bush said it's hard to compare: "One thing's for certain, though; the job's a tough job." But the former president did say that healing divisions requires a lot of people coming together to unite the country — the clear implication being that the president plays a role in that.
Bush said that you have to take President Trump at his word that he wants to unify people. He also stressed that Trump has only been in office a little more than a month.
Still, the 43rd President told People, "I don't like the name-calling and I don't like the people feeling alienated." He added for emphasis, "Nobody likes that."
During his first month in the White House, President Trump has repeatedly hurled insults and attacks on news organizations. On Twitter and in speeches, labeling the media "the enemy of the American people."
Today's Matt Lauer noted that President Bush — who took the country to war in Iraq, and who presided over an economic crisis — faced plenty of criticism from the media while in office. Lauer asked Bush, "Did you ever consider the media to be the enemy of the American people?"
Bush chuckled and then answered: "I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We need an independent media to hold people like me to account. Power can be very addictive. And it can be corrosive. And it's important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power, whether it be here or elsewhere."
Bush noted that he spent a lot of time trying to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept the notion of an independent press.
That led to an exchange about the controversies involving Russia's alleged attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election, including reports of contacts between top Trump campaign officials and the Russians. Asked whether he would like a special prosecutor to look into the issue, Bush said: "First of all, I think we all need answers — whether or not the special prosecutor is the way to go or not, you're talking to the wrong guy."
Bush stressed that he is not a lawyer, so he wouldn't weigh in on the best approach, but on the reports about Russia and the election, he did say, "I am sure, though, that that question needs to be answered."
The discussion segued into talk of the days right after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, during Bush's first year in office. In the aftermath of that shocking, terrifying moment, Bush, as president, stressed to Muslims around the world that he had respect for their faith — a faith practiced by many Americans. He repeatedly made it a point to call the teachings of Islam good and peaceful. "We are not at war against Islam," Bush would often say.
Trump makes no such careful distinction, blasting the Obama White House and those who refuse to use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism."
"That's very different talk than what we're hearing today about a 'Muslim ban,'" Lauer said. "Do you think the president's position on this has been well thought out?"
Bush responded that the right to worship freely, or to not worship at all, is a bedrock of freedom in the U.S.
"You see, I understood right off the bat, Matt, that this is an ideological conflict, and people who murder the innocent are not religious people," Bush said. "They want to advance an ideology, and we have faced those kinds of ideologues in the past."
Asked point blank if he supports the ban on travel from the seven predominantly Muslim countries that were included in Trump's executive order, which is now being challenged in the courts, Bush said he is "for an immigration policy that is welcoming and that upholds the law."
In the conversation with People, Bush said "I don't like the racism."
The People interview, in Bush's painting studio at his Dallas home, was conducted by journalist Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, a former wire-service reporter who covered the Bush presidency. She asked if he would begin to speak out more, to take on some sort of leadership role. Bush responded that he won't be doing that. But his Presidential Library in Dallas is involved in the issues of the day.
Here's a passage from the interview, where Bush describes the work he and former First Lady Laura Bush are doing:
"... at the Bush Center we are speaking up." The couple list some of the center's work that stands in contrast to Trump's isolationism: immigration ceremonies, women's reproductive-health programs in Africa, and leadership training for Muslim women that the Bush Center brings to Texas from the Middle East. Asked if Trump's determination to restrict immigration and travel from Muslim countries threatens the Bush Center programs, he shrugs. "Now that you mention it, it might bother me but we'll figure out how to bring them over." "There's a lot of ways to speak out," the former president says, "but it's really through actions defending the values important to Laura and me.... We're a blessed nation, and we ought to help others."
In both interviews, Bush does stop short of direct and blunt criticism of Trump. But his willingness to engage on controversial, ongoing topics involving the White House — and a president of his own Republican Party — is a significant departure from what he did during the eight years when his Democratic successor, President Obama, was in office. Bush might have simply said that this is all now on the current president's plate and declined to weigh in. He didn't.
There is no love lost between the Bush family and Trump. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — and by extension, George W. Bush — were often ridiculed by Trump during the 2016 primaries. "Low-energy Jeb" was one of Trump's favorite putdowns. Last year in February, George W. Bush campaigned for his younger brother in South Carolina, the state that turned out to be candidate Jeb Bush's last stand.
Perhaps this week's comments from the 43rd president stem from lingering bad feelings over 2016. Whatever the reason, they are consistent with his long-held belief. And they are a departure from his practice of not providing fodder that can be interpreted as casting judgment on a sitting president.
In these interviews — even as he promotes his paintings and his book about wounded warriors — he seemed to jettison any such concern.Months later, we had a fight. It was Father’s Day, and when I forgot to help carry some groceries inside he called me the laziest little girl in the world. I absolutely snapped. I told him he could not speak to me that way. I had never screamed at him before, but I was now. I was nearing 13 and still harboring anger about the time he forgot me, and remembering other times and events that now struck me as neglect, or at least indifference. He, in turn, said I was behaving like a child, that I was ungrateful, and some other very nasty things. Things that made me feel unloved, unwanted, burdensome. Despite my rage, I also felt that I had fallen short of being a good daughter. I ended my weekend visit by calling my mother to come pick me up. He didn’t even walk with me to the front of the apartment complex. He stood in the doorway and shouted at me to “Get your ass back here right now!” as I walked away in the blistering Florida heat, pink suitcase in tow.Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday allayed the fears of Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano regarding the presence of Chinese Navy and Coast Guard vessels as well as maritime militia in the northern part of Pag-asa Island.
Cayetano held a press conference at the House of Representatives where he is attending a series of committee hearings to brief lawmakers in closed-door sessions about talks for a joint exploration deal with China over the South China Sea.
READ: House panel discusses possible PH-China joint exploration of S. China Sea
Asked for his reaction to Alejano’s claim of a “suspicious massing up” of Chinese vessels north of Pag-asa Island and an alleged “threat to our interest,” Cayetano said there is no situation near Pag-asa Island that could prompt the country’s mutual interest now with China.
READ: Chinese vessels, militia spotted off Pag-asa Island — Alejano
He said the presence of Chinese ships could just form part of freedom of navigation being enjoyed not just by China, but even the country’s key ally the United States.
Cayetano, however, did not confirm that such ships and militia were spotted near Pag-asa Island.
“I can’t confirm or deny because this is part of the discussion with command center but I’ll tell you continuous yan. We will tell you if this is a cause for diplomatic or a military alarm,” Cayetano said
“The presence of ships alone does not mean anything. Let me ask congressman Alejano, why are we not concerned with the US doing freedom of navigation? Ang lalaki ng ships nila (They have big ships). You know why? Because they are allies,” Cayetano added.
Cayetano said the situation in the Pag-asa island remains stable.
“While I can’t tell you the details, I can tell you the communication is there. There’s reasons for certain presence of certain vessels, but it’s the situation in the area is very stable,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano warned Alejano against portraying China as an enemy and stirring up the situation at a time the countries are negotiating to ease the tension on the disputed waters.
“If we keep looking at China as the enemy, every time may movement sila, masyado tayo nagre-react (everytime they have movement, we are exaggerating our reaction).. It’s good we have people like Congressman Alejano who reminds us to monitor the situation. But there’s a thin line between informing us and stirring up the situation,” Cayetano said.
“There is no situation there that is a cause of lowering mutual trust between all of the claimants at this point in time,” he added.
For his part, Philippine Coast Guard commodore Joel Garcia said the Chinese vessels may just be practicing freedom of navigation, which does not constitute a violation of international law.
The coast guard has also yet to verify Alejano’s allegation that a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel was prevented by Chinese fishing vessels from going near Pag-asa island, he added.
“As what the Secretary of Foreign Affairs mentioned earlier, if it does not affect our sovereignty, specifically the areas where we have sovereign rights, I don’t think the Chinese vessels are violating international law,” Garcia said.
Garcia also advised the public not to be “too biased” against China.
“We should not be biased against Chinese ships,” Garcia said.
Cayetano said the foreign policy of the administration is to ease the tense ties build up during the previous administration with China, at a time the Asean-member states are negotiating the draft of a Code of Conduct that would guide the activities on the South China Sea.
“What President (Rodrigo) Duterte is trying to do, kung dito tayo nagsimula then nag-escalate, pina-plateau muna natin, status quo. Let’s not make it worse,” Cayetano said.
In a press conference Tuesday, Alejano said sources told him of a “suspicious massing up of Chinese Navy and Coast Guard and maritime militias north of Pag-asa Island, a threat to our interest in West Philippine Sea.”
“I received information from my sources in the military, stating that since three days ago, China has deployed two frigates, one Coast Guard vessel, and two large fishing vessels, with their maritime militia, one to three nautical miles north of Pag-asa Island,” Alejano said.
Alejano said he also received report two days ago, that a Philippine government vessel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was prevented by Chinese fishing vessels from going near the Pag-asa island.
“Further, the report said, two days ago a Philippine government ship from BFAR was prevented by Chinese fishing vessels from going near our sand bars located generally west of Pag-asa Island, around two to seven miles away,” Alejano said.
Alejano said this is a proof that Chinese vessels continue to harass Philippine fishermen despite cooler ties with China. JPV
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China sea row ‘a balancing act’At The New York Times, Chris Buckley reports on an online letter written by a Xinhua employee denouncing China’s increasingly tight media controls, which according to the widely shared (and quickly deleted) post “has triggered tremendous fear and outrage among the public, [who have began to] worry about another Cultural Revolution.” Xi Jinping has done much to strengthen government control over the media. Last month, he paid a visit to leading state media outlets to stress that news must “speak for the Party.” After the president’s Media tour, outspoken Internet commentator and retired property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang found himself banished from social media for suggesting that media should first serve the people who fund it.
“Under the crude rule of the Internet control authorities, online expression has been massively suppressed, and the public’s freedom of expression has been violated to an extreme degree,” said the letter, which spread quickly online in China and was taken down just as swiftly.
[…] The letter was issued in the name of Zhou Fang, who gave his work address as Xinhua News Agency headquarters in Beijing, and included his cellphone number and identity card number. A man who answered the phone at that number said that he was Mr. Zhou, an employee of Xinhua, and that he had written the letter.
“I don’t deny that,” he said. He said that he had been an editor at the news agency and that he now held an administrative job. “I can’t say anything more, because you’re foreign media,” he said.
[…] The new letter criticized the denunciations of Mr. Ren [Zhiqiang] on party-run websites, which called him a traitor and a subversive for taking issue with Mr. Xi’s demand that state-run media unfailingly obey the party.
[…] “The recent Internet security incident of ‘surrounding and attacking Ren Zhiqiang’ in a kind of Cultural Revolution-style mass criticism brought the delinquency of responsibilities and abuses of power by the Internet authorities to an extreme,” said the letter, which was dated Monday but spread widely only on Friday. […] [Source]Doctor Who may be the world’s longest-running science fiction television series, but it’s not the oldest sci-fi program to have been broadcast on television. That honor goes to another BBC production, which first aired 78 years ago today: a live recording of Karel Čapek’s seminal play, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots).
Written by Čapek in 1920, R.U.R. is a cornerstone not just for science fiction, but also real-life technological advancements – famously, Čapek coined the Czech word “robota” to mean an artificially created person, which was later translated into English as “robot.” On the surface, however, Rossum’s robots have very little to do with the various machines that use the term today.
As Noah Berlatsky writes for the Atlantic:
[R.U.R.] imagined its artificial servants not as metal men of nuts and bolts, but as biological products, much like clones. Domin, the robot-factory manager in the play, cheerfully gives a tour pointing out "the spinning mill for nerves. The spinning mill for veins. The spinning mill where miles and miles of digestive tract are made at once." These first robots were fleshy, goopy beings that grew like biological critters. In the play, robots are basically human bodies borne of mechanical production and process.
Rossum’s robots may be biological in nature, but they set the blueprint for all of science fiction’s robot uprisings, from The Terminator to The Matrix. At first, most of the human characters in R.U.R. see the robots as little more than appliances made in human shape, but as the robots become fed up with their place in society, they rebel. Eventually, they drive humanity toward extinction only to learn that they themselves cannot reproduce without the aid of their former masters.
While the play has fallen into relative obscurity over the decades, it was controversial when it first premiered. The New York Times panned the play when it started its run in the United States, but it curried favor with writers and poets who found power in Čapek's allegory of politics, power and technology, Erin Blakemore writes for Mental Floss.
“In its various windings, R.U.R. is significant, important, teasing, quizzical, funny, terrible, paradoxical," poet and writer Carl Sandburg writes in a letter to the editor for the New York Times, defending the play.
Just two years after the BBC Television Service launched, R.U.R. was adapted into the 35-minute-long production that aired on February 11, 1938 at 3:20 p.m. It’s unclear whether any recordings survived the decades, but it’s worth noting that the play's special effects made it a natural fit for the television format. A week before BBC first aired the program, the Radio Times advertised R.U.R. as “a play that should lend itself very well indeed to television from the point of view of effects.” Granted, the effects were probably rudimentary and the production may have used more than its fair share of tin foil, but a marketing first is still a first.
R.U.R. might have peaked in popularity in the 1920s and '30s, but it remains the bedrock that much of modern science fiction draws on. To this day, the play is occassionally adapted and revived, and its themes run through many television shows and movies now in production. Whether it is Doctor Who, The Terminator or The Matrix, each of these science fiction franchises has a piece of Rossum's Universal Robots at its core.Today is a two parter, hey I got to make up for missed time right. The first segment will be the new version of PermaEthos let us call it PermaEthos 3.0. I think it will blow you away. Some may be a bit unhappy about the change at first but I believe when you hear the entire concept you will be more excited than ever before.
Then we turn to a conversation with John Bush on the evolutionary value of bitcoin. With John we will discuss what bitcoin really is and why it is “valuable” at all. We will also discuss why you would want to us it in your business and how that will benefit your business with no risk.
We also discuss why bitcoin and frankly crypto currency in general is useful in the quest for a free society. Along with how bitcoin can work for survivalists, using the bitcoin network for things other that just a medium of exchange and more.
John Bush was born and raised in Austin, Texas where he has become a notorious community activist. He lives on a small farmstead with his fiance and fellow rabble rouser, Catherine Bleish, and their daughter, Aliana. Their family raises chickens and maintains a vegetable garden with several friends. John has dedicated over a decade to promoting the ideals of a free society through grassroots mobilization campaigns, speaking on liberty issues across the country, and epic Facebook debates.
John has made his presence known to the city council and state legislature through his consistent dedication to liberty activism and his unique use of street theater to garnish local media attention. Currently he gives speeches on the philosophy of liberty, Agenda 21, and activist strategies.
Resources for today’s show…
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Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.Le génie du mal (installed 1848) or The Genius of Evil or the genie of evil or the spirit of evil, known informally in English as Lucifer or The Lucifer of Liège,[1] is a religious sculpture executed in white marble by the Belgian artist Guillaume Geefs. Francophone art historians most often refer to the figure as an ange déchu, a "fallen angel". It is located within the elaborate pulpit (French chaire de vérité, "seat of truth") of St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, and depicts a classically beautiful man in his physical prime, chained, seated, and nearly nude but for drapery gathered over his thighs, his full length ensconced within a mandorla of bat wings. Geefs' work replaces an earlier sculpture created for the space by his younger brother Joseph Geefs, L'ange du mal, which was removed from the cathedral because of its distracting allure and "unhealthy beauty".[2]
In the late 1980s, a photograph of Le génie du mal became a focal point of Himmelsweg, an art installation by the Liège-born artist Jacques Charlier on the theme of seductive evil and the danger of obscuring the memory of the Holocaust.
Two spirits, one site [ edit ]
Le génie du mal is set within an open niche formed at the base of twin ornate staircases carved with gothic floral motifs.[3] The curved railing of the semi-spiral stairs reiterates the arc of the wings, which are retracted and cup the body. The versions by Guillaume and Joseph are strikingly similar at first glance and appear inspired by the same human model. For each, the fallen angel sits on a rock, sheltered by his folded wings; his upper torso, arms, and legs are nude, his center-parted hair nape-length. The veined, membranous wings are articulated like a bat's, with a prominent thumb claw; the knobby, sinewy olecr |
uably the nation’s most effective anti-poverty program.” IRS data (PDF) reveals that nearly two-thirds of RAL recipients received the EITC in 2009, compared with just 17 percent of taxpayers overall.
The good news is that RALs might be on their way out. As Rivlin points out, “while bank regulators in Washington have stopped short of outlawing RALs, they’ve managed to make life more difficult—and therefore less profitable—for the banks.” In February 2010, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a set of guidelines for banks involved in RAL lending. Among other requirements, the policy memo (PDF) included the expectation that lenders should clearly disclose to their clients that they can file their refund electronically for no cost, and inform EITC recipients that taking out a RAL loan can “substantially reduce” their benefits.
Then, last August, the IRS got rid of the debt indicator, which alerted lenders if a client was likely to have his refund garnished. It was “basically a free government check” explains consumer advocate Chi Chi Wu. Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, JPMorgan Chase, and HSBC (the bank behind H&R Block) all backed out of the RAL business for the 2010 filing season, leaving only three smaller banks to make the loans.
The bad news, despite the crackdown, is that tax preparers have plenty of ways to milk their most vulnerable clients—not the least of which is the exhorbitant prices they charge for preparing returns. A quick rundown:
1. Refund anticipation checks: With this product, a bank opens a temporary account where the IRS deposits a person’s refund. A RAC costs around $30, and sometimes tax preparers, as Rivlin witnessed firsthand, will sell these to clients who already have bank accounts and thus wouldn’t need this product. RACs brought in around $400 million for the tax-prep industry last year. As one Jackson Hewitt franchise owner remarked: “Yes, we are hurting, but we’ve had surprising success converting RAL clients to [RACs].”
2. Add-on fees: Small chains have been known to charge customers multiple add-ons—such as application, document processing, e-filing, and technology fees—costing customers who qualify for the EITC an extra $37 million during the 2009 tax season. Though the three biggest tax-prep chains (H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and Liberty Tax Service) had promised to stop charging add-on fees by 2007, the National Consumer Law Center found that Jackson Hewitt had reinstituted its “Data and Document Storage” fee in 2010 and 2011.
3. “Paystub” loans: This loan, usually $1,000 or less, is made before the customer has received a W-2, and is based on estimated tax returns. H&R Block’s version is the Emerald Advance Line of Credit. “The issue with this is if you don’t get your tax refund, well, how are you going to pay the loan back?” says Chi Chi Wu. The Emerald Advance line earned the company close to $78 million in interest in 2010.
4. Preloaded debit cards: Taxpayers can have their refunds downloaded directly onto a card. In fact, consumer advocates supported a 2011 Treasury pilot program that offered 600,000 low-cost cards to families who didn’t otherwise have a bank account. But consumers need to read the fine print for cards like the E1 Card from EPS Financial and the Get It Card from Advent Financial Services. These cards look and function like debit cards, but they’re not tied to bank accounts and therefore don’t have the same types of consumer protections. Plus, “fees can be high, multiple, and confusing,” writes (PDF) attorney Michelle Jun, of the Consumers Union.
5. Instant cash: H&R Block offers a service called Instant Cash Back, whereby “qualified” candidates can get their refund downloaded onto a debit card right away, minus the card fee and tax prep cost. Block charges $60 for a $600 refund—10 percent—and that doesn’t include the $1.99 it’ll cost you to make a withdrawal—or the $8.95+ “inactivity fee” imposed if you fail to use the card over a three-month period.Posted February 3, 2017 at 3:03 am
Really short draw distances become terrifying when applied to either reality or Silent Hill.
Back when I was first figuring out Sister 3 and how the heck everything was going to fit together, I considered a scene like this for re-introducing Sarah's spell. This was way before I'd sorted out a bunch of other details, such as when Pandora would talk to Sarah, but it is a fun fact that this is one of the earliest scenes I imagined for it.
Frankly, I'm glad this is later in the story, because now she doesn't have to say stuff like "for only a simulation" or "I'm experiencing this at an accelerated rate, but maybe I shouldn't take too long here", etc.
- EGS:NP (now up) during the day. (Previously written rant to follow) Hopefully not late in the day, but maybe? It's difficult to predict. There are times I wish I could see the future, but would there still be joy if I knew all that was ahead? This, too, I am uncertain of.
(For the record, it wound up being mid-afternoon)John Legend is standing with Colin Kaepernick in his decision not to stand during the national anthem, calling the "Star Spangled Banner" "weak," and saying he doesn't "truly love" the song.
"For those defending the current anthem, do you really truly love that song? I don't and I'm very good at singing it. Like, one of the best," he wrote on Twitter.
He continued, "My vote is for 'America the Beautiful.' 'Star Spangled Banner' is a weak song anyway."
My vote is for America the Beautiful. Star spangled banner is a weak song anyway. And then you read this... https://t.co/iAE62FAbxj — John Legend (@johnlegend) August 30, 2016
Legend then linked to an article on The Intercept titled, "Colin Kaepernick Is Righter Than You Know: The National Anthem Is a Celebration of Slavery."
The article makes the argument that an unsung verse of the Francis Scott Key poem is a musical, intellectual and moral "atrocity." The author claims the end of the rarely sung third verse "literally celebrates the murder of African-Americans."
The verse in question reads:
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
@Lindsey50783746 I agree that his protest wasn't about the lyrics. It's about the value of the lives of people of color in America. — John Legend (@johnlegend) August 30, 2016
Legend's tweets came in support of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand while the national anthem was being played during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Friday.
Kaepernick said on Sunday that his sitdown was for "people that are being oppressed" and he'll end the protest when "I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent."
When a Twitter user challenged Legend over his protest of the anthem's lyrics, Legend responded "I agree that [Kaepernick's] protest wasn't about the lyrics. It's about the lives of people of color in America."Second Life Suggestions as the name suggests is a new way for directly taking SLer requests (you need to log in with your account to submit one):
Just sign-in with your Second Life account, select the topic or category that’s most appropriate, and describe your suggestion in the text box. Once you submit, you’ll see a confirmation page and receive an automated email as well. We won’t be able to reply individually to each suggestion, but every idea will be routed to the appropriate Lindens and each one will be reviewed and considered.
I just put in my suggestion (above), which of course, makes it the absolute top priority suggestion in the history of the world. (Well, maybe not, but I am convinced it's important.) The process is much more intuitive and easy than JIRA, the overly complex bug tracker which long ago also became a way for hardcore SLers to vent about various dramas.
That said, my guess is this new Suggestion system will rarely be used (unless it's tweaked, for a very obvious reason):ORLANDO – July 31, 2015 – Orlando City SC has launched the public on-sale of its 2016 season tickets. As previously announced, the Club raised season ticket capacity for next year to 18,000 seats to meet the heightened demand for the coming season. Following the fulfillment of 2015 renewals and the 2016 waitlist, less than two thousand seats remain.
To purchase season tickets, fans can call 855-ORL-CITY or visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com/tickets. Fans who make their purchase before August 14 can take advantage of preferred pricing, which includes discounts as high as 35 percent off regular pricing.
The 2016 Season Ticket Package includes 18 matches – 17 Major League Soccer (MLS) games and one exhibition/U.S. Open Cup match.
“Today also marks a special day for all our fans as the remaining 2016 season tickets go on sale to the general public,” said Club Founder and President Phil Rawlins. “We increased season ticket cap to 18,000 to accommodate demand and the renewal period has been very busy. We encourage all who are currently on the fence about buying season tickets to take advantage of the preferred pricing before the August 14 deadline.”
Explore All Of The New Stadium Renderings View
Downtown Stadium Details Announced:
The Club also hosted a press conference today to announce additional details about its new downtown stadium and unveiled a series of new renderings. The renderings are available at www.OrlandoCitySC.com/stadium.
“We are thrilled with the work to date and proud to unveil the latest set of renderings for our home in downtown,” said Majority Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva. “This new privately financed stadium will be a state-of-the-art venue for our Club and for our fans. It will also create more jobs for the community and bring significant economic impact to the city of Orlando and surrounding communities. With construction underway, we look forward to hosting the first games in the new stadium later next year.”
Following weeks of meetings with designers, the new stadium will feature:
425,000 square-foot multi-purpose stadium
Increased capacity of approximately 25,500 seats – added seating in the corners of the stadium and in the South end
A canopy roof covering the North, East, South and West stands
Enhanced premium amenities in the East stands
31 suites including a 90-person “super suite” and a 59-person group suite
8,400 square-foot indoor Club in the West stand
10,000 square-foot open air Supporters Terrace
360-degree concourse with additional concessions and fan amenities for a premier fan experience
All-natural grass playing surface eight feet below grade
Construction on the stadium has begun and the projected timeline remains for the summer of 2016. Over the next several months, construction of the new stadium will require:
4,800 tons of steel and 1,000 tons of rebar – equal to more than 25 Statues of Liberty
20,000 cubic yards of concrete – enough to fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools
The Orlando City SC Stadium Project Team is comprised of some of the most decorated firms in the industry: Barton Malow, which currently oversees the DAYTONA Rising project in Daytona Beach, is the project’s general contractor and will manage stadium construction; ICON Venue Group, with experience in nine previous MLS stadium projects, oversees development and project management; and Populous, whose prior design work includes the Amway Center and all three NFL venues in Florida, serves as lead designer on the project.Sporting 10-gallon hat, Cheney tells Coast Guard grads: War will not drag on indefinitely RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday May 21, 2008
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Print This Email This (Update at bottom: Spokeswoman explains why Cheney wore cowboy hat) Vice President Dick Cheney told newly minted Coast Guard officers Wednesday that the war on terror would be won on their watch and dismissed fears that fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan would drag on indefinitely. Cheney, sporting a 10-gallon hat, said the troop surge in Iraq "has succeeded brilliantly." "The war on terror is a lengthy enterprise, but it does not have to go on forever," he told more than 200 graduating cadets during the 127th commencement at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. "The only way to lose this fight is to quit. That would be irresponsible," Cheney said. "More than that, quitting would be an act of betrayal and dishonor. And it's not going to happen on our watch." The commencement address was Cheney's second in four years at the academy. He was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. President Bush addressed graduates last year. Cheney told graduates that they will lead a branch of service that is more capable and agile than at any time in its 217-year history. "From this day forward, you will be America's lifesavers and guardians of the seas," Cheney said. "You'll be there to provide security and to defend our American sovereignty and to enforce this nation's laws against drugs and human smuggling." He told the cadets they have been given "an immense set of duties" that will cover some 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline. The vice president's visit was both cheered and jeered by demonstrators who arrived early outside the main gates. Ted Bakacs said he drove down from Boston to join about two dozen war supporters, members of a group dubbed Gathering of Eagles. They waved American flags and toted signs saying "Proud to be an American" and "Support our Troops." "We're proud of our government," said Bakacs, an Air Force veteran. "We're proud to be American." Their message was countered by the more than 100 anti-war protesters, who gathered in the center of this waterfront city and marched silently to the sounds of a slow drum beat to the academy gates. They carried placards that said, "War is Death" and "Dick Cheney: War Criminal." Jason Ortiz, a 24-year-old University of Connecticut student, arrived early dressed as the grim reaper. "I'm against people getting slaughtered so other people can make this money off of it," Ortiz said. Media: What's up with the hat? According to a spokesperson, the vice president had a perfectly legitimate reason for wearing a cowboy hat at the graduation ceremony. Connecticut reporter Ted Mann asked a "very considerate spokeswoman" for Cheney, "What's up with that hat?" "Its to protect his head from the sun," Megan Mitchell, the spokeswoman explained. Mann writes, "Well. There goes our still-developing theory about the airfoil properties of ten-gallon hat brims. Shoot." One media outlet noted that the "weather led to something of a fashion statement by Cheney, who looked every bit the man from Wyoming." However one blogger from the left had a different take. "Judging from the content of his speech, the hat was not only a Texas-style head accessory, but also a vestiary middle finger to the world," Chris in D.C. writes at Inside-Out the Beltway. "It put an exclamation point on the now-clear fact that Bush and Cheney intend to swagger past their final days in office with every bit as much empty-headed bluster as the first time they recklessly aimed their silver-plated six-shooters at the country and the global community." (with wire reports)CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, skipped a classified briefing in the U.S. Senate to campaign for president here on Wednesday.
“Rubio missed a classified briefing today on Iran—a signature issue for him—as he held a rally w/ Josh Mandel here in Cleveland,” Bloomberg Politics’ Sahil Kapur wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
Rubio’s spokesman Alex Conant has not responded to a Breitbart News inquiryas to why the senator skipped the classified Iran briefing to campaign.
But earlier in the day, while speaking to a rally appearing alongside Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Rubio joked that the reason he skipped the briefing was to come to Cleveland to try to convince Cavaliers star LeBron James to come back to Miami to play for the Miami Heat.
“I came in early today trying to convince Lebron James to come back to Miami,” Rubio told what the Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas described as “roughly 400 cheering supporters” he gathered inside a barroom.
“Don’t worry. It didn’t work. It didn’t work,” Rubio quickly added.
Rubio has made Iran a centerpiece of his campaign, but skipping briefings on the issue to campaign for president isn’t going to be a very popular thing for him—or anyone—among the Republican electorate.
Rubio, nonetheless, made the cut for this first debate and will be one of the candidates on the main stage here in Cleveland on Thursday evening. The Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier, and Chris Wallace will be moderating the debate. It is unclear at this point if they’ll ask Rubio about skipping national security meetings to campaign.
Rubio, as Politico has reported earlier this year, has one of the worst records of attendance of all lawmakers on Capitol Hill.BitMillions
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New BitMillions Affiliate Program - New BitMillions Affiliate Program - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=155027.0Making his debut for KingFut, Egyptian football fan Habib El Magrissy gives his perspective on the national team and the vital role Bob Bradley has played thus far.
On February 1, 2012 at approximately 7:35 p.m. local time, referee Fahim Omar blew his whistle, bringing to an end the match at Port Said Stadium between Egyptian Premier League rivals Al-Masry and Al-Ahly. What happened next stunned the world and cast a dark cloud over Egyptian football that is still looming over its head today.
The Port Said stadium disaster that left 74 people dead, mostly young Ahly fans, was unquestionably the biggest disaster in Egypt’s football history. The ensuing fallout included the dissolution of the Egyptian Football Federation, the banning of all fans from stadiums, and the cancellation of the Egyptian Premier League. Almost a year later, the league has not yet resumed – successive attempts by the Egyptian Football Association have been met with protests and threats by the “Ultras Ahlawy” group, Ahly fans demanding justice for what they see as a targeted massacre of their members. Yesterday, an Egyptian court announced a death penalty verdict against 21 of the accused- sparking new violence that has left at least 33 people dead and cast the country into a state of turmoil. Through all of the chaos, the Egyptian national football squad, the Pharaohs, have been left in a state of uncertainty. And at the helm is American head coach Bob Bradley, in charge since he first arrived to the country in September 2011. He had one fixture, a 2-0 friendly loss to Brazil in Doha, before the disaster struck in February.
Bob Bradley Walks, Like An Egyptian
The first reaction, and perhaps most logical for Bradley as a foreigner living and working in a nation suddenly plunged into pandemonium, would be to catch the first flight out of the country. But he didn’t. The very next day, he (accompanied by his wife Lindsay) took to the streets with thousands of Egyptians and mourned the dead. He gave interviews to the local media, voicing his disbelief and sadness that more than 70 young people could die watching a football match. He mingled with the fans and listened to them, something he has always been doing since his arrival in Egypt. On more than one occasion, he visited Egypt’s Children’s Cancer Hospital to express his support and even donated some of his own money to help. He also visited the families of the martyrs, both of the Port Said disaster and other events that have rocked Egypt. This striking video shows him hugging a father who lost his son in a violent protest in November, a look of genuine sadness on his face. Despite the near-uncontrollable issues plaguing Egypt, Bradley has embraced the country fully rather than locking himself in a box and just trying to get on with his job.
Bradley has embedded himself into the Egyptian environment he now calls home, and has never made himself unavailable or distant from Egyptians, always listening to what they have to say and speaking to them. Most importantly, he spoke of what he was working to do next. There was no backing down, no sign that he was planning on cutting his losses and leaving. He took it upon himself to rally the traumatized players, many of whom were at the stadium in Port Said when the tragedy happened – Ahly legend Mohamed Abou-Treika held a dying fan in his arms in the away locker room and announced his retirement from football in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy – a statement he thankfully later went back on. Throughout it all, Bradley was visibly supportive and even inspiring. Instead of wavering, he was completely committed to continuing the job he came to Egypt to do- in the process, earning the respect and admiration of the Egyptian public. It became clear to all that Bradley was staying- staying to try and fulfill the dream of 80 million Egyptians, a dream that has shrunk over the years to become nothing more than a distant wish – taking Egypt to a World Cup.
So Bradley went to work, despite a situation around him that was unsettling and potentially explosive. With the team unable to play at home due to the deteriorated security situation, a training camp in the calmer environment of Doha was organized. On February 27th, he led Egypt to their first win of 2012, a 5-0 victory over Kenya. More training camps and friendly matches followed, despite the fact that only Egypt-based players were available for Bradley’s selection, with stars such as Ahmed Elmohamady, Adam El-Abd and Mohamed Salah all playing abroad. The friendly matches proved to be useful warm-ups, as Bradley won 10 of his first 13 matches as Egypt Coach. Then, in June 2012, Bradley’s first competitive fixtures were upon him. It was time for him to attempt to accomplish what no coach since Mahmoud El-Gohary in 1990 had succeeded in achieving- qualification for a FIFA World Cup™. To be at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Egypt need to top a tricky group of Guinea, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and then win a two-legged tie against a fellow group winner. The enormity of this task is added to by the lack of an active Egyptian league – with no domestic football and an unclear future for footballers in Egypt, Bradley is unable to scout local talent or pick players based on form. The little time he had to prepare was spent outside of Egypt with only a partial squad, and veteran local players such as Ahmed Hassan and Wael Gomaa were required to take on even greater leadership roles than usual. With the first qualifier (a home fixture against Mozambique) set for June 1st, Bradley was well and truly leading his team into unfamiliar and unknown territory.
In the first match of Egypt’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, and Bradley’s first competitive match in charge, Egypt defeated Mozambique 2-0 to get off to a winning start. Mohamed Zidan and Mahmoud Fathallah scored the goals, but instead of being met with the roar of thousands of approving fans, there was silence- the match was played in an empty Borg El-Arab stadium, with Egyptians listening to the match on the radio or watching on TV in coffee shops around the country. Five days later, Egypt won their second match of the campaign, defeating Guinea (in Guinea) 3-2 in a close game and what was undoubtedly one of the toughest fixtures of the group stage. As of today, Egypt sits atop World Cup qualifying group G.
At his first major competitive obstacle as head coach, Bradley passed with flying colors. Suddenly, people on the streets of Egypt had a reason to talk about football again, and the gloomy darkness that descended on the country after Port Said was no longer as apparent. The next World Cup qualifier is in March, when Egypt will play Zimbabwe at home. By then, the Egyptian League is supposed have resumed – the new Egyptian Football Federation recently announced the league fixtures, with the 2013 season scheduled to commence on February 2nd. However, with Egypt currently in a state of disarray after the partial verdict was announced, violence has spread and Ultras fan groups are protesting across the country. No one can say for sure whether or not the league will go ahead, and Bradley may well continue to have to try and do his job under chaotic circumstances.
Another option for him is to simply leave, and no one would blame him – how can any coach, especially a foreign one, be expected to succeed in such circumstances? But I for one, hope he stays. I hope he leads Egypt against Zimbabwe in March, and all the World Cup qualifiers to follow. If Bradley stays, the sliver of hope that exists in my heart, the hope that exists in the hearts of all Egyptians, could be realized. History could be made and new national footballing heroes could emerge. For the first time in 24 years, at Brazil 2014, Egyptians just might have the chance to cheer on their national team at a World Cup.
Habib El Magrissy is an Egyptian football columnist for KingFut. He can be found on Twitter @habibelm.After years of discussion about the idea, the federal government has launched consultations on creating a national food policy.
“Developing this food policy is an exciting opportunity for Canadians to have their say about how government can help address those opportunities and challenges that exist in our food system,” said Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, announcing the consultations during a speech at the Canadian Association for Food Studies meeting at Ryerson University in Toronto on Monday.
Canadians are encouraged to share their input as part of an online survey, found here.
The survey questions and the consultations revolve around four broad themes:
increasing access to affordable food;
improving health and food safety;
conserving our soil, water, and air; and
growing more high-quality food.
There will also be a summit held in Ottawa June 22 and 23rd where stakeholders, experts and policy-makers will be invited to share their views on developing a national food policy.
Developing a national food policy is one of the tasks Prime Minister Trudeau gave MacAulay in his ministerial mandate letter.
Related:Image caption Carwyn Jones is meeting Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh later on Tuesday
The UK government cannot be trusted on Brexit after it cancelled a planned upgrade of the railways for Swansea, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.
Whitehall had tried to "sideline" Wales, he said, pointing to a decision to stop electrification beyond Cardiff.
His comments came ahead of a meeting to discuss Brexit with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh.
Talks between the Welsh and UK governments are due to happen in September.
But Mr Jones said that "so far they have refused to speak to us or Northern Ireland or Scotland."
First Secretary of State Damian Green met Scotland's Brexit Minister Michael Russell in Edinburgh last August, but the talks resulted in no agreement.
UK ministers have said the devolved administrations will not lose any powers as a result of withdrawing from the EU.
Under the plans for the UK government's repeal bill, powers returning from Brussels would be held in Westminster until new rules - on things such as farm subsidies - are agreed between the UK and devolved nations.
However the Welsh Government has described the plans as a "power grab" - and Mr Jones said he did not believe assurances that powers would only remain in London temporarily.
On Tuesday, he Scottish and Welsh governments agreed to propose changes to that bill.
'Flying out the window'
"Why should I believe a UK government that told us it would electrify the mainline to Swansea? That went flying out the window," Mr Jones told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme.
"Unfortunately no, I don't believe the UK government on this."
There needed to be a "common way forward" between the "partnership of four nations", he said.
The Welsh Labour leader also denied there was a rift between him and Jeremy Corbyn over the best deal for Britain.
He said Mr Corbyn shared his view that the UK should retain as much access as possible to the European single market, without trade tariffs.
"We're in pretty much the same position," he said.
The UK government played down notions of a rift with the Welsh government, with one source calling the first minister's comments "frustrating".
Senior officials on both sides were talking to each other on a daily basis behind the scenes, the source said.
Prior to Mr Jones's comments, a UK government spokeswoman said: "It is our expectation that the outcome of this process will provide greater decision-making power for each devolved administration and we are committed to positive and productive discussions going forward."
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, dubbed Mr Jones's meeting in Scotland an "unhelpful sideshow", which he said was "just the latest in a long line of attempts by Carwyn Jones to undermine Brexit".As someone that loves capturing long exposures on my DSLR it may come as no surprise that I also like to explore the possibilities of capturing long exposures with my iPhone. Photographing long exposures with the iPhone is made possible with apps like Slow Shutter or Average Cam Pro(AvgCamPro).
For this article, I’ll be focusing on what I’m familiar with which is the iPhone, Slow Shutter and AvgCamPro. Both are great apps with AvgCamPro having a slightly steeper learning curve so I’d recommend learning it before you head on out. It’s not rocket science but just requires you to sit down for a few minutes to get your head around how it works. Slow Shutter on the other hand is relatively straight forward and has become more user friendly through recent releases.
What you will need
One thing I love about experimenting with long exposures on your iPhone is the low barrier to entry. You don’t need to go out and purchase an expensive neutral density filter nor do you need a cutting edge camera or lens. You just need an iPhone and tripod to support your phone. Sorry but how amazing is that?! The purpose of this section is to look at what equipment and apps are useful (in some cases not essential) for capturing long exposures with your iPhone.
iPhone
No surprises! I use the iPhone 6 Plus myself and have found the camera on it great for slow shutter. I wanted to include this section to briefly touch on the exciting development’s Apple is making by allowing developers more control over the camera functionality. Since iOS 8, greater manual control has been provided to developers as evident with Peta Pixel’s review of ProCam 2 which makes use of the new manual controls available. Hopefully we are in for some exciting times ahead.
iPhone Tripod
Like capturing a long exposure on your DSLR you will need something to stabilise your phone during the exposure. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Gorilla Pod for its portability and ability to easily stabilise your camera in an awkward position. On a recent trip to Sri Lanka I’d often just stuff the little tripod in my partners’ handbag without any issue. The convenience of being able to easily pack it and pull it out when required was great and allowed me to capture scenes that I may not have normally brought a larger tripod along for.
The table below explores some of the more popular tripods for the iPhone including a mini tripod, flexible leg tripod and different mounts that allow for you to mount your smart phone to your DSLR hot shoe or tripod.
Picture Name Type Positives Negatives Price Average Review Joby GripTight XL Gorillapod Flexible leg tripod - Allows you to set up and fix your camera in awkward positions (wrap around a tree, sit it on a rock, etc)
- Expands open enough to support new, larger smart phones such as the iPhone 6 Plus |
.”
But Poole says they won’t do anything different as a group, just because they are facing Brady.
“Tom Brady is a great quarterback, but we’ve played against a lot of great quarterbacks,” said Poole. “This is not our first test, we’ve been tested before.”
Even as the Falcons defense has dramatically improved over the last six weeks, Poole says they can still hit a higher ceiling on Sunday.
“We definitely have more stuff to work on,” said Poole. “I wouldn’t say were complete yet. But we’re definitely going in the right direction.”Several days ago Robert Spencer posted the photograph of a sign advertising a Muslim propaganda meeting, as part of a college-campus “Islam Awareness Week,” to which someone had helpfully added the annotation “Sura 9:5.” This cryptic addition directed would-be visitors to Qur’an 9:5, the “Verse of the Sword” that commands Muslims thus:
And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
That’s not a verse Muslim propagandists are likely to want to have the attention of non-Muslims drawn to; nor are they likely to want non-Muslims to become aware of other, quite similar verses preaching hate and homicide, such as Sura 9:29:
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
Or Sura 2:191-192:
…fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you…[2.191] And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.
Or any others among what are often described as the “Jihad verses” in the Qur’an.
That anonymous annotator who scribbled “Sura 9:5” was onto something.
To be effective in countering Muslim propaganda, it will not do only to denounce, without more, an ideology called “Islam” or people called “Muslims.” That simply signifies, to the simple-minded, that the denouncer is “intolerant” and an “Islamophobe.” Always and everywhere, those informed about, and therefore worried about, Islam, should attempt to force the actual Islamic texts, by constant quotation, into our collective consciousness. We must put Muslims on the detailed defensive, so that they are not simply standing up for something called “Islam,” but made to acknowledge, and forced to try to explain, or explain away, the most disturbing passages in the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira. It is much harder for Muslims to justify a specific blood-curdling verse than to defend Islam in general terms.
And it would also be exceedingly useful to have mass-produced mini-posters displaying not just one but several dozen passages of the Qur’an, but also the proper names – say, those of little Aisha (age 9) and Asma bint Marwan and Abu ‘Afak – that might stimulate non-Muslims to look into Muhammad’s morality (the moral issues raised by his 9-year-old child bride, and his evident approval of the murders of those who mocked him in verse) – that need to be made part of a discussion of Muhammad, and that would be far more disturbing for defenders of the faith than such vasty terms as “Islam” and “Muslims.” If the hundreds of thousands, or perhaps by now a few million, of non-Muslims in this country who have educated themselves – not least through this site – about Islam, were to carry with them at all times several dozen of these mini-posters, adhesive paste on their backs, and of a size to be seen when affixed to any announcement of Muslim propagandizing that they run across, whether advertising an Infidels-Welcome Night at the local mosque, or a presentation of Islamic post-colonial victimhood before a university’s left-wing student group, or a soulful more-in-sorrow tale of victimhood before a churchful of interfaith outreach innocents, or AFDI-denouncing signs in subways and on buses, this would certainly make things much more difficult for Muslim propagandists engaged in the task of taqiyya.
In the same way, those few political candidates who have been warning publicly about Islam would be more effective by quoting from, and drawing attention to, the actual wording of Qur’anic texts. Imagine, for example, that instead of saying “I think Islam hates us” without more, Donald Trump had said: “Based on my reading of the Qur’an I don’t think it unreasonable to conclude that Islam inculcates hatred of non-Muslims. Let’s all start by looking at 9:5 and 9:29.” The difference in effect would be considerable. It is certainly not his wonted tone, but he can surely put that tone on for the occasion, playing the sudden scholar of Islam for the greater good. Then, to answer him, Muslim defenders would be stuck to the tar-baby of those impossible-to-explain-away verses from the Qur’an, and forced to discuss them. And the whole galere of their willing media collaborators – The New York Times, The Huffington Post, CNN, NPR, the BBC — would be forced to do the same, in reporting on this guerilla war of counter-posters. “And,” continues this revised edition of Trump (or, of course, of other candidates – Cruz? — who show a willingness to take Islam’s measure), “I’d like to learn more about Muhammad’s marriage to little Aisha, and about what happened to Asma bint Marwan and Abu ‘Afak.” All in a disingenuous spirit of Youth-Wants-To-Know. Once these names are put out there, they can’t be unremembered, their stories cannot be ignored, as defenders of Islam would much prefer. But by then it would be too late. Imagine a world where Muslims are forced to discuss not the abstract “Islam,” but the “Jihad verses” of the Qur’an and the marriage-and-murder record of Muhammmad the Perfect Man, as set out in the Sira and Hadith.
The more general and vague the charges made against Islam, the less effective and more easily challenged they will be; the more specific and textually-based those charges, the harder it will be for Muslims to ignore them. “Islam hates us” can be waved away; a Qur’anic passage, or several dozen, commanding Muslims to “Kill the Unbelievers,” can not. But don’t wait for last week’s scribbler of “Sura 9:5” to reappear; rather, pitch in yourself, follow his lead and expand upon his work with your own supply of pre-printed Post-It-Note lists of passages or personages from Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira, ready for affixing to a larger pro-Islam propaganda poster, whenever one crosses your path. For which would you rather encounter at this point in our collective confusion and doubt, on a college campus or a local mosque, accompanied by a Middle Eastern dinner and bake sale — an evening of “Islam Awareness” or what is a very different thing, an evening of Islam Awareness?The above GUI Breeze Wallet image is just a mockup and some features may not be available by the time of first public alpha release.
Breeze Wallet Enters Pre-Alpha Testing
Today we are proud to announce that we are making Breeze Wallet available for testing as a pre-alpha version to a limited audience of developers and aficionados.
For your convenience in helping us with our development efforts we have packaged this pre-alpha version as a virtual machine with all the required components. This includes some pre-installed software as well as the code for Breeze already cloned to /home/stratis/Breeze.
The Breeze Wallet Pre-Alpha Virtual Machine can be downloaded here.
Note: This download location is temporary for testing versions. Downloads for final versions will be made available from our own servers and domain locations.
Instructions:
1. Download and install VirtualBox: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
2. Download Stratis dev – Ubuntu 64-bit.ova
3. Import the VM:
Open VirtualBox.
Click File | Import Appliance.
Locate the.ova file.
Click Next.
Review the Appliance settings.
Click Import.
Log in with username ‘stratis dev’ and password ‘1234$abcd’.
1. get the latest version of Breeze: execute ‘git pull’ from a terminal window in “/home/stratis/Breeze”
2. run the API providing the back end to Breeze: execute ‘dotnet run -testnet’ from a terminal in “/home/stratis/Breeze/Breeze/src/Breeze.Daemon”
3. run the wallet’s GUI: execute ‘npm run start’ from a terminal window in “/home/stratis/Breeze/Breeze.UI”
After following these steps you will be able to go through the process of creating a wallet. Once you’ve decrypted your wallet should see the following:
* This is a work in progress test template. Not final UI /L &F
For any questions, don’t hesitate to talk to us on our Slack (bookmarked in Firefox) in the #breezewallet channel.
For bugs, either tell us directly or fill an issue on GitHub (bookmarked in Firefox).
Thanks for your support and we look forward to hearing about your experience with the Breeze wallet
The Stratis TeamWomen’s football in India has been a victim of failed organisation and failed commercial campaigns, since time immemorial. To change this scenic view and perhaps evolve a sleeping giant into a proactive one, the AIFF has proposed anAi??ISL stylized league. The league is set to follow a franchisee based pattern and would be three to four months long. With talks of a massive ‘change’ in Indian Women’s football surfacing, we decided to heed expert advice and indulged in a conversation with Bembem Devi, a name synonymous to women’s football in India.
“Ofcourse, if it is done successfully, it will change the face of women’s football in India” says Bembem passionately, in an interview with TheHardTackle.
Bembem Devi, has been a veteran of Women’s team in India and recently led them to win the coveted SAFF Cup, held in Pakistan.
“It may be a different direction,but it will certainly bring professionalism- something which the country has perhaps lacked” she adds.
Although, franchisees could be difficult to garner and the league could be narrowed down to just three or four bodies,Bembem believes that the role of franchisees in public outreach is pivotal.
” I am sure that if the franchisees or co-owned bodies step up, the level and quality of football in the country will increase”
” In my opinion, the quality of the game could further be enhanced, if franchisees feature foreign players”
To further market the popularity of women’s football, Bollywood actresses could possibly co-own franchisees. Bembem agrees and points out that the league would be a commercial success, if this scenario unfolds.
Meanwhile, she has already fantasized about her favorite franchisee.
“I would love to be a part of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan‘s franchisee, if that is possible”
With the AIFF proposing the league to start somewhere in mid 2015, Bembem remains optimistic and hopes that the highly anticipated league, commences soon.
The league is expected to rocket Indian Women’s football to a national level and provide a solid framework for it’s running.
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(Anna Reed/Statesman-Journal via AP)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Senate has approved a measure that would incrementally increase the state's minimum wage over the next six years.
Democrats pushed the bill through on a 16-12 vote Thursday, saying it would help Portland residents handle growing costs of living without hurting businesses in rural areas.
The Oregonian reports Senate Bill 1532 passed after a floor debate that lasted six hours.
Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson, of Scappoose, voted no with Republicans.
The proposal introduced by Democratic Sen. Michael Dembrow, of Portland, would begin raising the current $9.25 an hour minimum in July.
Gradual increases would take place annually through 2022, when Portland's rate would be set at $14.75 an hour, other urban counties at $13.50 and rural counties at $12.50.
The measure heads next to the House for consideration.On March 12 2014, I took my little cousin home after she got off work... she was worried cause her baby had gotten away from the person who was watching him, but she had just bought a new runner and was going to put it up as soon as we found him.... before we got to her house, a neighbor named Kenny Woodburn shot Tank and then afterwards he posted a picture of it on facebook like a trophy....Tank was shot in his side (the side that was facing the house that he was heading away from) and then shot in the head.... To me that just proves that the dog was shot as he was trying to exit the area.... Not only did Mr. Woodburn shoot a puppy (yes Tank had just turned 1 in March) but he also resides next door to a daycare. The direction that he shot was the same direction as the daycare....The outcome that day was very sad but could have been worse....I am asking for support in having this person chaged with any and all charges possible especially endangering a childs (or childrens life).
To view the picture that Kenny posted click here https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=680072722054933&set=a.373807886014753.89218.365041583558050&type=1&theaterAn already thin Minnesota United FC roster has endured another injury hit.
Draftee Thomas de Villardi, who had just sent in his finished contract to the league Monday, left practice Wednesday on crutches, not bearing weight on his left leg. The defender, who had played left-back for United in preseason, had just recently recovered from a sprained ankle he hurt in the final preseason match.
Assistant coach Mark Watson said it was a non-contact injury, and the team will wait for the results from an MRI to know the extent of it.
De Villardi is the fifth injured player for United. Goalkeeper John Alvbage continued to train separately Wednesday with a knee laceration from the Atlanta match March 12. Defender Joe Greenspan joined in on training for the second day while third-choice goalkeeper Patrick McLain watched from the sidelines. Both are recovering from concussions, and coach Adrian Heath said Tuesday it would probably be too soon to see Alvbage, Greenspan or McLain play 1 p.m. Saturday at the New England Revolution.
Midfielder Bernardo Anor is also still on the disabled list with a leg injury.
"They're starting to add up a little bit," Watson said of the injuries. "If we're looking just at Thomas' case, it's a really tough one because he's worked hard.... He was doing really well, and he's just kind of got going again. And he's looked sharp since coming back from that first injury. So we feel really bad for him."
With de Villardi's injury, United will likely miss 10 of 27 players this weekend. Defender Justin Davis will serve a red card suspension while defender Francisco Calvo and midfielders Johan Venegas, Rasmus Schuller and Kevin Molino will be away on national team duty.
That means United will be one man short of a full 18-man match-day squad this weekend and will have just one surplus defender on the bench.THE WILD OATS PROJECT: One Woman’s Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost
By Robin Rinaldi
Sarah Crichton/Farrar Straus Giroux. 287 pp. $26
Get ready for “The Wild Oats Project.” And not just the book. Get ready for “The Wild Oats Project” phenomenon — the debates, the think pieces, the imitators and probably the movie. Get ready for orgasmic meditation and the Three Rules. Get ready for “My Clitoris Deals Solely in Truth” T-shirts.
Robin Rinaldi, a magazine journalist living in San Francisco by way of Scranton, Pa., initially wasn’t sure she wanted children, but she knew that Scott, her stoic Midwestern husband, did not. Over time, Rinaldi decided a baby would add purpose to their lives, but Scott wouldn’t change his mind. “I wanted a child, but only with him,” she explains. “He didn’t want a child |
survivor would just lie)...yet we don't see evidence of this when a fight does break out.
Matt, our MC, is very resourceful, and must come from an interesting background to be so prepared to kill- and having admitted to killing in the past. Again, this hints at a very violent world where being a mage does not grant you a reprieve from that violence. One point did leave me wondering - when Matt is attacked, the reason given doesn't follow as logical. Why would Matt be the initial target? For the reason stated, I would suspect a much different approach- much higher up in the chain at the academy. Unless there is something else about Matt that makes him worthy of being the initial target- something not revealed?
The tale is well written, and clearly the details of this world have been carefully mapped out. I am planning to check out the later installments to see if my questions from this tale are answered.The Romney campaign has been repeating the stat all week: Women account for 92.3 percent of jobs lost under Obama. That number is, everyone agrees, misleading. But that’s politics.
(Bart Ah You/Associated Press)
This is clearest when you take a look at median wages. Between 2006 and 2010, men’s average earnings fell by $2,433. Women’s earnings fell by about one-tenth as much, $253, according to analysis by Measure of America. As the Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s Jeff Hayes describes it, “in a lot of ways, we’re looking at his and hers recessions.”
Part of it has to do with growing disparities in educational attainment. Unemployment rates spiked the most for those without higher education. Women, who make up the majority of college-degree holders, found themselves more insulated from the economic downturn. In fact, those with a bachelor’s degree saw no change to their wages in the Social Science Research Council analysis.
“Women have earned the majority of college degrees for a little while,” says Kristen Lewis, co-director of Measure of America. “Even though that’s not necessarily reflected in closing the wage gap, it’s becoming increasingly important as women have had this protective effect.”
The wage gap matters, too. As Lewis puts it, with salaries lower than those of men, “women had less space to fall.”
The types of jobs women hold are also important. They make up the majority of workers in service occupations, which is one of the few sectors to have grown in recent years. Service jobs are harder to replace with foreign labor, or to automate with technology, making them particularly recession-proof.
“There are a lot of questions, right now, of whether we’ve permanently lost jobs as companies invest in technology that could replace people,” says IWPR’s Hayes. “That would tend to hurt men more than women, since service jobs are a lot harder to replace.”
Women were also less likely to fall out of the workforce during the economic downturn. Men’s participation in the workforce fell by an annual average of 2.7 percent between 2007 and 2011, according to an analysis from the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Among women, that same figure stood at 1.2 percent.
The different numbers mostly reflect different drivers behind a shrinking workforce. For men, labor force participation rates have been dropping steadily for 60 years, largely due to “increased access to Social Security benefits and the declining real wages of low-skilled workers,” writes Willem Van Zandweghe, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
For women though, the downturn was a reversal: Up until the recession they had been joining the workforce in greater numbers. Van Zandweghe attributes “essentially all of this decline to the cyclical downturn in the labor market.” While the recession compounded a trend in the male labor market, it essentially created a new, counter-trend among working women.
Moving forward, female-dominated fields tend to have greater projections for growth than those with a majority of men. Women hold the lion’s share of jobs in education and health care, two service-oriented industries — and two of the fastest growing sectors:
That suggests that women may prove equally resilient in the recovery as they have in the recession.Chances are, you’ve never accidentally scrolled past child porn on your Facebook or Twitter feed, or cued up an innocuous-looking YouTube video only to find a clip of a beheading. For that, you have tens of thousands of poorly-paid contract workers to thank.
The Laborers Who Keep Dick Pics and Beheadings Out of Your Facebook Feed | WIRED
Inside the soul-crushing world of content moderation, where low-wage laborers soak up the worst of…
Read on wired.com
Reporting for Wired, former Gawker writer Adrian Chen traveled to the Philippines to witness the “content moderation” team of secret-sharing social network Whisper in action. The moderators he met are outsourced, working for a U.S.-based company called TaskUs, and, based on reports of wages for similar jobs, they likely earn a few hundred dollars a month to police the network for dicks, sex solicitation, racism, and gore.
When Baybayan sees a potential violation, he drills in on it to confirm, then sends it away—erasing it from the user’s account and the service altogether—and moves back to the grid. Within 25 minutes, Baybayan has eliminated an impressive variety of dick pics, thong shots, exotic objects inserted into bodies, hateful taunts, and requests for oral sex.
Whisper isn’t the only company that employs moderators—according to Hemanshu Nigam of the online security firm SSP Blue, there are likely “well over 100,000” people working similar jobs, many of whom are based in the Philippines, where companies can pay lower wages than they would in the U.S.
The images and videos moderators are required to view range from relatively banal to unbelievably gruesome. One woman told Chen she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget a video of what appeared to be child rape that she witnessed early in her career, and a man who worked as a moderator for YouTube in San Francisco said he became overweight and started drinking heavily to cope with the stress of watching decapitation and animal torture at his desk.
The YouTube moderator was one of the lucky ones: Working in the U.S., he made $20 per hour for his troubles. A Filipino man, on the other hand, told Chen he’d recently been offered a job with a firm contracted by Facebook that would pay $312 per month. Assuming a 40-hour work-week, that’s less than $2 an hour.
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Story: http://gawker.com/an-army-of-low-wage-workers-keeps-child-porn-off-your-f-1649835477Uber Competitor In NYC Promises Drivers Benefits, Even Employee Status
Enlarge this image toggle caption Juno Juno
Uber and Lyft are fighting, on the same side, to make sure their drivers remain independent contractors — not employees entitled to benefits. So far, no court has compelled these ride-hailing companies to change that. But out in the free market, they're facing an unexpected battle: a new startup that's prepared to offer drivers full employee status.
Juno is not a scrappy, rinky-dink kind of startup. Its headquarters are in the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, 1 World Trade Center, on the 47th floor. There's a majestic view of the Hudson River.
"This is actually our temporary office," Juno's CEO Talmon Marco notes. In his opinion, the view could be better. The company is set to move up to the 84th floor shortly.
Marco is a tech veteran. In 2014, he sold his first startup, Viber, a messaging app that's particularly popular in Asia, for $900 million. Now, Marco is turning his attention to the sharing, or gig, economy.
He has a starkly critical take for a man who works out of a glass skyscraper. "The sharing economy left unchecked is a sure way to slowly squeeze the little guy," he says. "And I don't claim to be a great socialist. I'm really not. But it's a great way to take the bottom tier of the middle class and push it lower."
Consider the ride-hailing industry. A couple of years back, Marco saw some news reports that drivers may be somewhat unhappy. He decided to get into cars, hold focus groups, to assess the situation himself. What he found, he says, is that the media massively understated worker discontent.
It's hard to take his word for it. To many passengers, drivers look quite happy. They smile, they chat and offer phone chargers and candy.
Marco says that while drivers have to do that to receive a five-star rating, on the inside, "they really hate ride-sharing companies, [which] have been abusing them. They're treating them like a commodity."
A commodity: a resource that's easy to find and to replace, like wheat.
For instance, consider the choice of words: When Uber lets a driver go, the company calls it "deactivation."
"These are people — these are not machines," Marco says. "You do not deactivate people — you deactivate machines. When you say that you deactivate a person, I think that speaks volumes of the way that you actually think of these people."
Uber is making a bet that in the long-term, self-driving cars will reduce the need for human drivers.
With Juno, Marco is making a different bet: that human labor really matters; and the company that keeps workers happy and wins their loyalty will win, period.
Juno has set aside half of its stock shares for drivers. Uber and Lyft, which call drivers their "partners," have set aside zero shares.
Uber is currently valued at $62.5 billion and Lyft at $5.5 billion. "When and if these companies go public, or get sold, the drivers are going to get nothing," Marco says. "So that's not real partnership."
The cost of a ride with Juno is comparable to or less than rides with its competitors. But the startup's standard commission from drivers is lower: 10 percent, as opposed to 20 percent or 25 percent. Unlike the others, Juno has a hotline with operators to help drivers on a range of issues.
Marco says Juno is also preparing to offer full employee status with benefits, paid vacation and sick leave to drivers who agree to work for his ride-sharing company exclusively. He says it's only fair to offer the option because, while drivers may set their own hours, the ride-hailing company is the one that exercises control over the other terms, the rules, the prices.
"We're not trying to run away from our responsibility," but the competitors are, he says.
For now Juno operates only in New York City, where the company says it has nearly 13,000 drivers.
Simar Singh is one of them. He says the startup "absolutely" stands out for its benefits. But that's not enough for him to quit his gigs with Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies that come on the scene. His main concern is the ability to keep his car filled with passengers as much as possible.
"If you can assure me you're going to give me enough business, if you assure me that, I'm happy to drive with you all the time," he says. "I don't need too many apps. I don't have to hang up like 10 phones in my car."
Singh isn't fond of using so many apps — but so far, he says Juno doesn't have enough customers for him to quit the other companies.
It's unclear whether Juno's driver-friendly business will succeed or fold in the crowded ride-hailing marketplace.
Lyft declined to respond to Marco's many criticisms. Uber says in an email to NPR that, amid competition, the company is focused on offering "more stable, reliable opportunities" for drivers to earn money than the alternatives.Donald Trump, then the president-elect, was on Time's cover as Person of the Year in December 2016. (Nadav Kander/AFP/Time Inc.)
Almost every year for the past several years, President Trump talks about Time magazine.
Toward the end of the year, like clockwork, he seems to get preoccupied with one topic that involves the magazine: its annual Person of the Year recognition.
On Friday the president said that he will “PROBABLY” be named Person of the Year, but he opted out because he didn’t want to participate in an interview and photography session — and that “probably is no good.” Time has disputed Trump’s claim, saying he was “incorrect” about how the magazine chooses who will be Person of the Year, and that it does not comment on its choice until publication.
Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named “Man (Person) of the Year,” like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2017
The President is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year. TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6. — TIME (@TIME) November 25, 2017
Trump’s recent comments are the latest in his love-hate relationship with Time, which he has described both as “a very important magazine” that he grew up reading and as a “paper-thin” publication that will “soon be dead.” It also shows that Trump — as a private citizen living in Manhattan, as a presidential candidate and as president — has long had a fixation with how he’s portrayed in the media and how many times his face makes it on the cover of magazines, especially Time.
In a March interview with former Time Washington bureau chief Michael Scherer, Trump asked if he had set the record for most covers.
[Trump claims he took himself out of the running for Time’s ‘Person of the Year’]
“I guess, right? Covers, nobody’s had more covers,” Trump asked.
Scherer, who joined The Washington Post in September, told Trump that Richard Nixon “still has you beat.” But he shouldn’t worry because Nixon was president for longer, Scherer told the then-newly inaugurated president, adding that he should give himself more time.
“Okay, good. I’m sure I’ll win,” Trump replied.
Some days, he relishes the recognition:
“On the cover of @TIME Magazine — a great honor!” he tweeted on Aug. 20, 2015.
“Time Magazine has me on the cover this week. Don Von Drehle has written one of the best stories I have ever had,” he said on Jan. 9, 2016.
The following day, he tweeted, “Remember, get TIME magazine! I am on the cover. Take it out in 4 years and read it again. Just watch...”
Last December, when Time named him Person of the Year, he told NBC News that it “means a lot” and that he considers it “a very, very great honor.”
On other days, however, he has been more critical, including when the cover features someone else: “I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favorite They picked person who is ruining Germany,” he tweeted on Dec. 9, 2015, when the magazine named German Chancellor Angela Merkel Person of the Year.
That was followed by a tweet later that day thanking then-Fox News host Bill O’Reilly for a “wonderful editorial” on why Trump should have been picked.
[A Time magazine with Trump on the cover hangs in his golf clubs. It’s fake.]
In December 2011, Trump criticized the magazine when it chose “The Protester” as its “Person of the Year” to highlight protests that had brought political and social change.
He was also highly critical of Time in May 2012, when it featured a mother breast-feeding her toddler, and again in July 2012, when Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. made the cover.
That same year, Trump said Time had lost all its credibility when it didn’t include him in its Top 100 most influential people.
Indeed, the president places high value on seeing his face on magazine covers — and he likes to show proof of it.
Case in point: Many of his clubs are decorated with these covers — including, until recently, a fake March 2009 Time cover that featured the real estate developer and proclaimed: “TRUMP IS HITTING ON ALL FRONTS... EVEN TV!”
During a September 2015 interview with CBS’s Scott Pelley in Trump’s Manhattan penthouse, Pelley took note of magazines stacked on Trump’s desk and pictures hanging on the walls of his office. All have his face on them.
“What are we supposed to take from that?” Pelley asked.
Trump replied with a grandiose proclamation.
“You know, look, I’m on a lot of covers. I think maybe more than almost any supermodel. I think more than any supermodel. But in a way that is a sign of respect, people are respecting what you are doing,” he said.
But if history were any indication, a picture on a magazine’s coveted spot isn’t always tied to a positive story or “a sign of respect.” Time, for example, has frequently featured unflattering photo illustrations of Trump, both when he was a candidate and as president.
[At one Trump golf resort, fake Time magazine covers are taken off the wall]
One of the magazine’s covers in February was an illustration of the president sitting stoically behind his desk as a hurricane engulfed the Oval Office. Below the magazine’s name: “Nothing to see here.”
A cover from March featured Trump typing on his phone while leaning on a crumbling Washington Monument. “Trump’s war on Washington,” the cover said.
This month, a Time cover featured likenesses of Trump’s face shaped as wrecking balls. “The wrecking crew: How Trump’s Cabinet is dismantling government as we know it,” the magazine said.
TIME's new cover: How Trump's cabinet is dismantling government as we know it https://t.co/VuOLJcma2a pic.twitter.com/IsKKLVPFKA — TIME (@TIME) October 26, 2017
Last year, in August and October, Time twice featured a likeness of Trump’s face melting like candle wax to portray the then-candidate’s tumultuous campaign. Each cover had the word “meltdown.”
In March 2016, one of the magazine’s covers was a black-and-white, zoomed-in face of Trump, with five check boxes across. The boxes for “bully,” “showman,” “party crasher” and “demagogue” were checked, while the box for “the 45th President of the United States” was left blank.
The title Person of the Year also is not defined solely by glowing coverage or positive recognition. The title is given to “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse,” former managing editor Walter Isaacson wrote in the 1998 issue.
The same nod has been given to Adolf Hitler in 1938, Joseph Stalin in 1939 and 1943 and Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.
Trump was given the title last year for his unexpected victory against Hillary Clinton.
Jenna Johnson contributed to this report.
Read more:
Trump replies ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ to tweet about his attacks on African Americans
Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton come to Malia Obama’s defense
‘Keep coming at me guys!!!’: Donald Trump Jr. meets Russia scrutiny with defianceIt’s a conflict that has existed since the beginning of time: the tug of war between leaders and followers. In the workplace we call them employers and employees, respectively.
Sadly, some employers feel they have the right (or even the need) to behave badly in the workplace, hurting and demoralizing the very people whose best thinking and assistance they need. Employees aren’t off the hook, either—many of the things that escape their lips in a moment of frustration damage their value to the company and their own career growth over time.
At our company, when things get heated we try to put some time between the stimulus and the response. This gives us a chance to reflect on the issue rather than lashing out at people. It also helps us preserve and strengthen relationships as we learn and do better work together.
We've compiled a top 10 list of the most offensive things employers can say to their employees, and vice versa. The next time you feel a desire to say any of these things, pause for a moment and come up with something more productive. Let’s face it, we all say dumb things from time to time. It doesn't mean the game is over. Learn from your mistakes and commit yourself to doing better.
Top 10 Things Employers Should Never Say to Their Employees
1. You’re fortunate we gave you a job. Few companies would have the patience and time to invest in you. Don’t make your employees feel like burdens. Encourage them to be better, but don’t condemn them for their shortcomings.
2. You look really good for your age. Beyond the legal issues this brings up of ageism, it’s in very bad taste to give such a backhanded compliment.
3. If you don’t like this job, there are plenty of other candidates standing in line. You’re lucky to be employed. This is a morale killer. If an employee feels like their job is in peril, they’ll be far more distracted at work and will likely start looking for a job elsewhere.
4. Don’t you know that I am working on really important things for the company? I don’t have time for this. Make time for your employees. If you can’t squeeze in time at the moment, tell them when they can come back and then keep the appointment.
5. I keep hearing around the office that people have concerns about you. I don’t have details or specific names, but you should address those concerns immediately. You shouldn't confront people with nothing but hearsay. Ask questions and show genuine concern and avoid being judgmental.
6. I don’t know what it is that you need to improve, but something is definitely wrong and you should work on fixing it. That’s a great way to give someone an inferiority complex. But I would suggest you be specific and respectful in your assessment of people.
7. Is that really the best you can do? Condescending and insulting; that’s a bad combination. Show people how to do a better job in the future and make your expectations clear from the start.
8. I don’t have time to give you a feedback review. You’re doing fine. When you’re not, I’ll tell you. How can people improve if you don’t give them feedback? Again, make time to tell them specifically what you like and what they can work on.
9. No one else seems to have had a problem figuring this out. Don’t unfairly compare or judge your employees. Give them clear instructions and patiently help them if they struggle.
10. It’s not personal; it’s just business. We are personal beings. Our first inclination is to take things personally. Show respect and kindness, especially when offering unfavorable reviews or other criticisms.
Top 10 Things Employees Should Never Say to Their Employers
Turnabout is fair play. In that spirit, here are 10 things that employees should never say to their employers.
1. Sigh (accompanied by rolling eyes, looking away, and disengaging. It’s what you didn't say that is saying it all). This isn’t likely to start a healthy dialogue. Don’t act exasperated or speak in vague terms. Talk about the issue; don’t expect people to instantly know what you’re talking about.
2. You’ll probably need to retire soon from too much stress and work. I need to know who will take care of me if it doesn’t pan out well for you. So much wrong in so few words. Don’t bring up people’s retirement and especially don’t talk about it in a self-serving way.
3. Just get out of my way and I’ll get it done. Don’t you have some VIP dinner or something else to do? You don’t want to be confrontational. Even if you get the job done in a timely manner, you’ll likely have seriously damaged a relationship in the process.
4. I’m having a hard time believing in what the company builds and I don’t get at all what we do. It’s okay to voice concerns, but try to word them in a constructive way. Ask for help in understanding what the company does rather than expressing frustration at a lack of knowledge.
5. That’s not part of my job description. Don’t be rigid. Be flexible and willing to help anywhere you can. This is how you form new relationships, learn new skills, and do other positive things.
6. I’m really bored. Prepare to be deluged with busywork if you ever say this.
7. I’m just doing it the way you told me to do it. This implies it’s not your problem and not your fault that it didn’t work. If you notice a problem, say something and fix it before it becomes a serious issue.
8. I have data that shows I’m worth XXX just for showing up in the morning. Showing up to work is important, but doing the work that produces the needed outcome and revenue (and having a positive and accountable attitude) is what really matters most to your boss.
9. I’m leaving on vacation and I won’t be coming back. If you’d like to have two weeks’ notice, it’ll have to wait until after vacation. Two weeks’ notice implies you’ll be on the job for those two weeks to help smooth out a transition. This is just burning bridges. How is this boss likely to respond when they’re called for background check or a reference some day? It will happen.
10. It really bothers me when you bring up customer complaints. Don’t you realize that all customers complain? Instead of complaining about customers’ complaints, perhaps you should try to get to the heart of why customers are dissatisfied in the first place.
Communication is great and it needs to take place in order for employers and employees to work well together. But it must be tempered by wisdom and prudence. Reckless responses should be checked by careful consideration of people’s feelings and how your words and actions will affect your relationships. How many of these statements have you said? How many have you heard? I look forward to hearing from you.
Additional reporting for this article was provided by Mary Michelle Scott, Fishbowl President. David Williams’ book, The 7 Non-Negotiables of Winning, is available from Amazon.Twainfest is a FREE celebration of Mark Twain and other writers of the 19th century. Great fun for all ages.
August 18, 2018
11:00 – 4:30pm
Hear works by Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and others, read aloud by San Diego actors.
Puppets, Music, Stories, Games Enjoy a FREE fun-filled day in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park Play unique games designed especially for TwainFest. Take home FREE books. Enter the Literary Costume Contest. Hear tall tales, stories and poetry. Visit Dr. Frankenstein’s Laboratory. Delight in Giant Puppets. Learn to play the Fife and Drum. Vote in the Election of 1872. Play Croquet with the Red Queen. And so much more. Volunteer for TwainFest (volunteers needed beforehand for planning, setup, etc. and during the actual event)–Click Here
Enjoy this video of a previous TwainFest
to get an idea of what is in store for you!
Don’t miss the sack races, ring toss, marbles and other games of the period that will be played on the green.
Launch a Calaveras jumping frog (bean bag, of course) with our Catapult or make a contribution to the Never Ending Story, to which anyone who wishes may contribute.
TwainFest is produced by Write Out Loud, Fiesta De Reyes and Old Town San Diego State Historic Park with additional partners: Cygnet Theatre, Lamb’s Players Theatre, Playwrights Project, San Diego Writers INK and Maritime Museum of San Diego. Funding provided by The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, County of San Diego.The Heller Foundation at Union Bank, The Samuel I. & John Henry Fox Foundation and The Arthur & Jeanette Pratt Memorial Fund.President-Elect Donald Trump never believed in equality. What does his presidency mean for the LGBT community in the U.S. and abroad?
America has voted: Republican candidate Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate magnate with no experience in politics and foreign affairs, will become the 45th president of the United States next January.
Throughout his campaign, Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, have made several worrisome claims regarding their stance on LGBT issues, and their administration may actively work to repeal some of the legislative progress made during the Obama years, such as the Marriage Equality Act and anti-discrimination laws.
Here, five things that could change for the LGBT community, in the U.S. and abroad.
1. Marriage Equality
Trump made an infamous flip-flop regarding his opinion on gay marriage (so did Hillary Clinton,) choosing to court the gay vote with poorly-conceived, last-minute strategies, mainly consisting in brandishing a rainbow flag at a Colorado rally. Yet, during an interview with Fox News in January 2016, Trump said he would “strongly consider” appointing judges to overturn the Marriage Equality Act. His running mate, Mike Pence, has a history of support for anti-LGBT measures, including a law during his time as Indiana’s governor that would deny services to LGBT people based on religious reasons.
2. Transgender Rights
Similarly to same-sex marriage, Trump changed his mind on transgender rights issues, and voiced his support for the controversial HB2 law in North Carolina, effectively opposing the Obama administration’s lead for transgender students being allowed to use restrooms that match their gender identity.
3. HIV/AIDS and Conversion Therapy
Perhaps one of the most concerning aspects of Trump's presidency is his running mate's overt support of conversion therapy methods. In 2001, Pence wrote on his campaign website that Congress should redirect federal dollars from "organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus" to "those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior."
4. Bullying and Sexual Discrimination
Although Donald Trump has made several U-turns in his opinion of LGBT people, he has pledged to sign the First Amendment Defense Act, which protects discrimination on religious grounds and prohibits the government from taking action against anyone who “believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman.” Remember Kim Davis? Same.
His running mate, Pence, publicly opposed the Obama administration's repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. “There’s no question to mainstream homosexuality within active duty military would have an impact on unit cohesion,” Pence wrote on his website. He added that “Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexuals as a 'discrete and insular minority’ entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities."
5. Immigration
In addition to putting in jeopardy legal unions for bi-national couples, Trump's harsh anti-immigration stance, with unspecified plans to ban all Muslims from entering the country and shut down borders, may prevent at-risk LGBT asylum seekers from finding refuge in the U.S. And for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., Trump's looming presidency heralds an era of fear and uncertainty.Most of the things I have learned, I have learned from the things I have felt.
And most days, I feel more than I think I should.
But one of the most important things I’ve learned is that there are no should’s and should-not’s, even though I have a habit of plastering them all over my head and heart on a regular basis.
(I’m working on it.)
Which leads me to something I have felt for most of my life: abnormal.
I have felt abnormal for as long as I can remember. I have felt different in unacceptable ways—louder than I’m supposed to be, more critical than I need to be, too curious for my own good. And I have wondered why I do this to myself, why I create this world of questions and forbidden thoughts that eat me alive and spit me out with my limbs in all the wrong places.
I have felt blindly introspective and yet uncontrollably empathetic. I have felt what’s burning inside me and in the heart of another—a family member, a friend, a subject in a news headline, a beggar on the street. Their words, their joys, their defeats, their longings, their pains—I have felt it all.
And I have felt my own pains, too.
I have felt worthless, hopeless and alone, even when I was surrounded by all the love I could ever want; I numbed myself to its warm and merciful touch, the very thing I didn’t know I needed.
I have felt empty, something I strived to feel for quite some time, though I never could satisfy the craving for nothingness. I wanted less—less of the thoughts, less of the voices, less of myself.
I have felt the changes from one stage to the next, from excessive pain to something more bearable, leaving traces of scars and subtleties to tell my story long before I chose to accept it.
But I have often felt that my pain is unworthy of the throbbing heart it leaves, that I have too good a life to be hurting. I’ve called myself a spoiled brat, a pathetic princess, a whiny child whose petty complaints could never measure up to anything close to a “real” problem.
I have felt that I didn’t deserve to hurt as I did—as I sometimes do.
But reality is relative, and no one can tell me what’s real for me but my own understanding. That is something I’ve learned from the pain I’ve felt.
I have felt it physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I’ve felt it in shards and all at once, crashing like a wave over everything created, everything that I thought was meant to be.
But pain is a message, a sign that things are not in fact meant to be this way—something else I’ve learned from the pain I’ve felt.
And when something isn’t meant to be, something better comes along.
I have felt what it is like to be better, to grow and become, to take shape and transform. I have felt liberated from the throes of self-destruction and the slithering whispers of hatred in my own bones. I have felt the slow awakening from exhaustion into life, being born and reborn, ready to accept what has been and to prepare for what’s to come.
But more importantly, I have felt the magic of the present moment, the sliver of abundance in which past and future safely melt away and trickle down my back.
I have felt free, unlimited in my potential. Happy.
I have felt love. I have been shown forgiveness, compassion and tenderness, the most precious of gifts. And I have done my best to give them just the same, without judgment or a second thought.
I have felt gratitude, the kind that moves me to tears because I struggle to come up with words beautiful and meaningful enough to say what I really want to say. I have felt it and I have cherished it more than any other feeling; it is to gratitude that I return in moments of weakness, of hatred or disconnection.
It is gratitude that heals the heart that stumbles by way of the mind.
I have felt beauty. I’ve seen it, held it and sensed it in every way. I’ve learned to recognize it, to embrace it even if I mistake it for ugliness at first glance. I have felt its ability to create and destroy, to build and undermine, and I have let it work on me.
I have felt the whirlwind of chaos and the power of grace, the comfort of being held and the coldness of being rejected, the wild insecurities of my darkness and the unshakable confidence of my light.
I have felt lost and I have been found. I’ve repeated this cycle on a regular basis, and I hope I always do.
I have felt the truth send shivers up and down my spine, covering my skin in chilling inhales of excitement and peace. I have felt serendipity, from which I have learned that pain, sadness, confinement and loss are not meant to be, but that they precede the things that are.
I have felt things falling into place, just as they should (or shouldn’t, which doesn’t matter anyway). I have felt myself settling with them, learning from them, letting them remind me that all I have learned is a result of the things I have felt.
And I have felt it all.
Love elephant and want to go steady?
Editor: Renée Picard
Photo: whatmegsaid at FlickrThe last time the DC Universe was rebooted, all the way back in 2011, Aquaman kicked things off by insisting that he does not talk to fish. Now, with Rebirth upon us and a new clean slate offered up so that we can once again redefine the King of the Seven Seas, it raises the question of just what Aquaman's going to tell us he doesn't do this time. When Aquamman: Rebirth #1 hits shelves next week from Dan Abnett and Oscar Jimenez, is he going to tell us that he doesn't wear an orange shirt, or that he didn't have a pirate hook for a hand for a little bit back in the '90s? Or is he, perhaps, going to tell us that he prefers swimming pools to the ocean?
Okay, okay, I kid. It actually turns out that Aquaman's going to be kicking |
ists who hijacked the Republican Party in a drive for power after 9/11.
A quintessentially American example of the dynamics within the American Liberation Movement is the demonstration planned for April 15, 2009, “Tax Slavery Day,” in front of the Federal Reserve Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. Move On, which is now a major supporter, is confrontational and negative and wants to “End the Fed” as the source of oppression by the monied elites who have captured the White House. The generically religious groups, such as the original organizers, the Center for Economic and Social Justice, http://www.cesj.org and t,he American Revolutionary Party, http://www.americanrevolutionaryparty.us want,to reform the Fed and all its related institutions as a key to transforming the American paradigm and policies of global leadership from the drive for power to the search for justice.
Rather than abolish the Fed without agreement on a substitute, one moderate and now so-called rightest solution, is to transform the Fed into a fourth branch of government, like the Judiciary, so that it would be less subject to special-interest manipulation. This would give it the freedom to create money, in accordance with Section 13 of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, as an asset-backed currency with real value rather only the negative value of debt. The new fourth-branch Fed would also be free to create money without the burden of interest, which would both stimulate growth and provide freedom to eliminate the existing barriers to the broadening of capital ownership. This would promote economic justice and reverse the trends toward a rapidly growing wealth gap both within and among nations, which, in turn, may become the major stimulus to worldwide terrorism.
During the Obama Administration, the conflict in the Holy Land may be sidelined in order to gain domestic support for larger issues of more immediate impact on America, such as the alliance of China and Russia with Iran, Chinese support for Iranian plans to create a new world currency denominated in a basket of real goods, including oil, and an emerging global consensus on the need to support indigenous leaders instead of foreign installed central governments in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Unilateral preemption, either military or political, has proved to be inadequate to address these issues. The alternative is the much more challenging task of promoting peace, prosperity, and freedom through compassionate justice based on interfaith understanding and on active cooperation in interfaith solidarity. Pin Pinterest ⋆ Rec Recommend this Post 7
The Tallahassee medical examiner unzipped the body bag. Here was an 18-year-old, muscular, black male. Here was an 18-year-old, muscular, black male with white sneakers and gray boxers and gold Florida State shorts. Here was an 18-year-old, muscular, black male with white sneakers and gray boxers and gold Florida State shorts and a tube up his nose and a tube down his throat and IV needles in his arm and his neck and automated external defibrillator pads still stuck to his chest. Here, cinched to his left wrist, was an emergency room bracelet. Here, on his left upper arm, was his only tattoo, a cross and three words: THE BLESSED ONE. He died after a winter offseason workout in a hot second-floor gym on the Florida State campus. Here was Devaughn Darling. He died after a winter offseason workout in a hot second-floor gym on the Florida State campus. The school said it didn't do anything wrong. The family said the school didn't do everything right. They settled before a trial for a payout of $2 million. The school paid the family $200,000. Florida law said the remaining $1.8 million would have to come straight from the state. The family is still waiting. Devaughn Darling died more than 13 years ago. Devaughn Darling makes a tackle during the 2000 season. (Courtesy FSU) Devaughn Darling makes a tackle during the 2000 season. (Courtesy FSU)
Houston. Last month. Into a restaurant called the Grand Lux Cafe for lunch walked a 32-year-old, muscular, black male in a black ball cap and a black T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Devard Darling, in 2007, with No. 53 tattooed on his arm. (Getty Images) Devard Darling, in 2007, with No. 53 tattooed on his arm. (Getty Images) Here was Devaughn Darling's identical twin. Here was Devard Darling. Who came out first. Who came out with Devaughn's hand clutching his ankle, which on April 16, 1982, at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau in the Bahamas, shocked the doctor, because he'd only ever heard one heartbeat, so synced were the two in the womb. The twins, the youngest of five, who growing up didn't want to be in different classes, didn't want to wear different clothes. Who were never apart and who never wanted to be. The twins who watched the Miami Dolphins play on TV as boys and who moved to Texas before seventh grade, and who then wanted to play football, and to play it so well they could play it together in college, and to play it so well in college they could become the first identical twins ever to play in the NFL, so they could move back to the Bahamas and start a youth football program and a foundation to help kids who had dreams like they had dreams, and so their mother, who worked so much, wouldn't have to work anymore. Who sitting in their room in the Houston suburb called Sugar Land set goals to make all this happen, talking them out, writing them on posters, hanging the posters on their walls. The twins. Who were co-captains on the football team at Stephen F. Austin High School. Who had tears in their eyes when they signed their national letters of intent with Florida State. Who had played as freshmen on a Seminole team that lost to Oklahoma in the national title game in Miami. Who expected to play much more as sophomores, Devard in the rotation of wide receivers, Devaughn as a probable starter as a linebacker. The twins. Who shared a room in the football dorm in Tallahassee called Burt Reynolds Hall. Now Devard slid slump-shouldered into a booth at the restaurant. He had had a bad night, he said, a rough morning. He had come from the hospital, where his sister's baby, a little girl, had died, he said, only 3 months old, of a rare lung disease. He had watched the doctors shut off the machines that were the only thing keeping his niece alive, the monitor showing her heart slowing, slowing. Stopping. "Like a little light going out," said Devard, a father of three sons, including a baby also only 3 months old. He tugged on the brim of his cap. "My brother's buried in a Seminole uniform, No. 53, 6 feet deep. I didn't want to dress him up in a suit." This, on a weekend when he had come from his home near Seattle to host a scholarship luncheon for the small foundation he runs to honor Devaughn, the As One Foundation. About Florida State, he said, "My brother's buried in a Seminole uniform, No. 53, 6 feet deep, right here in Houston, Texas. I didn't want to dress him up in a suit. No. That uniform. We're all grown now, we understand there's business in everything, but when you come to the core, being a human being, reaching out to the family..." And the state of Florida, the money, the $1.8 million? "I think about my mother," he said.
The next morning, the door opened at a home in nearby Richmond, and here was Wendy Hunter. A tall, proud, pious woman who made her twins big Friday high school gameday breakfasts, eggs and grits and sausage, and filled the fridge with pasta, "things that would give them fuel," all while working two different jobs as a home health care aide. Who drove to their games in Tallahassee, often paying the rent late because she needed the money for gas, there and back, there and back, there and back, on Interstate 10. Who wore her two pins that said MY SON IS, one with No. 83, the other with No. 53. Who keeps a picture in a frame in her entryway of Devaughn wearing that No. 53, and his helmet on a shelf in her den, where she files her papers, including the last letter she got from Florida State, last year, from the university president at the time, in which he wrote, "I hope this matter will come to closure for you sometime in the near future." Who still works her two jobs, 12, 14 hours a day, for 10 bucks an hour. Who had just gotten home from an overnight shift, after having spent the night before at the hospital, to hold her baby granddaughter and to say goodbye. Who after that had bought fresh flowers and had gone to Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, to put them on the headstone of her son, and to tell him she knew he was going to make such a good uncle up there. Now she sat in her living room. "When do it stop, Lord?" she said. The pins that Devaughn and Devard's mother wore to their games. (Courtesy the Darling family) The pins that Devaughn and Devard's mother wore to their games. (Courtesy the Darling family)
The day Devaughn Darling died started early. Coaches rapped with spoons on the doors in the dorm. It was Monday, Feb. 26, 2001, 5 a.m. — 45 minutes till "mats." Mat drills weren't just drills for Florida State. Heading into 2001, the Seminoles had finished in the top four in the national rankings for 14 consecutive seasons, and Bobby Bowden, their jowly, cornpone coach many had taken to calling a legend, considered the mat drills the bedrock. Three segments, 21 minutes each, on padded mats — jumping and scrambling, running through ropes, ducking under plastic pipes... "You will pass out before you die. If you pass out, the trainers will take care of you." Devaughn Darling as a freshman. (Courtesy FSU) Devaughn Darling as a freshman. (Courtesy FSU) "The only thing he tells me how to do is the mat drills," Dave Van Halanger, the team's strength and conditioning coach, had said in The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla., a few months before. "He wants it to be 10 days of hell." For three weeks before the beginning of actual practice in the spring, this stringent conditioning and agility work, and fast, fast, fast — rolling, diving, crouching... "Excruciating," Brian Allen, a linebacker, had said in Ohio's The Columbus Dispatch the previous month. Stations were set up with trash cans for vomit. Just a week and a half before, local sports talk radio host and former offensive lineman Eric Luallen had recalled something defensive coach Chuck Amato had said at mat drills back when he played: "Just remember, gentlemen, the body is a wonderful machine. You will pass out before you die. If you pass out, the trainers will take care of you." For players, "mats" were a blur, something endured more than done. And by 7 a.m. they were almost over. Devaughn, 6'2, 220 pounds, had fallen to one knee to catch his breath, and he had grabbed at his aching ankle, and he had seen Devard between stations, their groups hustling past one another in a hall, coaches barking — Hurry, hurry, hurry! — next to no time for water, no time to stop, no time to speak, just enough time for the twins to touch hands. Devaughn had worried about throwing up and passing out, the way he had the Thursday before — Devaughn, the best linebacker prospect in Texas his senior year, with 143 tackles and 10 sacks, who also had never missed a day of school; Devaughn, who had set up his computer to play the Florida State fight song when he turned it on; Devaughn, who had put a note in his dorm by his bed, telling himself, reminding himself: "Integrity means keeping your word, giving your all and finishing what you start." Almost finished. Now, in the Moore Athletics Center, in the second-floor gym, with a banner on the wall calling Florida State football a DYNASTY, coaches told Devaughn and the rest of the players in his group to get down on the ground, fronts to the mats, roll to the right, roll to the left, pop back up — Move your feet, move your feet, move your feet! — back down on the ground, fronts to the mats, roll to the right, roll to the left, over and over and over. And Devaughn was down on the ground and he couldn't stand back up. He told his teammates his chest hurt. He told his teammates he couldn't see. The coaches told him to do it again. He hadn't done it right. They told him to do it again with his group. He hadn't done it right. They told him to do it again on his own. He hadn't done it right. And his eyes were closed, and he was out there all alone, the last player to finish, his teammates cheering for him, clapping for him, pushing him, encouraging him, like they had done before, like they had done for him and for others. "You got to go four quarters!" one of them yelled. Finished, finally, and Devaughn staggered off the mats. He crumpled to his knees near a wall, against which he rested his head. The top trainer hurried over. No response. Shallow breathing. The trainer checked his pulse. He had a pulse. "Let's move to the training room," the trainer said. The trainer and another player carried Devaughn out of the gym — "There goes our only "F," as in failure, Devard heard one of the coaches say — and they carried him a little more than 200 feet, in 40 or so seconds, and they put him on his back on the first training table in the room. The trainer and his staff put an oxygen mask on his face and ice packs around his body. They checked his pulse. He had a pulse. The trainer watched Devaughn's eyes, which moved to the right and then back to the center, to the right and then back to the center a second time, to the right and then back to the center a third time, and then they rolled back in his head. Devaughn Darling was dead, 3 hours and 37 minutes after the rap of the spoon on his door in the dorm. "Call 911!" the trainer shouted. The trainers did CPR — No pulse, no pulse, no pulse! — and the campus police who rushed into the room did CPR — No pulse, no pulse, no pulse! — and now the paramedics rushed into the room, and the ambulance raced down Champions Way, Devard riding in the front, screaming into the back — Breathe, Devaughn, breathe! — and screaming at the cars on the roads — Move, move, move! At Tallahassee Memorial hospital, Devaughn Darling was dead, 3 hours and 37 minutes after the rap of the spoon on his door in the dorm. The doctor stepped into the crowded waiting room. Devard didn't need to be told. He already knew.
Later that day, that Monday, to a television station in Houston, offensive lineman Bobby Meeks said, "He was complaining to the players, ‘It's like my chest is hurting.' And it was like, ‘I don't want to hear it,' or whatever. The trainers, Meeks said, "told him to get on the mat, and he went on and did it..." The next day, that Tuesday, in a statement released by Florida State, Meeks amended what he had said: "Some people may think I was blaming the FSU trainers in my interview, but I wasn't. Like I said, Devaughn didn't tell the coaches or the trainers that he had chest pain. They didn't know that. He got back in the drill and finished." That morning was the autopsy. The unzipped body bag. The tattoo and the tubes and the gold Florida State shorts. The day after that, that Wednesday, there was a team meeting, and Bowden, the legendary coach, was struck — surprised — by the depth of the players' grief, the extent of their apprehension about the drills, the level of their anger at the coaches for what some of them saw as their role in the death of a teammate. "What I thought would be a five-minute meeting lasted probably an hour, hour and a half," Bowden told reporters. "After I came out of there, I had an extremely different feeling than when I went in there of how it has affected them. I could see real anguish, a lot of questions to be asked, and when I left them I could see why they would want to ask questions like they did." His initial thought had been to continue with the remaining scheduled sessions of mat drills. He instead had opted to cancel them. "All of a sudden, somebody dies, and it throws it in an entirely different perspective," Bowden continued. "And that's the part I didn't quite grasp until I talked to the players, because now you think about how hard you work the boys, and it's been one of the secrets to our success here, and now you've lost a boy." FSU coach Bobby Bowden in 2001. (Getty Images) FSU coach Bobby Bowden in 2001. (Getty Images) Devaughn, he explained, "was the first player I've ever coached in 47 years who actually worked himself to death." The day after that, that Thursday, a gray day in Tallahassee, was the memorial service on campus. In the Ruby Diamond Auditorium, Devard sat in the front row, next to his mother and the rest of the Darlings, and the team filled up the seven rows behind them. Some of the players wore gold No. 53 patches pinned to their shirts. Standing at a podium behind a 5 and a 3 made of garnet-colored mums and daisies spray-painted gold, Bowden talked. "Listen to what I'm saying now, and I hope it doesn't hit anybody wrong," he said. Devaughn, he explained, "was the first player I've ever coached in 47 years who actually worked himself to death. I will not quit, I will not quit, I will not give in — I will die before I quit. That's a great virtue." To Devard, to Wendy, to the Darlings, he said he was sorry. "I didn't recognize that he'll never complain and he'll never quit," he said. Two days later, that Saturday, back in Houston, was the funeral. Some players made the trip, and so did some of the coaches, Bowden included. Devard wouldn't leave until he saw the gravedigger throw dirt on the top of the coffin of his identical twin. Three days later, eight days after the death of Devaughn, the Florida State football team started spring practice. Bowden had considered delaying it. He decided against that. Practice, he told reporters, would "probably be the best medicine." "I kind of told the guys it's time to move on and play ball," linebacker Bradley Jennings said. "Everyone is going extra for him," linebacker Michael Boulware said. "He's looking down on us," Odell Haggins, one of the coaches who had been in the second-floor gym with Devaughn, said. "It's a step in healing," Jim Gladden, another one of the coaches who had been in the second-floor gym with Devaughn, said. Three days after that, Sandy D'Alemberte, then Florida State's president, got a letter from Dennis Darling Sr., Devaughn's father in the Bahamas. The letter included: "... there are certain matters that I'm not satisfied with, as I have gotten conflicting reports from trainers and eyewitnesses as regards to what really happened..." Nine days after that, Devaughn's father got a letter back from Richard C. McFarlain, a Florida State attorney. The letter included: "We share your concern that a thorough investigation of all the facts be done." "We share your concern that a thorough investigation of all the facts be done." A month after that, Florida State released its report and the public records about Devaughn's death. The conclusion was the school was not responsible. The autopsy showed a "sudden unexpected death" with "no definite" cause. The toxicology reading was "essentially negative." The cardiovascular exam was "essentially negative." The toxicologist found acetaminophen, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine — from the cold medicine he had taken the night before. The medical examiner mentioned, too, that Devaughn had sickle cell trait — he knew that, the school knew that — something found in eight to 10 percent of black people in this country. He pointed out that sickle cell trait can "lower the threshold for ventricular arrhythmias in patients exposed to exertional heat injury." Maybe this was the reason, and maybe it wasn't. Devaughn was alive, and then he was not. The campus cops had talked to the players who had been with Devaughn. They had been put under oath and had sworn to tell the truth. They said he was having trouble. Trouble finishing. They said the coaches told him to finish. They said the coaches told him to do it again and to do it right. They said he said his chest hurt. They said he said he couldn't see. That everything was black. They said he told them that — the players, his teammates — but not the trainers, not the coaches. "He was just tired and wasn't doing the drill correctly. He had to keep going because of his mistakes," Travis Williams said. "He did what any other athlete would have done. He finished the drill to the max of his ability," J.P. Snead said. "He was having trouble getting up off of the mat," Eric Resta said. "Couldn't hardly stand," Chance Gwaltney said. "Kept falling on the ground," Matt Munyon said. The campus cops had talked to the coaches who had been with Devaughn. They had been put under oath and had sworn to tell the truth. They were asked if Devaughn had had problems finishing the drill. "Not out of the ordinary," Gladden said. "Not out of the ordinary," Jimmy Heggins said. "Not out of the ordinary," Jeff Bowden said.
Two more college football players died after offseason workouts that year. In July, at the University of Florida, Eraste Autin died from heatstroke. In August, at Northwestern University, Rashidi Wheeler died from asthma. A week later, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times arrived in Tallahassee to talk to Bowden about those deaths, and Devaughn's. "I ain't God," Bowden said. "I can't control who lives and who doesn't." "I ain't God," Bowden said. "I can't control who lives and who doesn't." He kept talking. "All I can do is try to prevent this from ever happening again," Bowden said. "In the past, we coached under Spartan conditions. We always felt we could out-physical and out-condition any other team. Now, all of a sudden, we are thinking in ways we never thought before. We don't want another kid to go down." He kept talking. "We are looking inward. We are looking at our program. How could this thing slip up on us?" Bowden said. "We are not doing anything different than we have done for the last 25 years. I don't know what it is, the weather, the fast food, the health of the players, the fact that they don't always come in prepared. If players come out unprepared, and start two-a-days in that hot sun, they can die out there." He kept talking. "So I used to write them a letter, telling them to start working out at the hottest time of the day, so when they came out here, they'd be okay. I don't know if I can write that anymore without being sued." He kept talking. "You slack up too much, you're going to let the other team win. And they'll have a new coach." He kept talking. "The players don't want to slack up. They want to be winners." He kept talking. "And you can make all the adjustments in the world and a player still might go down if he has some defect." Chris Rix, FSU's starting QB in 2001, wears a No. 53 patch. (Getty Images) Chris Rix, FSU's starting QB in 2001, wears a No. 53 patch. (Getty Images) That fall, the 2001 season, Florida State established an endowed scholarship in Devaughn's memory. All of Florida State's athletes wore a No. 53 patch on their jerseys. A No. 53 jersey was put in a case in the front of the Moore Athletics Center. The media guide was dedicated to Devaughn. And the Seminoles had their worst season in a decade and a half, finishing 8-4, ranked 15th in the country. By February 2002, it was time for mat drills again, and the team had made some changes. Players were given two four-minute breaks during the drills instead of just the time it took to hustle from one station to the next. Now there weren't just trash cans set up at the stations. Now there were water coolers. The trainers bought five new automatic external defibrillators to be kept close. And outside, waiting, was an ambulance. And by August 2002, time for practice prior to the second season at Florida State after the death of Devaughn, with Devard preparing for his first season at Washington State, where he had transferred, because the Seminoles wouldn't clear him to play, because he also had the sickle cell trait — in that month, the team had assigned, to a new, freshman linebacker, No. 53. Some of the players who still kept in touch with Devard took note, and told him, and were discouraged, and went to Bowden, and asked him, the coach who was called a legend, if he would consider not giving out that jersey, that number, at least until all the players who had known Devaughn, who had played with Devaughn, who had been with Devaughn in the second-floor gym, were gone. Bowden complied. "Gee whiz," Bowden said to a reporter who asked about Devard, playing up at Washington State, because he wasn't allowed to stay and play at Florida State, "all I know is I wish him all the success in the world." That October, Devaughn's parents sued Florida State.
The civil suit alleged insufficient breaks and not enough chances to get a drink. It alleged inadequate medical equipment. It alleged a slow emergency response. Mainly, though, the civil suit alleged that the coaches knew Devaughn was having trouble, obviously, visibly, and didn't let him stop, made him keep going. Florida State's attorneys and the Darlings' attorneys, led by the flamboyant Willie Gary from Stuart, Fla., reached a settlement within two years, avoiding a trial in which Bowden and other coaches and so many players could have and almost certainly would have been made to testify. The payout to Dennis Darling Sr. and Wendy Hunter — the money for the death of their son — was $2 million. But not really. The beginning of the reason for why that was the case, even back then, even in the summer of 2004, right from the get-go, was in the record, committed to paper, written in black on white, as clear as dense legalese can be: "... because the State's sovereign immunity bars any claim by Plaintiff against FSU in excess of $200,000, in total, pursuant to s. 768.28, Florida Statutes, the Parties also agree to support the passage of a Claims Bill by the Florida Legislature in the amount of $1,800,000.000, as specifically appropriated by the Legislature..." The rest of the money — most of the money — was not going to come from Florida State. It was going to come from the state of Florida. No way around it. The rest of the money — most of the money — was not going to come from Florida State. It was going to come from the state of Florida — if it was going to come at all — and it was going to come only if the Legislature said so. If the right politician or politicians said yes. The law, by exact statute the aforementioned 768.28, is meant to prevent state entities — public universities, school districts, local governments — from going bankrupt due to any iniquities deemed to be particularly egregious and their legal consequences. The dispassionate assessment is that this makes fiscal sense. That doesn't mean it isn't awful for the parents of Devaughn Darling or anybody else like them. So that was the most important piece of the settlement. The next-most important piece of the settlement? The following portions of text, worthy of numerous, vigorous red-pen underlines: 1. "This Agreement embodies the entire agreement between FSU and Plaintiffs..." 2. "... no further legal actions against FSU may be pursued by them concerning the incident..." 3. "... their only recourse to collecting the $1,800,000.00 is through a Claims Bill..." 4. "FSU will not be obligated to lobby in support of the Claims Bill." 5. "... the payment made is not be construed as an admission of liability..." The settlement was a contract, binding, with one exception, explicitly identified — a fat paragraph squeezed into the middle of the document. Florida State, according to the careful wording, agreed to make "its best efforts" to put a memorial of some sort to Devaughn in an athletic building, and to send to the Darlings photos and videos of Devaughn playing, "to the extent that such items can be located," as well as replicas of the rings Devaughn got for being on a team that won a conference championship and played for a national championship, "to the extent that such can be replicated," and to have an endowed scholarship in his name. None of this was "obligatory." All of this was "voluntary." Devaughn's father signed it. Devaughn's mother signed it. All the attorneys signed it. A judge signed it. Now, legally, it wasn't the fault of Florida State that Devaughn Darling was dead. And officially, for the school, all matters concerning his death — the "incident" — were over. "To bring closure to the family," Andy Haggard, one of the attorneys representing the school, told a reporter from the Miami Herald, "this was the honorable and just thing to do." All that was left was the claims bill. "Claims bills can go either way," Haggard said. "I think this one will pass."
Claims bills hardly ever pass. From 1955 to 1999, less than two in five had passed, according to Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union, and the success rate started to get worse from there. Since 2000, it's less than one in four. The parents of Devaughn Darling didn't get their $1.8 million in 2005. Or in 2006. Or in 2007. Or in 2008. More FSU Features The Legend of Dan Kendra The Florida State Process The Rejection of Myron Rolle By this time, across town in Tallahassee from the Capitol, the Florida State football sheen had faded. The team in that first season after Devaughn's death had lost four games. The team in the second season after Devaughn's death had lost five — the worst performance since 1976. And the 2007 team hadn't played in the Orange Bowl or the Sugar Bowl or the Rose Bowl. It had played, and lost, in the Music City Bowl. Bowden, the legend, was two more mediocre seasons away from finally retiring. In the Orlando Sentinel in December 2007, Gladden, one of the coaches who had been in the second-floor gym with Devaughn, pointed to his death as one of the reasons for the Seminoles' diminishment. "Now all of a sudden," he said, "that little thing about blind trusting with blind faith is no longer there. Up until that point, our kids believed in anything we told them." In March 2008, though, reporters from the Tallahassee Democrat and the Tampa Tribune wrote stories about "mats." "I think in the past here at Florida State, the mat drills have kind of been a rallying point for the team to where they feel like they can't be beaten..." said Todd Stroud, a former nose guard who had returned to the team to be a strength and conditioning coach. "They have walked through the fire of hell..." Randy Spetman, the new athletic director, called the drills "a machine." He said they were "neat." "That's what it takes to win national championships," he said. "It definitely pushes your body to the limit," quarterback Drew Weatherford said. "You just tell yourself that your body can do more than you think it can," wide receiver Bert Reed said. The parents of Devaughn Darling didn't get their $1.8 million in 2009. Or in 2010. Or in 2011. Or in 2012. Or in 2013. The 2013 Florida State football team won the national championship. It was the Seminoles' first time in the national championship since the 2001 game in Miami when Devaughn and Devard Darling were on the team. The coach of the 2013 team, Jimbo Fisher, got a raise, from making $2.75 million a year to making $4.015 million a year. His assistant coaches got raises, too, from making a total of $2.86 million a year to making a total of $3.375 million a year. Added up, Florida State's football coaches received a per-year raise of just about... $1.8 million. Florida's 2014 legislative session is already over. No claims bills passed. The parents of Devaughn Darling didn't get their $1.8 million.
"I actually had a tragedy in my family, just yesterday," Devard Darling said, dressed in a gray suit with gray shoes, standing behind a small lectern in a small ballroom in a country club in Sugar Land. This was last month, outside Houston, a Saturday afternoon, at the scholarship luncheon for the As One Foundation, the small non-profit he runs to honor Devaughn, the name a reference to that shocked doctor in the Bahamas, because he'd only ever heard one heartbeat, so synced were the two in the womb. Now this. "My sister lost her little baby, 3 months old," said Devard, who had wanted to prepare some remarks, but hadn't, so here he was, just standing, just talking. "I was there for her last moments," he said. "I'd like to honor Brittany Vaughn," that middle name, for Devaughn, floating out into the air, "with just a moment of silence, please." The people in the room bowed their heads and held still. "Thank you," said Devard, and then, before he gave $1,000 checks to seven high school seniors with bright futures, he told them his story. Their story. The twins. Who didn't want to be in different classes. Who didn't want to wear different clothes. Who were never apart and who never wanted to be. The twins. Who wanted to play football in high school so well they could play it in college. Who wanted to play it so well in college they could play it as pros. Who wanted to play it so well as pros they could start a foundation. To help kids who had dreams like they had dreams. "Don't let anyone kill your dreams," he told them. "Become what you want to become." He told them about Feb. 26, 2001. He told them about how he went to Washington State, where he cried himself to sleep, so many nights, and talked to his twin, talked to Devaughn, talked out loud, in the apartment he lived in alone. He told them about how he played parts of six seasons in the NFL. About how he started As One. About why. "Don't let anyone kill your dreams," he told them. "Become what you want to become." After the luncheon, on this hazy, overcast afternoon, he drove to the Forest Park cemetery, where he stood in his gray suit, the only sounds those of cicadas in the Texas heat, and looked down. DEVAUGHN STEPHEN EVERETTE DARLING
"THE BLESSED ONE"
April 16, 1982 February 26, 2001 "Seems like it was yesterday..." he said. He used the bottom of his right shoe to gently brush fresh-cut clippings of grass off the headstone of his twin. (Photo by Michael Kruse) (Photo by Michael Kruse)
"An act for the relief of... the parents of Devaughn Darling, deceased... " That, every year, is how the claims bill starts. "WHEREAS," it continues — WHEREAS, Devaughn Darling collapsed and died; WHEREAS, after litigation and mediation; WHEREAS, the parties resolved; WHEREAS, as provided by the settlement agreement, the remaining unpaid portion of the consent judgment, $1.8 million, is sought to be paid to the plaintiffs... Bureaucracy is a tough place to go looking for mercy. And if the elicitation of empathy is the aim, a story is definitely the way to go, but maybe the worst way to start a story is with the word WHEREAS. Those are the rules, though, so let me try: WHEREAS, last month when I was in Houston, Devard Darling told me, "I feel like literally half |
from space heaters killed three
Charlotte Nash, Marvin and Tyrone's sister, told reporters that her brothers survived on Social Security benefits. "They were good brothers," she said from the driveway of the burned home. "They were caring. If they had a dime and you needed a nickel, they would give it to you."
But rather than examine why it is that three people could lose their lives over $181, an energy company spokesman suggested that the Allens and Greer were to blame--because they didn't seek funding assistance to help with the past due bills. "This is obviously a tragic situation," DTE Energy spokesman Scott Simons told the Detroit Free Press, "but possibly one that could have been avoided."
THE TRUTH is that the deaths of Marvin and Tyrone Allen and Lynne Greer won't be the last ones that occur this winter as a result of people being cut off from heat in the richest country on the planet.
Dangerous cold--in some areas breaking decades-old records--has already been blamed for the deaths of several elderly and/or homeless people across the U.S.. And even those with a place to stay aren't immune to the danger, as the Detroit fire shows.
Across the country, the recession has made it increasingly difficult for people to pay home heating bills. As a result, many families are suffering in freezing-cold temperatures, unable to afford home heating oil or payments to keep their utilities from being shut off. Others, inevitably, are turning to dangerous practices like propping open oven doors for warmth, or relying on overtaxed space heaters.
According to a report last month by the Washington-based National Energy Assistance Directors Association, a record number of U.S. households received help with heating and cooling bills in fiscal year 2009--nearly 8.3 million compared to 6.1 million the previous year, a 25 percent increase, despite the fact that energy costs have dropped slightly since last year.
At the same time that more people were receiving assistance, utility shutoffs across the country actually continued to rise by nearly 5 percent--to 4.3 million in 2009, from 4.1 million the year before.
DTE Energy alone reported 221,000 gas and electric shutoffs in the calendar year 2009, compared with 142,000 in 2008--out of roughly 2.7 million electric and natural gas customers throughout Michigan. In other words, DTE cut off more than 8 percent of its customers in 2009.
Similar increases in shutoffs and requests for aid are being reported in other cities and states. In Montana, applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP, a federally funded program administered individually by states) are up 17 percent from a year ago.
In Bozeman, Mont., Caren Couch of the Human Resource Development Council, which oversees the area's LIHEAP program, told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that she expects the number of applications this year to double--driven by layoffs in the construction industry and those who are ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Just as food banks across the country have reported a rise in the number of formerly middle-income people seeking assistance, a similar trend is occurring with those in need of heating assistance. "We're also seeing households who have never had any type of assistance or social service programs, people who own larger or more expensive homes who are struggling because they don't have the same incomes they used to have," Couch said. "They're grasping at any program that might be out there."
In Hempstead, N.Y., LIHEAP program director Liz McDermott told NBCNewYork.com that her hotline receives 300 calls a day from people seeking help to fill their oil tanks or pay their gas bills. "We've had a number of calls from frustrated people on the verge of tears," said McDermott.
In Chicago, power company ComEd is shutting off service in record numbers. According to a local CBS news report last month, "ComEd's net power shutoffs have soared this year; from 39,000 in 2008 to more than 67,000 through October 2009."
Virgina Rivers was one of those trying to get by in frigid weather without heat. Walking with a crutch because of a shooting that injured her spine nearly two decades ago, Rivers recently told reporter Mike Flannery that she had been cut off from both gas and electric in August. "It hurts," she said. "I literally sat here last night and I cried, just for the thought that [the bills] are just so high, I really can't afford it."
Another woman, Veronica Hoskins, who raises her grandson, told Flannery that she was forced to seek help with her bills from Lutheran Social Services. ComEd had been demanding more than $626, while Peoples Gas demanded more than $117. Both utilities were threatening to shut off service.
AID AGENCIES like Lutheran Social Services have become an important lifeline for many. But they're feeling the pinch themselves, as the federal government and cash-strapped states cut funding.
According to Flannery, Lutheran has had a hard time making its payroll--because the state of Illinois has failed to pay the organization $8 million since last summer. "We're spiraling out of control in this state, with our state services," Lutheran Social Services' Jo Ann Dollard told Flannery. "It's a ripple effect. It affects companies like ComEd. And it affects the people we're serving,"
In Pennsylvania, a $56 million decrease in federal funding for the LIHEAP program this year means that the state is tightening eligibility requirements--so fewer people will qualify for assistance programs than last year. The maximum annual income allowed for a family of four to receive assistance is now $33,075--over $11,000 less than last year's limit.
Additionally, the state is decreasing the size of so-called "crisis grants"--intended for households in the direst need that have no source of heat and face a health- or life-threatening emergency--from $800 last year to $400 this year. The state also delayed the opening for crisis grant applications by an additional two months this year, leaving many families scrambling in emergency situations.
"We are getting calls every day from people with no oil," Fred Lettieri, executive director of the Scranton-Lackawanna Human Development Agency, which administers LIHEAP in Lackawanna County, Pa., told the Scranton Times-Tribune. "People don't want to be in this position, but they are. We should be providing more help; instead, we're providing less."
In December, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced that 17,037 Pennsylvania households started winter with their heat cut off--an 18.5 percent increase over last year.
Sixty-five-year-old Vietnam veteran Grant Dunlap and his wife Deborah sat in a waiting room at Carolina Community Actions in Rock Hill, S.C., this week, waiting to ask for heating assistance. The couple, forced to get by on Grant's $1,068 a month in disability after Deborah was laid off in November, brought their bank statements showing that they had just $1.62 in their account.
In her hands, Deborah held an electric bill of $285, with $192 past due. Their cutoff date was scheduled for that day. "We've been worried about it for days," Deborah told the Rock Hill Herald. "We had no Christmas."
In a country that squanders nearly $2 billion a week on its wars, it's criminal that Grant and Deborah Dunlap--and millions more families like them--should be forced to worry about being able to afford such a fundamental necessity of life.Please be advised that there may be triggers following so read on with caution.
What the hell does rape have to do with veganism you ask? Actually, a lot, but that is an entirely different conversation that maybe I will address at a later date, but for now I am reaching out to the Don’t Fear the Vegan community for help.
Close to twenty years ago I was raped. It has changed my life forever, leaving me with nightmares and PTSD. I can no longer handle the smell of vanilla extract because I was wearing vanilla parfume at the time of the attack. I am more compassionate towards others, including animals, because the thought of anyone suffering, especially at the hands of someone else makes me ill. I am stronger for it. I am a fighter. I am emotionally numb but feel everything. My attacker was very close to me so I trust few and those I do trust, I also hold very close to my heart and love them deeply.
Really though, this isn’t about me. A dear friend was recently raped and she is struggling something awful. My advice is beginning to sound like a song on repeat. I went searching on the Internet for words of wisdom, but they all sounded so clinical and distant. Words out of textbooks with no passion, or real concern, or advice.
Here is my request. If you have been there please tell this struggling woman what you wish someone would have told you. Or possibly what someone did say that helped you get through. The story of what got you to leave your house and face the world. What you are still struggling with. Where you find comfort or happiness. Support groups that have helped you. Anything. Please just help her know she is not alone!
Thanks in advance!
Steffi xo
44.956209 -123.057366Getty Images
You might have thought about it, heard it. A lot. You might have even felt it: Dictionary.com's word of the year is "xenophobia."
While it's difficult to get at exactly why people look words up in dictionaries, online or on paper, it's clear that in contentious 2016, fear of "otherness" bruised the collective consciousness around the globe.
The Brexit vote, police violence against people of color, Syria's refugee crisis, transsexual rights and the U.S. presidential race were among prominent developments that drove debate — and spikes in lookups of the word, said Jane Solomon, one of the dictionary site's lexicographers.
The 21-year-old site defines xenophobia as "fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers." And it plans to expand its entry to include fear or dislike of "customs, dress and cultures of people with backgrounds different from our own," Solomon said in a recent interview.
S. Carolina Pediatrician Stops Taking Unvaccinated Patients
A South Carolina pediatrics office is turning away unvaccinated patients, citing the health and safety of other immunocompromised children who are in danger of catching contagious diseases in the waiting room. Parents say their choices for their unvaccinated children are shrinking. (Published Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019)
The word didn't enter the English language until the late 1800s, she said. Its roots are in two Greek words — "xenos," meaning "stranger or guest," and "phobos," meaning "fear or panic," Solomon added.
The interest was clear June 24, within a period that represents the largest spike in lookups of xenophobia so far this year. That was the day of Brexit, when the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Searches for xenophobia on the site increased by 938 percent from June 22 to June 24, Solomon said. Lookups spiked again that month after President Obama's June 29 speech in which he insisted that Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric was not a measure of "populism," but rather "nativism, or xenophobia, or worse."
Solomon added that chatter about xenophobia goes well beyond the spikes.
"It has been significant throughout the year," she said. "But after the EU referendum, hundreds and hundreds of users were looking up the term every hour."
Robert Reich, who served in the administrations of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and was President Clinton's labor secretary, felt so strongly about xenophobia's prominence today that he appears in a video for Dictionary.com discussing its ramifications.
R. Kelly Facing 10 Counts of Criminal Sexual Abuse
R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois. (Published Friday, Feb. 22, 2019)
"I don't think most people even know what xenophobia is," Reich, who teaches public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, said in an interview. "It's a word not to be celebrated but to be deeply concerned about."
Solomon's site, based in Oakland, California, started choosing a word of the year in 2010, based on search data and agreement of in-house experts that include a broad swath of the company, from lexicographers to the marketing and product teams to the CEO, Liz McMillan.
The word and the sentiment reflect a broader mournful tone to 2016, with Oxford dictionary editors choosing "post-truth" as their word of the year, often described in terms of politics as belonging to a time in which truth has become irrelevant.
"I wish," Solomon said, "we could have chosen a word like unicorns."
Copyright Associated PressI have talked publicly about improvements to walking papers since at least SotM 2013. Made a blog post here in 2014 with some thoughts. But all I’ve seen were new ways to print tiles or atlases. While I admire the Field Papers and MapOSMatic fork improvements over the past years, a good walking paper is more than that.
For a long time I have been using a 28-step process to prepare walking papers for my mapping parties. It involved using Maperitive, Inkscape and some proprietary software. This year I finally got fed up with reanimating that old renderer, which doesn’t work perfectly on Linux, and tried something else. I had always been recommending QGIS for printing maps, and I decided to try it myself. Turned out, making walking papers with it is really simple and straightforward, albeit not without issues.
I started writing another guide with QGIS and GDAL and all the new tech, but it quickly grew to 22 steps. Still too many. Having discovered the Python Console in QGIS, I started experimenting with automating a few tasks. One thing after another, and now I have automated almost everything, fixing a few issues in QGIS on the way. I present to you…
Walking Papers QGIS Plugin
It is the simplest way to prepare good walking papers for your mapping party. All you have to do is sketch the pie, and the plugin does the rest. Here are the complete instructions:
Install the “Walking Papers” plugin from the official QGIS repository. Click the button with blue rectangles and choose “Download OSM Data”. On a layer it created draw a polygon around your mapping party area (click a pencil button, and then “area” something near it. Left mouse button adds a node, right button closes the area), and choose the same menu item again. Yay, we’ve got a map. Sketch the pie with lines in the “Pie Overview” layer. Having finalized the pie, activate the “Pie Sheets” layer and draw areas around quarters that go on each of the printed sheets. Usually it’s 2-3 sheets per a pie piece. Name areas like “4-west”, where 4 is a pie piece number, and “west” helps a mapper to locate themselves. Click the blue rectangles button and choose “Prepare Atlas”. That’s all, check out the sheets and print them or export them to a PDF file.
Amazing, right? For a regular mapping party this way of preparing walking papers gives you much more control, and you would need to do much less explaining when handing these sheets to participants. Here is why I prefer it to atlas-printing websites:
The data is very recent. It is downloaded from Overpass API, and you don’t have to wait for a server somewhere to catch up. Buildings missing? Ask mappers to help drawing them, and print the papers an hour before the party, with everything they managed to draw by that time.
Custom map style. With online services you have basically one good choice: Stamen’s Toner. It is not perfect for walking papers: labels are in English, lines are too thick and dark, buildings don’t have numbers and are hatched, so you can’t draw anything on top of them, and the water is awfully black.
Vector maps. You are not limited by zoom levels, and thickness is specified in millimeters, not pixels on some maximum zoom level.
Custom attributes. The bundled style prints house numbers and building heights on buildings. It is not easy to alter that at the moment, but by manually editing osmconf.ini and wp_style.yaml files in the plugin directory ( $HOME/.qgis2/python/plugins/walking_papers ) you can add any attributes and change the style however you want.
and files in the plugin directory ( ) you can add any attributes and change the style however you want. Rotation. It is frustrating when the roads in your mapping area go in 45° angle on the map, which makes most of the space on walking papers sheets unusable. With this plugin, maps on your sheets are rotated so objects on the map are as big as possible, and you have plenty of space to put down POI names and house details.
Speed. No more waiting for an hour while your task crawls through the queue. Click a button, get an atlas, that’s all.
Works offline. Download a map area in JOSM beforehand, or copy it with a flash drive from a connected computer, and use the “Open OSM Data” menu item.
I hope this plugin helps you with organizing a mapping party. We know these don’t help with attracting new contributors, but parties are fun, you get to know your city or village better, and the amount of data you collect is unmatchable by any other data collection method.With three wins in as many games, Paris Saint-Germain are off to their best start to a Ligue 1 campaign since the 2005-06 season and remain top of the table after their 0-1 win over Montpellier HSC at the Stade de la Mosson.
The match was dull at times and certainly shouldn’t be used as an advert for Ligue 1. Paris were without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel Di Maria, Marco Verratti, Gregory van der Wiel, and after 10 minutes they saw Javier Pastore limp off with an injury. Lacking many of their attacking options, PSG found a way to battle on the road and come away with three points thanks to Blaise Matuidi and Kevin Trapp in particular.
With the score at 0-0, Trapp, who made his third consecutive start, made an absolute world class save in the 49th minute against Ramy Bensebaini who’s header seemed destined for the back of the German’s goal.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt man made three saves on the night and becomes the first PSG goalkeeper since Bernard Lama in 1996-97 to record three shutouts in the first three games of the season. It’s becoming apparent that the €10 million Paris paid for his services was an absolute steal and could end up being the best bargain purchase of the summer transfer window.
The only goal of the match came from Matuidi in the 60th minute. The 28-year-old found himself on the end of a brilliant pass from Maxwell and blasted it one-time into the back of Jonathan Ligali’s goal.
You have to say, for all the star power PSG have at their disposal, Matuidi might be the most important player in the squad at the moment. Not only is he contributing goals but his work rate on the defensive end is world class. With Ibrahimovic and Di Maria set to come back to the team for the match against Monaco next week, it’s safe to say Laurent Blanc won’t be dropping Matuidi to make room.
The back line of Serge Aurier, David Luiz, Maxwell, and Thiago Silva should be commended for their performances as well. For a defensive unit that conceded 36 goals in 38 Ligue 1 games last season, it’s refreshing to see their commitment to securing clean sheets and helping their young goalkeeper.
While the defense and Matuidi’s stock is rising, Edinson Cavani’s is certainly falling after his last couple of appearances. Filling in for the injured Ibrahimovic in the central attacking role he’s campaigned for since arriving at Paris, Cavani has failed to score against competition you would expect him to. He’s lost all confidence in his ability in what is his most important season at PSG and supporters are starting to turn on El Matador.
PSG should sell Cavani now. Get rid of him while they still can get money off him! Arsenal would be happy to be happy to play what we want — Mike#Ramsey (@000_ramsey) August 21, 2015
I think it’s too early to give up on the Uruguayan and I certainly don’t think PSG should sell him at this point in the transfer window but perhaps a few weeks rest will do him some good. He’s coming off a busy summer playing in the Copa America and his personal life has been tumultuous in recent months. Paris have plenty of attacking options and could afford to give him a break to regain his confidence.
Next Sunday Les Parisiens travel to Monaco for their first real test of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing where Blanc plays Di Maria and if Ibrahimovic will continue his descent into the midfield. It should be an intriguing early season matchup with many talking points. Check back after the game for our match recap and plenty of opinions.First look: SeaSide Poke in EaDo
Chopped tuna poke bowl at SeaSide Poke, a new Hawaiian poke restaurant opening in Houston's EaDo neighborhood. Chopped tuna poke bowl at SeaSide Poke, a new Hawaiian poke restaurant opening in Houston's EaDo neighborhood. Photo: Kimberly Park Photo: Kimberly Park Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close First look: SeaSide Poke in EaDo 1 / 19 Back to Gallery
Alex Boquiren remembers a time when the East side of downtown was a culinary no-man's land with few dining and drinking options. And that was only years ago. Today, it's as if the fast-forward button was pushed on the EaDo neighborhood as construction growth is turning a sleepy area into a hip sector in the shadow of downtown's skyscrapers.
And nowhere is that more evident than development at the intersection of Lamar and St. Emanuel which includes a new restaurant, SeaSide Poke, opening during the week of June 5. Boquiren, along with four other founders (Juan Cao, Vu Bui, and Kristy Nguyen), is taking a first big step as a Houston restaurateur with the opening of a fast casual poke bowl concept similar to Chipotle where customers move through a line to build their own entrée.
The co-owners have a couple of key pluses on their side: 1) They've settled on a food --- Hawaiian raw fish salad – that continues to trend nationwide; 2) They've positioned themselves in what is to become a hot new dining area with increased foot traffic; and 3) They've hired two chefs whose individual expertise will help distinguish the SeaSide menu from Houston's other poke offerings.
Chef Tai Nguyen, who comes to the operation from Uchi, boasts a resume that includes Fish & Knife and Soma Sushi. His partner is chef Vuthy "Tee" Srey, who brings 10 years of sushi restaurant work to the talbe, including Aka Sushi and, most recently, MF Sushi where he worked under chef Chris Kinjo.
The two chefs plan to distinguish their poke from the original Hawaiian style and the familiar California style by investing the menu with Houston flavor. Srey said that while the poke is "island inspired" it will have its own focus with the use of local produce, some barbecue nuances (think in-house smoked salmon), and some Gulf fish if available, specifically yellowfin tuna and amberjack. Those flavors, combined with technique and creativity, should set SeaSide apart from the local poke competition.
The menu is simple. In addition to build-your own (rice or salad topped by tuna, salmon and yellowtail augmented by sauces, seaweed, avocado, fish roe in bowls of two sizes, $10, and $13), the menu will feature several signature bowls. Examples of the bowls include Salmon Ponzu (salmon with ponzu sauce, orange, edamame and garlic); Truffle Yellowtail (yellowtail with shoyu, truffle, puff rice, cilantro, and togarashi); Spicy Tuna (tuna with gochujang, puff rice, breakfast radish, and shiso); and Tuna Aioli (tuna with spicy aioli, Thai chile, shallot, and cucumber).
Though SeaSide is one of Houston's newest restaurants, the company was actually formed in 2015 when the partners decided to band together and test the poke waters with a series of pop up events. Those successful pop ups gave them the encouragement and incentive to pursue a brick and mortar store. And today SeaSide Poke – looking fresh in its industrial chic space filled with clean lines and white subway tiles -- finds itself in the same building with the gorgeous new gastropub Chapman & Kirby, also at 2118 Lamar. SeaSide will also be neighbor to the new restaurant that Agricole Hospitality is planning on St. Emanuel, as well as Rodeo Goat ice house, Truck Yard bar, and two distilleries.
EaDo is hopping, and SeaSide will be in the midst of Houston's new neighborhood for dining, drinking, and merrymaking.
SeaSide Poke, 2118 Lamar, 832-319-4915I played a bunch of Tera this weekend during their beta test. I was able to get an archer up to level 12 and I had a great time. I wanted to share some of my thoughts about the beta with you guys. I should mention that I did not try any of the PvP and I’ve heard that’s something Tera does very well. My take on the beta is based on a purely PVE experience. I’ll start with the stuff I liked.
First of all Tera is the best looking MMO I have ever seen. It’s just fucking gorgeous. The crazy thing is that not only does the game look amazing, but it also runs great. I can’t believe how fast this game loads and how smooth it runs considering the visuals.
I have to say the best part of Tera though is the combat. This is an MMO but it plays more like an action game. There is no hotbar clicking here. You assign skills to your mouse buttons and the number keys but the real fun comes in building triggered skills. Essentially you create long chains of skills that you can trigger with a press of the space bar at the right moment. For example my archer started fights with a basic arrow shot, then I tap space bar and she moves into a melee attack with the bow, tap it again and she fires an explosive arrow at the ground that throws her back and gives her some distance, then another tap triggers her charged shot and so on. These combos are totally customizable. You just select a skill and then select what other skill it should trigger.
Since dodging and blocking are so integral to combat in Tera you can fight monsters that are much tougher than you are. If you play smart and dodge their attacks you can take on monsters way above your level. This game isn’t about standing in one spot and taking your licks until the monster is dead. This is an action game and how well you play has a lot to do with the outcome of a fight.
With all that said, I did have one major problem with the game. The quests in Tera are horrible even by MMO standards. From 1 to 12 I saw nothing but kill, gather and fetch quests. I know it’s a joke by this point but I was passing notes between NPC’s who were literally standing ten feet from each other. After a couple levels I wasn’t even reading the quests. Just click accept then check the map to see where I had to go. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by SW:TOR and its fully voiced and interesting quest chains. Tera suffers from the worst sort of old school MMO grind bullshit. As bad as the quests were I kept doing them because I wanted to keep fighting. But there is something wrong with an MMO when you would rather grind than do their quests.
In the end I’m actually excited to play more. I think between the combat and the art I could probably play Tera long enough to max out a character. Would I stick around much after that? Probably not.
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If you’re looking for international investment opportunities for your Individual Retirement Account or a 401(k), then your choices are typically between developed markets and emerging markets. Savvy investors understand the difference between both of these markets.
However, what if you’re a novice investor who doesn’t understand emerging markets or developed markets? Maybe you’ve noticed there are ETFs labeled as ‘Emerging Markets’ or as ‘Developed Markets’ and you’ve wondered what they might refer to.
Furthermore, you might also be curious to see what the outlook is for each asset class.
International Investment Opportunities: The Difference
The difference between Developed Markets and Emerging Markets is essentially an economic one.
Developed nations have more advanced economies. These include the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan and many other economic powerhouses across the world. These nations have more developed infrastructure, their citizens earn higher annual per capita income and have higher standards of living.
Emerging nations are still trying to develop their economics. These nations include China, Russia, Brazil, India, and several other nations throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Unlike their Developed Market counterparts, these countries lack the infrastructure, have lower standards of living and their economies are not as stable.
A well-diversified portfolio will try to incorporate both Developed Markets and Emerging Markets. However, which asset class should you allocate more funds to?
Developed Markets Outlook
Throughout the past few years, Developed Markets have been one of the most steady investment opportunities around. For example, if you were to examine the Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund, you’d recognize that this asset class has rebounded since the global financial crisis and has been producing consistent returns.
With potential volatility in the U.S. markets, it makes sense to invest in Europe and other developed markets. Many experts predict that the outlook for Developed Markets is very positive, and it could rise throughout 2018.
Emerging Markets Outlook
After years of lagging behind, Emerging Markets had a breakout year in 2017. Assisted by factors like a weaker U.S. dollar, the benchmark EEM increased by 25 percent in 2017. That’s a successful Emerging Markets 2017 performance!
And this might only be the beginning for Emerging Markets. One expert predicted that the rally will continue well into 2018 or beyond.
With Emerging Markets poised to have a great future, now is this time to sign up with a Robo Advisor so that you can allocate your funds proportionally into this asset class. Emerging Markets might be one of the hottest investment opportunities out there.President Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE assailed the ongoing probes of Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election on Friday, blasting Congress and the Justice Department for continuing the investigations despite not presenting "any proof" of collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin.
After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my "collusion with the Russians," nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 16, 2017
Reports emerged this week that the government's probe of last year's election has expanded to included possible obstruction of justice in the wake of Trump's abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the agency's investigation.
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The tweet followed the news on Thursday that Vice President Pence had retained an outside attorney to help navigate the law enforcement and congressional probes of Russian election meddling.
The Washington Post also reported on Thursday that special counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with leading the Justice Department investigation into the matter, was looking into the business dealings and finances of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and one of his closest advisers.Donald Trump has a unique choice in mind for his VP, and his name is Donald Trump.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Billionaire reality-TV star and alleged businessman Donald J. Trump has announced his vice-presidential running mate will be himself, Donald J. Trump. Making his announcement in front of Trump Towers, The Donald told reporters that “real winners don’t need backup; they just friggin’ win yooge all by themselves.”
“So I thought to myself,” Trump told the media, “why not cut a little fat out of the executive budget, and absorb the Vice Presidentialcy into the regular presidentialcy and, bing-bang-boom, I’ll be PresidentVicePresident Trump. Make sense? Of course it does, it’s me.”
Mr. Trump sounded confident as ever in his abilities to achieve “truly the best and biggest, most wonderful things” in the newly-minuted position.
“I’ll be the best PresidentVicePresident you’ve ever known,” Trump told reporters, adding, “Winning will become so frequent you’ll almost get friggin’ bored with it, that’s how great it’s going to be when I re-write the Constitution on the fly and name myself my own Vice-President.”
When questioned by several media outlets about the constitutionality of the plan, Trump scoffed at their “lack of vision” and “refusal to understand how powerful [he] will be.”
James' newest satirical compilation is out now and available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and soon at WalMart.com.
“When my rabid, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging fans put me in office,” Trump said, “no one’s gonna friggin’ touch me. No one will say shit to me, really, I think. Because they know they’ll get, and excuse the term, a big-fat-friggin punch in the dick, Presidential Trump style.”
Some other reporters asked Trump if he thinks Congress would just allow him to reshape the government without any input from the voters, or congress themselves. Trump let out a laugh that lasted approximately forty-five full seconds, using the standard “Mississippi” rule.
“You think I friggin’ care what those yooge losers let me do,” Trump asked incredulously,”when I’m elected, all bets are off. You know why? Because I’m a goddamnfriggin’ winner, that’s why. And we all know winners make the rules. Just ask the New England Patriots.”
Reached for comment, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) told the press he was “sure as heck sure” that what Trump wanted to do was unconstitutional but said that as a Christian Dominionist if Jesus Christ said it was okay, he would make an exception for Trump.
“As an adult human I’m repulsed by everything Donald Trump says,” Cruz told reporters, “but as a cynical politician in the same political party as Donald Trump, I also want to stay in office and will sacrifice any and all of my moral high-ground to suck up to him. Isn’t America great?!”February 6, 2011 — Patrick Zimmerman
The Compatibilty Quiz
Paint by Number
Triplet Crime
Miss
Table for Three
Black and White
Triplet Pregnancy, Too
Tripling: Playing Dress-Up to Disrupt Identity Politics
Triiibe is a performance collective that originated in 2006 when performance artists and identical triplets, Alicia, Kelly and Sara Casilio joined creative forces with noted documentary photographer, Cary Wolinsky. Together, Triiibe creates political and social commentary through art using performance, video and photography. They explore diverse ideas together and their collective voice allows them to reach a broad audience. The images their exhibitions are carefully constructed observations on identity and the politics of identity. The works ask questions such as: How are we the same? How are we different? What is feminine? What is masculine? What role goes gender play in politics?
In 2009, Triiibe had their first solo exhibition of photographs at Gallery Kayafas. They unveiled a solo exhibition in Boston University’s 11,000-square-foot gallery 808 in the fall of 2010. Their current show at DODGEgallery is Triiibe’s New York debut.
Triiibe: In Search of Eden
Triiibe: Bailout and Bonuses
(Please Click Image to View Slide Show)
Please Share This:Austin is getting a new Chinese option when Old Thousand opens its doors in the fall on East 11th Street. With Uchi alum at the head of the kitchen, James Dumapit and David Baek, the restaurant will focus on casual Asian fare for dine-in and takeout.
"We wanted to create a funky little neighborhood spot that serves up classic American-Chinese food we all grew up with," describes Benneth Cachila, one of the partners of SMGB, the hospitality group behind the project, "but in a remixed sort of way. Familiar but surprising." The Poached job listing explains that it is "funky" with "dope food, dope music, [and] dope vibes."
It will be the job of chefs Dumapit, previously the executive sous chef of Uchiko, and Baek, from East Side King Thai Kun and Uchi to create that dining vision, which will also include a focus on local and seasonal ingredients and foods.
The restaurant’s name, Old Thousand, comes from the Chinese term for someone who is crafty and quick-minded, as well as the name of the wild tile in mahjong. It took over the vacant space where Tex-Mex spot Mijo’s used to be on East 11th Street, just a stone’s throw away from Franklin Barbecue.
This is SMGB’s first project. Most of the group’s partners come from culinary backgrounds: Cachila (from Uchi as well, Nama in Nashville, and others), Larry Perdido (Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill, ), Tony Pollock (Pei Wei, Hopdoddy), along with Christian Romero (St. Philip).
Launch Map Where to Find Great Chinese Food in Austin Dumplings, roasted duck from Din Ho Chinese BBQ, mapo tofu from Sichuan River, and more"My sister is traumatised by what happened and would have had to relive it again on the stand, knowing every word would be scrutinised and held against her," Amy's older sister said in a statement. The outcome sent shockwaves through senior levels of government and the justice system. Now Amy and her family are calling on the Premier to consider legal reforms to protect child victims in gruelling, adversarial trials. "Not enough girls come forward and tell the police about their experiences because of how pointless it seems to be |
required if the spline teeth don't match up. (Sometimes it might help to briefly re-engage the clutch to spin things around again). If the car is moving too fast, a lot of effort is required to get the lever into first (it might even 'crunch' if the synchro's capabilities are exceeded).
Try this exercise: When slowing to a stop, push in the clutch and *lightly* press the shift lever from neutral towards the first gear slot at around 10 MPH. Don't force it in. As the car slows down, there will be a point that the lever easily slips into gear by itself. This will occur just before the car comes to a stop.
What is happening here? The intermediate shaft quickly slows down (due to friction) to near zero speed. This results in a fairly large speed difference between the intermediate shaft and first gear. The first gear synchro *resists* the lever movement. As the car slows down first gear also slows down. When the car is almost to a stop, first gear has slowed down to the point that it nearly matches the intermediate shaft's speed. At this point, the synchro is able to accelerate the intermediate shaft to a matching speed. When the speeds match, the force required to engage the splines is reduced, and the lever slips into place.
This is a rather slow, passive rev-matching situation. Using this technique results in a smooth, low-effort engagement into first gear when coming to a stop at a light. It reduces the wear on the first gear synchro.
More importantly, this is a good way to learn to recognize the 'feel' of a properly actuated synchro. This light - touch engagement is something to strive for when learning to actively match revs with the engine and double clutching. Some people refer to this as treating the shift knob like an eggshell. By *accurately* shifting, shifts can actually be done faster than by forcing the shift lever with muscle. Again, it also has the benefit of reducing transmission and clutch wear.
SIDE NOTE ON GETTING INTO REVERSE:
Because reverse is done with an actual moving gear (and no synchro's), the car and the intermediate shaft must both be stopped for the gear teeth to match up. This is most commonly a problem if a person wants to go into reverse after the car has been idling in neutral. If one just pushes down the clutch pedal and shifts into reverse, it will grind.
One approach is to simply wait a couple of seconds after pushing down the clutch pedal so that the intermediate shaft can come to a halt before shifting into reverse. To do it faster, you can push down the clutch, shift briefly into one of the forward gears (using its synchro to slow down the intermediate shaft) and then shift instantly into reverse.
To instantly get into reverse after braking in a hard stop (such as when driving a gymkhana course), leave the transmission in the forward gear you were in. At the moment you get to zero speed, the lever can be thrown into reverse (because the intermediate shaft was halted when it was engaged to the last gear), and power can then be immediately applied.
SHIFTING UP WHILE ACCELERATING:
When shifting up from one gear to a higher gear both the engine and the intermediate shaft will naturally slow down. This will passively bring them near the speed of the higher gear. Because of this, active rev-matching or double-clutching are rarely required.
Another exercise: When upshifting, try to use the same 'egg-shell' pressure on the shift lever to slip it into the next gear. When the clutch pedal is pushed and the shift lever moves through neutral, the intermediate shaft drops in speed and will quickly match the speed of the higher gear. This is the point that it will almost *seem* to pull itself into gear. The engine takes slightly longer to slow down because it has more inertia. This usually works out well because it is a moment after the gear is engaged that the clutch needs to be re-engaged. If the clutch is re-engaged and the power smoothly reapplied at just the right time, there won't be any'shock' in the drivetrain.
It's a little hard to describe in words, but with practice it's possible to integrate this entire upshift sequence into what seems like a single fluid motion that takes only a fraction of a second.
There are three indicators to determine how good a shift is: Was only light pressure required on the lever? Was the shift smooth? Was the shift fast?
To be complete, I should mention that there is one exception for forcing the shift lever. To get the very last little bit of acceleration out of a car, it can help to rush the shift sequence by forcing the shift lever into the next gear and re-engage the clutch with the engine already on-power. This can *slightly* reduce shift time and throw some extra inertia from the engine into the drive train. This technique definitely adds wear to the synchro's, the clutch and the rest of the drive train. If the car isn't being pushed to the point of lighting up the tires (which also accelerates wear), this technique isn't worthwhile.
Generally speaking, a really well executed light-touch shift can be done quicker than most people can power-shift. It certainly is friendlier to the car. The car will also handle better if it's accelerating on a twisty road. I usually only power-shift if I'm drag racing.
DOWNSHIFTING:
There are three basic scenarios involving downshifting that I can think of:
Downshifting (without braking) from an established original speed (such as when passing another car).
Downshifting while braking, and then re-accelerating in a straight line (no corner, such as when braking for a car that is turning up ahead).
Downshifting while braking to enter a corner.
(OK, I suppose there might also be occasion to downshift to enter a corner without braking, like when turning off a road with a low speed limit).
I listed these three scenarios in what I considered to be their order of difficulty.
Most people when they're learning to drive a manual transmission, learn to deal with downshifting for a corner first. They do it without active rev-matching or double-clutching (which, of course, is fine). By approaching and going through the corner at a casual rate, there isn't a big speed difference in the engine, intermediate shaft, or the rest of the driveline. The synchro's can handle the engagement, and it's possible to smoothly engage the clutch while *exiting* the corner. With additional practice it's possible to use this type of technique to get through corners reasonably quickly.
What's necessary to get through a corner as quickly as possible?
<Note: I'm going to try to avoid getting too far into handling and suspension stuff here (a BIG, fun topic). I'm also not discussing how to choose a line or maximize braking. I've also avoided the topic of determining the best RPM and car speed to shift at. I'm touching these topics right now just barely enough to discuss shifting technique.>
The tires basically have a fixed amount of traction on any given road surface. This traction can be used for braking, cornering, accelerating, or a combination of braking-cornering or accelerating-cornering. If the car is cornering near the limit, there is no traction available for braking or accelerating.
The suspension needs to stay stable and the steering needs to be a smooth as possible.
In simple terms, a good corner consists of braking in a straight line, smoothly transitioning into the corner, holding the corner for its tightest section, transitioning out of the corner onto the gas, and accelerating out of the corner's exit.
The two transitions are the most important parts here. The idea is to have the tires near their maximum traction while braking, and then to smoothly change the *direction* of the traction to sideways for the corner. It's the same thing when exiting the corner. The direction of the traction is changed so that car accelerates.
I want to re-emphasize that the goal is to hold the *level* of the tires' traction CONSTANT, while CHANGING only the *direction* of that traction.
If there is a gap between releasing the brakes and steering into a corner, two things occur. The suspension becomes unsettled (so it can't corner as well), and time that the tires could have been working is lost. Again, it's the same thing when getting out of the corner to accelerate.
How does shifting affect all of this? If there is any jerking of the driveline when cornering near the limit, this will cause the limit to be exceeded because of the additional load imposed, even though momentary, on the tires. The driver has to be concerned with interpreting the corner and the situation, and monitoring how the car is responding, all while trying to operate a steering wheel, shift lever and three pedals with two hands and two feet.
Most 'performance' corners require a reduction in speed. This implies that a downshift of one or more gears be made so that the car is in the correct gear to accelerate out of it. A five - two downshift is a big change.
When driving a fast corner, the downshift can't be done before braking because the car's initial speed would cause the engine to over-rev.
On a rear wheel drive car, power needs to be lightly applied to the wheels during the corner so that the suspension is neutral or oversteering slightly (this is touching on another subject). This means that the downshift needs to be done before entering the corner.
This leaves one place to downshift: towards the end of the braking phase of the corner.
The shift has to be done while braking, and the engine needs to be sped up so that it will rev-match the new gear so that the tires won't be jerked past their limit. All three pedals need to be operated at once. This is where heel and toe (ball and edge) operation of the brake and the gas is required. Depending on how many gears down the shift is, the abilities of the transmission's synchro's, and the general pre-disposition of the driver, double-clutching may also be called for to get the shift lever into gear.
BACK TO LEARNING THE TECHNIQUES:
Recall the three downshifting scenarios I described above. Many people that I've observed trying to learn to rev-match and double-clutch (including myself) will try to learn it while cornering. This is the most difficult downshift. It's much easier to practice without braking or cornering. The braking can be added second, and then finally the cornering.
Please remember to stay safe. Try to keep away from traffic when trying something new.
EXERCISE:
On a straight section of road, establish a steady speed in fifth gear (perhaps 50MPH). Without breaking (use your right foot on the gas pedal only), downshift into forth. Try to blip the gas as the shift lever passes through neutral so that the car doesn't doesn't pull backwards or forwards when the clutch is re-engaged. Don't try to accelerate once you're in forth. Just continue to maintain a steady speed. Shift back up into fifth. Again, try not to jerk the car. Repeat this sequence going back and forth from fifth to forth. If you've got everything right and smooth, the car will just go steady down the road as if you weren't shifting. The only thing different is the sound of the engine changing speeds. At least at first, don't worry about making the shift fast.
Next, try the same thing going back and forth between fifth and third. This will require a little more gas when blipping the throttle. Focus on keeping the car's forward motion rock-steady.
Once you've got that down, try different sequences of third, forth and fifth.
At this point, you might want to throw in double-clutching while downshifting. As the shift lever passes through neutral, momentarily let up the clutch pedal at the same time the throttle is being blipped. If it's done correctly, the shift lever should slip into place much easier than without double-clutching, especially when going from fifth to third.
Try a similar exercise at 40MPH using second, third and forth. When you can downshift into second (this usually requires double clutching) at 40MPH and not affect the car's motion, you've got a good handle on this exercise.
The last part of this exercise is to accelerate at the end of a downshift. The idea is to be going at a steady speed, downshift by two gears, and take off. Try to integrate this into a single fluid motion. The acceleration should just appear as a big push from behind, without any jerking. Slow back down to a steady speed and repeat.
It is a rare automatic transmission that can downshift from speed as good as a well done downshift with a manual.
If you are new to this, I wouldn't proceed past this exercise for at least several days of practice, and probably weeks.
EXERCISE WITH BRAKING:
With the car off, try to find a seating and foot position that allows you to operate the brake and the gas pedal with your right foot at the same time using the ball and edge position I described. While pushing on the brake pedal, try to learn to blip the gas pedal without varying the pressure on the brake.
This inevitably will feel *very unnatural* at first.
In the course of your normal driving, practice blipping the gas pedal while you brake (don't try to downshift). Trying doing it during light braking and heavy braking. Try to bring the engine up to different speeds. The idea is just to get used to blipping the throttle while braking, without worrying about accomplishing anything with the engine. The goal is to not let the operation of the gas pedal affect the braking.
When you think you're ready, try braking and blipping the gas to rev-match into a downshift.
The next step requires an open stretch of straight road without traffic.
Basically just brake from speed, to a rev-match downshift at the *end* of the braking. Accelerate back up and repeat. Try it with and without double-clutching. Try it with light braking and heavy braking.
All the usual goals apply: Smooth transitions. Light touch on the shift lever. Unified fluid shift motions.
Stop and go traffic is an excellent opportunity to practice this exercise. I know people that dislike driving a manual transmission during rush-hour. Personally, I prefer a manual because it gives me something interesting to do with my driving in an otherwise tedious situation.
CORNER ENTRY EXERCISE:
Suspension loading might best be practiced first without downshifting. The exercise is only about getting into a corner. Just push in the clutch while braking and don't worry about the gas. Wait until the corner is completed before trying to downshift or speeding up again.
Brake as you approach a corner. Try to be conscious of the level of braking force that you feel. When you reach the point where you start to turn the steering wheel, lift off of the brake in unison with moving the steering wheel.
The goal is to feel the force swing sideways without varying in intensity. You shouldn't feel any gaps in the 'tug'. There also shouldn't be any pulses in the force. Keep it smooth and uniform.
Try varying how fast you turn in. The faster you turn in, the faster you need to get off the brakes. Doing corners with slow turn-in is good for practice because it emphasizes the steering/braking coordination more.
FINALLY, THE WHOLE DEAL:
If you've gotten through all of the exercises up to this point, adding the final steps should be a relatively easy process.
Brake timing doesn't have to be an issue at first if you practice at reduced speeds with moderate deceleration. The main thing to focus on is to get the downshift timed so that it is *completed* just before you start to turn the steering wheel. As the clutch is re-engaged, the gas should be held at the level where it will be during maximum cornering force.
Transition the braking into steering as in the previous exercise. When it's time to straighten out, transition into the gas in a similar manner. Just swing the direction of the force around without any gaps or surges.
Here's the entire step by step process for a 90degree corner from a 55MPH road to another 55MPH road:
1) Begin braking. 2) Clutch pedal down, transmission lever in neutral. 3) Clutch up, blip throttle. 4) Clutch down, lever into second. 5) Clutch up, lightly apply the gas just enough to load the drivetrain. 6) Transition off of the brakes into the steering. 7) Hold the corner (maintain the gas just below where the back end would start to slip out. 8) Transition out of the steering into full gas. 9) Shift up when needed.
FINAL NOTE:
The whole process of learning to shift well takes lots of practice and determination, but it's well worth the effort. Everyone that I know who's learned to do this really ENJOYS shifting. I believe all of them have a really strong preference for manual transmissions. I know that I do.
I hope that all of this makes sense and that some of you will benefit from both the explanations and the exercises.
Regards,
Brian Brown. BMWCCA #130878 '96 318tiSNewcastle United will play eight pre-season matches ahead of the 2014/15 campaign
Newcastle United have confirmed the Club will play eight pre-season matches ahead of the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign.
As well as travelling to an already-confirmed tour of New Zealand and tournament in Germany, the Magpies will have four fixtures in England - away at Oldham Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town, and at home to a yet-to-be-announced European club.
Newcastle United managing director, Lee Charnley, said: "We are very pleased to confirm all of our pre-season away matches and to give supporters in this country and overseas as much time as possible to make their own plans.
"As well as providing the players with strong tests at important stages in preparation for next season, we have also balanced our schedule with excellent commercial opportunities as we look to continue showcasing Newcastle United as part of the Barclays Premier League's global success.
"We hope to be able to announce details of our home fixture to take place on 9th or 10th August and also an open day for fans of all ages at St. James' Park shortly."
Magpies manager Alan Pardew added: "Pre-season is a crucial time for any football club so I'm very pleased with the mix of opposition and the training programme the squad will face.
"It's vitally important that the players are fully prepared and get out of the blocks quickly when August comes around so we will be working hard to ensure they get the absolute maximum out of the games we've selected for them."
United will kick-off pre-season at Oldham Athletic's Boundary Park on Tuesday, 15th July (7.30pm kick-off) before travelling to New Zealand for the Football United Tour 2014.
Alan Pardew's side will take on Australian A-League sides Sydney FC at the Forsyth Barr Stadium, in Dunedin, on Tuesday, 22nd July (7.30pm kick-off local time) and Wellington Phoenix at the Westpac Stadium in the capital on Saturday, 26th July (4.30pm kick-off local time).
Upon their return from Down Under, United will travel to Hillsborough to face Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday, 30th July (7.45pm kick-off) before a trip to Germany for the Schalke 04 Cup.
The Magpies will have two fixtures in two days at the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, with hosts Schalke 04, La Liga side Málaga CF and fellow Barclays Premier League club West Ham United also involved across Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd August (fixtures and kick-off times TBC).
United will make the short journey to face Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium on Tuesday, 5th August (7.45pm kick-off) before a final fixture at home to a European club on either 9th or 10th August (opposition and kick-off time TBC).
Newcastle United's confirmed pre-season fixtures are summarised below:
DATE OPPOSITION KICK-OFF TIME (LOCAL TIME) VENUE Tuesday, 15th July, 2014 Oldham Athletic 7.30pm Boundary Park, Oldham Tuesday, 22nd July, 2014 Sydney FC 7.30pm Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (NZ) Saturday, 26th July, 2014 Wellington Phoenix 4.30pm Westpac Stadium, Wellington (NZ) Wednesday, 30th July, 2014 Sheffield Wednesday 7.45pm Hillsborough, Sheffield Saturday-Sunday, 2nd-3rd August, 2014 (two fixtures) Schalke 04/Malaga CF/West Ham United TBC VELTINS-Arena, Gelsenkirchen (GER) Tuesday, 5th August, 2014 Huddersfield Town 7.45pm John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield
TICKETS
DOMESTIC FIXTURES (home and away)
Tickets for all domestic fixtures will be confirmed on www.nufc.co.uk in due course.
NEW ZEALAND
Tickets for Newcastle United v Sydney FC in Dunedin will be on general sale from Wednesday, 21st May, via www.ticketdirect.co.nz.
Tickets for the double-header at Westpac Stadium in Wellington will be available from Friday, 16th May, via www.ticketek.co.nz, using the password OZUNITED.
Adult ticket prices start from $59 for general public with child tickets from $20. For more information, visit www.wellingtonphoenix.com.
GERMANY
Newcastle United tickets for both days of the Schalke 04 Cup at VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen will go on sale direct from Newcastle United's Box Office shortly. Details will be confirmed in due course at www.nufc.co.uk.Two Derry men who shouted sectarian abuse at a Salvation Army parade in the city were told by a judge that they were 'not just bigots but stupid bigots'.
Stephen O'Reilly, 20, of Bloomfield Park in Galliagh, was charged with disorderly behaviour, assaulting and resisting police on June 6.
Lee Coyle, 19, also from Bloomfield Park, was charged with similar offences on the same date.
Derry Magistrates Court was today told that a Salvation Army parade was taking place in the Diamond area of the city and Coyle was seen standing in the middle of the road shouting 'Orange b------s'.
He refused to move on and police tried to reason with him but he pushed a female officer in the chest and struggled with police.
As regards O'Reilly, the court was told that the band of the Salvation Army was forced to cut short their performance due to the defendant's behaviour.
He was trying to assault members of the band and was shouting sectarian abuse such as 'Orange b------s'.
He also shouted 'F--k the PSNI'.
The court was told there was a large crowd of shoppers in the area and O'Reilly continued to shout and swear at police.
Defence barrister for O'Reilly, Eoghain Devlin, said it was hard to think of another incidence of such 'ignorance and stupidity’.
He said the court was 'not only dealing with two stupid individuals but two who had not taken the time to notice the make-up of our society.'
He said on the day in question O'Reilly for reasons known only to himself had stopped taking his medication and taken alcohol.
Stephen Mooney, counsel for Coyle, said it was 'drunken, obnoxious behaviour' and said that the Salvation Army made for a very soft target.
He said the incident was 'unpleasant for shoppers' who were in the area at the time.
District Judge Barney McElholm said the Salvation Army do 'tremendous good' for both sides of the community and would help anyone in need.
He went on: "The idea that good people like that were subjected to this gross, vile, sectarian abuse should fill anyone with horror."
He told both men that they deserved to go straight to prison.
He adjourned the case until November 30 and told both men that if they did not come in to court on that date with £250 each for the Salvation Army they were going to prison.Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith of “The A-Team” said it best when he said: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
It’s no secret that I’m a huge football fan. (I’m using “football” and not “soccer” because it’s the proper term to use.) The editors at Total Sports Live realized that, and here we are — the first of a new weekly spot: the Total Sports Live “Premier League Match of the Week”. It just so happens that the first one of these is a blockbuster.
This Monday afternoon, Liverpool FC travel to the Etihad to get an early season test against defending Premier League champion Manchester City FC. After finishing top four in the Premier League last year, there is a lot of hope for Liverpool and manager Brendan Rogers. This would be the first gauge to see where The Reds stand in terms of top-tier European club football.
Going to the Etihad in the second Premier League game for Liverpool A.S. (after Suarez) is going to be daunting. Not having Suarez diminishes confidence a little, but there’s a bigger issue — the fact that Liverpool hasn’t won at the Etihad since October 5, 2008. Six years without a win at Manchester City can be demoralizing when you think about it.
It isn’t as if Liverpool isn’t equipped to win in Manchester City. Even without Suarez, The Reds feature A LOT of offensive firepower up front between forwards Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, and midfielders “Hendo” (Jordan Henderson), Phillipe Coutinho, and veteran stalwart Steven Gerrard — whose name I misspelled one time and got LIT UP on forum boards across Europe. (I remembered to look it up this time, guys.)
What should concern Liverpool fans now — and later in the season when UEFA Champions League games start — is the back four. The back four against Southampton of Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Javier Manquillo, and Dejan Lovren looked incredibly shaky at times. There always seemed to be Southampton players running freely into the box — as evidenced by the goal scored by Nathaniel Clyne on a very good one-two play between he and Dusan Tadic.
It will be interesting to see who Rogers goes with at Manchester City. Will he stay with this group of four, or will he consider throwing in either Mamadou Sakho or more veteran presence with Kolo Touré?
In an interview with liverpoolfc.com, net minder Simon Mignolet admitted that the team didn’t know what to expect from Southampton because of a new manager and new players. Mignolet and Liverpool know that won’t be the case with City:
“They have some top players and it will be a difficult game, but we competed with them last season and hopefully we will get the three points.”
Mignolet’s statement about City rings very true. With Manchester City, what you see is what you get. There’s not going to be too much deviation from Manuel Pellegrini’s club. Why would you? The men in place have delivered two of the last three Premier League titles.
You’re going to get a stout back four led by captain Vincent Kompany.
You’re going to get one of the best net minders in the Premier League in Joe Hart.
You’re going to get (in my opinion) the deepest midfield in the Premier League today with Samir Nasri, Fernando, Yaya Touré, and David Silva in the starting XI with James Milner and Jesús Navas on the bench.
You’re going to get a pair of dynamite goal scorers up front in Stevan Jovetic and newly extended Edin Dzeko. If they start to seem ineffective, then here comes Sergio Agüero who is just deadly as a substitute.
The word “consistency” has become synonymous with Manchester City in recent years. They’re not making big splashy moves like Real Madrid’s signing of Gareth Bale last year (or Luis Suarez this year), but they’re making the smarter moves like the Jesús Navas move last year. Since the Agüero/Nasri £64 million spending spree back in 2011, City has built a solid base that has led them to success. Why mess with something as important as consistency — especially when it wins?
There’s nothing Manchester City can throw at Liverpool that they haven’t seen before from this side, and there lies the challenge. Can Liverpool stop them? Recent history has shown they can in the sense that they can get a draw, but earning three points at the Etihad has proved elusive for the last six years.
Monday is going to be a showcase of two teams that are going to be battling at the top of the Premier League all season long — and potentially in Champions League as well. It’s an early test for Liverpool, and it’ll be the second time in recent years that Manchester City will open the season at home as the reigning champs.
Should be a good one!
Manchester City v. Liverpool
3:00 pm EST/8:00 pm BST
NBC SportsNet (US)/Sky Sports (ENG)Electronic Harassment
Washington Post on Electronic Harassment Devices
"An academic paper written for the Air Force in the mid-1990s mentions the idea of a weapon that would use sound waves to send words into a person's head. "The signal can be a'message from God' that can warn the enemy of impending doom, or encourage the enemy to surrender." In 2002, the Air Force Research Laboratory patented precisely such a technology: using microwaves to send words into someone's head. The patent was based on human experimentation in October 1994 at the Air Force lab, where scientists were able to transmit phrases into the heads of human subjects."
~~ Washington Post article on electronic harassment and voices in the head, 1/14/07
Dear friends,
It's quite fascinating how many people immediately discount anyone who talks about mind control. Government mind control programs have been reported in many major media articles and have been the subject of intense Congressional investigations which revealed widespread abuses. Below is yet another major media article on this key topic, this one revealing that some people who hear voices in their heads may actually be the subject of electronic harassment. As these articles and thousands of pages of declassified government documents make clear, mind control has been secretly studied for many decades.
If you are unaware of this important field of study, there are many reliable, verifiable resources which give much more information than the article below. For informative major media news articles on electronic harassment weapons, click here. For a brief, excellent summary of these weapons, click here. For a concise two-page summary of government mind control programs based on 18,000 pages of released government documents, click here.
Though this information may be disturbing, we feel it is better to be informed than to close our eyes. By spreading this information on electronic harassment and voices in the head to our political and media representatives and to our colleagues and friends, we can bring this vital information to light and build a brighter future for us all. And for lots more excellent information on this topic, see the "What you can do" box at the end of this article.
With best wishes,
Fred Burks for PEERS and WantToKnow.info
Former language interpreter for Presidents Bush and Clinton
Note: Read numerous patents demonstrating the possibility of projecting voices into the head. See informative diagrams and explanations of how it's all done.
Cover Story
Mind Games
New on the Internet: a community of people who believe the government is beaming voices into their minds. They may be crazy, but the Pentagon has pursued a weapon that can do just that.
Washington Post
By Sharon Weinberger
Sunday, January 14, 2007; Page W22
If Harlan Girard is crazy, he doesn't act the part. He is standing just where he said he would be, below the Philadelphia train station's World War II memorial – a soaring statue of a winged angel embracing a fallen combatant, as if lifting him to heaven. Girard is wearing pressed khaki pants, expensive-looking leather loafers and a crisp blue button-down. He looks like a local businessman dressed for a casual Friday – a local businessman with a wickedly dark sense of humor, which had become apparent when he said to look for him beneath "the angel sodomizing a dead soldier." At 70, he appears robust and healthy – not the slightest bit disheveled or unusual-looking. He is also carrying a bag.
Girard's description of himself is matter-of-fact, until he explains what's in the bag: documents he believes prove that the government is attempting to control his mind. He carries that black, weathered bag everywhere he goes. "Every time I go out, I'm prepared to come home and find everything is stolen," he says.
The bag aside, Girard appears intelligent and coherent. At a table in front of Dunkin' Donuts inside the train station, Girard opens the bag and pulls out a thick stack of documents, carefully labeled and sorted with yellow sticky notes bearing neat block print. The documents are an authentic-looking mix of news stories, articles culled from military journals and even some declassified national security documents that do seem to show that the U.S. government has attempted to develop weapons that send voices into people's heads.
"It's undeniable that the technology exists," Girard says, "but if you go to the police and say, 'I'm hearing voices,' they're going to lock you up for psychiatric evaluation."
The thing that's missing from his bag – the lack of which makes it hard to prove he isn't crazy – is even a single document that would buttress the implausible notion that the government is currently targeting a large group of American citizens with mind-control technology. The only direct evidence for that, Girard admits, lies with alleged victims such as himself.
And of those, there are many.
It's 9:01 P.M. when the first person speaks during the Saturday conference call.
Unsure whether anyone else is on the line yet, the female caller throws out the first question: "You got gang stalking or V2K?" she asks no one in particular.
There's a short, uncomfortable pause.
"V2K, really bad. 24-7," a man replies.
"Gang stalking," another woman says.
"Oh, yeah, join the club," yet another man replies.
The members of this confessional "club" are not your usual victims. This isn't a group for alcoholics, drug addicts or survivors of childhood abuse; the people connecting on the call are self-described victims of mind control – people who believe they have been targeted by a secret government program that tracks them around the clock, using technology to probe and control their minds.
The callers frequently refer to themselves as TIs, which is short for Targeted Individuals, and talk about V2K – the official military abbreviation stands for "voice to skull" and denotes weapons that beam voices or sounds into the head. In their esoteric lexicon, "gang stalking" refers to the belief that they are being followed and harassed: by neighbors, strangers or colleagues who are agents for the government.
A few more "hellos" are exchanged, interrupted by beeps signaling late arrivals: Bill from Columbus, Barbara from Philadelphia, Jim from California and a dozen or so others.
Derrick Robinson, the conference call moderator, calls order.
"It's five after 9," says Robinson, with the sweetly reasonable intonation of a late-night radio host. "Maybe we should go ahead and start."
The idea of a group of people convinced they are targeted by weapons that can invade their minds has become a cultural joke, shorthanded by the image of solitary lunatics wearing tinfoil hats to deflect invisible mind beams. "Tinfoil hat," says Wikipedia, has become "a popular stereotype and term of derision; the phrase serves as a byword for paranoia and is associated with conspiracy theorists."
In 2005, a group of MIT students conducted a formal study using aluminum foil and radio signals. Their surprising finding: Tinfoil hats may actually amplify radio frequency signals. Of course, the tech students meant the study as a joke.
But during the Saturday conference call, the subject of aluminum foil is deadly serious. The MIT study had prompted renewed debate; while a few TIs realized it was a joke at their expense, some saw the findings as an explanation for why tinfoil didn't seem to stop the voices. Others vouched for the material.
"Tinfoil helps tremendously," reports one conference call participant, who describes wrapping it around her body underneath her clothing.
"Where do you put the tinfoil?" a man asks.
"Anywhere, everywhere," she replies. "I even put it in a hat."
A TI in an online mind-control forum recommends a Web site called "Block EMF" (as in electromagnetic frequencies), which advertises a full line of clothing, including aluminum-lined boxer shorts described as a "sheer, comfortable undergarment you can wear over your regular one to shield yourself from power lines and computer electric fields, and microwave, radar, and TV radiation." Similarly, a tinfoil hat disguised as a regular baseball cap is "smart and subtle."
For all the scorn, the ranks of victims – or people who believe they are victims – are speaking up. In the course of the evening, there are as many as 40 clicks from people joining the call, and much larger numbers participate in the online forum, which has 143 members. A note there mentioning interest from a journalist prompted more than 200 e-mail responses.
Until recently, people who believe the government is beaming voices into their heads would have added social isolation to their catalogue of woes. But now, many have discovered hundreds, possibly thousands, of others just like them all over the world. Web sites dedicated to electronic harassment and gang stalking have popped up in India, China, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Russia and elsewhere. Victims have begun to host support meetings in major cities, including Washington. Favorite topics at the meetings include lessons on how to build shields (the proverbial tinfoil hats), media and PR training, and possible legal strategies for outlawing mind control.
The biggest hurdle for TIs is getting people to take their concerns seriously. A proposal made in 2001 by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to ban "psychotronic weapons" (another common term for mind-control technology) was hailed by TIs as a great step forward. But the bill was widely derided by bloggers and columnists and quickly dropped.
Doug Gordon, Kucinich's spokesman, would not discuss mind control other than to say the |
Earlier this year, Ubsoft Massive said it was also targeting 30fps in order to preseve the game’s visual fidelity.
Though the game is billed as a third-person shooter, it also features heavy RPG elements, including a levelling system, characters skill sets and the ability to collect loot. Players can take on missions alone or join up with friends online in an open-ended adventure where freedom of choice allows players to pick and choose mission types.
A firm release date has yet to be announced, though Tom Clancy’s The Division is scheduled to launch some time in 2015.Fourth Estate Sarah Palin is the REO Speedwagon of Politics
Jack Shafer is POLITICO's senior media writer. Previously, Jack wrote a column about the press and politics for Reuters and before that worked at Slate as a columnist and as the site's deputy editor. He also edited two alternative weeklies, SF Weekly and Washington City Paper. His work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, the Columbia Journalism Review, Foreign Affairs, The New Republic, BookForum and the op-ed page of The Wall Street Journal.
Sarah Palin in a few short years has gone from a telegenic and slightly charismatic speaker (when reading from a tight script) to a TV commentator who never meets a run-on sentence she can’t outrun.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that Fox News Channel has deposited its Alaskan hothead on an ice floe and given her a gentle shove toward the horizon, as POLITICO’s Mike Allen reported Wednesday morning. Fox News, which first signed Palin in 2010, told Allen that it and Palin amicably parted ways on June 1.
Story Continued Below
Don’t read too much into her departure. The relationship has always been fractious, as Gabriel Sherman has documented in New York magazine and his biography of Fox News President Roger Ailes, The Loudest Voice in the Room. This parting marks the second time Fox and Palin have broken up, the first coming in the beginning of 2013. In a shot at Fox News, she told Breitbart, “We can’t just preach to the choir; the message of liberty and true hope must be understood by a larger audience.” The breakup had many causes. As Sherman wrote a few months before that split, Palin was unhappy with Fox for not giving her top billing for her contributions and canceling her appearances. Fox was unhappy with her stinky ratings and her insistence on using her husband as a go-between, among other things.
Then, in June 2013, Palin and Fox reunited! Never mind what she said about preaching to the choir and pursuing a larger audience. Palin just wanted to praise the channel and Ailes.
“The power of Fox News is unparalleled,” Palin said in a news release at the time. “I am pleased and proud to be rejoining Roger Ailes and the great people at Fox.”
Palin’s pleasure in all things Fox soon expired, sketching the plotline we’re living through again today. Although her new 2013 contract gave Fox exclusive rights to her TV and Web work, she angered the channel by giving Breitbart.com her July 2014 piece calling for the impeachment of President Barack Obama. Then, in January 2015—after Fox host Bill O’Reilly dinged Palin in a promotion clip—she loaded, capped and cocked and went on Sean Hannity’s Fox show to fire back at O’Reilly, denouncing him as a kind of betrayer for tweaking her. O’Reilly, naturally, returned with a volley of his own.
The idea of Sarah Palin has always been better than the Sarah Palin reality. A true citizen-politician, the Alaskan vaulted from the Wasilla City Council, to which she was elected in 1996, to the governorship of the state in 2006 and then to the Republican Party’s 2008 presidential ticket. Some of her ideological foes have never forgiven her for her successes. But not even her partisans could find much to admire in the limp and stagger that has been her career as a TV news commentator. The English language has never been her friend, and it has not been getting any friendlier, as her shaggy speech earlier this year at the Iowa Freedom Summit showed.
With no reliable cognitive talents to sell, Palin has relied on the tease that she might run for president to keep herself on a Fox News retainer. Ailes has long run Fox News as a day-labor hall for Republican presidential hopefuls who wanted to turn a buck while keeping their faces before friendly voters. Besides Palin, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, John Bolton, John Kasich and Ben Carson have collected Fox News paychecks while simmering their plans—immediate or long-term—to run for the White House. As Palin’s presidential plans have paled, so has her direct value to Fox News.
Once famous for running for vice president and then semi-famous for contemplating a White House run, she now occupies the position in politics that Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon and other washed-up arena acts do in rock 'n’ roll—as a memory placeholder. This is not to say that Palin will never achieve anything in politics or television again, just as it’s not a sure bet that Journey and Styx will never chart again. But with the passage of time, the chances dwindle.
Fox’s Ailes, famous for being quoted as saying, “I want to elect the next president,” also claims fame for being quoted (by the same writer) as saying, “Listen, the premise that I want to elect the next president is just bullshit.” At Fox, Palin has benefited from Ailes’ oscillations between these two points, as he’s groomed and discarded candidates-turned-pundits-turned-candidates. Palin should have seen her second dumping coming. This is, after all, the network that canned the highly rated Glenn Beck when he wouldn’t do Fox News the way Ailes wanted him to do it.
Hey, maybe Palin should drop her résumé to Beck and see if he’s hiring.
******
On Page 384 of "The Loudest Voice in the Room," Sherman refers to the "political comedy" of Fox. I wish I’d written that. Send your wishes via email to Shafer.Politico@gmail.com. My email alerts got fired from Fox News, my Twitter feed resigned to protest its firing, and my RSS feed has a show on Fox Business News that nobody watches.President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced the addition of four transition team members who will help shape the Treasury Department under the next administration. Here’s what we know about the new additions.
William Walton
Walton is chairman of Rappahannock Ventures LLC, a Washington, Va.-based private equity firm. He is also vice president of the right-leaning Council for National Policy and a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, a think tank advocating the “intelligent design” theory of human biology.
Walton served as chief executive of Allied Capital Corp. from 1997 to 2009 and as managing director of the private equity firm Butler Capital Corp. He serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations, including the Media Research Center, a conservative group describing itself as “the nation’s premier media watchdog.”
Curtis Dubay
Dubay is a research fellow in tax and economic policy at the Heritage Foundation and a former senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He previously served as a senior economist at the right-leaning Tax Foundation.
Dubay’s recent work includes an Oct. 31 issue brief on dynamic scoring of the two major presidential candidates’ tax plans. He also wrote a piece in June for the Daily Signal praising the House GOP tax overhaul plan, particularly its business tax proposals.
Judy Shelton
Shelton, an economist who served on Trump’s advisory council during the campaign, is listed as co-director of the free-market Atlas Group’s Sound Money Project. During the 2016 presidential campaign she echoed Trump’s criticism of the Federal Reserve, saying the central bank is politically biased. She has also called for a return to the gold standard. In an August interview with Fortune, Shelton expressed concern about international central banks buying corporate assets.
Her comments during the campaign largely focused on changes to monetary policy, but she does not appear to be looking to turn the central bank upside down, according to a post-election Bloomberg News interview in which she said the Fed “will remain independent.”
Mauricio Claver-Carone
Claver-Carone, a former Treasury Department lawyer, was most recently the leader of Cuba Democracy Advocates, a Washington-based advocacy group for Cuban-American relations. (Politico reports that he left his position there on Friday.) According to his website, Capitol Hill Cubans, he has also served as the leader “in an independent capacity” of the U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC, which bills itself as “the largest, single foreign-policy political committee in the United States and the largest Hispanic political committee in history” and supports Cuban trade sanctions.
Claver-Carone previously expressed support for Cuban-American former GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).0 New Mississippi law allows concealed carry without a permit
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the "Church Protection Act" into law Friday.
The law allows church members to act as armed security, as long as they have permits and firearms training. It even permits church members to use deadly force, if need be.
But as WHBQ learned, there's a clause in the law that actually broadens gun owners' rights throughout the state, not just in the church.
Some Mississippi legislators said the bill could have been called the "Mississippi Concealed Carry Law," because it lets law abiding citizens conceal and carry without a permit.
"I have been carrying ever since the law passed for open carry," said Dennis Koontz as he walked around a Horn Lake gun shot. He had a 40-caliber pistol on his side, but he does not have a permit.
Now, under the Church Protection Act, he can conceal the same gun.
The interpretation comes from the closing lines of the new law. It reads as follows:
"A license under this section is not required for a loaded or unloaded pistol or revolver to be carried upon the person in a sheath, belt holster, shoulder holster or in a purse or handbag."
"I think the Second Amendment gives us a right to carry weapons," Koontz said. "We shouldn't have to get a permit or (be) paying anybody to do something."
Some gun owners in the Magnolia State disagreed. They said not requiring a permit is a bad idea.
"It shows that you accomplished something," Derek Hinds said of permits.
"That is your permit. It is just like a driver's license," gun owner James Clark said. "That permit goes to you. It would cover your backside."
The truth, we learned from legislators, is that getting a basic conceal carry permit in Mississippi has always been fairly easy.
You pay the money, you pass the background check and you get the permit. No training is required.
The new law does not take effect on July 1, like some others. It was written in such a way that it takes effect immediately.
Legislators said they hope that by encouraging more people to conceal carry, more people will apply for enhanced carry permits that require extensive class work and training. And in turn, those people will be allowed to carry concealed in most places in the state.
© 2019 Cox Media Group.This article is about the plant. For the cube, see This article is about the plant. For the cube, see Mushroom Block. For the structure, see Huge mushroom. For other uses, see Mushroom (disambiguation)
“ Wait, go back a minute. Plant life? NO! Mushrooms aren’t actually plants. All plants contain a chemical called chlorophyll which they use to turn sunlight into energy, and which also makes them green, but mushrooms don’t have chlorophyll at all. Instead, they get their energy by breaking down decaying organic matter. So what are they then? They’re fungi, which is a category all of its own, and also includes yeasts and moulds. Fungi don’t get as much attention as plants, because they tend to live in soil or underground where they can’t be seen. In fact, they’re genetically closer to animals than they are plants. Think about that next time you cook up a mushroom stew. „ — Duncan Geere[1]
Mushrooms are fungi that grow and spread in dark areas.
Obtaining [ edit ]
Mushrooms can be instantly mined with anything.
Natural generation [ edit ]
Mushrooms naturally generate in poorly lit areas (light level of 12 or less), as well as in mushroom fields biomes and the Nether.
Witch huts have a flower pot with a red mushroom inside.[Bedrock, and Java editions only] Mushrooms also generate inside woodland mansions.
In Bedrock Edition, brown mushrooms can be found in all bonus chests in stacks of 1–2.
Huge mushrooms [ edit ]
Mining a huge mushroom block drops up to 2 mushrooms of the same color.
Mobs [ edit ]
Shearing a red mooshroom drops 5 red mushrooms and turns it into a normal cow. Shearing a brown mooshroom drops 5 brown mushrooms instead. [upcoming: JE 1.14]
Trading [ edit ]
Mushroom can be bought from wandering trader for an emerald.[upcoming: JE 1.14 & BE 1.10].
Usage [ edit ]
Mushrooms can be planted and grown on blocks in light levels below 13 and not directly underneath the sky. If planted on mycelium or podzol, they can stay planted in any light level. Both brown and red mushrooms grow at the same rate regardless of light level.[2][3]
Besides being mined directly, mushrooms are dropped as items if:
the block below them falls, is moved, or destroyed;
a fluid flows over them;
it is above light level 12 and a block updates next to it and it is not on podzol or mycelium.
Huge mushrooms [ edit ]
When bone meal is applied to a mushroom, the mushroom has a chance to grow into a huge mushroom of the same color, provided that it is on a proper block (dirt, coarse dirt, grass, podzol or mycelium), has enough space, and that the light level is dark enough.
Spread [ edit ]
Mushrooms will spread randomly onto nearby blocks when in appropriate conditions. They will spread only if there are fewer than 5 mushrooms of the same type in 9×9×3 area.
Light source [ edit ]
Brown mushrooms emit a barely visible light level of 1.
Decoration [ edit ]
Either type of mushroom can be planted in a flower pot.
Crafting ingredient [ edit ]
Composting [ edit ]
Placing a mushroom into a composter has a 65% chance of raising the compost level by 1.[upcoming: JE 1.14 & BE 1.11]
Data values [ edit ]
ID [ edit ]
Block Name ID Numeric ID [ BE only ] Brown mushroom brown_mushroom 39 Red mushroom red_mushroom 40
Video [ edit ]
History [ edit ]
Trivia [ edit ]
Mushrooms can generate on the leaves of trees.
Gallery [ edit ]
Mushrooms found in a swamp biome.
Mushrooms growing in a stronghold cell.
A brown mushroom growing on a tree.
Mushrooms growing in the Nether.
An example of a mushroom fields biome.
A red mushroom growing on a cluster of glowstone in the nether.
The rare occurrence of a mushroom growing on moss stone in a dungeon.
Mushrooms growing on podzol.
Mushrooms growing on mycelium in a mushroom fields biome.
Brown mushrooms illuminating a red mushroom and surrounding blocks.
Red Mushrooms can spawn naturally on Magma Blocks in the Nether.
References [ edit ]By Ollie Irish
Name: Brian McBride
Nationality: American
Position: Centre-forward
Why so hard? Not all football hard men are also dirty players, McBride being perhaps the best example I can think of. He was one of the most honest, committed and decent players I have ever seen play in the flesh – no mean feat given how many times he was kicked and elbowed in the face by opponents. He was never afraid to put his body on the line for any team he represented, so much so that if you look at an X-Ray of his body, you’ll see a hat-trick of titanium plates embedded in his face, the legacy of surgery he needed after putting his head in the danger zone one too many times.
Here’s McBride describing one such hit he took to the face, during a Gold Cup game for the US against Brazil:
“I went down and knew right away that something was wrong. So I left the field, went to the treatment room with the trainer and a doctor examined me. I was feeling all right again when the assistant coach came running in, shouting at the doctor, ‘Can he play?’ I said, ‘Sure I can,’ but at that precise moment I sneezed and, I swear, my left eye went (whistles and gestures how the eyeball popped out of its socket) … I looked at the coach and said, ‘Maybe not’.
“I do joke about it but my doctor has basically had to reconstruct my face. He’s cut underneath both my eyes, gone up through my mouth to avoid any facial scars and inserted three titanium plates. I guess I’m fortunate not to have suffered lasting damage to either of my eyes.”
[Full interview: The Times]
Hard as nails, Brian. Titanium nails.
MORE HARD MENChoa posts embarrassing clip of Jimin singing terribly, Jimin goes on rampage
AOA members Choa and Jimin got into a bit of an Instagram flame war to the benefit of everybody who follows the two of them.
To start, Choa posted a clip of Jimin attempting to sing or something, and she did terrible enough that even the guy next to her was like, “Yeah, my eardrums are dead.”
In retaliation, Jimin went on a Choa meme rampage.
_박초아 (27) 서울. A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 2:57am PDT
_우쭈쭈쭈쭈 귀여운 촤시코기💛 A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:04am PDT
_귀엽죠? 우리 촤시코기💛 A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:06am PDT
_어디있을까요? 우리 촤시코기 구분이 안되네~~💛 A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:07am PDT
_달려랏! 촤시코기💛 A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:08am PDT
_???????????? A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:08am PDT
_고래 저리갓! A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:09am PDT
_아 놀라워라 촤시코기! A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:10am PDT
_초아~초아초아 초아조아용 앙! A photo posted by jimin (@jiminbaby_18) on Oct 23, 2016 at 3:11am PDT
If I was asked why I still post about K-pop, this kind of stuff would top the list more than any other reason.
So on that note, can’t wait for the bullying rumors!According to Danny "Fallacy" Fahey, a London-born MC who now runs a leadership programme for young men in Manchester, Al Madina is an institution. It was Chunky from the LEVELZ art and music collective who introduced him to the takeaway, which sits on the city's famous Curry Mile.
"He walked in, shouted 'Bossman!' to the guvnor and I just knew it was the spot," remembers Fahey.
Bossman Arshad of the Al Madina takeaway, Manchester. All photos by Vic Mac Mahon.
The takeaway's position as a favourite among the city's leading bass music tastemakers could seem at odds with its ethos of serving only authentic Asian home cooking-style dishes to a largely Muslim clientele. Not that anyone really minds.
"The best was with Murkage Dave and SMITH from Tonga Balloon Gang," Fahey continues. "SMITH is the very whitest man in a geezer-versus-hipster sort of way, so naturally decides he wants to order egg and chips instead of a kebab. Bossman was patient with him but I could see his patience running out."
It's the middle of Ramadan when I arrive at Al Madina in the early hours of a Sunday morning. The takeaway is so busy that not only can you not get a seat inside, but customers are brazenly taking their plates to the tables belonging to the place next door, which isn't half as rammed.
Bollywood promoter Marcus (right) with a friend outside Al Madina.
"It's better than going to Kansas," 19-year-old student Muhammad tells me when I ask why he chose Al Madina for his post-prayers meal.
"What's wrong with Kansas?' I ask of the nearby fried chicken restaurant.
"It's delicious, but it's not clean food like here," he says.
"Everything is fresh," interjects Marcus, a Bollywood promoter, before introducing me to Al Madina's manager, Arshad, who I recognise as the "Bossman" from Fallacy's stories. He tells me the takeaway has been going for 17 years with little change to the recipes. The quality isn't lost on Samrai, who drops by after a night at nearby bar Soup Kitchen, telling me that "Al Madina's amazing as the staff are sound and the food's always great, especially the fish karahi and soft chapatis."
Al Madina chef Arshad with customers Arisha and Rihav.
The chapatis are what chef Ahmed is especially proud of, explaining that during the annual month of fasting, it's particularly important that they taste outstanding. Rihav, a 25-year-old biomedical science student is observing Ramadan too, and has popped in for a meal after smoking shisha with her friend Arisha. They order chicken jalfrezi, while I peruse the menu.
After getting two onion bhajis to start, followed by my own jalfrezi, I sit down and get talking to another group. Nahari has been coming to Al Madina for 15 years, but only recently learned that the manager is actually his next-door neighbour.
"He's always at work so I never saw him," Nahari says, which is no wonder when the place is open 18 hours a day.
Regular Al Madina customer Nahari (left) with friend.
Al Madina's early morning close is arguably one of the reasons it's so popular among musicians. From Murlo to Chimpo, I've found myself sitting next to my favourite DJs and producers, not quite believing my luck when stopping by after raving in places like Antwerp Mansion, located just behind the Curry Mile.
As local DJ Madam X once told me, Al Madina has "become so standard after a night out, it's part of the clubbing experience." Gold Teeth's Two-One even describes it as "Manchester's Waffle House—quality food and quality people, no matter what rave you just played, you all end up at Al Mad's."
It's not just Manchester-based musicians who love the takeaway.
"Al Madina is probably one of my most loved spots on the Mile," says Bristol-hailing Bandulu Records producer Boofy. "If I've been booked to play out or just on my way back to crash, there's about a 90 percent chance I'm in a cab heading towards there for lamb chops or the traditional lamb curry. Big People Music showed me the lamb chop hype, but props to Commodo for the curry tip off. He drove from Sheffield once because he wanted their food. That's love."
READ MORE: Sommeliers and DJs Have More in Common Than You Thought
Indeed, word of mouth is how most people seem to find out about the modest-looking looking takeaway. From John, an airport worker who got wind of the place from a taxi driver to Rihav, who was recommended Al Mad's curries by a uni friend, the place seems to have a great reputation outside of the music world too.
Airport worker John, who was recommended Al Madina by a taxi driver.
Indeed, Nadia has taken fellow doctor Ank to Al Madina for the first time this evening after finishing her shift at Manchester Royal Infirmary down the road. Ank, who used to be a hip-hop and R&B DJ in Manchester before pursuing medicine, can understand the appeal for musicians. "It's unassuming," he says.
"Can we take a picture?" I ask when I spot one of my DJ friends coming in a little bit later—a resident at Manchester's Hidden night.
"No," he says, "I believe DJs should be allowed to remain anonymous."
The cheeky grin on his face makes me think he's winding me up, but I leave it. Perhaps this is the beauty of Al Madina. The staff certainly have no idea who the DJs I namecheck are, and indeed, neither do most of the other customers, providing the perfect atmosphere for a post-gig readjustment back to the real world.
All photos by Vic Mac Mahon.Banjo player and TV performer Doug Dillard, who gained fame for his appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show" with musical group the Dillards (known on the TV series as the "Darlings") has died following a lengthy illness. A family spokesperson tells The Boot that Dillard was taken to a Nashville emergency room on Wednesday night (May 16) and died shortly thereafter.
Doug Dillard was born in Salem, Mo., in 1937 and was playing guitar by age 5. He received his first banjo as a teenager and soon began performing with various bands on radio and TV. He had been encouraged to pursue his instrument by banjo legend Earl Scruggs. According to his official bio, at 16, Dillard wrote a letter to Scruggs and received a positive reply. He then pestered his parents into driving him to Scruggs' home in Madison, Tenn., some five hundred miles away from Salem. Doug brazenly walked up to the front door and rang the bell, introducing himself and asking the iconic banjo picker to install Scruggs' tuners on his banjo.
Along with his brother Rodney, Doug soon formed the Dillards. Their folk-bluegrass blend became popular on college campuses and elsewhere, which led to their move to California and resulted in a recording contract and their stint on the hit CBS series starring Andy Griffith. After parting ways with the Dillards, Doug joined folk-rock group the Byrds on their first European tour. After the tour, Doug teamed up with former Byrds member Gene Clark, forming the influential Dillard & Clark, one of the first acts to popularize the country-rock sound that would include other artists such as Gram Parsons and the musicians who would later form the Eagles. Comedian and banjo player Steve Martin recently told The Boot that Doug Dillard was among the first influences on his banjo playing.
A Grammy-nominated instrumentalist, Doug's distinctive banjo can also be heard on albums by everyone from Hoyt Axton, Johnny Cash, Arlo Guthrie and Linda Ronstadt to Kay Starr, Glen Campbell, the Monkees and the Beach Boys. In 2009, the Dillards were inducted into the IBMA's Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
Donations in the musician's honor, to help defray final expenses, may be made to the Doug Dillard Legacy Fund, P.O. Box 90537, Nashville, TN 37209
Watch the Doug Dillard Band Perform LiveYour browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Staunch gun rights advocate Ted Cruz is here seen holding a shotgun while being interviewed by CNN. Can you see what he’s doing wrong? That’s right, he’s violating the first two rules of gun safety.
Update: This says it all really.
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When you learn to shoot, apply for a hunting or carry license and any time you’re at a gun range, there’s four basic rules of gun safety that — and this is impressed on you very strongly — must be observed at all times:
Treat all guns as if they are loaded.
Never point a firearm at something you’re not willing to destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
Properly observed, these rules are almost entirely capable of preventing accidental shootings. And I can’t emphasize how thoroughly they are drilled into shooters both as they’re learning and as they visit any gun range, gun store or participate in any organized hunt.
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I asked local hunter and lifetime NRA member Scott Nathan to explain what he sees in this video:
“While his action is visibly open, he is still not in control of muzzle direction. In a break-action gun [as Cruz is carrying here] the muzzle should always point down.”
You can see buildings and people in the background — presumably other hunters — being swept by Cruz’s muzzle as he speaks.
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Carrying your break-action gun over-the-shoulder is an accepted form of carry. It’s a comfortable way to hold a heavy gun as you walk and can be done safely, if the action is open and the muzzle is pointed at the ground in front of your feet. Here, I’m doing just that as I hike up a hill in pursuit of turkeys. With the photographer behind me, my muzzle is pointed in a safe direction.
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Photo: Corey Hass
And here’s what a proper shoulder carry looks like from a different angle:
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Photo: Ben Godwin for Minimums.
With an unknown number of people in front and presumably to his sides, the best way to carry his gun in this particular case would be to hold it sideways, low and pointed down.
So what’s the point? As such an outspoken gun rights advocate, Cruz should also consider himself an ambassador for gun safety, particularly when choosing to make a national TV appearance while carrying one.
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“He’s either a poser who doesn’t really hunt, or just a blindingly dangerous nincompoop,” concludes Scott. “He’s got moves like Cheney.”
IndefinitelyWild is a new publication about adventure travel in the outdoors, the vehicles and gear that get us there and the people we meet along the way. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.index 71d8ff0..acd9fe0 100644
--- a/
+++ b/ diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.acindex 71d8ff0..acd9fe0 100644--- a/ configure.ac +++ b/ configure.ac @@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ AC_CHECK_HEADERS([present.h], [], [], #include <X11/X.h> #include "xorg-server.h"]) +AC_CHECK_HEADERS([dri3.h], [], [], + [#include <X11/Xmd.h> + #include <xorg-server.h>]) + CPPFLAGS="$SAVE_CPPFLAGS" PKG_CHECK_MODULES([PCIACCESS], [pciaccess >= 0.8.0])
index 7dde040..6e46f89 100644
--- a/
+++ b/ diff --git a/man/radeon.man b/man/radeon.manindex 7dde040..6e46f89 100644--- a/ man/radeon.man +++ b/ man/radeon.man @@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ The default value is for R/RV6XX, R/RV7XX, RS780, RS880, EVERGREEN, CAYMAN, ARUBA, Southern Islands, and Sea Islands..TP +.BI "Option \*qDRI3\*q \*q" boolean \*q +Enable the DRI3 extension. The default is +.B off. +.TP.BI "Option \*qEnablePageFlip\*q \*q" boolean \*q Enable DRI2 page flipping. The default is.B on.
index a3d732a..697c08c 100644
--- a/
+++ b/ diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.amindex a3d732a..697c08c 100644--- a/ src/Makefile.am +++ b/ src/Makefile.am @@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ ati_drv_la_LIBADD = $(PCIACCESS_LIBS) radeon_drv_la_LIBADD = $(LIBDRM_RADEON_LIBS) $(PCIACCESS_LIBS) -RADEON_KMS_SRCS=radeon_dri2.c radeon_drm_queue.c radeon_kms.c radeon_present.c \ - radeon_sync.c radeon_vbo.c radeon_bo_helper.c drmmode_display.c +RADEON_KMS_SRCS=radeon_dri2.c radeon_dri3.c radeon_drm_queue.c radeon_kms.c \ + radeon_present.c radeon_sync.c radeon_vbo.c radeon_bo_helper.c \ + drmmode_display.c RADEON_EXA_SOURCES = radeon_exa.c r600_exa.c r6xx_accel.c r600_textured_videofuncs.c r600_shader.c radeon_exa_shared.c \ evergreen_exa.c evergreen_accel.c evergreen_shader.c evergreen_textured_videofuncs.c cayman_accel.c cayman_shader.c
index 9346fbd..6084cfe 100644
--- a/
+++ b/ diff --git a/src/radeon.h b/src/radeon.hindex 9346fbd..6084cfe 100644--- a/ src/radeon.h +++ b/ src/radeon.h @@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ typedef enum { OPTION_ZAPHOD_HEADS, OPTION_SWAPBUFFERS_WAIT, OPTION_DELETE_DP12, + OPTION_DRI3, } RADEONOpts; @@ -549,6 +550,9 @@ extern Bool RADEONGetDatatypeBpp(int bpp, uint32_t *type); extern Bool RADEONGetPixmapOffsetPitch(PixmapPtr pPix, uint32_t *pitch_offset); +/* radeon_dri3.c */ +Bool radeon_dri3_screen_init(ScreenPtr screen); + /* radeon_present.c */ Bool radeon_present_screen_init(ScreenPtr screen);
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83bffae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ diff --git a/src/radeon_dri3.c b/src/radeon_dri3.cnew file mode 100644index 0000000..83bffae--- /dev/null+++ b/ src/radeon_dri3.c @@ -0,0 +1,201 @@ +/* + * Copyright © 2013-2014 Intel Corporation + * Copyright © 2015 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. + * + * Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its + * documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that + * the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright + * notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and + * that the name of the copyright holders not be used in advertising or + * publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, + * written prior permission. The copyright holders make no representations + * about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as + * is" without express or implied warranty. + * + * THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, + * INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO + * EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR + * CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, + * DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER + * TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE + * OF THIS SOFTWARE. + */ + + +#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H +#include "config.h" +#endif + +#include "xorg-server.h" +#include "xf86.h" +#include "fb.h" + +#ifdef HAVE_DRI3_H + +#include "radeon.h" +#include "radeon_bo_gem.h" +#include "radeon_glamor.h" +#include "dri3.h" + +#include <sys/types.h> +#include <sys/stat.h> +#include <fcntl.h> +#include <errno.h> + + +static int +radeon_dri3_open_client(ClientPtr client, + ScreenPtr screen, + RRProviderPtr provider, + int *out) +{ + ScrnInfoPtr scrn = xf86ScreenToScrn(screen); + RADEONInfoPtr info = RADEONPTR(scrn); + drm_magic_t magic; + int fd; + + fd = open(info->dri2.device_name, O_RDWR | O_CLOEXEC); + if (fd < 0) + return BadAlloc; + + /* Before FD passing in the X protocol with DRI3 (and increased + * security of rendering with per-process address spaces on the + * GPU), the kernel had to come up with a way to have the server + * decide which clients got to access the GPU, which was done by + * each client getting a unique (magic) number from the kernel, + * passing it to the server, and the server then telling the + * kernel which clients were authenticated for using the device. + * + * Now that we have FD passing, the server can just set up the + * authentication on its own and hand the prepared FD off to the + * client. + */ + if (drmGetMagic(fd, &magic) < 0) { + if (errno == EACCES) { + /* Assume that we're on a render node, and the fd is + * already as authenticated as it should be. + */ + *out = fd; + return Success; + } else { + close(fd); + return BadMatch; + } + } + + if (drmAuthMagic(info->dri2.drm_fd, magic) < 0) { + close(fd); + return BadMatch; + } + + *out = fd; + |
me think of a guest who comes into my house and spits on my face.’
Signore remembers some gay remarks by some Lega Nord politicians: ‘They said that it’s better having a son in law from Morocco than a gay daughter. They also said that gay men kissing in public should be fined because they are insane.’
The ad campaign has been widely reported in Italian media but commentators in the country appear puzzled about the real reasons behind Maroni’s decision to run it.Theme: Saturn – Lord of Life and Death
Sunday, January 10, 2016.
You can buy recordings of RubiCon webinars for 20 USD. We accept PayPal or any major credit/debit card – PayPal will take these without a PayPal account.
Benjamin Dykes, Ph.D.
10:15 a.m.–11:45 a.m. Pacific Standard Time
“Saturn in Traditional Mundane Astrology”
In this lecture we will look at the role of Saturn in traditional mundane astrology, beginning with Abu Ma’shar’s planetary hierarchy and Saturn’s role as the king and lawgiver, then moving to Saturn-Jupiter mean conjunctions, transits of and/or to Saturn, and Saturn-Mars conjunctions in Cancer. The talk will be illustrated by historical charts and timelines, particularly focusing on World War I.
Dr. Benjamin Dykes is a leading traditional astrologer and translator of Latin and Arabic who taught philosophy at universities in Illinois and Minnesota. In 2007 he published Bonatti’s complete Book of Astronomy, and since then has translated and published numerous traditional works in all areas, including the introductory Traditional Astrology for Today (2011). From 2013 he began to publish a mundane series, Astrology of the World. He is currently translating works from Arabic for a future astrology course. He offers the Logos & Light philosophy lectures on MP3 and speaks to astrological audiences worldwide. See: www.bendykes.com.
Jenn Zahrt, Ph.D.
12:00 noon–1:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
“Towards a Posthumous Astrology OR Astrology of the Afterlife”
Do our charts live on after we die? To what extent can we trace, and perhaps predict, when figures forgotten in life will become renowned after their deaths? Or when historical figures will make the news yet again? This presentation explores various astrological techniques that allow us to peek beyond the boundary of death, enabling us to engage in a deeply philosophical consideration of the ontological roots of our art.
Jenn Zahrt, PhD, researches the history, philosophy, and epistemology of astrology. She has taught and lectured domestically and internationally, in places such as Germany (Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig), the United Kingdom (Bath), and Canada (Montréal). Dr. Zahrt is the editrix-in-chief and co-founder of Rubedo Press, a publication house based in Seattle, WA. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Kepler College. More about her publications, translations, and activities in the astrological community may be found at www.jennzahrt.com.
Joy Usher
2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
“Iron-Fisted Saturn”
An open hand is a sign of friendship and suggests a mind open to possibilities or exchange, but when the hand becomes a tightly clenched fist we understand by reading body language that the owner of this fist has gone way beyond negotiation and is preparing to make a stand. The fist belongs to unyielding iron-clad Saturn, and only time and the power of persuasion, will ease the taut fist back into a relaxed open palm.
This lecture examines the nature of Saturn’s impassibility through its relationship with the signs and the other planets. Using example charts, it looks at how Saturn’s rulership of the houses affects our own charts, and discusses the circumstances under which Saturn becomes an iron fist and potentially creates disconnection and destruction within our own lives.
Joy Usher is a consulting astrologer based in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, who gained her FAA Practitioners Certificate in 1995. She was one of the first students to gain certification in the Robert Zoller Medieval Astrology Course in the early 1990’s and has continued to pursue her interest in traditional astrology since completing the course. In 2002 she was the co-founder, and remains co-principal, of the Australian astrological school, Astro Mundi, teaching 4 year courses in modern and traditional astrology. She has presented in England and Ireland, and most recently in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lectured at a number of conferences in Australia throughout her 20 year career.
Ryhan Butler
4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
“Directions of Life”
Medieval astrology is replete with techniques to measure an individual’s vitality, resilience to illness, and the approximate length of their life. One such technique involves identifying candidates from positions in the birth chart that take up special roles. In this lecture we’ll explore the hilaj and kadukuhdhah and determine how to identify them in a chart. We will also apply Primary Directions to indicate times when individuals may experience critical health periods.
Ryhan Butler has studied classical astrological techniques with an emphasis on medieval astrology for just short of a decade. He has lectured locally and as a part of national conferences, working to spread the techniques of medieval astrology to those who would otherwise not encounter them or may not immediately see their value. Ryhan is author of the Medieval Astrology Guide website, which serves as a resource for medieval astrology and he is also a co-host on the On Questions podcast.Attempts by the fossil fuel lobby to downplay the impact of wind generation during the recent heatwaves in southern Australia has been contradicted by a new study, and by recognition from one of the biggest gas producers that low prices in the recent heat wave had caused it to write down the value of some of its assets.
There was a large campaign after the recent heatwaves in Victoria and South Australia condemning the role of renewables in meeting demand. Several studies, here and here, show that solar had a big impact on reducing the level of demand, and prices, and a new study by Sinclair Knight Merz suggests that wind energy did the same.
The new study, commissioned by New Zealand-based renewable power giant Meridian and its green energy retailer PowerShop, newly established in Australia, suggests that wind contributed to 6 per cent of overall supply by volume in Victoria and South Australia, and as a result that reduced average prices over the 7-day period by more than 40 per cent.
SKM said its analysis is likely to be conservative because of the way it did its modeling.
It noted that the elecgricity market experienced some price spikes, but this was mostly associated with sudden outages from large thermal generation (coal and gas).
“We conclude that wind generation is likely to have significantly reduced the price impact brought about by sharply rising demand during the heat wave period,” SKM wrote.
“In the seven days to 19 January, wind farms contributed around 6 per cent of overall supply in SA and VIC, and as a consequence, wholesale prices were at least 40% lower (on a consumption weighted average basis) than they would have been without the contribution of wind.”
As PowerShop explained in its blog:
“Wholesale electricity prices are set every 30 mins by finding the plant to supply the last bit of demand at the lowest price (at which price that plant will run). Once built, wind farms will run at a price of ZERO … so they never make the wholesale price more expensive and they reduce wholesale prices significantly when they run. So LRET uses small volumes of wind reduce spot prices for the whole market, meaning that savings for customers far outweighs the cost of LGCs. “Yet the “big three” power companies – Origin, AGL and Energy Australia – continue to lobby for a reduced LRET target, arguing that there may be an “oversupply” of electricity. By “oversupply” they presumably mean that prices may come down, competition would increase and consumers would pay less.”
Meanwhile, anti-renewable lobbyists continue to try and demonise wind.
Phil Barresi, the head of the Energy Users Association of Australia, wrote in the lobby group’s newsletter (and in the AFR).
“Much has been made of the role of renewable energy during this time (heatwaves). Yet during last week’s event, an analysis of the peak spot prices indicate they were below those in previous years and peak electricity demand this summer remains significantly below historic highs. The data shows wind farms in South Australia and Victoria produced twice as much electricity when prices were below $300/MWh than they did when prices were above this level. Output from solar Photovoltaic (PV) on the other hand was closely correlated to the times of very high prices, typically occurring mid-afternoon.”
No kidding! Renewable energy types suggest this is a circular argument, because if wind depresses pool prices, particularly in SA, it logically follows that wind generation will be greater during periods of low-moderate pool prices.
“This argument is about as sensible as saying people walking around with umbrellas cause it to rain — which we all know is true as every time I see people with umbrellas up it’s raining,” one executive said.
Barresi also suggested:
“Conversely, gas generators ramped up supply markedly when prices and demand soared.”
Again,no kidding! That has always happened. However, it is no longer such a badge of honour for the gas fired generators because the prices they get when these events happen (and they happen less often) are much lower than previously.
This is born out by results of EnergyAustralia released overnight, which conceded that the lack of a price surge in the recent heat-waves prompted it to write down the value of some of its gas-fired generators.Sebastian Vettel has said that while his third qualifying defeat of the season to team-mate Daniel Ricciardo is “not to my liking”, he has to accept that “if he’s quicker than me, he’s quicker, nothing else.”
After losing out to his new team-mate in Australia, where he was dumped out in Q2 as Ricciardo went on to claim a front-row start, and then suffering the same fate in Bahrain, where he again exited qualifying in the second phase, Vettel has again struggled against the Australian here in China.
Despite easing through Q1 and Q2 ahead of Ricciardo, Vettel could not find the extra burst of pace need to seal the deal in the final 10 minutes and Ricciardo surged ahead of his team-mate with his final run to claim second place on the grid, beating Vettel out by just under half a second.
Afterwards, a magnanimous Vettel admitted that Ricciardo currently has the upper hand on merit alone.
“Daniel is doing a very good job, he has not just had one good weekend, he had good weekends and so far he seems to be able to get the maximum out of the car,” said the four-time champion who will line up third for tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix. “On my side, maybe I’m struggling a little bit more, but at the end of the day we have the same car, so if he manages to beat me, then he beats me on the circuit, fair and square. Of course, that’s not to my liking but equally, I know that I have to do a little bit better.”
Vettel continued by saying that he feels that improvements made in testing in Bahrain recently have improved his feeling fro the RB10, but he added that there is “a still a long way to go”.
“All in all I’ve felt happier this weekend,” he said. “We’ve made some improvements. The test after Bahrain helped on that front. But there is still a long way to go. Obviously a lot of things have changed but I don’t think that’s the reason for today’s performance. I would have loved to have got a bit more out of the last qualifying (the top 10 shootout) but I think I struggled a bit more than the front two.”
However, asked to detail the areas of the car that he is currently struggling with Vettel was cagey.
“I don’t want to blame anything on the car,” he said. “There are a lot of things that have changed, I don’t need to tell you. The cars are very different, everything underneath the body is very, very different, so I think there is a lot of work to be done to get it back to where I want it.”
Ricciardo, meanwhile, is looking increasingly confident and after landing his second front-row start of the year said that the fact that he has settled into the team quickly has helped his performance.
“I couldn’t have settled into the team any better to be honest, they made me feel at home very quickly and it’s helping me,” he said. “I’m really enjoying the driving and it seems to be showing with the results. I’m really pleased. The team is closing the gap to the front and we’re getting better each race.”
He admitted too that he had struggled in the early part of today’s qualifying session.
“To be honest, I struggled a bit throughout the session, at least personally I didn’t feel like I was getting on top of the conditions,” he said. “But then the last set of inters, right at the end of Q3, we managed to get a bit more out of it and I put a good lap together, so pretty pleased to be on the front row.
“It’s a challenging circuit, especially when a bit of water falls on the track it always makes it more challenging wherever you are,” he added. “And there’s a few places across the track here where there’s a tarmac change and you get quite a big difference in grip through some of these corners – so trying to basically find the right line and the best way to drive around, particularly these trickier parts of the track with tarmac changes, is a bit complex. Took a bit of time to understand that but I think we got it in the end.”
Ricciardo’s growing confidence, his ability to apparently match and outstrip Vettel’s usually impeccable one-lap pace and the champion’s obvious discomfort with the 2014-spec Red Bull add up to perhaps the biggest challenge he has yet faced. When it was later remarked that his body language and demeanour suggested he was somewhat downbeat, Vettel didn’t deny it.
“You know, I’m thinking a lot about the car. There are a lot of things going on in my head, maybe that’s why,” he said. “Formula One has got very complex and as a driver I think we have lost a lot of features, let’s say, and given a lot to the engineers, so it’s not that easy to understand and stay on top of everything. That’s why I think maybe I’m thinking more about the car in the last couple of years.
“Of course I’m not happy,” he concluded. “I’m not here to finish third in qualifying or second, or behind my team-mate. Generally I’d love to… I’m here to win. As I said before, [Daniel’s] doing good. We have the same car and if he’s quicker than me, he’s quicker, nothing else. Maybe the car is not the way I like 100 per cent but I’m trying to work on that but for now, if the result is like this, I have to accept it.”After he finished his collegiate career at Navy, Greenspan’s dream of playing professional soccer came to fruition.
In the second round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, the Colorado Rapids selected the defender with the 26th overall pick. Despite this achievement, his MLS career would be placed on hold due to his Naval commitments.
“The things I couldn’t control, I was well aware of that,” Greenspan said. “If they told me ‘hey, you can’t play professional soccer and you’re going to be a surface warfare officer for five years,’ I was ready for that.”
Greenspan missed the first half of both the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to his service. During his rookie year, he appeared in just three games with the Rapids. In 2016, he appeared in one game with Colorado before being loaned to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks and Charlotte Independence, both of the USL.
As the Navy alumnus balanced a military and professional soccer career, he had some help along the way from a former NFL Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection.
Joe Cardona, a long snapper for the New England Patriots and a fellow classmate of Greenspan’s at Navy, introduced the defender to retired NFL place kicker John Carney while he served in San Diego. After working 12-hour days on the destroyer, Greenspan would train and lift weights with Carney to stay in game shape.
“I think that helped me stay in overall fitness,” Greenspan said. “I’m on my ship and that’s what I’m focused on during the day, but I could spend two hours a night saying ‘okay, I’m still trying to be a professional soccer player.’”
In June 2016, Greenspan was waived from his obligations, which required him to serve at least two years active duty before pursuing a professional sports activity. At this time, he accepted appointment into the Navy Reserve.
Greenspan finished the 2016 campaign on loan from the Rapids to the Independence. This past offseason, Colorado traded him to MLS expansion team Minnesota United FC. For the first time in his career, he would be available for a club at the start of the season.
Even though he was finally on an active roster to kick off of the 2017 campaign, Greenspan would once again find himself changing scenery. On April 10, the Hounds received the center back via loan from Minnesota. He has since helped solidify a Pittsburgh backline that has faced numerous injuries.
“Just to be able to get games in, get my feet back and my confidence and getting comfortable on the field again, that was the big thing for me,” Greenspan said. “I think over the course of the last five games, individually I’ve been able to do that.”Image copyright Syrian Arab Red Crescent Image caption Nawras and Moaz required surgery that was only available outside Syria
One-month-old conjoined twin boys who were evacuated from a besieged rebel-held suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus have died, medics say.
Nawras and Moaz Hashash were joined at the chest, with hearts in the same sac.
They were moved to a hospital in a government-controlled area on 12 August after doctors launched an appeal.
But on Wednesday, while waiting to travel abroad for surgery, the boys suffered heart failure and passed away, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent said.
The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a charity which supports hospitals and clinics in rebel-held areas and refugees elsewhere, had complained that the twins were unable to leave the country because they were not given permission.
The SARC said approval had been given but the boys were too ill to travel.
'Ridiculous process'
Moaz and Nawras weighed less than 12lb (5.4kg) when they were born by caesarean section on 23 July at the Zahra hospital in Douma, a town in the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus.
Douma has been completely besieged by government forces for two years and the undersupplied hospital was unable to provide the twins with the care they required.
There are conflicting reports about why it took almost three weeks for the boys to be evacuated.
The SAMS and doctors in Douma said the government only gave permission for an SARC ambulance to pass through the frontline because of a social media campaign they mounted, using the Twitter hashtag "#EvacuateTheTwins".
Image copyright Syrian Arab Red Crescent Image caption The boys to be transferred earlier this month after a social media appeal by doctors
But the SARC insisted the authorities had approved an evacuation on 24 July, and accused medics in Douma of refusing to allow them out.
After they had been moved to a private hospital in Damascus, SAMS warned that no facility in Syria was able to provide the surgery the twins needed and that they continued to suffer while waiting to be transferred abroad.
Last week, the charity's Turkey advocacy manager Mohamad Katoub told the Wall Street Journal he was worried the transfer was being delayed because offers for treatment had come from the US and Saudi Arabia, both of which support the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Katoub announced that the boys had died. "The whole world couldn't have the permission to evacuate them," he added.
He was later quoted by the pro-opposition website Enab Baladi as blaming "interference by the ministry of foreign affairs and its stalling of issuing a travel permit to any country to allow them to receive treatment".
The SARC said the twins had received treatment in intensive care while being "registered in the formal civil records and having passports issued for them".
But it added that the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital in Rome had agreed to admit them and that "all formal leave approvals were signed in order to travel". "However, the bad general health condition [of the boys] was a hindrance."There are plenty of people who would like to contribute to Open Source and especially to Perl, but don't know what and how to start. In this page I am going to collect some of my suggestions. If you are interested, pick one of them and run with it. If you need further help how to get started with one of the tasks, ask me in the comment section.
Just to clarify, under "Open Source Perl Ecosystem" I mean the Perl 5 core, Perl 6 (e.g. Rakudo Perl 6), modules on CPAN. Perl 6 modules that are not on CPAN. Any Perl based open source application and any web site powered by Perl with publicly available source code.
Link to Version Control system
For some distributions MetaCPAN shows a link to the version control system where the code is maintained. The link is usually called "Clone repository". It is taken from the META.json file included in the distribution. Having this link makes it easier to everyone to contribute to the distribution. The task here is to look at the recently uploaded distributions if they have this link or not. If not, then try add add it.
Try to find the repository: Check if other distributions of the same author have such link. If yes, the repository of this distribution might be next to it. In GitHub search for the name of the distribution and/or the name of the module. Send an e-mail to the author (more specifically the person who uploaded the most recent version of the distribution) and ask them. Patch the code using the explanation in the article on how to link to the version control system of a CPAN distribution and send the patch (or the pull request) to the current maintainer.
Required skills:
Communication in English with the author.
Basic Perl
Probably Git, Mercury, or Subversion depending on the actual version control system.
Relevant to CPAN modules.
Add Travis-CI to GitHub repository
Travis-CI provides continuous integration for any code hosted on GitHub. It is free of charge if the code is in a public repository.
Look at the recently uploaded distributions if they have a GitHub repository and if that repository does not have a.travis.yml file.
file.
Fork and then clone the repository.
Run the tests locally on your computer. Learn which modules are recommended for the testing that are not required. You can tell Travis to install those before running the tests.
Send a pull request with a well constructed.travis.yml file.
You could write a script that would fetch the list of CPAN modules from MetaCPAN that have a GitHub link. Then the script could go to each one of the repos and check if it already has a.travis.yml file. If not, that's a distribution you might want to patch.
A number of articles about Travis-CI and Perl:
Required skills:
Know how to use Git and GitHub
Being able to install CPAN modules. (The dependencies of the module being patched.)
Understand how testing works in Perl.
Relevant to any Perl-based project that has GitHub repository.
Sample.travis.yml file that requires mongodb to be installed:
branches: except: - gh-pages language: perl sudo: false perl: - "blead" - "5.20" - "5.18" - "5.16" - "5.14" - "5.12" - "5.10" before_install: - eval $(curl https://travis-perl.github.io/init) --auto - cpanm --notest Test::Code::TidyAll - cpanm --notest Test::Perl::Critic - cpanm --notest Test::Version services: - mongodb
You can take a look at the list of most recent releases where you can find which ones have no Travis-CI configuration. Fixing those, "while they are hot" is a good approach.
Fix any issue reported against the distribution
When looking at the page of any of the distributions on MetaCPAN you will find a link to "issues", usually with a number next to it. Click on the link to see the list of open "issues": bugs, feature requests, and the occassional spam.
These issues will range from very simple to very complex. Pick a module that you use. That will be probably easier to handle as you are already somewhat familiar with it. Try to reproduce a bug. If you managed to reproduce a bug write a test-case. You can already send that test to the author or maintainer of the module. That's already a huge help.
Then if you know how to fix it do that too.
Required skills:
The testing system of Perl
The level of Perl is very much depends on the complexity of the bug. For writing a test you probably don't need such deep understanding of Perl.
XS and maybe C - for modules that are not pure Perl, you will
Improve documentation, examples for common use cases
Most modules come witha SYNOPSIS that shows the basic usage of the module, but in many cases that's not a full example and it only show a very limited usage of the module.
Some modules come with examples file usuall in the eg/ or examples/ subdriectory of the modules.
Many modules don't come with examples and even the ones that have examples could make those more visible.
So this task would be to add more and better documentation, espacially with full examples embedded and explained in the POD.
Required skills:
Understanding how the module works and what it does.
Perl at a level to be able to explain the code.
The capability to see things as a beginner (for that particular module)
Add tests to increase test coverage
Using Devel::Cover check which parts of the code have been exercised during the test execution.
Check the areas that were never called. Are they in use? Could they be removed? If they can be removed, send that as a patch to the author.
If they are still in use then write test cases that exercise those parts of the code.
Adopt a CPAN module
This might be more than "low hanging fruit", but adopting a CPAN module and becoming its maintainer is a great way to contribute. There is a list of CPAN modules that can be good candidates for taking over maintenance, but in general if you find a module that does not have a recent release, especially if the author did not have any activity on CPAN, thos modules are probably good candidates for adoption.
On MetaCPAN you can find the date of the most recent release of each distribution, and the when looking at the page of each individual author, you can see what was the last time s/he upload any module.
Perl 5 core
The core perl is maintained by a group of people who call themselves Perl 5 Porters. Check out there.Check out there.Check out there.Check out there.
Required skills: Perl, C.
Perl 6
Perl 6 is getting close to its official release. You can help there with plenty of things while learning this new languages, or this new version of the old language.
Install Rakudo Perl 6 Pick one of the modules Try writing something with it Submit bug reports, feature requests Fix the bugs, implement the features
Required skills:
You'll need to know Perl 6, but that's the whole points, isn't it? To have an excuse to learn Perl 6
CPAN PR Challenge
Neil Bowers runs the CPAN Pull Request challenge You can join that and get a CPAN module assigned to you. As far as I know Neil does not give you any specific thing you need to do with the module. Which might fit you better.
Adding examples to Rosetta Code
Not directly the ecosystem, but very helpful: adding examples for both Perl 5 and Perl 6 to Rosetta Code. Next to a good programming language, good modules, good documentation, we also need good examples. Perl 6 and Rosetta Code.No Comments
Powdery Substance Found at Greensburg Honda Plant
Halloween Comes Early for the People of Greensburg, Indiana
Earlier this morning, it was reported that workers at the Greensburg Honda manufacturing plant had come across an unknown “powdery substance,” which was found next to a suspicious note. Production at the plant was halted, authorities were called, and citizens were terrified (although, ’tis the season for that sort of thing, we suppose).
No details were released, but that didn’t stop people from speculating wildly. Could the powdery substance be anthrax? Ebola? Enriched uranium? Ebola? Enriched wheat flour? Ebola? Or, God forbid, could it possibly be Ebola?
Well, whatever it is, it’s non-toxic (so probably not Ebola). Production has now resumed at the plant, and an investigative probe into the matter has begun.
The company has also released the following statement about the incident: “State and local authorities were immediately notified. They tested the substance and have determined that it is non-toxic and poses no danger or safety concern related to this incident. We are now working with the authorities to investigate the criminal nature of this note. Because the health and safety of our associates and their families is our highest priority, we stopped production during testing.”
We still don’t know what the “criminal nature” of the note was, but that term is so vague, it can be our new thing to speculate about. Did the note contain some sort of threat, like, “I will release anthrax in every major Honda plant in the U.S. until my demands to have my home videos narrated by new Honda spokesman Fred Savage are met!”
Or, did the note say something more innocuous, yet still of a “criminal nature,” like, “Dear Robert, here is that bag of cocaine you asked for – Love, Mom.”
We will keep you posted on any updates to this story. In the meantime, feel free to share what you think the note said in the comment section below.Harold Macmillan used to vomit after facing the Commons. Pitt the Younger used to fortify himself with a (whole) bottle of port. Tony Blair found the ordeal nerve-wracking. So why does David Cameron seem so supremely confident, even blase, at Prime Minister's Questions, these days?
Answer: the prime minister does not think he has much to fear from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
He does not consult his folder of briefings, and he cruises PMQs almost on autopilot, with a few quips and a couple of canned policy answers.
Which is why the weekly joust has been steadily drifting down the running orders of news programmes, and why it is even possible that a Wednesday may soon arrive when it does not make the news at all, for sheer lack of drama.
Drawing blood?
At the moment, the two principals at PMQs are still sizing each other up. Jeremy Corbyn's approach of relaying questions on bread and butter issues has changed the dynamic. It is hard for Tory MPs to hoot or jeer the concerns of ordinary voters and when they do, it is not a good look.
But despite 32 years in Parliament, Mr Corbyn does not seem to have the debating skill to really press a point, or the subtler arts needed to foment dissent on the other side's benches (and remember the government is in trouble on the issue of tax credits because Tory MPs are unhappy) - which is surely an essential skill when facing a government with a thin majority.
Image copyright PA Image caption Relief? Tony Blair relaxes in his Commons office after taking his last PMQs
To be sure, Mr Corbyn's approach does keep the focus on more voter-friendly issues, but it seldom draws blood because his repetitive questioning rarely pushes the prime minister beyond a rote response.
This week David Cameron did make a misstep when he launched a riposte about the Marxist credentials of some newly appointed Corbyn advisers.
His "top Marx" punch line drew dutiful laughter from those of his troops who registered the pun, but it seemed to me a tactical error to get in to Westminster minutiae when questioned about cutting the income of poor people.
The Labour leader's biggest problems are behind him. In place, not time.
Some Labour MPs are not even turning up to PMQs, and most of those who do sit behind their leader are pretty po-faced.
At no stage is Mr Corbyn buoyed by the kind of tribal cheering that Tony Blair, Gordon Brown or even Ed Miliband could take for granted, which, again, means the atmosphere is flatter.
Perhaps that is not apparent to TV viewers, and maybe they do not much like the wall of sound that used to characterise PMQs, but there is a genuine problem for Mr Corbyn when his parliamentary party is so visibly unconvinced.
Another new factor in the game is the private war between the SNP and Labour.
The SNP delights in outflanking Mr Corbyn on issues, such as Trident, that are bitterly divisive among Labour MPs.
And it can play to the Scottish section of the TV audience, while Mr Corbyn has to beware of English and Welsh sensibilities.
The Conservative approach is still evolving; the cheers for the Labour Leader, as he takes his seat, are mocking ones from the Tory benches.
And this week, Tory MPs appeared to be trying to goad him into a flash of temper.
But, so far, there is nowhere near the level of barracking faced by earlier Opposition leaders - and rather as Tony Blair went soft on Iain Duncan Smith, there may be tactical reasons for that.
PMQ tactics
Having routinely flattened IDS at PMQs week in, week out, Mr Blair realised he was destabilising a Conservative leader he would have preferred to have faced in an election. Suddenly, the answers were less withering and the backbench barracking less intense.
David Cameron may be pulling his punches, for similar reasons - but watching him, I sometimes sense he is fighting the instinct to lash out.
He may only unleash it if and when it is too late for Labour to change leaders - so watch out for fireworks if Mr Corbyn makes it to 2020.
Image caption The weekly leaders' duel attracts the biggest audience in the Commons
PMQs is a double tactical game. For the party leaders, it is a chance to rally the troops in the chamber, to appeal to watching voters, and maybe to get their views out to a still larger audience in clips that make it on to news programmes.
Sometimes those objectives conflict. A mocking lash at some party hate figure can delight the parliamentary audience, but disgust the outside world. A sound bite that works on a TV news bulletin can fall flat in the chamber.
William Hague is an example of a master of Commons debate whose debating successes - at least as Conservative party leader - did not play well outside.
Jeremy Corbyn's focus seems much more on the audience outside, although he does have a habit of slipping on to the front bench during debates, and listening quietly for a while.
That is not without its dangers. Labour risks flopping in Parliament if the leadership is too focused on extra-parliamentary action. And there is always a possibility that some of the heavyweight former ministers on the backbenches might consciously seek to upstage their leadership, the better to displace it a bit later on.Doctors are at a loss to explain why 12-year-old Annabel Beam is the picture of health today.
She shouldn’t be. At age 5, Annabel was diagnosed with two rare life-threatening digestive disorders that blocked her intestines.
There is no cure for pseudo-obstruction motility disorder and antral hypomotility disorder.
For years, the Burleson girl’s life was defined by near-constant pain, endless hospital visits, invasive testing and marginally effective treatments. At one point, she told her mother she wished she would die so she could go to heaven, where there would be no more pain.
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But three years ago, in December 2011, something remarkable happened.
Annabel fell headfirst 30 feet into a hollow cottonwood tree, where she was trapped for six hours. But she came away from the ordeal uninjured, telling a story about meeting Jesus in heaven, and she suddenly tested symptom-free.
Annabel’s mother, Christy Wilson Beam, has come to the conclusion that miracle is the only word that applies when explaining Annabel’s recovery.
Annabel’s Boston-based gastroenterologist, Dr. Samuel Nurko, didn’t call it a miracle, but he did release the girl from his care last November, noting that she “is completely asymptomatic, is leading a normal life and is not requiring any therapies.”
Beam tells her daughter’s feel-good story in Miracles From Heaven. The book, out Tuesday, is published by Hachette.
The Sony producing team behind the 2014 movie Heaven Is for Real has already acquired the film rights. It’s tentatively scheduled for release the week of Easter 2016.
We chatted with Beam about the book and about Annabel (whose middle name, fittingly, is Faith).
First things first: How is Annabel doing today?
She is amazing. She is happy and healthy and thriving and on zero medication and eating everything in sight. Her doctors have told us she does not need their care anymore. Not only is she physically well, but she is also well mentally, emotionally and academically. In all areas of her life, she is above and beyond.
Have you ever been given a sound scientific explanation for what prompted her recovery?
They really don’t know. My husband, Kevin, is a veterinarian and very scientifically minded. He went over everything, but he couldn’t come up with anything concrete to explain it.
Annabel’s problems involved nerve damage. Her digestive system would not process solid food because her muscles would not fire synchronically, because the nerves could not give the message to the muscles.
Kevin was thinking, “Well, she did hit her head three times during the fall. Maybe it jostled something in her nervous system.” But the best that anyone can do is guess. All I know is she is asymptomatic, on zero medication and released from the care of a specialist.
You write in the book that you initially resisted using words such as healed and miracle. Were you afraid that if you did, you might jinx it and that Annabel’s symptoms would return?
I |
he's been present in Carl's [Chandler Riggs] life. They've got a routine; they get up in the mornings before sunrise. When people are in shock, a routine is vital, and that's what Rick has been doing. This is normalcy. You go to your lessons. But at lesson time, someone's [Carol] teaching people how to stab. It's never going to be the world that it was once before. That's the internal struggle: Can you hold on to what was before? Or can you learn from him who's being created by his environment?
PHOTOS: 'The Walking Dead's' Most Shocking Deaths
Rick is still grappling with Lori and Andrea's deaths, and Michonne is still going out looking for the Governor in a bid to avenge her friend's death. Is Rick worried about her?
Rick has realized that Michonne [Danai Gurira] is incredibly self-sufficient, but he's saddened by the fact that she still doesn't want to integrate. She's still a loner. That's a regret that Rick, maybe Daryl [Norman Reedus] and everyone else shares. That, "Please, come back, let it go, she's gone" approach.
She's isolating herself the same way "Farmer Rick" is.
He is, but Hershel [Scott Wilson] is hugely important in this. He's become a mentor, a guide and a confidant in a new way for Rick, who is repressing his demons. He's healing and he's been healing the last six months since his breakdown and losing his wife. It's baby steps but he's doing a good job of it. He's trying to make it work and trying to believe in Hershel's way and that you can trust again: You can love and you can grow things and nurture things.
PHOTOS: Inside 'The Walking Dead's' Spooky Season 4 Premiere
How will the newly formed council handle Rick when -- and if -- he is ready to return to a position of leadership?
More and more you realize that Daryl is their voice of reason through all this. He realized that they're weakened because Rick isn't there. The first episode is a testament to that; they lose a person. There are young kids on that mission [in the department store]. They probably wouldn't have lost [Beth's boyfriend] if Rick had been there -- if they had more people of Daryl's caliber. Daryl respects Rick's decision, which I love, but he's still pressuring Rick that the group needs him. Every scene that we play is like, "I respect it, but you've got to come back. We need you now more than ever."
The Walking Dead airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC. Hit the comments below with your thoughts on if you think Rick can return to his leadership position. Stay tuned to THR's The Live Feed for our weekly Walking Dead dissection after every episode.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @SnooditTweet February 17, 2010 Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth
2342 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 189
Berkeley, CA 94704
Attn: Richard Gage, AIA Architect Dear Richard, I would like to express my hearty congratulations on your milestone of 1,000 A/E signatures, and I wish you continued success throughout the year! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all of your dedicated volunteers and supporters, and especially to your distinguished guests Dr. Griffin and Dr. Jones. There is nothing radical or extreme about asking questions, so I recently sent the enclosed survey to 100 licensed structural and civil engineers. The recipients were selected randomly in order to gauge the general awareness and consensus of licensed engineers regarding the most likely cause of collapse of World Trade Center Building 7. As you know the cause of collapse has been attributed – by the NIST – to fires fueled by ordinary building contents on several floors. According to the final reports these uncontrolled fired led to local connection and floor-framing failures, column buckling and progressive collapse. A complete collapse resulting from office fires was historically unprecedented as well as extremely unlikely, and I expected most structural engineers to open their eyes and take notice. It appears I was mistaken. I do not anticipate receiving any more responses after four weeks, and the (lack of) results may interest you. Only five out of 98 engineers responded, and only one was familiar with any documentation of the collapse. That person responded anonymously and in full agreement with the NIST reports' conclusions. I was glad to see at least one person had some familiarity with the collapse and was willing to state their opinion. One other person responded with the opposite opinion, but he was unfamiliar with the references. I consider the effort a success if even one recipient reviews the documentation carefully and forms an opinion independently. I find it astonishing that so few engineers are willing to answer a few yes-or-no questions about their own experience and opinion regarding the nature of this collapse. The majority response (four out of five) implies that most structural engineers are uninformed about one of the most significant "structural failures" of modern times and the extensive research that has been done by FEMA, NIST and others since 2001. The nearly unanimous lack of response (93 out of 98) implies that most engineers are not even interested in discussing the structural details of an historical event – 9/11 – that has triggered a transformation in many aspects of our daily lives. How can this be? Up to and including 2001 I recall a steady stream of opinions from leaders of engineering organizations about how structural engineers needed to bolster their image and educate the public about their important role in society as guardians of public safety. Engineers and professors appeared soon after 9/11 attempting to explain the destruction in rational terms of impact damage, thermal damage, column buckling and progressive collapse even before the fires cooled and the debris was examined. Where are these experts now? None are seeking attention – not even the research engineers who claim to have solved the mystery of WTC 7 after many years of data collection, computer analyses and report preparation all of which failed to follow the Basic Methodology of NFPA 921 (Guide to Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2001 Edition) Chapter 2. The final NIST reports were never subjected to an independent review before publication, and the authors ignored many public comments submitted in response to their draft reports. The NIST FOIA Officer recently informed me that the collapse-initiation model results are being withheld from the public because the NIST Director has "determined that the release of these data might jeopardize public safety." The National Construction Safety Team Act of 2002 (H.R. 4687) requires NIST to issue a public report including an analysis of the likely technical cause of collapse, and I cannot imagine how disclosure of structural calculations for a building that no longer exists could possibly jeopardize public safety. Can you? A representative of NIST Media Relations has said that NIST stands behind its reports. The obvious question is: does anyone else stand behind the NIST reports? Is the cast closed because NIST says so in its final report? Are we going to look forward – not back – because President Obama says so for political expediency? Are we going to turn this page of history before reading and understanding it, or should we pretend it never happened? I say no, but so far the vast majority of engineers are silent regardless of their opinion. We know there are thousands of well-informed citizens worldwide including architects, engineers and scientists of every discipline that do not accept the NIST conclusions regarding the likely cause of collapse of WTC 7, and they do so with excellent reasons. So far there are few who will endorse the NIST reports other than those who created them. Many questions remain, but one that puzzles me the most is: why are so many thoughtful people with technical training reluctant to reveal their opinion if there is nothing to hide from the public? As you have demonstrated in the last two years, a high percentage of alert and open-minded individuals who spend time studying the facts agree. Shocking? Yes, but there is nothing radical or extreme about the truth. Sincerely, Ronald H. Brookman, SE < Prev Next >Helen Mirren will be honoured with a Bafta fellowship at the annual awards ceremony next month.
Mirren, who has won four Baftas and been nominated for prizes on a further seven occasions, follows in the footsteps of Hollywood luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, Christopher Lee and Martin Scorsese. Bugsy Malone, Fame and Mississippi Burning director Alan Parker was handed the fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, at last year's ceremony.
Mirren said: "This is the greatest professional honour I can imagine, certainly one I never dreamt of as a schoolgirl in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. To join that list of legendary names is overwhelming."
Bafta chairman John Willis said: "Dame Helen Mirren receives the fellowship as one of the most outstanding actresses of her generation. Dame Helen's incredibly successful career is testament to the determination, dedication and skill she brings to each of her roles."
Mirren's career began in the 1960s, but her breakthrough role is often considered to be Victoria, the sharp-as-a-knife gangster's moll she played opposite Bob Hoskins in the 1980 British crime thriller The Long Good Friday. She picked up a first Bafta film nomination for 1984 IRA drama Cal, and a second for 1994's The Madness of King George, for which she was also nominated for an Oscar for the first time.
Mirren received a damehood for services to the performing arts in 2003, and won a Bafta, a Golden Globe and the Oscar for best actress for the 2006 Stephen Frears film The Queen.
This year's Bafta awards will take place on Sunday 16 February at the Royal Opera House, London. Stephen Fry will host the ceremony, with Gravity (11 nominations), 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle (10 nominations each) the leading contenders for the big prizes.Former British drug smuggler Howard Marks, who wrote about his exploits in an autobiography, Mr Nice, has died at the age of 70 after suffering from bowel cancer.
Marks, who learned of his condition last year, died in the early hours of Sunday at his home near Bridgend in Wales, according to a statement from his publisher Harvill Secker.
Marks turned to cannabis trafficking in the 1970s after graduating from Oxford University with a degree in nuclear physics.
After a series of multi-million pound deals and high-profile court cases, his career in drug smuggling finally came to an end in 1988 when he was caught after a raid on his house in Spain and extradited to the United States.
He was sentenced to 25 years at one of America’s toughest prisons — Terre Haute, Indiana — and was released on parole in 1995 after serving seven years.
In 1996 Marks published his autobiography, which sold over a million copies and was followed later by a film of the same name in which he was played by his friend and fellow Welshman Rhys Ifans.
“Mr Nice was above all an adventure story,” said his editor at Harvill Secker, Geoff Mulligan.
“Around the time of publication a close friend of Howard said to me: ‘people are going to think he’s made half of this up’ but I know he left out half of it.”
In later life, Marks campaigned for the legalisation of cannabis and even stood for parliament in 1997 for the sole purpose of legalising the drug.
A skilled raconteur, he toured a one-man show recounting his experiences on the wrong side of the law and in 2015 published a follow-up to his autobiography called Mr Smiley: My Last Pill and Testament.
He said when he first learned of his cancer last year that he had no regrets about his life.
Friend and former colleague at Loaded magazine James Brown told the Guardian that Marks was a “true modern-day folk hero”, who had done “so many funny, shocking, illegal things”. Marks had a monthly column at the magazine for five years.
Brown, who hired Marks when he was the editor of Loaded, paid tribute to his friend, saying: “He stood for everything we loved. Mr Nice was a thrilling book. Howard is a bloody great example to us all.”
Born in 1945 in Kenfig Hill, a small Welsh coal-mining village near Bridgend, Howard Marks went to Oxford University where, in addition to his degree in physics, he earned post-graduate qualifications in philosophy.
He is survived by four children.
In an interview with the Observer in January 2015, Marks said he had come to terms with his illness. He said: “It’s impossible to regret any part of my life when I feel happy and I am happy now, so I don’t have any regrets and have not had any for a very long time.”
Reflecting on his career, he said: “Smuggling cannabis was a wonderful way of living – perpetual culture shock, absurd amounts of money, and the comforting knowledge of getting so many people stoned.”
Reuters/PAThe European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Russia failed to adequately minimize risks ahead of a 2004 attack by Islamic militants on a school, and that the actions of security forces contributed to the deaths of hostages.
The three-day siege and massacre that started on September 1, 2004, at School Number One in Beslan, a town in the republic of North Ossetia, left more than 330 hostages dead, including 186 children. It is one of the bloodiest terrorist acts ever in Russia.
A group of Russians filed lawsuits accusing the government of failing to protect the victims against a known threat, mounting a deficient rescue operation, and not effectively investigating the attack and response.
The ECHR sided with the plaintiffs, saying authorities had specific information about a planned attack but did not boost security at the school. The court said afterward investigators did not properly examine how victims died, and "failed to adequately examine the use of lethal force by the authorities."
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the ruling, calling it unacceptable given that Russia had been the victim of terrorist attacks.
The attack began on the first day of the school year. About 30 mostly Chechen and Ingush Islamic militants seized the school and killed several adults before taking more than 1,100 people hostage, including nearly 800 children. During a 52-hour standoff, most of the hostages were held in the school's gym, where temperatures soared and no food or water was provided.
On the third day, some of the hostages were released and the bodies of some adults killed on the first day were collected. But a sudden series of powerful explosions was followed by a fire that engulfed the gym and caused its roof to collapse. In response, Russian security forces backed by tanks stormed the building and fought a battle against the hostage-takers, leading to the deaths of more than 330 hostages and 186 children. Hundreds of other people were wounded, and others were reported missing.
The group that carried out the attack was allegedly controlled by Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev, who was killed in 2006. Basayev worked with jihadist militants such as Ibn al-Khattab, a Saudi national with close connections to al-Qaida.There are three words no man should ever have to say at a bachelor party: "Table for one."
Thanks to a handful of canceled flights Thursday evening, that's been the reality of Robbie* Chernow, a New Yorker who flew into Chicago for his friend Jake's bachelor party this weekend, then ended up carrying the torch alone.
*("Too immature for Robert and not cool enough for Rob," he told HuffPost.)
"The original plan was for me to get here a few hours earlier, but when I got here I found out that the two other flights with the bachelor and others in the party had both been canceled," Chernow explained to The Huffington Post, sending along a photo of a canceled ticket as proof of the mishap, "and they couldn't rebook in a timely fashion -- thanks Delta!"
"I've been sticking to our planned agenda pretty much step for step -- just alone," Chernow added. "I've also changed some little things... since the scheduled "get ready" time is much shorter for one person than 10."
So far, he says, the highlight has been meeting Chicagoans, whom he describes as "encouraging and accommodating." Once he got over the initial shock, he's had a pretty great time -- despite his apparent sadness in every photo.
Here's what Robbie has been up to so far:
He went to a Bears game! (They won 24-0.)
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 3, 2015 at 5:15pm PDT
"Apparently everyone in my section also tried to take Delta to get here."
He went on a boat ride!
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 3, 2015 at 3:50pm PDT
"I have so much room on this boat for all my friends who's [sic] flights to Chicago got canceled."
He set up a Tinder profile! (In search of friendship)
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 3, 2015 at 4:50pm PDT
Things got "real weird, real quick."
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 3, 2015 at 7:14pm PDT
He grabbed one of Chicago's famous Italian beef sandwiches!
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 3, 2015 at 8:51pm PDT
"This is Theresa. She works at Portillo's. According to Theresa, 'these sandwiches are normally meant to be shared, but you seem sad enough to finish one by yourself.' Thanks, Theresa!"
He visited a spa! (Well, kind of...)
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 4, 2015 at 4:57am PDT
He went to 360 Chicago to take in the view! (It was foggy, a fact the ticket agent had warned him about.)
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 4, 2015 at 6:52am PDT
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 4, 2015 at 7:15am PDT
He saw The Bean!
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 4, 2015 at 5:47am PDT
"Both my hotel concierge Alex and new friends on Tinder agree -- The Bean at Millennial Park is a must for a great photo-shoot. 'It's the perfect for spot for a wacky photo with all your friends in front of the Chicago Skyline.' Thanks, Alex!"
He visited a park!
A photo posted by Robert Chernow (@rwchernow) on Sep 4, 2015 at 12:12pm PDT
Chernow told HuffPost his friends should be landing in Chicago sometime Friday afternoon, leaving plenty of time to celebrate before the group's planned departure on Monday.
Until then, visit Chernow's Instagram page to follow along on what just might be the world's loneliest bachelor party.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post said the Bears lost the game. The team won.
Also on HuffPost:American Mythology will mark the start of 2018 with a 2-in-1 collection of new, short stories from Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.
American Mythology (Premium Cover)
An upcoming issue of the Stargate comics line from American Mythology features the best of both worlds. A special “Anthology” issue will kick off 2018 with stories from both Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.
The “flip-book” style issue includes original Atlantis and SGU short stories, which pre-date the events of their main comic titles.
In Atlantis‘s “The Other Guys” Colonel Sheppard and his team come upon technology that could pose a threat to the city. Then, SGU‘s “Camille” explores one character’s journey during the final hours before the series finale, “Gauntlet” — perhaps what Camille Wray did prior to entering stasis on board Destiny.
The stories are written by Mark L. Haynes & J. C. Vaughn, with art by Greg LaRocque & Eliseu Zeu Gouveia. Three different covers will be available, two at the $3.99 price and a premium cover (pictured above) at $9.99.
The issue is now being solicited (as “Annual 2018”) in Diamond Previews (October 2017) for a December 27 release. If your local comic shop doesn’t normally carry Stargate comics, stop in and ask them to order it for you.
Check out the cover gallery below, and keep up with the latest Atlantis and SGU comic books with GateWorld’s Comics section!“He’s barely breathing, how many times do I have to tell you?” she says, cursing at the dispatcher.
“O.K., you know what ma’am?” Mr. Sanchez says. “You can deal with this yourself. I’m not going to deal with this, O.K.?” Ms. Quintero responds that her “friend is dying” before the phone call is terminated.
Mr. Chavez-Silver was killed in a drive-by shooting and the police are still investigating his death, according to The Albuquerque Journal.
Melissa Romero, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Fire Department, said that Mr. Sanchez had dispatched an ambulance to the scene while still on the call with Ms. Quintero, and that it had arrived within four minutes and 26 seconds, a time she said was “well below the national average.” She said that because Mr. Chavez-Silver’s medical records were sealed, she could not say whether he was dead by the time the ambulance arrived. The Journal reported that he died at a hospital.
Ms. Romero said dispatchers were taught in detail how to respond to difficult calls. “Our dispatchers go through hundreds of hours of training, so that is included in that training,” she said.
Mr. Sanchez worked at the Fire Department for 10 years, and was a dispatcher for three years and five months. An internal investigation into his conduct on the call with Ms. Quintero was terminated after he resigned on Tuesday.Let's Make Your Website More Useful:
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So 2014 draws to a close. I’ve already given a detailed review of the year as I saw it and reported on it through these pages; but before the year closes, I wanted to offer something a little more personal.
This year has been incredible for me. In terms of raw figures (for whatever they’re worth), I’ve published 950+ posts, passed through 3,000 published in total, seen the blog pass through one million page views and, at least according to WordPress, these pages (intentionally or otherwise) have been viewed from 194 countries (hello, Iran and North Korea. Oh wait, you’re not listening 🙂 ).
The Pines at Jacobs Pond End of Time, February 2014 (Flickr) – blog post
But more particularly, the year has offered me the opportunity to visit over 100 regions and blog on them (some more than once), and to experience 136 art exhibitions, installations and performances that I’ve actually manage to document (57 sponsored by the LEA and 79 non-LEA events) – my apologies to those I missed / didn’t manage to get written-up.
Where art is concerned, I’ve been particularly privileged to be asked to join the UWA jury for Transcending Borders – thank you, Jayjay and FreeWee, and to have also witnessed Paradise Lost: he Story of Adam and Eve’s Original Sin, which I still believe to be an outstanding masterpiece of performance art in a virtual world, and the jewel in the crown of my enjoyment of a fabulous year for art in SL. I’ve also met many more talented people in SL.
As regular readers know, I’ve attempted to stay up-to-speed on technical developments, but have also found time to move house, expand my sailing and flying activities, and continue tracking Curiosity’s progress on Mars, as well as look at other “spacey” things.
I’ve also tried to improve my photographic technique and also started to get my head around image editing with GIMP (PhotoShop still has me hiding under the desk). I’ve even managed to get into “proper” machinima, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and have received a lot of support and advice in my efforts – thank you to everyone concerned.
I really don’t want to go on at great length here; suffice it to say, the year has had its moments at times, but for the most part has been a huge amount of fun, discovery and learning. It has also been immensely rewarding simply because I see so many people returning to these pages again and again, reading, offering “likes” and feedback, providing suggestions and pointing out things of interest or providing hints and support.
So what I really want to say is, thank you to all of you for all your support through the year; and thank you for all the Tweets, re-tweets, Plurks, re-plurks, location suggestions via social media or via e-mail, comments via e-mail and in-world IMs. It may sound trite, but the reality is, without your support and feedback, this blog would simply be a collection of dry electronic pages, and I’d be without any stars to steer by.
Thank you, everyone, and I’ll see you in 2015!
AdvertisementsOne 30-foot wrist shot with a wooden stick can take you a long way. Even if that shot is wired in little Lake Placid, N.Y.
For Mike Eruzione, his 30-foot twisted wrister versus the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics took him from Winthrop, Mass., to the White House, and into the pages of sporting history as the man who scored the game-winning goal in what turned out to be, to many, the biggest sporting moment of the 20th century.
And while that one shining moment when a group of young, carefree, excitable American boys vanquished a group of older, dour Communists took Eruzione places, it didn't make him McMansion wealthy nor immune to the vagaries of capitalism.
And so everything in Mike Eruzione's musty hockey bag, except his gold medal and Olympic ring, are up for sale. The white No. 21 USA jersey he wore to beat the Soviet Union, the blue jersey he wore to win gold against Finland, and the stick he used for his Mark Messier-like left skate wrist shot that proved miraculous and life changing.
But wait, there's more, as we will find out. The auction will be held in late February around the anniversary of the various 1980 Olympic moments. Heritage Auction House of Dallas will run the auction. The big media push will begin in January, but Eruzione gave ESPN.com this exclusive interview to explain why.
This is not the first time a member of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team has sold memorabilia. Mark Wells developed a genetic disease that attacked his spinal cord discs, so he sold his gold medal for $40,000, which turned out to be far below market value. The Connecticut collector then turned around in September 2010 and sold Wells' medal in auction for $310,000. I was recently told Steve Christoff has sold his gold medal. Ken Morrow sold his Soviet-worn jersey for $104,000 before auction fees. His game-worn gloves went for $6,000. Heritage Auction House is hoping, as is Eruzione, that his take will be at least well more than a million dollars.
Bucci: Why are you doing this?
Eruzione: It's something I've thought about for the last couple of years after hearing Paul Henderson sold his jersey from the 1972 Summit Series for $1.2 million. When I heard that, I thought, "Wow, what a great opportunity this is to sell my memorabilia and give some money back to my family, my kids, my grandson." I've got some ideas with what I want to do with the money. I will be more specific closer to the auction. Fortunately, I don't need the money to help me. I've done very well over the last 32 years and hopefully will continually do well in the future with appearances. I'm not broke! I'm not doing this for my own purpose or gain; in fact, it's not for my purpose at all. I think I can do a lot of good for others with what I get. My first grandson, Michael, was born a week ago. I've thought about his future and the cost of tuition for my daughter and things like that. My daughter, Leigh Ann, is a social worker and her husband is a detective; my older son, Michael, manages apartment buildings; and my younger son, Paul, recently got his first job as a graphic designer.
Bucci: What are you selling, and is it a package deal?
Eruzione: For now, it's all separate items. The stick that I scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union, the jersey from the Soviet game, the jersey from the Finland game, my cowboy hat, the warmup suit I wore on the podium, my gloves, my shoulder pads, my opening ceremony outfit and my sweatsuit that I tried out for the team in at the Olympic festival are among the items.
Bucci: What about the gold medal?
Eruzione: It will not be sold. It's the ultimate thing. The gold medal will never be sold as long as I'm alive. If something happens to me and my kids/grandkids want to do something with it, hopefully it's for the right reasons.
Bucci: What piece do the auction people feel will be the most valuable?
Eruzione: The Soviet Union game jersey. The opening bid is a million dollars. Then the Finnish jersey. They are also bullish about the podium sweatsuit that I wore.
Bucci: What kind of person do you want purchasing the items? Do you care?
Eruzione: I do care. I hope it's somebody that cherishes the moment and understands that it isn't just a sporting event, it's a piece of history. The auction people think a person might buy it that has never bought a sports memorabilia piece in their life. They might get someone who buys it and donates it to the Smithsonian. I hope someone buys it that appreciates it as much as I did and feels they have a part of American history.
Bucci: It is emotional or stressful to part with this stuff?
Eruzione: No, not at all. The stuff was in my attic sitting inside my original equipment bag from 1980. It is was the medal that would be different. That would be hard to deal with. It's equipment that means a lot to me but to share things is not bad either and to generate income for the causes that I will announce later it just made sense. I was concerned with the perception. I asked Jack Parker about it and asked what he thought about it. He responded, "Good for you." That was the turning point for me. If he would have said, "I think you're making a big mistake," I would have hesitated. My friends and teammates have all been supportive. I've talked with Jack O'Callahan and Robby McClanahan, and sent a text to every guy on the team, and not one of my teammates objected. In fact, they are curious what the stuff will go for and you might soon see more of them do the same thing with their stuff. I am 100 percent comfortable. I am concerned with the public's perception but I think people will come to understand why I'm doing it.
Bucci: I understand Mario Lemieux called and offered to buy your Soviet Union game jersey?
Eurzione: Yeah, Mario offered me 100 bucks for my jersey. And my buddy, the kicker Robby Gould, offered to me a couple more strokes on the golf course.
John Buccigross' email address -- for questions, comments or crosschecks -- is john.buccigross@espn.com.Vietnam bases long-range rocket launchers in South China Sea
By Peter Symonds
11 August 2016
Reuters revealed yesterday that Vietnam has in recent months secretly fortified several of its islands in the Spratly group in the South China Sea with mobile long-range rocket launchers. While the launchers are reportedly yet to be armed, it would take only days to make them operational with rockets capable of striking Chinese-held islets.
Hanoi’s move is certain to further accelerate the arms race that is already underway and to heighten the risk that an incident or provocation could lead to military conflict. That danger has escalated in the wake of the ruling last month by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in favour of a US-backed case brought by the Philippines to challenge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The Reuters report based on multiple diplomatic and military sources stated that Vietnam has shipped the launchers to five of its Spratly islands and carefully hidden them from aerial surveillance. The launchers are believed to be part of Vietnam’s EXTRA rocket artillery system purchased recently from Israel.
According to Reuters, the EXTRA system uses targeting drones, is highly accurate up to 150 kilometres and can deliver a 150 kilogram warhead that can hit ships and land targets. Chinese installations on Subi, Fiery Cross and Mischief Reef would be well within the range of Vietnamese rockets.
Siemon Wezeman, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Institute, told the news agency: “When Vietnam acquired the EXTRA system, it was always thought that it would be deployed on the Spratlys… it is the perfect weapon for that.”
Vietnam has denied the report but at the same time justified such measures. “It is within our legitimate right to self-defence to move any of our weapons to any area at any time within our sovereign territory,” Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant-General Nyugen Chi Vinh told Reuters.
Washington’s response has been very muted. US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau acknowledged that Washington was aware of the reports, adding pro-forma that the US “calls on all South China Sea claimants to avoid actions that build tensions” and “intensify efforts that find peaceful, diplomatic solutions to disputes.”
Such remarks are utterly cynical. The Obama administration with its confrontational “pivot to Asia” against China bears central responsibility for transforming the South China Sea into a dangerous international flashpoint. Having declared in 2010 that it has “a national interest” in the South China Sea, Washington has actively encouraged the Philippines and Vietnam to more aggressive press their claims against China.
Obama conducted a three-day official visit to Vietnam in May during which he announced the full lifting of a four-decade-old arms embargo which was described in the media as a decisive step towards the “normalisation” of relations between the two countries. Hanoi undoubtedly informed Washington in advance of its decision to deploy the rocket launchers.
The US reaction to the Vietnamese rocket launchers is in marked contrast to its response to every step taken by China that can be construed as “militarisation.” The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the think tank that has been central to Obama’s “pivot to Asia,” has just released satellite photographs of what it claims are reinforced hangars for military aircraft on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs built since The Hague ruling.
While the CSIS acknowledged that apart from a brief visit by a military transport earlier this year, “there is no evidence that Beijing has deployed military aircraft to these outposts.” That has not stopped the CSIS from doctoring its photographs to show the outlines of various Chinese warplanes parked in the hangars, or from declaring that their deployment was now likely.
The release of the photographs on Monday coincided with a visit to China by the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, who took the opportunity to again publicly criticise Beijing for destabilising the South China Sea.
Speaking on Tuesday, Swift referred to the hangars, saying: “What doesn’t reduce tensions are these reports of this continued militarisation of the islands, if that is indeed the case.” He acknowledged that it was not clear if the hangars would be used for military aircraft, but added: “That increases the angst and the uncertainty—that lack of transparency—that is generally destabilising.”
Washington and its allies have repeatedly called for greater “transparency” on the part of China—a standard that is not applied to increased US activities in the South China Sea and neighbouring countries. The US has not only boosted its naval presence but also secured and begun to implement a new military basing agreement with the Philippines as well as strengthening military ties with Vietnam and other South East Asian countries.
Swift also criticised the announcement by China and Russia to hold joint naval exercises next month in the South China Sea, declaring that the choice of location was not conducive “to increasing the stability within the region.” Over the past year, the US Navy has been involved in multiple joint war games in or near the South China Sea.
The Pentagon has also carried out three provocative “freedom of navigation” operations by sending a destroyer within the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit surrounding Chinese-controlled islets in the South China Sea. Swift foreshadowed further naval provocations in the wake of The Hague decision, saying that he was confident that US warships could continue to sail close to China’s islands.
Swift warned Beijing again against declaring an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea which he declared would be “very destabilising from a military perspective.” When China announced an ADIZ over the East China Sea in November 2013, the US immediately dispatched B-52 bombers into the area to make clear that the US had no intention of abiding by China’s declaration.
The Pentagon’s determination to maintain its military presence |
of lyrics could have made that happen?
Let’s just say they got some help from feel good pills and red Gatorade. I already mentioned the long words which brought country to the champion’s table (tackleboxes and cigarettes anyone?), but longer sentences also played a part (thanks Keith Urban).
Of course, even for Country, it wasn’t all roses and bourbon.
Toby Keith and Chris Young did the genre no favors with their pleads to God and their baby. These lyrics scored low with a combination of short phrases and clippy writing. If only they could have mentioned Mississippi more…
Top Rock Songs Ranked by Grade Level
Average Grade Level Title Artist Year Weeks at #1 Word Count Characters per Word Syllables per Word 5.5 Dani California Red Hot Chili Peppers 2006 12 296 4.2 1.5 5.2 Animal I Have Become Three Days Grace 2006 7 258 3.9 1.4 4.5 Be Yourself Audioslave 2005 7 194 3.9 1.3 4.5 Inside The Fire Disturbed 2008 14 293 4 1.3 4.3 The Pot Tool 2006 4 320 4.1 1.3 4.2 Check My Brain Alice In Chains 2009 8 148 4 1.4 4.2 Isolation Alter Bridge 2011 7 218 4.1 1.4 4.2 Another Way To Die Disturbed 2010 8 321 3.9 1.3 4.2 Something In Your Mouth Nickelback 2009 4 470 4.1 1.3 4 Say You’ll Haunt Me Stone Sour 2010 8 369 3.8 1.3 3.9 Your Decision Alice In Chains 2010 8 162 3.7 1.2 3.7 Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Green Day 2005 14 289 3.5 1.2 3.5 New Divide Linkin Park 2009 8 250 4 1.2 3.4 Psycho Puddle Of Mudd 2008 9 338 3.6 1.3 3.4 Remedy Seether 2005 5 355 3.5 1.1 3.4 Second Chance Shinedown 2009 10 250 3.8 1.3 3.3 Speak Godsmack 2006 6 181 3.7 1.1 3.2 Lifeline Papa Roach 2009 6 283 3.7 1.3 3.2 Through Glass Stone Sour 2006 7 520 3.8 1.2 3.1 Save Me Shinedown 2005 12 199 3.8 1.3 3 Best Of You Foo Fighters 2005 4 338 3.7 1.2 3 Break Three Days Grace 2010 11 187 3.9 1.3 2.9 What I’ve Done Linkin Park 2007 8 158 3.5 1.2 2.9 Animals Nickelback 2006 6 480 3.6 1.2 2.9 Chalk Outline Three Days Grace 2012 13 244 3.6 1.2 2.8 Walk Foo Fighters 2011 4 305 3.7 1.3 2.8 Photograph Nickelback 2005 7 489 3.5 1.2 2.8 Country Song Seether 2011 10 411 3.5 1.1 2.7 The Pretender Foo Fighters 2007 6 499 3.4 1.2 2.7 Cryin’ Like A Bitch! Godsmack 2010 5 258 3.7 1.2 2.7 Painkiller Three Days Grace 2014 4 249 3.5 1.2 2.6 Face To The Floor Chevelle 2011 12 216 3.7 1.2 2.6 Fake It Seether 2008 7 339 3.6 1.2 2.5 Shepherd Of Fire Avenged Sevenfold 2014 7 273 3.6 1.2 2.4 Rope Foo Fighters 2011 5 264 3.4 1.1 2.3 Trenches Pop Evil 2013 4 287 3.5 1.1 2.3 Words As Weapons Seether 2014 5 239 3.5 1.1 2.3 Been Away Too Long Soundgarden 2013 5 239 3.6 1.2 2.2 Something From Nothing Foo Fighters 2014 13 306 3.5 1.2 2.2 Live To Rise Soundgarden 2012 6 225 3.5 1.1 2.1 Pain Three Days Grace 2007 13 332 3.6 1.2 2 Hail To The King Avenged Sevenfold 2013 10 246 3.8 1.1 1.9 Breath Breaking Benjamin 2007 7 234 3.4 1.1 1.8 Never Too Late Three Days Grace 2007 7 297 3.3 1.2 1.7 The Day That Never Comes Metallica 2008 7 182 3.8 1.1 1.7 Heaven Knows The Pretty Reckless 2014 5 338 3.6 1.2 1.6 I Don’t Wanna Stop Ozzy Osbourne 2007 5 406 3 1.2 1.6 Bully Shinedown 2012 12 369 3.3 1.2 1.6 World So Cold Three Days Grace 2010 5 265 3.4 1.2 1.4 Unity Shinedown 2012 4 372 3.3 1.1 1.2 Let Me Hear You Scream Ozzy Osbourne 2010 4 340 3.3 1 0.8 The Good Life Three Days Grace 2010 5 215 3.1 1.1
If the Red Hot Chili Peppers do have to pay a price for that panorama, it’s not showing up here. “Dani California” performed extremely well with an average grade level of 5.5. Three Days Grace even bucked their overall poor score with “Animal I Have Become.”
None of this, however, can undo what Ozzy hath wrought. “Let Me Hear You Scream” set a pretty low bar (1.2 to be exact). His other song, “I Don’t Wanna Stop,” didn’t do much better, either at 1.6.
Then again, it would be a crime not to mention Three Days Grace’s other record setting song: The Good Life. With an average grade level of 0.8, it was the lowest scoring song of the hundreds analyzed. Who said the good life was complicated?
Top Pop Songs Ranked by Grade Level
Average Grade Level Title Artist Year Weeks at #1 Word Count Syllables per Word Characters per Word 5 She Will Be Loved Maroon5 2004 4 351 1.2 3.7 4.8 E.T. Katy Perry Featuring Kanye West 2011 6 293 1.4 4.1 4.6 Hips Don’t Lie Shakira Featuring Wyclef Jean 2006 7 617 1.3 3.7 4.6 California Gurls Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg 2010 7 411 1.4 4.2 4.5 We Are Young fun. Featuring Janelle Monae 2012 5 352 1.3 3.9 4.2 Shake It Off Mariah Carey 2005 5 352 1.2 3.6 4.2 Forever Chris Brown 2008 5 446 1.3 3.7 4.2 The Reason Hoobastank 2004 8 231 1.2 3.2 3.9 Irreplaceable Beyonce 2007 7 549 1.2 3.5 3.9 Leave (Get Out) JoJo 2004 5 330 1.1 3.4 3.7 We Belong Together Mariah Carey 2005 10 418 1.2 3.5 3.7 Boulevard Of Broken Dreams Green Day 2005 4 289 1.2 3.5 3.7 The Monster Eminem Featuring Rihanna 2014 5 710 1.2 3.7 3.6 Hollaback Girl Gwen Stefani 2005 6 459 1.2 3.4 3.5 Set Fire To The Rain Adele 2012 4 346 1.1 3.6 3.5 My Love Justin Timberlake Featuring T.I. 2006 4 784 1.2 3.4 3.5 Over And Over Nelly Featuring Tim McGraw 2004 8 546 1.2 3.3 3.4 Summer Love Justin Timberlake 2007 4 642 1.1 3.3 3.3 No One Alicia Keys 2008 5 314 1.2 3.2 3.3 Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) Kelly Clarkson 2012 4 429 1.2 3.7 3.3 Animals Maroon 5 2014 4 505 1.2 3.6 3.2 Big Girls Don’t Cry Fergie 2007 8 400 1.2 3.4 3.2 Leavin’ Jesse McCartney 2008 5 403 1.2 3.4 3.2 Bleeding Love Leona Lewis 2008 9 393 1.2 3.8 3.2 I Knew You Were Trouble. Taylor Swift 2013 7 588 1.2 3.5 3.2 One More Night Maroon 5 2012 8 492 1.2 3.4 3.1 Be Without You Mary J. Blige 2006 4 575 1.2 3.4 3.1 Low Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain 2008 6 731 1.1 3.7 3.1 All Of Me John Legend 2014 5 374 1.2 3.4 3 Roar Katy Perry 2013 5 445 1.1 3.2 3 Locked Out Of Heaven Bruno Mars 2013 4 323 1.1 3.5 2.9 Rolling In The Deep Adele 2011 5 574 1.2 3.6 2.9 Pieces Of Me Ashlee Simpson 2004 5 326 1.2 3.5 2.8 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 2010 4 421 1.2 3.5 2.8 We Found Love Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris 2011 8 292 1.2 3.8 2.8 Check On It Beyonce Featuring Slim Thug 2006 6 617 1.1 3.2 2.8 Apologize Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic 2007 7 219 1.2 3.2 2.7 Firework Katy Perry 2011 4 391 1.2 3.6 2.7 Cupid’s Chokehold Gym Class Heroes Featuring Patrick Stump 2007 5 668 1.1 3.1 2.6 Telephone Lady Gaga Featuring Beyonce 2010 4 664 1.2 3.3 2.6 Payphone Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa 2012 4 589 1.1 3.5 2.6 Blurred Lines Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell 2013 10 674 1.2 3.3 2.6 Dynamite Taio Cruz 2010 4 413 1.1 3.3 2.5 Toxic Britney Spears 2004 4 289 1.2 3.2 2.5 U + Ur Hand Pink 2007 4 478 1.2 3.5 2.5 Promiscuous Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland 2006 8 588 1.2 3.3 2.4 Can’t Hold Us Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton 2013 4 758 1.2 3.4 2.4 Happy Pharrell Williams 2014 5 544 1.2 3.5 2.3 Dark Horse Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J 2014 5 470 1.2 3.5 2.2 Say It Right Nelly Furtado 2007 4 247 1.1 3.2 2.2 I Gotta Feeling Black Eyed Peas 2009 7 646 1.2 3.2 2.1 Whatcha Say Jason DeRulo 2009 4 544 1.1 3.6 2.1 SexyBack Justin Timberlake 2006 5 644 1.2 3.3 2 Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson 2005 7 288 1.1 3.3 2 Boom Boom Pow The Black Eyed Peas 2009 7 526 1.1 3.6 1.9 Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) Katy Perry 2011 6 460 1.2 3.6 1.9 Grenade Bruno Mars 2011 5 447 1.1 3.3 1.9 Run It! Chris Brown 2005 4 706 1.1 3.3 1.8 Hey Ya! OutKast 2004 6 497 1.2 3.4 1.8 Gives You Hell The All-American Rejects 2009 4 463 1.1 3.4 1.7 Poker Face Lady GaGa 2009 5 573 1.1 2.9 1.5 Wide Awake Katy Perry 2012 4 354 1.2 3.4 1.5 TiK ToK Ke$ha 2010 7 499 1.1 3.4 1.4 So What Pink 2008 5 494 1.1 2.9 1.2 Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera 2011 6 469 1.1 3.3
Now I finally arrive at Pop. Maroon 5 really put it best when they pointed out that “it’s not always rainbows and butterflies.” That line may have gotten them high points, but their odd tongue-centered request was enough to undo it all.
Katy Perry is in a similar position, with high and low scoring songs leaving her averaging out somewhere in a muddled middle. On the other hand, maybe we can just attribute her higher scoring songs to Snoop.
Pink on the other hand is a much simpler picture. True, her repeated use of words like “nah” puts her in good company (The Beatles, for example); but in terms of “smart” lyrics, she doesn’t do herself any favors.
Okay Children, What Have We Learned?
What have we learned here? Well, the concept of creating for the lowest common denominator is certainly going strong. So what if popular music doesn’t tend to lend itself to sophistication? Are most of these songs still great? Definitely.
Perhaps we can be a little less judgemental of elementary schoolers (you know who you are). It also wouldn’t hurt to be a little more judgemental of contemporary songwriters. More than anything, these findings are a reminder of just how fun dumb can be. In the end, there’s nothing wrong with that.Hardware
Directed by Richard Stanley
Written by Richard Stanley
Uk / USA – 1990
Upon its initial release, Hardware was dismissed by most as a rip-off of The Terminator, but in fact, the film was actually inspired by a 2000 AD comic called SHOK! Walter’s Robo-Tale. Richard Stanley’s bizarre post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller has rightfully earned a cult following through the years and for sci-fi fans growing up in the 90s, Hardware was a hidden gem that found an audience on VHS.
The low-budget indie horror has its roots in earlier films featuring killer robots, but adds components of spaghetti westerns, 80?s slashers, and even ’70s exploitation cinema – and the bag of influences results in a film which is, in many ways, very original.
Stanley stretches his shoestring budget to impressive lengths, creating a despairing, barren future under blood-red skies, radiation clouds and desert wastelands. Despite being restricted by financial realities, Hardware still remains one of the most stylized science fiction film films of all time. Stanley’s retro-futuristic set design takes some visual and thematic cues from the films of James Cameron and Ridley Scott, but incorporates colour schemes that mirror Giallo films of the 1970’s. Composer Simon Boswell does an admirable job providing a churlish mood with his synth guitar solos, and the soundtrack became a personal fave amongst the industrial and metal music scene, with music by Iggy Pop, Motörhead, Ministry and Public Image Limited. Also, worth noting was the guest appearances by Lemmy (of Motörhead) as a taxi driver, Carl McCoy (of Fields of the Nephilim) as a zone tripper, and Iggy Pop as Angry Bob, a radio personality. Hardware sees a society under Big Brother surveillance and population control and amidst the violence and chaos, it features some social and biblical commentary. This is a movie about man and machine in a time where it’s difficult to tell the two apart.
Fans of sci-fi action will admire Stanley’s cyberpunk thriller. He delivers an action-packed, thought-provoking and quite disturbing thrill ride with the American flag painted on its killer android and a hero sporting a duster, a robotic hand, and a sawed-off shotgun. A Must see.
– Ricky DADELPHI ON ABBEY Street in Dublin opened back in April and has mostly been getting talked about thanks to its new “hot dogs in blaa-guettes” menu.
But now they’re making waves for another reason entirely.
A couple of days ago they made a change to the men’s jacks – and it now features a familiar face in the urinal
Which seems to have gone down very well with their regulars
As they wrote on Facebook on Thursday night: “It seems that our urinal is turning out to be rather popular with the gents!!! Any suggestions for the ladies restroom?”
The urinal in Adelphi 👌 A post shared by Conor Stitt (@conorstitt) on Jul 28, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT
Intriguing.
People were only delighted to try the new design out for themselves
The cry laughing emoji has never seemed so apt
Literally taking the piss at this stage.
DailyEdge is on Snapchat! Tap the button below to add!Like all good artists, I strive to satisfy my audience. But sometimes, the audience stays quiet and I have to guess what they want. That doesn’t always work. Well, this time YOU get the voice.
I want to know what would make you buy or not buy a book. Please, assist me with this (pseudo-) scientific research and let me know how I can improve. Also, if you’re a self-publishing author, you might be interested in the results of the poll yourself – so spread the word and stay tuned for updates 🙂
First, go to my amazon page, and think carefully. What throws you off immediately? What needs changing? What change would make you buy the book?
Then select up to three answers from the poll below.
(for the sake of the research, assume you want to buy a book today in the first place)
AdvertisementsAt least one of the emails on Hillary Clinton's private server contained extremely sensitive information identified by an intelligence agency as "HCS-O," which is the code used for reporting on human intelligence sources in ongoing operations, according to two sources not authorized to speak on the record.
Both sources are familiar with the intelligence community inspector general’s January 14 letter to Congress, advising the Oversight committees that intelligence beyond Top Secret -- known as Special Access Program (SAP) -- was identified in the Clinton emails, as well the supporting documents from the affected agencies that owned the information and have final say on classification.
According to a December 2013 policy document released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: This designation "is used to protect exceptionally fragile and unique IC (intelligence community) clandestine HUMINT operations and methods that are not intended for dissemination outside of the originating agency.”
It is not publicly known whether the information contained in the Clinton emails also revealed who the human source was, their nationality or affiliation.
Dan Maguire, former Special Operations strategic planner for Africom, told Fox News the disclosure of sensitive material impacts national security and exposes U.S. sources.
"There are people’s lives at stake. Certainly in an intel SAP, if you’re talking about sources and methods, there may be one person in the world that would have access to the type of information contained in that SAP,” he said.
It is not known what the impact was on the source, nor the findings of a damage assessment by the agency that controlled the source.
Separately, Fox News has learned that the so-called "spillage" of classified information is greater than the “several dozen” emails identified in the January 14 letter to Congress, which also acknowledged for the first time, that the Clinton emails contained intelligence beyond Top Secret, also known as Special Access Programs (SAPs).
The source said that the "several dozen" refers to the main or principal email thread identified by reviewers, not the number of times that classified information was forwarded, replied to or copied to people who did not have a “need-to-know” using unsecured communication channels -- in this case a personal server. More than one Special Access Program was affected.
"It's pretty tough to have SAP program material out in the public domain. I mean, it's a huge foul if that occurs,” said Maguire, who retired after 46 years of service, and who was involved with Special Access Programs throughout his career. Maguire says a damage assessment to the program is mandatory and immediate.
"It's a fairly laborious investigation. Once you know something was out to one person, that person sends it to 15, 15 send it to someone else -- so it's very difficult to ascertain where it all went but that's all part of the damage control aspect to get all the information back in the box."
The two declarations provided to the heads of the House and Senate Intelligence committees -- as well as the leadership of Senate Foreign Affairs with oversight for the State Department -- include the emails containing SAP intelligence, as well as supporting documents from the agency affected, showing how they reached the determination it came from one of its sources, and not from publicly available information.
When the inspector general’s letter was first reported by Fox News, Hillary Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said, “This is the same interagency dispute that has been playing out for months, and it does not change the fact that these emails were not classified at the time they were sent or received.”(Reuters) - Spain’s soccer team, returning home after a wretched World Cup in Brazil where the holders were eliminated in the first round, had another shock on Tuesday when their aircraft was struck by lightning as it came in to land in Madrid.
The Iberia flight, which touched down at about midday local time (1000 GMT) in the Spanish capital, was hit by a bolt of lightning but there were no negative consequences for the aircraft or the passengers, a spokeswoman for the airline confirmed.
Although such incidents are relatively common and rarely dangerous, it was perhaps a fitting end to Spain’s disastrous campaign in Brazil, where they were well beaten by the Netherlands and Chile before securing a 3-0 win against another eliminated side Australia on Monday.Denmark has set a world record for wind energy - with an achievement hailed as "the key to stop global warming".
Wind-generated energy made up almost 40 per cent of the country's overall electricity consumption in 2014 - making it the world's leading nation in wind-based power.
About 39.1 per cent of electricity used in the country came from its wind turbines, according to the climate and energy ministry.
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In January last year, this figure peaked with just over 60 per cent of Danes' energy consumption in that month coming from the wind.
"These are incredible figures," said Rasmus Helveg Petersen, Denmark's climate and energy minister.
"We still plan to put up more wind turbines. We are moving forward and we have more targets."
Shape Created with Sketch. Paris climate talks in pictures Show all 12 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Paris climate talks in pictures 1/12 A man is covered with a multi-coloured banner with the message, "Climate" as environmentalists attend a demonstration near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) that meets in Le Bourget, December 12, 2015 Reuters 2/12 French President Francois Hollande (C) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (R) applaud after a statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Getty 3/12 US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) speaks with China's Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua (R) and officials at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Getty 4/12 Delegates and members of NGO's read and work on copies of 'The adoption of the Paris agreement' is pictured after the announcement of the final draft by French Foreign Affairs minister Laurent Fabius at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning Getty 5/12 UN climate chief Christiana Figueres (C) speaks with French President Francois Hollande (L), United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (2ndL) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (R) after a statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning Getty 6/12 A Swiss Dominican priest poses with activists dressed as polar bears as activists gather for a demonstration to form a giant red line at the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris. Getty 7/12 Activists hold up a giant banner reading 'Climate justice' by association 'ourpowercampaign' during a demonstration near the Arc de Triomphe at the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris. Getty 8/12 Representatives of indigenous peoples demonstrate in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 9/12 Environmentalists demonstrate near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 10/12 Environmentalists demonstrate near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 11/12 Activists form a giant red line during a demonstration on the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images 12/12 The slogan "No Plan B" is projected on the Eiffel Tower as part of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris, France, December 11, 2015. Reuters 1/12 A man is covered with a multi-coloured banner with the message, "Climate" as environmentalists attend a demonstration near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) that meets in Le Bourget, December 12, 2015 Reuters 2/12 French President Francois Hollande (C) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (R) applaud after a statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Getty 3/12 US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) speaks with China's Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua (R) and officials at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning. Getty 4/12 Delegates and members of NGO's read and work on copies of 'The adoption of the Paris agreement' is pictured after the announcement of the final draft by French Foreign Affairs minister Laurent Fabius at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning Getty 5/12 UN climate chief Christiana Figueres (C) speaks with French President Francois Hollande (L), United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (2ndL) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (R) after a statement at the COP21 Climate Conference in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on December 12, 2015. The years-long quest for a universal pact to avert catastrophic climate change neared the finish line today with conference host France announcing that the final draft had been completed in the early hours of the morning Getty 6/12 A Swiss Dominican priest poses with activists dressed as polar bears as activists gather for a demonstration to form a giant red line at the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris. Getty 7/12 Activists hold up a giant banner reading 'Climate justice' by association 'ourpowercampaign' during a demonstration near the Arc de Triomphe at the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris. Getty 8/12 Representatives of indigenous peoples demonstrate in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 9/12 Environmentalists demonstrate near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 10/12 Environmentalists demonstrate near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, as the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) continues at Le Bourget, December 12, 2015. Reuters 11/12 Activists form a giant red line during a demonstration on the Avenue de la Grande armee boulevard in Paris on December 12, 2015, as a proposed 195-nation accord to curb emissions of the heat-trapping gases that threaten to wreak havoc on Earth's climate system is to be presented at the United Nations conference on climate change COP21 in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images 12/12 The slogan "No Plan B" is projected on the Eiffel Tower as part of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris, France, December 11, 2015. Reuters
The announcement means the multi-party Danish government is currently on track to meet its 2020 target for 50 per cent of all energy consumption from renewable sources.
It also places the Scandinavian country on a strong path towards the Paris climate conference targets, which require greenhouse gas to be cut 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990, and energy efficiency and renewables to be increased by at least 27 per cent.
Mr Petersen said his country had "found the key to stop global warming" for the other 196 nations who attended the conference in December.
One island off Denmark, called Samso, has already become an inspiration to renewable energy experts around the world as it aims to be completely fossil-fuel free by 2020.
And the country and its island are joined by Costa Rica, which reportedly ran on only renewable energy for 75 days in 2015, following the heavy rains which power the country's hydroelectric power plants.
But Danish energy company warned that transport and homes need to be more rapidly electrified so firms do not have to pay a lot of money to dispose of wind power - a problem which would push up costs for consumers.
"If we keep putting up wind turbines, we will keep having low prices in the market, which means consumers would have to pay a high price related to their energy consumption," said Lars Aagaard, director for Danish Energy.
"We would have an energy market with large price volatility where some times the price would deflate and at other times, the price would be sky-high. it would be an unstable system."
The UK government has been criticised for cutting subsidies to the renewable energy sector, with the House of Lords recently rejecting an attempt to prevent any more onshore wind farms being built.The US Congress will begin hearings into why General Motors failed to correct defects in ignition parts.
The hearing will start on Tuesday, just as GM has had to recall another 1.3 million vehicles, bringing the total to more than six million.
The flaw, known to GM engineers and their suppliers for more than 10 years, is an ignition key switch. Heavy key chains, or a knock to the switch, can disable steering, braking and passenger airbags while the car is in motion.
The total projected cost to the company is more than $1bn.
But GM is legally immune from paying damages for any accident that occurred before its emergence from bankruptcy in 2009.
The Justice Department is investigating whether the company committed bankruptcy fraud by not disclosing the defects before then.
Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from Washington DC.World Champion Mustafi set for Arsenal move
Arsenal look set to increase their contingent of German players with the transfer of World Champion Shkrodan Mustafi from Valencia. At the weekend, Arsène Wenger confirmed this transfer and another deal to bring Lucas Perez of Deportivo La Coruna to North London, although the club are yet to officially confirm the moves: “We have bought two players – Mustafi and Perez. We’ll integrate them into the team. The transfers were hard work and there are no plans for more.”
Mustafi: “I want to play in the Champions League again”
Mustafi was full of praise for his new employers. “They are an internationally represented club and it was important for me to be able to make a step forward in my career.” The 24 year old commented that this transfer “hasn |
but somehow turn out very very bad. lol...
Never the less, hope you guys enjoy! (12:10 Reference)IMMORTAL = 불멸자 (-MYUL-JAH)HIGH TEMPLAR = 고위기사 (-WEE-GI-SA)BUL + GO + GI = Korean BBQ, or Combination of Immortals and High Templars.Disclaimer: I do not have perfect grammar. I do not have expertise in subtitling. Original video was in alot better quality, but somehow turn out very very bad. lol...Never the less, hope you guys enjoy! SC:BW - NrG.fCuk // SC2 - NrGGuN
Tuthur Profile Joined July 2010 France 972 Posts #2 Wow that's pretty awesome! Thanks for doing that with SC2
Ruscour Profile Blog Joined April 2011 5116 Posts #3 Thanks a lot...I dunno if GOMTV will allow posting of their VODs, though.
I'd better download it just in case it gets removed.
Dodgin Profile Blog Joined July 2011 Canada 38849 Posts #4 This makes me wish I could understand korean and watch their casts for GSL/GSTL.
Thanks!
( I don't think you are allowed to post the full VOD on youtube though )
OnFiRe888 Profile Joined October 2010 United States 629 Posts #5 dude, this is sick, we gotta have more of these. if more sc2 enthusiasts learned korean, the easier it is to be a sc2 fan. "Life isn't measured by the breaths you take, but by skill in Starcraft"
mastergriggy Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 1311 Posts #6 I appreciate you doing this. Subtitles = amazing Write your own song!
grush57 Profile Joined March 2011 Korea (South) 2577 Posts #7 Sooo awesome thanks :D. "Every thing is either simply awful or awfully simple." | "Weaklings can't pick... their way of death."
Kraidio Profile Joined May 2011 China 133 Posts #8 That was pretty sick, do you have plans to do more? Maybe the past seasons finals? A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality.
Barrin Profile Blog Joined May 2010 United States 4997 Posts #9 OMG those korean casters are amazing... So much information keeping it interesting and explaining what to look for often before it even happens, and being really good at identifying and explaining important things as they happen. Always proper voice inflection and getting excited when exciting things happen etc.. sometimes properly releasing said excitement with comedic relief.
I'm jealous. Need more of these :D Grandfather of LotV's resource model. "Fewer Resources per Base"
Funguuuuu Profile Joined July 2011 United States 198 Posts #10 Amazing! The korean casters are so much more insightful. The night is dark and full of Terrans
FreudianTrip Profile Joined July 2011 Switzerland 1983 Posts #11 That was fun!
Kergy Profile Joined December 2010 Peru 1879 Posts #12 Who's commentating there? Park Sang Hyun? Everyday Girl's Day~!
Mrvoodoochild1 Profile Joined June 2011 United States 1439 Posts #13 Could you do one for the infamous Naniwa probe rush against Nestea. I always wanted to know what the Korean commentators had to say when the incident actually happened in real time. Good job on this btw. "let your freak flag fly"
wangstra Profile Joined March 2011 909 Posts Last Edited: 2012-03-30 19:28:09 #14 delete
di3alot Profile Joined December 2011 172 Posts Last Edited: 2012-03-26 01:36:18 #15 wow
i dont rly know how to describe this but its just awesome.
korean player/caster>>all
ask gom for a job i would pay for this shit :D
pdd Profile Blog Joined November 2010 Australia 8903 Posts #16 The Korean casting with subtitles is really detailed... wish I could understand Korean. It's definitely a lot better than the English casts. TI4 Champions: EE-Sama | B7-God | A-God_2000 | Kappa Lord | pieliedie
Tatari Profile Blog Joined January 2011 United States 1050 Posts #17 This is pretty cool.
Side note: bulgogi. Ahuehue A fed jungler is no longer a jungler, but a terrorist.
Bobbias Profile Blog Joined March 2008 Canada 1322 Posts Last Edited: 2012-03-26 01:39:18 #18 Interesting. What are you using to subtitle the video, and how are you exporting it? I can help you get better quality video if you do another subtitle sometime.
Also, is it just me or are the bottom of the subtutles being cut off in the video?
monitor Profile Blog Joined June 2010 United States 2351 Posts #19 Woahh.. I like this a lot. They make it very interesting indeed! Tbh, I don't think 80% of the English sc2 casters would even know this much detail of the game to even talk about. I'm not saying there aren't a lot of great casters in both languages, just that these Korean casters really seem to know what they're talking about (I hope)!
NrG.NeverExpo Profile Blog Joined December 2008 Canada 2090 Posts #20 Ben you are the best TwitteR: @NeverExpo follow me, i'll follow back :)
1 2 3 4 5 17 18 19 Next AllIf you are a PC Gamer, you would have to be living under a rock not to know that this 2017, AMD is going to launch their new CPU processor under the name Ryzen. Ryzen boasts of being able to compete Intel’s CPUs. But from time to time, tech companies have been known to feed hype to potential customers to get their products sold. And AMD is already a company that is fairing poorly in the CPU market. So the question is, will AMD Ryzen live to the hype around it?
What is AMD Ryzen?
Ryzen is an AMD CPU much awaited by gamers because of its potential of being an alternative to Intel processors. Ryzen was codenamed ‘Zen’ in development-stage and this word stands for meditation and contemplation in Japanese. A significant architectural change for AMD after a long time, it is expected to save the company from the possibility of a total failure in the CPU industry. Even though the company does well because of its Radeon GPUs, it has not had much luck in the CPU field. AMD Ryzen is an ambitious undertaking to change that.
AMD VS Intel
There’s no doubt Intel is leading in the CPU field with their wide range of processors. While Intel processors are fairly good, they are not the best ones you get for the price, and this is because of the lack of options the buyers have. There’s no competition whatsoever, and at most local markets the only processors that get sold are Intel. Without competition, Intel is free to set higher prices of their products and buyers with little knowledge of the value to end up buying them. This is good for Intel to make some cash, but for those who are prone to building PCs and keeping them updated for optimum performance, it isn’t.
To sum up, what is needed is competition. A contender in the CPU market is sure to result in a dip in prices, and this is good news for those who are saving hard-earned money for their glorious PC build.
What AMD Ryzen Is Offering
Apart from competition, the rumors (could be facts, too) are that Ryzen is going to cost only half the price that Intel costs. This means that base 3.4 GHz 8 core Ryzen will be around $400, but just to be safe (and realistic) it is expected to be around 600-800$. This is a way better price than Intel’s prices.
The AMD Ryzen specifications as compared to Intel’s Broadwell-E Core i7-6900k are
The 3.4 GHz is only the base clock speed of the eight core processor. The reason many people are waiting for AMD Ryzen is these specifications. It is going to compete with the Intel 6900K, a $1,000 CPU. The base clock is higher, thermal design power (TDP) is lower.
Instructions per cycle (IPC) is another significant aspect of a processor’s performance. As many know, it is the mean of instructions executed for each clock cycle and for AMD Ryzen it seems to be very close on average.
The AMD Ryzen 5GHz Hype
The hype is real, at least on the Internet. The rumour is that AMD Ryzen 5GHz is possibly one of the CPUs getting launched. Benchmarks are being made, real and fake alike, and it is a known fact that many PC users look for benchmarks before buying a processor. It shouldn’t be a shock to assume that some of these benchmarks will be sponsored. But these contribute to the buzz that AMD Ryzen is making.
It is just because of the fact that Ryzen could be an alternative, PC enthusiasts have something to fuss about.
Will AMD Ryzen live to its hype?
Looking at the specifications, if they perform as described, there’s no doubt Ryzen will be worth it. Many people are saving up for a Ryzen even now. The good thing is, there’s nothing to lose in this because if Ryzen doesn’t live up to its hype and is an average CPU, there will still be competition and prices will dip, even if only a bit. But if Ryzen lives up to the hype, the incoming dips are going to be substantial. It’s a win-win situation.
Another thing to consider is that AMD is putting all their effort in Ryzen and they have invested a lot for its development. They need to prove to the fanbase they are still up and running, and this is their chance. AMD surely knows it and will do its best. Or so we hope.
The launch dates have still not been specified and assuming Ryzen kicks in the first quarter of 2017; this is the time the hype train will be at its peak.Few political observers would disagree that independent candidates face a steep uphill electoral battle.
But the Conservative proposal to give parties what would amount to a blank cheque for fundraising between election periods — specifically, making a party's calls, emails and other communications with anyone who has donated $20 within the past five years exempt from campaign spending limits — could make it even more difficult for those not aligned with a political party to keep up with the pack while on the hustings.
In an interview with host Evan Solomon on CBC Radio's The House, Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand warned that such an exemption could raise questions about ensuring a "fair, level playing field" for all electoral contenders.
"That would affect what we call in the business the 'get-out-the-vote,' which is becoming increasingly a significant expenditure for campaign," he told The House.
"We estimate... based on what we can figure out from the returns we received, that maybe 20, 25 per cent of the total expenditure goes to 'get-out-the-vote' process.
"If I understand the provision correctly, that means that over and above the five per cent (campaign spending increase) mentioned earlier, a party could spend about 20 per cent more as long as it's linked to fundraising," Mayrand said.
That, in turn, could create a built-in advantage for existing parties and incumbent candidates.
"A new party coming in, new candidates coming in would not likely have any contributors from the past, so immediately, they face a gap of not only the spending limit, but 20 per cent more," he said.
Independent candidates would also be affected
Although Mayrand didn't specifically mention independents, that same logic would seem to apply to their campaigns, as they, too, would also have a far smaller — or, in some cases, virtually non-existent — number of previous donors who could be contacted without fear of exceeding the expense cap.
The government's latest attempt to tweak Canada's election laws gave Conservative-turned-Independent MP Brent Rathgeber an opportunity to outline his concerns over what he sees as "an explicit bias towards political parties" that the proposed changes would do nothing to address.
"Most Canadians (over 98 per cent) do not belong to political parties," he noted in a post to his blog entitled "Fairness is in the eye of the beholder."
Yet those parties, along with local riding associations, "have the exclusive right to raise money and issue tax credit receipts outside of an election period," which means they can raise money "52 weeks per year."
Meanwhile, he points out, an independent candidate "can only issue receipts after he or she has been declared a candidate by Elections Canada," which can only take place after an election has been called and the putative candidate has met the necessary criteria to be officially registered. That includes collecting the names, addresses and signatures of at least 100 qualified electors from the riding in which he or she hopes to run, as well as a $1,000 deposit.
The unequal treatment continues even after the race is over, according to Rathgeber.
"A party candidate may transfer any electoral surplus to a riding association or registered party, while an Independent candidate must remit surplus funds to the Receiver General of Canada," he notes.
"Finally, a party-endorsed candidate is eligible to receive 50 per cent reimbursement for qualified election expenses, provided the Candidate received 5 per cent or more of the votes. Independent candidates are not similarly qualified for a refund."
The end result of the above rules, from Rathgeber's perspective: "In the 2015 General Election, the Conservative candidate will be campaigning to unseat me using, in part, funds that I raised or was reimbursed for in 2011!"
Possible court challenge
So, what can Rathgeber do to make sure his voice — and the voice of other independents — is heard during the review of the proposed amendments?
"If I'm invited to present at the committee, I would attend," he told CBC News by email.
"However, I have limited faith in the committee system, where a majority of members take their instructions from PMO."
Those who seek changes, he says, "will have to pursue a different avenue." That could include a court challenge over whether the current rules violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees that every Canadian has the right to vote in elections and be qualified for membership in the Commons.
"What about the vast majority of Canadians who choose not to join a registered political party? Certainly they can vote and Independent candidates can seek office," Rathgeber notes on his blog.
"But is doing so on such an unlevelled playing field a violation of their democratic rights?"
Retired MP Bill Casey — who, like Rathgeber was initially elected Conservative but left the party to sit as an Independent and, it's worth noting, was actually re-elected despite a concerted effort by the local Conservatives to unseat him — is also hoping to share his thoughts with the committee.
In a letter to Minister of State for Democratic Reform Pierre Poilievre citing similar issues to those detailed by Rathgeber, Casey also points out that party-affiliated candidates can prepare for an election by buying signs, brochures and other material through the riding association.
"An independent candidate cannot incur any expenses or make any purchases until after the election starts" — and even then, once again, only after being registered as an official candidate.
As for the proposal to give parties a free pass to make fund-raising calls during elections, he, too, fears it will "increase the disadvantage" for independent candidates.
In response to a query from CBC News, a spokesperson for Poilievre stressed that the rules governing candidates — and, more specifically, the power to accept contributions and issue receipts — are applied identically across the board, to independent and party-aligned candidates alike.
"We encourage the committee to consider and study all these questions," said Gabrielle Renaud-Mattey.
Opposition parties share concerns
Although neither Rathgeber nor Casey are guaranteed a speaking slot at committee, they may just be able to count on at least one opposition party to make the case for fair play for independents.
NDP democratic reform critic Craig Scott told CBC News he finds provision exempting fundraising costs "extremely problematic," since he believes it would benefit the Conservative Party over any others, given their extensive database.
Even so, he agreed that independents candidates "would be even more compromised."
"Almost by definition, they don't have pre-existing donor bases going back five years to be able to exclude from expenses," he noted.
"If they're concerned, they have every reason to be."
As for the existing biases in favour of party candidates, he admits that he only recently became aware of those concerns after being alerted to the issue by Rathgeber.
"It's on my radar now," he noted.
He hopes that independents — both sitting MPs or those who they believe would speak well on the subject — let the committee know that they have something to say.
"They count as the Canadians who would are going to get short shrift under this bill."NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg accused U.S. presidential candidates on Friday of being unwilling to face “the big issues” and said a bipartisan forum next week aims to push contenders to open up to voters.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears with David Letterman on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in this publicity photo released to Reuters January 3, 2008. Bloomberg presented Letterman's beard - grown during the eight-week-old strike by the Writers Guild of America - with the key to the city. REUTERS/John Paul Filo/CBS/Handout ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved
Bloomberg, who will attend the Unity08 forum in Oklahoma on Monday, said democracy was suffering because candidates were not specifically addressing issues such as healthcare, foreign policy and how to reinvigorate a slowing U.S. economy.
“They’re unwilling to face the big issues, and take the risks and give it straight to the public. And that’s not good for democracy, and it’s certainly not good for America,” Bloomberg said during his weekly local radio interview.
Bloomberg has repeatedly said he has no plans to run for president, but many political analysts believe the billionaire is considering running in the November election as an independent who would self-finance his campaign.
That speculation heated up again after it was announced Bloomberg would attend Monday’s forum of Unity08, a bipartisan group that believes the Republican and Democratic parties are out of touch and unduly influenced by special interests.
“The issue is how do we get these candidates to really address the issues,” he said. “This thing in Oklahoma is not designed to advance any particular agenda, other than the agenda of openness and giving the public the information they need to make intelligent choices.”
“I think the people there, I can’t speak for all of them, but generally they would probably agree with me to say that there’s been much too much partisan bickering. Nobody wants to give anybody else an advantage,” he said.
Democrat Sen. Barack Obama and Republican former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Thursday beat rivals by large margins in the Iowa caucuses, which kicked off a state-by-state process to pick each party’s candidate for the presidential election. The next state vote will be held January 8 in New Hampshire.
In critiquing the candidates, Bloomberg did not mention any of them by name, but said that the nominating process “could very well” continue into March, after primaries in electoral voter-rich states like California, New York and Texas.
Bloomberg, who was a longtime Democrat, is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $11.5 billion. He is the founder and owner of financial information and media company Bloomberg LP.
When he turned to politics he switched to the Republican Party to run for mayor in 2001. He won twice, spending more than $150 million of his own money, then dropped his party affiliation in June last year, again fueling speculation he was planning a nonpartisan presidential run.Mr Hilton, the Prime Minister's strategy director, reportedly suggested the radical ideas during discussions on scrapping red tape and bureaucracy to boost economic growth.
Mr Hilton also suggested to Mr Cameron that he simply ignore European labour regulations on temporary workers, to the alarm of the most senior civil servant in Downing Street.
“Steve asked why the PM had to obey the law,” said one Whitehall insider. “Jeremy [Heywood, Mr Cameron's permanent secretary] had to explain that if David Cameron breaks the law he could be put in prison.”
Senior Downing Street sources last night said the ideas were examples of Mr Hilton's "blue sky thinking" and had no chance of being introduced.
Mr Hilton, who often walks around the Prime Minister's office without shoes, is an increasingly influential figure who often suggests seemingly crazy ideas in an attempt to spark creative debate.
According to a report in the Financial Times, Mr Hilton also recommended sacking hundreds of Government press offices and replacing them with a blog for each Whitehall department.
The newspaper quoted a source close to Mr Hilton suggesting that he thought that maternity leave rights were "the biggest obstacle to woman finding work". Britain now allows women to have up to a year off work and the family-friendly policy has been regularly championed by Mr Cameron.
“Steve also wanted to suspend all consumer rights legislation for nine months to see what would happen," the source added. "Some of his ideas are great but a lot of time is spent at an official level trying to deconstruct his maddest thoughts.”
Earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph disclosed there was growing impatience among Downing Street aides at the apparent failure of the Treasury to develop creative policies to boost Britain's lacklustre economy. Mr Hilton is now understood to be playing a leading role trying to develop radical policies to help business and boost employment.If you would like to see more articles like this please support our coverage of the space program by becoming a Spaceflight Now Member. If everyone who enjoys our website helps fund it, we can expand and improve our coverage further.
A commercial SES communications satellite on the way to an operating post over the Americas rode into orbit from French Guiana aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket Thursday, embarking on a mission to help airline travelers stay connected and improve air navigation over the United States.
Powered exclusively by xenon-fed electric thrusters, the SES 15 satellite could last up to 18 years, beaming in-flight wifi to airline passengers, giving pilots and air traffic controllers more accurate GPS navigation data, and supplying capacity to television broadcasters.
The compact, lightweight Boeing-built SES 15 telecom craft launched at 1154:53 (7:54:53 a.m. EDT; 8:54:53 a.m. French Guiana time) Thursday, arcing to the east from a French-run space base at the edge of the Amazon rainforest on top of a Russian-made Soyuz rocket.
The kerosene-fueled Soyuz launcher, an iconic fixture in the global space industry for 60 years, took advantage of a break in rainy weather and climbed through partly cloudy skies, letting go of four strap-on engines, a clamshell-like nose cone, and its core stage in the first five minutes of the mission.
A third stage RD-0110 engine then took over control of the flight, and a Fregat upper stage released from the forward end of the Soyuz launcher for two main engine burns, separated by a long-duration coast that lasted four-and-a-half hours.
The flight operations director inside the Jupiter control center at the space center announced the separation of the SES 15 satellite more than five hours after liftoff, concluding the longest spacecraft deployment mission ever launched by Arianespace, the company in charge of Soyuz launch operations in French Guiana.
Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer at SES, confirmed the SES 15 satellite established contact with a ground station soon after the deployment, and officials declared Thursday’s mission a success.
The ascent profile for Thursday’s launch placed the SES 15 satellite closer to its final perch in a circular geostationary orbit, where the spacecraft will loop around Earth’s equator at an altitude of nearly 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers), the exact distance needed to move in concert with the planet’s rotation.
The unusual timing of the second Fregat firing will help shave several weeks off the time it will take to transition SES 15 into service, officials said.
The Fregat upper stage’s on-board guidance computer aimed to release SES 15 into an egg-shaped transfer orbit ranging from 1,367 miles (2,200 kilometers) to 19,449 miles (31,300 kilometers) in altitude, inclined approximately 6 degrees to the equator.
“This was our 40th satellite (launched by Arianespace),” Halliwell said in remarks after Thursday’s launch. “We’re going to be back for more. We just had acquisition of telemetry, so that’s good. The spacecraft is looking healthy, and the mission is progressing perfectly.”
The launch was delayed from April 4 by a general strike in French Guiana that shut down the space center, interrupting flight preps for the rocket and the spacecraft. The spaceport reopened in late April after an accord signed between the French government and local leaders promised a multibillion-euro aid package to improve security, health and education opportunities in the territory.
Russia has accomplished more than 1,800 launches by Soyuz rockets, and Thursday’s flight was the 17th time a Soyuz launcher has blasted off from French Guiana, the only Soyuz pad outside the former territory of the Soviet Union.
Soyuz operations in French Guiana began in 2011 after Russian and European teams started construction of a purpose-built launch pad in 2007. The French government funded most of the work, with additional contributions from the European Space Agency.
The low-thrust xenon-ion jets on SES 15 will be activated in the coming weeks to nudge the satellite toward its final operating post. The orbit-raising maneuvers will take around 190 days to complete, according to Halliwell, and SES 15 should be operational by the end of December at 129 degrees west longitude.
The electric thrusters take longer to move between orbits than the conventional liquid-fueled engines carried by most communications spacecraft, but the tradeoff makes for a lighter satellite without giving up any capability. Without a heavy propellant tank, a satellite with the same broadcast capacity can launch on a smaller, less costly rocket.
SES 15 is the fifth Boeing-made commercial satellite with all-electric propulsion, following four payloads launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets in 2015 and 2016.
SES and Boeing announced the agreement to build the SES 15 satellite in February 2015.
The spacecraft hosts hardware for multiple Ku-band communications missions, including a high-throughput payload designed to provide in-flight connectivity to airline passengers traveling across North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The aeronautical mobility payload “covers the whole of the United States, going right the way up to Alaska, and with a corridor going out to Hawaii, all in Ku,” Halliwell told Spaceflight Now in a pre-launch interview.
A Ku-band beam for video broadcasts overlays the high-throughput footprint over the United States, according to Halliwell.
SES 15 also carries a hosted payload built by Raytheon to improve GPS navigation data over the United States. The navigation aid is part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wide-Area Augmentation System, used by pilots and air traffic controllers to improve aircraft spacing and positioning near busy airports and in inclement weather.
“SES 15 is really a marvel of innovation,” said Mark Spiwak, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International, the spacecraft’s manufacturer. “We are still the only satellite contractor in the world that has launched and has on-orbit an all-electric propulsion satellite. There are some other folks who are using portions of the mission with all-electric (propulsion), but even now … We’re still the only ones that launch a satellite with only xenon gas on-board.”
Airbus Defense and Space is preparing a Eutelsat communications satellite with all-electric thrusters for launch on an Ariane 5 rocket next month, marking that contractor’s first in-space demonstration of the technology.
SES 15 was originally supposed to fly on a dual-payload mission on Arianespace’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket, but the launch firm and SES agreed last year to switch to a medium-class Soyuz booster to keep the satellite on schedule due a jam-packed Ariane 5 manifest.
In an interview with Spaceflight Now before Thursday’s launch, Spiwak said more than 50 structural components on SES 15 were 3D-printed.
“We’re now using a lot of these technologies, whether it be all-electric (propulsion) or printed parts, across all of our product line,” Spiwak said.
SES 15 was the second Boeing-built telecom satellite launched this week.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off Monday and delivered a heavyweight satellite for Inmarsat’s mobile broadband service to orbit.
Arianespace’s next mission is scheduled for June 1, when an Ariane 5 rocket will haul two more communications satellites to orbit. The heavy-lifter will carry the ViaSat 2 spacecraft, designed to provide high-speed Internet services in the United States, and the Eutelsat 172B satellite with a coverage zone over the Asia-Pacific.
Email the author.
Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.Posted 18 January 2015 - 03:43 PM
T - imeE - radicatesA - llC - hoicesH - oweverI - ngloriouslyN - erfingG - rowsIts that time of year where we at S.C.U.N. hold our annual NIB/Stock/"Low-Tech on-the-spot Modding" Event. Once more we shall gather at our Southernmost Reliable Location in Corona to goof around with barely modded blasters and shoot each other with stock ammo and enjoy pizza for a fair amount of hours. Its fun for the whole family.So, yes, this is a "Stock Event" similar to a N.I.B. war but not quite as strictly aimed at using a brand new blaster, as it is going back to a time where you couldn't "science" a nerf gun beyond "slap a crayola marker on it"Like every Stock War We've done, there will be about a half hour of “Field Modding Time” using the most “basic” of nerf modding supplies:Hand tools like Screwdrivers, small hacksaws, pliers, wire cutters, x-acto knives or boxcutters, leatherman tool, hand drills, etc.Electrical Tape/Duct Tape etcMost Adhesives (includes Epoxy Putty, Super Glue, Plumber's Goop)There is an outlet and I'll bring an extension cord so you can use Hot Glue if you wish.Rubber Bands/Mini bungeeCrayola Barrels or similar objects like those Jägermeister tubes as barrel material.a 2k Pump tube is an acceptable way to mod something for Arrows.Electronic mods to flywheel guns are allowed, this ranges from basic higher voltage batteries all the way to full motor replacement.Some of these supplies/tools will be provided, but expect to provide yourself with most of what you need to mod on the spot.NO PVC or other Pipe/Tubing WILL BE ALLOWED.Naturally, there will still be some safety bans, IE no making titans shoot micros. Pistol splats and all variants are not allowed, because they perform on par with modded guns bone stock. But pretty much anything else is fair game. Bring as many or as few blasters as you'd like, by leaving the ammo stock, we should have a fairly level playing field whatever you bring. Also you're allowed to bring any blasters that are already modded to these specifications, be it because you did it for one of the previous stock wars, or felt like modding in advance.We'll start this earlier than usual, so that modding time doesn't cut too much into our playing time, so try to show up by 9:30 AMAlso allowed are large ammo blasters including zing, mongo, missile, ball, arrow, and rocket. These blasters may be modded with materials outside the war restriction, but must be firing their intended ammo.The Date is SET as FEBURARY 7THLocation:Horsethief Canyon ParkShotgun Trail Rd.Corona, CA 92883The Park has Restrooms. Nearby there is a shopping center with a Pizza Hut, A Subway and a grocery store. We usually just make a group pizza order together and send a small detachment to pick things up. so bring cash for Pizza, or be ready to take care of getting other food for yourself.
Edited by Apollo256, 18 January 2015 - 03:43 PM.Last week Spider-Man: The Neverending Story Turn Off the Dark refrained from opening on the Ides of March as planned (blah blah blah new creative team blah blah blah). But luckily for theatergoers the two smaller, totally unauthorized, Spider-Man productions aiming to open made their debuts without a hitch. And, for those of you playing along at home one of them, the Spidey Project, has already made its way online.
While we missed the other Spider-man project (that'd be Spidermann) we did manage to slip into one of the two sold-out performances of The Spidey Project and were more than pleasantly surprised (ok, sold out is a slight misnomer since the tickets were free). With a shoestring budget—$0, they say—the team behind Spidey managed to put together a coherent, original and entertaining take on the Spider-Man origin story that, while taking liberties, somehow managed to be truer to the source material than the behemoth currently blundering down Broadway (in our humble opinion). Its much campier and less emo than the Bono version and instead of flying over your heads on wires Spider-Man simply stands still while buildings fly around him...but what can we say, we're suckers for cheap theater tricks. Also, there is a song about Chipotle in it.
So to be clear: This isn't a slick multi-million dollar musical, but it is a good, silly time. You almost hope the producers on Broadway are watching. But don't take our word for it, watch (and wish the sound was better mixed) for yourself:
And here's the program˘, for good measure.One day after Commissioner Roger Goodell said that Rush Limbaugh’s bid to buy the St. Louis Rams would receive little support from N.F.L. ownership, Limbaugh was dropped from the group of investors hoping to buy the team.
“Rush was to be a limited partner — as such, he would have had no say in the direction of the club or in any decisions regarding personnel or operations,” Dave Checketts, the former Madison Square Garden executive who is leading the group that included Limbaugh. “This was a role he enthusiastically embraced. However, it has become clear that his involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions; endangering our bid to keep the team in St. Louis. As such, we have decided to move forward without him and hope it will eventually lead us to a successful conclusion.”
Checketts is a widely respected sports executive and the owner of the St. Louis Blues. He was interviewed as a candidate for the N.F.L. commissioner’s job before it went to Goodell, who was the heavy favorite, in 2006. But several N.F.L. owners, who ended three days of meetings in Boston on Wednesday, quietly wondered why a savvy businessman like Checketts would hitch his hopes for the Rams to Limbaugh, a conservative radio talk-show host, and fail to anticipate the negative reaction.
In his statement, Checketts said that Limbaugh’s involvement made sense because he was born 100 miles south of St. Louis, is an avid N.F.L. fan, and had an interest in keeping the Rams in St. Louis rather than allowing them to move to another market, which another ownership group may do. Checketts’s group surely needed Limbaugh’s deep pockets, too. But once word leaked last week that Limbaugh was involved, several retired and current players said they objected to Limbaugh’s involvement and said players would not join the Rams as free agents if Limbaugh prevailed. Then the union executive director, DeMaurice Smith, expressed his personal concern about Limbaugh and encouraged players to speak up.
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The players’ opposition to Limbaugh is rooted largely in his public comments about race. The most famous of those came when he spoke about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in 2003, while Limbaugh worked for ESPN.
After Goodell’s comments and those of Jim Irsay, the Colts’ owner, who said he could not support a bid that involved Limbaugh, Limbaugh’s exit from the bid seemed all but inevitable, although on his radio show on Wednesday — hours before Checketts made his statement — Limbaugh vowed not to drop out.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the US will no longer have a reason to build the long-touted missile defense shield in Europe, if Iran fulfills its obligations in the recently-signed nuclear program deal.
“If the Iran deal is put into practice, the stated reason for the construction of the defense shield will no longer apply,” Lavrov told journalists in Rome.
NATO is currently rolling out its new Europe-wide missile defense shield, which will include two interceptor bases close to the Russian border in Romania and Poland, with the first of the first ground missiles becoming operational in 2015. The bases will be able to shoot down short and medium-range ballistic missiles.
Russia has long protested at the placement of such bases on its borders, but during both, the Bush era and Obama’s terms, Washington has insisted that the bases are primarily directed against a potential threat from Iran, and are too close to Russia to stop any of its nuclear warheads.
On Sunday, Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for a loosening of substantial EU and US sanctions that have crippled its economy.
The initial term of the deal is six months, though both sides hope this will lead to a permanent rapprochement after a stand-off that lasted a decade, during which the West accused Iran of attempting to acquire a nuclear weapon, while Iran denied this, insisting that it was entitled to enrich uranium.
US Secretary of State John Kerry, while visiting Europe earlier this month, said that the deployment of the missile shield was not likely to be contingent on improving relations with Iran.
“Nothing has changed at this point and I don't foresee it changing,” he said.
NATO has also confirmed that it regards the missile defense to be a deterrent against any threats to Europe, not just one coming from one country.
The current European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) missile defense system was adopted by the White House in 2009. It generally uses more established technologies than President George W. Bush’s expensive and ambitious system that first aroused Russia’s ire over |
nature. Quartz and other forms of silicon dioxide, for example, are naturally occurring electrets. Today, most electrets are made from synthetic polymers, e.g. fluoropolymers, polypropylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, etc. Real-charge electrets contain either positive or negative excess charges or both, while oriented-dipole electrets contain oriented dipoles. The quasi-permanent internal or external electric fields created by electrets can be exploited in various applications.
Manufacture [ edit ]
Bulk electrets can be prepared by cooling a suitable dielectric material within a strong electric field, after melting it. The field repositions the charge carriers or aligns the dipoles within the material. When the material cools, solidification freezes them in position. Materials used for electrets are usually waxes, polymers or resins. One of the earliest recipes consists of 45% carnauba wax, 45% white rosin, and 10% white beeswax, melted, mixed together, and left to cool in a static electric field of several kilovolts/cm. The thermo-dielectric effect, related to this process, was first described by Brazilian researcher Joaquim Costa Ribeiro.
Electrets can also be manufactured by embedding excess negative charge within a dielectric using a particle accelerator, or by stranding charges on, or near, the surface using high voltage corona discharges, a process called corona charging. Excess charge within an electret decays exponentially. The decay constant is a function of the material's relative dielectric constant and its bulk resistivity. Materials with extremely high resistivity, such as PTFE, may retain excess charge for many hundreds of years[citation needed]. Most commercially produced electrets are based on fluoropolymers (e.g. amorphous Teflon) machined to thin films.
Applications [ edit ]
Electret materials have found commercial and technical interest. For example, they are used in electret microphones and in copy machines. They are also used in some types of air filters, for electrostatic collection of dust particles, in electret ion chambers for measuring ionizing radiation or radon and in Vibration Energy Harvesting.[1]
Further reading [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Patents [ edit ]Police Say Ricin-Laced Letters Sent To New York Mayor Bloomberg
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
Police in New York say preliminary tests of two threatening letters sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg contained traces of ricin.
The anonymous letters, both addressed to Bloomberg, were opened Friday in New York at the city's mail facility and Sunday in Washington, D.C., at the headquarters of the nonprofit started by Bloomberg, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, according to authorities.
Reuters, quoting a police statement, reports that both letters "contained threats against Bloomberg and mentioned the gun debate."
Police say preliminary testing indicated the presence of the deadly poison ricin. They say mail sorting personnel who came into contact with the letters were not showing any symptoms, but that some officers who later examined the one in New York were, according to The Associated Press.
NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports that the letters were going for secondary testing to confirm the results, because preliminary tests are sometimes inaccurate.
The AP reports that chief New York City police spokesman Paul Browne says both letters contained "an oily pinkish-orange substance" but he would not comment on specific threats or where the letters were postmarked.
Update at 8:50 p.m. ET. Police Won't Say If They Think Both Letters From Same Person:
Police spokesman Browne wouldn't say if the letters were handwritten or typed, the AP reports. He also declined to say if investigators thought both letters were from the same person nor whether they might be linked to with other ricin cases.Shadow of Mordor Dev Was Never Worried by Assassin's Creed Comparisons
Shadow of Mordor Dev Was Never Worried by Assassin's Creed Comparisons
Share. A new trailer shows that Mordor just got a whole lot scarier. A new trailer shows that Mordor just got a whole lot scarier.
Warner Bros. has announced Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's Lord of the Hunt DLC will arrive today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. There's currently no news on when it'll hit PS3 and Xbox 360.
While we previously gave you an in-depth look at the expanding lore you can expect to find in the new content, a new trailer shows exactly whats on the way, from the new Beastmaster Warchiefs, the Wretched Graug mount, the Caragath, and the new Beast Hunting challenges.
The new trailer can be seen above, while the full list of additions is below:
Exit Theatre Mode
New Story & Lore – Discover more tales from Torvin, the Dwarven Hunter, as you work together to tame the beasts of Mordor and fight Sauron’s minions.
New Nemeses – Face off against the Beastmaster Warchiefs, powerful new Uruks who have the ability to ride monsters and engage in perilous mounted combat.
New Monsters – Ride into battle on the Wretched Graug to vomit toxin at your foes, stalk your enemies on the predatory Caragath and attack from the shadows or raise an all-consuming Ghul Horde.
New Missions & Challenges – New Beast Hunting challenges and collectibles open up new trophies and achievements.
New Epic Runes – Make your Mount unstoppable with five new epic Runes that make you the ultimate hunter.
Test of the Wild – Test your skills against the Beastmasters and mount your trophies on the leaderboard.
New Character Skin – Lord of the Hunt skin transforms Talion into the ultimate Beastmaster.
For all the latest tips and tricks, be sure to check out the IGN Shadow of Mordor Wiki.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter.But now to another example of sensational crime reporting, and some far more remarkable allegations aired in the media ten days ago.
GEORGIE GARDNER: A woman who says she was the victim of an alleged paedophile ring operating in the 1970s has made explosive claims in Sydney today. Fiona Barnett spoke at a press conference along with members of abuse survivor group, SNAP. FIONA BARNETT: Well, I was prostituted to paedophile parties at Parliament House, Canberra. The people involved in this elite paedophile ring included high-ranking politicians, police and judiciary. — Channel Nine News, 23rd October, 2015
And that was just the start of it.
Barnett claimed that at least three former Australian Prime Ministers were involved and that the ring is still operating today.
And after AAP filed the story, a large number of websites picked it up... and reported:
FIONA Barnett also claims she witnessed "hundreds of crimes" - including murder, rape, abduction and torture... — NT News, 23rd October, 2015
Lismore's Northern Star and Tweed Daily News also told readers she had made some even more startling allegations:
Ms Barnett recounted a story about being shown as a child what happened to "traitors" who spoke out. She alleged she witnessed a man being tied to two tractors which drove in opposite directions, tearing him limb from limb. — Northern Star, 23rd October, 2015
Are we beginning to have concerns about her credibility here?
Part of Barnett's reason for speaking out was to claim that this Prime Ministerial paedophile ring has been covered up by people in power.
As News.com.au reported, she had told her story many times but had always been ignored:
Ms Barnett said she had taken the allegations to multiple health professionals in the 1980s, NSW Police in 2008 and approached the Royal Commission in 2013. She said she and other victims of "VIP" perpetrators were "stonewalled" by authorities. — News.com.au, 23rd October, 2015
Hmmm. That's surely a sign there might be no evidence for her remarkable claims.
Yet all these media outlets ran with her story, and only News.com.au saw fit to suggest it might not stack up, by including this statement from ACT Police noting:
"The matter was thoroughly investigated by ACT Policing's Operation Attest and there was no evidence to substantiate the complainant's allegations,"... — News.com.au, 23rd October, 2015
Elsewhere, Ms Barnett's allegations were accepted pretty much uncritically by a host of newspapers and websites, including:
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Daily Telegraph
The Hobart Mercury
Adelaide's The Advertiser
And a raft of regional papers owned by Fairfax Media or by APN's Australian Regional Media.
Her claims also made headlines in the Daily Mail and in the UK's Independent newspaper, not to mention numerous radio and television stations.
We reckon they should have been treated with a lot more caution.
And a quick search on the internet confirms our doubts.
Here is Barnett writing last year about the CIA, paedophiles and Nazis:
The key to understanding organised paedophilia in Australia is the thousands of Nazi war criminals to whom our government knowingly offered asylum in this country. — Independent Australia, 9th May, 2014
And here she is again on a site called NeonNettle in which she and a fellow victim recalled:
... witnessing child sacrifices at the hands of the CIA and the Ninth Circle Satanic Child Sacrifice Cult all trained by former Nazis... — Neon Nettle, 7th August, 2014
UPDATE: Fiona Barnett has contacted Media Watch to say "At no stage have I identified the 'Ninth Circle' as being responsible for my child abuse."
That story and another in September 2014 apparently quoted from Barnett's private testimony to the Child Abuse Royal Commission, in which she claimed that on her sixth birthday she had been taken to the rainforest in Kiama in NSW and drugged.
"... When I woke it was dark and I was lying naked face-up, spread-eagle on a picnic table with my hands and legs tied. Perpetrators took turns sneaking up on me". "They carried rifles and had a pack of starving Doberman dogs. I was told a group of naked children huddled nearby were my responsibility, I was to run and hide them. Every child I failed to hide would be killed and fed to the dogs... " — Neon Nettle, 15th September, 2014
On that occasion, according to Fiona Barnett, several young children were shot. But their deaths went undetected.
So should the media have given prominence to her claims about paedophile Prime Ministers?
We think not.
Should they also have given credence to claims of a high-level cover up? Again the answer is no. And we think that basic checks would have led almost any media organisation to the same conclusion.
Naturally, Fiona Barnett begs to differ. She insists the child-hunting story is true and that police are also involved in the cover up, and she told Media Watch:
I have been reporting the crimes committed by VIP paedophiles including a NSW Police Commissioner, for many years. Not surprisingly, NSW Police have demonstrated a reluctance to investigate my allegations. I therefore appealed to the 'Fourth Estate', as victims do when all other avenues of justice fail them. — Fiona Barnett, email to Media Watch, 30th October, 2015
We understand that at least two journalists have investigated Ms Barnett's allegations and decided not to publish them.
And when we asked her to back up some of her claims, she was unwilling or unable to do so.Instead of jolting you into action, Windows 10’s notifications seem eager to put your mind at ease.
A handful of sounds from an unreleased Windows 10 Technical Preview build have popped up at WP7Forum, where they were spotted by The Verge. There are eight sounds in total, covering things like Calendar alerts, incoming emails, low battery warnings, and system messages. You can hear them all together in this YouTube video:
The Verge likens the new tones to the boot sound from Windows 95, but that doesn’t seem exactly right. The Windows 95 sound invoked analog instruments such as vibraphones, strings, and a grand piano. And while the jingle had a certain dreamy quality, it also conveyed excitement. (And let’s not forget that Windows 95 seemed even more excited when you shut it down.)
That’s not the case with the new sounds. Composed entirely of reverberating, electronic keys, the tone here is mellow, even more so than the modern sounds of Windows 8.
It’s possible that Microsoft will come out with different sounds when Windows 10 actually launches this summer, or that the sounds we haven’t heard yet are more aggressive. But if even the critical low battery warning is just a splash of soothing synthetic vibes, chances are the entire system is going to sound pretty chill.
Why this matters: Ideally, the sounds of an operating system aren’t something you should have to think about too often. Nobody likes a computer that yells, though, and the opportunities for Windows 10 to do so will be greater with the inclusion of a full-blown notification center. By choosing a set of relaxing tones, it seems Microsoft is playing it extra-safe.Bill O'Reilly's account of a 1982 riot in Argentina is being sharply contradicted by seven other journalists who were his colleagues and were also there at the time.
The people all challenge O'Reilly's depiction of Buenos Aires as a "war zone" and a "combat situation." They also doubt his description of a CBS cameraman being injured in the chaos.
"Nobody remembers this happening," said Manny Alvarez, who was a cameraman for CBS News in Buenos Aires.
Jim Forrest, who was a sound engineer for CBS there, said that when he heard O'Reilly retell the Argentina riot story to interviewer Marvin Kalb several years ago, he contacted Kalb and said "I was on that crew, and I don't recall his version of events."
The contradictions come several days after Mother Jones, a left-leaning magazine, first reported about the discrepancies in O'Reilly's claims about his coverage of the Falklands War. O'Reilly was a young correspondent for CBS News at the time, assigned to cover the war from Buenos Aires, which was more than 1,000 miles from the offshore conflict zone.
In the years since, O'Reilly -- now the biggest star on Fox News -- has repeatedly referred to his experience in the "war zone."
In his 2001 book, "The No Spin Zone," O'Reilly wrote, "I've reported on the ground in active war zones from El Salvador to the Falklands."
On his show "The O'Reilly Factor" in 2013, O'Reilly told a guest, "I was in a situation one time, in a war zone in Argentina, in the Falklands, where my photographer got run down and then hit his head and was bleeding from the ear on the concrete. And the army was chasing us. I had to make a decision. And I dragged him off, you know, but at the same time, I'm looking around and trying to do my job, but I figure I had to get this guy out of there because that was more important."
Mother Jones challenged some of these claims. O'Reilly responded by accusing the magazine of trying to smear him to hurt Fox News, and said the report's co-author, David Corn, is a liar and an "irresponsible guttersnipe."
Eric Engberg, a CBS correspondent who was also in Buenos Aires at the time, defended Corn in a Facebook post on Friday and said, "It was not a war zone or even close. It was an 'expense account zone.'"
Longtime NBC News correspondent George Lewis, who was also there at the time, agreed with Engberg, writing on Facebook, "Cushiest war I ever covered."
Did O'Reilly's photographer get "run down" and bloodied?
CNN has interviewed seven people who were there for CBS, and none of them recall anyone from the network being injured.
"If somebody got hurt, we all would have known," Alvarez said.
In a Friday interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, O'Reilly said the photographer's last name was Moreno. Roberto Moreno was there for CBS. He now lives in Venezuela, and he declined to comment to CNN.
But Mia Fabius, who was the office manager for the CBS Miami bureau at the time, has stayed in touch with Moreno for decades, and she said Moreno has never spoken about any injury in Argentina.
Further, Fabius said no injury report was ever filed.
Engberg, Alvarez and Forrest spoke on the record about their recollections of the Argentina coverage. Four other people who were there for CBS spoke on condition of anonymity, some because they still work in the television industry and others because they don't want to be publicly criticized by O'Reilly.
All of the people said they're unaware of any civilians being killed in the riot. In O'Reilly's 2001 book, he said "many were killed."
"There were certainly no dead people," Forrest said. "Had there been dead people, they would have sent more camera crews."
Alvarez called the claims of deaths "outrageous, outrageous."
"People being mowed down? Where was that? That would have been great footage. That would have turned into the story," he said.
CNN's report from Buenos Aires at the time described "a squad of tear-gas-armed troops" and a crowd "hurling coins, rocks, and even bricks at both police and journalists," but no deaths.
O'Reilly has repeatedly defended his claims, including on Fox News on Sunday morning. "I don't know if he was there," O'Reilly said, implying that Engberg may not have witnessed the riot. He called Engberg "Room Service Eric," alleging he often stayed in his hotel during unfolding news events.
Speaking on CNN, Engberg called that "the most absurd thing I've ever heard" and said "I never ordered room service during a riot." Engberg also said he, as well as an entire team from CBS, was out in Buenos Aires and in a position to see the protest.
O'Reilly also cited a New York Times account of the riot that said "one policeman pulled a pistol, firing five shots over the heads of fleeing demonstrators." This supports the depiction of a dangerous protest, though does not confirm O'Reilly's claim that people were killed that night.Infinite Jest is a 1996 novel by American writer David Foster Wallace.
The novel is widely noted for its unconventional narrative structure (modeled after the Sierpinski gasket[1]) and its experimental use of endnotes (there are a total of 388 endnotes, some with footnotes of their own). It has been categorized as an encyclopedic novel[2] and made Time magazine's list of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005.[3]
Infinite Jest is regarded as a literary bestseller, having sold 44,000 hardcover copies in its first year of publication.[4] It has since exceeded a million copies in worldwide sales.[5]
Development [ edit ]
The novel's gestation period was long. Wallace began Infinite Jest, "or something like it," at various times between 1986 and 1989. His efforts in 1991–92 were more productive.[6] The book was edited by publisher Little, Brown and Company's Michael Pietsch, who has recalled cutting about 250 manuscript pages.[7]
The novel's title is from Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1, in which Hamlet holds the skull of the court jester, Yorick, and says, "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!"[8] Wallace's working title for Infinite Jest was A Failed Entertainment.[9]
Setting [ edit ]
In the novel's future world, the United States, Canada, and Mexico together compose a unified North American superstate known as the Organization of North American Nations, or O.N.A.N. (an allusion to onanism).[10]
Corporations are allowed the opportunity to bid for and purchase naming rights for each calendar year, replacing traditional numerical designations with ostensibly honorary monikers bearing corporate names. Although the narrative is fragmented and spans several "named" years, most of the story takes place during "The Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment" (Y.D.A.U.).
On the orders of U.S. President Johnny Gentle (a "clean freak" who campaigned on the platform of cleaning up the USA while ensuring that no American would be caused any discomfort in the process), much of what used to be the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada has become a giant hazardous waste dump, an area "given" to Canada and known as the "Great Concavity" by Americans due to the resulting displacement of the border.
Subsidized Time [ edit ]
In the novel's world, each year is subsidized by a specific corporate sponsor for tax revenue. The years of Subsidized Time are:
Year of the Whopper Year of the Tucks Medicated Pad Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar Year of the Perdue Wonderchicken Year of the Whisper-Quiet Maytag Dishmaster Year of the Yushityu 2007 Mimetic-Resolution-Cartridge-View-Motherboard-Easy-To-Install-Upgrade for Infernatron/InterLace TP Systems for Home, Office or Mobile [sic] Year of Dairy Products from the American Heartland Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment (Y.D.A.U.) Year of Glad
Critics have debated which year Y.D.A.U. corresponds to in the Gregorian Calendar, with various theories supporting 2008, 2009, and 2011.[11][12][13]
Locations [ edit ]
The novel's primary locations are the Enfield Tennis Academy (E.T.A.) and the Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House (separated by a hillside in suburban Boston, Massachusetts).
The fictional E.T.A. is a series of buildings laid out as a cardioid atop a hill on Commonwealth Avenue. Ennet House lies directly downhill from E.T.A., facilitating many of the interactions between characters residing in the two locations.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology student union also figures quite prominently in the novel. In the novel the structure is built in the shape of the human brain.
Some of the novel's action also takes place in Arizona, various Boston-area Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, as well as several locales in New England and Canada.
Plot [ edit ]
There are four major interwoven narratives:[14]
A fringe group of Québécois radicals, Les Assassins des Fauteuils Rollents ( English : The Wheelchair Assassins; A.F.R.), plans a violent geopolitical coup, and is opposed by high-level US operatives.
: The Wheelchair Assassins; A.F.R.), plans a violent geopolitical coup, and is opposed by high-level US operatives. Various residents of the Boston area reach "rock bottom" with their substance abuse problems, and enter a residential drug and alcohol recovery program where they progress in recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Students train and study at an elite tennis academy run by James and Avril Incandenza, and Avril's adopted brother Charles Tavis.
The history of the Incandenza family unfolds, focusing on the youngest son, Hal.
These narratives are connected via a film, Infinite Jest, also referred to in the novel as "the Entertainment" or "the samizdat". The film, so entertaining to its viewers that they lose all interest in anything other than repeatedly viewing it and thus eventually die, was James Incandenza's final work. He completed it during a period of sobriety that was insisted upon by its lead actress, Joelle Van Dyne. The Quebecois separatists seek a master, redistributable copy of the work to aid in acts of terrorism against the United States. The United States Office of Unspecified Services (O.U.S.) aims to intercept the master copy to prevent mass dissemination and the destabilization of the Organization of North American Nations, or else to find or produce an anti-entertainment that can counter the film's effects. Joelle seeks treatment for substance abuse problems at Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House. A.F.R. member (and possible O.U.S. double agent) Marathe visits Ennet House, aiming to find Joelle and a lead to the master copy of "the Entertainment".
Major characters [ edit ]
Dozens of secondary characters are not included here.
The Incandenza family [ edit ]
Avril Incandenza, née Mondragon, is the domineering mother of the Incandenza children and wife of James. A tall (197 cm, or 6 ft. 5.5 in.), beautiful francophone Quebecer, she becomes a major figure at Enfield Tennis Academy after her husband's suicide and begins, or perhaps continues, a relationship with Charles Tavis, the school's new head, also a Canadian and Avril's either adoptive or half-brother. Her sexual relationships with men are a matter of some speculation/discussion; one with John "No Relation" Wayne is depicted. Avril has phobias about uncleanliness and disease, closed doors, and overhead lighting, and is also described as agoraphobic. She has an obsessive-compulsive need to watch over E.T.A. and her two youngest sons, Hal and Mario, who live at the school; Avril and Orin are no longer in contact. James Incandenza believes that he can connect with his children only through her. Orin believes she runs the family with ingrained manipulation and the illusion of choice. Her family nickname is "the Moms".
, née, is the domineering mother of the Incandenza children and wife of James. A tall (197 cm, or 6 ft. 5.5 in.), beautiful francophone Quebecer, she becomes a major figure at Enfield Tennis Academy after her husband's suicide and begins, or perhaps continues, a relationship with Charles Tavis, the school's new head, also a Canadian and Avril's either adoptive or half-brother. Her sexual relationships with men are a matter of some speculation/discussion; one with John "No Relation" Wayne is depicted. Avril has phobias about uncleanliness and disease, closed doors, and overhead lighting, and is also described as agoraphobic. She has an obsessive-compulsive need to watch over E.T.A. and her two youngest sons, Hal and Mario, who live at the school; Avril and Orin are no longer in contact. James Incandenza believes that he can connect with his children only through her. Orin believes she runs the family with ingrained manipulation and the illusion of choice. Her family nickname is "the Moms". Hal Incandenza is the youngest of the Incandenza children and arguably the novel's protagonist, as its events revolve around his time at E.T.A. Hal is prodigiously intelligent and talented, but insecure about his abilities (and eventually his mental state). His friend Michael Pemulis calls him Inc, and his favorite thing to do is secretly smoke marijuana in the seclusion of the E.T.A. tunnels. He has difficult relationships with both his parents. He has an eidetic memory and has memorized the Oxford English Dictionary, and like his mother often corrects his friends' and family's grammar. Hal's mental degradation and alienation from those around him culminate in his chronologically last appearance in the novel, in which his attempts at speech and facial expressions are incomprehensible to others. The origin of Hal's final condition is unclear; possible causes include marijuana withdrawal, a drug obtained by Michael Pemulis, a patch of mold Hal ate as a child, and a mental breakdown from years of training to be a top junior tennis player. [15]
is the youngest of the Incandenza children and arguably the novel's protagonist, as its events revolve around his time at E.T.A. Hal is prodigiously intelligent and talented, but insecure about his abilities (and eventually his mental state). His friend Michael Pemulis calls him Inc, and his favorite thing to do is secretly smoke marijuana in the seclusion of the E.T.A. tunnels. He has difficult relationships with both his parents. He has an eidetic memory and has memorized the, and like his mother often corrects his friends' and family's grammar. Hal's mental degradation and alienation from those around him culminate in his chronologically last appearance in the novel, in which his attempts at speech and facial expressions are incomprehensible to others. The origin of Hal's final condition is unclear; possible causes include marijuana withdrawal, a drug obtained by Michael Pemulis, a patch of mold Hal ate as a child, and a mental breakdown from years of training to be a top junior tennis player. James Orin Incandenza Jr., Avril's husband and Orin's, Mario's and Hal's father, is an optics expert and filmmaker as well as the founder of Enfield Tennis Academy (though he increasingly leaves E.T.A. business to Charles Tavis). The son of small-time actor James O. Incandenza Sr. (who played "The Man from Glad" in the 1960s), James Jr. created Infinite Jest (also known as "the Entertainment" or "the samizdat"), an enigmatic and fatally seductive film that was his last work. He used Joelle Van Dyne, his son Orin's strikingly beautiful girlfriend, in many of his films, including the fatal "Entertainment". He appears in the book mainly either in flashbacks or as a "wraith", having committed suicide at the age of 54 by placing his head in a microwave oven. He is an alcoholic who drinks Wild Turkey whiskey. His family nickname is "Himself". Orin also calls him "the Mad Stork" or (once) "the Sad Stork".
, Avril's husband and Orin's, Mario's and Hal's father, is an optics expert and filmmaker as well as the founder of Enfield Tennis Academy (though he increasingly leaves E.T.A. business to Charles Tavis). The son of small-time actor James O. Incandenza Sr. (who played "The Man from Glad" in the 1960s), James Jr. created (also known as "the Entertainment" or "the samizdat"), an enigmatic and fatally seductive film that was his last work. He used Joelle Van Dyne, his son Orin's strikingly beautiful girlfriend, in many of his films, including the fatal "Entertainment". He appears in the book mainly either in flashbacks or as a "wraith", having committed suicide at the age of 54 by placing his head in a microwave oven. He is an alcoholic who drinks Wild Turkey whiskey. His family nickname is "Himself". Orin also calls him "the Mad Stork" or (once) "the Sad Stork". Mario Incandenza is the Incandenzas' second son, although his biological father may be Charles Tavis. Severely deformed since birth—he is macrocephalic, homodontic, bradykinetic, and stands or walks at a 45-degree angle—as well as mentally "slow," he is nonetheless perennially cheerful and kind. He is also a budding auteur, having served as James's camera and directorial assistant and later inheriting the prodigious studio equipment and film lab his father built on the Academy grounds. Somewhat surprisingly, he is an avid fan of Madame Psychosis's dark radio show, partly because he finds her voice familiar. Hal, though younger, acts like a supportive older brother to Mario, whom Hal calls "Booboo".
is the Incandenzas' second son, although his biological father may be Charles Tavis. Severely deformed since birth—he is macrocephalic, homodontic, bradykinetic, and stands or walks at a 45-degree angle—as well as mentally "slow," he is nonetheless perennially cheerful and kind. He is also a budding auteur, having served as James's camera and directorial assistant and later inheriting the prodigious studio equipment and film lab his father built on the Academy grounds. Somewhat surprisingly, he is an avid fan of Madame Psychosis's dark radio show, partly because he finds her voice familiar. Hal, though younger, acts like a supportive older brother to Mario, whom Hal calls "Booboo". Orin Incandenza is the Incandenzas' eldest son. He is a punter for the Phoenix Cardinals and a serial womanizer, and is estranged from everyone in his family except Hal. It is suggested that Orin lost his attraction to Joelle after she became deformed when her mother threw acid in her face during a Thanksgiving dinner, but Orin cites Joelle's questionable relationship with his father as the reason for the breakup even though he later admits he knows there was no romance. Orin focuses his subsequent womanizing on young mothers; Hal suggests that this is because he blames his father's death on his mother. Molly Notkin, a friend of Joelle's, says that Orin has numerous "malcathected issues with his mother." Orin's relationship with his father was tense. His father tells Joelle "he simply didn't know how to speak with either of his undamaged sons without their mother's presence and mediation. Orin could not be made to shut up."[16]
The Enfield Tennis Academy [ edit ]
Students [ edit ]
Michael Pemulis, a working-class teenager from an Allston, Massachusetts family, and Hal's best friend. A prankster and the school's resident drug dealer, Pemulis is also very proficient in mathematics. This, combined with his limited but ultraprecise lobbing, made him the school's first master of Eschaton, a computer-aided turn-based nuclear wargame that requires players to be adept at both game theory and lobbing tennis balls at targets. Although the novel takes place long after Pemulis's Eschaton days (the game is played by 12- to 14-year-olds), Pemulis is still regarded as the game's all-time greatest player, and he remains the final court of appeal for the game. His brother, Matty, is a gay hustler who as a child was sexually abused by their father.
, a working-class teenager from an Allston, Massachusetts family, and Hal's best friend. A prankster and the school's resident drug dealer, Pemulis is also very proficient in mathematics. This, combined with his limited but ultraprecise lobbing, made him the school's first master of Eschaton, a computer-aided turn-based nuclear wargame that requires players to be adept at both game theory and lobbing tennis balls at targets. Although the novel takes place long after Pemulis's Eschaton days (the game is played by 12- to 14-year-olds), Pemulis is still regarded as the game's all-time greatest player, and he remains the final court of appeal for the game. His brother, Matty, is a gay hustler who as a child was sexually abused by their father. John "No Relation" Wayne, the top-ranked player at E.T.A. He is frighteningly efficient, controlled, and machine-like on the court. Wayne is almost never directly quoted in the narrative; his statements are either summarized by the narrator or repeated by other characters. His Canadian citizenship has been revoked since he came to E.T.A. His father is a sick asbestos miner in Quebec who hopes John will soon start earning "serious $" in "the Show" (professional tennis) to "take him away from all this". Pemulis discovers Wayne is having a sexual relationship with Avril Incandenza, and it is later revealed that Hal is also aware of the relationship. Wayne may be sympathetic to, or actively supporting, the radical Quebec separatists.
, the top-ranked player at E.T.A. He is frighteningly efficient, controlled, and machine-like on the court. Wayne is almost never directly quoted in the narrative; his statements are either summarized by the narrator or repeated by other characters. His Canadian citizenship has been revoked since he came to E.T.A. His father is a sick asbestos miner in Quebec who hopes John will soon start earning "serious $" in "the Show" (professional tennis) to "take him away from all this". Pemulis discovers Wayne is having a sexual relationship with Avril Incandenza, and it is later revealed that Hal is also aware of the relationship. Wayne may be sympathetic to, or actively supporting, the radical Quebec separatists. Ortho "The Darkness" Stice, another of Hal's close friends. His name consists of the Greek root ortho ("straight") and the anglicized suffix -stice ("a space") from the noun interstice, which originally derived from the Latin verb sistere ("to stand"). He endorses only brands that have black-colored products, and is at all times clothed entirely in black, hence his nickname. Late in the book Stice nearly defeats Hal in a three-set tennis match, shortly after which his forehead is frozen to a window and his bed appears either bolted or mysteriously levitated to the ceiling. There are indications that Stice is being visited by the ghost of James Incandenza.
Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House [ edit ]
Don Gately, a former thief and Demerol addict, and current counselor in residence at Ennet House. One of the novel's primary characters, Gately is physically enormous and a reluctant but dedicated Alcoholics Anonymous member. He is critically wounded in an altercation with several Canadian men, and much of the later part of the novel involves his inner monologue while he recuperates in a Boston hospital. Gately had a complicated childhood. His stepfather abused his mother. During his middle-school and high-school years, Gately's size made him a formidable football talent. During his period as an addict and burglar, he accidentally kills M. DuPlessis, a leader of one of the many separatist Québécois organizations featured in the novel. Gately is visited by the ghost of James O. Incandenza and an astrally projecting Lyle.
, a former thief and Demerol addict, and current counselor in residence at Ennet House. One of the novel's primary characters, Gately is physically enormous and a reluctant but dedicated Alcoholics Anonymous member. He is critically wounded in an altercation with several Canadian men, and much of the later part of the novel involves his inner monologue while he recuperates in a Boston hospital. Gately had a complicated childhood. His stepfather abused his mother. During his middle-school and high-school years, Gately's size made him a formidable football talent. During his period as an addict and burglar, he accidentally kills M. DuPlessis, a leader of one of the many separatist Québécois organizations featured in the novel. Gately is visited by the ghost of James |
, appear on the Documentary Channel, and have played The Rooftop Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Nashville Film Festival, among others. Cody has also done work for Nike and BMW. Cody and I have worked together on numerous projects and have very similar visual sensibilities and a good shorthand down. Cody's favorite review of his films included the description "tough as bear claws". You can see his work here:
konecfilms.com
codystokes.com
Vincent Shade - Producer/AD
Vincent has been an assistant director for many films, commercials and other projects, including several independent features, Civil War 3D for 3NET, the Onion, and has just wrapped production as the AD on "Division 19", a futuristic feature film shot in Detroit starring Neve Campbell.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3147693/
Aaron Coffman - Screenwriter
Aaron is an accomplished writer who has written and directed two features and a host of short films.
Josh Johnson - Visual FX
Josh is an accomplished VFX artist who has worked on feature films such as the Awful Nice which debuted at SXSW this year and music videos from White Rabbits, Flying Lotus, and Friendly Fires. He's also been published in 3D World Magazine, Post Magazine, studiodaily.com and has presented at NAB and Siggraph. He also runs the site vfxdaily.com. I think he has a shirt that says "I'd rather be matchmoving".
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3243355/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Kyle Krupinski - Assistant Camera
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CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VISUAL EFFECTS
Cody and I both have a strong sense of visuals and plan to create an engrossing and cohesive visual film world. We plan on using creative lighting and fixtures to help achieve a subtle futuristic look. Additionally, we will be choosing locations that already have a futuristic look and feel and then adding elements of clever production design and visual effects work in post to round it out.
The visual effects of this film are going to be a core part. As a VFX artist myself, I understand the challenges and how to effectively shoot to get the best result. I'm a firm believer in a mixture of practical and digital. I think when digital subtly augments real physical objects and effects, it is in it's best form.
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3D PRINTING
This is a rapidly developing technology that will undoubtedly be part of the future. We want to creatively employ it both in the storyline and in the making of the film itself. We are partnering with Chicago based "The 3D Printer Experience" to include some 3D printed models for rewards as well as props for the film.
The 3D Printer Experience
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WHAT WILL THE MONEY BE USED FOR?
Making a film is very expensive and the costs add up quickly. The money from you on kickstarter will primarily be used for casting talented actors, visual effects and 3D printing for props- all to make a believable future world. Of course, there will be the regular costs of making a film, such as insurance, renting additional gear/lighting, catering, props and wardrobe. Many people will be putting a lot of time and energy into this project without being paid their normal rates because they believe in the project, so I want to make sure every dime goes into creating an amazing film that everyone is proud of.
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A HUGE THANKS!
Thank you so much for taking a second to view my project and I am truly grateful for any support you can give. I want to make this project with you and quite frankly, cannot do it without your support. This film is the perfect blending of many things that I love- strong cinematic visuals, visual effects, technology and the future, as well as asking big moral questions and above all a human story. I have already poured a lot of time and energy into the pre-production of this film and will pour my life into the rest of it. I want to make a great film above all, and I hope you will join on me on this goal!
If you like this project, please spread it around on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media you use!
AGING AND SCIENCE LINKS
We are reaching a point where the "fountain of youth" may soon no longer be a legend or merely the substance of stories. Science is catching up. When you see headlines like "Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Co-Sponsors $33 Million Prize to Extend Human Life" and "Longevity Gene Points to Fountain of Youth", you know we getting closer toward that reality. Here are some fascinating links to learn more:
TED Talks About Life Extension
NPR "Worm's Bright Blue Death Could Shed Light on Human Aging"
National Institute on Aging
The Telegraph "Longevity Gene Points to Fountain of Youth"
NBC News: "Would Life Extension Make Us Less Human?"
We also just got a post on this nicely curated site of longevity projects: http://lonintelcomms.tumblr.com/ thanks to Stuart R. G. Calimport
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This is a co-production of Two Coats & Vase Entertainment GroupBRISBANE Roar owners the Bakrie Group intend to meet their wage commitments today and start the process of clearing the club’s multi-million-dollar debts, but it may not be enough to save their A-League licence.
Football Federation Australia yesterday said it would start moves to strip the Bakrie Group of the Roar’s A-League licence if the club’s owners did not meet their financial commitments by today.
Tuesday is the monthly payday for Roar players and staff, with FFA to demand money in back accounts by 5pm.
FFA also expects Bakrie to clear a substantial amount of the club’s debt total by today.
“The payment of salaries is due (on Tuesday)), plus the commitment to clearing debts and recapitalising is due,” FFA chief executive David Gallop said.
“Any slippage in these timelines will see the start of the process to revoke the Brisbane Roar A-League licence.”
Brisbane Roar players and staff are still waiting to be paid. Picture: Tim Marsden Source: News Corp Australia
It’s understood that the Bakrie Group official Dali Tahir sent Gallop a letter late last week with the owners’ long-term plan to save the club.
The plan included the Bakrie’s intention to today meet the monthly wage deadline and pay $1 million towards the club’s tax debt.
Chris Fong is no longer the Roar’s chairman and has also been removed from the board.
As of last Friday, the Roar board now includes Rahim Soekasah and Demis Djamaoeddin, the two Bakrie Group representatives who recently visited Australia to meet Roar staff and FFA officials, including Gallop.
It’s also understood that the Roar have avoided the prospect of being wound up tomorrow in the Supreme Court.
Gambaro Pty Ltd were set to take legal action over an unpaid debt of more than $30,000, but the matter is set to be resolved today.
Meanwhile, the Roar have pulled out of a behind-closed-doors match against the Young Socceroos that was scheduled to be played tomorrow on the Sunshine Coast.
Roar coach John Aloisi made the decision to withdraw his team due to a host of players being unavailable because of injury or a lack of match fitness.Christopher Nolan chided Netflix over their lack of theatrical distribution, but the streamers aren't the reason so many movie goers will see an inferior version of "Dunkirk" this weekend.
Watching a 70mm print of “Dunkirk” at Lincoln Center’s glorious Walter Reade theater was enough to make me want to pick up the baton and join Christopher Nolan’s fight to preserve the theatrical experience. Earlier this week, Nolan railed against Netflix in an interview with IndieWire, citing the company’s “mindless policy” with respect to theatrical distribution, and after seeing how the director masterfully envelopes the audience into his WWII drama, it’s hard to disagree with the idea that this great director’s work belongs on the big screen.
Read More: Christopher Nolan: I Won’t Work With Netflix Because Their Film Strategy is ‘Pointless’
While it’s admirable that Warner Brothers backed Nolan’s efforts to make sure his dedicated fans have a first rate way of seeing the film – “Dunkirk” will be projected in 70mm and 70mm IMAX in over 100 screens this weekend – the problem is that a large majority of those buying a ticket at one of the other 3,500 theaters will experience a vastly inferior presentation of the film.
Those of us who work in the industry, and argue passionately for the primacy of the theatrical experience, have been spoiled by the opportunities at our disposal. Members of the media typically attend press screenings in which distributors and publicists make sure we have the best picture and sound. We go to premieres of films at festivals where the anticipation of the packed house brings an energy to the charged theater. In New York, there are flagship theaters with state-of-the-art equipment and a repertory renaissance that offers more 35mm prints in week than we can watch in a year.
Pictures/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
But a few steps outside that bubble reveal the utterly poor quality of national theater chains. The screens are dim. The focus is never sharp; the wrong lens is being used at least 25 percent of the time. The image is masked incorrectly, cutting part of the frame out so the composition is off balance. And there is always at least one blown speaker that starts rattling every time the action scenes start to roar. Try to complain to a theater manager, or call the national chain’s customer service numbers, and they are more indifferent than a cable company – ironically, the other set of corporations Netflix has endangered.
The fault lies with two Netflix competitors: Hollywood studios and national theater chains. Hollywood’s embrace of digital cinema projection (DCP) – studios announced they would stop making prints in 2014 – was never about embracing technological advances in quality, it was about saving money. The amount of time, energy and expense of creating and shipping tens of thousands of 35mm prints around the world was astronomical. And when film projection disappeared, so did the union projectionists trained to insure our viewing experience was maximized.
Read More: ‘Dunkirk’ Review: Christopher Nolan’s Monumental War Epic Is The Best Film He’s Ever Made
Compare that to Netflix and the technology companies that make home theater panels, both of which are constantly pumping the latest technology into customer products that consistently get better every year. Netflix has been experimenting with streaming 4K for years and has even put such heavy technical demands on their original content that filmmakers wished they’d slow down as there’s some shows for which shooting 4K is a burden. Previews of the potential with HDR technology, which is only few years away from reaching affordable display panels, proves that the home entertainment’s renaissance is only going to continue to vastly improve; there’s little doubt that Netflix will be amongst the first content creators to embrace it.
I grew up going to movies with my father, but now I have to drag him to theater, because he’d prefer to stream a film to the $600 TV he bought at Costco. He’s not wrong: Compared to the theater chains in his neighborhood, his living room is the better option.
Netflix’s share of the home entertainment market has been propelled by making a more attractive product that comes with no ads. Meanwhile, show up 20 minutes early to claim a decent seat at Regal Cinemas and you’ll experience their nauseating FirstLook – a poorly-masked advertisement – blaring so loud you can’t maintain a conversation.
That’s not to say there aren’t amazing companies pushing the boundaries in technological advances in theater projection and sound. Whenever IMAX and Dolby showcase their incredible new products I’m blown away, but unfortunately that tech gets put into specialty theaters with increased ticket costs, which consistently gives opening box office numbers a nice bump. And specialty screens are perfect for Hollywood’s franchises films, built around their customers’ fanboy tendencies, with the message of “for few dollars more you’ll get the full experience.”
OK, but for $15, can’t I see the same movie projected properly?
My wife and I only recently started going to the movies again since our son was born, and the major reason is the opening of an Alamo Drafthouse near our Brooklyn apartment. And yes, we are parents on a babysitter schedule who enjoy the fact we can have a good beer and food while we watch a movie, but that’s not really the draw. Drafthouse owner Tim League is obsessive in the way he designs his theaters – huge screens, sight lines that allow you to be encompassed by the movie, perfect picture and sound, all monitored by a staff of film nerds who are more meticulous about the presentation than most people out there.
Read More: 35mm Film Deserves Your Respect: Alamo Drafthouse Founder Tim League Makes the Case
Annie Ray
Alamo Drafthouse might be the gold standard, but is it so ridiculous to assume an enormous technology and consumer-based corporation, like a national theater chain, would put the best equipment into their theaters and make sure they have employees who can optimize its performance?
More importantly, where the hell are the studios, spending $150-200 million on films that promise visual effects spectacle, while our mainstream theaters are showing dark, muddy versions of their work?
With a vast majority of the first weekend’s box office getting kicked back to the studios and the constant elbowing required to get into international theaters, studios’ bottom line is about getting on as many screens as possible. Theaters and studios have a codependent relationship in which no one is insuring films are shown to the best of their ability.
As militant and mono-focused as Nolan sounds making the case for film vs. digital, the core of his message is not anti-technology, but rather how technology has been accepted as an excuse for Hollywood to put out an inferior product. He’s not wrong, but Netflix’s Ted Sarandos didn’t cause that, he’s exploiting it.
Read More: Why Netflix and Amazon Algorithms Are Destroying the Movies
Until there’s a “Moviegoer’s Bill of Rights” or some set of reasonable standards enforced for each of the more than 3600 theaters showing “Dunkirk” this weekend, Netflix’s threat to theatrical experience will grow. Theaters and studios have only a few years to get their act together before HDR panels become a game-changer from which theaters won’t recover.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.Full credit to the guys like thinker random on Threads for spotting this new Blucher boot version of their extremely nice $50 wingtip oxford. Especially user BB who even took a few pictures when he first saw them in store.
Yo shoe snobs. Hit the bricks. We’re talking extremely affordable, downright cheap footwear right now. For good reason too, since there’s just two real drawbacks to this new wingtip boot offering from JCPenney’s Stafford brand:
It runs ridiculously large. About a full size.
It runs large. About a full size. It’s not available online ( update: They went online over the weekend. Hat tip to the guys in the comments for pointing this out.)
That’s it. That’s the list of cons.
Otherwise, it’s all positives. And those list of cons when combined, kind of make a positive. It makes you head into a store to try them on. When you do, you’ll see that your normal size will be slopping around on your feet like a pair of Shaq’s galoshes. I haven’t been a 9.5 since 7th grade. But that’s the pair that fit my usually 10.5D feet the best. When compared to a pair of well worn 10.5 Hawkings McGill (urban outfitters) wingtip boots, the 9.5 Stafford is the same length, and just a bit slimmer through the toe box. Weird. The sizing isn’t just off, it’s way off.
The leather is surprisingly decent. It’s pliable, not too shined up, and seems like it has real potential to break in nicely. Might be a good pair of cheap boots to screw around with when it comes to applying different colors of shoe polish/creme to try and get a unique look.
Toe shape, as well as the entire silhouette of the boot is perfect. Sole is rubber, and they’re comfortable right out of the box. They don’t feel like they cost $300, but they look and feel a lot better than $60. Jeans for sure, and don’t hesitate to wear them on a crappy day in December with a flannel or tweed suit if you’re lucky enough to have one.
The medium to darker brown is more versatile than the Hawkings McGill cognac (leaning orange) color. They’re trimmer, lighter, and just look a little cleaner too. Currently in first place for the best, extremely affordable boot for fall/winter 2012-13.Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
Big Brother is to be scrapped by Channel 4 following disappointing ratings this year, according to a report by The Sun.
Barely 2 million have been tuning in to this series of the programme, compared to 8 million only a few years ago.
A telly insider confirmed last night an official announcement will be made as early as Friday, saying: “The reality is people are BORED with it. Even at Channel 4 the vibe among staff is that if you like Big Brother you’re not cool”.
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They continued: “If the people commissioning the show don’t think it’s cool, what hope is there?”
The show was launched in 2000, a “bold experiment” in which a number of morons are thrown into a neonified complex, or “house”, for the public to scrutinise and ridicule for a predetermined number of weeks.
But year by year the contestants got duller and duller.
There will be one final series next year because of Channel 4’s deal with the show producers Endemol – and Celebrity Big Brother fans are likely to get their fix in January.
UPDATED!: C4 director of television Kevin Lygo has just confirmed that next year will be the last for Big Brother, at the network’s Autumn press launch. He said: “We’ve decided it’s time to move on”, adding: “Big Brother is still profitable for Channel 4 despite its reduced popularity and there could have been the option to renew it on more favourable terms.
“That’s what a purely commercial broadcaster would have done, but Channel 4 has a public remit to champion new forms of creativity.”
Big Brother production company Endemol is now expected to take the show to another broadcaster for 2011. ITV has previously expressed interest in acquiring the rights, although Five and Sky1 are also potential candidates. But where will that leave Davina?
For our rather askew/wish-fulfillment take on the Ultimate Big Brother (in which the best housemates of the last 10 series are forced to fight in a duel to the death), click here!When Kevyn Orr was appointed as Detroit’s interim financial manager back in March, he launched an investigation into just how deep the city’s financial hole really was. He should have waited until September when, after months of digging through records hidden from public view, the Detroit Free Press issued its own 6,000-word report.
Orr found catastrophe after catastrophe: computer systems that were woefully inadequate, accounting standards that were being violated and ignored, pension plans which greatly overestimated their expected returns, half of taxpayers owing real estate taxes who weren't paying them, street lights not working, ambulances not running, unemployment approaching 20 percent — his list went on.
Unfortunately, Orr’s list wasn't complete. When the Detroit Free Press exposed the pension-plan shenanigans, even the New York Times took notice: The trustees of the two pension plans covering city workers had for nearly 25 years been illegally paying out “13th month” checks and other disbursements because they could do it with impunity. Those illegal checks, when added up over the years, along with the interest those funds could have earned had they remained in the plans where they belonged, amount today to more than $2 billion. While amounting to a fraction of the $18 billion shortfall Detroit is facing, such behavior is illustrative of the self-dealing, corruption, and denial of basic principles of fair play that have plagued Detroit for nearly six decades.
Here’s how the game was played: A pension plan is designed around a number of vitally important assumptions — how much is contributed, how much those sums will earn until they are disbursed, and how long the beneficiaries will live. It’s that “interest rate” assumption that lies near the root of Detroit’s pension problems: The trustees chose to ignore reality and kept the assumption too high, thereby reducing the required contributions from the city and its current workers. When the plans’ investments performed better than expected, the plans’ trustees considered that a “windfall” event and, instead of leaving those funds invested against the inevitable day when those investments underperformed, gave the money away. It issued 13th month checks to its present retirees, usually at the end of the year, as well as giving this “free money” to its present workers.
So the corruption was two-fold: failure to understand (or deliberately ignoring) their responsibilities as trustees (they are supposed to be “trusted” after all), and their failure or ignorance about such “windfalls” and “free money.” Interest-rate assumptions are based on the expected overall performance of the plans’ assets: Some years will be ahead, some years will be behind, but on average — it is hoped, assumed — the plans will have sufficient assets to meet their obligations when the plans’ beneficiaries retire.
One of the more egregious and vocal supporters and defenders of such corrupt and illegal behavior is Sandra Studzinksi, who served on Detroit’s General Retirement System (GRS) board from 1996 to 2004. She told the Detroit Free Press:
Things were always bad for employees. [Giving out these illegal checks] was a way to make up for lots of the years when there were no pension increases.
A spokeswoman for the GRS told the New York Times that it was “appropriate” for retirees to “benefit from market upturns” because — get ready — they had paid into the pension funds and so their own contributions had generated part of the investment gains. Besides, she added, “People were having a hard time, living hand-to-mouth, and we thought we would give them some extra.”
Ignorance of how the real world works was evidenced by another pension trustee, John Riehl, who currently serves as the vice chairman of the GRS. He explained that sending out those illegal checks was necessary because:
Many retirees relied on that check to pay their increased utility bills during the winter. Also remember that the money would go directly into the local economy.
Riehl overlooks, of course, the fact that the money first came “directly” out of the local economy. Ignorance isn't a crime, but stealing is. As Charles Moore, one of those working with Orr to determine the size, width, and depth of Detroit’s fiscal hole, noted:
[Board members took] GRS assets attributable to city contributions to fund [these] pensions... and reallocated those assets... thus effectively robbing GPS of precious funds....
Hundreds of millions of dollars of plan assets intended to support the city’s... pension arrangements were converted by GRS trustees to provide a windfall.
There were attempts in the past to rein in such egregious and illegal behavior, but the unions and the beneficiaries enjoying their 13th month checks were just too strong. When Dennis Archer took over as mayor of Detroit following Coleman Young’s disastrous administration in January 1994, one of the first things he learned was how the union-controlled pension plans’ trustees were disbursing these funds, and he tried to stop it. He proposed a new city charter which would have given Detroit’s city council powers to override the pension plans’ trustees. The voters passed, it but the unions and present pensioners took umbrage, sued Archer, and Archer (and the voters) lost in court.
So Archer tried a different tactic, called Proposal T, a ballot initiative to accomplish the same thing. It failed as well, and the 13th month checks continued to flow, illegally, from the plans’ assets.
Because the Detroit Free Press had such difficulty ferreting out the records on which it based its story, it was never able to determine exactly how many dollars were disbursed or for how long. Records prior to 1985 are missing, and one of the plans — the uniformed officers plan — is distinctly opaque about such things.
Added all together, Detroit’s pension plan liabilities are estimated to exceed assets by something close to $3.5 billion, only a fraction of Orr’s overall estimate of Detroit’s fiscal black hole of $18 billion. But with the help of the researchers and writers at the Detroit Free Press, it is now clear for all to see that the real problem isn't the math, it’s the morals. It’s the belief that there are “windfalls” and “free money” available, and that theft is justified by need. It’s the Robin Hood mentality: taking from some and giving to others and calling it charity.
Photo of Detroit skyline from Detroit River
A graduate of Cornell University and a former investment advisor, Bob is a regular contributor to The New American magazine and blogs frequently at www.LightFromTheRight.com, primarily on economics and politics. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..Posted by
A pesar de haber solicitado la comprensión y el apoyo a sus seguidores en Facebook, la fan page del Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) fue eliminada de manera definitiva debido a las insistentes denuncias de personas que no toleraron la exhibición de desnudos artísticos.
El domingo 8 de junio, el MUNAL informó que algunas imágenes publicadas para difundir la exposición El hombre al desnudo. Dimensiones de la masculinidad a partir de 1800 habían sido denunciadas por distintos usuarios. Bajo el riesgo de perder totalmente esa vía de comunicación, escribió:
Pedimos una disculpa a todas las personas que se han incomodado por los desnudos artísticos que hemos compartido con motivo de la exposición “El hombre al desnudo” en esta red social. Sin embargo, les suplicamos que no denuncien las imágenes que subimos porque Facebook puede cerrar definitivamente esta página que ha servido como vía de comunicación directa con todos ustedes. En el Museo Nacional de Arte esperamos contar con su amable comprensión.
A propósito del mensaje algunos seguidores alegaron que el Museo no tenía por qué disculparse al exhibir arte y criticaron las polémicas políticas de la red social por bloquear un medio de difusión cultural y no páginas de contenido explícito u ofensivo.
Sin embargo, la petición fue ignorada por otros usuarios que no cesaron en su intento de censura. Después de no valorar las posturas a favor del arte, continuaron denunciando las imágenes de la exposición y creando polémica por el comercial para televisión publicados por el MUNAL hasta hoy, día en que Facebook optó por no distinguir contenido pornográfico de arte y eliminó definitivamente la página.
No es la primera vez que la red social elimina el contenido de un museo, pero sí la primera de uno en México, país donde se carece de difusión artística y donde se censura la que existe.
Sin embargo, con el interés de seguir promoviendo sus contenidos, el MUNAL ya abrió una nueva página de Facebook y ya realizó su primera publicación.
Bajo la curaduría de Agustín Arteaga y en colaboración con el Musée d’Orsay en París, la exposición El hombre al desnudo. Dimensiones de la masculinidad a partir de 1800 permanecerá abierta hasta el 17 de junio en Tacuba 8, Centro Histórico.
Estas fueron algunas de las imágenes censuradas por Facebook:
Henri Camille Danger – Calamidad
Pierre y Gilles – Hércules contra la hidra de Lerna
Robert Mapplethorpe – Dennis
Pierre y Gilles – Mercurio
Andy Warhol – Hombre desnudo acostado
Duane Michals – La parte más bellaWith Sony only just getting its PlayStation Network up and running again, the entertainment giant has suffered another devastating security breach. Hacker group LulzSec announced via Twitter than it had found a vulnerability in SonyPictures.com leaving 3.5 million Sony Music coupons, as well as data on more than one million of its website users and customers unprotected. The group stole the data that it could and left the rest, clearly marked, for others to plunder.
They posted a statement via pastebin saying:
We recently broke into SonyPictures.com and compromised over 1,000,000 users' personal information, including passwords, email addresses, home addresses, dates of birth, and all Sony opt-in data associated with their accounts. Among other things, we also compromised all admin details of Sony Pictures (including passwords) along with 75,000 "music codes" and 3.5 million "music coupons".
LulzSec posted a torrent of their stolen data on PirateBay; among its contents:
Data including emails, some passwords and other personal information on 51,500 users of SonyPictures.com. Some appear to have come from a database related to a 2009 sweepstakes in association with Seinfeld and AutoTrader. (The hackers say further data, on more than 1 million users can be accessed via the hole they found in SonyPictures.com.)
Just under 20,000 "Sony Music coupons," with a total 3.5 million coupons accessible through the vulnerability.
Around 67,000 "Sony music codes," though it is unclear what these are and the hackers admit as much: "They're like magnets; we simply have no idea how they work."
A layout of the database for SonyPictures.com, handy for other hackers who want to "see where to steal things from."
The group says that due to a "lack of resource" and funding they were unable to fully copy (or download) all this information, but claim they have samples to prove the data's authenticity. It would have taken several more weeks, they say, to have "taken every last bit of information."
They add that SonyPictures.com was breached using a simple SQL injection technique. "From a single injection, we accessed EVERYTHING," the group says, adding that every piece of data, including one million customer passwords, were unencrypted an in plain text. "This is disgraceful... They were asking for it."
The group points to a single page on SonyPictures.com related to The Ghost Busters movie as being the source of the SQL vulnerability, and encourage other hackers to "tear the shit out of it."
Sony's IT admins will no doubt be scrambling now to patch the hole. The hackers at least gave them some warning, Tweeting earlier today that there was four hours to go before their data dump.
The data dump follows the group's theft of user data from Fox.com and PBS last weekend, when one of the hackers also planted a fake press article on the broadcaster's NewsHour website about Tupac Shakur. The group's Twitter followers have shot up from the low hundreds to more than 11,000 in less than a month.
While LulzSec has kept a very active Twitter feed, Sony itself has gone quiet after being subjected to a string of cyber attacks in the last two months. It started with the mass spamming attack by supporters of the cyber movement Anonymous in revenge for Sony's lawsuit against PS3 jailbreaker Geohotz. That led to a data breach that compromised more than 100 million user details and a series of other more minor attacks in April.Nunes has placed himself firmly in the middle of negotiations between the U.S. and Portuguese governments over the future of Lajes Air Base on the island of Terceira in the Azores. Since 2009, the Obama administration has had plans to reduce U.S. personnel at the air base, but has encountered strong opposition from the Portuguese government for a host of reasons, including future costs to the host government. Nunes, believing he is acting in U.S. interests, has blocked the Pentagon from implementing the plan. There are 650 military personnel and family members at the base. The Pentagon plan would reduce that number to some 150. Nunes' plans for the Azores would actually increase U.S. personnel. He is also proposing relocating Africa Command and European Command intelligence centers to the Azores, also contrary to plans by Pentagon and NATO to create a larger intelligence "fusion" facility in Britain. Nunes' plan would locate 1,000 intelligence personnel to the Azores. He maintains that this would save the U.S. money because cost of living and construction costs are less in the Azores than the U.K.[55] The Pentagon has a very different view; writing, for example, on one of their websites, officials report, "Moving to Lajes Field is very expensive and living is expensive as well." Officials have also criticized the weather in the Azores, which only adds to the controversy of moving intelligence personnel to the U.K., a country not known for ideal weather conditions.[56]
Nunes' family emigrated from the Azores to California. [57]
en.wikipedia.org/...NBN: Do you really need higher speeds or can you do without?
Updated
You've seen Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull blame Labor for the NBN "train wreck". And you've seen former prime minister Kevin Rudd hit back.
But all you want to know is whether you should get it.
Rather than explaining what the NBN is, we thought we'd go through the things you'd probably use it for and give you a sense of whether the improvements would make it worth it to you.
Note: for this article, we're treating a typical ADSL2+ download speed as 5-15Mbps (megabits per second), and a typical NBN speed as 25-50Mbps.
That's only a rough guide, though, and the speeds you'll actually get could vary greatly, so make sure you read the fine print of whatever service you're considering. Also, consider how many people and devices will be sharing your internet service — the bigger the number, the slower the service.
And finally, this article is aimed at ordinary consumers — if you're a business owner, or power user, or rely on high speeds to work from home, you already know whether you need the NBN.
Sending emails and doing your internet banking
You don't need the NBN for this. Even dial-up would probably do the job.
Using Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat
Even though social media apps are using more and more data, especially as they shift to video, they're generally still designed to work with slower speeds and limited data allowances, so you shouldn't have any trouble with ADSL2+.
Watching Netflix and YouTube
Ultimately, it depends on how bothered you are about quality.
Services like Netflix scale the quality to your internet speed. So, you might be able to watch House of Cards without any buffering interruptions using your current ADSL2+ service, but that doesn't mean it couldn't look better.
That's especially true if you have an Ultra HD TV capable of streaming 4K video. However, you should be aware that you can only stream 4K video on Netflix if you have the premium subscription which costs $17.99 a month. If you've only got the basic $9.99 subscription, SD quality is the best you can get anyway.
Netflix and YouTube also allow you to download video to your phone or tablet to watch when you're offline — for instance, on your commute to work or on an overseas holiday.
Obviously, we're talking about big files — an hour-long episode of Narcos in SD is about 230 megabytes, while the HD version is about 340 megabytes. So the NBN will make the wait shorter.
Uploading photos and video to the cloud
If you constantly have your phone or camera pointed at your child or cat, and you hate having to wait for photos and videos to upload so they're stored online on Dropbox or Google Drive, this might influence your decision about whether to get the NBN.
With ADSL2+, you'd be lucky to have an upload speed of 1Mbps — and even then, that's a wait of 2.5 hours to upload a 1GB video. Whereas many NBN plans offer upload speeds of between 5Mbps and 20Mbps.
But, if you're happy for your photos and videos to upload overnight while you're sleeping, perhaps this isn't a deal breaker.
Talking to your overseas rellies (or even a doctor) on Skype
This too relies on upload speeds. For a basic voice call with one person, you'd get away with an upload speed of just 100kbps — you shouldn't have trouble doing this with ADSL2+.
But video calling is where things get a bit more intensive. If you want a decent quality, you'll need an upload speed of 500kbps, and if you want HD, you'll need at least 1.5Mbps.
Working from home
It depends on your job, but if it's just common tasks like responding to emails and working on shared Google Drive or Microsoft Office spreadsheets and documents, those aren't particularly data-intensive.
But if you're going to be on group video calls, you may want better speeds.
With Skype, your required upload speed doesn't change as more and more people are added to the video call. But the required download speed does (for three people, you'll need 2Mbps; for seven people or more, you'll need 8Mbps).
Playing and downloading video games
If you're a gamer, the main difference the NBN makes is for multiplayer.
At worst, slow speeds and poor connections can mean you're kicked out of an online game of Destiny 2 or FIFA 18 and have your kill-death/win-loss ratio suffer as a result.
Even if a game is playable on ADSL2+, you might still get a smoother experience with better speeds. But a bigger impact on multiplayer performance is the quality of the connection — if you experience high latency, you'll have poor performance. Fibre connections will generally be better than cable connections.
File sizes are another consideration. If you want to download Assassin's Creed Origins on PS4 when it comes out later this week, you could have a long wait on your hands considering it's 44.59GB.
And even if you buy the game on disc, there's a |
them needs to make sure "their interests are priorities on the policy agenda."
But Harris's paper isn't just about how to win the votes of women of color; it's also about why politicians should try. She spends most of the paper laying out just how decisive these voters will be in future elections. "Women are the country’s largest voting bloc, and women of color are the fastest-growing segment of that group," she writes, going on to note that "women of color represent 74 percent of the growth in eligible women voters since 2000."
Moreover, women of color aren't just eligible to vote — they really do vote, at least if you give them something to vote for. This chart from her paper makes the point well — in every subgroup you can think of, women vote at higher rates than men, and African-American women vote at higher rates than anyone:
Harris's paper doesn't delve deep into what kinds of policies are likely to win over women of color, but her basic political theory is an interesting signal of how Hillary Clinton's campaign might try to fashion its own version of Obama's coalition.
There has been wide skepticism that Clinton can sustain the high turnout among minority voters that Obama managed. Harris's point is that most of those voters are women, and that if Clinton wants them to turn out, she needs to give them reason to turn out. In hiring Harris to help lead policy on her campaign, it's a reasonable bet that Clinton is signaling she agrees, and intends to try to give them reasons to come to the polls.
And here, Clinton might run a very different kind of campaign than Obama. As much as part of Obama's 2008 appeal was that he would be the first black president, he was at pains to avoid proposing policy specifically aimed at the black community.
Only 12 percent of the electorate, after all, is African-American. Obama needed to convince a majority of voters that he would govern on their behalf, and so even when he gave his famed race speech in Philadelphia, he was quick to separate his historical analysis of racism from his policy intentions:
I have asserted a firm conviction — a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people — that, working together, we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice if we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union. For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances — for better health care and better schools and better jobs — to the larger aspirations of all Americans: the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man who has been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family.
But Clinton's position is different. The math is on her side. A majority of the electorate is female. A majority of voters of color are female. If Clinton somehow polarizes the electorate perfectly around gender — if every woman votes for her, and every man votes for her opponent — she'll win, and easily.
That means Clinton can work to make policy appealing directly to women in a way Obama couldn't make policy appealing directly to African-Americans. And when it comes to turning out women of color, in particular, one of her key policy advisers will be someone who's spent the last few years thinking about how to use policy to bring women of color to the polls.A brand new production uses an anxiety-inducing score and set to bring audience members face to face with some of America’s classic conspiracies
If you’ve ever toyed with the idea that the CIA might have killed JFK, that Nasa might have faked the moon landings, or that shape-shifting reptilian Illuminati might rule the world – or if you’ve simply ever wondered how anyone else could entertain such ideas – Real Enemies, the multimedia production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s New Wave festival, may stoke your conspiratorial embers.
Writer-director Isaac Butler, composer Darcy James Argue and theatrical designer Peter Nigrini have crafted a show that uses music, video and set design to explore the world of conspiracy theories. (The title is drawn from Kathryn Olmsted’s comprehensive history of paranoia in American politics, ranging from the first world war up to 9/11.)
The program, which is divided into 12 chapters, involves very little spoken text. Instead setting, mood and thematic content are conveyed almost entirely through music and visual imagery. When treating the theory that the CIA helped introduce crack cocaine to South Central Los Angeles in the 1980s in order to fund Nicaraguan contras – a notion popularized by the late journalist Gary Webb – Argue establishes a sense of time and place by nodding to LA electrofunk-influenced hip-hop, while footage of Nancy Reagan giving her 1986 “Just Say No” speech lends a dash of video-driven irony to the proceedings.
Real Enemies is not only about particular conspiracy theories, however. It is also about conspiracy thinking as process; about how – and why – people of all races, classes and creeds invent these (sometimes plausible, often outlandish) narratives.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Isaac Butler puts on the finishing touches at rehearsals. Photograph: BAM
As such, Darcy says, the show grapples with our fundamental urge to make sense of the world through storytelling, and with the very nature of belief itself; with our genius for finding meaning and order in the universe, and with the comfort that such meaning and order provide.
“It’s really telling that for so many people, it’s more terrifying to contemplate a world full of randomness and chaos than of governmental incompetence and long-standing ineptitude,” he says.
Real Enemies doesn’t just want audiences to understand conspiracy thinking, however. It wants them to engage in it. And it does so by exploiting the same narrative instinct that allows us to connect the dots between seemingly disparate events. This might mean using music that alludes to the unnerving scores of conspiracy thrillers such as The Parallax View, while simultaneously splashing different images on to each of the 15 projection screens arrayed on stage.
“Sometimes,” admits Nigrini, “we intentionally present more information than the audience can digest.” That information overload mixes with elements of conspiracy thinking which pervade every aspect of the production.
Nigrini drew visual inspiration from movies like The Parallax View and The Manchurian Candidate, which used filmmaking techniques to engender a sense of paranoia among viewers. (“If the picture works,” Parallax director Alan J Pakula allegedly told his star, Warren Beatty, “the audience will trust the person next to them a little less.”) He also looked to the work of Stanley Kubrick, a man who was the subject of more than a few conspiracy theories himself.
We intentionally present more information than the audience can digest Peter Nigrini
Argue’s score, meanwhile, which is performed live onstage by his aptly named big band Secret Society, makes extensive use of 12-tone techniques – a set of musical procedures that played an outsized role in American art music during the conspiracy-rich postwar era. (The approach gets its name from the use of a so-called tone row that includes all 12 pitches in the chromatic scale.) Argue suggests that 12-tone music itself came to be the subject of a minor conspiracy theory among composers who felt that the modern classical music scene was dominated by a cabal of 12-tone loyalists.
While orthodox 12-tone music is atonal and notoriously thorny, the archetype of inaccessible avant-garde composition, Argue followed the lead of film composers like Michael Small (Parallax, Klute) and David Shire (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), who bent or ignored 12-tone conventions to craft slick and effective scores. Still, references to the approach are as rife in Real Enemies as secret handshakes at a Masonic convention, from the use of 12 discrete chapters to the presence onstage of a giant doomsday clock that counts down to midnight – an image redolent of doomsday cults, which also get an airing.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Laurence Harvey in The Manchurian Candidate. Photograph: Allstar/United Artists/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar
Butler even designed the show’s narrative arc to evoke the logic of conspiracy theorists, who typically trot out their most plausible assertions (eg, the CIA is hiding something) before introducing their more ludicrous ones (eg, it’s hiding the fact that it tried to kill the president). “Loose Change doesn’t start out by saying that 9/11 was an inside job,” Butler says, referring to a series of documentary films that alleges the US government engineered the terror attacks of 2001.
Similarly, Real Enemies begins with the most credible conspiracy theories –including ones that actually turned out to be true, like the FBI’s plot to infiltrate 60s-era activist groups (Cointelpro) and the CIA’s attempt to develop mind-control techniques by dosing unsuspecting citizens with LSD (MKUltra). Only gradually does it ramp up to the loopier ones, such as David Icke’s contention, popular with the tinfoil-hat brigade, that the world is run by shape-shifting reptiles from another dimension.
That kind of slow reveal is, apparently, how conspiracy theorists get you. And it may be how Real Enemies gets you, as well – unless, of course, you’re too clever to fall for such a ruse. Which you are. Aren’t you?
Real Enemies is at BAM’s Harvey Theater, Brooklyn from 18-22 November as part of the Next Wave festivalBy Andrew Burnes
A month ago we unveiled Max-Q, an innovative new laptop design process that enables the creation of thinner, lighter, faster laptops fitted with GeForce GTX 1060, 1070 and 1080 GPUs. Compared to similarly-sized laptops, Max-Q laptops are up to 70% faster in the latest games, delivering unprecedented performance in a mobile form factor.
For a complete overview of the Max-Q design process please check out our Max-Q announcement article
Today, several Max-Q laptops from ASUS, Clevo, MSI and Sager are available for purchase or pre-order, enabling you to get your hands on the world’s most powerful laptops in the very near future.
ASUS “Zephyrus” GX501
The ASUS “Zephyrus” GX501 is perhaps the most innovative laptop in years, featuring a mechanical chassis that expands when the screen is opened, increasing airflow space by 20%, and total airflow by 30%. This keeps the GeForce GTX 1080 GPU and i7-7700HQ CPU cool over prolonged periods, and enables higher GPU Boost and Turbo Boost clock speeds, further increasing performance.
Should you decide to play at the system’s native 1920x1080, instead of using NVIDIA DSR for higher image quality, you’ll have no trouble reaching 120 FPS on the 120Hz G-SYNC 15.6” anti-glare wide-view Full HD panel, giving a super smooth picture that is clearer and more responsive in the likes of LawBreakers and Overwatch.
The Max-Q design process enables a much faster GPU to be equipped in an equally-thin laptop, improving performance by up to 70%
The GX501’s unprecedented performance is even more remarkable when you discover that the entire system is less than 18mm-thick, weighs only 4.94 lbs, and runs at a comparatively quiet 39 dBA. For a closer look check out our unboxing of ASUS’s new laptop, which is out now.
If the ASUS “Zephyrus” GX501 is the laptop for you, it can be purchased here.
MSI GS63VR & GS73VR
Two new MSI laptops with Max-Q design are now available: the 15.6” GS63VR and the 17” GS73VR. Both are part of MSI’s well-regarded “Stealth Pro” range and so include all the sound, keyboard and networking trimmings of previous models, and both are VR Ready, meaning they have the required number of USB ports and AV outputs for VR Headsets.
Under the hood, both models feature a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with Max-Q design cooled by two fans connected to 5 heatpipes, enabling cool, quiet operation when gaming at high graphics settings and high framerates on their 120Hz 1920x1080 screens.
If weight is a key statistic that influencers your purchasing decision, then do note that the GS63VR is the lightest Max-Q laptop currently available, weighing just 3.9 lbs. It’s also the thinnest Max-Q laptop at 17.5mm, 0.4mm thinner than the ASUS GX501, and 2mm thinner than its 17” big brother, the GS73VR.
If you wish to purchase either of MSI’s Max-Q design process laptops, you can do so here and here.
Sager NP8952
At the unveiling of Max-Q we featured the Clevo P950 Max-Q laptop, and stated that several system builders would be offering the unit for sale under their own brand. The Sager NP8952, shown below, is the first of these rebranded laptops to be available for pre-order.
Featuring a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with Max-Q design and an Intel i7-7700HQ, the Sager NP8952 is 18.5mm-thin and weighs 4.18 lbs. It’s VR Ready, has an illuminated keyboard, and comes with a full serving of I/O and other gubbins:
1x HDMI output Port (with HDCP)
2x Mini Display port 1.3
3x USB 3.0 Ports
2x USB 3.1 Ports (Type C)
1x 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / S/PDIF Optical output)
1x Microphone Jack
1x RJ-45 LAN (10/100/1000Mbps)
6-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD/Mini-SD/SDHC/SDXC)
Built-in 2.0M FHD Video Camera
2x M.2 Card Slots
1st for WLAN Combo M.2 2230 Card with PCIe and USB interface
2nd for SSD M.2 2280 Card with SATA / PCIe Gen3x4 interface
High Definition audio interface
S/PDIF digital output
Built-in Array Microphone
Built-in two speakers
SoundBlasterX® Pro-Gaming 360°
ANSP™ 3D sound technology on headphone output
Full color illuminated full size keyboard with numeric pad W/A/S/D gaming keys
One changeable 2.5” 7mm(H) SATA HDD
One M.2 2280 SSD, SATA or PCIe Gen3x4 interface (Factory Option)
Up to 32GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM
If the Sager NP8952 is your Max-Q laptop of choice, you can pre-order it here.
Max-Q Laptops, Available Now
With the launch of laptops utilizing the Max-Q design philosophy, gamers preferring mobile form factors can now experience the performance of the GeForce GTX 1060, 1070 and 1080 in thin, light chassis that fit easily within a backpack or messenger bag. No game or experience will be off limits with these new laptops, and with the right game settings applied via GeForce Experience, mobile 4K gaming is now possible.
For additional Max-Q laptops from other manufacturers, stay tuned to our Max-Q Buy Now page – new models will be added as they become available. For more on the Max-Q philosophy itself, check out our in-depth tech article.After being unable to agree with Minnesota on a post-coaching role, former Gophers coach Jerry Kill has gotten a job with Kansas State.
KSU announced Tuesday that Kill would be the school's Associate Athletics Director for Administration. The KSU release said Kill will "serve as chief administrator for the K-State football program."
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The former Minnesota coach is a Kansas native.
“Rebecca and I couldn’t be happier to return home to the state of Kansas and join the K-State Athletics family and Manhattan community,” Kill said in a statement. “I want to make it known that my coaching days are over, and I am excited to start this next phase as an administrator for one of the finest athletics departments in the country. Mentoring has always been very important to me, and I am thrilled to work in support of Hall of Fame Coach Bill Snyder and the football program and learn more about the administrative side of college athletics under John and the rest of the first-class staff at K-State.”
Kill retired from coaching during the 2015 season because of health reasons and said his epileptic seizures had returned, making fulfilling his coaching duties difficult. He said at his retirement press conference in October that the decision to quit coaching was the toughest thing he's ever done. He was succeeded as Minnesota's coach by defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys.
[Check out Dr. Saturday on Tumblr for entertaining things you won’t see on the blog]
Claeys was given the permanent job in November.
"I know somebody will ask ‘Coach, what are you going to do?’" Kill said when announcing his retirement. "I don’t know. I haven’t done anything else. That’s the scary part."
Story continues
The "I don't know" turned into a possible job at Minnesota but it ultimately didn't pan out. Kill said he wanted to be involved in athletics at the school while the president wanted him to potentially speak, teach a class and help raise money for the school.
Before coaching at Minnesota, Kill was the coach at Northern Illinois. He also served as a head coach for Division II Emporia State and an assistant coach at DII Pittsburg State during his career. Both of those schools are located in Kansas.
[Visit Dr. Saturday on Facebook for stories you might have missed and chat with the writers]
For more Kansas State news, visit GoPowercat.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!Cardiff City Owner Vincent Tan has put an unknown rookie in charge of the club’s transfer dealings (Picture: Getty)
Cardiff City have suspended their Head of Recruitment Iain Moody and replaced him with a 23-year-old Kazakhstani believed to be a friend of owner Vincent Tan’s son.
Alisher Apsalyamov is believed to have taken over the role despite having no previous experience in football, in a controversial move that seriously undermines manager Malky Mackay.
The Bluebirds boss credits Moody with the acquisition of several of the club’s best signings during Mackay’s successful two-year spell in charge – including the likes of Steven Caulker, Chilean Gary Medel, £8million Dane Andreas Cornelius and Fraizer Campbell.
CLUB METRO: Malky Mackay should walk as Cardiff City’s ‘Glorious Leader’ goes too far sacking Iain Moody
Cardiff manager Malkay Mackay (Picture: Getty Images)
Mackay regards Moody as his most trusted lieutenant, having previously worked with him at Watford, but according to Wales Online Tan wanted his own man overseeing the club’s transfer business and has given Apsalyamov the chance on a temporary basis.
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The youngster has been at the club since February as an executive assistant to CEO Simon Lim.
However, according to his own biography on a social networking site, Apsalyamov – thought to be a friend of owner Vincent Tan’s son U-Jiun – has no previous experience working in football.
MORE: Craig Bellamy calls time on his international careerA privacy rights group is challenging the U.K. export authority for “unlawful” conduct during an investigation into exports of a surveillance tool known as FinFisher. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
It has been linked to attacks on activists and dissidents and traced to servers operating across the world. But the next stop for a government spy technology that can infiltrate computers and eavesdrop on Skype chats could be a courtroom in England.
On Tuesday, human rights group Privacy International announced that it is challenging the British government for “unlawful” conduct during an investigation into exports of a surveillance tool known as FinFisher, sold by England-based Gamma Group. FinFisher, sometimes also called FinSpy, is a spy Trojan designed to covertly infiltrate targeted computers, monitor communications, and gather data from a hard drive. It can secretly record audio from a microphone, monitor emails and Skype conversations, and even take over a user’s webcam to conduct “live surveillance,” according to marketing materials.
The technology is supposed to be sold only to governments and law enforcement agencies for targeting serious criminals such as suspected terrorists. But a growing trove of evidence uncovered by researchers has linked it to attacks on political opponents or activists in a host of countries with poor human rights records, including Ethiopia and Bahrain. Late last year, Privacy International submitted a 186-page dossier to British authorities alleging a criminal breach of export control regulations. The group called for an investigation into potentially unlawful sales of the Gamma technology, acting on behalf of victims including a British-born Bahraini pro-democracy activist whose computer was allegedly targeted by Bahraini authorities using the FinFisher tool.
Now, Privacy International is taking fresh legal action. It has accused Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs—the British export authority responsible for authorizing Gamma’s sales outside Europe—of illegally declining to provide information regarding the status of any investigation into Gamma and has lodged a judicial review application at the High Court in London seeking to compel disclosure of details. “HMRC’s refusal to provide information to the pro-democracy activists who have been targeted is shameful,” said Eric King, head of research at Privacy International, in a statement. “In order for the public to have full confidence and faith that these issues will be addressed, we’re asking the court to force HM Revenue & Customs to come clean.”
HMRC told Privacy International in March that its criminal investigation team was considering the accusations leveled against Gamma, though claimed it was prevented by law from releasing information about the investigation and could not comment on individual cases. Privacy International says that the law does not bar the disclosure of details and alleges that the government “misconstrued the law to justify its evasive practices” or “issued a blanket refusal without considering the facts of the case at hand.”
The legal move from the human rights group is significant because, if successful, it may have wider ramifications. It could set a precedent for other cases in the U.K., forcing export authorities to be more transparent with their investigations in the future. The pressure from Privacy International also represents continuing escalation of efforts to force governments to respond to concerns around exports of Western surveillance technology to authoritarian countries. European parliamentarian Marietje Schaake has been persistently pushing for more stringent regulations around exports of spy software for more than two years. Meanwhile, in the United States, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is leading a crusade to block sales of surveillance and censorship gear to despots.
HMRC said it would respond to Privacy International’s legal challenge in due course, adding in an emailed statement that it would consider “all credible information we receive regarding potential breaches of UK strategic export controls and take action where we find evidence of abuse.” Gamma had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.Get the biggest celebs 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
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Kanye West got booed for the SECOND consecutive night at Wireless festival on Saturday.
The rapper hit the stage for 15 minutes before he unleashed one of his infamous rants.
"The only reason I'm on this stage right now is because y'all my clique," he said after stopping the music.
"You know I go to the studio till 3am so you can listen to the music in your car."
But festival goers were all about the music they were listening to at London's Finsbury Park.
Dressed in his signature mask he quickly prompted boos, while some of the crowd began to yell "we want Drake!"
And just to anger his audience a bit more, Kim Kardashian's husband asked for the big side screens to be turned off again, too.
Which meant unless you were one of the un lucky ones in the mosh pit, you weren't seeing a lot.
"I'm very shy in real life," he later told the crowd which again prompted another round of boos.
"Because I'm too shy to put out some bull****."
And you know that big ego he likes to carry round? Well it seems he's oblivious to it, even after being slammed for the same thing last night (see the crowd booing him then below).
"Sometimes it's hard because I'm too shy to carry off a lot," Kanye said. "I'm arrogant and shy and a little bit lazy."
Well, he admitted he's arrogant then.
"I'm too lazy to lie to you," he went on, "I'm too arrogant to lie to you."
That prompted more boos. Lots of them. Then he started talking about depositions and making money off his image.
And people started yelling "we want Drake" again.
It came after a 20 minute rant the night before which received loud boos from his audience - won't he learn?
But his rants (it didn't have anything on Friday's '20 minute rant', we don't think) and diva demands didn't stop the Wireless crowd from singing/attempting to rap along to all of his hit tracks.
It still got a huge cheer from the crowd at the end.The open border advocates believe in the paramount importance of protecting those they consider to be innocent “undocumented” immigrants from the threat of deportation. Indeed, they often declare that there is no such thing as an “illegal” immigrant. For example, a writer for GQ Magazine claimed that “technically speaking there is no such thing as an ‘illegal’ or even an ‘illegal immigrant’ – this is language designed to separate and distance us from a particular sort of criminal behaviour, which we do not use in other contexts.” The author said that such language is dehumanizing.
What is truly dehumanizing are the murders and rapes of innocent Americans committed by illegal aliens with criminal records, who had previously been deported and returned again to the United States illegally. Local authorities in so-called sanctuary cities have set many such illegal aliens in their jails free to prey upon the innocent, rather than first alert federal immigration authorities of their whereabouts so that they can be removed from the country. One of many tragic examples involved an illegal alien in Portland, Oregon with a history of illegal entry into the United States. He had been deported previously 20 times, only to keep returning. He also had a history of arrests. Nevertheless, local officials released this illegal alien from jail last year without first informing immigration agents as they had requested. Free to prey upon residents in the community, the illegal alien allegedly sexually assaulted a 65 year old woman.
Murder-ridden Chicago is another example of the classic “sanctuary city,” which sacrifices the rule of law and the safety of its own citizens to coddle illegal aliens, even those who have broken criminal laws.
“You are safe in Chicago. You are secure in Chicago and you are supported in Chicago," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel assured illegal immigrants last November, shortly after Donald Trump’s election as president. Since then, Emanuel has led the fight on behalf of sanctuary cities against the Trump administration. He refuses to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement authorities in rooting out illegal immigrants who have committed additional crimes so that they can be deported. According to the Daily Caller, Emanuel “turned a $20 million property tax rebate program into a legal defense slush fund for undocumented aliens.”
Mayor Emanuel has now brought a lawsuit against the Justice Department seeking to block U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions from going ahead with new rules that would cut off federal law enforcement funds to Chicago and other sanctuary cities that protect illegal aliens in their custody from subsequent apprehension by immigration agents. Chicago has not even applied yet for a new federal grant, much less been rejected. Nevertheless, Mayor Emanuel decided to jump the gun and use taxpayers’ money to preemptively sue the Trump administration. “It is a false choice, and a wrong choice,” Chicago’s mayor said, to expect Chicago “to choose between our core values as a welcoming city and our fundamental principles of community policing.”
Emanuel’s lawsuit alleged that the Justice Department’s new rules would “federalize local jails and police stations, mandate warrantless detentions in order to investigate for federal civil infractions, sow fear in local immigrant communities, and ultimately make the people of Chicago less safe.”
Mayor Emanuel has been willing to look the other way when it comes to illegal aliens living in his “welcoming” city, on the theory that immigrant-friendly policing would encourage the illegal alien residents to be more forthcoming in reporting crimes in their communities they become aware of to the police. As evidenced by the fact that more than 400 people have been killed in Chicago this year, following a year with the highest homicide rate since the late 1990’s, Emanuel’s approach to law enforcement is clearly not working. It is Emanuel’s policies that are making the people of Chicago less safe, not the enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.
Attorney General Sessions wasted no time in his statement excoriating Mayor Emanuel and other city leaders for demonstrating “an open hostility to enforcing laws designed to protect law enforcement – federal, state and local – and reduce crime.” These leaders, the attorney general said, “have adopted an official policy of protecting criminal aliens who prey on their own residents.” He charged, with plenty of evidence to back him up, that Chicago is beset by a “culture of lawlessness.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rahm Emanuel has not always been so friendly to illegal immigrants himself. It cited a 1995 memo to former President Bill Clinton, in which Emanuel called for “record deportations of criminal aliens.” Attorney General Sessions could not have said it better.
The Trump administration is not seeking to deputize local officials and police into serving as arms of federal immigration law enforcement, as sanctuary city advocates have claimed. However, the administration does expect them to share relevant information with federal immigration agents. Thus, the Trump administration found that two counties, accused in the past of having “sanctuary” policies, were sufficiently cooperative with federal authorities to be eligible for continued federal grant money. Clark County in Nevada and Miami-Dade County in Florida received clearance letters this month from the Justice Department. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez had signed a memorandum reversing the county’s status as an immigrant sanctuary shortly after President Trump took office. “Miami-Dade County complies with federal law and intends to fully cooperate with the federal government,” the memo stated.
Chicago is pursuing a different course – one of defiance. It should not be rewarded for its obstructionism.
The message from the Trump administration is loud and clear. “This administration will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety,” Attorney General Sessions said in his statement. “So it’s this simple: Comply with the law or forego taxpayer dollars.”Ozetta Hardy and Shirley Wallace want to get back the money they lost playing electronic machines at a bingo hall in Lowndes County.
The women filed a lawsuit last month against Whitehall Gaming Center LLC contending they and others who lost money at the center should be repaid.
The bingo hall voluntarily closed earlier this year amid the battles over whether electronic bingo is legal in Alabama.
Getting lost wagers back might seem futile. But it's actually addressed in state law, albeit in a 158-year-old state law.
A lawyer for Whitehall points out that bingo halls in Alabama had been operating under laws passed in much more modern times.
But the Lowndes County lawsuit is among at least three filed this year that cite the old, rarely used law and argue that bettors should be repaid. At least three other suits citing that law, among other claims, have been filed in the past three years. Two of the suits were withdrawn by the plaintiffs. One lawyer says he's about to file another suit based partly on the old law.
The law -- 8-1-150 -- says contracts founded upon gambling are void. "Any person who has paid any money or delivered any thing of value lost upon any game or wager may recover such money, thing, or its value by an action commenced within six months from the time of such payment or delivery," according to the law.
Few people were even aware the law was on the books, said Blaine Stevens, one of the lawyers who filed the Lowndes County lawsuit. "It's rather an obscure statute."
Stevens said the gist of their lawsuit is that the Whitehall Gaming Center never was a legal operation.
But Robert D. Segall, an attorney for Cornerstone Community Outreach Inc., which ran the center, said the operation was authorized by later laws, and his clients will defend against the lawsuit.
"We believe the constitutional amendment allowing bingo to be played in Lowndes County overrides the statute (8-1-150)," he said.
The pre-Civil War law was enacted long before the constitutional amendment was approved, Segall noted.
Several counties around the state approved constitutional amendments allowing bingo to be played. But lawyers for Gov. Bob Riley have argued in court that the constitutional amendments did not envision electronic bingo machines, which he contends are illegal slot machines.
Bingo hall and game company attorneys say the electronic bingo games are not slot machines. But if they were, the players could be equally at fault and risk having their winnings forfeited anyway.
More bingo coverage: See related stories in the Alabama Bingo Files.
Ted Mann, a lawyer involved in a couple of the lawsuits, argues operators of the games should be held accountable. "If people are going in thinking it's legal and it is not, then they are entitled to get their money back," he said.
The Lowndes County lawsuit and others filed against VictoryLand in Macon County, Greenetrack in Greene County, and one against a few Walker County bingo halls, all have sought class-action status. That means they want to sue on behalf of all patrons who lost money at the bingo machines.
A bingo player filed suit against two Walker County bingo halls in 2007 arguing the facilities were illegal and she was due her money back. She withdrew her suit for personal reasons.
Defendants in that case filed papers in court denying the games were illegal gambling and arguing that they were not liable for patrons' losses.
Since that suit was filed, a judge has ruled the halls were illegal and ordered them shut down.
The lawyer who filed the 2007 suit on behalf of a Walker County bingo player, Garve Ivey Jr., said he planned to file a new lawsuit in the next few weeks on behalf of other bingo hall patrons in Walker County.
"It's much more clearer now that Judge (Robert) Vance has declared it illegal," he said.
Ivey said the new lawsuit also will target gaming companies and try to get more money for charities that sponsored the games. "I'm interested in the millions of dollars that were shipped out to Oklahoma, Nevada and other places with no benefit to the people of Walker County," he said.
Many bingo-hall patrons voiced disappointment and anger at having their bingo halls shut down during the past year.
But Stevens said some former patrons are changing their minds. "When people find out that this was not a legal operation it changes their thinking about it," he said.
E-mail: kfaulk@bhamnews.comHello my loves! This is a simple UNINTELLIGIBLE WHISPERING/FACE BRUSHING (ON LENS)/STIPPLING vid I felt like filming out of the blue. I have other ideas lined up (like the 50k special i've bee meaning to do forever now 😅) but felt a strong urge to get this out, as well as another, which is taking some time to organize.This one gets pretty weird at moments but I cannot begin to tell you how much it made me laugh while I was editing it. I don't know why. I just had a lot of fun doing it and I only hope you guys have fun watching/listening to it too, all the while GETTIN' YO TINGLES ON. 😜P.s. sorry for my absence, I guess I needed a longer break than IIthought. But you know what that means. I'll be back REFRESHED and with BETTER ASMR vids for you guys.Love you all MUCHOO,Janice (a.k.a BohemianWhisper)\\ DONATION LINKS //PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=3112986 PAYPAL: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...\\ FOLLOW ME //TWITTER: https://twitter.com/bohemianwhisper?l...INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/coawixchella/ SNAPCHAT: @bohemianwhisper\\ SECOND CHANNEL // https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_S...TWITTER: https://twitter.com/coawixchella?lang=enAt the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s Robbie Bach stated in an interview with CBC that a vast majority of the major publishers around the world are currently working on projects that incorporate the motion-sensing capabilities of Project Natal.
In the interview Bach, who is the President of Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft, stated that “something like 70% or 80% of the publishers in the world already doing Natal-based games.” Furthermore, in explaining why they chose to reveal Project Natal at 2009’s E3, he stated that “we wanted third-party publishers to know that it was real and we wanted them to have developer kits and to get them working on it.”
He continued to explain that “our first party studios are [also] very focused on this. We want to have a few titles from Microsoft that show the way and then we want the breadth and power of the ecosystem from our partners to bring lots of new ideas, new innovations, new concepts to the marketplace. Xbox games don’t go away; you have to think of all this as additive. I think it adds to the beauty of what’s going on.”
At the Consumer Electronics Show, Microsoft also announced that Project Natal would be made available in time for the 2010 holiday season.Thanks to your support in 2014, we were able to grow Period Panties in ways we never imagined- it’s been an incredible year! The most exciting part has been reaching so many different people, and having people let us know what they think of our underwear. There is one particular question we’ve been asked again and again: “When can I get these in boyshorts?!”
Well, we’ve been listening, and we are excited to bring you a new way to celebrate your post-pubescence: Period Panties Boyshorts! Your period might not be the high point of your month, but with Period Panties Boyshorts, it doesn't have to be the low point. Nearly half the world menstruates, so why not have some fun |
in January 2012 to focus on her recovery. Ron Barber, an aide also wounded in the attack, now holds the seat.
Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, said in a statement Tuesday that he and his wife are satisfied with the agreement.
"The pain and loss caused by the events of January 8, 2011 are incalculable," Kelly said. "Avoiding a trial will allow us -- and we hope the whole Southern Arizona community -- to continue with our recovery and move forward with our lives."
Susan Hileman, 58, who was wounded, said after the court proceedings that she was proud to be an American.
"This is the system doing its best. It's not a perfect solution," Hileman told reporters. "This is the best that can be expected."
Loughner was facing the possibility of a death sentence if convicted.
Dr. Christina Pietz, a forensic psychologist, told the judge Tuesday that Loughner is "one of the worst" mentally ill patients she's ever seen.
But she continued, adding that Loughner has shown improvement and he's no longer in restraints. "He is competent to proceed," Pietz told the court.
He's no longer hearing voices, and he has no difficulty in understanding, Pietz said. Loughner is rational and able to consult with his attorneys, she said.
Loughner also understands that he will never leave prison and has told Pietz: "I'm 23 years old, this is it. This is my life."
Loughner is worried that he will be harmed by other inmates, but Pietz said she thinks Loughner would be all right in the general prison population.
Loughner, however, is still on suicide watch, Pietz said.
Pietz met Loughner in March 2011 and determined he had schizophrenia and wasn't competent to participate in court proceedings. She was the first doctor to diagnose him with a psychotic disease, Pietz said.
Loughner was disappointed and upset upon hearing the diagnosis, Pietz said.
Loughner said he wished he would have taken medication and that things might have been different.
He started taking medication for the first time on June 21, 2011, and over time, he expressed remorse about what he did, Pietz testified.
By July 9, 2011, Loughner expressed regret and "assassination remorse," Pietz said.
Loughner told Pietz that he was especially sad about the child killed in the shooting -- Christina Taylor Green, age 9, who was remembered nationally because she was born on September 11, 2001.
Loughner also spoke with Pietz about Giffords. Pietz testified that Loughner told her: "I know she's alive" and "there's no way she survived a shot to the head." Loughner said he feels like he set out to do the shooting and failed, Pietz said.
Loughner said if this is true, "Jared is a failure," according to Pietz.
In discussion with prison officials, Loughner has said, "I'll never get out," Pietz testified.
Loughner likes his prison jobs and he gets paid for them, which is important for him, Pietz said. The work makes him feel proud to do well in something, Pietz said.
Pietz recounted Loughner's teenage years, saying that he appeared normal until age 16.
Then he showed symptoms of depression in 2006, and his girlfriend broke up with him and a friend died, Pietz said.
Loughner sought treatment and was diagnosed with depression, Pietz said.
He saw a psychiatrist again after he was caught drunk at school, Pietz said. According to records, he didn't take his anti-depression medication, Pietz said.
In high school, he began hearing voices and yelling out things in the classroom -- behaviors that are symptoms of schizophrenia, Pietz said. He wrote nonsensical things on the chalkboard, showed a disorganized thought process, and became obsessed with the Constitution, Pietz said. Friends feared he would commit suicide, Pietz said.
Loughner became ostracized in high school, but at that point, there were no signs he would hurt anyone, Pietz said.
Loughner's mental condition has been central to much of the related court proceedings since the shooting.
In February, a federal judge ruled Loughner could receive medical treatment for another four months. A psychologist found "measurable progress" in the suspect's condition.
The medical treatment plan for Loughner was aimed at improving his mental state so he would be competent to stand trial.
Loughner was declared incompetent to stand trial in May 2011 after an initial evaluation term at a federal mental hospital in Springfield, Missouri.
In July 2011, what officials described as bizarre and suicidal actions by Loughner while in custody pushed a federal appeals panel to allow authorities to force the defendant to take anti-psychotic medication.
Prosecutors said then that Loughner had been deteriorating: He displayed screaming and crying fits that lasted hours, harmed himself and made claims that the radio was inserting thoughts into his head.
His attorneys consistently fought court rulings that Loughner continue his treatment at the hospital.
In November, defense attorney Ellis Johnston argued before a different federal judge that the side effects of the psychotropic drugs his client had been receiving during his court-ordered treatment may interfere with Loughner's ability to work with his attorneys.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Cabanillas said that Loughner "could revert to being a danger to himself" if the medication were halted.
Court documents released a few days after the shooting showed that investigators found a letter from Giffords in a safe at the house where Loughner lived with his parents, thanking him for attending a 2007 event.
"Also recovered in the safe was an envelope with handwriting on the envelope stating 'I planned ahead,' and'my assassination' and the name 'Giffords,' along with what appears to be Loughner's signature," the affidavit stated.LONDON: British public conviction about the threat of climate change has declined sharply after months of questions over the science and growing disillusionment with government action, a leading poll has found.
The proportion of British adults who believe climate change is ''definitely'' a reality has dropped from 44 per cent to 31 per cent in the past year, according to the latest survey by Ipsos Mori.
Overall, about nine in 10 people questioned still appear to accept that some degree of global warming is happening.
But the steep drop in those who have no doubts may mean it will be harder to persuade the public to support action to curb the problem, particularly with higher prices for energy and other goods.
The poll also found a significant drop in those who said climate change was caused by human activities. A year ago this number was one in three, but this year just one in five people believed global warming to be caused by people, according to Edward Langley, Ipsos Mori's head of environment research.Frum is an interesting character. He’s one of the few conservatives pundits who seems to say what he actually believes, rather than just parrotting GOP political spin. He’s quite is an interesting, and intelligent (and thus, interesting), guy.
Frum says the Dems’ perfect attack ad against Paul Ryan will be a woman saying that Ryan is going to make it much harder for her to get Medicare when she retires:
“You’ve worked hard all your life. You’ve paid Medicare taxes for almost 30 years. But under the Republican plan, Medicare won’t be there for you. Instead of Medicare as it exists now, under the Republican plan you’ll get a voucher that will pay as little as half your Medicare costs when you turn 65—and as little as a quarter in your 80s. And all so that millionaires and billionaires can have a huge tax cut.”
Frum ads, “That ad will draw blood and will—as Henry Kissinger used to say—have the additional merit of being true.”A rescue worker in Syria broke into tears as he rescued a baby from a building destroyed by airstrikes.
After an hours-long operation in Idlib in the northwestern part of Syria, members of the Syrian Civil Defense were able to pull out a baby girl and a woman alive from under the rubble of a building on Thursday.
In an emotional video, the rescue worker cries as he embraces the baby. He says in the video that the baby had been under the rubble for about two hours but didn't have any wounds.
“Oh God, oh God,” he says between sobs in a video released by the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, a group of unarmed, nonpartisan rescue workers in Syria.
“Thank God, she doesn’t have one wound, no wounds at all," the rescue worker says in the video. "Thank God. When I carried her I felt like she was my daughter. The guys and I, the team that worked with me, we were three or four who took her out and then I carried her on my own and brought her to the hospital. I felt like she was my daughter. I hugged her tight. She moved me deeply.”
The rescue workers said that the baby was on the fourth floor of the building when airstrikes hit.
Airstrikes over Idlib killed at least six people including four children and an elderly man on Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Shooter in Loop murder-suicide used unregistered gun, had domestic violence history, police say
A 45-year-old man who shot his girlfriend to death before killing himself last week at a Loop business possessed a valid Illinois concealed carry permit, but the semiautomatic handgun he used was not legally registered, police said Monday.
Richard Idrovo had an “domestic violence history” with his girlfriend, Alma B. Hernandez, in southwest suburban Tinley Park where they lived, said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department. He did not provide details.
At 2:30 p.m. Friday, Idrovo walked to the back of the AmeriCash Loans store in the 100 block of West Van Buren near the Chicago Board of Trade. He shot Hernandez twice, then walked to the front of the store and killed himself, police said.
Hernandez, a 44-year-old mother of four children, had worked at the AmeriCash Loans store and was a real-estate saleswoman at Baird & Warner’s office in LaGrange. She and Idrovo had lived with his mother in Tinley Park, according to friends and neighbors.
In December 1994, an order of protection was entered against Idrovo and was dismissed the following month, according to Cook County court records. It could not be immediately determined from court records who asked to have the order filed against him. He was divorced in 1995.
In 1997, Idrovo was arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault and violation of an order of protection, but that case was dismissed, too. He tried to have the 1994 order of protection and the 1997 arrest expunged in 2008, but his request was denied, according to court records.
Idrovo lived in southwest suburban Summit at the time of his 1997 arrest by the Chicago Police Department, records show.
Police in Tinley Park would not discuss Idrovo’s “domestic violence history” because the murder-suicide was in the Chicago Police Department’s jurisdiction.
Under state law, his arrests in the 1990s would not have barred Idrovo from owning a gun or obtaining a concealed-carry permit.PEARLAND, Texas (AP) - An 18-year-old Houston-area high school student will now join his school district’s board and become one of the youngest elected officials in the United States.
Michael Floyd won a seat Saturday on the Pearland Independent School District board, beating incumbent Rusty DeBorde by almost 500 votes.
Floyd told the Houston Chronicle in March that he ran in part because the district superintendent, John Kelly, questioned whether transgender children should be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice. Kelly said he thought “legalizing pedophilia and polygamy” might be next.
He also says the board needs to be more transparent and responsive to students and teachers.
According to the Chronicle, less than 1 percent of school board members nationwide are under the age of 30.Update: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the people who sadly lost their life are Wormreich's Ian A. McKinney (30) & Paul. J. Truesdell (29), and Khaotika's Nicholas R. Crisostomo (25). Our condolences to their friends and family. A GoFundMe has been set up for the families of the victims.
We have some unsettling news this Monday afternoon. WSB in Atlanta reports that at least three people are dead after a deadly crash on Interstate 85 near highway 98 in Atlanta this morning around 7am:
According to Georgia State Patrol, the driver of the passenger van fell asleep, drove down an embankment and struck a tree. Three people were ejected and later died. Three others were in critical condition. A total of eight people were taken to Athens Regional Hospital and Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
While the victims names weren't released, it's believed that members of Wormreich and Khaotika were in the vehicle. The band that was touring with them, Kult ov Azazel, have shared this info on Facebook:
Unfortunately tonight's show in Atlanta, GA will be canceled. The van carrying Wormreich and Khaotika was in a horrible accident this morning. We cannot go into details due to respect to the families of the involved and we are sure details will soon be available through the other parties when the time is right. Our thoughts are with those involved and their families.
Update: A GoFundMe has been created to help aid the families of the deceased musicians. All the money donated will go directly to the families. Here is the link. According to the GoFundMe page, Khaotika vocalist Lariyah Hayes just completed successful surgery and is expecting a full recovery.
Update: The vocalist of Wormreich has issued a statement on the loss of two of its members. You can read that here.
Our deepest sympathies with the friends and families of all involved. We'll keep you posted as more news becomes available. WSB reports charges are pending in this case, and filed a brief video report:
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A quick note to traveling bands, if it's late and you find yourself dosing off, pull over! Rent a hotel for the night. The cost savings are not equal to potentially losing your life. Be safe out there.
[Thanks for the tip, Tony Lemminger]
Related PostsSo the 10 most cliched college dorm posters are fascinating to me, being a mix of some I’ve never seen and iconic images of my own misspent youth. But the first one, Audrey Hepburn, kind of confuses me a bit.
Not the choice of posters, of course. I mean, it’s Audrey freaking Hepburn, what could be confusing about that?
It’s the site’s caption that confuses me:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: It’s simply a fact: college girls love Audrey Hepburn, especially in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Even if they haven’t seen it. Maybe that explains why this classic is taped over every pink bedspread and extra-long mattress. Need a reminder to keep it classy when you’re bringing the Kappa Lambda president back to your place? Just look up and ask, “What would Audrey do?”
Charge for it…?
Perhaps next time they should see the movie first.
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April 25, 2017, 11:31 AM GMT / Updated April 25, 2017, 3:55 PM GMT By Jane C. Timm
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton planned an aggressive push on a dozen policies for her first 100 days in the White House, including raising the minimum wage, investing in infrastructure, and reforming the nation's immigration system.
But following her stunning Electoral College defeat on November 8, the Democratic nominee faced her first truly retired days in decades — and the prospect of a wildly different presidency than the one she had promised.
Hillary Clinton addresses her staff and supporters about the results of the U.S. election as former U.S. President Bill Clinton (L) and her running mate Tim Kaine applaud at a hotel in New York on November 9, 2016. Carlos Barria / Reuters file
After conceding to Donald Trump in a gracious speech, Clinton tried to lay low.
But she and a neighbor in New York, who said she was "heartbroken" after the election, had the same idea on November 10: A restorative hike in the Chappaqua woods. The resulting photo made headlines and offered her still-reeling supporters a glimpse of how Clinton was coping. To her millions of voters, viral images of her participating in the rituals of a normal life — more hikes, trips to the grocery and the book store — became a sign of resilience.
When she broke her post-election silence on November 17 with a speech at a Children's Defense Fund charity gala, those who hoped she might lend her platform to the anti-Trump movement were disappointed. Clinton emphasized bipartisanship and the importance of investing in that nation's children regardless of creed or color, but made no direct mention of the Republican candidate she had spent months excoriating as unfit for office — a rhetorical device she would follow in the months leading up to his inauguration and in the early days of his presidency.
Over the course of President Trump's tumultuous first 100 days, Clinton's apolitical appearances and speaking engagements where she championed longtime causes and reinforced values she promoted on the campaign trail gave way to a more frank approach. More recently, she has reasserted herself as a voice of Democratic resistance.
Here’s where we saw her, what she said, and where we can expect to see her next.
Day 1: Attending the inauguration
Clinton attended the inauguration alongside husband and former President Bill Clinton, as well as a luncheon where President Trump picked them both out of a crowd. She wore white, the symbolic color of women's suffrage.
Former President George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton attend the inaugration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States in Washington on Jan. 20, 2017. Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA file
Day 13: Plotting her next move in New York City
Clinton signed a book deal with Simon and Schuster for her seventh book on February 1. That night, she and her husband attended the Broadway a cappella musical "In Transit," a bit of a valentine to the city she represented in the Senate.
Day 19: Appealing to young women
"Despite all the challenges we face, I remain convinced that yes, the future is female," Clinton told a women innovator’s conference in a brief video address. "Just look at the amazing energy we saw last month as women organized a march that galvanized millions of people all over our country and across the world."
Day 20: Sticking up for Sen. Elizabeth Warren
After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Warren from speaking in opposition to Trump's pick for attorney general, Clinton embraced his inadvertent feminist rallying cry: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted...So must we all,” Clinton tweeted.
Day 21 and beyond: Resisting in 140 characters or less
Clinton embraced Trump's favorite social media platform on February 9, tweeting “3-0” after three judges unanimously halted Trump’s ban on the entry of residents from certain Muslim-majority nations.
In late February, on the same day Trump's administration rolled back protections for transgender students, Clinton commented on an editorial about Republican members of Congress ducking angry constituents.
In March, she threw shade as Trump faced stumbles and challenges in his first months in office.
Day 27: Dining with her "Saturday Night Live" impersonator
The same day Trump's labor secretary nominee was forced to withdraw,Clinton was spotted out to dinner with "SNL" star Kate McKinnon, whose impersonation of the former first lady took a poignant turn after the election. Clinton was then met with applause at the Broadway show "Sunset Boulevard," starring decorated actress Glenn Close as the faded but fierce star of the silent screen.
Day 42 and beyond: Speaking to students
Clinton addressed a closed-press private event at alma mater Wellesley College on March 2, the day newly minted Attorney General Jeff Sessions had to recuse himself from probes related to Russian meddling in the election, and at a Harvard event the next day. She will be Wellesley's commencement speaker in May, as well.
Day 43: Reading some interesting news
A picture of Clinton eyeing a headline on Vice President Mike Pence’s use of a private email account while serving as Indiana's governor went viral. Pence and Trump had repeatedly attacked Clinton for her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
Day 47, 48, and 57: Speaking to more women’s groups
On March 7, Clinton addressed a Girls Inc. luncheon and the next day, spoke at a leadership awards event for Vital Voices. Days later, she addressed a St. Patrick’s Day event for the Society of Irish Women, telling the crowd that she was “ready to come out of the woods,” a nod to her low profile in recent months and famous hiking photos.
Day 55: Still fielding calls to run for NYC mayor
Reports that Clinton was considering a bid for New York City mayor, a job currently held by former aide Bill de Blasio, had surfaced before Trump's inauguration and were revived in mid-March. But weeks later, when The New York Times' Nick Kristof asked if she would ever be "Mayor Clinton," she appeared to shut down the idea.
"I am looking at doing interesting things. I don't think that will include ever running for office again, as interesting as I find that to be, because I think you can have a big influence," she said.
Rodham Rye whiskey, named after Hillary Rodham Clinton. Courtesy Republic Restoratives
Day 62: Gets her own whiskey vintage
As Trump's Supreme Court pick was undergoing a grilling in the Senate, a new women-owned Washington, D.C., distillery, Republic Restoratives, announced that it would release a limited batch of "Rodham Rye" — a blend of whiskies "that are stronger together than apart.” Clinton's namesake whiskey was originally intended to toast the first woman president, and the distillery's owners decided to go ahead with it in honor of her historic bid.
Day 68: Defending the women who confront Trump
In a speech, Clinton pushed back against “indignities” she said faced veteran White House reporter April Ryan, who was criticized and accused of bias by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, and California Rep. Maxine Walters, who was the subject of what Clinton called a “racist joke” from recently ousted Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.
"Too many women, especially women of color, have had a lifetime of practice taking precisely these kinds of indignities in stride,” she said. "But why should we have to? And any woman who thinks this couldn’t be directed at her is living in a dream world."
Day 78: Talking about why she lost
“As a person, I’m OK. As an American, I’m pretty worried,” Clinton said in early April during what was billed as her first public interview since her electoral college defeat.
The typically-careful speaker was blunt in her assessment of her lost election: “Certainly misogyny played a role,” she told Kristof, of The New York Times. “That just has to be admitted.”
Day 81: Modeling shoes for Katy Perry
Clinton appeared on pop star and former campaign surrogate Katy Perry's Instagram on April 10, modeling a pair of shoes the singer had named "The Hillary" in her new shoe line. The suede pump retails for $139 and sports a Lucite heel filled with "glistening stars and moons."
Day 83: Easing back into the political arena
When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo rolled out a free tuition program in the state, Clinton was there to support him. "We set out to do this nationally, but thrilled that New York is getting it done," she tweeted.
Day 87: Boosting the DNC
Clinton's campaign handed over her email list to the Democratic National Committee as an in-kind donation to the party, adding 10 million new names to their roster as they prepare for the upcoming midterm elections. Meanwhile, Trump declared that he wanted an investigation into the protesters who exercised their First Amendment rights on Tax Day.
Day 91: Talking LGBT rights
Clinton spoke at a fundraising dinner for the Center, an New York City LGBT community organization, where slammed Trump's record on LGBT issues.
"Each time this administration elevates an outspoken opponent of LGBT equality — sometimes in particularly cruel ways like replacing the first openly gay Secretary of the Army with someone who called being transgender a 'disease' — I picture all of the joyful, beaming couples that I've met across our country … who are so excited to get married, start a family, and begin their lives together," Clinton said, singling out Trump's choice of former flight surgeon Mark Green for the job.In a victory for religious freedom, earlier today Gov. Mike Pence, R-Ind., signed into law the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. This is good policy that protects the fundamental freedom of Indiana citizens from unnecessary and unreasonable government coercion.
The Indiana law is based on the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act—a law that has served the American people well for more than 20 years. Passed with 97 votes in the Senate and by unanimous voice vote in the House, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act was signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton. This federal law prohibits substantial government burdens on religious exercise unless the government can show a compelling interest in burdening religious liberty and does so through the least restrictive means.
No one has the right to have the government force a particular minister to marry them, or a certain photographer to capture the first kiss or a baker to bake the wedding cake.
These protections for religious freedom, like the one passed in Indiana, provide a commonsense way to balance the fundamental right to religious liberty with compelling government interests. The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects against federal government violations of religious liberty, and state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts protect against state violations.
By passing its Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Indiana joins the 19 other states that have implemented such laws. Eleven additional states have religious liberty protections that state courts have interpreted to provide a similar level of protection. These commonsense laws place the onus on the government to justify its actions in burdening the free exercise of religion.
Responding to critics of the bill, who wrongly characterized the religious freedom protections, Pence stated in a press release following the signing:
For more than twenty years, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act has never undermined our nation’s anti-discrimination laws, and it will not in Indiana.
He added:
Faith and religion are important values to millions of Hoosiers and with the passage of this legislation, we ensure that Indiana will continue to be a place where we respect freedom of religion and make certain that government action will always be subject to the highest level of scrutiny that respects the religious beliefs of every Hoosier of every faith.
The Indiana law, like all state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, prevents government discrimination against religious free exercise. Religious Freedom Restoration Acts simply provide a way to balance religious liberty with compelling government interests.
There are now numerous cases of photographers, florists, cake makers and farmers being forced to participate in celebrating same-sex weddings in violation of their belief that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. These are citizens who have no problem serving gays and lesbians but do object to celebrating same-sex weddings.
Religious liberty isn’t an absolute right. Religious liberty doesn’t always trump. Religious liberty is balanced with concerns for a compelling state interest that’s being pursued in the least-restrictive means possible.
But it isn’t clear that forcing every photographer and every baker and every florist to help celebrate same-sex weddings is advancing a compelling state interest in the least-restrictive way possible. Protecting religious liberty and the rights of conscience doesn’t infringe on anyone’s sexual freedoms.
No one has the right to have the government force a particular minister to marry them, or a certain photographer to capture the first kiss or a baker to bake the wedding cake. Declining to perform these services doesn’t violate anyone’s sexual freedoms. Some citizens may conclude that they cannot in good conscience participate in a same-sex ceremony, from priests and pastors to bakers and florists. The government should not force them to choose between their religious beliefs and their livelihood.
Of course, religious liberty isn’t just about the marriage debate. Just last year, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act protected the Green family and the Hahn family—owners of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood—from government coercion at the federal level. Protecting this fundamental freedom has benefited many Americans during the last two decades, including those of minority faiths.
As Jasjit Singh, executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, explained:
RFRA [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] means myself, my brothers, my sisters, my mom, my dad, we can all participate in American life in the way we had dreamed and really the way it is promised as written out in the Constitution. We have an opportunity to get jobs and to fully integrate within American society without having to sacrifice or compromise any part of our religious identity.
And earlier this year, in a 9-0 ruling the U.S. Supreme Court held that a similar federal religious liberty law protected a Muslim inmate’s right to grow a short beard.
Again, Religious Freedom Restoration Acts don’t allow individuals to do whatever they wish in the name of religion. There will be times when the government can show it has a compelling reason for burdening religious expression—to ensure public safety, for instance.
But Religious Freedom Restoration Acts set a high bar for the government to meet in order to restrict religious freedom. The way we’ve learned to live in a pluralistic society, with diverse religious and moral opinions, is to have a balancing test like the one the Religious Freedom Restoration Act provides.
A robust conception of religious liberty provides every person the freedom to seek the truth, form beliefs, and live according to the dictates of his or her conscience—whether at home, in worship or at work.
Fortunately, citizens of Indiana now have greater protection of that fundamental right to live out and express their faith.Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho reckons Chelsea will go on to lift the Premier League title following his side’s 2-0 victory over Watford on Saturday.
Goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial saw United climb up to fifth position in the league standings after months of trying to get there.
Two of their rivals for the top four, Tottenham and Liverpool, play later on Saturday with Mourinho hoping both teams will drop points.
“We needed to win,” Mourinho said after the match. “Sixteen games unbeaten is an amazing record but it would be the perfect record with two or three fewer draws at home. It was a difficult match and a very important win for us.
“We are not a team scoring lots of goals so it is important to keep the clean sheets. I am really happy with performance.
“In the 10-15 minutes before the goal we were playing in a brilliant way. The goal had to come.
“I am so happy with the game between Liverpool and Tottenham later because I know someone will lose points.
“Chelsea are very good defensive team. They defend very well and with lots of players and I think in this situation a very defensive team wins the title with counterattack goals and set pieces goals so I don’t think they will let it slip but football is football.”GETTY Eden Hazard looks set to stay at Chelsea
The Belgian swept up all of the player of the year awards in 2015 as the Blues won the Premier League title. But he struggled badly as the defending champions slumped, flirting with relegation at one stage.
Eden Hazard swaps shirt at half-time during Chelsea's defeat to PSG Wed, March 9, 2016 Eden Hazard has been slammed by fans after he was spotted swapping his shirt at half-time during Chelsea's Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain Play slideshow BT Sport 1 of 6 Eden Hazard has been slammed by fans after he was spotted swapping his shirt with Angel Di Maria at half-time during the Blues' Champions League defeat to PSG
However Hazard looked more like his old self by the end of the season scoring goals against Bournemouth, Spurs and Liverpool. Reports have suggested the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Real Madrid were interested in signing him.I don't want to sound arrogant, but I think I am a special manager because I won the Champions League
Jose Mourinho
New Chelsea manager Quotes: More of what he said Comment: A grand entrance
Mourinho takes over from the sacked Claudio Ranieri at Stamford Bridge after quitting as coach of Porto.
Reports say Chelsea agreed a £1.7m compensation package with Champions League winners Porto.
"Chelsea represent a fantastic challenge for me. It is a great club with a world-class squad of players," the 41-year-old Mourinho said.
And demonstrating the self-confidence that has marked his rise, he said: "We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, but we now have a top manager."
Mourinho added: "The English Premiership is recognised as the best league in the world and I am really excited at the prospect of competing week in, week out at the highest level in England as well as in Europe.
"I have been asked how I will cope with the pressure, how I will cope with these players, how I will cope with the urgent ambition to win titles.
"You don't have to ask me again because that's what I live for."
Squad cull
And Mourinho, who had also been linked with Liverpool, continued: "English football is a big passion for me. There were some big clubs chasing me very hard.
"This was a fantastic position for me and the people in my boat, and Chelsea was a perfect choice for me.
"I don't want to sound arrogant, but I think I am a special manager because I have won the Champions League."
But he hinted that the vast Chelsea squad will be reduced.
"If all the names I was supposed to be signing arrive, I would have a squad of 50 players.
His record of sustained success makes him perfect for what we want to achieve at Chelsea
Peter Kenyon
Chelsea chief executive Tactical change:
What Mourinho brings to Chelsea
"I won't work with big squads. I like small squads. I will have 21 outfield players, plus the goalkeepers, because this is the right amount for the specific work we want to do."
Mourinho also confirmed members of the Porto backroom staff will come to join him.
He has long been touted as the successor to Ranieri, who was dismissed after four years in charge despite a contract until 2007.
And Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon was delighted to have got his man.
He said: "The appointment of Jose Mourinho is all about building on the foundations which we have already established at Chelsea.
"He represents the new generation of football coaches and we are convinced he can take us to the next level, both in England in Europe.
"His record of sustained success makes him perfect for what we want to achieve at Chelsea."
Meanwhile, negotiations on Ranieri's pay-off from Chelsea have yet to reach a conclusion.
Kenyon said: "The situation is simple. We will honour Claudio Ranieri's contract in full. We have had discussions over the last 48 hours.
"There is no question we will treat it in any other manner but unfortunately there has been no conclusion."Update: Today, the FAA published an expected road map for its UAV deployment. By the end of 2014, the agency hopes to have a certification process for existing aircraft largely in place; it should also have published certification guidelines for pilots. After the rules for small unmanned aircraft are codified in 2015, the FAA will continue to work on rules for other craft until 2020.
It was late September, and a 3-pound drone was soaring over Midtown Manhattan. But as it headed around a skyscraper, the pilot apparently misjudged the distance: the craft smashed into the side of the building, falling dozens of stories to the streets below and almost hitting a pedestrian. The month before, a similar camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tumbled into spectators as it filmed a Virginia bull run. And in July, the crash of an unmanned, retrofitted F-4 fighter temporarily shut down part of Florida’s highway 98. None of the incidents caused lasting damage or injury, but they all highlight a growing question: how will the FAA set the bar for safety when it opens the skies to commercial drones?
The word "drone" evokes the Reapers and Predators used by the military abroad, but back inside the US, it’s more likely to refer to small craft equipped with cameras and imaging sensors or hobbyist quadcopters flown for fun. Chris Anderson of drone company 3D Robotics has estimated that there are already thousands of these unmanned devices in the air, where they can generally fly below 400 feet away from populated areas with no need for a license or permit. But once you want to do more than send up an unmanned plane for your own enjoyment, things get more complicated.
With a few exceptions, 'drones for hire' are still illegal
Government agencies, fire departments, some universities, and other public institutions can get case-by-case authorization to operate, which is why you see mosquito control groups looking for breeding sites with the Condor Aerial Maveric or police using drones in search-and-rescue missions. Commercial operators, though, need to apply for a limited experimental license in order to fly legally. This summer, the FAA certified two models of small UAV for commercial use, but most "drones for hire" are still illegal, even if their operators are rarely penalized.
The FAA has been working to change that with the small UAS [unmanned aircraft system] rule, which covers any craft under 55 pounds — the "systems" designation is used to connote a complex combination of ground control, aircraft, and data link rather than the "vehicle" in "UAV." Progress, however, has been slow. Currently, the FAA is expected to release a draft by the end of 2013; the guidelines were originally due in December of 2011, and what exactly they’ll entail isn’t clear. Ray Young, who sits on a federal UAS advisory committee run by industry group RTCA, puts it bluntly: "We don’t know what’s in them."
"It’s not even on the FAA’s radar right now."
Besides straightforward safety issues, the FAA will have to deal with the privacy concerns raised by a cheap, widespread technology that lowers the barrier to launching a high-flying mobile camera. Few people would object to search-and-rescue missions |
An increasingly health-conscious public, aware of the sickening effects of cola, drove down carbonated soft drink sales. Coke responded by bottling purified tap water and selling it under the name “Dasani.” Thanks to healthy sales of “healthy” drinks (which according to the New York Times are “still just sugar water”), Coca-Cola has enjoyed rising international sales.
Of course there have been setbacks. Coca-Cola recalled Dasani in the United Kingdom after they accidentally poisoned the bottled water with bromate, a possible carcinogen. At least it was only the Dasani that was tainted. In India, one of Coca-Cola’s fastest growing markets, problems ran deeper.
In 2004, the national Ground Water Board decided a plant in Kaladera was sucking away a region’s groundwater, taking enough water in seven months to irragate crops for 5,000 families – so much that it could dry the Earth’s crust, increasing the chance of an earthquake. Though Coca-Cola tried to placate locals by donating toward water pollution programs and building water tanks at a local school, residents still blamed the plant for the drought and demanded its closure. In a similar dispute that year in the state of Kaladera, locals and activists forced out a $16 million bottling plant. (Twice. No, sorry, three times.)
Despite those problems, sales in countries like India, China, and Turkey keep increasing Coke’s quarterly earnings. To maintain a green image, just this year the company has joined programs like The Climate Group, the World Wildlife Fund, and this month’s Corporate Water Footprinting conference in San Francisco. So why, as Planetsave’s partner blog EcoWorldly reported, did activists protest what seems like a none-too-soon corporate turnaround? Because Coke, of course, isn’t turning around at all. It’s greenwashing.
Coca-Cola’s CEO said last year that Coke is going “water neutral”: “Today, The Coca-Cola Company pledges to replace every drop of water we use in our beverages and their production.” But a report from the company says going water neutral is impossible.
The CEO promised to fight increasing droughts when India accuses his company of causing them. The company gave out bottled water in West Michigan – after polluting the area’s wells for 23 years. (A year later, no news of a long-term strategy has reached the press.)
The company donated $1 million toward water projects in developing nations – out of its annual revenue of $29 billion.
Commenting on a Coke partnership with The Climate Group, the company’s North American president cited its “long history of supporting recycling and conservation,” a history that includes breaking its promise to use more recycled plastic and fighting “bottle bills” that would require deposits on recyclable bottles and cans.
So pardon us for not buying into Coke’s supposed commitment to going green. And maybe we’d take Coke’s participation in the San Francisco conference more seriously if instead of lobbying against bottle bills, they’d lobbied for the California bill that would force them to report how much water they’re using, a bill that Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed before declaring a statewide drought.
Coca-Cola wants to look sympathetic to the dangers of water scarcity. But those dangers are too profitable. According to the book The Blue Covenant, 50 million people got their water from private companies in 1990. By 2007, it was over 300 million. And as with oil, scarcity and demand drive up this commodity’s price.
No wonder, as a blogger at Food and Water Watch noticed, that Coca-Cola resembles not James Bond, but his enemy Dominic Greene. The villain of Quantum of Solace pitches environmentalists on an eco-park scheme called the Tierra project, while meanwhile he buys up or dams up all the water in Bolivia, eventually extorting an exclusive water rights contract from the dictator he put in charge. Just like Greene, Coca-Cola has aggravated the world’s water shortage, and just like Greene, Coca-Cola is reaping the financial rewards. And the company is so cocky that it advertises its sugar-water using a movie all about fighting a water-hoarding corporation. But no worries. You’ll drink it because Bond drinks it, right?
Photo of Coca-Cola Zero ad by Coca-Cola. Photo of Dominic Greene by MGM.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
May 18, 2017, 7:07 PM GMT / Updated May 18, 2017, 7:07 PM GMT By Alex Moe and Andrew Rafferty
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chair of the powerful House Oversight Committee, announced Thursday he will leave Congress at the end of next month.
"As you know, after careful consideration and long discussion with my wife, Julie, we agree the time has come for us to move on from this part of our life," Chaffetz wrote in a letter to his constituents. "This week I sent a letter to Governor Herbert indicating my intention to resign from Congress effective June 30, 2017."
The Utah Republican announced last month he would not seek re-election in 2018. He cited time away from home and his willingness to return to the private sector as reasons why he made the decision.
“My life has undergone some big changes over the last 18 months. Those changes have been good. But as I celebrated my 50th birthday in March, the reality of spending more than 1,500 nights away from my family over eight years hit me harder than it had before," the letter read.
It gave no indication of what his future plans may be.
As chair of the oversight committee, Chaffetz has played an active role in the Congressional investigation of President Donald Trump’s potential links to Russia. Chaffetz on Tuesday requested the FBI turn over to Congress and records of communications between fired FBI Director James Comey and the president.
South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, who headed the House investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attacks, is currently gauging members opinions about "the qualities" the next oversight chair should possess, a spokesperson said.
Politico first reported the news of Chaffetz's June 30th resignation.Exclusive: By driving a wedge between President Obama and President Putin over Ukraine, America’s neocons and the mainstream media can hope for more “shock and awe” in the Mideast, but the U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill, including $1 trillion more on nuclear weapons, writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
The costs of the mainstream U.S. media’s wildly anti-Moscow bias in the Ukraine crisis are adding up, as the Obama administration has decided to react to alleged “Russian aggression” by investing as much as $1 trillion in modernizing the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.
On Monday, a typically slanted New York Times article justified these modernization plans by describing “Russia on the warpath” and adding: “Congress has expressed less interest in atomic reductions than looking tough in Washington’s escalating confrontation with Moscow.”
But the Ukraine crisis has been a textbook case of the U.S. mainstream media misreporting the facts of a foreign confrontation and then misinterpreting the meaning of the events, a classic case of “garbage in, garbage out.” The core of the false mainstream narrative is that Russian President Vladimir Putin instigated the crisis as an excuse to reclaim territory for the Russian Empire.
While that interpretation of events has been the cornerstone of Official Washington’s “group think,” the reality always was that Putin favored maintaining the status quo in Ukraine. He had no plans to “invade” Ukraine and was satisfied with the elected government of President Viktor Yanukovych. Indeed, when the crisis heated up last February, Putin was distracted by the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Rather than Putin’s “warmongering” as the Times said in the lead-in to another Monday article the evidence is clear that it was the United States and the European Union that initiated this confrontation in a bid to pull Ukraine out of Russia’s sphere of influence and into the West’s orbit.
This was a scheme long in the making, but the immediate framework for the crisis took shape a year ago when influential U.S. neocons set their sights on Ukraine and Putin after Putin helped defuse a crisis in Syria by persuading President Barack Obama to set aside plans to bomb Syrian government targets over a disputed Sarin gas attack and instead accept Syria’s willingness to surrender its entire chemical weapons arsenal.
But the neocons and their “liberal interventionist” allies had their hearts set on another “shock and awe” campaign with the goal of precipitating another “regime change” against a Middle East government disfavored by Israel. Putin also worked with Obama to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, averting another neocon dream to “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.”
The Despised Putin
So, Putin suddenly rose to the top of the neocons’ “enemies list” and some prominent neocons quickly detected his vulnerability in Ukraine, a historical route for western invasions of Russia and the scene of extraordinarily bloody fighting during World War II.
National Endowment for Democracy president Carl Gershman, one of the top neocon paymasters spreading around $100 million a year in U.S. taxpayers’ money, declared in late September 2013 that Ukraine represented “the biggest prize” but beyond that was an opportunity to put Putin “on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.”
The context for Gershman’s excitement was a European Union offer of an association agreement to Ukraine’s elected President Viktor Yanukovych, but it came with some nasty strings attached, an austerity plan demanded by the International Monetary Fund that would have made the hard lives of the average Ukrainian even harder.
That prompted Yanukovych to seek a better deal from Putin who offered $15 billion in aid without the IMF’s harsh terms. Yet, once Yanukovych rebuffed the EU plan, his government was targeted by a destabilization campaign that involved scores of political and media projects funded by Gershman’s NED and other U.S. agencies.
Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland, a neocon holdover who had been an adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, reminded a group of Ukrainian business leaders that the United States had invested $5 billion in their “European aspirations.” Nuland, wife of prominent neocon Robert Kagan, also showed up at the Maidan square in Kiev passing out cookies to protesters.
The Maidan protests, reflecting western Ukraine’s desire for closer ties to Europe, also were cheered on by neocon Sen. John McCain, who appeared on a podium with leaders of the far-right Svoboda party under a banner honoring Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera. A year earlier, the European Parliament had identified Svoboda as professing “racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic views [that] go against the EU’s fundamental values and principles.”
Yet, militants from Svoboda and the even more extreme Right Sektor were emerging as the muscle of the Maidan protests, seizing government buildings and hurling firebombs at police. A well-known Ukrainian neo-Nazi leader, Andriy Parubiy, became the commandant of the Maidan’s “self-defense” forces.
Behind the scenes, Assistant Secretary Nuland was deciding who would take over the Ukrainian government once Yanukovych was ousted. In an intercepted phone call with U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, Nuland crossed off some potential leaders and announced that “Yats” or Arseniy Yatsenyuk was her guy.
The Coup
On Feb. 20, as the neo-Nazi militias stepped up their attacks on police, a mysterious sniper opened fire on both protesters and police killing scores and bringing the political crisis to a boil. The U.S. news media blamed Yanukovych for the killings though he denied giving such an order and some evidence pointed toward a provocation from the far-right extremists.
As Estonia’s Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said in another intercepted phone call with EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Asthon, “there is a stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers it was not Yanukovych, it was somebody from the new coalition.”
But the sniper shootings led Yanukovych to agree on Feb. 21 to a deal guaranteed by three European countries France, Germany and Poland that he would surrender much of his power and move up elections so he could be voted out of office. He also assented to U.S. demands that he pull back his police.
That last move, however, prompted the neo-Nazi militias to overrun the presidential buildings on Feb. 22 and force Yanukovych’s officials to flee for their lives. Then, rather than seeking to enforce the Feb. 21 agreement, the U.S. State Department promptly declared the coup regime “legitimate” and blamed everything on Yanukovych and Putin.
Nuland’s choice, Yatsenyuk, was made prime minister and the neo-Nazis were rewarded for their crucial role by receiving several ministries, including national security headed by Parubiy. The parliament also voted to ban Russian as an official language (though that was later rescinded), and the IMF austerity demands were pushed through by Yatsenyuk. Not surprisingly, ethnic Russians in the south and east, the base of Yanukovych’s support, began resisting what they regarded as the illegitimate coup regime.
To blame this crisis on Putin simply ignores the facts and defies logic. To presume that Putin instigated the ouster of Yanukovych in some convoluted scheme to seize territory requires you to believe that Putin got the EU to make its reckless association offer, organized the mass protests at the Maidan, convinced neo-Nazis from western Ukraine to throw firebombs at police, and manipulated Gershman, Nuland and McCain to coordinate with the coup-makers all while appearing to support Yanukovych’s idea for new elections within Ukraine’s constitutional structure.
Though such a crazy conspiracy theory would make people in tinfoil hats blush, this certainty is at the heart of what every “smart” person in Official Washington believes. If you dared to suggest that Putin was actually distracted by the Sochi Olympics last February, was caught off guard by the events in Ukraine, and reacted to a Western-inspired crisis on his border (including his acceptance of Crimea’s request to be readmitted to Russia), you would be immediately dismissed as “a stooge of Moscow.”
Such is how mindless “group think” works in Washington. All the people who matter jump on the bandwagon and smirk at anyone who questions how wise it is to be rolling downhill in some disastrous direction.
But the pols and pundits who appear on U.S. television spouting the conventional wisdom are always the winners in this scenario. They get to look tough, standing up to villains like Yanukovych and Putin and siding with the saintly Maidan protesters. The neo-Nazi brown shirts are whited out of the picture and any Ukrainian who objected to the U.S.-backed coup regime finds a black hat firmly glued on his or her head.
For the neocons, there are both financial and ideological benefits. By shattering the fragile alliance that had evolved between Putin and Obama over Syria and Iran, the neocons seized greater control over U.S. policies in the Middle East and revived the prospects for violent “regime change.”
On a more mundane level by stirring up a new Cold War the neocons generate more U.S. government money for military contractors who bestow a portion on Washington think tanks that provide cushy jobs for neocons when they are out of government.
The Losers
The worst losers are the people of Ukraine, most tragically the ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, thousands of whom have died from a combination of heavy artillery fire by the Ukrainian army on residential areas followed by street fighting led by brutal neo-Nazi militias who were incorporated into Kiev’s battle plans. [See Consortiumnews.com’s “Ukraine’s ‘Romantic’ Neo-Nazi Storm Troopers.”]
The devastation of eastern Ukraine, which has driven an estimated one million Ukrainians out of their homes, has left parts of this industrial region in ruins. Of course, in the U.S. media version, it’s all Putin’s fault for deceiving these ethnic Russians with “propaganda” about neo-Nazis and then inducing these deluded individuals to resist the “legitimate” authorities in Kiev.
Notably, America’s righteous “responsibility to protect” crowd, which demanded that Obama begin airstrikes in Syria a year ago, swallowed its moral whistles when it came to the U.S.-backed Kiev regime butchering ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine (or for that matter, when Israeli forces slaughtered Palestinians in Gaza).
However, beyond the death and destruction in eastern Ukraine, the meddling by Nuland, Gershman and others has pushed all of Ukraine toward financial catastrophe. As “The Business Insider” reported on Sept. 21, “Ukraine Is on the Brink of Total Economic Collapse.”
Author Walter Kurtz wrote: “Those who have spent any time in Ukraine during the winter know how harsh the weather can get. And at these [current] valuations, hryvnia [Ukraine’s currency] isn’t going to buy much heating fuel from abroad.
“Inflation rate is running above 14% and will spike sharply from here in the next few months if the currency weakness persists. Real wages are collapsing. Finally, Ukraine’s fiscal situation is unraveling.”
In other words, the already suffering Ukrainians from the west, east and center of the country can expect to suffer a great deal more. They have been made expendable pawns in a geopolitical chess game played by neocon masters and serving interests far from Lviv, Donetsk and Kiev.
But other victims from these latest machinations by the U.S. political/media elite will include the American taxpayers who will be expected to foot the bill for the new Cold War launched in reaction to Putin’s imaginary scheme to instigate the Ukraine crisis so he could reclaim territory of the Russian Empire.
As nutty as that conspiracy theory is, it is now one of the key reasons why the American people have to spend $1 trillion to modernize the nation’s nuclear arsenal, rather than scaling back the thousands of U.S. atomic weapons to around 900, as had been planned.
Or as one supposed expert, Gary Samore at Harvard, explained to the New York Times: “The most fundamental game changer is Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. That has made any measure to reduce the stockpile unilaterally politically impossible.”
Thus, you can see how hyperbolic journalism and self-interested punditry can end up costing the American taxpayers vast sums of money and contributing to a more dangerous world.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his new book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com). For a limited time, you also can order Robert Parry’s trilogy on the Bush Family and its connections to various right-wing operatives for only $34. The trilogy includes America’s Stolen Narrative. For details on this offer, click here.Kim’s parents, Ken and Sue James, moved to Bangladesh with their four daughters in 1982, driven by a humble calling. Their life had always revolved around the church. When Ken was a boy, his family had hosted Baptist missionaries in their home, and he’d heard them talk about having to interrupt their work as doctors to re-roof a building or do other manual labor on their compounds. So when Ken grew up and became a handyman, he saw a role for himself at the mission. “We’re not pastors or preachers,” says Sue, “but he always wanted to have his hands to help.”
It took years for the family to raise the money they would need in Bangladesh—$4,000 a month—to cover travel, living expenses, insurance, and contributions to ABWE. They spent their Sundays and Wednesdays driving to conservative Baptist churches across Indiana and several other Midwestern and Northeastern states, giving presentations about the missionary work overseas. It was a long slog, but when they got to Bangladesh, they knew it had been worth it.
The 50 or so missionaries and children at the compound all seemed like one big family. Adults were called “aunt” and “uncle”; the kids were “cousins.” Presiding over the mission was Uncle Donn Ketcham, who had moved to Bangladesh with his wife, Kitty, in the early 1960s. A handsome man, with sideswept hair and a trim mustache, Ketcham cut a dashing figure as he rode his motorcycle on the jungle roads around the compound. He wasn’t just the medical authority, but a spiritual authority too, often leading the group in worship. “He was the ideal missionary,” Richard Stagg, an ABWE official and a friend of Ketcham, would recall years later. “He was a good surgeon. If your car broke down, he could fix it. If the generator broke, he could fix that. He was also my favorite preacher. He was smooth as silk. He had everybody fooled.”
The James family spent years raising funds to join the mission. Courtesy of the James Family
Around the compound, it was an open secret that there had been “extramarital affairs” involving Ketcham and missionary women. Mission officials back in Pennsylvania had been receiving troubling reports since 1967, and had disciplined Ketcham for inappropriate relationships on multiple occasions. At one point, ABWE had issued a directive that single women at the compound were forbidden from riding with the doctor on his motorcycle. “Watch out for this man,” one missionary couple later recalled being warned when they arrived at the mission. “He’ll sweep you off your feet.”
But despite Ketcham’s obvious pattern of misconduct, ABWE seemed more interested in silencing the women involved than in punishing their abuser. A few years after Kim’s family arrived at the compound, a female missionary wrote directly to ABWE officials, recounting how Ketcham’s own daughter suspected he was having an affair; she’d caught him in his office, door locked, with a woman. When questioned, Ketcham claimed that he had been “trying to help” the woman and insisted that “there was NOT an immoral relationship.” At Ketcham’s request, ABWE resolved the situation by banning the woman from the mission.
In a culture where sex was only discussed in whispers, and where submission to authority was paramount, Ketcham’s privileged status remained unquestioned. Besides, he had a way of making others feel thrilled to receive his attention—especially the kids. “If he saw you coming, he’d light up and smile and say ‘Hi,’ and maybe give you a hug,” recalls Kim’s sister, Diana Durrill. “I don’t ever remember it being creepy. That was the scariest thing about him: We weren’t aware of what he was doing, because he was too good at it.”
Kim quickly became Ketcham’s favorite. Donn tutored her in math; Kitty gave all the MKs art lessons. When Kim’s parents had to travel for missionary training, they often left their daughters with the couple. Ketcham let Kim hang around the hospital after school, allowing her to visit patients, change bandages, even hold newborns after birth. “I think that’s how he got his hooks into me,” Kim says. “Going up there every day and seeing what was happening really intrigued me. Overseas, there were really no rules.”
Like most fundamentalist families, the Jameses never talked about sex. Sue and Ken rarely even kissed in front of the girls. On the cusp of puberty, Kim was clueless. “I knew I was going to start my period, but I never knew why,” she says. “I thought you could get pregnant from kissing a guy.” So when, at twelve, she had questions about her body, she turned to Ketcham. “He was like a cross between a father figure and a grandpa,” she says. “I thought the world of him—that he could do no wrong. He was perfect.”
Kim wanted to know about masturbation: Was it as harmful, as wrong, as she’d been taught? Ketcham reassured her. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” she recalls him telling her. “In fact, this is how a guy does it.” And then he proceeded to demonstrate.
Kim was embarrassed. “I’d never seen a penis in my life,” she says. “I didn’t know what it was. I just saw this foreign thing and I was shocked.”
She tried to protest. “What are you doing?” she said. But Ketcham insisted it was fine. “This is normal,” he told her. “This is what guys do.”
“I don’t think this is normal,” she said. “Because my dad has never done this.”
Silence and submission make fundamentalist Christians a ripe target: “Church people are easy to fool,” boasts one sexual predator.
Ketcham encouraged her to touch him. Kim “didn’t know what to do,” she recalls. “All I kept thinking was, ‘This is a doctor, the most godly man here. He wouldn’t do anything that’s not right.’ Then I thought, ‘Kim, just accept it. It’s OK.’ That’s everything that was going through my mind.”
After that incident, Ketcham began conducting regular breast and pelvic examinations on Kim when she stopped by the hospital or came to his house for math tutoring. At first, she’d ask questions, challenge him a little; Kim had never been shy.
“What’s wrong with me, what are you feeling for?” she wanted to know.
“Nothing,” he would reply. “Just checking.” Although the exams were medically unnecessary—breast and cervical cancers are extremely rare in preteen girls—they became an almost daily occurrence.
In the months that followed, Ketcham escalated his abuse. He kissed Kim. He asked her to touch his penis. He had her over to his house while his wife was away, and sometimes when she was there, in the next room. Her gave her pills that made her drowsy. He told her how special she was, and gave her affectionate nicknames, like “Mugwamp,” to prove it.
The Bangladesh compound was its own small world. Everybody noticed how close Kim was to Uncle Donn, and some were worried—though they never reported their suspicions. One day, a missionary who’d been watching the James girls for Ken and Sue found Ketcham leaving Kim’s bedroom after an in-home visit; later, when she checked on Kim, she found her crying. Another adult, passing by Ketcham’s house one day, saw Kim sitting on the doctor’s lap in his bedroom. A few minutes later, Kim came bolting out of the house, begging: Please don’t tell my mother. Other missionaries blamed Kim for what they were seeing; the girl, some said, had a reputation as “boy-crazy,” with a “habit of clinging to men.”
Kim’s confusion only grew. “My body likes it,” she thought, “so either I’m a bad person or it’s OK.” The biblical teachings she’d grown up with, in a culture that preached abstinence and the sinfulness of sex, told her it was wrong. But Uncle Donn was a close friend of her parents, and the holiest man she knew. He wouldn’t do anything that’s not right, she thought. Ketcham told her God was using him to help her. If she told her parents, he warned, her entire family would be banished from the mission, “where God wanted them to be.” Kim was old enough to understand the implicit threat: By speaking up, she would be ruining God’s purpose for her family. And the blame would be no one’s but hers.
In the spring of 1989, when Kim was 13, Ketcham raped her at the hospital. As she lay on an exam table—“like a corpse, waiting for him to get off”—she had only one way to understand the assault: Love, she thought. This must be love.
For evangelical Christians like Ken and Sue James, bringing up kids in a close-knit fundamentalist community feels like blessing them with the ultimate “safe space” from the moral laxity of the larger culture. Sexual abuse is something that happens in the secular world, not among the God-fearing. This, after all, is the universe of abstinence pledges and old-fashioned courtship, where parents build their entire lives around shielding their children from worldly temptations.
Yet the potential for sexual abuse is actually exacerbated by the core identity of fundamentalist groups like ABWE. Like Catholics, fundamentalists preach strict obedience to religious authority. Sex is not only prohibited outside of marriage, but rarely discussed. These overlapping dynamics of silence and submission make conservative Christians a ripe target for sexual predators. As one convicted child abuser tells clinical psychologist Anna Salter in her book Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders, “Church people are easy to fool.”
Over the past five years, in fact, it has become increasingly clear—even to some conservative Christians—that fundamentalist churches face a widespread epidemic of sexual abuse and institutional denial that could ultimately involve more victims than the pedophilia scandal in the Catholic Church. In 2012, an investigation at Bob Jones University, known as the “fortress of fundamentalism,” revealed that the school had systematically covered up allegations of sexual assault and counseled victims to forgive their attackers. Sovereign Grace, a network of “neo-Calvinist” churches, has been facing multiple allegations of child molestation and sexual abuse. In 2014, a New Republic investigation found that school officials at Patrick Henry College, a popular destination for Christian homeschoolers, had routinely responded to rape and harassment claims by treating perpetrators with impunity, discouraging women from going to the police, and blaming them for dressing immodestly.
Nobody told the James family that women and girls had been abused at the compound hospital since the 1960s. Courtesy of ABWE
Allegations of sexual misconduct have also engulfed four of fundamentalism’s most venerated patriarchs. Doug Phillips, a prominent leader of the Christian homeschooling movement, was forced to step down in 2013 from his nationwide ministry, Vision Forum, after he was sued by a former nanny who claimed he groomed her as a teenager to be his “personal sex object.” The following year, Bill Gothard, founder of the influential Institute in Basic Life Principles, resigned amid more than 30 allegations of sexual harassment and molestation by former staffers, interns, and volunteers. In the first case to cross over into the cultural mainstream, Josh Dugger, the beloved eldest son of reality TV’s favorite fundamentalist family, fell into disgrace in 2015 with the revelation that he had molested five underage girls, including four of his sisters. And this July, the chief of another fundamentalist reality-TV clan, Toby Willis, is scheduled to stand trial on four counts of child rape.
This burgeoning crisis of abuse has received far less attention than the well-documented scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. That’s in part because the evangelical and fundamentalist world, unlike the Catholic hierarchy, is diverse and fractious, composed of thousands of far-flung denominations, ministries, parachurch groups, and missions like ABWE. Among Christian evangelicals, there is no central church authority to investigate, punish, or reform. Groups like ABWE answer only to themselves.
The scale of potential abuse is huge. Evangelical Protestants far outnumber Catholics in the United States, with more than 280,000 churches, religious schools, and affiliated organizations. In 2007, the three leading insurance companies that provide coverage for the majority of Protestant institutions said they received an average of 260 reports per year of child sexual abuse at the hands of church leaders and members. By contrast, the Catholic Church was reporting 228 “credible accusations” per year.
“Protestants have responded much worse than the Catholics to this issue,” says Boz Tchividjian, a former child sex-abuse prosecutor who is the grandson of legendary evangelist Billy Graham. “One of the reasons is that, like it or not, the Catholics have been forced, through three decades of lawsuits, to address this issue. We’ve never been forced to deal with it on a Protestant-wide basis.”
To investigate and expose sexual abuse in evangelical churches, Tchividjian founded GRACE, short for Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment. In 2011, the group was hired to look into what had happened on the Bangladesh compound. While the abuse itself took place long ago, ABWE’s denial and coverup spanned more than two decades—a pattern that eerily replicates the Catholic scandal. The authoritarianism that often prevails in fundamentalist circles, Tchividjian says, is what sets the stage for widespread abuse—and for the systematic mishandling of reported cases. “When you have so much concentrated authority, in so few fallible individuals, problems percolate,” he says. “And when they do, they’re not often addressed. Because the leaders who hold all the authority decide what to do with them.”
It didn’t take long for Kim to wish that she had never said a word to her pastor. Two days after his emergency call to ABWE headquarters in Pennsylvania, two high-level staffers from the organization landed in Indiana. Kim came to think of them as “the Russes.” Russell Ebersole was ABWE’s executive administrator for the Far East. Russell Lloyd was a prominent counselor for the missionary group, eschewing traditional psychology for “Bible-based” therapy methods. They arrived at her pastor’s home looking grim and official, and immediately set about determining whether Kim’s story was true or merely “the exaggeration of an immature teenager,” as Lloyd put it in “Journey to Bangladesh,” a diary he kept about the case.
For the next two days, the Russes interrogated Kim with only the pastor and his wife present, and without the knowledge or consent of her parents, who were still in Bangladesh. “It was nothing like, ‘Kim, we’re going to be talking about some things,’ ” she recalls. “No taking time to get to know me—just point-blank, we have to do this fast.” Ebersole and Lloyd asked questions involving terms that Kim didn’t understand. Did Ketcham have intercourse with her? Had he touched her clitoris? “What’s that?” she responded, bewildered. “I think I was in shock. I’m 13, and I’m being taught the whole story of sex by these men.”
The Russes already knew that Uncle Donn had a sketchy past; Ebersole had personally fielded a complaint involving one of his affairs with an adult woman at the mission. But now Ketcham was being accused of molesting an underage girl—the first time ABWE officials had heard an allegation of child sexual abuse. As Kim struggled to answer their questions, the Russes became convinced that she was telling them the truth about Ketcham touching her. What they couldn’t believe, given fundamentalist precepts about the nature of sex and women, was that she was an innocent party. “It was lust in its most base form, uncontrolled in the body of a spiritually immature woman,” Lloyd wrote of the 13-year-old in his diary. Ketcham, he wrote, had become Kim’s “secret lover.”
“Protestants have responded much worse than the Catholics,” says the grandson of Billy Graham, a former sex-abuse prosecutor.
The next thing Kim knew, she was flying back to Bangladesh with her two interrogators. Ebersole and Lloyd had decided to confront Ketcham by surprise, to prevent him from concocting a cover story in advance. However much they blamed Kim for the “affair,” they knew the doctor would have to leave the mission if he couldn’t exonerate himself. On the long flight, they sat Kim between them and continued to drill her with questions. At one point, when she got up to go to the bathroom, Kim weighed whether to tell a flight attendant that she’d been kidnapped.
The Russes “strongly encouraged” Kim to sign a statement, styled as a confession, in which she apologized for her role in a “relationship” that “transgressed God’s word.” She didn’t understand much of it, but she signed it anyway. “I did exactly what I was told,” she says. “I think I was trying to protect Donn, because I cared about him. So I said whatever responsibility I have is fine. I guess that’s the way I was raised: You accept your responsibility, and I wanted to accept mine.”
Across the world, her parents were in a panic. All they had received was a cryptic message that their youngest daughter would be flying back from Indiana alone with ABWE officers. Unable to reach their other daughters back in Indiana, the Jameses came to fear that something awful had happened to everyone but Kim. Had their other daughters been in an accident of some kind? Were they dead?
When the plane touched down in nearby Chittagong, Ken James was almost beside himself. “Are my other two kids alive?” he asked the Russes. Assured that their other daughters were safe and sound, the Jameses were almost relieved to hear the actual news: There had been some inappropriate touching, the Russes told them, between Kim and Dr. Ketcham. Nothing was said about a rape or a signed confession. Sue and Ken wouldn’t know about any of that for many years to come. “They said it was fondling,” Sue recalls. “We thought, ‘We can handle that.’ ”
But the parents were given no opportunity to “handle” the situation. ABWE was in charge, and Ebersole and Lloyd refused to leave Kim alone with her parents. The plan, the Russes explained, was to drive back to the compound and confront Ketcham in person. If Ketcham was caught off-guard when they arrived, however, he recovered quickly. The doctor blithely owned up to what he called a “bittersweet relationship” with Kim, characterizing it as one in a long line of extramarital indiscretions. Saying he wanted to start at “the real beginning” and confess it all, Ketcham recounted “illicit sexual relationships with other women” dating back to his college days and stretching through his nearly three decades at the compound. Lloyd was impressed by the accused man’s poise. Ketcham’s “sense of humor was intact,” he wrote. “His creative wit and clever use of words were still laced throughout his comments. He even laughed on occasion. It was as if he were describing someone else!”
Still, the Russes told him, he’d have to leave the mission. After Ketcham excused himself to go home and tell his wife what was happening, the men from ABWE were surprised to see the couple return in less than half an hour. According to Lloyd’s diary, he and Ebersole assured Kitty that her husband had not “seduced” the 13-year-old, that Kim had been “a willing partner.” And when they told the Ketchams they would have to leave the mission after nearly three decades, Kitty seemed as unaccountably unruffled as her husband. “Interestingly,” Lloyd wrote, “her only notable question pertained to how |
sson would not commit to EU pleas either for a rapid referendum on joining the EU or on restarting the process. It is not clear why Eurocrats would want a referendum anyway when fully three-quarters of Iceland residents are against joining, according to polls.
But the continued "freeze" is certainly stoking fears in Brussels. The myth of EU invincibility is shattering on Iceland's stubborn, frozen shores. That is all but unacceptable. It is the reason the Eurocrats made Irish voters vote twice on a constitutional treaty, until they "got it right." And why they have continued to inflict "austerity" on the ruined economies of Spain and Greece.
Now the EU no longer appears to be the overwhelming force that brooks no resistance. Here's how the EU Observer put it:
The main purpose of the trip [to Brussels] had been "to tell the commission that the new government has made decision to put negotiations on hold. "We are part of Europe and want to strengthen our relationship in other ways," [Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson] added.
Speaking during a frosty press conference with reporters on Thursday (13 June), Stefan Fule, the Czech commissioner responsible for EU membership bids, admitted that Iceland's decision was a personal blow.
"It was not easy for me as a person (to take the decision)," said Fule. But he added: "I am also a professional and I respect without any questions and any doubt, the will of elected representative and citizens".
The EU has suffered so many reversals at this point that we have lost count. The euro itself has proven to be a disaster, sinking half of Europe. Germany faces a constitutional crisis over ECB inflating – on the backs of the "Fatherland," of course. And most recently, the British Tories, pushed into a corner, agreed to set up an actual referendum on the issue of whether or not the Brits should stay in the union.
Absent a miracle (of the worst kind) citizens of Iceland surely won't be part of a Charlemagne's neo-empire, one built in secret and foisted on 300 million people without their consent.
The corruption, political backstabbing, ever-escalating regional costs, job-sapping regulations, authoritarian Napoleonic justice (guilty until proven innocent) and all the rest is not to be strapped to the backs of weary Icelandic citizens.
They continue to say "no." They won't be rushed. The clear implication is that they are through. Both parties are anti-EU. Perhaps this is a watershed moment. Perhaps indeed this will be seen historically as the high-water mark of this wretched "experiment."
After Thoughts
Perhaps the tide will gradually recede now.UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - NOVEMBER 08: A statue of Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno is seen outside of Beaver Stadium on November 8, 2011 in University Park, Pennsylvania. Amid allegations that former assistant Jerry Sandusky was involved with child sex abuse, Paterno's weekly news conference was canceled about an hour before it was scheduled to occur. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State plans to renovate the building where former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually molested boys, confronting one of the most potent and sinister symbols of a scandal from which it is still trying to recover.
The school intends to remodel the football team shower and locker room area as a direct result of Sandusky’s crimes, university spokesman David La Torre told The Associated Press on Friday.
Renovation plans for the Lasch Football Building were drawn up shortly after Sandusky’s arrest in November, La Torre said, but the university can’t move forward with those plans until all possible legal proceedings have been completed.
Sandusky, a longtime member of Joe Paterno’s coaching staff, was convicted last month of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. Two top administrators face trial on charges of lying to a grand jury and failing to report allegations of child abuse.
Some of the most stomach-churning assaults for which the 68-year-old Sandusky was convicted took place in the showers of the Lasch building. A janitor saw Sandusky performing oral sex on a boy in 2000 but didn’t report it to authorities. In 2001, a graduate football assistant caught Sandusky molesting a boy in the shower and told Paterno, who alerted top administrators. No one reported that attack, either.
The disclosure of Penn State’s remodeling plans came as the school weighs how to deal with the ubiquitous imagery associated with the scandal. Besides the Lasch building, there’s the bronzed statue of Paterno and the library that’s named after him, as well as a downtown mural depicting the Hall of Fame coach and ousted Penn State President Graham Spanier.
Reminders of the Sandusky scandal, and the senior school officials accused of covering it up, are all over Penn State’s campus and State College.
“Does the university want to completely wipe the slate clean? If they do, then they probably want to get rid of something like this — they can still honor Joe in a different way,” said Erik Sandell, of Minneapolis, while visiting the Paterno statue with a friend on Friday. “Get rid of this, get rid of that facility.”
The statue outside Beaver Stadium served as a focal point for mourners of the late coach, but it has turned into a target for critics angered by former FBI director Louis Freeh’s findings that Paterno, Spanier and other university administrators concealed allegations against Sandusky in 1998 and 2001 to avoid bad publicity.
Some newspaper columnists and former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden have said the statue should be taken down.
“You go to a Penn State football game and there’s 100,000 people down there and they got that statute and you know doggone well they’ll start talking about Sandusky,” Bowden told the AP. “If it was me, I wouldn’t want to have it brought up every time I walked out on the field.”
University trustees chairwoman Karen Peetz said Friday that the topic of honoring Paterno — a rallying cry for alumni and former players angered by how he was fired days after Sandusky was arrested in November — remained a sensitive issue that would continue to be discussed.
“It’s going to take a lot of dialogue with the community,” Peetz said. “We want to be reflective, we want to go slowly, and it will be something that will take a lot of deliberation.”
Anthony Lubrano was a vocal critic of the Penn State board’s actions in November before winning election as a trustee this spring. Asked Friday if the statue should be taken down, Lubrano said, “I think this board recognizes the contributions of Joe Paterno at Penn State, and I think that given that they understand all that he’s done, he will certainly be respected by Penn State.”
While the most glaring on-campus reminder of the scandal might be the Mildred and Louis Lasch Football Building, the Lasch family has no qualms about leaving its name on it, a family member said Friday.
“You don’t build a building and put your name on it expecting that something like this is going to happen, but we have seen a lot of good things happen in that building … and we expect to see a lot of good, honorable things happen in that building in the future,” said Ken Smukler, a grandson of the Laschs, who helped start Penn State football’s booster club in 1959 and donated $1.7 million to build what is billed as one of the finest collegiate football operations facilities in the nation.
Penn State President Rodney Erickson told a news conference after the trustees’ meeting in Dunmore on Friday that there was discussion about “modest renovations” at Lasch. Afterward, he told the AP that Athletic Director David Joyner and new Penn State football coach Bill O’Brien have discussed the renovations, including to the locker room and shower.
Football players appearing at a charity event on campus on Friday were divided on renovations to their locker room.
“It doesn’t creep me out at all being in (the locker room),” cornerback Stephon Morris said. “I’m fine with it.”
Later, defensive tackle Jordan Hill said he and some others “feel uncomfortable.”
“A couple guys will joke around about it, but, you know, we’ll be grown men about it,” he said. “We don’t want to act like little kids and be immature so we’ll tell them, ‘Come on, just shut up and go get in the shower.'”
A huge downtown mural shows many figures in Penn State history. The artist, Michael Pilato, said he had no immediate plans to remove Paterno or Spanier. He already painted over Sandusky, replacing him with a Penn State grad who is an advocate for abuse victims and issues.
The Paterno family is well known in the State College community for philanthropic efforts, including millions of dollars to the university to help build a library and fund endowments and scholarships. Even Penn State’s creamery has a famous flavor named after the coach, Peachy Paterno.
Ex-Gov. Ed Rendell, who left office last year, said Paterno’s name should stay on the library — “it symbolizes the good of Joe Paterno,” he said — but that other reminders, such as the statue, should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
The Paterno name has disappeared from other honors.
Nike founder Phil Knight, who won thunderous applause with his passionate defense of the coach at his January memorial service, decided Thursday to remove Paterno’s name from a child development center on the company campus in Oregon.
The Big Ten also removed Paterno’s name from the football championship trophy it had named after him.
Paterno’s family said the coach, who died in January of lung cancer, would not have taken part in a cover-up.
Cynthia Zujaowski, of Clarks Summit, whose husband is a Penn State graduate, said the statue should remain.
“He won more football games than anyone in the world. That accomplishment stands. He helped build Penn State as it is today. He stood for integrity,” said Zujaowski, who attended Friday’s board of trustees meeting. “Statute or nor statue, that legacy remains, and I believe that the statue should stand in memory of that.”
The statue’s sculptor, Angelo DiMaria, said it would be difficult to see his work taken down but he could accept it if it would help the school heal.
“If the statue stays, there will always be people who don’t believe he deserves to be there,” DiMaria said. “If it goes, there will always be people who believe he achieved great things.”
On Friday, a bouquet of daisies and purple flowers were left on top of a sign at the base of the statue that read: “Remember: He was a man. Not a God!!!”
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)He's the most famous businessman in the world. Reams have been written about how he dominated the revolution in personal computing and is now poised to turn Microsoft into a media and Internet behemoth. But we know little about him as a person. What beliefs and values drive this man who, as much as anyone, will determine the way we look not only at computers but at ourselves and our world? Here's an intimate look at one of the most important minds and personalities of our era.
When Bill Gates was in the sixth grade, his parents decided he needed counseling. He was at war with his mother Mary, an outgoing woman who harbored the belief that he should do what she told him. She would call him to dinner from his basement bedroom, which she had given up trying to make him clean, and he wouldn't respond. "What are you doing?" she once demanded over the intercom.
"I'm thinking," he shouted back.
"You're thinking?"
"Yes, Mom, I'm thinking," he said fiercely. "Have you ever tried thinking?"
The psychologist they sent him to "was a really cool guy," Gates recalls. "He gave me books to read after each session, Freud stuff, and I really got into psychology theory." After a year of sessions and a battery of tests, the counselor reached his conclusion. "You're going to lose," he told Mary. "You had better just adjust to it because there's no use trying to beat him." Mary was strong-willed and intelligent herself, her husband recalls, "but she came around to accepting that it was futile trying to compete with him."
A lot of computer companies have concluded the same. In the 21 years since he dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft, William Henry Gates III, 41, has thrashed competitors in the world of desktop operating systems and application software. Now he is attempting the audacious feat of expanding Microsoft from a software company into a media and content company.
In the process he has amassed a fortune worth (as of last Friday) $23.9 billion. The 88% rise in Microsoft stock in 1996 meant he made on paper more than $10.9 billion, or about $30 million a day. That makes him the world's richest person, by far. But he's more than that. He has become the Edison and Ford of our age. A technologist turned entrepreneur, he embodies the digital era.
His success stems from his personality: an awesome and at times frightening blend of brilliance, drive, competitiveness and personal intensity. So too does Microsoft's. "The personality of Bill Gates determines the culture of Microsoft," says his intellectual sidekick Nathan Myhrvold. But though he has become the most famous business celebrity in the world, Gates remains personally elusive to all but a close circle of friends.
Part of what makes him so enigmatic is the nature of his intellect. Wander the Microsoft grounds, press the Bill button in conversation and hear it described in computer terms: he has "incredible processing power" and "unlimited bandwidth," an agility at "parallel processing" and "multitasking." Watch him at his desk, and you see what they mean. He works on two computers, one with four frames that sequence data streaming in from the Internet, the other handling the hundreds of E-mail messages and memos that extend his mind into a network. He can be so rigorous as he processes data that one can imagine his mind may indeed be digital: no sloppy emotions or analog fuzziness, just trillions of binary impulses coolly converting input into correct answers.
"I don't think there's anything unique about human intelligence," Gates says over dinner one night at a nearly deserted Indian restaurant in a strip mall near his office. Even while eating, he seems to be multitasking; ambidextrous, he switches his fork back and forth throughout the meal and uses whichever hand is free to gesture or scribble notes. "All the neurons in the brain that make up perceptions and emotions operate in a binary fashion," he explains. "We can someday replicate that on a machine." Earthly life is carbon based, he notes, and computers are silicon based, but that is not a major distinction. "Eventually we'll be able to sequence the human genome and replicate how nature did intelligence in a carbon-based system." The notion, he admits, is a bit frightening, but he jokes that it would also be cheating. "It's like reverse-engineering someone else's product in order to solve a challenge."
Might there be some greater meaning to the universe? When engaged or amused, he is voluble, waving his hands and speaking loudly enough to fill the restaurant. "It's possible, you can never know, that the universe exists only for me." It's a mix of Descartes' metaphysics and Tom Stoppard's humor. "If so," he jokes, "it's sure going well for me, I must admit." He laughs; his eyes sparkle. Here's something machines can't do (I don't think): giggle about their plight in the cosmos, crack themselves up, have fun.
Right? Isn't there something special, perhaps even divine, about the human soul? His face suddenly becomes expressionless, his squeaky voice turns toneless, and he folds his arms across his belly and vigorously rocks back and forth in a mannerism that has become so mimicked at Microsoft that a meeting there can resemble a round table of ecstatic rabbis. Finally, as if from an automaton, comes the answer: "I don't have any evidence on that." Rock, rock, rock. "I don't have any evidence on that."
The search for evidence about the soul that underlies Bill Gates' intellectual operating system is a task that even this boyish man might find a challenge.
"As a baby, he used to rock back and forth in his cradle himself," recalls Gates' father, a man as big and huggable as his son is small and tightly coiled. A retired lawyer, he still lives in the airy suburban Seattle house overlooking Lake Washington where Bill III--the boy he calls "Trey"--grew up. (The name comes from the card term for three, though the father is now resigned to being called Bill Sr.)
His mother Mary was "a remarkable woman," Bill Sr. says. A banker's daughter, she was adroit in both social and business settings, and served on numerous boards, including those of the University of Washington, the United Way, USWest and First Interstate Bancorp. After her death in 1994, the city council named the avenue leading into their neighborhood after her.
"Trey didn't have a lot of confidence in social settings," says his father. "I remember him fretting for two weeks before asking a girl to the prom, then getting turned down. But Mary did. She was a star at social intercourse. She could walk into a room..." He has the same toothy smile as his son, the same smudgy glasses covering twinkling eyes. But now, for just a moment, he is starting to tear up. His mind does not seem like a computer. He folds his arms across his stomach and starts to rock, gently.
He gets up to show some more pictures of Mary and of her mother. Both loved cards, and they would organize bridge games, as well as Password and trivia contests, after the big family dinners they held every Sunday. "The play was quite serious," Bill Sr. recalls. "Winning mattered."
As he wanders through the house, he points out more framed pictures of his son: Trey, the towheaded Cub Scout; Trey with sister Kristi, a year older, who now has the joy of being his tax accountant; and with Libby, nine years younger, who lives a few blocks away raising her two kids; with Bill Sr. and his new wife Mimi, the director of the Seattle Art Museum; and hugging his wife Melinda while listening to Willie Nelson play at their New Year's Day 1994 wedding in Hawaii.
"He's a busy guy," says Bill Sr., "so we don't see him a lot, but we spend holidays together." Thanksgiving was in Spokane, Washington, at Kristi's house, Christmas playing golf in Palm Springs, California, where Bill Sr. and Mimi have a place. They communicate mainly by E-mail. Just this morning he got one describing a photocopier Trey bought him for his birthday.
He lumbers over to a table where he has gathered some pictures of summer vacations they used to take with friends at a cluster of rental cabins known as Cheerio on the Hood Canal, about two hours away. There were nightly campfires, family skits and the type of organized competitive games the Gates family loved. "On Saturdays there was a tennis tournament, and on Sundays our Olympics, which were a mixture of games and other activities," Bill Sr. recalls. "Trey was more into the individual sports, such as water skiing, than the team ones."
In 1986, after Microsoft became successful, Gates built a four-house vacation compound dubbed Gateaway for his family. There his parents would help him replicate his summer activities on a grander scale for dozens of friends and co-workers in what became known as the Microgames. "There were always a couple of mental games as well as performances and regular games," says Bill Sr. as he flips through a scrapbook. These were no ordinary picnics: one digital version of charades, for example, had teams competing to send numerical messages using smoke-signal machines, in which the winners devised their own 4-bit binary code.
"We became concerned about him when he was ready for junior high," says his father. "He was so small and shy, in need of protection, and his interests were so very different from the typical sixth grader's." His intellectual drive and curiosity would not be satisfied in a big public school. So they decided to send him to an elite private school across town.
Walking across the rolling quad of the Lakeside School, Bill Sr. points out the chapel where his son played the lead in Peter Shaffer's Black Comedy. "He was very enthusiastic about acting. But what really entranced him was in there," he says, pointing to a New England-style steepled classroom building. With the proceeds from a rummage sale, the Mothers' Club had funded a clunky teletype computer terminal.
Learning BASIC language from a manual with his pal Paul Allen, Trey produced two programs in the eighth grade: one that converted a number in one mathematical base to a different base, and another (easier to explain) that played tic-tac-toe. Later, having read about Napoleon's military strategies, he devised a computer version of Risk, a board game he liked in which the goal is world domination.
Trey and Paul were soon spending their evenings at a local company that had bought a big computer and didn't have to pay for it until it was debugged. In exchange for computer time, the boys' job was to try (quite successfully) to find bugs that would crash it. "Trey got so into it," his father recalls, "that he would sneak out the basement door after we went to bed and spend most of the night there."
The combination of counseling and the computer helped transform him into a self-assured young businessman. By high school he and his friends had started a profitable company to analyze and graph traffic data for the city. "His confidence increased, and his sense of humor increased," his father says. "He became a great storyteller, who could mimic the voices of each person. And he made peace with his mother."
"In ninth grade," Gates recalls over dinner one night, "I came up with a new form of rebellion. I hadn't been getting good grades, but I decided to get all A's without taking a book home. I didn't go to math class, because I knew enough and had read ahead, and I placed within the top 10 people in the nation on an aptitude exam. That established my independence and taught me I didn't need to rebel anymore." By 10th grade he was teaching computers and writing a program that handled class scheduling, which had a secret function that placed him in classes with the right girls.
His best friend was Kent Evans, son of a Unitarian minister. "We read FORTUNE together; we were going to conquer the world," says Gates. "I still remember his phone number." Together with Paul Allen, they formed the official-sounding Lakeside Programmers Group and got a job writing a payroll system for a local firm. A furious argument, the first of many, ensued when Allen tried to take over the work himself. But he soon realized he needed the tireless Gates back to do the coding. "O.K., but I'm in charge," Gates told him, "and I'll get used to being in charge, and it'll be hard to deal with me from now on unless I'm in charge." He was right.
To relieve the pressures of programming, Evans took up mountain climbing. One day Gates got a call from the headmaster: Evans had been killed in a fall. "I had never thought of people dying," Gates says. There is a flicker of emotion. "At the service, I was supposed to speak, but I couldn't get up. For two weeks I couldn't do anything at all."
After that he became even closer to Paul Allen. They learned an artificial-intelligence language together and found odd jobs as programmers. "We were true partners," Gates says. "We'd talk for hours every day." After Gates went off to Harvard, Allen drove his rattletrap Chrysler cross-country to continue their collaboration. He eventually persuaded Gates to become that university's most famous modern dropout in order to start a software company, which they initially dubbed Micro-Soft (after considering the name Allen & Gates Inc.), to write versions of BASIC for the first personal computers. It was an intense relationship: Gates the workaholic code writer and competitor, Allen the dreamy visionary.
Over the years they would have ferocious fights, and Allen would, after a Hodgkin's disease scare, quit the company and become estranged. But Gates worked hard to repair the relationship and eventually lured Allen, who is now one of the country's biggest high-tech venture-capital investors (and owner of the Portland Trail Blazers), back onto the Microsoft board. "We like to talk about how the fantasies we had as kids actually came true," Gates says. Now, facing their old classroom building at Lakeside is the modern brick Allen/Gates Science Center. (Gates lost the coin toss.)
Steve Ballmer, big and balding, is bouncing around a Microsoft conference room with the spirit of the Harvard football-team manager he once was. "Bill lived down the hall from me at Harvard sophomore year," he says. "He'd play poker until 6 in the morning, then I'd run into him at breakfast and discuss applied mathematics." They took graduate-level math and economics courses together, but Gates had an odd approach toward his classes: he would skip the lectures of those he was taking and audit the lectures of those he wasn't, then spend the period before each exam cramming. "He's the smartest guy I've ever met," says Ballmer, 40, continuing the unbroken sequence of people who make that point early in an interview.
Ballmer nurtured the social side of Gates, getting him to join one of the college's eating clubs (at his initiation Gates gave a drunken disquisition on an artificial-intelligence machine), playing the video game Pong at hamburger joints and later wandering with him to places like the old Studio 54 during visits to New York City. "He was eccentric but charismatic," says Ballmer.
When Microsoft began to grow in 1980, Gates needed a smart nontechie to help run things, and he lured Ballmer, who had worked for Procter & Gamble, to Seattle as an equity partner. Though he can be coldly impersonal in making business decisions, Gates has an emotional loyalty to a few old friends. "I always knew I would have close business associates like Ballmer and several of the other top people at Microsoft, and that we would stick together and grow together no matter what happened," he says. "I didn't know that because of some analysis. I just decided early on that was part of who I was."
As with Allen, the relationship was sometimes stormy. "Our first major row came when I insisted it was time to hire 17 more people," Ballmer recalls. "He claimed I was trying to bankrupt him." Gates has a rule that Microsoft, rather than incurring debt, must always have enough money in the bank to run for a year even with no revenues. (It currently has $8 billion in cash and no long-term debt.) "I was living with him at the time, and I got so pissed off I moved out." The elder Gates smoothed things over, and soon the new employees were hired.
"Bill brings to the company the idea that conflict can be a good thing," says Ballmer. "The difference from P&G is striking. Politeness was at a premium there. Bill knows it's important to avoid that gentle civility that keeps you from getting to the heart of an issue quickly. He likes it when anyone, even a junior employee, challenges him, and you know he respects you when he starts shouting back." Around Microsoft, it's known as the "math camp" mentality: a lot of cocky geeks willing to wave their fingers and yell with the cute conviction that all problems have a right answer. Among Gates' favorite phrases is "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," and victims wear it as a badge of honor, bragging about it the way they do about getting a late-night E-mail from him.
The contentious atmosphere can promote flexibility. The Microsoft Network began as a proprietary online system like CompuServe or America Online. When the open standards of the Internet changed the game, Microsoft was initially caught flat-footed. Arguments ensued. Soon it became clear it was time to try a new strategy and raise the stakes. Gates turned his company around in just one year to disprove the maxim that a leader of one revolution will be left behind by the next.
During the bachelor years in the early '80s, the math-camp mentality was accompanied by a frat-boy recreational style. Gates, Ballmer and friends would eat out at Denny's, go to movies and gather for intellectual games like advanced forms of trivia and Boggle. As friends started getting married, there were bachelor parties involving local strippers and skinny-dipping in Gates' pool. But eventually, after Gates wed, he took up more mature pursuits such as golf. "Bill got into golf in the same addictive way he gets into anything else," says Ballmer. "It gets his competitive juice flowing."
It's a rainy night, and Gates is bombing around in his dark blue Lexus. He loves fast cars. When Microsoft was based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in its early years, he bought a Porsche 911 and used to race it in the desert; Paul Allen had to bail him out of jail after one midnight escapade. He got three speeding tickets--two from the same cop who was trailing him--just on the drive from Albuquerque the weekend he moved Microsoft to Seattle. Later he bought a Porsche 930 Turbo he called the "rocket," then a Mercedes, a Jaguar XJ6, a $60,000 Carrera Cabriolet 964, a $380,000 Porsche 959 that ended up impounded in a customs shed because it couldn't meet import emission standards, and a Ferrari 348 that became known as the "dune buggy" after he spun it into the sand.
Despite this record, Gates is not wearing a seat belt. (A dilemma: Is it too uncool to use mine?) He rarely looks at you when he talks, which is disconcerting, but he does so when he's driving, which is doubly disconcerting. (I buckle up. As his mother and others have learned, it's not always prudent to compete.) He turns into a dark drive with a chain-link fence that slides open as the Lexus approaches. It's nearing midnight, and the security guard looks a bit startled.
Gates' home of the future has been under construction for more than four years, and is not expected to be completed until this summer. Built into a bluff fronting Lake Washington, it has 40,000 sq. ft. of space and will cost about $40 million. Looming against the night sky are three connected pavilions of glass and recycled Douglas fir beams, looking a bit like a corporate conference center masquerading as a resort.
Gates swings into a vaulted 30-car garage carved into the hillside. In the corner, like a museum piece, sits his parents' red Mustang convertible that he drove as a kid. "The first pavilion is mainly for public entertaining," he says as he picks his way past construction debris down four levels of stairs. Despite the hour, three technicians are working in the ground-floor reception hall, with its view of the Olympic Mountains across Lake Washington, adjusting two dozen 40-in. monitors that will form a flat-screen display covering an entire wall. "When you visit, you'll get an electronic pin encoded with your preferences," he explains. "As you wander toward any room, your favorite pictures will appear along with the music you like or a TV show or movie you're watching. The system will learn from your choices, and it will remember the music or pictures from your previous visits so you can choose to have them again or have similar but new ones. We'll have to have hierarchy guidelines, for when more than one person goes to a room." Like Gates himself, it's all very fascinating, fun and a little intimidating.
Moving into the center pavilion, Gates shows off what will be the library. A mammoth carved wooden dome hangs just above the floor, waiting to be raised into the cupola. (I wonder: Does this grand chamber dispel my fear that he will relegate print to museum status? Or inadvertently confirm it?) He has hired a New York rare-books dealer to stock the library for him. His current reading is eclectic. "On a recent trip to Italy," he says, "I took the new Stalin biography, a book about Hewlett-Packard, Seven Summits [a mountaineering book by Dick Bass and the late Disney president Frank Wells] and a Wallace Stegner novel." He's also a fan of Philip Roth's, John Irving's, Ernest J. Gaines' and David Halberstam's, but his all-time favorite novels are the schoolboy standards The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby and A Separate Peace. A nearby room will be filled by an enormous trampoline; at the office he sometimes surprises colleagues by joyfully leaping to touch the ceiling, and he finds bouncing on a trampoline as conducive to concentration as rocking.
The only completed part of the house is the indoor pool under the family quarters. A sleek lap pool reflecting images from a wall snakes through glass into an outdoor Japanese bath area. The security guard reappears and warns, "Be careful of what you do in there, since the boats on the lake can see inside." As the door to the pool room closes, Gates doubles over in laughter. Does he come in here often at night? "Sometimes with Melinda," he says.
We wander out to the deck, and the wind slams the door shut. It's locked. Gates tries to call the guard, but he's disappeared to a distant part of the estate. So he leads the way past bulldozers into trenches that will someday become an estuary and stocked trout stream. At the moment, however, it's a quagmire that proves impassable. Remarkably, Gates is able to avoid looking sheepish. After a few more minutes of shouting, he attracts the guard's attention.
Gates chose the austere and natural architectural style before he got married, but Melinda is now putting her own imprint on it. "The exposed concrete is going to have to go," he says, expressing some concern about how the architect might take this.
Gates met Melinda French 10 years ago at a Microsoft press event in Manhattan. She was working for the company and later became one of the executives in charge of interactive content. Their daughter Jennifer was born last April. Melinda, 32, is no longer at Microsoft, and she is active in charity work and on the board of Duke, where she studied computer science as an undergraduate and then got a graduate degree in business. Like Gates, she is smart and independent. Like his mother, she is also friendly and social, with an easy manner of organizing trips and activities. But she zealously guards her privacy and doesn't give interviews.
"I used to think I wouldn't be all that interested in the baby until she was two or so and could talk," says Gates as he shows off the more intimate family quarters. "But I'm totally into it now. She's just started to say 'ba-ba' and have a personality."
Melinda is Catholic, goes to church and wants to raise Jennifer that way. "But she offered me a deal," Gates says. "If I start going to church--my family was Congregationalist--then Jennifer could be raised in whatever religion I choose." Gates admits that he is tempted, because he would prefer she have a religion that "has less theology and all" than Catholicism, but he has not yet taken up the offer. "Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient," he explains. "There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning."
If Ballmer is Gates' social goad, his intellectual one is Nathan Myhrvold (pronounced Meer-voll), 37, who likes to joke that he's got more degrees than a thermometer, including a doctorate in physics from Princeton. With a fast and exuberant laugh, he has a passion for subjects ranging from technology (he heads Microsoft's advanced-research group) to dinosaurs (he's about to publish a paper on the aerodynamics of the apatosaurus tail) to cooking. He sometimes moonlights as a chef at Rover's, a French restaurant in Seattle.
When he arrives there for dinner, owner Thierry Rautureau comes out to hug him and pour champagne. There follows a procession of a dozen courses, from black truffles and pureed celery root in smoked game consomme to venison with obscure types of mushrooms, each with different vintage wines. (The bill for two comes to $390, and picking it up assuages my discomfort that Gates had insisted on putting the previous evening's $37 tab at the Indian restaurant on his MasterCard.)
"There are two types of tech companies," Myhrvold says in between pauses to inhale the aroma of the food. "Those where the guy in charge knows how to surf, and those where he depends on experts on the beach to guide him." The key point about Gates is that he knows--indeed loves--the intricacies of creating software. "Every decision he makes is based on his knowledge of the merits. He doesn't need to rely on personal politics. It sets the tone."
Myhrvold describes a typical private session with Gates. Pacing around a room, they will talk for hours about future technologies such as voice recognition (they call their team working on it the "wreck a nice beach" group, because that's what invariably appears on the screen when someone speaks the phrase "recognize speech" into the system), then wander onto topics ranging from quantum physics to genetic engineering. "Bill is not threatened by smart people," he says, "only stupid ones."
Microsoft has long hired based on I.Q. and "intellectual bandwidth." Gates is the undisputed ideal: talking to most people is like sipping from a fountain, goes the saying at the company, but with Gates it's like drinking from a fire hose. Gates, Ballmer and Myhrvold believe it's better to get a brilliant but untrained young brain--they're called "Bill clones"--than someone with too much experience. The interview process tests not what the applicants know but how well they can process tricky questions: If you wanted to figure out how many times on average you would have to flip the pages of the Manhattan phone book to find a specific name, how would you approach the problem?
Gates' intellect is marked by an ability, as he |
ish Shelar.
Commenting on the benefits of demonetisation, Jaitley reiterated that money which was earlier getting circulated outside the economy has come into the formal banking system.
Regarding BJP’s vision of building a ‘New India’, the Union Minister said the government wants to spend funds on defence, rural development and infrastructure. “We should have world-class public institutions so that shameful incidents such as the Gorakhpur tragedy do not recur,” he added.
Jaitley, who also holds the portfolio of finance ministry, said the Narendra Modi-led government was not satisfied with a 7-7.5 per cent GDP growth rate, adding that the government would continue to take tough decisions in order to boost the country’s growth rate.
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He also shed light on several achievements of the BJP-led government, which had completed three years in power. GST rollout, notes ban and amendment to laws related to benami transactions were among the topics he spoke during the function.
With PTI inputsAnalysis - From tomorrow morning, anybody in the world who fancies it will be able to watch Kim Dotcom's appeal against his extradition to the United States. What precedent will that set?
Photo: RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson
"I'm so hyped for this livestream," @loohney tweeted.
Similar anticipation followed from many of Kim Dotcom's other supporters in the hours after High Court Justice Murray Gilbert granted permission for the internet mogul to livestream his entire appeal against extradition on YouTube.
Photo: Screenshot
Photo: Screenshot
Photo: Screenshot
@DoofDoofson was one of a handful with more realistic expectations of what might be in store.
"[This] is the point where we are reminded how mind numbingly boring court proceedings can be isn't it?" he tweeted at Mr Dotcom.
Justice Gilbert's ruling will make the extradition appeal - which is set down for six weeks - the first-ever New Zealand court case to be livestreamed.
The only other comparable instance is the Royal Commission into the Pike River disaster, when a website was set up especially to host a livestream of the inquiry.
A judge also granted TV3 permission to livestream the re-trial of David Bain in 2009, but the station never followed through with its request after concerns that witnesses might watch it before they gave their own evidence.
Even internationally, livestreams of court hearings are rare.
The most high-profile instance - and one that Mr Dotcom's lawyers pointed to - was the murder trial of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, when several media organisations were given permission to stream the hearing.
Photo: AFP
But while it might be a New Zealand first, Auckland University law professor Bill Hodge said Dotcom supporters preparing themselves for a full Boston Legal experience might be disappointed.
"It's not going to be transformative entertainment... It'll be duller than dishwater."
Justice Gilbert has not yet released his reasons for granting the application, but Dr Hodge said the nature of the hearing could be one factor.
"This is not a trial. There's no witnesses, it's just argument on what the lower court judge did."
For that reason, the decision was unlikely to result in a sudden deluge of court livestreams, he said.
"I don't see it happening in trials because witnesses would be exposed. [So] I don't see it as a huge precedent and I don't see it catching on for other reasons, because it's just not going to be good television."
David Harvey was the original district court judge in the Dotcom case but had to step down after making a joke about the US at an internet conference.
It was good for justice for people to have access to court through a livestream, he said.
"It's great because it means the courts are using up-to-the-minute technology to enable people to see the business of the court."
There would not be many countries that would allow it, he said.
"It's very, very innovative."
Photo: RNZ/Diego Opatowski
A report to Chief Justice Sian Elias last year reviewing the court media guidelines concluded that livestreaming was unlikely to become the norm in the near future.
"Save for the most high profile trials which only arise occasionally, it is unlikely that the media would be prepared to meet the costs of livestreaming," the review panel said.
Judges and lawyers would also need to be aware of the livestream, "to avoid footage being broadcast which is prohibited or in breach of the guidelines".
"There would also be the risk that an order excluding witnesses could be defeated if witnesses were filmed continuously. The evidence those witnesses were prohibited from viewing would be available through the livestreaming."
Justice Gilbert said today that most of those problems did not exist as far as the extradition appeal was concerned.
However, he still imposed several conditions on the Dotcom livestream.
They include a 20 minute broadcast delay, to give the court leeway to stop the livestream when lawyers were talking about suppressed material; and a promise from Mr Dotcom and his legal team that the livestream footage would be taken down as soon as the hearing ended.
Crown lawyer Christine Gordon, who acts on behalf of the US, was unconvinced by that last condition, saying in court that the footage could be "sucked off" YouTube as it was streamed and made available later on.
That fear does not seem entirely unfounded - Mr Dotcom tweeted after today's hearing that he expected to see "brilliant edits" of the footage from those watching.
Now that live streaming is granted you can dig into this corrupt case. We'll see brilliant edits & stories from the Internet generation ⚖ — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) August 30, 2016
The reasons for livestreaming that his lead lawyer Ron Mansfield put forward in court were much nobler.
"This is a case of the internet age and as such has attracted significant academic and media interest," Mr Mansfield said.
The issues being discussed could set both national and international legal precedents, he said.
"However... the chances of such interest being satisfied by the necessarily brief footage by television or radio is negligible."
Bill Hodge said that argument was laudable.
"I'm totally in support of justice being transparent. All Kim Dotcom is saying here is, 'I want this to be seen.'"
Mr Dotcom sure does.
"We are going to smash the US extradition case," he tweeted. "I would love for you to witness the embarrassment."Valve
Valve looks set to offer new ways to buy content on its PC gaming platform Steam, with hints of bitcoin payments found in the client's translation servers.
Although Valve has yet to make an announcement, strong evidence was found by reddit user Haoose and screencapped here.
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Rather than directly trading bitcoins through Steam, it appears Valve will be using the third-party BitPay. This hypothetically saves Valve from having to do any internal conversion or calculation based on bitcoin's current market value, and should make transactions smoother.
Valve already offers multiple ways to pay for games -- credit or debit cards, PayPal, Skrill, top-up cards -- so adding bitcoin isn't a huge surprise. There is a possible hurdle for buyers though: wait times before getting your games.
An entry under "checkout_receipt_pending_bitcoin_long" -- text that could be presented to consumers after completing a bitcoin purchase -- reads "Your purchase is currently in progress and is waiting for confirmation of bitcoin delivery from BitPay. This process can take several minutes to a few days for confirmation. Valve will send an email receipt to you when payment is received for this purchase. During this time you may continue shopping for other games, though you will not be able to re-purchase any products that are pending in this transaction."
This is likely because, unlike PayPal or credit cards, bitcoin payments aren't instant. Although BitPay, like PayPal, essentially serves as a guarantor for customers while purchases are processed, Steam could be extra-cautious with accepting the virtual currecy, forcing a holding period before "releasing" a game to players' account.
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If Valve does indeed introduce bitcoin payments, some may already see it as too little, too late. In recent months, debate has risen over the future of the cryptocurrency, prompted at least in part by one developer saying it has already failed.
Saying a small number of people overwhelmingly control the system, which was meant to be decentralised precisely to prevent the pyramid structure of more conventional financial institutions, Mike Hearn wrote that the community, and more importantly, the technology underpinning bitcoin has failed. (Valery Vavilov, co-founder of BitFury, a bitcoin blockchain infrastructure provider and transaction processing company, disagreed.)
When or if Valve officially launches bitcoin transactions remains to be seen, but given Steam's prominence among PC gamers and the overlap between that community and those using bitcoin, the payment option sure to find its fans.Overview (4)
Mini Bio (1)
Trade Mark (6)
Incredible physicality despite his girth
Innovator of "anti-slapstick" comedy style; ie. man walks into doorframe, curses and screams in pain for long period of time.
Manic energy
Screaming many lines at the top of his lungs
Characters on SNL: Matt Foley, Todd O'Connor and Bennett Brauer
Blonde hair, usually styled in a messy or uneven way.
Trivia (40)
Parents are Thomas John and Mary Anne Farley.
Posed as Newt Gingrich on Capitol Hill to help the House Republican leader celebrate his first 100 days. [April 1995]
Died from opiate and cocaine intoxication. Found by his brother John Farley in his apartment in the John Hancock building.
Received his degree in communications and theater from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1986).
Before his death, Farley maintained that, as a dramatic role, he wished to star in a film biography of silent comedian Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle
Had a year left on his contract with Saturday Night Live (1975) but was let go in the process of the show's rapid cast change during 1995.
In most of his film vehicles, his brother Kevin P. Farley was used as an extra.
Credited for performing many of his own stunts.
Was originally cast as the title role in Shrek (2001) and even recorded the dialogue. However, after his untimely death, the role was given to fellow Saturday Night Live (1975) performer, Mike Myers
He was said to have idolized John Belushi. His life story bears a striking similarity to that of Belushi: both Farley and Belushi were regulars at The Second City in Chicago, both then went on to become cast members on Saturday Night Live (1975) and then later do feature films, both had obesity problems, both had a reputation for having an out-of-control lifestyle, and both died from drug overdoses at the age of thirty-three.
Was the first choice for Jim Carrey's role in The Cable Guy (1996), but scheduling conflicts forced him to miss out on doing the film.
At the time of his untimely death, he lived in the John Hancock building in Chicago. His next-door neighbor was television and radio host Jerry Springer
According to the medical examiner, Farley was 5' 8" and 296 lbs. at the time of his death.
Attended and graduated from Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart (1982).
He was surprisingly athletic for his size, playing football in high school and rugby during college.
Was planning to do a third movie with David Spade at the time of his death.
He was of seven-eighths Irish and one-eighth Scottish ancestry.
He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6366 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on August 26, 2005. The star is located in front of the improve Olympic West theater, where he used to perform.
He was slated for a voice role in Dinosaur (2000) as a young male brachiosaurus named Sorbus who, despite his gigantic nature, was frightened of heights. After his death, the character was rewritten as Baylene, an elderly female Brachiosaurus played by stage actress Joan Plowright.
He was planning on starring in a biography about Hermann Goering.
Off-screen, Farley was well known for his pranks in the offices of Saturday Night Live (1975). This would refer to Farley and Adam Sandler making late-night prank phone calls from the SNL offices in Rockefeller Center, with Sandler speaking in an old woman's voice and Farley farting into the phone and mooning cars from a limousine. He was also known to frequently get naked and do various stunts for laughs. Chris Rock once claimed that he probably saw Farley's private parts more than Farley's girlfriend did.
At the time of his untimely death, Farley had also been in talks to co-star with Vince Vaughn in the film The Gelfin, which was never made.
He was so disappointed in Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) that he cried on his agent's shoulder after the first screening. He told his agent that he never wanted to do such a film again. Farley's stance was justified as it arguably attributed to the exploitation of his manic, physical humor by dumbing it down and playing it out to an almost tiring and foolish degree.
Farley had also been in talks for the lead in an adaptation of the novel "A Confederacy of Dunces". Farley even expressed interest in portraying Atuk in an adaptation of the novel "The Incomparable Atuk". Both of these shelved projects, along with a Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle biopic, have been alleged to be cursed as Farley, John Belushi, and John Candy were each attached to all three roles, and all three died before any of the films entered production.
He and David Spade were planning on making a movie centered on his character Matt Foley from Saturday Night Live (1975).
Dav Pilkey, author of the children's book series "Captain Underpants", had wanted Farley to play the title role in a potential television series based on the books, but discarded the idea after Farley's untimely death.
He was originally meant to play Kevin James'role in Grown Ups (2010), as the script was originally written in the early 1990s.
As told by comedian Norm MacDonald in an interview on the Howard Stern radio show, Farley named his SNL character Matt Foley after a priest named Matt Foley back home where, Norm said he learned at Farley's funeral, Farley lead a secret life helping in the soup kitchen and other things for the church.
Chris Farley passed away on December 18, 1997, two months away from what would have been his 34th birthday on February 15, 1998.
The song "Purple Stain" by the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers contains the lyric "Farley is an angel and I can prove this" as a tribute to Farley.
Following his untimely death, he was interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.
He was originally going to be in the unmade third Ghostbusters movie along side Chris Rock and Ben Stiller
Has a son.
Personal Quotes (10)
Basically, I only play one character; I just play him at different volumes.
Everyone is treating it like a Hollywood story. In Madison, it's a neighborhood story.
People... need a time to laugh. It's up to us to bonk ourselves on the head and slip on a banana peel so the average guy can say, "I may be bad, honey, but I'm not as much of an idiot as that guy on the screen.".
Once I thought that if I just had enough in the bank, if I had enough fame, that it would be all right. But I'm a human being like everyone else. I'm not exempt.
In the land of the skunks, he who has half a nose is king.
The point is, how do you know the Guarantee Fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer.
I was in the Pritikin Center in Santa Monica once, trying to lose 30 or 40 pounds in a month. I'd work... on a treadmill and with the weights, but it was driving me nuts. So I escaped. Tom Arnold picked me up and we went to Le Dome and had tons of desserts.
I used to think that you could get to a level of success where the laws of the universe didn't apply. But they do. It's still life on life's terms, not on movie-star terms. I still have to work at relationships. I still have to work on my weight and some of my other demons.
I have a tendency toward the pleasures of the flesh. It's a battle for me, as far as weight and things like that. But I'm curbing them because I want to continue to do comedy, and the two don't mix. So I try to fight those demons.
I want to live fast and die young.
Salary (3)Earlier this week, as the coalition appeared fresh on the verge of a crisis over a new public broadcasting authority, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon sounded the alarm.
“This government needs a vacation. It must urgently be put on vacation, before it is hospitalized,” Kahlon told Army Radio.
Starting Thursday, lawmakers will have some three months to recuperate from the lively, often raucous, ten-week summer session that opened with the surprise inclusion of the Yisrael Beytenu party in the coalition and wound down with the passage of a series of contested bills into law.
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On July 12, the NGO transparency bill passed, which will force non-governmental organizations that receive the majority of their funding from foreign countries to disclose this information on public documents. The MK expulsion bill, which gives a supermajority of lawmakers the option of ousting colleagues who voice support for armed struggle against the State of Israel, was voted into law on July 20.
Six days later, a provision to allow religious authorities to prevent non-Orthodox Jews from performing conversions in the state-funded ritual baths became law. The rollback of a minimum requirement of math, science and English courses in ultra-Orthodox schools, which would see a reduction in state funding for those institutions that don’t meet the criteria, was given final parliamentary approval on Monday.
As the parliament goes on break, below is a look at some of the proposals (beyond those mentioned above) that made it into law, and the issues that will likely arise in the fall and may expose fault lines in the coalition.
The session that was
Anti-terrorism legislation: Perhaps the most significant achievement for the government in the past three months was the sweeping overhaul of anti-terror legislation, which lays out punishments for terror offenses and gives Israeli law enforcement more leeway to crack down than ever before.
The laws, which have been drafted over some five years, also garnered the support of the Zionist Union, and were approved into law on June 15.
On Wednesday, the Knesset also authorized a three-year provision that would allow courts to order convicted terrorists as young as 12 to be held in closed facilities and sent to jail once they reach the age of 14. A day earlier, the Knesset okayed a one-time NIS 200,000 ($52,300) grant for Israelis who lost both parents in a terror attack prior to October 2000 (Israelis who lost both parents after that period are already compensated under existing laws).
On July 18, the government increased penalties for individuals who destroy an Israeli flag or national symbol to three years in jail (up from a year) and a NIS 58,400 ($15,200) fine.
Amid the ongoing controversy over IDF soldier Elor Azaria, indicted for manslaughter over the March killing of a disarmed Palestinian terrorist, the Knesset approved a law banning the publication of the names of Israeli soldiers under investigation who have not been indicted. In July, the parliament also expanded the legal definition of “incitement” to include encouraging volunteer Israeli soldiers, namely Christians, to desert the military.
The fight over the Israeli media: The summer term ended in an uproar over a delay in launching the new public broadcaster, which was perceived as an attempt by the government to control the new corporation — or see to it that the nascent organization never opens. Transcripts leaked from a cabinet session saw Culture Minister Miri Regev wonder aloud “What’s the point of this corporation if we don’t control it?”
Overnight Wednesday-Thursday, the delay in opening the broadcaster to April 2017, while giving the authority to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kahlon to push up the launch to January 2017, cleared the Knesset.
On Wednesday night, the controversial Knesset Channel bill became law, thus allowing other companies to bid as operators of the public TV station, which is currently run by Channel 2. Media reports have speculated the law is an effort by Netanyahu to allow billionaire Shaul Elovitch — a friend of the prime minister and owner of Walla news and Bezeq — to step in and take over in May 2017.
The prime minister, who holds the Communications Ministry portfolio, has staunchly defended both measures as a way to break up the media monopoly in Israel and bring more diverse voices into the fold. In the past, Netanyahu has accused the Israeli media of being monolithic and left-wing.
Baby steps for better parenting benefits: In late June, the Knesset approved a five-day paternity leave for Israeli fathers, though the first three days will be deducted from vacation days and the last two will be considered sick leave with only partial compensation, while on July 18, the parliament voted to allow both parents to split their “parenting hour” (an hour in which they are allowed to leave work for four months after paid maternity leave ends), granting couples to decide among them who will use the hour.
Last month, Kahlon also voiced support for extending paid maternity leave from its current 14 weeks and said he has appointed a task force to study the issue.
Affirmative action for people with disabilities: As of a Wednesday vote on a bill by Zionist Union MK Itzik Shmuli, public companies that employ more than 100 people must ensure that five percent of their workforce are persons with disabilities, including some with “significant disabilities.”
“For the 800,000 people with disabilities in Israel, this is a historic moment,” declared Shmuli in the plenum.
Closing construction sites after work accidents: Nearly every week at least one death in a work accident at a construction site is reported in Israel. Now, the Knesset has passed a law that would close sites where the deaths or serious injury occurred for five days, unless the contractors prove they complied with all safety regulations.
Site managers that fail to close the sites could face two years in prison or a NIS 75,000 fine.
Putting an end to spam: Also this week, the Knesset passed a bill by Zionist Union MK Mickey Rosenthal that would bar companies from harassing Israelis with promotional content or appeals for donations. Companies and organizations are now allowed to send just one text message and one initial voice message to recruit clients or donors. Under the new law, Israelis who receive more than one call or message are eligible for NIS 1,000 in compensation, and will not have to prove damages in court (the maximum compensation is capped at 10,000 for multiple complaints). Emails are still fair game, however, so long as an unsubscribe button is available. The law does not apply to political campaigning.
The two-year budget: The Knesset this week voted to allow a two-year budget for 2017-2018. Netanyahu has long sought a two-year plan, arguing it allows for greater economic stability. Kahlon has voiced reservations about the plan, but ultimately gave in, and Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni this week said he personally believes the plan is unnecessary, but said he would go along with it, in accordance with the coalition agreements.
When the Knesset reconvenes in the fall, the budget will be front-and-center, with political jockeying and wheeling-dealing over the allocation of resources. The treasury must submit it in January and the Knesset must approve it in three readings — or go to elections.
What to expect in the next Knesset session
Evacuating Amona: If there’s one issue that could dissolve this government, it may be the matter of the Amona outpost, which under a Supreme Court order must be demolished by December 2016. The government has reportedly designated land near the area to relocate the 41 families living in Amona — which the court ruled is built on private Palestinian land — since 1997. But, the residents told Israeli media they have no intention of moving. Will the government move to forcibly evacuate the residents, mirroring scenes of violent clashes a decade ago? And if so, will the right-wing coalition survive it?
The V15 law: A bill by Likud MK Yoav Kisch that would ban any group that conducts polls, registers voters or advertises on the Internet or in the media from accepting more than NIS 20,000 ($5,000) per month in foreign donations during the run-up to elections has been met with internal coalition opposition. But Netanyahu last month voiced support for reviving the so-called V15 proposal, days after a US senate inquiry found the US government supported a group that tried to unseat Netanyahu with nearly $350,000, or NIS 1.3 million. (The report cleared the State Department of wrongdoing in funding OneVoice, the parent organization of V15, which advocated for Netanyahu’s removal from office). According to a report in the Israel Hayom daily on Monday, a special committee will be set up to debate the bill.
The silent Avigdor Liberman: Since entering the Defense Ministry, Liberman has been keeping a low profile and has told the media he will not be giving interviews until after the Jewish holidays in the fall, until he learns the ropes. But when he returns to the spotlight, many attentive eyes will be looking to see whether the outspoken politician, who joked he received surgery to lengthen his famously short fuse, has changed his tune and ascertain what his security policies are beyond the bluster.
Will the remaining Falashmura ever make it to Israel? Held hostage by two lawmakers playing hooky from the plenum earlier this year, when the coalition had a mere 61 lawmakers, Netanyahu pledged to resume the immigration of the 9,000 Falashmura left behind in Ethiopia, many of whom have relatives in Israel. But the plan, which was slated to move forward in June, has apparently made no headway. And in his visit to Ethiopia last month, Netanyahu did not so much as meet with members of the Jewish community there. The Jewish Agency said it was awaiting a government decision on the matter because the Falashmura are not eligible to immigrate under Israel’s law of return.
“What is under discussion vis-à-vis the individuals and families who wish to immigrate to Israel from Ethiopia cannot be defined as aliyah in a legal sense, since they have not been found eligible to immigrate under the Law of Return. It is thus beyond our mandate to pursue such an operation without a formal decision by the government of Israel,” said spokesperson Avi Mayer.
“We are awaiting the government’s decision on the matter. Once such a decision is reached, we will implement it to the best of our ability, drawing on decades of experience bringing tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews home to Israel.”
Taking on social media sites for online incitement: A bill that would penalize social media companies for online incitement to terrorism was approved in its preliminary reading on July 20. The proposal by Zionist Union MK Revital Swid would level fines of NIS 300,000 ($78,000) per post on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube that do not remove posts calling for terror attacks within 48 hours of their publication.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has called Facebook a “monster” that has the “blood of Israelis on its hands” and vowed to submit a bill, along with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, to force it to remove content. The matter appears to have broad support from the coalition and opposition and will likely be back on the agenda when the Knesset resumes.
More coalition talks?: With the parliament on break, Netanyahu may also try again to woo Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog into the coalition. The prime minister suggested as much earlier last week, dangling the coveted Foreign Ministry portfolio as his bargaining chip. Netanyahu acknowledged, though, that at the moment “there are no contacts” with opposition parties, “but there is willingness. I am certainly interested in widening the coalition.”
Herzog on Monday publicly rebuffed his advances, but the opposition leader earlier this year also spent months denying contacts with Netanyahu to join the coalition — up until those very talks fell apart. With his party primaries set for July 2017 and the embarrassing experience of the failed coalition talks behind him, Herzog may indeed be disinclined to open up that Pandora’s Box. But Netanyahu appears sure to try.Liver Regeneration
Transplant surgeons, hepatologists and other researchers are developing liver cell-based regenerative therapies for patients who'd otherwise need whole-liver transplants.
The liver has the greatest regenerative capacity of any organ in the body. Liver regeneration has been recognized for many years, dating all the way back to Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology.
When the liver is injured beyond its ability to regenerate itself, a liver transplant is the treatment of choice. Transplants are used to treat a wide range of liver conditions, including liver cancer, cirrhotic liver disease, acute liver failure and genetic liver disorders.
But as is true for most donor organs, livers are in short supply — the number of people awaiting new livers far exceeds the number of donor livers available.
Focus areas
Mayo Clinic transplant surgeons, hepatologists and other researchers in the Center for Regenerative Medicine are developing and refining a number of regenerative liver therapies for patients who today must wait for whole-liver transplants.Please enable Javascript to watch this video
CASEYVILLE, IL. (KTVI) – Embattled Caseyville, IL, Police Chief, Jose Alvarez is once again the former police chief.
He was fired for the third time in three months Wednesday night.
He could still end up getting his job back.
Alvarez attorney, Robert Jones, said calling Wednesday night’s proceedings a circus would be “putting it kindly.”
Alvarez faces 13 allegations from using foul language -- to failure to wear his uniform -- as grounds for dismissal.
Jones said a closed-door hearing before the board of trustees was not a hearing at all.
The chief asked for a continuance, which the board denied. The board then voted 4-3 to fire him.
Mayor, Len Black, who’d led the charge to get rid of Alvarez, cast the deciding vote.
“He was difficult. He has a terrible temper,” Black said of Alvarez. “We just had a difficult time. Most of the police officers were not willing to work well with him. We kept having problems over and over and over.”
Alvarez faces misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges for a tirade at a February board meeting, during which he bumped a police officer and pointed his finger in the mayor’s face.
That was after the mayor fired him the first time.
The firing came after Alvarez recommended the dismissal of probationary officer Stephen Romanik, son of the mayor’s friend, Bob Romanik.
The board reinstated Alvarez.
The mayor fired him again after the tirade.
A St. Clair County judge then temporarily reinstated him over due process concerns.
Jones said the latest firing only added to those concerns and Alvarez would take action to seek the chief’s job for a 4th time.
“Right back to square 1 it appears,” Jones said. “I can anticipate within the next few days to be back in the circuit court. But then again also he has a right before the board of fire and police. He has to have a fair and impartial hearing within 30 days. They can either reject or accept this or suspend him or do any of a number of other things pursuant to the municipal code.”
Alvarez attorney was in court Wednesday, entering a not guilty plea on the misdemeanor charges. The trial is set for September.
Previous Coverage:
Twice-fired Caseyville police chief charged with battery
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Email: andy.banker@tvstl.comOne of the best perks of remote work is the ability to travel and work at the same time. However, this freedom is sometimes curbed by the need for visas to travel. Here are a few basics and visa tips for other remote workers who love to travel (but don’t necessarily have the best passport to do so).
Why do we need visas?
Visas are a way for governments to protect their borders. They’re also a good way to keep track of how many international travelers are in one country at a time. The system helps countries control how many foreigners are traveling within their area of responsibility, how long they are allowed to stay, and whether they are allowed to visit multiple times or just once.
According to CNN, the best passport to use for travel is Germany. Travelers with a German passport can enter 177 out of 218 countries without a visa. In a close second place comes Sweden, whose passport opens doors to 176 countries without needing a visa.
On the other end of the spectrum, the worst passports for travel include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Syria. If your passport requires a visa to get to most places, this article will go through the basics of getting a visa and some advice for simpler travel.
Commonly required documents and how to get them
Here are the things I’ve had to provide to get various visas;
Photos – I always keep a few in my passport sleeve.
– I always keep a few in my passport sleeve. Application form – completely filled out. Add n/a in blank spaces that aren’t reserved for official use.
– completely filled out. Add n/a in blank spaces that aren’t reserved for official use. Passport – this usually must be valid for at least six months from date of travel, so keep an eye on that expiration date.
– this usually must be valid for at least six months from date of travel, so keep an eye on that expiration date. Birth certificate – keep a copy with you on your travels so you can photocopy it when you need to.
– keep a copy with you on your travels so you can photocopy it when you need to. Bank certificate and/or statement – request this from your bank, or print out a statement if that will suffice.
– request this from your bank, or print out a statement if that will suffice. Letter of employment – request a PDF from your employer, which you can easily print out.
– request a PDF from your employer, which you can easily print out. Tax return forms – keep a copy with you on your computer, so you can print it out when you need to.
– keep a copy with you on your computer, so you can print it out when you need to. Health insurance – this can easily be purchased online. There are multiple options you can go through by doing a search for “traveler’s insurance.”
– this can easily be purchased online. There are multiple options you can go through by doing a search for “traveler’s insurance.” Proof of lodging – hotel bookings, Airbnb confirmation, or proof that you can afford a place to stay once you arrive.
– hotel bookings, Airbnb confirmation, or proof that you can afford a place to stay once you arrive. Pre-purchased travel – typically these are plane tickets in and out of the country.
It can be tough to get some of these items if you’re away from your home country, so I recommend keeping the standard documents with you in a folder (originals + 1 photocopy). That way, whenever it’s time to pack up and go, you can photocopy all the documents you need.
Make sure you book refundable hotels and flights just in case your visa is denied. Working with a travel agent helps, since they can issue you hotel and flight reservations that haven’t been confirmed, so you can cancel them at any time.
Visa tips
Do your research. Your primary source of information should be the embassy website; look for instructions and follow them to the letter to save everyone’s time. However, you can also research other travellers accounts of how they got the same visa. These case-by-case accounts can give you an idea of the waiting times, what to bring, and the parking situation around the area. I also love using VisaHQ to see all the requirements I’ll need ahead of time. You can filter by passport, country of current residence, and visa desired.
Unless there are designated parking spaces, use Uber or ask a friend to drive you to the embassy. It’s less of a hassle than trying to find parking on a crowded street then making the long trek from the car to the embassy. The only time I would recommend driving is when purses aren’t allowed into the visa centers, so you have to leave most of your things in a locker or your car.
Work with a travel agent who can reserve plane tickets for you before getting your visa (sometimes a visa requirement is to have pre-purchased travel). That way, if the visa is denied you can simply cancel the reservation versus getting a plane ticket refunded.
Always download your visa application form from the embassy website to ensure you have the current version. You may find some blogs that walk you through the process of getting a visa, which have helpfully included a downloadable visa application form. However, sometimes these forms are outdated and won’t be accepted.
If you have a long-haul trip planned, try to get all the visas you need beforehand. You’ll have to do your research and be smart about how you schedule your stops. For example, if a particular visa will only be valid three months after issuing, you’ll have to go to that country first or second. Alternatively, you should plan your trips around countries where you don’t need a visa, or where you only need one (ie. the collaborative Schengen visa).
A special tip for those applying for a U.S. visa – it’s almost always better to apply for a visa from your home country. One of the factors taken into consideration is the vice consul’s assessment of your personal situation in your country of residence. Basically, you have to prove you are not an “intending immigrant.”
Applying “out of district” makes this assessment difficult, because the vice consul is not familiar with the home country. It might well happen that the visa will be refused with the instruction to apply from your home country.
Bonus: Citizenship for sale?
Did you know you could buy citizenship? Countries like St. Kitts and Nevis have started to experiment in selling their citizenships, allowing buyers to use different passports to travel visa-free. For example, a passport from Dominica allows visa-free travel to the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.
I’m not suggesting you go out and buy some passports, but it’s something interesting to ponder |
already be gone regardless of sequestration.”
In addition, the county notified all of its Head Start teachers that they may be out of a job, not because of sequestration, but because the Obama administration had recently labeled the Kanawha County program “deficient”, a designation that requires it to compete for funding instead of getting an automatic renewal.
The county is assuming that it will not operate a Head Start program next year, one county official said, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk about the program.
Discuss this topic and other political issues in the politics discussion forums.This post has been updated.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A 3-year-old boy found a handgun in his mother’s purse and fired just one shot that wounded both his parents at an Albuquerque motel on Saturday, police said.
According to investigators, the toddler apparently reached for an iPod but found the loaded weapon. Police believe the shooting to be accidental.
The bullet first struck his father in the buttock and then hit the right shoulder of his mother, who is eight months pregnant, police said. His 2-year-old sister was present but unhurt.
Both injuries are non-life threatening, authorities said.
Justin Reynolds told KOB-TV (http://goo.gl/gRCXe0) that he and his girlfriend, Monique Villescas, were getting ready to order pizza when the toddler fired the shot.
“It was like if I was to get up shake your hand and sat back down. That’s how fast it happened,” Reynolds said.” All of a sudden we heard a gun go off and the next minute I realized my girlfriend was bleeding. Then, I sat down and realized I was shot, too.”
Reynolds said he called 911 and grabbed some towels to try to stop her bleeding.
“I was more worried about my girlfriend than myself and anything else that was going on. And my son because I didn’t know if he had shot himself or not,” said Reynolds. “He was shocked and crying. It was traumatizing.”
Police said in a statement that the father was treated and released, while the mother was hospitalized in stable condition.
“This case will be forwarded to the DA’s office and pending charges of felony criminal negligence will be reviewed on both parents,” Albuquerque police Simon Drobik spokesman said.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the family was living in a room at the America’s Best Value Inn where the shooting occurred.
Police said child care officials are taking care of the children.
Jonathan Hutson, a spokesman for the Washington-based Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the shooting should serve as a reminder to all parents to keep guns locked away securely.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.If you have a round peg that doesn’t fit in a square hole, do you blame the peg or the hole? You probably blame neither. We don’t assign blame to inanimate objects. But you might have some questions about the person who provided you with these mismatched items and set you up to fail.
If a lion and a zebra show up at the same watering hole, and the lion kills the zebra, whose fault is that? Maybe you say the lion is at fault for doing the killing. Maybe you say the zebra should have chosen a safer watering hole. But in the end, you probably conclude that both animals acted according to their natures, so no one is to blame. However, if this is your local zoo, you might have some questions about who put the lions with the zebras in the same habitat.
Now consider human males. No doubt you have noticed an alarming trend in the news. Powerful men have been behaving badly, e.g. tweeting, raping, cheating, and being offensive to just about everyone in the entire world. The current view of such things is that the men are to blame for their own bad behavior. That seems right. Obviously we shouldn’t blame the victims. I think we all agree on that point. Blame and shame are society’s tools for keeping things under control.
The part that interests me is that society is organized in such a way that the natural instincts of men are shameful and criminal while the natural instincts of women are mostly legal and acceptable. In other words, men are born as round pegs in a society full of square holes. Whose fault is that? Do you blame the baby who didn’t ask to be born male? Or do you blame the society that brought him into the world, all round-pegged and turgid, and said, “Here’s your square hole”?
The way society is organized at the moment, we have no choice but to blame men for bad behavior. If we allowed men to act like unrestrained horny animals, all hell would break loose. All I’m saying is that society has evolved to keep males in a state of continuous unfulfilled urges, more commonly known as unhappiness. No one planned it that way. Things just drifted in that direction.
Consider Hugh Hefner. He had every benefit of being a single man, and yet he decided he needed to try marriage. Marriage didn’t work out, so he tried the single life again. That didn’t work out, so he planned to get married again, although reportedly the wedding just got called off. For Hef, being single didn’t work, and getting married didn’t work, at least not in the long run. Society didn’t offer him a round hole for his round peg. All it offered were unlimited square holes.
To be fair, if a man meets and marries the right woman, and she fulfills his needs, he might have no desire to tweet his meat to strangers. Everyone is different. But in general, society is organized as a virtual prison for men’s natural desires. I don’t have a solution in mind. It’s a zero sum game. If men get everything they want, women lose, and vice versa. And there’s no real middle ground because that would look like tweeting a picture of your junk with your underpants still on. Some things just don’t have a compromise solution.
Long term, I think science will come up with a drug that keeps men chemically castrated for as long as they are on it. It sounds bad, but I suspect that if a man loses his urge for sex, he also doesn’t miss it. Men and women would also need a second drug that increases oxytocin levels in couples who want to bond. Copulation will become extinct. Men who want to reproduce will stop taking the castration drug for a week, fill a few jars with sperm for artificial insemination, and go back on the castration pill.
That might sound to you like a horrible world. But the oxytocin would make us a society of huggers, and no one would be treated as a sex object. You’d have no rape, fewer divorces, stronger friendships, and a lot of other advantages. I think that’s where we’re headed in a few generations.This Christmas more people watched virtual reality porn than ever before, according to data provided to VRScout by VRPorn.com and PornHub.com.
“We experienced a huge influx of new users for Christmas,” said Daniel Peterson, CEO of VRPorn.com, in an email to VRScout. “It seems clear from the data that lots of people got new VR headsets for Christmas, and now they are looking for content.”
VRPorn.com, a website that offers 360-degree adult content for head-mounted VR headsets, saw its page views double on December 25, according to Google Analytics data given to VRScout.
Peterson said he can thank corporate advertising from major tech companies for the uptick of users on his website.
“When we see all the VR advertising from companies like Samsung and Google, we joke that they are advertising for us,” Peterson said. “We know that new users will find our site eventually. As VR goes up, so do we.”
And Peterson said the increased traffic shows no sign of letting up.
“Even after the Christmas day craziness, our traffic continues to be at 300 percent [from usual],” Peterson said. “It’s like a tsunami that hasn’t retreated.”
VRPorn.com wasn’t the only adult entertainment website enjoying more activity over the holidays. Corey Price, vice president of PornHub.com, told VRScout in an email his company saw double the activity in its VR category, with roughly 1 million daily searches compared to the average 500,000.
“Looks like we all might have been a bit naughty this holiday season,” Price said.
Price noted 2016 has generally been a year of growth for the VR porn business.
“2016 was a momentous year for VR in the adult entertainment industry,” Price said. “We saw mass adoption, with more people than ever giving it a try, and, as a result, there was quite an uptick in VR porn searches, especially during the holidays.”
But Reuters reports some market analysts readjusted their once-rosy outlook and reduced the amount of VR devices, especially among high-end models like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, they expected to be sold over the holidays.
On the other hand, UK-based mobile retailer Carphone Warehouse predicted that two times more British families will own a VR device by Christmas, The Mirror reports.
Until more market information is available, we won’t have a clear picture of how many people bought VR electronics as Christmas gifts. But the reports of heightened interest in VR pornography websites over the holidays signal more people have adopted the tech.
Image Credit: VRPorn.comBreast-feeding mothers usually struggle to find a private space at the airport to nurse their babies or pump their milk. The Burlington, Vt.-based household and baby care company Seventh Generation was aware of that challenge and decided to take action by sponsoring the installation of four pumping and nursing pods in New York area airports: one in the JetBlue terminal at Kennedy Airport, two at Newark Liberty International Airport and one at La Guardia Airport.
The pods will officially open on Thursday, May 7, to coincide with Mother’s Day.
Mamava, a brand dedicated to promoting the culture of breast-feeding, created the 4-foot-by-8-foot spaces, which are equipped with two benches and an electrical outlet. Their doors fully shut, and the rooms are large enough to fit a family of four plus luggage.
Mothers can find the locations by downloading Mamava’s app, which is currently available through Apple and planned for Android by July.
“Airports can be stressful environments and are busy, and we want to give moms a clean and comfortable area where they can pump or nurse,” said Ashley Orgain, Seventh Generation’s manager of mission advocacy and outreach.A robot deceives an enemy soldier by creating a false trail and hiding so that it will not be caught. While this sounds like a scene from one of the Terminator movies, it's actually the scenario of an experiment conducted by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology as part of what is believed to be the first detailed examination of robot deception.
"We have developed algorithms that allow a robot to determine whether it should deceive a human or other intelligent machine and we have designed techniques that help the robot select the best deceptive strategy to reduce its chance of being discovered," said Ronald Arkin, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing.
The results of robot experiments and theoretical and cognitive deception modeling were published online on September 3 in the International Journal of Social Robotics. Because the researchers explored the phenomena of robot deception from a general perspective, the study's results apply to robot-robot and human-robot interactions. This research was funded by the Office of Naval Research.
In the future, robots capable of deception may be valuable for several different areas, including military and search and rescue operations. A search and rescue robot may need to deceive in order to calm or receive cooperation from a panicking victim. Robots on the battlefield with the power of deception will be able to successfully hide and mislead the enemy to keep themselves and valuable information safe.
"Most social robots will probably rarely use deception, but it's still an important tool in the robot's interactive arsenal because robots that recognize the need for deception have advantages in terms of outcome compared to robots that do not recognize the need for deception," said the study's co-author, Alan Wagner, a research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
For this study, the researchers focused on the actions, beliefs and communications of a robot attempting to hide from another robot to develop programs that successfully produced deceptive behavior. Their first step was to teach the deceiving robot how to recognize a situation that warranted the use of deception. Wagner and Arkin used interdependence theory and game theory to develop algorithms that tested the value of deception in a specific situation. A situation had to satisfy two key conditions to warrant deception -- there must be conflict between the deceiving robot and the seeker, and the deceiver must benefit from the deception.
Once a situation was deemed to warrant deception, the robot carried out a deceptive act by providing a false communication to benefit itself. The technique developed by the Georgia Tech researchers based a robot's deceptive action selection on its understanding of the individual robot it was attempting to deceive.
To test their algorithms, the researchers ran 20 hide-and-seek experiments with two autonomous robots. Colored markers were lined up along three potential pathways to locations where the robot could hide. The hider robot randomly selected a hiding location from the three location choices and moved toward that location, knocking down colored markers along the way. Once it reached a point past the markers, the robot changed course and hid in one of the other two locations. The presence or absence of standing markers indicated the hider's location to the seeker robot.
"The hider's set of false communications was defined by selecting a pattern of knocked over markers that indicated a false hiding position in an attempt to say, for example, that it was going to the right and then actually go to the left," explained Wagner.
The hider robots were able to deceive the seeker robots in 75 percent of the trials, with the failed experiments resulting from the hiding robot's inability to knock over the correct markers to produce the desired deceptive communication.
"The experimental results weren't perfect, but they demonstrated the learning and use of deception signals by real robots in a noisy environment," said Wagner. "The results were also a preliminary indication that the techniques and algorithms described in the paper could be used to successfully produce deceptive behavior in a robot."
While there may be advantages to creating robots with the capacity for deception, there are also ethical implications that need to be considered to ensure that these creations are consistent with the overall expectations and well-being of society, according to the researchers.
"We have been concerned from the very beginning with the ethical implications related to the creation of robots capable of deception and we understand that there are beneficial and deleterious aspects," explained Arkin. "We strongly encourage discussion about the appropriateness of deceptive robots to determine what, if any, regulations or guidelines should constrain the development of these systems."The planned replacement of a half-century-old geothermal power plant in New Zealand has a contractor on board. Actually, it’s a threesome of contractors – a joint venture consisting of McConnell Dowell, SNC-Lavalin and Parsons Brinckerhoff – that will do the engineering, procurement and construction on the 166 megawatt (MW) Te Mihi project.
Te Mihi is in the middle of New Zealand’s North Island, about 175 miles south of Auckland. It’s also just a few miles from Contact Energy’s Wairakei Geothermal Power Station, the second-oldest geothermal plant in the world. Contact’s plan is to build two new geothermal units at Te Mihi, then decommission 45 MW of Wairakei’s generating capacity, leaving a net gain of 114 MW. The company expects that to happen sometime in 2013.
In a statement put out by SNC-Lavlin, a Canadian engineering and construction firm, Contact Managing Director David Baldwin said his company believes Te Mihi is New Zealand’s “most cost-effective” source for added energy. In the New Zealand Herald he added that geothermal has a major advantage over hydroelectric and wind because it doesn’t depend on the weather.
“The additional 114 megawatts is expected to be required by the market by 2013 as economic growth resumes, and will also contribute to lowering Contact’s average cost of generation,” Baldwin said.Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Thursday said she was just one of the “little people” and Democrats should not have mentioned her name during the party’s convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
During an interview with Palin as Democratic event was underway, Fox Business host Neil Cavuto pointed out that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) had “zinged” the former Alaska governor with his convention speech.
“Folks, Sarah Palin said she could see Russia from Alaska,” Kerry had said. “Mitt Romney talks like he’s only seen Russia by watching ‘Rocky IV.’”
“I think he diminished himself by even mentioning my name,” Palin told Cavuto. “How does he even know my name? I mean, aren’t these guys supposed to be these bigwig elites who don’t waste their time on the little people like me?”
“Yeah, I did say in Alaska you can see Russia from our land base and I was making the point that we are strategically located on the globe and when it comes to transportation corridors and resources that are shared and fought over, Alaska and I as the governor had known what I was doing in dealing with some international issues that had to do with our resources that could help secure the nation,” she insisted.
So, it’s funny he would take a potshot like that. It’s funny he even knows my name.”
Kerry’s single acknowledgement of Palin was one more mention than she received from Republicans during their convention last month.
Watch this video from Fox Business Network, broadcast Sept. 6, 2012.Submitted by Chris Martenson
Greece Is Just A Preview Of What's Coming For The Rest Of Us
All eyes are on Greece these days, with hopes the situation there can soon be resolved and the global recovery kicked into high gear.
Sadly, those hopes are misguided claims Ben Davies, CEO of Hinde Capital. In fact, he says, Greece's pain foreshadows the future awaiting the rest of the world.
It all comes down to simple math. Greece has increased its debts at a rate far faster than its income has grown. At some point, the debt became so large that the country could no longer service it.
What makes the rest of the PIIGS immune from a similar fate? Or Japan? Or the US? Or the OECD, in general?
Nothing.
Yes, Greece had a smaller, shakier economy and doesn't have a central bank to print its own currency at will like Japan or the US. But even those countries with a printing press learn that, after a certain point, expanding the money supply only complicates the problem of too much debt by inflating key economic input costs and dangerously weakening the currency.
The cold hard fact Greece is facing is that it's now at the point where extraordinary losses need to be taken. The problem is, no one wants to take them. And all the sturm und drang being exhibited by Brussels, the ECB, sovereign debt holders, and other world leaders is nothing more than a frantic game of hot potato.
The one thing we can be confident of is that at some point, these losses will be taken. The market will eventually force it.
And the second thing we can predict is: we don't know what will happen when they are. There is so much complexity in the counterparty exposure to Greece debt - as well as the much larger derivative exposure tied to this debt - that anything between "not much" and "worldwide financial conflagration" could be possible.
And that's just Greece. As other larger countries begin to sink under the weight of their sovereign debts, the risks to the global financial system increasingly escalates. Which is why Ben Davies has a hard time finding a good home for investment capital other than gold.
Click the play button below to listen to Chris' interview with Ben Davies (runtime 56m:40s):
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Or click here to read the full transcript.San Francisco may celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love with a music festival after all, according to the promoter who has been in tumultuous talks over the concert with city officials.
Promoter Boots Hughston is taking another swing at putting on the festival in Golden Gate Park this summer after the Recreation and Park Department denied his first permit application in February over safety concerns.
Hughston told the San Francisco Examiner on Monday that he reapplied for a permit to host the festival Aug. 27 in Sharon Meadow after agreeing on the date with Rec and Park.
“It was just a meeting of the minds,” said Hughston, a long-time promoter who previously planned to host the festival June 4. “The parks people decided to give us the [date] and we in turn agreed to do everything they want us to do.”
The festival would be just one of many events celebrating the Summer of Love this summer in San Francisco and across the world, but one that some have said is necessary in the birthplace of 1960s counterculture. There are no other plans to host a Summer of Love anniversary music festival in The City.
SEE RELATED: SF shoots down Summer of Love anniversary festival plans — again
Rec and Park spokesperson Connie Chan confirmed in a statement Monday that Hughston applied to host an event for 15,000 attendees in Golden Gate Park, but said that the “application is being evaluated, and [a] permit has not been granted.”
Chan also said that the permit application is for Sept. 10, with Aug. 27 listed as an alternative date for the festival.
Back in January, Hughston announced the festival to the public boasting a lineup of 21 bands and Tibetan Monks. Hughston even claimed to have been in talks with Eric Clapton as a headliner for the festival, but he said those plans fell through alongside the first permit.
Hughston is still promising “some major talent,” but said he has to negotiate all of the artists’ contracts.
Rec and Park denied the first permit because of “numerous ‘misrepresentations of material fact’” for advertising a larger crowd than listed in his initial application. Department staff also criticized his security plan.
“The bottom line is that they woke up to the reality that this event is important,” Hughston said. “We woke up to the reality [of the requirements]. There’s been thousands of people that have been waiting for this event to happen.”
The Recreation and Park Commission later sided against Hughston when he appealed the decision, with commissioners advising him or the tie dye-wearing supporters of the festival to seek help from someone with more recent experience with event permitting in San Francisco.
“There is no problem with not knowing the process, I have been doing shows there for 40 years,” Hughston said, claiming that he promoted an event for 50,000 people within the last decade. “I know what I’m doing and I know how to do it.”
Still, Hughston said he has since retained a local attorney to help with the process.
Even if the show does not go on, the California Historical Society is working with SFTravel to host other events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. To learn more, visit http://SummerOf.Love.
Click here or scroll down to commentRepublican front-runner Donald Trump appeared on one of his favorite radio shows and added fuel to the conspiracy theory that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was murdered, saying that one of the details of his death was "pretty unusual."
During the February 15 broadcast of The Savage Nation, Michael Savage told Trump that Scalia might have been "murdered." When Savage asked Trump if he would support "the equivalent of a Warren Commission" to investigate Scalia's death, he replied that he "just heard" that "they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. I can't tell you what -- I can't give you an answer." Brian Tashman of People For the American Way's Right Wing Watch flagged the segment. From Savage's interview with Trump:
SAVAGE: Donald I need to come back to the topic we've been all screaming about here which is Scalia, was he murdered? I know it's pretty brutal to say that and I'm not wanting to drag you into this but this is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. I went on the air and said we need the equivalent of a Warren Commission, we need an immediate autopsy before the body is disposed of. What do you think of that? TRUMP: Well I just heard today and that just a little while ago actually -- you know I just landed and I'm hearing it's a big topic -- that's the question. And it's a horrible topic, but they say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. I can't tell you what -- I can't give you an answer. You know usually I like to give you answers but I literally just heard it a little while ago. It's just starting to come out now, as you know, Michael. SAVAGE: Well I've been covering it for an hour and a half, there's a lot more to it than that. There was no medical examiner present, there was no one who declared the death who was there, it was done by telephone from a U.S. marshal, appointed by Obama himself. So let me not try to drag you into something you haven't studied because I don't think it would be fair to you and to the audience. I think after you look into these facts, Donald, you yourself will have to come to some different conclusions than you may think.
Savage later claimed that Scalia "was found dead under suspicious circumstances and now this character in the White House who nobody with a rational mind should trust is trying to railroad Loretta Lynch down our throats -- that came out today -- as his number one choice. Can you believe this?" Trump replied with amazement that Obama would want to nominate Lynch.
In the minutes prior to Trump's appearance, Savage suggested that the government is "corrupt enough" to kill Scalia and declared that his death "stinks to high heaven."
Trump is a regular guest on Savage's program and told him last month, "I appreciate your support, you've been so amazing." He's also said Savage has "common sense."
Savage is one of the country's most extreme radio personalities. The Cumulus Media-syndicated talker has called autism "a fraud, a racket," said PTSD and depression sufferers are "losers," advised people not to get flu shots because you can't trust the government, theorized liberals have been driven insane because of seltzer bubbles, claimed President Obama was intentionally trying "to infect the nation with Ebola," and once told a caller he was a "sodomite" who should "get AIDS and die." He's endorsed Trump, saying he believes "he can win. Two, I believe he can save America."
Conspiracy theorist radio host Alex Jones has also been suggesting that Scalia was murdered. "My gut tells me they killed him and all the intellectual evidence lays it out," Jones said. Despite his fringe conspiracy theories, including that the government was behind the 9/11 attacks, the Trump campaign has been courting Jones and his audience.A 54-year-old cyclist was killed in a crash with a Toyota SUV Thursday morning while biking along South Wadsworth Boulevard just south of West Deer Creek Canyon Road.
CRASH Update
Wadsworth @ Deer Creek
Car vs bicycle
Fatal crash, investigation continues
Unknown ETA to open road pic.twitter.com/5rRSTwkDfu — CSP Golden (@CSP_Golden) June 8, 2017
Two bicyclists were on the shoulder of the road when one entered the right lane in front of the oncoming SUV and was struck, Colorado State Trooper Josh Lewis said. The man was declared dead on the scene.
The other cyclist and driver were not injured in the crash. The cyclist’s name has not been released yet.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, Lewis said no charges have been filed at this point.
The area of the crash is close to state parks. Southbound Wadsworth Boulevard was closed from just before 8 a.m. till about 10:40 a.m.
CORRECTION: This story was updated on June 13, 2017, to correct the age of the cyclist who was killed. He was 54.One of the stories about how D.C. was originally designed has stuck with me since I first read about it. Pierre L’Enfant was hired by the fledgling U.S. government to design a city worthy of being the seat of government for the ambitious young country. L’Enfant, being a Frenchman, looked to the Baroque diagonal boulevards of Paris as a model. However, the D.C. we know today is different than his original plan.
Thomas Jefferson saw his plan and saw an over-reliance on hierarchy. It looked like class segregation by streets. The main boulevards were too dominant. Jefferson insisted on a plan that more closely resembled the organization of government as outlaid by the founding fathers, a representative democracy. The grand boulevards represented the “elected leaders,” so to speak, and pointed to the institutions of government, holding the pride of place. A hierarchy did exist by democratic process, but this hierarchy existed within a democratic framework as embodied by a very rigid orthogonal grid.
I bring up this story because I thought about it as I was sketching out an idea that you’ll see below, thinking about how to improve the transit system in Dallas. We don’t have a highly interconnected grid of streets and blocks outside the historic (pre WW2) areas, and those streets are often disconnected by post war highways and arterials. However, we do have a super-grid of arterials covering nearly the entire city, which presents both challenges and opportunities going forward.
The beauty of the super-grid system is similar to a regular grid in that every area of the city is connected to every other within one turning movement (theoretically). However, because it is on a one-mile grid, there remains the “last mile problem.” Except the last mile problem isn’t a problem for the drivers, which are given primacy on every single one of these arterials (rather than being “complete” and balancing modes of transportation).
Another weakness of the mile-grid superblock system is the one square mile blocks nested within the super-grid funnel all traffic out to these arterials, often causing congestion with no parallel routes alleviating this congestion until you get another mile away. This raises the opportunity for transit to pick up the slack, particularly a frequent bus network, similar to the newly minted plan in Houston that is one of the few systems around the country gaining in bus ridership. The focus is on providing high quality service to all parts of the city, but understanding that transit can’t be everybody’s personal uber. Transit does not work well when it goes to “small destinations,” people’s homes, local streets.
What I’m showing below is how we can (theoretically) provide excellent bus service for most of the city by empowering the super-grid to connect the entire city. This began as a sketch in my notebook this morning and I put it into PowerPoint slides that are shown below since my handwriting can often be read by me and me alone:
Assume the above is one square mile area, typical of many parts of the city.
These one-square miles are set by the arterial system running past the perimeter of these blocks. These arterials are a mixed bag of “invaded” and “abandoned,” meaning they are either heavily congested or are significantly over-scaled or under-trafficked. Both of these conditions provide opportunities for transit improvements because many of them run for 10 miles or more, are fairly straight (as grids tend to be), and connect to many destinations (as well as other crossing arterials).
If we think about these arterials as potential frequent bus network routes, these would have buses running a maximum of 15 minutes between buses all day long. The connectivity and length of these super-grid arterials provide the built-in hierarchy so we don’t have to play winners and losers where the majority of our bus resources go to. Instead, they go to frequency and reliability and thus service on these routes.
However, when thinking about the super-grid as the frequent network framework, I was worried about the quarter mile walking shed that attracts riders. I.e., if you have excellent service within a quarter mile, more people would be willing to walk or bike to frequent network. So I broke up the typical one-mile square super block into quarter mile squares, initially worried that coverage would suffer. But the math suggests otherwise…
If you can provide frequent networks on each of the arterials, that’s 8 of the 16 sub-squares that get a minimum of great (15-min.) service and 4 that would have exemplary service. Let’s say the times were staggered by 7.5 minutes. The corner sub-squares would have links running by every 7.5 minutes that could connect you to the entire city. As Jarrett Walker says, “This is what freedom looks like.”
Rather than worrying about serving one half of the city or the other half of the city, or how to serve 100% of the city equally poorly, we can serve 75% of the entire city with excellent transit service. That’s access to jobs, healthcare, schools, amenities, and everything else that comprises a city (provided other political barriers are broken down — transportation can only do so much).
The corner units, which have the best access currently (but only by car), would continue to have the best access but for all modes and thus all types of people. Since it has the best access (for cars) these areas are also the commercial corners and are thus destinations. They’re also designed for cars since the cross streets (the main and mains) serve only cars.
You can see these conditions existing in both North Dallas and South Dallas. Here is Forest and Preston:
Here is Lake June and Masters in Pleasant Grove.
What we can do by using the super-grid as the framework for a high quality bus network is begin to help the land use response to improved transportation in a strategic way. The market can begin to deliver greater mixed-use infill in these existing car-dependent retail zones. The public sector can look to strategically locate affordable and mixed-income housing along these routes and rather than simply trying to shoehorn affordable housing where NIMBYs might react negatively (and not to accommodate NIMBYism), but to provide affordable housing where the greatest freedom is, where the greatest access to the rest of the city exists.
Real estate value is proportional to access. So much of the city lacks access beyond the reach of the car. Improving multi-modal access by utilizing the untapped resource of the arterial grid system allows us the chance to improve the arterials while revitalizing commercial nodes, and improving equitable transportation throughout the city.
If you’re still wondering why I invoked Jefferson and the L’Enfant plan of D.C., it is this. Let buses be the democracy, the meat and potato grid, serving the entire city, and the trains (which we can only afford so many of and which can go to only so many places) be the hierarchy.’I don’t see why you need the dog,’ cop told vet
Adan Salazar
Infowars.com
February 27, 2014
A restaurant’s decision to refuse service to a retired military service member due to a service dog is highlighting the need to further educate Texas law enforcement on Texas law.
On Tuesday, 23-year army and navy veteran Aryeh Ohayon took his service dog Bandit with him to the Thai Spice Buffet II in West Houston where he was denied service on the grounds that animals are prohibited.
Bandit’s specialty is helping Ohayon cope with PTSD and depression. “He’s the alert if I start to have a panic attack or start to go into a flashback mode,” Ohayon told KHOU.
In Texas, private businesses had the right to refuse service to anyone, but a law passed last year by Governor Rick Perry now prohibits businesses from discriminating against “persons with disabilities.”
Ohayon’s right to freely visit “public facilities” with Bandit in tow is protected under this law.
Ohayon next phoned Houston Police to help restore his rights. However, when cops arrived they didn’t talk to the restaurant manager, but instead issued an insensitive criticism.
“I told him what my disabilities were. That’s when he said, ‘you’re not blind,’” Ohayon recalled. “[He said], ’I don’t see why you need the dog,’” Ohayon told KHOU.
Houston PD also told KHOU the restaurant had the right to refuse service because it was a “private entity,” but the restaurant actually falls under the “public facilities” designation. They also say Ohayon never declared he suffered a disability, a statement the retired service member adamantly denies.
Police cleared the complaint as a “civil matter” and left Ohayon to work the rest out with the restaurant.
“Is there not a police chief down there that knows the law of the state of Texas?” Bart Sherwood of Train a Dog, Save a Warrior, asked the Houston Chronicle. “It stinks that (Thai Spice) didn’t let him in. The police didn’t back him up and that stinks even more.”
KHOU says this is the third known case this month of a Houston restaurant refusing service to a person with disabilities, a misdemeanor violation now punishable by a $300 minimum or 30 days community service, however, no tickets have been issued.
“It’s frustrating and a let down. We put our lives on the line, we want to be treated like normal people,” Ohayon told the Chronicle, adding he felt that efforts “to defend and uphold the Constitution and protect this country have been belittled.”
Ohayon says he wants officers to undergo training for how to identify and interact with disabled persons and service pets."We didn't realize they had planned to release the transcripts", was Jane Sanders' best response to her husband's disastrous interview with the New York Daily News. Word. For. Word.
This quote should be featured in the dictionary next to the word 'irony.' What, praytell, did Mrs. Sanders think was going to happen when a candidate for president does an on-the-record interview with people whose business is to publish things?
What's so terrible about releasing the transcript of a candidate interviewing with a publication? Flavor. Apparently to Mrs. Sanders, it wasn't so important that Bernie Sanders seemed to be completely out of his depth in the interview, what really matters is that he did it with gusto. Or something. It's not important that he said "I don't know" when asked about how he'd accomplish the things he was promising, what's important is his inflections on how he said "I don't know." Ah.
All joking aside, it should warrant to anyone who genuinely cares about the state of our democracy a great deal of pause when a candidate's wife and campaign surrogate refers to an hourlong interview that did not go their way |
is pleasantly convenient to imagine that all Holocaust deniers belong to one coherent movement—as if all of our enemies could be found, and could fit, in the same contained, albeit ghoulish, landscape.
In reality, however, that caricature grossly misunderstands this anti-Semitic Holocaust skepticism, which is not a unified movement but a loose confederation of people who often have very little in common. The major American organization known for its theories of Holocaust denial, the Institute for Historical Review (IHR), received just under $250,000 in contributions for the 12 months ending on April 30, 2008, the last year for which figures are available, and that money could have come from only a handful of contributors; the Institute’s publishing arm had sales of $53,269—or, to give a generous estimate, about 5,000 books. The Institute’s Journal of Historical Review was last published in 2002, and the very next year a rival publication, The Revisionist, which had already folded once before, ceased publication. The world of Holocaust denial comprises one-man enterprises, fledgling organizations with tiny budgets and few followers, and amateurish magazines with the lifespans of fruit flies.
These enterprises seem poised to become even more fragile, thanks to an internecine feud that began early this year and threatens to cripple an already lame Holocaust-denial movement. In January, IHR director Mark Weber posted an article on his web site arguing that Holocaust “revisionism” has failed to gain traction in either history departments or with the public at large: “[T]here has been little success in convincing people that the familiar Holocaust story is defective,” Weber wrote. And, he continued, it was time to leave the Holocaust behind and focus on Jewish malevolence today: “Jewish-Zionist power is a palpable reality with harmful consequences for America, the Middle East, and the entire global community. In my view, and as I have repeatedly emphasized, the task of exposing and countering this power is a crucially important one. In that effort, Holocaust revisionism cannot play a central role.”
Soon after Weber’s statements became public, his onetime friend and colleague, 79-year-old Bradley Smith, was quick to denounce his former fellow traveler. “There are those who feel he has … betrayed the revisionist movement,” Smith told the Forward.
Holocaust deniers are a touchy bunch, prone to infighting, but the war of words between Weber and Smith, two old allies, was something special; a battle had been joined in the heart of the American Holocaust-denial movement. I was intrigued by Weber, this man who claimed to be leaving Holocaust revisionism behind. It was easy enough to judge him just an anti-Semite at war with other anti-Semites. If anything, Weber’s shift to anti-Zionism only confirmed his anti-Semitism; after all, if he were just a disinterested, objective historian, then having dropped the historical question of the Holocaust he’d begin a study of, say, the British raj or the history of Hawaiian agriculture. That he continued to be obsessed with the alleged lies and machinations of Jews seemed proof of an objective disorder.
But because I believe in redemption, and because Weber’s web site offered a curious mixture of anti-Semitic nonsense and mainstream news articles about Israel, and even articles from the Jewish press, I decided that it was worth trying to talk to Mark Weber. Maybe he was a new man. Or maybe he was trying to become one. And while I was at it, I figured, I might as well also try to talk to Smith.
Between February and May, I met in person and spoke multiple times on the telephone with both Smith, who lives in Mexico and whose cuddliness in person seems to mock his reputation as a dangerous extremist, and Weber, a 57-year-old native Oregonian who seems a good deal smarter than Smith but also a good deal less mirthful. These were men whose friendship was on the outs, and each was eager to emphasize his differences with the other. But they were also similar, in ways I did not expect. For example, both Weber and Smith seem to think of themselves as Enlightenment liberals: Smith fashions himself a free-speech absolutist, whose Holocaust skepticism is merely about usefully breaking taboos, while Weber sees himself as a positivist, sifting evidence to determine what is true and what is not. Each man, too, seems to want to be loved and, I thought, a bit puzzled that it has not worked out that way. Most surprising, both Weber and Smith loved Jews. They don’t love Jews generally, of course, but each man has a Jewish woman in his past with whom he has had a close relationship. Discovering these contradictions in the lives of Smith and Weber did not arouse in me any sympathy, and of course it doesn’t discredit their ideas, which are wrong on their own merits. But to meet these two men late in their careers in anti-Semitism, and to get to know them as they tangled with each other, helped illuminate what kind of man might choose to cross the borders of respectable opinion, and what inner needs might keep him exiled from his fellow man.
****
After I had secured the Weber interview, Smith, whose home in Mexico is just 100 miles from where Weber lives in Southern California, volunteered to drive across the border and meet me. For one airfare, I could meet two extremists.
Of the two men, Bradley Smith is much closer to the common perception of a classic Holocaust denier, singularly obsessed with disproving the existence of the Nazi machinery of death. But the elderly Smith was kindly enough to endure the traffic jam at the Mexican-American border and meet me at the Starbucks in San Clemente, California, the beach town where Richard Nixon began his exile. Smith had left a message on my mobile phone saying that he would wait for me in the parking lot, and that’s where I found him, snoozing behind the wheel of his pickup truck. I rapped on the window, and the aging radical opened his eyes with a start, remembered where he was, smiled at me, popped open his door, and lumbered out, smiling warmly. In his worn flannel shirt and jeans, a scraggly white beard dressing up his weather-beaten face, Smith looked like an old, sagacious cowhand, the kind of guy whose favorite story is about how he forgave the beloved bull who once got startled and kicked him in the head.
Once we were both seated at the coffee shop, I tried to ask Smith about possible flaws in the works of great Holocaust historians.
“You’ve read all the standard accounts,” I asked, “like Lucy Dawidowicz and Raul Hilberg?”
“Yeah,” Smith said, “that’s what I started with, I read Hilberg. I didn’t read them very closely. Because I’m not really interested in the history of the period.”
I was a little shocked. “I mean, you read Lucy Dawidowicz’s book on the period? You read David Wyman?”
“Not thoroughly,” Smith said. “Wyman, I didn’t read. He came a bit too late.”
I was astounded. “But that’s kind of amazing, right? Because here are these classic works of Holocaust literature that purport to show it all and you say you haven’t read them closely. So you have read Arthur Butz, who’s a nobody in the field, closely, but you haven’t read the great titans in the field closely?” “You know what? I’m not interested in the story,” he replied. “Revisionists have written very detailed documents about the holes—”
“So what are you interested in?”
“In a free exchange of ideas.”
“But you aren’t interested in trying to find out which ideas are right?”
“Not particularly. You know what I’m really interested in? Every generation has its taboo, and I happen to be here with this taboo. I happen to be here with this one. And I can see how it’s exploited, and who benefits from the exploitation.”
And so it went for a while. As we got up to leave, Smith said that he had a gift for me. He reached into his bag and produced paperback copies of The Man Who Saw His Own Liver and his self-published memoir, Break His Bones: The Private Life of a Holocaust Revisionist. He assured me that they were both good reads.
TOMORROW: Part II of “The Denial Twist”: Meeting Mark Weber.
Mark Oppenheimer is Tablet’s editor at large. He hosts the podcast Unorthodox.The Beltline’s next “lifestyle destination” just got a whole lot groovier.
Former Midtown stalwart Churchill Grounds Jazz Cafe has found a new home in The Beacon Atlanta, an adaptive-reuse undertaking in south Grant Park by Pellerin Real Estate that will eventually front the Beltline’s Southside Trail.
It’s Facebook official, y’all.
Said the developer on FB: "Beyond honored and proud to announce that Churchill Grounds is officially moving to the Beacon! [Owner Sam Yi] is an amazing guy and I am very excited to work with him to bring this institution of jazz and community to a very deserving Grant Park!"
Meanwhile, jazz club leaders declared on FB that they’ll keeping participating in pop-ups around the city until their new digs are complete next fall.
The esteemed cafe closed in July after nearly two decades of showcasing Atlanta’s jazz talent on Peachtree Street next door to the Fox Theatre.
Overall, The Beacon’s plans call for the revitalization of six old industrial warehouses, which would become the cornerstones of a 9-acre district touted as a "unique retail, dining, and cultural destination nestled along the Beltline." Construction began in recent weeks.
Developers say the $20-million project is now more than 70 percent leased.
Beyond the jazz club, founding tenants include neighborhood market Third Street Goods, Salon Vagabond, fitness studio Balanced Fit Life, and The Grant Park Public House, a bar and restaurant that will offer a hybrid game called “Beacon Ball” that merges corn hole, American football, and bowling. No, seriously.
Pellerin is aiming for a "layered neighborhood experience" with these 110,000 square feet. Other proposed uses have called for a nursery school, loft offices, dentist, tasting-room concept called “Grant Hall,” and an “artists’ walk” with studios that would convert to storefronts after working hours.
Plans have called for The Beacon to debut in late summer 2017, though Churchill Ground’s announcement makes it sound as if some pieces could come later.
Meanwhile, the Beltline’s community engagement process for the Southside Trail began earlier this year. Officials have said it could take another two years for the design phase to wrap.There are 612 students at my school. It has 45% qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches. Fourth grade is the year that students often bridge the gap between picture books and longer text. Many of my students need and desire to read a novel together as a class so they can be guided through the process of visualizing, predicting, and engaging with the main character. The text comes alive for young readers as they travel through the modeling process in rich and powerful text.
About my class There are 612 students at my school. It has 45% qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches. Fourth grade is the year that students often bridge the gap between picture books and longer text. Many of my students need and desire to read a novel together as a class so they can be guided through the process of visualizing, predicting, and engaging with the main character. The text comes alive for young readers as they travel through the modeling process in rich and powerful text. Read moreThe pastor of one of Newark's best-known churches allegedly robbed a plumbing company of about $700,000, Middlesex County prosecutors said Tuesday. News 4's Ida Siegal reports.
What to Know The pastor of Newark's New Ebenezer Baptist Church allegedly stole $700,000 from a plumbing company
Prosecutors say Robert Keith, also known as R. David Keith, stole the money while acting as the firm's bookkeeper
He has been the pastor of New Ebenezer Baptist since June 2016
The pastor of one of Newark's best-known churches allegedly robbed a plumbing company of about $700,000, Middlesex County prosecutors said Tuesday.
Robert Keith, 46, of West Orange, was arrested Saturday. He faces charges of credit card theft, money laundering and forgery.
Prosecutors allege that Keith stole the money from a plumbing company in South Plainfield between Feb. 2015 and Feb. 2017 while acting as their bookkeeper.
Keith, who is not a certified public accountant, presented himself as a religious leader to enhance the legitimacy of his bookkeeping business, the prosecutor's office said.
As the Rev. R. David Keith, he leads the New Ebenezer Baptist Church on Camden St in Newark, one of the city's most prominent houses of worship. In fact, the office of Mayor Ras Baraka has previously held community events at the church, though they appear to have pre-dated Keith's official installation as pastor in late June 2016.
"While the leadership of New Ebenezer Baptist Church may have been invited to meetings and events hosted by the (Newark Office of Clergy Affairs and Interfaith) Alliance, neither the church nor its leadership has been active participants. As such, no regular City-sponsored events have been held there," the mayor's press office said in a statement.
Congregants and leaders at the church, where Keith's picture hangs on the banner outside, were floored to learn of their pastor's arrest. They say they were proud of him and that he helped fix up their modest building. On the church Facebook page, he's seen passing out awards to local police officers.
"I don't know what to say," said deacon Henry Austin. "I honestly don't know what to say."
The congregation never knew Keith worked for a plumbing company. He told them he owned a car dealership.
This is not the first time that the leader of Ebenezer Baptist has faced legal woes. A previous pastor, Amir Natson, faced fraud charges in 2012 for filing a false insurance claim.
"I know the membership's gonna be hurt, because we just went through this seven years ago, and to go through it again," said Austin.
"I'm going to have to give him the benefit of the doubt until he's proven guilty in a court of law, but right now I'm going to have to just pray for him," he added.
Keith did not have access to church funds, church leaders say.
Keith was released Tuesday afternoon with no bail, but must undergo psychiatric evaluation and have no contact with anyone at the plumbing company, authorities say. He'll also have to report monthly to an officer of the court until his next hearing, tentatively scheduled for May 25.LONDON (Reuters) - Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin group, has revealed he was targeted by a fraudster posing as Britain’s defense minister who tried to get him to contribute $5 million to a supposed secret ransom payment.
Appealing for information to help identify the conman, Branson said he suspected the same person had later impersonated him to steal $2 million from a friend of his by pretending to raise funds for people affected by Hurricane Irma.
“This story sounds like it has come straight out of a John le Carre book or a James Bond film, but it is sadly all true,” Branson wrote in a blog.
Instantly recognizable with his wavy blond hair and beard, Branson is one of Britain’s best-known businessmen. The Virgin brand is licensed for use by a range of businesses from airlines to train companies to telecoms and gyms.
Branson wrote that six months ago, after an elaborate set-up involving a note on fake government notepaper, he spoke on the phone to someone purporting to be Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
The man told Branson that a British diplomat had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom by terrorists.
He said that while the government did not pay ransoms, there was a particularly sensitive reason why the diplomat had to be saved, and the government was confidentially asking a syndicate of British business people to step in.
“I was asked to contribute $5 million of the ransom money, which he assured me the British government would find a way of paying back,” Branson wrote.
Feeling suspicious, Branson checked with the government and was told that Fallon had not spoken to him. The matter was reported to the police.
Six months on, Branson learnt that a friend, whom he described as a very successful businessman in the United States, had been called by a conman posing as him.
“When the call happened, the conman did an extremely accurate impression of me and spun a big lie about urgently needing a loan while I was trying to mobilize aid in the BVI (British Virgin Islands),” he wrote.
Branson owns a small island in the BVI archipelago which, as was well publicized, was devastated by Hurricane Irma. The caller took advantage of that context.
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“They claimed I couldn’t get hold of my bank in the UK because I didn’t have any communications going to Europe and I’d only just managed to make a satellite call to the businessman in America,” Branson wrote.
“The business person, incredibly graciously, gave $2 million, which promptly disappeared.”
A spokesman for Fallon said he was aware of two attempts, one not involving Branson, to impersonate the minister for illicit gain, and Fallon’s office were assisting the police in their efforts to try to catch those responsible.ASSOCIATED PRESS India's most wanted man, Dawood Ibrahim, poses for photos in this undated photo at an unknown location. (AP Photo)
Dawood Ibrahim, India’s most wanted criminal, is suffering from severe gangrene in his legs that has left him crippled. The doctors at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi and the Combined Military Hospital, Karachi, where the D-Company's boss is being treated, said his legs may have to be soon amputated.
The mastermind behind the deadly 1993 serial bomb blasts that shook Mumbai is now immobile. He is receiving treatment at his residence in the upscale Clifton neighbourhood of Karachi.
Doctors treating Dawood told CNN-News18 that at this stage of his disease he is unlikely to be cured fully.
Loss of effective local blood supply due to high blood pressure and blood sugar has caused the disease that is accelerated when lack of oxygen due to limited or no blood supply leads to cell death. The gangrene that the international gangster suffers from is said to be life threatening.
Dawood is unlikely to be moved outside of Karachi, where he gets full support and the protection of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, for treatment.
The news of his deteriorating health may hamper India’s efforts to bring the gangster to justice, especially at a time when Islamabad has been denying of his presence in Pakistan for the last two decades.
The sixty-year-old is wanted in India for financing and supporting the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that killed 257 and left around 717 injured. One of his accomplices, Yakub Memon, was hanged to death last year.As the sun reawakens from an anomalously quiet period, keep track of solar flares, sunspots and coronal mass ejections with a new iPhone app that puts the real-time status of the sun in your hand.
"This is more than cool," Dick Fisher, director of NASA's Heliophysics Division, said in a press release. "It's transformative. For the first time ever, we can monitor the sun as a living, breathing 3-dimensional sphere."
With the free 3D Sun app, you can set your phone to alert you when a new solar flare erupts, watch video of a solar prominence or a comet heading into the sun. You can manipulate an image of the sun in three-dimensions with your finger.
The data is streamed to Earth by NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft which monitor the sun from two different spots, one ahead of Earth in its orbit and one behind, giving stereoscopic images to give a sort of three-dimensional view, similar to the way our two eyes do.
The pair cover 87 percent of the sun's surface, effectively giving us a view of the "dark side" of the sun. This means anyone can see on their phone parts of the sun that even the most powerful telescopes on Earth can't see.
The STEREO spacecraft watch the extreme untraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum because the most exciting solar phenomena show up best at these wavelengths.
"That's why the 3D sun looks false-color green," said STEREO program scientist Lika Guhathakurta in a press release. "These are not white-light images."
The app was built by a team of programmers led by Tony Phillips, editor of. The team plans to release 3D Sun 2.0 which will have higher-res images and data from more wavelengths.
This is the second free iPhone app NASA has released recently. NASA's first app brings you loads of space photos from the Hubble Space Telescope and other NASA missions, videos from NASA TV of science updates, mission activity, rocket launches and other events, mission status updates and live countdowns clocks. And you can track the International Space Station as well.
See Also:The other night, for the first time in years, I filled my gas tank for under $30. I was happy, but as I surveyed my decaying Honda Fit under the gas station fluorescents, a thought flickered through my mind: "It would still be cool to own a Tesla."
Not that I could afford one, whatever the price of gas. But that "still" spells trouble for Tesla Motors. The electric car-maker's stature has risen—along with its share price—at a time when US gas prices were hitting record highs and appeared to be there to stay. But as a surge in domestic oil production has driven down the cost of filling up, Tesla is facing a question it really hasn't had to contend with since becoming a public company in 2010: If gas is cheap, why would anyone need to own an electric car?
Wall Street certainly seems to be wondering the same thing. The price of Tesla shares has fallen by nearly 20 percent since mid-November, ending Tuesday slightly up after falling for seven straight trading days. "We believe the recent decline in TSLA shares is largely driven by the concern low gasoline prices could impact demand if sustained for the long term," writes Ben Kallo, an analyst for Baird Equity Research, in a note to investors.
The most obvious counterargument in Tesla's favor is that if you can afford a $70,000 Model S anyway, $30 for a tank of gas versus $60 probably doesn't matter that much to you anyway. You're buying an electric car out of a sense of environmental responsibility. And you're buying a Tesla for the experience of driving a car with a user experience like no other, regardless of fuel source.
"Tesla vehicles are purchased for performance, quality, and brand, which are minimally affected by oil prices," Kallo writes. He also calculates that Model S owners will still save nearly $1,400 annually even at the current average gas price of $2.78 per gallon.
But as WIRED's Alex Davies found out from his own experience, the inconvenience of simply keeping an electric car powered up can outweigh any other hoped-for advantage. The electric-car infrastructure in the US is still in its infancy. And if gas stays cheap, the pitch for building out that infrastructure will be harder to make.
If drivers can already find an inexpensive fuel source on nearly every street corner, they lose the biggest incentive for seeking out alternatives. Without mass market demand, charging stations remain scarce compared to gas pumps, and driving an electric car, including a Tesla, remains an exercise in planning ahead. No matter how great the car, not having a place to charge it will leave you stranded. Perhaps the experience of driving a Tesla trumps any hassle. But until gas prices tick up again, the company will have to work harder than ever to prove it.It was always going to be a season of growing pains for Kentucky. The Wildcats came into the campaign as inexperienced as they've ever been under John Calipari -- as inexperienced as any team in the country. There was plenty of talent on the roster, but it wasn't the sure-fire, one-and-done lottery pick types that had become commonplace in Lexington.
Heading into November, we didn't really know how good Kentucky would be this season.
Two months later, we still don't.
Kentucky has faced three major-conference teams this season. The Wildcats lost to Kansas in Chicago back at the Champions Classic; they beat Virginia Tech at home two weekends ago; and they lost to UCLA in New Orleans over the weekend.
What makes it even more difficult is that the jury is still out on all three of those teams, so it's tough to gauge how those wins and losses stack up.
What is clear, though, is Kentucky has proven next-to-nothing so far this season. The Wildcats have the aforementioned win over Virginia Tech, plus a couple quality mid-major victories against Vermont and East Tennessee State. That's pretty much it. The loss to UCLA dropped them in the Power Rankings from 8 to 19, as it's impossible to put Kentucky's non-conference body of work up against most of the other teams in the rankings and say the Wildcats are better. They don't have a win over a fellow top-25 team, and a win over Louisville next weekend wouldn't accomplish that either.
One thing working against Kentucky -- and one thing that's unlikely to change from now until Selection Sunday -- is its lack of production on the road. Since the Wildcats lost to Kansas and UCLA, and are going to be underdogs when they travel to Morgantown to play West Virginia in late January, their best win away from home is going to be against Monmouth in New York City earlier this month.
Of course, Kentucky is going to improve as the season progresses. The Wildcats' top six scorers are freshmen, and they're still figuring things out at both ends of the floor. But they still lack consistent shooting from behind the arc, and they're missing dynamic guards who can get to the rim off the bounce or get their own shot whenever they want. There's no De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray, or Harrison twins on the roster.
The sky isn't falling in Lexington. Kentucky is still one of the top two or three teams in the SEC -- but at this point, the Wildcats are not the conference favorite nor a top-10 team nationally.
Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4| Week 5
1. Arizona State Sun Devils
Record: 12-0
Last week: 1
When was the last time Arizona State had a legitimate chance to beat Arizona in Tucson? The Sun Devils will be underdogs next weekend against the Wildcats, but it won't be a blowout. It's also perhaps the biggest game of the Pac-12 season -- and it's not even 2018 yet.
2. Villanova Wildcats
Record: 12-0
Last week: 2
Villanova enters Big East play with just three of its 12 wins coming by single-digits, and zero games within eight points. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges might be the best duo in college basketball, combining to average 35.4 points on 56 percent shooting.
3. Michigan State Spartans
Record: 12-1
Last week: 3
The Spartans have been absolutely rolling through teams so far, with zero single-digit wins and back-to-back 40-plus-point wins in the past week. They have a couple more warm-up games against Cleveland State and Savannah State before 2018.
4. Duke Blue Devils
Record: 12-1
Last week: 4
It was against a depleted Evansville team, but Duke had by far its best defensive effort of the season last week. The Blue Devils held the Missouri Valley unit to about 0.6 points per possession. We'll get a better gauge on Duke's defensive improvement against Florida State.
5. Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 11-1
Last week: 7
Billy Kennedy was down to seven players, including a former walk-on, for the Aggies' win over Buffalo due to suspensions and injuries. D.J. Hogg will miss the next two games, and Admon Gilder is out a few more weeks -- bad news for a team that has rarely had its full complement of players.
6. Xavier Musketeers
Record: 12-1
Last week: 9
Xavier's win at Northern Iowa on Friday won't go noticed by most people, but it's a sneaky-tough victory. Green Bay graduate transfer Kerem Kanter has given the Musketeers an added dimension lately, scoring at least nine points in five of his past six games.
7. TCU Horned Frogs
Record: 12-0
Last week: 10
Still unbeaten, things get difficult very quickly for Jamie Dixon's team in Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs host Trae Young and Oklahoma on Saturday, then travel to Baylor before coming home to play Kansas. Road games at Texas and Oklahoma follow.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 11-2
Last week: 5
One of the more shocking losses of the season so far took place last week, when Wofford went into Chapel Hill and knocked off the Tar Heels. North Carolina bounced back to beat Ohio State, but this is clearly not the Tar Heels of the past couple of seasons.
9. Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 12-2
Last week: 11
The Boilermakers have all the ingredients to make a March run. Isaac Haas has helped replaced some of Caleb Swanigan's production, Carsen Edwards has added a different dimension to the backcourt and Matt Painter has one of the best perimeter-shooting teams in the country.
10. Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 10-1
Last week: 12
It's all Trae Young all the time for the Sooners. Of all the stats from last week, which included a 26-point, 22-assist outing, the most eye-popping one isn't complicated: Young is leading the nation in scoring (28.7 per game) and assists (10.4 per game). That's outrageous.
11. Wichita State Shockers
Record: 10-2
Last week: 13
The Shockers still don't look right, beating Arkansas State by nine and then needing to hold off Florida Gulf Coast late in the game. But Markis McDuffie is coming back soon, and Gregg Marshall usually has his team getting better as the season progresses.
12. Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 10-2
Last week: 14
Bill Self should get some much-needed frontcourt help soon, with forward Silvio De Sousa graduating high school early and enrolling in Lawrence. De Sousa has a college-ready body and will make an immediate impact on the glass. He won't need to do much, but he instantly upgrades their depth.
13. West Virginia Mountaineers
Record: 11-1
Last week: 16
It's now 11 wins in a row for the Mountaineers since losing the season opener to Texas A&M. They're also expected to get Esa Ahmad back from suspension at some point soon. He'll provide a major boost when eligible, especially to their half-court offense.
14. Virginia Cavaliers
Record: 11-1
Last week: 17
Tony Bennett's team should be able to get some momentum in ACC play, as four of the Cavaliers' first five conference games are in Charlottesville. They still have only one loss, at West Virginia -- and they'll start having more chances for marquee wins in league play.
15. Arizona Wildcats
Record: 10-3
Last week: 18
The Wildcats are almost back, but let's wait until after the in-state rivalry game against Arizona State before moving them up too much. If they do take care of business against the Sun Devils at home, a tandem of wins against Texas A&M and Arizona State will hold up well.
16. Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 9-2
Last week: 19
While North Carolina's loss to Wofford was the headliner last Wednesday, fellow Southern Conference member Furman gave Tennessee all it could handle before the Vols pulled out a win. Tennessee then went on the road and beat Wake Forest by 19 points. Where do they stack up in the SEC?
17. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 10-3
Last week: 15
One of just three teams in the Top 25 to lose last week, Gonzaga fell in a close one at San Diego State. The Bulldogs are going to be a difficult team to figure out until the NCAA tournament. They're going to be fine in terms of a bid, but they've been a mixed bag against NCAA-caliber teams.
18. Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 9-2
Last week: 8
We said it was going to start getting real for Kentucky. The Wildcats passed their first test against Virginia Tech two weekends ago, but lost to UCLA over the weekend. In Kentucky's two losses this season, 3-point shooting has been one of the main culprits: they shot 9-for-34 from behind the arc against Kansas and UCLA.
19. Baylor Bears
Record: 10-2
Last week: 20
Baylor hasn't been tested since late November and early December, beating its past five opponents by an average of 26.8 points. That will change very soon, with the Bears' three in-state Big 12 rivals next on the schedule: at Texas Tech, home vs. TCU, home vs. Texas.
20. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Record: 11-1
Last week: 21
Watching the Red Raiders, it's clear they're very good -- they just need to prove it consistently against high-quality opponents. So far, their best win is against Nevada and their lone loss is to Seton Hall. Keenan Evans will be a national name soon enough.
21. Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 9-2
Last week: 22
So far, Arkansas' claim to fame has to be beating Oklahoma -- and holding Trae Young to his lowest assist output for the season. Young had 28 points and five assists, going 8-for-18 from the field. A surprisingly big SEC game takes place on Saturday, with Tennessee visiting Fayetteville.
22. Miami Hurricanes
Record: 10-1
Last week: 6
The Hurricanes take the biggest tumble of the week, after losing to New Mexico State at the Diamond Head Classic. It was their first loss of the season, but not we see just how nonexistent Miami's non-conference resume looks. They have a win over Minnesota -- and that's it.
23. Creighton Bluejays
Record: 10-2
Last week: 23
Creighton's position in the Big East pecking order can start being sorted in the next three games, as the Bluejays travel to Seton Hall, then return home to play Providence and St. John's. Freshman Mitch Ballock has been a pleasant surprise lately, hitting at least 13 points in three of his past four games.
24. Seton Hall Pirates
Record: 11-2
Last week: 24
The suspension of senior forward Ismael Sanogo went below the radar nationally, but he was an integral part of the Pirates' stifling defense -- and an extended absence would be felt. Until then, Michael Nzei will have to fill his shoes, or Kevin Willard can go small.
25. Clemson Tigers
Record: 11-1
Last week: NR
Florida State falls out despite beating Charleston Southern and Southern Miss -- it's just that Clemson has a better résumé right now. The Tigers have been a national surprise, owning wins over Florida, Ohio State and South Carolina, with just one loss to Temple. Brad Brownell could be saving his job.
Dropped out: Florida StateIn the now-famous commercial, Ray Lewis says the animals want to talk so they can communicate with him. But a lot of animals might not be able to catch the future Hall of Famer the way he's pedaling his bike these days.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh says the All-Pro linebacker is in the best shape that he's ever seen him in, and Lewis says that's thanks to cycling.
"I credit a lot of my training to a lot of my cycling," Lewis told reporters, getting more excited by the word. "I did a lot of cycling. I became real big in it. First couple times I went out there I was like, 'Oh my gosh!' I mean, the fatigue that you go through..."
One reason Lewis brought out the bicycle is because it puts less stress on legs than pounding the pavement.
"It's really a mind thing on how you have to breathe and just let your legs keep going, going, going, going," Lewis said. "And then when you get on the field and you go back to running, running isn't the same because you can't take as many steps running as you can cycling. So that's one of the things that really, really helped me out a lot this off-season."
While you won't see Lewis in the Tour de France soon, cycling can be a great changeup to your cardio routine if you're sick of the treadmill or pavement every day.
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A stationary bike is great for steady state cardio and may be even better for interval training than the treadmill because of the lack of acceleration and deceleration lag that a treadmill belt undergoes when the speed changes.
If you're looking for sport-specific conditioning, however, cycling may not be your best bet. The best way to train is to replicate movements and the stress your body goes through in competition. While there's a lot of running involved in basketball, for instance, it's nearly useless for a basketball player to run five miles at a steady state to train for the season. When would that ever happen in a game?
Plus, look at it this way: If Lance Armstrong's cardiovascular endurance directly transferred over to running, he'd be a world-class marathoner.
But that's not to say Lewis wasted his time on the bike. Hardly. At 36, his body has been through a lot of wear and tear over 15 NFL seasons. And as we said before, interval training is easily adaptable on a bike. Relatively short bursts of power followed by longer recovery periods are normal in any cycling class.
Besides, one of the most important aspects to any fitness routine is rest. By subjecting himself to grueling, but lower-impact workouts, Lewis says he feels fresher.
At the very least, that means no letdown for fans coming to the stadium to see him dance this season.Story highlights Hamas hopes changes will make it more palatable for Western |
urging the appropriators who are leading the negotiations to include the sanctuary cities language. But the provision is another of those on the Democrats’ non-starter list.
“The Trump White House’s radical and late-breaking demands for next week's legislative schedule … are making a bipartisan agreement to keep government open more difficult to reach,” Drew Hammill, spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said Friday.
The increasingly high-profile role of the White House in the spending debate creates a dilemma for Ryan and other GOP leaders. On one hand, they want to prove they can govern effectively and prevent a shutdown under a unified GOP government –– the first they’ve had in a decade. On the other, they want to boost their embattled ally in the White House by helping to move some of the tough immigration-enforcement measures that were central pillars of Trump’s successful campaign.
Standing in their way are Democrats who view Schumer’s filibuster power in the Senate –– combined with Ryan’s struggles to unite his fractured conference behind must-pass government spending bills –– as giving them a good deal of leverage in the debate. It’s weight they intend to use to the utmost degree.
“We have the leverage and they have the exposure,” Pelosi told House Democrats on a caucus conference call Thursday night.
The Democrats, however, are facing pressures of their own as the shutdown clock ticks ever closer to the April 28 deadline.
Immigrant rights advocates are pushing Schumer, Pelosi and the Democrats to reject any provisions in this month’s spending bill that would help the Trump administration hike deportations. The White House had requested roughly $3 billion in supplemental 2017 funding, not only for the border wall, but also to hire thousands of new immigration-enforcement agents and secure tens-of-thousands of detention beds –– both steps designed to accelerate the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
The advocates are warning that, while the border wall might be the more prominent issue, the funding for enhanced enforcement is every bit as harmful to immigrant communities if it leads to more deportations.
“In many ways the border wall has become the big symbol because the administration has talked about it quite a bit. … But that’s only one element of what this is about,” Clarissa Martinez, deputy vice president at the National Council of La Raza, said Friday by phone.
“This is a down payment on a mass deportation strategy.”“It’s the one thing I can count on every month — I know the children are going to have food,” Ms. Bermudez, 42, said with the forced good cheer she mastered selling rows of new stucco homes.
Members of this straitened group range from displaced strivers like Ms. Bermudez to weathered men who sleep in shelters and barter cigarettes. Some draw on savings or sporadic under-the-table jobs. Some move in with relatives. Some get noncash help, like subsidized apartments. While some go without cash incomes only briefly before securing jobs or aid, others rely on food stamps alone for many months.
The surge in this precarious way of life has been so swift that few policy makers have noticed. But it attests to the growing role of food stamps within the safety net. One in eight Americans now receives food stamps, including one in four children.
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Here in Florida, the number of people with no income beyond food stamps has doubled in two years and has more than tripled along once-thriving parts of the southwest coast. The building frenzy that lured Ms. Bermudez to Fort Myers and neighboring Cape Coral has left a wasteland of foreclosed homes and written new tales of descent into star-crossed indigence.
A skinny fellow in saggy clothes who spent his childhood in foster care, Rex Britton, 22, hopped a bus from Syracuse two years ago for a job painting parking lots. Now, with unemployment at nearly 14 percent and paving work scarce, he receives $200 a month in food stamps and stays with a girlfriend who survives on a rent subsidy and a government check to help her care for her disabled toddler.
“Without food stamps we’d probably be starving,” Mr. Britton said.
A strapping man who once made a living throwing fastballs, William Trapani, 53, left his dreams on the minor league mound and his front teeth in prison, where he spent nine years for selling cocaine. Now he sleeps at a rescue mission, repairs bicycles for small change, and counts $200 in food stamps as his only secure support.
“I’ve been out looking for work every day — there’s absolutely nothing,” he said.
A grandmother whose voice mail message urges callers to “have a blessed good day,” Wanda Debnam, 53, once drove 18-wheelers and dreamed of selling real estate. But she lost her job at Starbucks this year and moved in with her son in nearby Lehigh Acres. Now she sleeps with her 8-year-old granddaughter under a poster of the Jonas Brothers and uses her food stamps to avoid her daughter-in-law’s cooking.
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“I’m climbing the walls,” Ms. Debnam said.
Florida officials have done a better job than most in monitoring the rise of people with no cash income. They say the access to food stamps shows the safety net is working.
“The program is doing what it was designed to do: help very needy people get through a very difficult time,” said Don Winstead, deputy secretary for the Department of Children and Families. “But for this program they would be in even more dire straits.”
But others say the lack of cash support shows the safety net is torn. The main cash welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, has scarcely expanded during the recession; the rolls are still down about 75 percent from their 1990s peak. A different program, unemployment insurance, has rapidly grown, but still omits nearly half the unemployed. Food stamps, easier to get, have become the safety net of last resort.
“The food-stamp program is being asked to do too much,” said James Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, a Washington advocacy group. “People need income support.”
Food stamps, officially the called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have taken on a greater role in the safety net for several reasons. Since the benefit buys only food, it draws less suspicion of abuse than cash aid and more political support. And the federal government pays for the whole benefit, giving states reason to maximize enrollment. States typically share in other programs’ costs.
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The Times collected income data on food-stamp recipients in 31 states, which account for about 60 percent of the national caseload. On average, 18 percent listed cash income of zero in their most recent monthly filings. Projected over the entire caseload, that suggests six million people in households with no income. About 1.2 million are children.
The numbers have nearly tripled in Nevada over the past two years, doubled in Florida and New York, and grown nearly 90 percent in Minnesota and Utah. In Wayne County, Mich., which includes Detroit, one of every 25 residents reports an income of only food stamps. In Yakima County, Wash., the figure is about one of every 17.
Experts caution that these numbers are estimates. Recipients typically report a small rise in earnings just once every six months, so some people listed as jobless may have recently found some work. New York officials say their numbers include some households with earnings from illegal immigrants, who cannot get food stamps but sometimes live with relatives who do.
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Still, there is little doubt that millions of people are relying on incomes of food stamps alone, and their numbers are rapidly growing. “This is a reflection of the hardship that a lot of people in our state are facing; I think that is without question,” said Mr. Winstead, the Florida official.
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With their condition mostly overlooked, there is little data on how long these households go without cash incomes or what other resources they have. But they appear an eclectic lot. Florida data shows the population about evenly split between families with children and households with just adults, with the latter group growing fastest during the recession. They are racially mixed as well — about 42 percent white, 32 percent black, and 22 percent Latino — with the growth fastest among whites during the recession.
The expansion of the food-stamp program, which will spend more than $60 billion this year, has so far enjoyed bipartisan support. But it does have conservative critics who worry about the costs and the rise in dependency.
“This is craziness,” said Representative John Linder, a Georgia Republican who is the ranking minority member of a House panel on welfare policy. “We’re at risk of creating an entire class of people, a subset of people, just comfortable getting by living off the government.”
Mr. Linder added: “You don’t improve the economy by paying people to sit around and not work. You improve the economy by lowering taxes ” so small businesses will create more jobs.
With nearly 15,000 people in Lee County, Fla., reporting no income but food stamps, the Fort Myers area is a laboratory of inventive survival. When Rhonda Navarro, a cancer patient with a young son, lost running water, she ran a hose from an outdoor spigot that was still working into the shower stall. Mr. Britton, the jobless parking lot painter, sold his blood.
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Kevin Zirulo and Diane Marshall, brother and sister, have more unlikely stories than a reality television show. With a third sibling paying their rent, they are living on a food-stamp benefit of $300 a month. A gun collector covered in patriotic tattoos, Mr. Zirulo, 31, has sold off two semiautomatic rifles and a revolver. Ms. Marshall, who has a 7-year-old daughter, scavenges discarded furniture to sell on the Internet.
They said they dropped out of community college and diverted student aid to household expenses. They received $150 from the Nielsen Company, which monitors their television. They grew so desperate this month, they put the breeding services of the family Chihuahua up for bid on Craigslist.
“We look at each other all the time and say we don’t know how we get through,” Ms. Marshall said.
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Ms. Bermudez, by contrast, tells what until the recession seemed a storybook tale. Raised in the Bronx by a drug-addicted mother, she landed a clerical job at a Manhattan real estate firm and heard that Fort Myers was booming. On a quick scouting trip in 2002, she got a mortgage on easy terms for a $120,000 home with three bedrooms and a two-car garage. The developer called the floor plan Camelot.
“I screamed, I cried,” she said. “I took so much pride in that house.”
Jobs were as plentiful as credit. Working for two large builders, she quickly moved from clerical jobs to sales and bought an investment home. Her income soared to $180,000, and she kept the pay stubs to prove it. By the time the glut set in and she lost her job, the teaser rates on her mortgages had expired and her monthly payments soared.
She landed a few short-lived jobs as the industry imploded, exhausted her unemployment insurance and spent all her savings. But without steady work in nearly three years, she could not stay afloat. In January, the bank foreclosed on Camelot.
One morning as the eviction deadline approached, Ms. Bermudez woke up without enough food to get through the day. She got emergency supplies at a food pantry for her daughters, Tiffany, now 17, and Ashley, 4, and signed up for food stamps. “My mother lived off the government,” she said. “It wasn’t something as a proud working woman I wanted to do.”
For most of the year, she did have a $600 government check to help her care for Ashley, who has a developmental disability. But she lost it after she was hospitalized and missed an appointment to verify the child’s continued eligibility. While she is trying to get it restored, her sole income now is $320 in food stamps.
Ms. Bermudez recently answered the door in her best business clothes and handed a reporter her résumé, which she distributes by the ream. It notes she was once a “million-dollar producer” and “deals well with the unexpected.”
“I went from making $180,000 to relying on food stamps,” she said. “Without that government program, I wouldn’t be able to feed my children.”The latest plans for a 28-story apartment tower in northeast Minneapolis will be presented Tuesday night for the third and final meeting of a Nicollet Island-East Bank Neighborhood Association task force. Mortenson, which is developing the site in cooperation with U.S. Bank, will also seek feedback from the Minneapolis City Council’s Committee of the Whole on Thursday.
Renderings by the Cuningham Group for what’s being called 333 Hennepin show a glass-and-metal 22-story apartment tower that will sit atop a wider six-story base with more apartments, parking, retail and resident amenities.
Several large sections of glass will wrap the corner of the building and “reflect the movement of the nearby river and iconic feel of a grain elevator,” according to the developer. The site currently has a U.S. Bank branch.
Here are more renderings of the project.The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:33 PM
Investigators today are trying to solve the mystery of how a pedestrian came to suffer an unthinkable death on a stretch of Metro light-rail track in the East Valley.
At about 12:40 p.m. Friday, a caller notified police of a severed body on the tracks. The torso had been dragged nearly 2 miles from the start of the light-rail line in Mesa, and the train continued for miles into Tempe before it was brought to a stop, according to officials.
The identity of the victim was not released Friday.
The gruesome death was the first fatal incident in four and a half years of light-rail service in the Phoenix area.
Mesa police, who are investigating, say the grisly incident began at the Sycamore/Main station in Mesa and ended at the Priest/Washington station in Tempe, where the train was stopped.
As the train pulled into the Smith-Martin/Apache station, seven stops ahead of the Priest station, only part of the body was with the train, said Mesa Police Detective Steve Berry.
It was unclear late Friday how the body was discovered.
The incident brought an hours-long halt to light-rail service east of Priest Drive. Service was fully restored at 6:20 p.m.
Transit officials set up a bus bridge to carry passengers between the Sycamore and Priest stations. The stopgap service on Friday allowed officers to collect clothing and the body from along the track.
The incident came as Mesa and Phoenix are building extensions to the system and after Metro had shed an early image of being crash-prone.
In the first year after the 20-mile system opened in late 2008, there was a collision a week, mostly involving cars. Few resulted in serious injury. Officials at the time chalked that up to growing pains, as motorists got used to sharing the road with one of the longest in-street systems in the country.
Metro worked with local street engineers to tweak street signs and signals, and to put out safety messages. It worked. In 2010, the number of collisions fell by half and has stayed there since. By late May, Metro had logged a total of 152 collisions. Until Friday, none was fatal.
Metro designed trains specifically to ensure that collisions wouldn’t be deadly. Learning from other cities, engineers realized many light-rail deaths occur when people get trapped in the wheels of a train. Metro added an apron to the bottom of the chassis to push anyone who was in front of the train off to the side rather than to the undercarriage.
Today, investigators will try to determine how the body came to be on the track. They will review surveillance footage from the train cab and station platforms.
The operator of the train had a clean accident record and had been with Valley Metro since the light rail launched in 2008, said spokeswoman Hillary Foose. The operator is cooperating with the investigation and was placed on paid administrative leave, Foose said.
Nationally, there were 78 fatalities on light-rail systems between 2006 and 2011, according to the Federal Transit Administration. More recent figures were not available.
Republic reporter Matthew Longdon contributed to this article.During a recent gathering of my family, my grandkids staged numerous performances of scenes and songs from Frozen. One of them had not even seen the movie, but the songs and characters permeated play at his daycare. The others admittedly had seen it so often, now that it’s out in DVD, and had listened to the downloaded music so regularly, that they could perform every word of every song. A hilarious operetta ensued as the most obsessed, my 7 and 8-year-old granddaughters, alternated voices in a duet between Elsa and Anna.
My grandkids’ love of this movie is not unique. Frozen just surpassed Finding Nemo to become the most popular animated movie ever. The sound track is #1 album. The new sing-along theater release has kids dancing in the aisles, and “Let It Go” won the Oscar for best song.
In an earlier blog post, I wrote a multi-generational review of Frozen. At the time, I was fascinated by my expectation of a Disney Princess versus that of my daughters and granddaughters. I did not see the ending coming. I foolishly expected the “true love’s kiss” thing to mean a guy was coming to the rescue. My grandkids knew all along it would be a sister thing. Times change (thankfully). This princess celebrates accepting who you are rather than changing to meet the expectations of others.
So now, after viewing snippets of Frozen on DVD and listening to endless versions of the sound track, I am pondering a different question: What is the movie’s allure for kids? There are several bits from the movie that have been woven into their daily lives…
The braid – Girls must have their hair braided loosely on the side to enable them to swoosh it properly as a sign of their liberation.
The stance – Arm out proudly as a sign of letting “it” go.
Flashes of power – Goes with the stance, and sound effects suggest magical freezing abilities and assorted other powers.
Let It Go – Sung at top volume and with total joy.
My granddaughter even chose this as the logo for our t-shirts for the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk next month:
My children, their parents, used to watch Wonder Woman religiously. Although the show, featuring Lynda Carter, was on television from 1975-79, it’s reruns dominated children’s TV through the 80’s. At the time, I liked that my daughters wove this character into their Barbie games. Unlike Malibu Barbie, Wonder Woman was powerful and had a great song.
So is Elsa the Wonder Woman of their children’s era? Have little girls been searching for a princess who is powerful without being perfect? Who does not mind being without a prince? Who can build magical ice castles? Who can save her sister by loving her?
I have to admit when my grandkids belted out Let It Go together, I felt quite emotional. Sure I laughed at their innocence and joy. But a part of me was moved by what I think moves them – a character they admire for her strength, honesty, love of family, power, and perseverance. Not such bad qualities to emulate.
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Destiny's The Taken King expansion is off to a hot start.
Activision on Thursday announced that the $40 DLC broke PlayStation download records, becoming the most-downloaded title on launch day in PlayStation history. In addition, the game set a new record for both total number of players and peak online simultaneous users, outpacing the original Destiny day-one launch on September 9, 2014.
"It's safe to say the Destiny franchise continues to gain momentum," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said in a statement.
Activision did not share specific download figures for The Taken King on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, nor did it reveal any data that speaks to the expansion's performance on Xbox platforms. The company has also never disclosed a total unit sales number for the game.
Looking ahead, The Taken King's new raid, King's Fall, will become available starting September 18. This raid is "objectively and emphatically" the game's biggest ever, according to Bungie.
For more on The Taken King, check out GameSpot's review in progress.Excerpted from Forces of Character: Conversations about Building a Life of Impact by Chad Hennings and Jon Finkel. Book can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks.
To me, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich represents the quintessential model of continued excellence. He’s been at the helm of the Spurs for almost twenty years, and in that time he’s won five NBA championships and three Coach of the Year awards.
What’s even more impressive, and what is most pertinent to this book, is that San Antonio has built a reputation as an organization known for its high character. In fact, if you do a Google search for the words “Spurs” and “character” you get more than three million hits.
In the current era of sports, where athletes are often jumping from team to team for the highest paycheck, Coach Popovich and his organization have created a climate in which their best player, Tim Duncan, and the other stars of the team, consistently take below-market value to stay there and continue the winning tradition.
On a personal level, I know Coach through the Air Force Academy, where we both attended. I’m excited to take this opportunity to get to the core of how he has led a high-character organization for nearly two decades, and what he looks for when it comes to adding talent.
Chad Hennings: When people talk about the San Antonio Spurs, they mention the five championships, they talk about you and Tim Duncan and David Robinson, and inevitably they talk about the high character of your team. How have you gone about building that reputation and infusing character into your organization?
Gregg Popovich: Sometimes when I hear people talk about character I think it’s a little too general of a term. We’ve all seen a million books on it and everybody’s got a different definition of what makes up character. People always say our teams have character and they know how to win, know how to lose, all sorts of those things. I try to be a little more specific in my definition, especially when it comes to the character of players we bring in.
Can you explain that process a little bit and get into the nitty gritty of your definition of character?
GP: When I’m interviewing a kid to draft I’m looking for specific things. Over the course of sitting in the gym and talking, having lunch, watching him at free agent camp, this is what I’m after and not necessarily in this order.
Having a sense of humor is huge to me and to our staff because I think if people can’t be self-deprecating or laugh at themselves or enjoy a funny situation, they have a hard time giving themselves to the group.
You look at a guy like Tim Duncan. He never changes his expression but he can hit you with some of the best wise-ass comments in the world. I can be in a huddle, laying into him about his rebounding, saying to him, “Are you gonna get a rebound tonight or what? You haven’t done anything.” Then on the way out of the huddle, he’ll say, “Hey, Pop.” I’ll say, “Yeah.” He’ll say, “Thanks for the encouragement,” and walk back on the court. He’s being facetious, but nobody sees things like that. I think when a player has that ability and has respect it’s a good thing.
It’s funny you bring this up because nobody has mentioned the idea of having a sense of humor in terms of character, but you’re right, it really is important. For levity, for relationships, for leadership, humor can be a very effective tool. And it’s great that you use Tim Duncan as an example of that, because most people might not be aware that he’s a funny guy. What are some other character traits you look for?
GP: Being able to enjoy someone else’s success is a huge thing. If I’m interviewing a young guy and he’s saying things like, “I should have been picked All-American but they picked Johnny instead of me,” or they say stuff like, “My coach should have played me more; he didn’t really help me,” I’m not taking that kid because he will be a problem one way or another. I know he will be a problem. At some point he’ll start to think he’s not playing enough minutes, or his parents are going to wonder why he’s not playing, or his agent’s going to call too much. I don’t need that stuff. I’ve got more important things to do. I’ll find somebody else, even if they have less ability, as long as they don’t have that character trait.
That really is a good indicator. If someone is always blaming other people for their shortcomings, chances are they’ll eventually blame you too. So much about having character is taking responsibility for your actions and putting yourself on the proper vector for success. What else do you look for?
GP: Work ethic is obvious to all of us. We do that through our scouting. For potential draft picks, we go to high school practices and to college practices to see how a player reacts to coaches and teammates. The phrase that we use is seeing whether people have “gotten over themselves.”
When there’s a guy who talks about himself all day long, you start to get the sense that he doesn’t listen real well. If you’re interviewing him and before you ever get anything out of your mouth he’s speaking, you know he hasn’t really evaluated what you’ve said. For those people, we think, Has this person gotten over himself? If he has then he’s going to accept parameters. He’s going to accept the role; he’s going to accept one night when he doesn’t play much. I think it tells me a lot.
I like that. “Has this person gotten over themselves?” Such a simple question, but the answer speaks volumes. If they haven’t, they can’t give themselves to the team and won’t put the work in.
GP: Right. We also look at how someone reacts to their childhood. Some of these kids, as you know, had it pretty tough coming up. Once in a while somebody has had it easy, but for the most part a lot of guys have had some pretty hard knocks already. I like to hear situations where they had to raise a brother or sister, or where they had a one-parent family or a grandma or grandpa raised them and they still ended up doing pretty well academically in high school.
I like to see if they participated in some function in the community, or if they’ve overcome something or had a tough injury and came back. That sort of thing tells me what kind of character they have. I think all those things together tell me about their inner fiber. When I think about character I want to know about the fiber of an individual. I want to know what, exactly, they’re made of; what’s attached to their bones and their hearts and their brains. It’s all those things that form their character to me.
It sounds like you’re really searching for selfless individuals. Are there any things that you do in practice to reinforce those traits? Anything you’ve done during training camp? I heard you took your team on the ropes course at the Academy a while back. That must have been part of that philosophy.
GP: A couple of years ago in the Finals we basically gave away a championship, long story short. Heading into the following season I wanted to do something different. I wasn’t trying to be Mr. Tough, but I wanted to do something to build camaraderie and respect for each other. I wanted the guys to go through something difficult with their teammates.
One day at camp that year the busses picked up the team from Antler’s Plaza downtown. They thought we were going to the gym for another practice, but we went down to Jacks Valley,* and when we pulled in the players were wondering, What the hell?
The bus parked and we started to get up, but I said to the coaches up front, “We’re getting off.” Then I told the players, “You guys stay seated for a bit.” We got off the bus and sergeants came on and started raising holy hell. Just like when we were Doolies.**
The players’ eyes sprung open and they started to ask questions, but the sergeants yelled back, “Are you talking to me?!” The guys were in shock. They didn’t know whether to start laughing or to say, “Hey, Pop, what the hell are you doing?” There was silence on the bus except for the sergeants. They marched the team off of the bus, got them in line and put them in squadron formations. It was unbelievable. The coaches and I were behind a tree just dying. We couldn’t believe it. I didn’t really know they were going to go that far, and it’s a testament to the kind of guys we have. They were willing to listen and they’ll do what you ask them to do.
All of a sudden the sergeant who was in charge said, “At ease, everybody relax.” He started laughing and then the players looked at us. We started laughing and now they’re having a ball. The sergeants issued them all a rifle and gave them a little talk, and they went in twos onto the obstacle course. We had guys on the ropes. We had Tony Parker falling in the water. Tim Duncan’s going over every obstacle, and I was scared to death because I envisioned a reporter asking me, “When Timmy broke his back falling off the log, what were you thinking? How smart were you to do this?”
But that’s him. He wanted to do it, and one of his legs doesn’t even work. He still did it, every single deal. That was the greatest thing. When it was over, they said it was the most fun and the most interesting thing they had done in their careers. For me, the camaraderie of it, seeing each other in those circumstances, rooting and cheering for each other, it was worth a million dollars.
When your biggest stars like Tim Duncan buy into your system, it has such a trickle-down effect to the team. How can a guy on the bench not participate if the future Hall of Famer is giving his best?
GP: Speaking to that, the other thing I’ll do in practice on a regular basis when we run drills, is I’ll purposely get on the big boys the most. Duncan, Parker, and Manu Ginobili will catch more hell from me than anybody else out there. You know the obvious effect of that. If you do that and they respond in the right way, everyone else follows suit. The worst thing you can do is let it go when someone has been egregious in some sort of way. The young kids see that and you lose respect and the fiber of your team gets frayed a bit. I think it has to be that way. They have to be willing to set that example and take that hit so everybody else will fall in line. It’s a big thing for us and that’s how we do it.
Too often you see organizations treating a few people differently for whatever reason and it’s a problem. I was on a few teams where some guys got away with murder and everyone knew it and it killed the team.
GP: You always see that.
It’s not rocket science, is it?
GP: I go to bed every night and I don’t worry about anybody on my team. I don’t come to work in the morning and say, “Ah, jeez, I’m going to have to clean this mess up.” It doesn’t happen. Everybody else spends half their time cleaning up everything or trying to convince themselves that this guy and that guy get along and blah blah blah. When people ask me how I do it, I just think it’s total logic. You don’t have to be smart. I realize it’s not easy but a lot of guys don’t get it. When they have problems I say, “You did it to yourself.” There are no problems if a team does the work ahead of time and uses character as a “true” component of selection.
When it comes to dealing with the kinds of players who may become a problem, those kids as you mentioned who may have come from tough backgrounds, do you ever try to impart life lessons or lessons on character through basketball?
GP: Sure. I think it’s really important because it’s the right thing to do. We spend a good deal of time discussing politics, race, food and wine, international events, and other things just to impart the notion that a life of satisfaction cannot be based on sports alone.
We work with our players on things as small as how they talk to the media. Things as easy as saying, “I’m doing well” instead of “I’m doing good” when someone greets them. It seems like a little thing but it’s important. My daughter still gets on me about that all the time when I say, “Oh, I’m good,” and she says, “No, dad, you’re well.” It sounds better, like you really went to school and paid attention.
I think working on some guys’ speech and how they react to the media really helps them have a more productive life. We do things on our team board like vocabulary and state capitals to see who gets them quickest before we start practice, just to get the guys thinking. Through those kinds of exercises you may find out that somebody’s not included over and over.
When you finally figure out why – maybe a kid can’t read very well – you get him in the room and you get him lessons. You have a little bit of a tough day because he’s embarrassed as hell, but then the kid starts to learn how to read and feels pretty great about himself.
That kind of off-the-court stuff is so important.
GP: I’ll go to dinner with a guy and it’ll be the first time he’s ever eaten an oyster or the first time he’s ever had a glass of wine. Whatever it might be, you’re spending time away from the court.
Building those relationships is crucial, especially if you want to have an impact on someone’s life. Several people I’ve interviewed for Forces of Character have brought up the importance of coaching the individual, meaning, you have to know a person before you can truly influence them and get them to buy into your team’s goals.
GP: I’ve been doing this a long time, and one of my biggest joys is when somebody comes back to town with their kids, or one of my players becomes one of my coaches, and you have that relationship that you’ve had for the last ten years, fifteen years. It might be only three years in some guys’ cases, but the lessons they learned from you paid off – even if you traded them or you cut them. Years later they come back and say that you were right, that now they know what you were telling them.
I think all of that relationship building helps them want to play for you, for the program, for their teammates. Beyond that, from a totally selfish point of view, I think I get most of my satisfaction from that. Sure, winning the championship is great, but it fades quickly. It’s always there and nobody can take it away. The satisfaction I get from Tony Parker bringing his child into the office, or some other player who came through the program and now I hired him as a coach and he’s back. That’s satisfying.
You can’t just get your satisfaction out of teaching somebody how to shoot or how to box out on a rebound. That’s not very important in the big picture of things. If you can have both I think you’ve got some satisfaction. It’s one of the motivations. That’s the selfish one I guess, but it’s real.
*Jacks Valley is the training complex on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy
**Doolies is a term used in the Air Force to refer to freshman cadets
You can buy Forces of Character: Conversations about Building a Life of Impact by Chad Hennings and Jon Finkel on Amazon. Visit forcesofcharacter.comSpeaking today during a post-earnings financial call, GameStop COO Tony Bartel said gamers should not expect to see as many new hardware bundles that come with free games in 2015 as they did last year.
"Based on our discussions with publishers and platform-holders, these pack-in programs will be significantly reduced in 2015," Bartel said.
In 2014, Microsoft and Sony offered various hardware bundles. Microsoft sold Xbox Ones with free copies of Assassin's Creed Unity (and Black Flag), Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Sunset Overdrive. Meanwhile, Sony sold PlayStation 4 bundles with free pack-ins such as Destiny and The Last of Us, among others.
Bartel said GameStop's overall new software sales took a hit last year due to these bundles. Citing an NPD study, Bartel said as much as $250 million was lost in physical sales as a result.
"We believe that new software sales were impacted in the latter part of 2014 as many games were given away as subsidized marketing incentives in next-generation hardware bundles," he said.
Microsoft just this month launched a new Xbox One Master Chief Collection bundle. So bundles aren't going away entirely (as evidenced by the number of bundles currently being offered at GameStop), but Bartel sees them as making up a smaller piece of the pie this year compared to last.
Currently, Xbox One and PS4 free game bundles--in the case of the Master Chief Collection and The Last of Us bundles--cost the same as a standard console. That's $350 for Xbox One and $400 for PS4.
Also during the presentation, the retailer shared some data from an upcoming DFC Intelligence report. It claims that, of the total number of AAA games sold in North America last year, 88 percent were physical and 12 percent were digital.
Of that 12 percent, 60 percent were given away through hardware bundles, while 40 percent were paid for.
Overall, when factoring in total unit sales of AAA games in 2014 (physical and digital), paid-for downloaded games made up |
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Here some incidents since 9/11 that should have led to a rethink of this “mass Muslim immigration” thing:
2006: Naveed Afzul Haq’s attack on the Seattle Jewish Federation. He shot six women, one of whom died. He was a native-born US citizen, like Mateen. Patrick Cleburne blogged After Seattle, Why Have Muslim Immigrants?
2009: The Fort Hood Massacre, in which Major Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 American soldiers, and wounded over 30 others. One of the soldiers killed was a pregnant woman, and the bullet also killed her unborn child. Pat Buchanan wrote Diversity Is Strength! It's Also…Major Hasan And The Unravelling Of America. Hasan was a "native-born US citizen," like Mateen.
2015: At UC Merced, an 18-year old Muslim student named Faisal Mohammad stabbed four people, non-fatally, because he was “inspired” by ISIS. The multiculturally propagandized UC Merced students mourned Mohammad, because he was killed before he could do worse, holding a “Don’t Turn Our Tragedy Into Hate” teach-in. [ UC Merced mourns stabbing spree attacker Faisal Mohammad, seeks to understand him, by Jennifer Kabbany, College Fix, November 18, 2015]. Mohammad was a "native-born US citizen," like Mateen. I blogged that UC Merced Muslim Stabber A “Santa Clara Native”–Thanks, Teddy Kennedy!
There have been others, but the worst previous incident was the San Bernardino shootings, in which Syed Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people and injured 20. Farook was a "native-born US citizen," like Mateen.
I wrote then “It’s amazing how fast we find out the citizenship status of a minority mass murderer when he’s technically an American–apparently Syed Rizwan Farook was born in the US, about 1987, some 22 years after Teddy Kennedy’s 1965 Immigration Act” in blog titled Kneejerk MSM Reaction #4: “Syed Rizwan Farook, A 28-Year-Old American Citizen”.
We're finding that out again with Omar Mateen.
VDARE.com Editor Brimelow wrote after Farook and Malik committed their mass murders: San Bernardino: The Answer Is An Immigration Moratorium—And Muslim Expulsion.
He repeated this argument after the Brussels bombing, where the terrorists were "natives" of Belgium: The Brussels Bombing: Political Class Not Getting Message, Let’s Say It Again Louder: END MUSLIM (and other) IMMIGRATION!
In the wake of this latest Muslim attack, Trump also is repeating the fact that he called for ban on Muslim immigration:
What has happened in Orlando is just the beginning. Our leadership is weak and ineffective. I called it and asked for the ban. Must be tough — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016
It's obvious that at least some Muslims who are in America now need to leave. The late Lawrence Auster thought that, ultimately, they all will have to leave.
But there may be a million Muslims in the US on Green Cards, H-1B visas, and of course R-1 Religious Visas for Imams, Mullahs, and similar preachers of Muslim doctrine.
Those could all be revoked by the Executive Branch with the stroke of a pen.
If it was Donald Trump's pen.
James Fulford [Email him] is a writer and editor for VDARE.com.1.16. Probability calibration¶
When performing classification you often want not only to predict the class label, but also obtain a probability of the respective label. This probability gives you some kind of confidence on the prediction. Some models can give you poor estimates of the class probabilities and some even do not support probability prediction. The calibration module allows you to better calibrate the probabilities of a given model, or to add support for probability prediction.
Well calibrated classifiers are probabilistic classifiers for which the output of the predict_proba method can be directly interpreted as a confidence level. For instance, a well calibrated (binary) classifier should classify the samples such that among the samples to which it gave a predict_proba value close to 0.8, approximately 80% actually belong to the positive class. The following plot compares how well the probabilistic predictions of different classifiers are calibrated:
LogisticRegression returns well calibrated predictions by default as it directly optimizes log-loss. In contrast, the other methods return biased probabilities; with different biases per method:
GaussianNB tends to push probabilities to 0 or 1 (note the counts in the histograms). This is mainly because it makes the assumption that features are conditionally independent given the class, which is not the case in this dataset which contains 2 redundant features.
RandomForestClassifier shows the opposite behavior: the histograms show peaks at approximately 0.2 and 0.9 probability, while probabilities close to 0 or 1 are very rare. An explanation for this is given by Niculescu-Mizil and Caruana : “Methods such as bagging and random forests that average predictions from a base set of models can have difficulty making predictions near 0 and 1 because variance in the underlying base models will bias predictions that should be near zero or one away from these values. Because predictions are restricted to the interval [0,1], errors caused by variance tend to be one-sided near zero and one. For example, if a model should predict p = 0 for a case, the only way bagging can achieve this is if all bagged trees predict zero. If we add noise to the trees that bagging is averaging over, this noise will cause some trees to predict values larger than 0 for this case, thus moving the average prediction of the bagged ensemble away from 0. We observe this effect most strongly with random forests because the base-level trees trained with random forests have relatively high variance due to feature subsetting.” As a result, the calibration curve also referred to as the reliability diagram (Wilks 1995 ) shows a characteristic sigmoid shape, indicating that the classifier could trust its “intuition” more and return probabilities closer to 0 or 1 typically.
Linear Support Vector Classification ( LinearSVC ) shows an even more sigmoid curve as the RandomForestClassifier, which is typical for maximum-margin methods (compare Niculescu-Mizil and Caruana ), which focus on hard samples that are close to the decision boundary (the support vectors).
Two approaches for performing calibration of probabilistic predictions are provided: a parametric approach based on Platt’s sigmoid model and a non-parametric approach based on isotonic regression ( sklearn.isotonic ). Probability calibration should be done on new data not used for model fitting. The class CalibratedClassifierCV uses a cross-validation generator and estimates for each split the model parameter on the train samples and the calibration of the test samples. The probabilities predicted for the folds are then averaged. Already fitted classifiers can be calibrated by CalibratedClassifierCV via the parameter cv=”prefit”. In this case, the user has to take care manually that data for model fitting and calibration are disjoint.
The following images demonstrate the benefit of probability calibration. The first image present a dataset with 2 classes and 3 blobs of data. The blob in the middle contains random samples of each class. The probability for the samples in this blob should be 0.5.
The following image shows on the data above the estimated probability using a Gaussian naive Bayes classifier without calibration, with a sigmoid calibration and with a non-parametric isotonic calibration. One can observe that the non-parametric model provides the most accurate probability estimates for samples in the middle, i.e., 0.5.
The following experiment is performed on an artificial dataset for binary classification with 100,000 samples (1,000 of them are used for model fitting) with 20 features. Of the 20 features, only 2 are informative and 10 are redundant. The figure shows the estimated probabilities obtained with logistic regression, a linear support-vector classifier (SVC), and linear SVC with both isotonic calibration and sigmoid calibration. The Brier score is a metric which is a combination of calibration loss and refinement loss, brier_score_loss, reported in the legend (the smaller the better). Calibration loss is defined as the mean squared deviation from empirical probabilities derived from the slope of ROC segments. Refinement loss can be defined as the expected optimal loss as measured by the area under the optimal cost curve.
One can observe here that logistic regression is well calibrated as its curve is nearly diagonal. Linear SVC’s calibration curve or reliability diagram has a sigmoid curve, which is typical for an under-confident classifier. In the case of LinearSVC, this is caused by the margin property of the hinge loss, which lets the model focus on hard samples that are close to the decision boundary (the support vectors). Both kinds of calibration can fix this issue and yield nearly identical results. The next figure shows the calibration curve of Gaussian naive Bayes on the same data, with both kinds of calibration and also without calibration.
One can see that Gaussian naive Bayes performs very badly but does so in an other way than linear SVC: While linear SVC exhibited a sigmoid calibration curve, Gaussian naive Bayes’ calibration curve has a transposed-sigmoid shape. This is typical for an over-confident classifier. In this case, the classifier’s overconfidence is caused by the redundant features which violate the naive Bayes assumption of feature-independence.
Calibration of the probabilities of Gaussian naive Bayes with isotonic regression can fix this issue as can be seen from the nearly diagonal calibration curve. Sigmoid calibration also improves the brier score slightly, albeit not as strongly as the non-parametric isotonic calibration. This is an intrinsic limitation of sigmoid calibration, whose parametric form assumes a sigmoid rather than a transposed-sigmoid curve. The non-parametric isotonic calibration model, however, makes no such strong assumptions and can deal with either shape, provided that there is sufficient calibration data. In general, sigmoid calibration is preferable in cases where the calibration curve is sigmoid and where there is limited calibration data, while isotonic calibration is preferable for non-sigmoid calibration curves and in situations where large amounts of data are available for calibration.
CalibratedClassifierCV can also deal with classification tasks that involve more than two classes if the base estimator can do so. In this case, the classifier is calibrated first for each class separately in an one-vs-rest fashion. When predicting probabilities for unseen data, the calibrated probabilities for each class are predicted separately. As those probabilities do not necessarily sum to one, a postprocessing is performed to normalize them.
The next image illustrates how sigmoid calibration changes predicted probabilities for a 3-class classification problem. Illustrated is the standard 2-simplex, where the three corners correspond to the three classes. Arrows point from the probability vectors predicted by an uncalibrated classifier to the probability vectors predicted by the same classifier after sigmoid calibration on a hold-out validation set. Colors indicate the true class of an instance (red: class 1, green: class 2, blue: class 3).
The base classifier is a random forest classifier with 25 base estimators (trees). If this classifier is trained on all 800 training datapoints, it is overly confident in its predictions and thus incurs a large log-loss. Calibrating an identical classifier, which was trained on 600 datapoints, with method=’sigmoid’ on the remaining 200 datapoints reduces the confidence of the predictions, i.e., moves the probability vectors from the edges of the simplex towards the center:
This calibration results in a lower log-loss. Note that an alternative would have been to increase the number of base estimators which would have resulted in a similar decrease in log-loss.Advertisement
For most people one brolly will do when it's pouring. But not if you are the King of Saudi Arabia.
King Salman disembarked from a gold-clad plane via an escalator and had seven flunkies armed with huge golf umbrellas to protect him from the rain as he touched down in Indonesia.
Cheering crowds welcomed the 81-year-old on Wednesday as he began the first visit by a Saudi monarch to Indonesia for almost 50 years, bringing with him 1,000 aides and an array of expensive personal touches.
Among his demands for the nine-day trip were a VIP toilet built for him at a mosque in Jakarta and 506 tons of luggage including two escalators and a pair of Mercedes-Benz limousines.
Saudi King Salman, centre left, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo walk under umbrellas during heavy rain at the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
Saudi Arabia's King Salman (front) arrives at Halim airport in Jakarta on March 1, 2017, on board a huge Saudi jet
The king arrives via the golden escalator for his historic visit to Indonesia - the first by a Saudi head of state in 47 years
King Salman was greeted by President Joko Widodo and Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian who is standing trial for blasphemy.
Crowds of flag-waving schoolchildren lined the route as a convoy of vehicles carrying the king and his entourage sped through pouring rain to a presidential palace in the nearby city of Bogor, where a marching band played the Indonesian national anthem.
Widodo hailed Salman's trip as 'historic' and said he hoped it could lead to closer economic ties.
As well as cheering schoolchildren, the king heavy rain also welcomed him to the country.
Making his way to the presidential palace in Bogor, West Java, seven of his entourage surrounded him with huge golf umbrellas to shield him from the downpour.
'As the country with the biggest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia will always have a special bond with Saudi Arabia,' he told the king at the palace.
He landed in Indonesia today to join an enormous entourage of 620 people as well as 800 delegates, including ministers and 25 princes.
Jasa Angkasa Semesta (JAS) has been tasked with the huge operation of lugging the cargo from Saudi Arabia, and has dedicated 572 members of staff to handle it.
Saudi King Salman, left, waves as he stands next to Indonesian President Joko Widodo during their meeting at the presidential palace
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (centre left) welcomes Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz (centre right) at Halim airport in Jakarta on March 1, 2017
Saudi Arabia's King Salman (front) is accompanied by about 1,000 people and 506 tons of equipment as he visits Indonesia
Salman said he hoped the visit would 'contribute to the improvement of the bilateral relationship between our two countries'.
The visit - the first by a Saudi Arabian king to Indonesia for 47 years - is one of the highlights of a rare Saudi royal tour of Asia which is seeking investment as the world's biggest oil exporter tries to diversify its economy.
Preparations have been elaborate.
Naked statues at the Bogor palace were covered up before Salman's arrival, while local media reported that 150 chefs had been hired to cook for the king's party and a VIP toilet had been specially built at a major mosque he will visit.
The monarch and his entourage will reportedly stay in five luxury hotels in Bali for several days following the visit to Jakarta.
The king (front) is taking part in a historic visit to Indonesia, the first visit by a Saudi head of state in 47 years
The plane carrying Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz lands at Halim airport in Jakarta on March 1, 2017
Indonesian students wave flags as they wait for Saudi Arabia's King Salman to arrive at Bogor Palace in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
Business deals could be announced, and a series of cooperation memoranda are also set to be signed on issues ranging from security, to health and education. The king is due to give a speech to parliament on Thursday.
Indonesia will also seek approval to send more citizens to the annual hajj pilgrimage in western Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's holiest sites.
Salman kicked off his three-week Asian tour in Malaysia earlier this week, and is also set to visit Japan, China and the Maldives.Story highlights A Massachusetts woman says an iPad she bought from Walmart was fake
A rash of similar cases have been reported in the past six months
Walmart is aware of the problem and is working to address it
Advice: Open the box in the store and check the serial number on the box as well
But when you're like Suzanne Nassise and you buy Apple's popular tablet from a well-known retailer, you expect it to be legit. Nassise says she walked out of a Walmart in Brockton, Massachusetts, last month with what she believed was a new $499 iPad.
When she got home and opened the box, she told CNN affiliate WCVB, she thought, "'Wow, it's a little on the light side -- Apple's an elegant product.'"
Then she tried to turn it on.
When nothing happened, Nassise looked at the plastic rectangle more closely. The imitation iPad -- an iFake, if you will -- tried to replicate a real iPad's charging port and speakers, the latter of which were small, painted-on dots.
"When I realized it, I was upset," she told WCVB. "I just paid $500 for a paperweight."
Susan Nassise paid $499 for an iPad at a Walmart in Brockton, Massachusetts, only to open the box and find a plastic fake.
If her story sounds familiar, it's because it has happened at retailers in a variety of states over the past few years. Numerous shoppers have purchased what they thought were iPads, only to open the box and find a worthless decoy inside. To make matters worse, some stores have refused to give refunds on the grounds that the buyers might have been trying to scam them.
The majority of news reports on the problem have involved iPad purchases at Walmart, although other retailers are not immune.
The next year, Ken Lemal told a similar story after the businessman purchased what he thought was an iPad from a Walmart in Woodstock, Georgia. Like Nassise, Lemal's iPad was packaged in a way that suggested he was buying a product straight from the manufacturer.
"I think that probably somebody switched (the iPad) and took it back with the cellophane and everything," Lemal told CNN in a recent interview. "An employee says, 'Oh it's wrapped up, we'll stick it back in inventory,' and it gets sold to somebody else. I think that's what happens."
In January, a woman in Randolph, New Jersey, said that she, too, wound up with a fake Apple tablet after shopping at her neighborhood Walmart.
"When I got home and opened the box, I thought it was a real iPad," Jamie Frick told the Newark Star-Ledger. "I took out the charger and then tried to plug it in the iPad, and that is when I started to notice everything."
So how is this fraud happening? Retail chains aren't saying. But the prevailing theory begins with a scam artist buying an iPad, replacing it with something of similar size and weight and then repackaging the box so it looks ready for the sales floor once again. Then the person returns the box for a refund. Other speculation has focused on unscrupulous store employees raiding storerooms to make similar swaps.
Walmart at first declined to offer Nassise, the Massachusetts woman, an exchange or refund because of a policy against returned merchandise that has been unwrapped. But after the local ABC station got involved, Nassise eventually received a refund for her purchase.
Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee said the company is aware of the problem and is working to address it.
"We're actively reviewing our transactional records, and then going back and looking at the video that matches up with that to determine how this product is getting back on our shelves," she said. "If it appears that it is fraudulent, we will share all that information with local law enforcement."
Best Buy, which has seen similar fake-iPad episodes, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Walmart's Gee recommends that iPad shoppers open the box and check the tablet carefully before making a purchase.
Lemal's experience made him wary of purchasing items from anyone other than the manufacturer. But he did learn a valuable lesson: Double-check the serial number on the box.
"If you have an issue, don't rely on the retailer to just check the item that's inside the box; call Apple and verify the serial number that's on the box itself," he said. "Either require them to do it while there, or when you get home... (that will tell you) if it had been sold prior to your date of purchase."Once upon a time, private industry was the engine of the great American economic machine. From coast to coast, expanding industries spawned massive cities filled with optimistic Americans who were able to achieve middle class lifestyles on the good jobs that American companies were providing for them. The largest middle class in the history of the world had been created and it seemed possible for just about everyone to live the American Dream. But today all of that has changed. The private sector is being dominated by gigantic global corporations that have shown absolutely no hesitation to ship jobs overseas. Millions upon millions of good jobs have been sent to China, India and the third world and they are never coming back. Pay and benefits for middle class Americans working in private industry have been slowly eroding and are now at dangerously low levels. Meanwhile, working as a "government servant" has never been more rewarding. Today, the average government worker makes far more than the average worker in the private sector does.
How much more?
Well, according to a new study from the Heritage Foundation, U.S. government workers earn 30 to 40 percent more money than their private sector counterparts on average.
So, in essence, the "servants" make substantially more money than the taxpayers who employ them.
Isn't the system great?
In fact, according to the study, if you add in retirement and health care benefits, the average federal employee now earns nearly twice as much as the average private sector employee.
Ouch.
Just check out this excerpt from the study....
Including non-cash benefits adds to this disparity. The average private-sector employer pays $9,882 per employee in annual benefits, while the federal government pays an average of $32,115 per employee.
Yes, it is very good to be a U.S. government employee in 2010.
Meanwhile, the private sector continues to bleed jobs. The U.S. economy lost 131,000 more jobs during the month of July. Needless to say, the vast majority of those job losses came from private industry.
The truth is that it is becoming very, very difficult to live a middle class lifestyle if you do not work for the government.
A reader of this column named Tim recently shared the difficult experiences he has been going through as an employee in the private sector....
Been with my current company over 12 years. Last pay raise I got was six years ago. The last two years we've had our salaries actually reduced. 401K matching, vacation time, company stock purchase plans, actual pay, all gone or reduced. Me and buddies figure it to be about ~14% overall reduction. At my level I was averaging a 10% annual bonus (which are now a vague memory).
All in all, I am NOW working longer hours, at a much less satisfying job (it actually sucks), for about 20-25% less than I was making just 3 years ago.
My company was once a very highly respected company for the way it treated employees and the loyalty that created. We were long term focused, made great products. but now? ha! Upper management pushes harder and harder so they get their *quarterly* bonuses. Below VP level, people, and I mean a LOT of people are now pushing 55-60+ hour weeks for fear of losing their jobs.
With all this said - I still consider myself LUCKY. Even with the ~20% pay reduction, I still make very good money. But one thing has drastically changed. I no longer circulate my money. It all goes into savings. Every spare penny. And while this is good for me, we all understand it is at the expense of the local economy.
The saddest thing is to see my kids now graduating from college (two in the last four years!). They are entering a dismal job market with no hope of "true" recovery in the foreseeable future.
Of course the U.S. government cannot keep paying their workers above market wages forever.
But for now, if you need a good job and can stand to do it, working for the U.S. government pays really, really well.
Might as well jump on the gravy train for as long as it lasts.
So is this a good system?
Of course not.
The true wealth of a nation is produced by the private sector. But unfortunately, the private sector is providing fewer and fewer good jobs in the United States.
The truth is that the U.S. government has become the last great source of middle class American jobs. This will not be able to last indefinitely, but for now those seeking the safety and security of a job ("just over broke") should be looking to the government because the chances of getting a great job in the private sector are getting slimmer by the day.
Now check out 22 statistics that prove the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America -->We’ll get to see Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) again in Captain America: Civil War in May, but the character will be returning in the sequel to Ant-Man, 2018’s Ant-Man and The Wasp. Evangeline Lilly will also be returning for the sequel, not just as a love interest, but as The Wasp – an actual super hero this time around. Her character was revealed briefly at the end of Ant-Man, as Hank Pym revealed the suit he’d worked with his wife Janet on to his daughter, Hope Van Dyne, hinting that we’d see Lilly’s character suit up next time that we’d see her.
Entertainment Weekly caught up with Ant-Man director, Payton Reed, on the Captain America: Civil War red carpet to talk about the direction that they plan to take with Evangeline’s Wasp going forward.
“Evangeline is an amazing actress. The first movie was really about her coming into her own as a hero, even though we didn’t see her suit up yet,” Reed said. “So we’re so excited about now being able to show her fully formed and what she is as a superhero. Her power set, how she fights, and what are the injustices that matter to her that she wants to right. That’s part of the really fun thing of the next movie.”
While Civil War will be introducing two heroes that haven’t previously appeared in the MCU, Black Panther and Spider-Man, while also introducing Ant-Man to the greater MCU, the decision was made that The Wasp would not appear again until her own film.
“It just didn’t make sense for Wasp [to be in Civil War] because there’s so many characters in this movie, and you really want to see her become a hero and really spend time with her,” Reed said. “She’s a complicated character and a rich character. We’re really, really having fun writing that.”
What will that story be? They are still working that out.
“We’re pretty early on still. … We all holed up and we’ve been doing these sessions and structuring the movie. So we’re in the structural phase now, and it’s fun.”
With all of these Marvel characters, and all of the new films, there is always the risk of burnout. Reed says that the team is working hard to make sure that what they bring is original, keeping the audience’s interest.
He added, “The challenge in Ant-Man and the Wasp is just topping everything that comes before. But that’s a challenge I think with every Marvel movie, with every hero movie. You don’t want the audience to get bored and feel like, oh man, I saw that in the last movie. You always got to give them something different.” As Rudd put it, “We’re just getting started. We’re working on it for a little while. Coming up with some ideas … It’s creatively fulfilling, and challenging, and daunting, and exciting, more than anything.”
With Marvel upping the game in every movie, everything must seem like a hard act to follow, but each movie is keeping up. I’m sure that whatever they come up with for Ant-Man And The Wasp, we’ll be excited to see it in theaters July 6th, 2018.
Source: Entertainment WeeklyHow to solve problems like a designer
Designers are incredibly unique creatures. Where other people see a blank space, a designer sees an opportunity to create. Where others outside the field might think in black and white, designers think in full spectrum. There are just so many things that make designers unique, but that’s the beauty of being one. It means that there are things only you can see.
This becomes a relevant fact when it comes to problem-solving.
A look at design thinking
Yes, even designers have their own framework that they use, whether knowingly or subconsciously, every time they are presented with a problem. This is what you call “design thinking.”
Through design thinking, one is able to convert observations into insights, and these insights into products and services that aim to provide solutions to existing problems. It’s not just about presenting options that look good or follow trends. It’s also about being able to make a difference, eventually creating ways to make each user’s life better.
Design thinking vs traditional problem-solving
So, what’s the difference between traditional problem solving and design thinking?
When you solve problems the traditional way, you pinpoint the problem and use a scientific approach to find solutions. After all, science solves almost everything, right? Well, not all the time. A scientific approach rarely leaves room for flexibility and innovation, which means that when something goes wrong, you have to start from scratch.
And what if the problem pointed out isn’t really the real source of the issue? Then you would have exerted a lot of effort and used up a lot of resources before figuring out that you’re trying to solve the wrong problem. At the end of the day, this leads to failure.
This is where design thinking comes in.
Where traditional thinking starts in identifying the problem, design thinking starts with observation. This allows the observant to truly understand the nature and culture of the problem instead of JUST the problem.
Five steps in design thinking
The process involved in design thinking applies five different principles that often makes it more effective than the traditional method.
Empathize
The empathy stage is where the problem solver tries to understand the audience. After all, two people may have the same problem but with different contexts. Two people may have financial problems, for example, but one could be inherited while the other is mostly because of the lack of discipline. This is why it is very important to understand where the people involved are coming from.
When you empathize, you try to take a deeper look into what your audience’s values, beliefs, and needs are. For you to gather the data you need, you would have to observe – a lot! You have to watch how your audience moves and listen to the way they speak. You have to engage them and start conversations. It’s a process of interaction, of building real connections.
Define
The definition stage is where you try to establish a point of view. Now that you are armed with the data you have gathered through audience observation, you can finally compile it and find patterns and connections. What do all these pieces of information mean? What does it say about the audience you worked with and their needs?
Ideate
This is the stage where you start formulating ideas to come up with possible solutions. Remember that this involves creative thinking and not the usual exact scientific process, so nothing is really off limits here. Throw in every relevant idea you have. It’s not about finding that one perfect idea, it’s all about opening up as many possibilities and opportunities as you can.
The best way to do this would be to collaborate with other team members. Every person has their own brand of creativity, so the more people pitching in, the more unique ideas you get.
Prototype
Now that you’re in the prototype stage, you can start trying out multiple solutions. Remember that you have quite a few ideas to try out from the previous brainstorming session, so the more ideas you try, the more ways for you to solve the problem as well.
And yes, it’s possible that two or three different approaches could show satisfactory results. Even better, the prototype stage could also show you a few new ideas that you weren’t able to think of before.
Test
In the testing stage, you will be able to find what the best solution is for each specific type of audience. You can finally let your audience experience how your ideas work and see if these ideas are truly as genius as you think they are.
As mentioned earlier, you could see two or three solutions that would work – it’s all about discovering which one is the most efficient and effective.
In the testing stage, it’s possible for you to go back to any of the previous stages you have already completed. If your audience finds something wrong with your prototypes for example, there may be a need for you to go back to the drawing board. Of course, that’s the beauty of design thinking as opposed to traditional thinking. This process leaves enough room for change and flexibility, so you can jump to any step you want as needed.
As you can see, design thinking is just a jumbled up version of the traditional scientific method.
Tips for applying design thinking
So how do you effectively apply design thinking in solving problems and creating solutions? Here are a few tips you can use to make this work for you:
Focus on your users
Remember that this is not about you, it’s about your audience’s problems. You have to think about how your users would feel every step of the way. The moment you disregard their opinions, beliefs, values, or insight, you also open up the path to failure.
How do you know whether something will work for your users if you haven’t gone to the testing stage just yet? Focus on the first step – observe. A few questions that would help are:
How does the solution work?
What mood are you putting your audience in?
Is everything readable or easy to understand?
How well does the design match the brand’s values, image, and goals?
As you answer these questions, you can slowly see what makes your users happy and adjust your methods and approach accordingly.
Always create visuals
You’re a designer, so there’s a big chance that you are able to imagine the end result in your mind. But what about the users and clients who are not as creative as you are?
Visualizing the end product will tell you right away whether a certain approach would work or not. The best example of this would be the mockups you present to clients before finally working on the project. Through visuals, you can always make sure that everybody is on the same page. Remember that everybody thinks differently, and you wouldn’t want your entire team to envision different things in their minds. Great visuals can help clear things up.
Don’t stick to a single solution
The beauty of design thinking is the fact that you can make as many solutions as you like. Maximize this feature by coming up with a number of solutions and letting your audience decide which ones are the best. This is also the best way for you to make sure that you cover all possible corners of the field, instead of submitting a single solution and being overshadowed by the competition just because they used an approach you could have also used.
Always ask for help
Any creative process requires the feedback of a number of people and not just a single person. You wouldn’t want to paint a masterpiece that no one but you appreciates, would you? Because of this, no matter what happens, always collaborate with the right people. Ask for help. Ask for feedback. This is the best way for you to find kinks and issues that you may not be seeing or you may not have thought of.
You don’t even need to wait until you’re ready to deliver the end result before asking for the opinion of others. From the idea-generation stage alone, you can already accomplish so much if you let a few more people into your circle and ask for suggestions.
Immerse yourself
When you’re working on building solutions for a problem, be in the zone. Get rid of distractions and find ways to focus on that single thing for now. You can do as much as you need to do just to get yourself in the zone. Set the right kind of music for the kind of work you expect to do. Free your workspace of useless clutter and surround yourself with things related to the project. Get out there and talk to people who can positively influence whatever you’re working on. Be the actor or actress who lives out the life of the character they’ll be playing in their next movie. Immerse yourself.
Set realistic deadlines
Letting the ideas pour out and working on creating viable solutions out of them takes time. You can never submit a half-baked product just to say that you met the initial deadline. As much as possible, study the timeline and see if any of the dates seem too tight. Explain,carefully, to the people involved why some deadlines might have to be pushed. Yes, your ultimate goal is to deliver results in the fastest time possible. But if these results are mediocre, then what’s the use?
Be open to starting from scratch
Design thinking is a continuous and flexible process, and there are times when no matter what you do, you always get stuck. In this case, be open to throwing out everything you’ve worked on so far and starting fresh. Sometimes, we get too engrossed in whatever we’re working on and fail to see opportunities passing by. So when something just isn’t working out, stop, breathe, and go back to the beginning. This time, a fresh perspective helps you find those missed opportunities and end up with even better results.
Find inspiration
Sure, you want the solutions you offer to be as unique and as innovative as possible. This does not mean that you’ll start from ground zero. Try to look around and find inspiration in what others have done so far. This would give you a great starting point to take advantage of things that other people may have missed.
Of course, make sure you know the huge difference between finding inspiration and copying. Some people set out to find inspiration, only to end up imitating a lot of the aspects that go into their original inspiration. And most of the time, it’s not even intentional! Again, it all goes back to asking for feedback. Other people would be able to tell you if you’re moving far from your goal of coming up with a unique solution or if you’re on the right track.
Ready to embrace design thinking? These books will help you take your problem-solving skills to the next level.
Design thinking books
Design Thinking by Gavin Ambrose
An introduction to the process of generating creative ideas and concepts. It identifies methods and thought processes used by designers in order to start the process that eventually leads to a finished piece of work.
Graphic Design Thinking by Ellen Lupton
This book explores informal techniques ranging from quick, seat-of-the-pants approaches to more formal research |
One’s. Come take em’ for a ride.
Now go run, cuz’ it’s a nice day!When the 2014 NFL schedule was first released some eight months ago, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking that a Week 16 clash between the Saints and Falcons would most likely be the moment the NFC South was won or lost. Fast forward 14 games, and that belief still rings true. However, something I hadn’t even dreamt of contemplating, namely that this Week 16 Battle Royale would actually be duked out by two teams with losing records, is also true. Still, it is what it is. Quite frankly, you can throw any talk of winning records and “playoff entitlement” out the window right now. This is do-or-die, must-win football against the Dirty Birds in the Superdome, and with that said, it seems high time we discuss how us at The BoiLa think the Saints can get the edge on the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
In this Saints Offense Preview I’m actually going to start with a rundown of what’s changed defensively for Atlanta since Week 1, focussing on the impact of such changes and also how they could be exploited by Brees & Co. As well as this, I’m going to finish up by explaining exactly why I don’t think it really matters if Bryce Harris does have to start on Sunday.
1. Is this Falcons D worse than it was in Week 1?
As painful as it was, I forced myself to watch back that fateful Week 1 encounter earlier this week, as well as a number of Atlanta’s more recent matchups. The aim was try and get a handle on this Falcons defense, and also help identify any changes that have been made after 16 tumultuous game weeks.
I’ll start on the defensive line, which looks like it’s going to remain largely unchanged from Week 1’s meeting. Wannabe reality TV star Kroy Biermann is (somehow) still getting the majority of snaps at left end, while Paul Soliai, Tyson Jackson and Jonathan Babineaux should get most of the work in the interior. Additionally, Corey Peters, who missed the Week 1 clash, will also likely spell in at defensive tackle in certain packages. At right end is where it gets a little more complicated for the Falcons. The player who started against the Saints back in September, Jonathan Massaquoi, recently drew the ire of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan for complaining publicly about his dwindling snap counts. As a result, Massaquoi was eventually benched for last week’s game against Pittsburgh, meaning the unheralded duo of Malliciah Goodman and Cliff Matthews shared most of the snaps at right end, with veteran Osi Umenyiora subbing in for obvious passing downs.
From a Saints perspective, the good thing about this Falcons defensive line remaining consistent throughout the season is that there shouldn’t really be any surprises out there. You certainly know what’s coming from this Atlanta pass rush, which could well go some way to explaining why the Falcons have a league-worst 16 sacks this year. To put that into context, the Saints have nearly twice as many (31), while the NFL-leading Buffalo Bills have over three times that amount (49).
Linebacker-wise it also looks set to be a similar set-up to Week 1, with Paul Worrilow the every down MLB, and then Joplo Bartu and Prince Shembo filling in around him. As a unit, all three linebackers have struggled in coverage this season, with Worrilow probably the worst. According to PFF, opposing quarterbacks have an average QB rating of 127.7 when throwing into Worrilow’s coverage, completing 82% of their passes while totalling 566 yards and 5 touchdowns. Certainly encouraging numbers.
However, the biggest changes for the Falcons from Week 1’s meeting look set to be in the secondary. Firstly, former Southeastern Louisiana stand-out and now Falcons starting corner, Robert Alford, broke his wrist back in Week 11 and has since been placed on IR. This has meant that from Week 12 onwards it has been the Falcons usual slot corner, Robert McClain, starting on the outside. Having focussed quite closely on McClain while watching back the games that he has started, it’s fair to say he doesn’t look very comfortable playing on the outside. In addition to this, starting strong safety/part-time rapper “Willy Mo” (William Moore) is questionable with a foot injury that forced him out of last week’s clash against Pittsburgh. Earlier in the season, Moore also suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4 which landed him on the IR designated to return list. In fact, since Week 4 Moore has only played a grand total of 70 snaps. If he does play, you’d hope he’d be rusty at best. If he doesn’t, expect 2013 7th rounder Kemal Ishmael to start in his place. Ishmael has been up and down in 2014, with four interceptions to his name, while also giving up a number of long receptions and big plays.
So, to answer the initial question posed; is this Falcons D worse than it was in Week 1? No… not massively. But then it was hardly lights out back then either. The good thing is that a number of the weaknesses that have plagued this defense all season still remain, which is most probably why it’s ranked last in the NFL in both yards allowed per game and 3rd down %. With statistics like that, it’s hard to get any worse.
2. Should the Saints offense do anything differently?
To be honest, looking back at the film from Week 1, there isn’t really much different that the Saints offense need to do. On that day in the Georgia Dome the Saints ran for 139 yards at 5 yards per carry, passed for 333 yards and scored 34 points. If you had to stress one thing however, it would be turnovers and ball security.
As we all know, Brees threw a costly red zone pick in the third quarter of the first encounter, compounded by the fact it was on a play that would have put the Saints up by 10 if he had managed to connect with Cooks in the end zone. Instead, the pass was intercepted, and with it momentum drained from the Saints for a fair while. In addition to that pick, a Colston fumble in overtime was arguably even more costly, serving as the final regretful nail in the Saints’ coffin. Mistakes such as the above haven’t been quite as rare occurrences as you might expect from their respective perpetrators in 2014, but both Brees and Colston should be more than motivated now to put the record straight against their divisional rivals.
As far as Brees is concerned, coming off the back of an impressive showing against the Bears, he will be looking to take on a Falcons defense that has been torched by #9 in the Superdome on numerous previous occasions. Looking specifically at the matchup on Sunday, Brees may well look to target Robert McClain on the outside. And as always, any plays that draw Worrilow or Bartu into coverage should definitely prove lucrative for the Saints. This is an area where Colston could really come up big, especially with Payton’s propensity to line him up in the slot. Few receivers are better than Colston at finding soft spots in the coverage between linebackers and safeties, so anything that involves him running routes that draw the coverage of these Falcons linebackers should be actively encouraged. Likewise, Pierre Thomas could create a real mismatch on passing downs out the backfield, and Jimmy Graham, although likely covered by FS Dwight Lowery for most of the day, could also have some joy over the middle and down the seams.
On the whole, there’s no reason why the Saints shouldn’t be able to get the run going, get the pass going, and score points on this defense like they did in Week 1. Vastly inferior offenses have moved the chains on this Falcons defense to the tune of 400 yards per game, the Saints are more than equipped enough to do the same.
3. Harris the hindrance? (Version 2.0)
If you’re a regular reader of The BoiLa, you will probably remember we’ve already used the “Harris the hindrance?” sub-title as a discussion point for our Week 10 Offense Preview in the build up to the game against San Fran. For those that didn’t read our preview for that one, the basic gist of it was me hypothesising about the various extra measures the Saints would have to take into account if Bryce Harris had to start instead of Zach Strief, who hadn’t practised all week due to a chest injury. As it was, Strief did in fact get cleared to play in the game, meaning Harris didn’t have to play a single snap. Six weeks down the line, and swapping Strief for Terron Armstead, it looks like we’re back in almost exactly the same situation. Armstead hasn’t practised all week, with Harris poised to deputise if the left tackle can’t go on Sunday.
One thing we have been able to observe since that 49ers game however is getting to see Bryce Harris in some extended action. Harris has been able to play a number of snaps against the Bengals, Panthers and Bears in recent weeks because of in-game injuries to Strief or Armstead. Unfortunately, the majority of what we’ve seen in those outings has been far from encouraging. Carlos Dunlap gave Harris tremendous trouble against Cincy, and Charles Johnson easily got the better of him against the Panthers. In both of those games we graded him out as “Very Bad”. (See his full performance summaries here: Week 11 vs Cincy, Week 14 vs Carolina). To be fair to the under-fire back up though, he did do a better job up against Jared Allen and the Bears on Monday night, with us grading him out at a lofty “Average” on the day. (Full summary here). Certainly a welcome improvement.
Regardless of that though, I think we can all agree that Bryce Harris is a large step down from both Armstead and Strief. With Armstead a “gametime decision” at best for Sunday, it’s looking fairly likely that Bryce Harris will get the start at left tackle. So, we go back to the original question… should we be worried? Is Harris a hindrance? Against a lot of teams, the answer would be a fairly emphatic “Yes”, but looking at the “talent” the Falcons have coming off that right edge, I honestly think Harris can handle them. Looking at the numbers, the right hand side of this much-maligned Falcons front-7 have been unable to take advantage of any matchup, no matter how favourable, all season. Babineaux (RDT), Goodman (RE), Matthews (RE), Umenyiora (RE) and Massaquoi (RE) have combined for a pitiful 5.5 sacks between them in a whopping 1,855 total snaps. That means they rack up only one sack every 337 snaps. To put that into context, Junior Galette on his own this season has 9 sacks in 755 snaps. That’s a fair difference in pass-rush efficiency!
Yes, Bryce Harris is not a starting calibre NFL tackle. Arguably he’s not even close. But if there was ever going to be a game where he looked like one, it’s coming up against these Falcons. If Harris does suit up on Sunday, I’m confident that he, along with the rest of the Saints, can get it done. To coin one of Sean Payton’s favourite motivational monikers, it’s time to “finish strong”.
———————
Don’t worry, that’s not all for our Week 16 Previews! Check back on Sunday morning for our Defensive Preview, which will be outlining our keys for what looks like the harder task of the week; slowing down that Falcons offense which was painfully too much for the Saints in Week 1. It certainly makes for some interesting reading, so be sure to check back.
Also, to make sure you don’t miss out on that Defensive Preview, as well as any subsequent articles posted to The BoiLa in the future, you can now subscribe to us by E-mail. Look out for the sign-up box which can be found on the sidebar to the right of the screen if you’re viewing on a desktop/laptop, or beneath this post somewhere if you’re using a smaller tablet/phone. (just keep scrolling!) It’s a totally free service, and I can assure you the only e-mails you’ll ever get from The BoiLa will simply be automated notifications that tell you when a new post has been uploaded… What more could you want?!
AdvertisementsContents: About JCR
Why code reviews?
JCR requirements
Licence
Contact me About JCR JCR (or jcodereview as it's known on Sourceforge) is a web application for performing and managing formal code reviews. It can be used for reviews of any type of source code, although it has some special smarts for reviewing Java projects. It has special features to make large-scale reviews not only practical but easy and fast. JCR is intended to assist: Reviewers. All changes to code are highlighted, and syntax highlighting works for most languages. Code extracts are shown for context when adding comments. If reviewing Java code, references to other classes within the file are clickable, so that you can drill into the detail if required. After review comments have been made, those comments can themselves be reviewed, and the required actions decided on and tracked
Project owners. Review projects are easy to create and configure, and support (but don't require) integration with your source code management (SCM) system
Process bigots. Details of all comments are held in the database, along with any actions required, and whether they've been completed. Status reports can be viewed at any time, and also show how much review activity took place on each file (to make sure they were all reviewed)
Architects and developers. As well as viewing the comments made for a project, it's possible to see details of all review projects and comments for a specified file - good for finding code that would benefit from refactoring. JCR (oras it's known on Sourceforge) is a web application for performing and managing formal code reviews. It can be used for reviews of any type of source code, although it has some special smarts for reviewing Java projects. It has special features to make large-scale reviews not only practical but easy and fast. JCR is intended to assist: JCR is generally targeted at larger-scale and more formal code reviews than other review tools (such as Crucible, Review Board, Rietveld and Codestriker. At work (TNS Payments), we use JCR to review more than half of the code we write. It's made a huge difference to our review process - code reviews now take less time, and the code gets reviewed much more thoroughly than it did in the past. Why bother with formal code reviews? There are all sorts of benefits from code reviews, and they're not always the ones you'd think. For my money, they include: Education
Code reviews are a great way of pointing out good or bad techniques to other developers (particularly less-experienced ones) and making developers aware of internal or external libraries etc. that can be used instead of resorting to wheel-reinvention. Additionally, they give you an opportunity to discuss some of the issues, to make sure everyone's on the same page.
Oh, and you'll probably learn quite a bit yourself... In particular, you get a guided tour of parts of the codebase you may not know, from someone who's just been there.
Code reviews are a great way of pointing out good or bad techniques to other developers (particularly less-experienced ones) and making developers aware of internal or external libraries etc. that can be used instead of resorting to wheel-reinvention. Additionally, they give you an opportunity to discuss some of the issues, to make sure everyone's on the same page. Oh, and you'll probably learn quite a bit yourself... In particular, you get a guided tour of parts of the codebase you may not know, from someone who's just been there. Finding bugs
Yes, but not necessarily as important as you might think. If you've got good unit, integration and system test coverage (and if you haven't, what are you waiting for?), the main issues you might spot in a code review will be for non-functional aspects like concurrency issues, memory leaks etc.
Yes, but not necessarily as important as you might think. If you've got good unit, integration and system test coverage (and if you haven't, what are you waiting for?), the main issues you might spot in a code review will be for non-functional aspects like concurrency issues, memory leaks etc. Code and design quality
Very important. Reviews give you a chance to suggest better ways of doing it, whatever it is, and to discuss potential issues with the way the code has been written
Very important. Reviews give you a chance to suggest better ways of doing it, whatever it is, and to discuss potential issues with the way the code has been written Code standardisation
One of the tenets of agile methods is that all code should look the same - it shouldn't be possible to tell from the code who wrote it. That way you can concentrate on understanding the code, rather than grappling with trying to parse the code. While you can (and should) use static checkers like Checkstyle to ensure that your basic coding standards have been met, reviews will catch the issues that need human eyes to find.
One of the tenets of agile methods is that all code should look the same - it shouldn't be possible to tell from the code who wrote it. That way you can concentrate on understanding the code, rather than grappling with trying to parse the code. While you can (and should) use static checkers like Checkstyle to ensure that your basic coding standards have been met, reviews will catch the issues that need human eyes to find. Regulatory issues
At TNS Payments we operate under pretty tight security requirements, and we have to provide proof of appropriate peer code review to 2 separate external auditors. JCR provides everything we need for this. Requirements for JCR Server Requirements JCR is easy to install (as of version 0.6, it uses easy_install), and most of the application dependencies will be installed automatically. However, there are some underlying requirements you'll have to provide yourself. Linux (also UNIX and Cygwin, but not tested as much). As of 0.7.2 Windows appears to work, but has testing has been limited
to work, but has testing has been limited Python 2.4 or later (2.5+ recommended)
Subversion and the Pysvn driver (if you plan to integrate with Subversion repositories)
For production use, either Postgres 8.x or Mysql 5.x (also works with Sqlite, but this may not be suitable for heavy use)
An SMTP server (if you want JCR to send notification emails) Client Requirements Mozilla/Firefox, Internet Explorer 6+, Google Chrome, Safari. Others should probably work, but not are tested. Licence JCR is released under the GNU Public Licence. My name's John Dickson, and you can reach me at captsens at gmail dot com. I'd love to hear you get on with JCR. Unless you find it really bad, in which case I'm happy to cherish my ignorance, but thanks for coming anyway ;} There are all sorts of benefits from code reviews, and they're not always the ones you'd think. For my money, they include:JCR is easy to install (as of version 0.6, it uses easy_install), and most of the application dependencies will be installed automatically. However, there are some underlying requirements you'll have to provide yourself.Mozilla/Firefox, Internet Explorer 6+, Google Chrome, Safari. Others should probably work, but not are tested.JCR is released under the GNU Public Licence. My name's John Dickson, and you can reach me at captsens at gmail dot com. I'd love to hear you get on with JCR. Unless you find it really bad, in which case I'm happy to cherish my ignorance, but thanks for coming anyway ;} And remember, if you're wedded to Java, Python makes a very appealing mistress...In my opinion, what makes the dish is the marinade for the chicken. The sweetness from palm sugar and the spiciness from the lemongrass bring out the flavor of the meat. The chicken doesn't require a lot of preparation; just let the chicken marinate for an hour and you'll have a splendid meal in no time.
Bún gà nướng xả is a fabulous and simple meal. It’s perfect for when the weather’s hot, and as you may have heard, California is experiencing quite a hot spell at the moment. Vietnamese grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce and lemongrass is served with vermicelli rice noodles, a few vegetables and Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước mắm) on the side.
Ingredients
Yields: 6 servings
1-½ pounds chicken (see tips), boneless and skinless
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt)
2 teaspoons papaya paste (see tips)
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar
2 teaspoons lemongrass purée (see tips)
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 cup green onions, sliced into 2" pieces
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 (16-ounce) package vermicelli rice noodles (bún in Vietnamese), cooked and cooled to room temperature
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup carrot and daikon pickles
4 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, slightly crushed
2 jalapeño peppers (optional), thinly sliced
Directions
Marinating the chicken: Trim the fat around the bottom of the breast if there is any. Wash the chicken and pat dry using paper towels. Cut the chicken into 2-½" pieces. Season with kosher salt and red chili powder. In a zip-top bag (or a bowl), combine the garlic, shallot, papaya, baking powder, palm sugar, lemongrass, green onions and soy sauce. Add the chicken. Shake the bag gently to coat the meat with the marinade (or mix well). Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the bag in a baking dish (for easy cleanup). Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. Grilling the chicken: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator ahead of time to bring it back to room temperature. Sprinkle the meat with mushroom seasoning salt (or regular salt). In a deep non-stick grill pan, brush about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the grill is hot, add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes. Lift the meat with tongs and check for a caramelized crust around the meat, then flip the chicken. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and let grill for another 5 minutes. Finish with a drizzle of lime juice and a sprinkle of black pepper. Assembly time: In a bowl, combine the lettuce, mint and cucumber. Toss well. When you're ready to serve, in each individual bowl, place some carrot and daikon pickles. Add the vermicelli noodles, the lettuce combination and some crushed peanuts. Top with the grilled chicken and a few slices of chile pepper. Serve with nước mắm on the side. Enjoy with a tall glass of chilled ginger and lemongrass drink. Bon appétit!
Tips
I like mixing 1 part chicken breast with 1 part dark meat (chicken thighs). I find the result to be more moist, as dark meat is more flavorful and has more fat than chicken breasts.
Papaya and baking powder are both great meat tenderizers. This was Baji, Lulu's late grandma's secret for tender and moist meat. Peel a green papaya. Grind the cubed papaya in a mini food processor, place about 2 teaspoons of papaya paste per slot in an ice-cube tray and freeze them. Transfer the ice-cubes 3 by 3 into sealable plastic bags and place back in the freezer. I think it's the best way to keep the same flavor without getting freezer burn. I store them exactly as I would extra pesto.
For the lemongrass purée: Wash a stalk of lemongrass. Remove all the white powder from the leaves. Cut the stalk in half. Crush the younger part with the back of a chef's knife and set it aside (excellent for making broth). Cut the remaining stalk into extremely thin slices using a chef's knife. In a mortar and pestle, grind the thin slices of lemongrass, then transfer and mix everything using a mini food processor. It should turn into a fine moist powder. Set aside. You could also store the lemongrass purée in the freezer the same as papaya.
You could also thread the chicken onto skewers (try to alternate dark and breast meat).
Mushroom seasoning salt brings a very distinct, earthy flavor to the sauce. You can get it at any gourmet specialty store or in most Korean stores. I buy mine at the Marina -10122 Bandley Drive -Cupertino, CA 95014.
The soy sauce brings saltiness to the dish and a nice amber brown color. My favorite soy sauce is the Da Bo De brand. It has a very nice flavor and is not too salty. You can this particular sauce at Dai Thanh Asian market on 420 South 2nd St, in San Jose.
All the ingredients listed above can be found in any Asian stores.
Jacqueline Pham
September 29, 2010
onWigan have confirmed that Ben Watson suffered a double leg break in Tuesday's win against Barnsley and is likely to miss the rest of the season.
The midfielder, 28, left on a stretcher during the first half and has fractured both his tibia and fibula.
Ben Watson career statistics Crystal Palace: 189 appearances, 20 goals
189 appearances, 20 goals Wigan Athletic: 123 appearances, 19 goals
123 appearances, 19 goals Queens Park Rangers (loan): 16 appearances, two goals
16 appearances, two goals West Bromwich Albion (loan): Seven appearances, one goal
Watson, who is out of contract this summer, also broke a leg against Liverpool in November 2012.
"To lose a player and a person of Ben's quality is a big blow to us but we will regroup," said manager Uwe Rosler.
"We need to move on as a squad and keep trying to achieve our goals for the season, with the added incentive now of doing it for Ben."
Rosler revealed shortly after his appointment as manager in December that he was keen for the former Crystal Palace man to sign a new contract with the Latics, who are only one place off the Championship play-offs.
Watson, who has scored five goals in 33 outings this term, headed Wigan's injury-time winner in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester City.
His injury is in a different place to the one he suffered against Liverpool and is not considered career-threatening.
"Ben recovered last time and went on to experience the high of scoring that goal at Wembley, and write himself into the heart of every Wigan Athletic supporter," Rosler added.
"He is a terrific professional, a fighter, and I am sure he will return from this latest setback."CSF Welcomes Historic NASA Commitment of $75 Million for Commercial Suborbital Flights, Payloads
Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation enthusiastically welcomes NASA’s announcement today that NASA will fund dozens of science and education payloads to fly on commercial suborbital vehicles built by companies including Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Virgin Galactic, and XCOR Aerospace. At the first annual Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver announced in her keynote speech today that President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget request for NASA commits $75 million in funding over five years for the new Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research program (CRuSR).
“We are thrilled to see NASA recognizing the enormous potential of new commercial vehicles for science, research, and education,” said Mark Sirangelo, Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. “NASA Deputy Administrator Garver’s announcement today means that hundreds of scientists, educators, and students will be able to fly payloads on these new commercial vehicles.”
“For the first time ever, NASA has put forward a commitment to dramatically expand the number of research and education payloads that fly into space,” said Dr. S. Alan Stern, chair of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s Suborbital Applications Researchers Group (SARG) and former NASA associate administrator for science. “Since this new generation of commercial vehicles are low cost, NASA’s $75 million will open the floodgates for everyone from astronomers to high school classrooms to conduct real science in space. This will be one of the best investments NASA has ever made.”
“For everyone who has dreamed of participating in the grand adventure of spaceflight, this $75 million commitment marks the dawn of a new space age,” added Stern. “As the commercial space industry continues to grow, I expect that we will see increasing numbers of payloads and people flying to space.”
“I am pleased to see NASA’s recognition of the transformative potential of these new commercial vehicles,” stated Dr. Fred Tarantino, President and CEO of the Universities Space Research Association. “The space science community is thrilled to see such a commitment to low-cost, reusable, and frequent access to space that will provide hands-on experience for students and change the way many space scientists operate.”
NASA is proposing to spend $15 million in each of five years from 2011-2015 for the CRuSR program, funds that will both go to universities and other research institutions to build science and education payloads, as well as being used to purchase flights on commercial suborbital vehicles. The CRuSR program is based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, a first-of-its-kind forum for bringing together scientists, educators, and vehicle developers to discuss potential research and education uses for commercial spacecraft, is being held in Boulder, Colorado and is co-organized by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), the Universities Space Research Association (USRA), and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF).
About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. CSF member organizations include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, and spaceports. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is governed by a board of directors, composed of the member companies’ CEO-level officers and entrepreneurs. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.
# # #Show full PR text
2011 SEMA Show: Toyota Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series Limited Edition Pickup
Toyota, the U.S. sales leader in compact pickups, will display a pre-production Tacoma Toyota Racing Development (TRD) T|X (Tacoma Extreme) limited edition pickup truck at the 2011 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Inspired by Toyota's Baja racing heritage, the truck reveals bold graphics with its concept name "Baja Series." The truck will elevate the capability of Tacoma's TRD Off-Road pickup to a new level of fun and function.
All Tacoma T|X Baja Series models will be built exclusively at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (TMMTX) in San Antonio and are scheduled for launch in late spring 2012.
"The Tacoma has long been the sales leader by a wide margin in the compact pickup segment thanks to its well-earned reputation for stellar quality, durability, reliability and off-road capability," said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division. "The limited edition TRD T|X Baja Series adds another chapter to Toyota's truck legacy by offering a new level of capability for off-road enthusiasts."
Toyota has a rich Baja racing truck heritage that dates back nearly three decades and includes numerous titles at the legendary Baja 500 and 1000. Toyota's desert racing program has inspired the development of numerous TRD off-road focused products and packages over the years including the Tacoma PreRunner and TRD Off-Road packages for both Tacoma and Tundra. Last year, Tacoma's Off-Road Package was enhanced with the launch of the TRD T|X and T|X Pro packages. TRD now takes Tacoma off-roading to the next level with the development of the T|X Baja Series.
The T|X Baja Series is currently undergoing final testing for application on both the Tacoma Access and Double Cab 4x4 models equipped with the TRD Off-Road Package. Expansion to include PreRunner models is also being considered. The Tacoma T|X Baja Series is equipped with a 4.0-liter V6 engine with either six-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions. In addition to an electronically-controlled locking rear differential, Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Assist Control (DAC) currently equipped on the TRD Off-Road package, the limited edition T|X Baja Series adds BF Goodrich T/A KO tires (LT265/70R16) and bead-lock style off-road wheels with an exclusive Gun-Metal Gray finish, TRD Cat-back Exhaust, increased front ride height of nearly two inches and unique Baja Series graphics.
The front suspension has been upgraded to include 60mm piston Bilstein race shocks with TRD coil springs that feature a protective zinc plated body and a one inch increase in wheel travel. The rear suspension is equipped with 50mm piston Bilstein race shocks with a remote reservoir to increase shock oil capacity for greater heat dissipation and damping sensitivity. The rear shocks also include a zinc-plated body and a 1.5-inch increase in wheel travel. Additional information about the Baja Series, including pricing and ordering information will be available in early 2012.
The T|X Baja Series will be part of a 2012 Tacoma line that is updated with a restyled front end and a refreshed interior in all models. Exterior changes include a redesigned hood, grille, headlamps and front bumper, among other changes. Inside, Tacoma has a new center-instrument panel design with a revised gauge cluster, along with a new steering wheel. A redesigned center stack adds new air conditioner/heater controls and power point locations.
The 2012 Tacoma interior also gets a new look with a black high-contrast center console, switch plate covers, dash and upper door trim, while the SR5 grade features a new seat fabric design. Tacoma offers new heavy-duty all-weather flooring option for 2012 on Tacoma Access and Double Cab models equipped with a V6 engine. The more specialized TRD Sport and Off-Road packages also feature new water-resistant fabric protection seats.
# # #
TACOMA TRD T|X BAJA SERIES FEATURES
• Off-Road tuned suspension
• 60mm front and 50mm rear TRD Bilstein racing shocks
◦ Increased damping, articulation and high speed stability
◦ 1" increase in front and 1.5" increase in rear travel
◦ Zinc plated shock bodies
• TRD front coil springs
• BF Goodrich T/A KO tires (LT265/70R16) with TRD bead-lock style off-road wheels with exclusive Gun-Metal Gray finish
• Increased front ride height by nearly two inches
• TRD Cat-Back Exhaust
• Exclusive bed side graphics
• 4WDemand part-time 4WD with electronically controlled transfer case and Automatic Limited-Slip Differential
• Active Traction Control (A-TRAC)
• Hill-Start Assist Control (automatic transmission models)
• Downhill Assist Control (automatic transmission models)More out-of-pocket costs
The suit alleges that the practice of putting patients in observation status not only denies them coverage for post-hospital rehab care in a skilled nursing facility, so they must either pay the full bill — more than $30,000 in the case of two plaintiffs — or forgo treatment. It also classifies them as outpatients while they're in the hospital. Therefore, their Medicare coverage comes not under Part A (hospital insurance) but Part B (which normally covers doctors' services and outpatient care). For some patients, this can also mean paying more out of pocket — especially if they need prescription drugs that, in this situation, would be covered under Part B and not under Part A or even the Medicare Part D drug benefit.
The practice "doesn't make any sense" because people only go into the hospital when they're sick, Stein says. "They [go] either on orders of a doctor or because, having arrived at the emergency department, they were told they should stay." And yet, she adds, "those who ended up in the nursing home with no payment were not aware — and neither were their families — that they were in observation status until they were discharged from the hospital. And then they were informed."
The lawsuit calls for observation status to be abolished — or at least for patients to be notified in a timely fashion of their status and given the opportunity to make a swift appeal against the decision. Some of the center's clients reported stays of up to 14 days in observation, Stein says.
What determines whether a patient is classified as an inpatient or placed under observation? Usually the call is made by the hospital, which, in many cases, may overrule the patient's own physician. But Medicare's guidelines are not clear, and many experts suggest that hospitals are placing more and more patients under observation to protect themselves against new policies that penalize hospitals for unnecessary admissions and frequent readmissions of the same patient.
Unintended consequences?
In an effort to rein in spiraling costs, Medicare is now taking a tougher line with hospitals, sending auditors to investigate not only fraud but also cases in which the agency thinks that "medically unnecessary" hospitalizations have occurred. Also, to improve the quality of care, Medicare will soon start penalizing hospitals that readmit patients in less than 30 days — raising the question of whether hospitals might label people as observation patients so that they cannot be counted as readmissions if they happen to return. Cost-control measures are "perfectly understandable," says Zhanlian Feng, the Brown University study's lead author. "On the other hand, those policies may have unintended consequences" that affect patients adversely.
The American Hospital Association says that hospitals are placed in an untenable position. On the one hand, they risk penalties if they admit patients for short stays. Yet they anger patients who are put under |
also a prolific author of science fiction and fantasy stories, many of which were published under pseudonyms.
Personal life [ edit ]
According to Bruce Lanier Wright, "Palmer was hit by a truck at age seven and suffered a broken back." An unsuccessful operation on Palmer's spine stunted his growth (he stood about four feet tall), and left him with a hunchback.
Palmer found refuge in science fiction, which he read voraciously. He rose through the ranks of science fiction fandom and is credited, along with Walter Dennis, with editing the first fanzine, The Comet, in May, 1930.[2]
Career [ edit ]
Throughout the 1930s, Palmer would have many of his stories published in several science fiction magazines of the era. When Ziff-Davis acquired Amazing Stories in 1938, editor T. O'Conor Sloane resigned and production was moved to Chicago. On the recommendation of popular author Ralph Milne Farley, the editorship was offered to Palmer. In 1939, Palmer began a companion magazine to Amazing Stories titled Fantastic Adventures, which lasted until 1953.
When Ziff-Davis moved its magazine production from Chicago to New York City in 1949, Palmer resigned and, with Curtis Fuller, another Ziff-Davis editor who did not want to leave the midwest, founded Clark Publishing Co.[3]
Science fiction magazines [ edit ]
Amazing Stories introduced a redesigned logo and the unlikely claim "Every Story Scientifically Accurate" Palmer's first issue ofintroduced a redesigned logo and the unlikely claim "Every Story Scientifically Accurate"
Other Worlds in 1951 Palmer's short story "Mr. Yellow Jacket" was cover-featured onin 1951
Imaginative Tales in 1955 Palmer's novella "The Metal Emperor", his last story published in an sf magazine, was cover-featured onin 1955
As an editor, Palmer tended to favor adventurous, fast-moving space opera-type stories. His tenure at Amazing Stories was notable for his purchase of Isaac Asimov's first professional story, "Marooned Off Vesta".
Palmer was also known for his support of the long-running and controversial Shaver Mystery stories, a series of stories by Richard Sharpe Shaver. Palmer's support of the truth of Shaver's stories (which maintained that the world is dominated by insane inhabitants of the hollow earth), was controversial in the science fiction community. It is unclear whether Palmer believed the Shaver stories to be true, or if he was just using the stories to sell magazines. Palmer asked other writers to do stories in the Shaver genre, the most notable being Rog Phillips.
Palmer began his own science fiction publishing ventures while working for Ziff-Davis, eventually leaving the company to form his own publishing house, Clark Publishing Company, which was responsible for the titles Imagination and Other Worlds, among others. None of these magazines achieved the success of Amazing Stories during the Palmer years, but Palmer published Space World magazine until his death.
Paranormality magazines [ edit ]
In 1948, Palmer and Curtis Fuller co-founded Fate, which covered divination methods, Fortean events, belief in the survival of personality after death, predictive dreams, accounts of ghosts, mental telepathy, archaeology, flying saucer sightings, cryptozoology, alternative medicine, warnings of death, and other paranormal topics, many contributed by readers.
Curtis Fuller and his wife Mary took full control of Fate in 1955, when Palmer sold his interest in the venture. The magazine has continued in publication under a series of editors and publishers to the present day.
Another paranormal magazine Palmer created along the line of Fate was Mystic magazine, which after about two years of publication became Search magazine.[citation needed]
In the 1970s, Palmer also published Ray Palmer's News Letter which was combined into another of his publications called Forum in March 1975.[4][unreliable source?]
Flying Saucers magazine [ edit ]
In the first issue of Fate, Palmer published Kenneth Arnold's report of "flying discs." Arnold's sighting marked the beginning of the modern UFO era, and his story propelled the fledgling Fate to national recognition. Through Fate, Palmer was instrumental in popularizing belief in flying saucers. This interest led him to establish the magazine Flying Saucers.
Spiritual publications [ edit ]
Palmer's avid interest in spirituality and alternative explanations of reality was reflected in his choice of publications. His interest in the Oahspe Bible, led him on a 15-year search for a copy of the original 1882 edition published by Oahspe Publishing Assoc., New York and London. Although a later edited and revised edition was published in 1891 and reprinted over the years, the original 1882 Oahspe Bible was not available until Palmer republished a facsimile of it in 1960. It is often referred to as "The Palmer Edition" or "The Green Oahspe" among Oahspe readers. He continued to publish and reprint later editions to which he added an index and editor's notes. Oahspe was reported by the spiritualist medium John B. Newbrough to have come as automatic writing through his hands on the newly invented typewriter.
Tributes [ edit ]
The secret identity of DC Comics superhero the Atom – introduced by science fiction writer Gardner Fox in 1961 – is named after Palmer.
A newer edition of Oahspe as a tribute edition to Ray Palmer was published in 2009 titled Oahspe - Raymond A. Palmer Tribute Edition.
In September 2013, Palmer was posthumously named to the First Fandom Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the 71st World Science Fiction Convention.[5]
In 2013, Tarcher/Penguin published a biography of Palmer called The Man From Mars and written by Fred Nadis.
Palmer is also the subject of Richard Toronto's 2013 book, War over Lemuria: Richard Shaver, Ray Palmer and the Strangest Chapter of 1940s Science Fiction, which attempts to give a detailed history of the Shaver Mystery and its two main proponents.
Bibliography [ edit ]
Short stories [ edit ]
The Time Ray of Jandra, Wonder Stories (June 1930)
, Wonder Stories (June 1930) The Man Who Invaded Time, Science Fiction Digest (October 1932)
, Science Fiction Digest (October 1932) Escape from Antarctica, Science Fiction Digest (Juneau 1933)
, Science Fiction Digest (Juneau 1933) The Girl from Venus, Science Fiction Digest (September 1933)
, Science Fiction Digest (September 1933) The Return to Venus, Fantasy Magazine (May 1934)
, Fantasy Magazine (May 1934) The Vortex World, Fantasy Magazine (1934)
, Fantasy Magazine (1934) The Time Tragedy, Wonder Stories (December 1934)
, Wonder Stories (December 1934) Three from the Test-Tube, Wonder Stories (1935)
, Wonder Stories (1935) The Symphony of Death, Amazing Stories (December 1935)
, Amazing Stories (December 1935) Matter Is Conserved, Astounding Science-Fiction (April 1938)
, Astounding Science-Fiction (April 1938) Catalyst Planet, Thrilling Wonder Stories (August 1938)
, Thrilling Wonder Stories (August 1938) The Blinding Ray, Amazing Stories (August 1938)
, Amazing Stories (August 1938) Outlaw of Space, Amazing Stories (August 1938)
, Amazing Stories (August 1938) Black World (Part 1 of 2), Amazing Stories (March 1940)
(Part 1 of 2), Amazing Stories (March 1940) Black World (Part 2 of 2), Amazing Stories (April 1940)
(Part 2 of 2), Amazing Stories (April 1940) The Vengeance of Martin Brand (Part 1 of 2), Amazing Stories (August 1942)
(Part 1 of 2), Amazing Stories (August 1942) The Vengeance of Martin Brand (Part 2 of 2), Amazing Stories (September 1942)
(Part 2 of 2), Amazing Stories (September 1942) King of the Dinosaurs, Fantastic Adventures (October 1945)
, Fantastic Adventures (October 1945) Toka and the Man Bats, Fantastic Adventures (February 1946)
, Fantastic Adventures (February 1946) Toka Fights the Big Cats, Fantastic Adventures (December 1947)
, Fantastic Adventures (December 1947) In the Sphere of Time, Planet Stories (Summer 1948)
, Planet Stories (Summer 1948) The Justice of Martin Brand, Other Worlds Science Stories (July 1950)
, Other Worlds Science Stories (July 1950) The Hell Ship, Worlds of If (March 1952)
, Worlds of If (March 1952) Mr. Yellow Jacket, Other Worlds (June 1951)
, Other Worlds (June 1951) I Flew in a Flying Saucer (Part 1 of 2), Other Worlds Science Stories (October 1951)
(Part 1 of 2), Other Worlds Science Stories (October 1951) I Flew in a Flying Saucer (Part 2 of 2), Other Worlds Science Stories (December 1951)
(Part 2 of 2), Other Worlds Science Stories (December 1951) The Metal Emperor, Imaginative Tales (November 1955)
Nonfiction [ edit ]
The Coming of the Saucers (with Kenneth Arnold) (1952)
(with Kenneth Arnold) (1952) The Secret World (with Richard Shaver) (1975)
See also [ edit ]As the state of Arkansas creeps closer and closer to a future wherein medical marijuana is accessible for patients within the state’s borders, legal gun carriers and advocates of the second amendment are becoming worried about what this may mean for those who lawfully possess firearms. Because the plant is still classified on a federal basis as a Schedule One illicit drug “containing no medical value and a high likelihood of abuse,” medical marijuana patients are banned from owning guns.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms stated quite clearly that the federal law will apply to these patients even if “the state has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use for medicinal purposes.”
In a 2016 report from the Washington Post, judges defended the decision because of marijuana’s past link to “irrational or unpredictable behavior.” Because of this, it is not believed that this policy violates an individual’s second amendment rights to bear arms at all.
The ruling had come about as a result of a Nevada woman who attempted to purchase a firearm in 2011. Her sale was denied because of the fact that she possessed a medical marijuana card-which she said she had to “make a statement,” not to actually use the plant. The court proceeded to declare that the possession of a medical marijuana card at all is reason enough to believe that the person is a marijuana user, thus barring them from purchasing a firearm even if they meet all other necessary criteria for gun ownership.
For people like Nick Yarberry, who has lived with glaucoma for the past sixteen years, this could lead to an incredibly unfortunate decision that he will have to make. The Arkansas man worries that he will have to choose between his eyesight and his safety. “I can either keep my safety of having my concealed or lose my eye sight and what good is my concealed carry anyway because I won’t be able to use it,” he said in an interview with THV11.
Photo by ibropalic6 Tips From Harvard Psychologists Who Studied What It Takes to Raise ’Good’ Kids
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Bright Side would like to share with you six such pieces of advice about caring for and raising your child that have come straight from experts at Harvard University.
1. Spend time with your kids
This is the basis for everything. You should regularly spend time with your kids, take an interest in their hobbies as well as their problems, and, most importantly, listen to what they have to say. You’ll not only learn much about your son or daughter’s unique personality, but your actions will provide them with an example of how to show care and attention for others.
2. Always tell your child what he or she means to you
According to research carried out by psychologists, many children don’t know that they’re the most important person in the world to their parents. They genuinely need to hear these words from you. Don’t forget to say them as often as possible so that your child feels safe, loved, and valued.
3. Show them how to resolve problems and not run away from them
For example, if your child suddenly decides they want to give up football training, ask them to explain why they want to do this, as well as the obligations they have to their teammates. If they still want to give it up, help them to find something new to ignite their passions.
4. Train them to help you out with something every day, and show that you’re grateful for their assistance
Research shows that people who are used to expressing their gratitude are more inclined to feel compassion for others, are more generous, and love to help. So it’s worth developing a set of daily activities that your child can help you with at home, for which you can thank them at every stage of the day. Psychologists also recommend rewarding children for genuine displays of kindness and the effort they put into helping you.
5. Help your child cope with their negative emotions
Psychologists believe that the ability to care for others is suppressed by such negative emotions as anger, hatred, shame, and envy. In helping children to comprehend these negative feelings, it will push them towards resolving their internal conflicts. Self-analysis of this kind will set them on the long path to becoming compassionate, caring individuals. It’s also important for establishing psychological stability.
6. Show them that the world is far bigger, more complex, and more interesting than they could ever imagine
According to research carried out by psychologists, almost all children are interested only in the small world of their family and friends. It’s crucial that they also learn to take an interest in the people and events outside this limited circle, which may differ from what they know in social, cultural, and geographical terms. You can help them with this by learning to be a good listener who can place themself in someone else’s shoes and feel empathy, whether it’s through films, photographs, or the news.
Some final important words from the experts at Harvard: ’Raising a child to be polite, caring, and compassionate is a very difficult task. But it’s exactly what all of us are capable of doing. And nothing else in the world will ever compare to the importance of this or the priceless joy you feel from it when it’s achieved.’Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Italian police released an image of Lukasz Herba who has been arrested on kidnapping charges
A British model was drugged and kidnapped in Milan to be sold in an online auction, say Italian police.
The woman, 20, had arrived in the city to take part in a photo shoot arranged through her agent, but was abducted and held captive for six days.
Polish national Lukasz Herba, 30, who lives in the UK, has been arrested on kidnapping charges, police said.
The Foreign Office said it was providing consular support to a British woman.
The model, who has not been named, arrived in Milan on 10 July.
Image copyright Polizia di Stato Image caption The woman was loaded into a bag and put into the boot of a car
Image copyright Polizia di Stato Image caption The woman went to an apartment in Milan under the belief she was to take part in a photo shoot
She arrived at an apartment the following day for the shoot, where she was attacked by two men, said police.
Police said the woman was drugged, handcuffed and loaded into a bag and put into the boot of car which was driven to an isolated house in Borgial, northwest of Turin.
Italian prosecutor Paolo Storari said: "The victim was doped with ketamine - then she was locked in a bag and carried for hours in a car.
"Think what could would have happened if she suffered from asthma."
The woman was kept handcuffed to a wooden chest of drawers in the bedroom for six days until she was released and taken to the British consulate in Milan, according to police.
Investigators said they discovered the kidnapper had organised several online auctions for the sale of abducted girls, which included a description and an opening price.
Image copyright Polizia di Stato Image caption The model was held captive in an isolated house in Borgial for six days
Image copyright Polizia di Stato Image caption The woman was handcuffed to a chest of drawers in a bedroom
Police said it was unclear whether he had really abducted the victims or invented them for the auction.
The kidnapper used an encrypted account to ask the model's agent for £230,000 ($300,000) to stop her from being sold in auction.
He claimed he was working on behalf of the "Black Death Group", an organisation which operates in the deep web for illegal traffics, police said.
The victim told police the kidnapper said he would free her because the group had not realised she had a small child and they did not deal with mothers, prosecutors added.
Investigations into the case are being carried out by authorities in Italy, Poland and the UK.
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said an address in Sampson Close, Oldbury, had been raided on 18 July in connection with the inquiry.
It is understood that the raid was led by Derbyshire Police, assisted by West Midlands officers.
The kidnapper was captured by police as he was accompanying the model to the British Consulate in Milan, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morningUnder current state law, only a small subset of rape survivors qualify for such orders.
Justice and her shadow via Shutterstock
Anti-choice activists routinely pit the rights of pregnant people against the rights of their developing fetus as a means to justify policing their behavior and holding them criminally accountable for the outcomes of their pregnancies. But a recent case out of New York shows those efforts are not limited to abortion restrictions and prosecutions for feticide, but have even shown up in custody disputes.
The plaintiff in this most recent case lives in New York, but she used to live in San Diego, where she was working as a firefighter at Camp Pendleton. After becoming pregnant, she decided to quit firefighting and instead go to college, figuring as a single mother the benefits of a college degree outweigh the risks inherent in firefighting. After looking at colleges in California, Connecticut, and New York she decided to attend Columbia University and, at seven months pregnant, moved to New York to start school.
The plaintiff had no real relationship with the father of her child. He had no involvement in her decision to move, and around this time had married another woman. After the birth of his son, he declined invitations to come to New York and meet him. Assuming the father wanted no part in her son’s life, the mother began a proceeding in New York courts to seek sole custody of the child. But once the father got notice of the custody action, he began his own proceeding in California. Confusingly, California uses the same form to begin a paternity proceeding as to begin a custody dispute ; in this case, the father told the court he was seeking both an order of paternity for a child not yet born and custody. To make matters worse, the father was able to quickly get an order from the California court granting paternity before the mother’s attorneys had a chance to respond. With that order in hand, the father pushed for custody in California, arguing the decision to move while pregnant was “tantamount” to parental kidnapping.
With dueling custody actions in both New York and California, the courts had to decide where the proceeding would take place. The attorney for the father appeared in New York and argued the New York case should be dismissed, with the California court making the custody determination. Typically, the determination of where a custody case is to be heard is driven by the “home state” of the child. The mother argued that New York was the “home state” since her child had been born in the state and lived with her since birth. But the father argued the California court, which had already established paternity before the attorneys for the mother had notice of the proceedings, should ultimately determine custody.
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The New York Family Court agreed and, in May, granted his motion to dismiss the New York custody case. The reasoning of the family court referee shows a disturbing disregard for the rights, let alone the basic autonomy, of the mother. According to the court referee, the mother, by virtue of relocating from California to New York while pregnant, committed an “appropriation of the child [sic] while in uteri [that] was irresponsible, reprehensible.”
“The referee’s decision had far-reaching implications for pregnant women, effectively stripping them of fundamental constitutional rights,” said Sarah Burns, professor of Clinical Law at NYU Law and director of the Reproductive Justice Clinic, in a statement released after a New York appellate court overturned that decision. Burns and her clinical students, joined by the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW), the New York Civil Liberties Union, and nine other organizations, filed a brief in the case, detailing just how the determination that moving while pregnant was an “appropriation of a child” would have far-reaching constitutional implications. If left standing, the referee’s interpretation of the custody statute would place unconstitutional constraints on a person’s basic life decisions, such as where she lives, works, and attends school while pregnant. Lynn Paltrow, executive director of NAPW, explained the constitutional significance of the decision in a statement as well. “This decision affirms that women who become pregnant may not be penalized for exercising their rights to travel and to seek an education,” she said.
Last week’s decision is significant for a number of reasons. To begin with, it reaffirmed that, as a general rule, courts cannot hear custody matters that are filed prior to birth, since a developing fetus should not be considered a child for custody determinations. More specifically, in this case, the court went further to underscore that the mother’s relocation should not have been relevant to New York ‘s jurisdiction over the custody dispute in the first place. To make that move relevant, the court reasoned, men claiming to be fathers could limit the movement of pregnant women, and “[p]utative fathers have neither the right nor the ability to restrict a pregnant woman from her constitutionally-protected liberty.” Finally, the decision is a strong affirmation that a person does not give up their rights once they become pregnant, and that reproductive autonomy extends well beyond the initial decision to terminate or continue a pregnancy.
Correction: A version of this article referred to the group National Advocates for Pregnant Women as the National Association of Pregnant Women. We regret the error.TNT has opted not to order a fifth season of the legal buddy dramedy Franklin & Bash starring Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. This happens to be the first major programming decision since Turner Broadcasting last week brought in Kevin Reilly to oversee TNT and TBS. Franklin & Bash got off to a solid start in 2011 but has been slipping in the past couple of years. Its most recent fourth season started with 1.25 million viewers, down -60% from the Season 3 opener. The season and now series finale drew 975,000 viewers.
TNT is going through a transitional period as it is tweaking its drama brand. “We are going to get edgier, we are going to get louder, and we are going to get more dual (male-female), but we also have an existing audience, we have an existing fan base with a lot of our very popular shows,” Turner Broadcasting President David Levy told Deadline last week. “It’s an evolution, a bridge-type process that will take place as opposed to a turnaround. You are going to see shows like Legends and Public Morals that are going to bring us on a path to a more edgier type of shows; this is a path we are taking.”I want to hear the video on this one and see if it’s edited.
But no, they’re not good people. It isn’t about ‘hurting them’, it’s about holding her accountable for breaking the law.
Via Chicago Sun-Times
Trump back-pedaled on his promise to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton over her emails. “I’m going to think about it,” Trump said. “…She did some bad things, I mean she did some bad things,” Trump said, prompting Stahl to ask, “I know, but a special prosecutor? You think you might… To which Trump replied, making a reference to Bill and Hillary Clinton, “I don’t want to hurt them, I don’t want to hurt them. They’re, they’re good people. I don’t want to hurt them. And I will give you a very, very good and definitive answer the next time we do 60 Minutes together.” Keep reading..×
“I don’t think any of us yet recognize how monumental [Bernie’s] campaign was,” says khalid kamau (he asks that his name be lower case) of his run for city council in South Fulton, Georgia. “Every presidential race brings into the political process a new generation of volunteers, but Bernie galvanized a group of highly educated, highly skilled activists, folks pretty much already politically involved. Then, he charged us to run for local office, specifically, as a way of both infiltrating and transforming the Democratic Party, and working our way up the political ladder.”
Kamau observes that South Fulton, newly incorporated into a city, has the possibility of being the largest progressive city in the South.
Here are some other outtakes from kamau’s interview with Sarah Jaffe. Click on the player above to give it a listen!
"This is our shot, in Georgia specifically, but in the South in general, to show that [progressive] policies actually do work and that they are not just good ideas, but they are smart ideas and they can grow economies and transform regions and get people involved in their electorate and their local government. Those are things that excite me.
The support [of the Democratic Party] has been tepid, at best. But I see true progressives, unapologetic progressives building a movement that is sort of like the Tea Party, where we are not afraid to endorse in intra-partisan races or non-partisan races.
I don’t think this is a personal failure of Bernie, but perhaps of the people that were around him and advising that campaign – is that there wasn’t enough attention paid to people of color. I am not sure that people of color who were in that campaign were listened to the way they should have been. The best way to reach out to communities of color is by having candidates of color and instituting these policies in cities of color. If you look at a lot of these most progressive places, they are places like Seattle or Massachusetts. In a lot of these most progressive cities, they tend to be smaller cities, they tend to be more white and more affluent. The idea is that only rich people, only rich white folks can afford to enact these kind of progressive policies. I think it is going to be really important that the leadership of the Democratic Party, specifically, but the left in general, that the leadership needs to look like its base of voters.
I know that there has been all of this angst about “How do we get working class white voters?” But, right now, the most consistent voters in America are black women and the most consistently progressive voters are black and brown folks. We need to grow the base of our party or of that movement with those folks and make sure that we are running candidates in places and instituting policies in places that support those folks. I do think that the big issue of these next few elections, and I think the next twenty years of America, the biggest challenge that we will face is income inequality and this growing disparity. The middle class has disappeared. Now we have a working class and wealthy class. We really need to keep hammering that truth into the public and political conversation that is happening. That is what I hope to do, is to bridge that racial gap for people to understand that whether you are red or yellow, black or white, that we are all suffering from income inequality for the past thirty years.
People can get in touch with me at KhalidCares.com.
Interviews for Resistance is a project of Sarah Jaffe, with assistance from Laura Feuillebois and support from the Nation Institute. It is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Not to be reprinted without permission.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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It’s nearly time for postseason baseball, when, as the song goes: “And it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out.” But when it comes to foreign policy, Romney now has strike four. Ad Policy
Strike one was his ridiculous comment that Russia is America’s “No. I geopolitical foe.” Strike two was his much-derided trip to Britain, Israel and Poland, where he piled mistake on mistake. Strike Three—“Yerrr out!”—was his outrageous comment that President Obama “sympathizes” with armed Islamists who attacked the consulate in Benghazi.
Now, thanks to Mother Jones, we’ve seen Romney whiff at strike four, namely, his comments that the Palestinians don’t want peace and that Iran is run by “crazy people.” I’d say, You can’t make this stuff up, but apparently Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel does make it up and then feed it to Mitt Romney, who swallows it whole.
These aren’t just gaffes. These are the mumblings of a candidate so clueless about the world outside America’s borders that it’s impossible to imagine him sitting in the Oval Office. Sometimes politicians misspeak or make mistakes, but Romney’s foreign policy bungling is far more extreme than that. Outside of Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, it’s unclear that he knows anything at all about Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
His comments about Iran—that it’s run by “crazy people”—contradict the views of many top US officials, experts and intelligence specialists and even Meir Dagan, the former head of Mossad, as Joe Cirincione catalogs in Foreign Policy. Here’s Mitt:
If I were Iran, if I were Iran—a crazed fanatic, I’d say let’s get a little fissile material to Hezbollah, have them carry it to Chicago or some other place, and then if anything goes wrong, or America starts acting up, we’ll just say, “Guess what? Unless you stand down, why, we’re going to let off a dirty bomb.” I mean this is where we have—where America could be held up and blackmailed by Iran, by the mullahs, by crazy people. So we really don’t have any option but to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
Leave aside that President Obama, too, says that his policy is “to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon.” Cirincione points out that a “dirty bomb” doesn’t use uranium but requires more deadly and more highly radioactive materials—meaning that if Ayatollah Khamenei does plant a dirty bomb in the United States he is indeed a “crazy person,” since it won’t work.
More devastatingly, Romney says that he got a call from a former secretary of state suggesting that it was possible to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflicts. Romney’s self-confessed response? “I didn’t delve into it.” He called it “wishful thinking.” And why? He said:
I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say there’s just no way. And so what you do is you say you move things along the best way you can. You hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize that it’s going to remain an unsolved problem. I mean, we look at that in China and Taiwan. All right, we have a potentially volatile situation, but we sort of live with it. And we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve.
That’s straight from the Israeli-Netanyahu playbook: the Palestinians are “not wanting to see peace.” And, according to Romney, “I have to tell ya, the idea of pushing on the Israelis?—to give something up, to get the Palestinians to act, is the worst idea in the world.”
Strike four.
Mitt Romney packs a lot of offensive remarks into his forty-nine minute fundraiser speech. Check out Ilyse Hogue’s take on the now-infamous “47 percent.”Some of the world's leading websites—including those owned or operated by Bank of America, VMware, the US Department of Veteran's Affairs, and business consultancy Accenture—are vulnerable to simple attacks that bypass the transport layer security encryption designed to thwart eavesdroppers and spoofers.
The attacks are a variation on the so-called POODLE exploits disclosed two months ago against secure sockets layer (SSL), an encryption protocol similar to transport layer security (TLS). Short for "Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption," POODLE allowed attackers monitoring Wi-Fi hotspots and other unsecured Internet connections to decrypt HTTPS traffic encrypted by the ancient SSL version 3. Browser makers quickly responded by limiting or eliminating use of SSLv3, a move that appears to have averted widespread exploitation of the bug.
On Monday, word emerged that there's a variation on the POODLE attack that works against widely used implementations of TLS. At the time this post was being prepared, SSL Server Test, a free service provided by security firm Qualys, showed that some of the Internet's top websites—again, a list including Bank of America, VMware, the US Department of Veteran's Affairs, and Accenture—are susceptible. The vulnerability was serious enough to earn all sites found to be affected a failing grade by the Qualys service.
Update: An Accenture representative said that accenture.com, the site receiving a failing grade from Qualys, doesn't serve content, but rather redirects all traffic through its content delivery network www.accenture.com which Qualys shows as not being vulnerable to POODLE-style attacks.
Stealing cookies, one crumb at a time
As concerning as POODLE was to security professionals, it required attackers to follow several steps that could often prove difficult in real-world environments. Attackers had to spoof packets sent between websites and end users to force them to use SSLv3. It also required attackers to slightly modify transactions thousands of times until they could successfully guess the contents of encrypted payloads, one character at a time. By using the padding oracle to deduce the contents of the payloads, attackers could obtain authentication cookies or security tokens used to gain access to user accounts or other restricted sections of a vulnerable website. The newly disclosed attack against TLS is similar, except that it's slightly less demanding to carry out.
"The impact of this problem is similar to that of POODLE, with the attack being slightly easier to execute—no need to downgrade modern clients down to SSL 3 first, TLS 1.2 will do just fine," Ivan Ristic, Qualys's director of application security research, wrote in a blog post titled POODLE bites TLS. "The main target are browsers, because the attacker must inject malicious JavaScript to initiate the attack. A successful attack will use about 256 requests to uncover one cookie character, or only 4096 requests for a 16-character cookie. This makes the attack quite practical."
So far, load balancers and similar devices sold by two different manufacturers have been identified as vulnerable. The makers are F5 and A10. Although recent versions of TLS calls for the encryption padding to be closely checked for so-called Oracle attacks, the companies' implementations skip this step, making them vulnerable to POODLE-style exploits. F5 has issued an advisory detailing precisely which products are vulnerable and showing how they can be patched. The status of a fix from A10 wasn't immediately known.
According to Ristic, about one in 10 websites are vulnerable to the new POODLE attack for TLS. That means 10 percent of sites are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks that face a reasonable chance of success bypassing Web encryption. Users are invited to use the Qualys service to identify other high-profile sites that are vulnerable. Administrators should waste no time ensuring their sites aren't affected.For example, last year Medicare spent more than $21 million on pumps to help older and disabled men attain erections, paying about $450 for the same device that is available online for as little as $108. Even for a simple walking cane, which can be purchased online for about $11, the government pays $20, according to government data.
These widespread price discrepancies, including those for oxygen services, have been noted in dozens of regulatory reports.
But when officials and politicians have tried to cut these costs, they have often encountered a powerful foe: the companies that sell these devices, who ask their elderly customers to serve, in effect, as unpaid lobbyists, calling and writing to their representatives in Congress, protesting at rallies, and even participating in political attacks against individual lawmakers who take on the issue.
As the nation’s elderly population grows, dozens of industries have tried to harness the political might of older Americans for corporate goals. Physician groups, medical device manufacturers, insurance companies and other businesses have rallied aging voters to protest even minor legislative changes.
“These industries rely on a basic threat: If you mess with us, we can turn the seniors against you,” said former Senator Alan K. Simpson, Republican of Wyoming, who tried cutting Medicare |
ives "Mind over Matter", "Ghost Reaver" and "Vaal Pact" are located at the intelligence/dexterity area of the skill tree. With HoWA those attributes give you some attack speed (more Life on Hit) and damage (more Life Leech). Moreover HoWA has an Imperial Claw base, which gives +46 life on hit.
● Rive: Rive does also have a nice synergy with intelligence/dexterity. But Rive does not increase those attributes. Moreover HoWA has slightly better attack speed and is an Imperial Claw (+ Life on Hit). It would be needed to run "Life Gain on Hit Support" in your sixlink, when using Rive.
● Essentia Sanguis: This claw has good attack speed, gives flat energy shield and has a built in "Ghost Reaver" effect. Sadly GGG changed the itembase from Eye Gouger (+ Life on Hit) to Vaal Claw (+ Life Leech) in 2.6. I would probably run it with "Life Gain on Hit Support" in my link setup.
As you guess correctly, I decided to use HoWA. This claw in both hands increases your intelligence and dexterity and opens a great synergy with Shaper's Touch to make your attributes more valuable. You aim for high intelligence and good dexterity.
● Dexterity gives: Flat Accuracy, Evasion, Attack Speed, Flat Life and Melee Physical Damage.
● Intelligence gives: Flat Mana, Energy Shield, Lightning Damage to Attacks, Accuracy, Evasion
● Strength gives: Flat Life, Melee Physical Damage. Flat Mana, Energy Shield
Here are some statistics:
At the moment my character has 734 intelligence, 237 dexterity and 123 strength. When equipping Shaper's Touch my life goes up by 151, my energy shield goes up by 526 (only 74 from Shaper's Touch itself), my mana goes up by 126 and my evasion rating goes up by 2821 (Shaper's Touch is ES/AR-Base).
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4. Ascendancy class
Spoiler This is a short chapter. I recomend to run Sadow/Trickster or Ranger/Raider. Trickster has an higher health pool and Raider is able to regain / regenerate his health pool faster, because of better attack speed and damage. I took Raider. Offence is the best form of defence – right?
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5. Skill Tree
Spoiler
● Mind over Matter
● Vaal Pact
● Ghost Reaver
● Elemental Overload
This is a level 90 skill tree for Raider: https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAABAIBAQBeBAcFfQW1Bx4ILgzyDlwQexEvEZYWqhcmGY4fAiLqIvQj9iSdKjgwfDIBNj02xTfUPL49Xz3RPs9B0EV-RwZJT0lRSbFMs02SUUdSU1XGVkhfal9wYetiWmKsavpsCGwLbIxtGXj5elN6hH7dfyt_xoNtg9uExYUyjX2NuY2_j_qTJ5Uuly2XlZf0myabjZu1naqhL6OKpcunCKc0shm0xbyqvea-Or6KwuzDOs960B_QrdDQ037Xz9gk2NXbGtvn6NbrY-vu7T_tg-4O73rviO_r8NXxivb8-Tf9bg==
This is a level 95 skill tree in lategame: https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAABAIBAQBeBAcFfQW1Bx4ILgzyDlwQexEvEZYWqhcmGGoZjh8CIuoi9CP2JJ0qODB8MgE2PTbFN9Q5Ujy-PV890T7PQdBFfkcGSU9JUUmxTLNNklFHUlNVxlZIWAdfal9wYetiWmKsavpsCGwLbIxtGXj5elN6hH7dfyt_xoNtg9uExYUyjX2NuY2_j0aP-pMnlS6XLZeVl_SbJpuNm6GbtZ2qoS-jiqXLpwinNLIZtMW8qr3mvjq-isLswzrPetAf0K3Q0NN-18_YJNjV2xrb5-jW62Pr7u0_7YPuDu9674jv6_DV8Yr2_Pk3_W4=
Notable Passives:This is askill tree forThis is askill tree in
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6. Items & Gems
Spoiler
6.1 Body Armour & Attack Skill
Spoiler Blade Flurry because of the 60% more Attack Speed for sustaining my life pool via "Life on Hit". Maybe Cyclone (50% more Attack Speed) would be a good pick too, but Blade Flurry with good increased Area of Effect transforms this build in some kind of range build. Blade Flurry seems to be made for the core idea behind Trinity Blade Flurry.
Carcass Jack is a good option. It gives life, helps a little bit reaching elemental resistance cap and is an evasion energy shield hybrid. And it increased the range of Blade Flurry. And it increases the damage. And it gives extra gore. No modifier is useless. A short skill discussion: I decided to pickbecause of the 60% more Attack Speed for sustaining my life pool via "Life on Hit". Maybe(50% more Attack Speed) would be a good pick too, but Blade Flurry with good increased Area of Effect transforms this build in some kind of range build. Blade Flurry seems to be made for the core idea behind Trinity Blade Flurry.is a good option. It gives life, helps a little bit reaching elemental resistance cap and is an evasion energy shield hybrid. And it increased the range of Blade Flurry. And it increases the damage. And it gives extra gore. No modifier is useless.
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6.2 Helmet & Auras
Spoiler Vertex Vaal Mask makes it possible to run two auras and still have enough mana left for the "Mind over Matter" effect. Your mana pool should be 30% of your life pool. Currently my character has 4169 life and 921 mana after reservation (running Discipline everytime plus another 50% aura). My mana pool should be 1250 after reservation. Maybe a level 4 Enlighten Support can fix that problem, because the Vertex Vaal Mask pushes it to level 5. You understand why this helm is needed? The chaos resistance is nice too.
For defence reasons I run Grace (43% chance to evade attacks jumps up to 60%).
For offence reasons I run Wrath. Themakes it possible to run two auras and still have enough mana left for the "Mind over Matter" effect. Your mana pool should be 30% of your life pool. Currently my character has 4169 life and 921 mana after reservation (runningeverytime plus another 50% aura). My mana pool should be 1250 after reservation. Maybe a level 4 Enlighten Support can fix that problem, because the Vertex Vaal Mask pushes it to level 5. You understand why this helm is needed? The chaos resistance is nice too.For defence reasons I run(43% chance to evade attacks jumps up to 60%).For offence reasons I run
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6.3 Gloves & Cast when Damage Taken
Spoiler vaal your Shaper's Touch, because they are not expensive. But first link and roll colours. Beside the fact this build utilises the HoWA and Shaper's Touch synergy – there is nothing special here. I recommend to, because they are not expensive. But first link and roll colours.
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6.4 Hands & Movement
Spoiler Whirling Blades and vaal auras (Vaal Grace, Vaal Haste). You can take Vaal Discipline, but I think Grace is better for avoiding the next damage after taking a big hit. This gives you time to replenish your health pool. Vaal Haste helps you replenishing it.
In my three links I runand vaal auras (). You can take Vaal Discipline, but I think Grace is better for avoiding the next damage after taking a big hit. This gives you time to replenish your health pool. Vaal Haste helps you replenishing it.
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6.5 Boots & Curse
Spoiler Enfeeble and Poacher's Mark.
● Poacher's Mark increases your "Life gain on Hit" by +24 (this is 50% more).
● Poacher's Mark makes your flasks refill faster.
● Poacher's Mark let mosters hit them, when you really need to hit them to refill your health pool.
● Poacher's Mark is an underrated curse.
For increasing your damage, you can swap Enfeeble with Conductivity (same colour).
Trinity Blade Flurry is very fast. There is no need for "increased Movement Speed" on your boots. But I like having good movement speed. Instead of movement speed you can aim for high base evasion rating and engery shield on boots. Your Boots should have an intelligence modifier. And vaal your boots! Maybe you are lucky and get +1 frenzy charge.
Shaper:
You can not rely on applying curses with cast when damage taken when it comes to Shaper. Therefore I recommend a curse on hit / orb of storm setup. Because of colours i change my goves to:
I dislike cursing my targets manually. Therefore I run a second cast when damage taken setup. This build uses two curses:and● Poacher's Mark increases your "Life gain on Hit" by +24 (this is 50% more).● Poacher's Mark makes your flasks refill faster.● Poacher's Mark let mosters hit them, when you really need to hit them to refill your health pool.● Poacher's Mark is an underrated curse.For increasing your damage, you can swap Enfeeble with(same colour).Trinity Blade Flurry is very fast. There is no need for "increased Movement Speed" on your boots. But I like having good movement speed. Instead of movement speed you can aim for high base evasion rating and engery shield on boots. Your Boots should have an intelligence modifier. And vaal your boots! Maybe you are lucky and get +1 frenzy charge.You can not rely on applying curses with cast when damage taken when it comes to Shaper. Therefore I recommend a curse on hit / orb of storm setup. Because of colours i change my goves to:
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6.6 Jewels
Spoiler Corrupted Energy is an core item for this build. You also should take one Fertile Mind to swap some dexterity into intelligence. Put it in the slot next to Fervour.
There are three "open" slots for jewels. Use them for reaching resistance cap and increasing your life and energy shield pool.
is an core item for this build. You also should take oneto swap some dexterity into intelligence. Put it in the slot next toThere are three "open" slots for jewels. Use them for reaching resistance cap and increasing your life and energy shield pool.
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6.7 Accessories
Spoiler Corrupted Energy. And because of the fact amulets can have +1 Curse, I wanted to take advantage of that synergy and run two curses. And curses are strong – right?
I would like to descripe the gearing process in few steps:
1. Step: Use a vaaled Doedre's Damning and a Breach Ring. As long you do not have a second good amulet in backup, vaal your belt. As long as you do not have a second good belt in backup, vaal your amulet. When you do not have a backup amulet or belt, buy an amulet and vaal it.
2. Step: Buy a corrupted Astramentis and replace your amulet. Those attribute points are great for the HoWA and Shaper's Touch synergy.
3. Step: Farm currency and have a poe.trade lifesearch for amulets running. Buy amulets and vaal them. When you hit the jackpot (+1 curse), replace the Doedre's Damning with a second Breach Ring and the Astramentis with your new +1 curse amulet.
4. Step: As soon as you reach level 95 you pick up Whispers of Doom in the tree and then replace your +1 curse amulet again with your corrupted Astramentis. The synergy between Astramentis and Shaper's Touch is worth it.
Of course you can skip step two or just run one curse the whole time. But why give away a free curse, when you have to corrupt five items anyway?
Overall you want intelligence, flat life, flat energy shield, flat mana and some elemental resistances modifiers on your accessories. The belt should have flat strength and "increased Elemental Damage with Weapons".
This is getting a little bit tricky. You need three corupted items in your slots for your. And because of the fact amulets can have +1 Curse, I wanted to take advantage of that synergy and run two curses. And curses are strong – right?I would like to descripe the gearing process in few steps:Use a vaaledand a. As long you do not have a second good amulet in backup, vaal your belt. As long as you do not have a second good belt in backup, vaal your amulet. When you do not have a backup amulet or belt, buy an amulet and vaal it.Buy a corruptedand replace your amulet. Those attribute points are great for the HoWA and Shaper's Touch synergy.Farm currency and have a poe.trade lifesearch for amulets running. Buy amulets and vaal them. When you hit the jackpot (+1 curse), replace the Doedre's Damning with a second Breach Ring and the Astramentis with your new +1 curse amulet.As soon as you reach level 95 you pick upin the tree and then replace your +1 curse amulet again with your corrupted Astramentis. The synergy between Astramentis and Shaper's Touch is worth it.Of course you can skip step two or just run one curse the whole time. But why give away a free curse, when you have to corrupt five items anyway?Overall you want intelligence, flat life, flat energy shield, flat mana and some elemental resistances modifiers on your accessories. The belt should have flat strength and "increased Elemental Damage with Weapons".
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6.8 Flasks
Spoiler Vessel of Vinktar: Take a Vinktar with lightning penetration. This flask is sadly to good. It lets you run "Elemental Focus Support" in your attack setup and... and... and... I hope GGG will nerf it. I will run Atziri's Promise instead, to get a feeling for a nerfed Vinktar.
● Silver Flask: It makes your character immune to freeze, shock and ignite because of "Quartz Infusion" and "Avatar of the Veil" from the Raider Ascendancy. And the "Onslaught" effect gives you important attack speed.
● Life Flask: Life Flaks are stong for survivability. Make it "Bubbling" or "Saturated" and use it.
● The Wise Oak: Lightning resistance should be your highest. This flask ist offence and defence at the same time.
● Quicksilver: I like movement speed. You can swap Quicksilver with Stibnite (great defence) or Atziri's Promise. It is really up to you.
: Take a Vinktar with lightning penetration. This flask is sadly to good. It lets you run "Elemental Focus Support" in your attack setup and... and... and... I hope GGG will nerf it. I will run Atziri's Promise instead, to get a feeling for a nerfed Vinktar.: It makes your character immune to freeze, shock and ignite because of "Quartz Infusion" and "Avatar of the Veil" from the Raider Ascendancy. And the "Onslaught" effect gives you important attack speed.: Life Flaks are stong for survivability. Make it "Bubbling" or "Saturated" and use it.: Lightning resistance should be your highest. This flask ist offence and defence at the same time.: I like movement speed. You can swap Quicksilver with Stibnite (great defence) or Atziri's Promise. It is really up to you.
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6.9 Late Game Gear
Spoiler
This is my Gear for lategame:
This is my Gear for lategame: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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7. DPS-Calculation & Defences
Spoiler DPS Calculation:
The Blade Flurry Tooltip for average Damage ist not correct. Here are my Path of Buildung calculations.
Effective DPS - 6 Stages
Effective DPS - 6 Stages + Flasks
Defences
The Blade Flurry Tooltip for average Damage ist not correct. Here are mycalculations.
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8. Videos
Spoiler
● Shaper
● Phoenix
● Chimera
● Hydra
● Minotaur
● Uul-Netol
● Xoph
● Tul
● Esh
● Quay
● UberIzaro
● Shaper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7MI7QM1JM ● Phoenix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfX4LWWAubI ● Chimera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Atqa7K5AI ● Hydra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsVcpCvf3o ● Minotaur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbC1t6nXD7g ● Uul-Netol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hO-QOSj7iU ● Xoph https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INT9zvRpQAQ ● Tul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43t-Fyksxmw ● Esh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZvU9H6p4Pg ● Quay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEth136eyhU ● UberIzaro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyMyKC7lZCc#t=42.70136a
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9. Critcal analysis
Spoiler There is no double-dipping? Yes, eh no. Would it be better to get rid of the evasion/energy shield hybid part and go ony energy shield instead? Maybe. Would it be better to get rid of the concept having a health pool combined out of life, energy shield and mana and go only energy shield instead? Yes.
To me the core idea behind the build sound interesting. And for sure the build is not finalised yet. The common "Shaperkill-Demonstration-Video" to verify the true Power of Exile is missing. In fact I have not killed Shaper with this build, yet. Status: Work in progress.
● Feel free to leave comments and give suggestions.
● Thanks for reading. What makes a good build? I do not know. But I like synergy and well rounded builds. It feels bad picking up strength nodes, when playing a Chaos Inoculation caster. It feels bad having "increased cast speed" on an unique you need, when playing a melee attacker. It feels good, when everything fits together and any passiv node and any item modifier forfills a purpose for your build. Tinkering your own build. That is the most fun of playing PoE. This is my frist build I want to share with you. Have fun and feel free to leave comments and give suggestions.Why? Because this character usesandas one big health pool.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________● Feel free to leave comments and give suggestions.● Thanks for reading. Last edited by Ralli on Apr 15, 2017, 1:06:25 PM Last bumped on May 23, 2017, 3:16:30 PMAn Israeli startup has developed an app-related remedy that could prevent premature ejaculation in men.
Virility Medical, which operates within the technology incubator of NGT3 in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth, announced that it successfully completed a clinical trial in human males using a patch placed between the anus and scrotum which is then controlled by a smartphone application.
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SEE ALSO: Groundbreaking Study Finds World Of Genetic Differences Between Men And Women
The application “sends a low-frequency electrical current that contracts the muscle responsible for ejaculation, and delays it,” Virility Medical said in a statement last week.
The trial, which took place at the Clinic for Sexual Dysfunction at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and was led by Dr. Arik Shechter and Prof. Ilan Gruenwald, was deemed successful with no immediate side effects.
According to Virility Medical, an average 3.5-fold increase in delaying ejaculation was recorded among 20 patients suffering from premature ejaculation who took part in the trial.
“An estimated 79 million men suffer from premature ejaculation in the United States and in the EU, and more than 15 million men are actively looking for a medical solution to the problem. We’re bringing a groundbreaking, effective, and simple solution, with no side effects compared to existing products on the market,” said Tal Gollan, the founder and CEO of Virility Medical.
The CEO of NGT3, a venture capital fund that invests in early-stage startups in the medical technology field, said the market potential for the solution “has a market potential significantly larger than the Viagra pill.”
“The innovative and very effective technology of Virility Medical will be a game changer, and our mission at NGT3 is to continue to advance the company at the quick rate it is has been moving,” said Zohar Gendler.
Gendler said Virility Medical has so far received NIS 3 million (approximately $860,000) from NGT3 and the Israel Innovation Authority, a government-run R&D fund, and would soon embark on a second round of fundraising.
SEE ALSO: It’s Official: Prolonged Cell Phone Use Leads To Lower Sperm CountBaseball’s Winter Meetings are over. The Phillies showed up with the worst record in baseball, one trade chip, and the number one pick in the Rule 5 Draft. They made the most of their meager pre-meeting assets.
The Phillies turned their one commodity, Ken Giles, a closer whom other teams viewed as “elite” into a probable starting pitcher in RHP Vincent Velasquez, a pitcher with 42 major league starts over the last 3 seasons in LHP Brett Oberholtzer, 2013 first overall pick RHP Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman who only made 4 professional appearances in August – 2 in Rookie Ball (GCL) and 2 in full season A, and low A wild card in Harold Arauz. The Phillies also included 17-year old infielder Jonathan Arauz (no relation) in the deal.
The Phillies added the best overall hitter available to their 25-man roster with their first round Rule 5 selection of Tyler Goeddel. They picked up a loogy-type pitcher one round later in Daniel Stumpf although righties only hit.245 off him last season.
The Phillies also signed FA RHP David Hernandez, a reliever with some closing experience. Over the weekend they traded Clearwater right hander David Whitehead to Pittsburgh for RHP Charlie Morton.
In addition to the loss of Giles and Arauz, the Phillies lost RHP Manaure Martinez during the AAA phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Martinez had been in the organization 5 years and had only advanced as far as Lakewood last season.
The Phillies top 20 prospects as determined by MLB include only 6 players who were with the organization on this date last year. Of course, by the end of the month the Phillies had added Eflin, Windle, and LIvely. Still, that’s a lot of new faces. Should make for a fun Reader Top 30 in the coming weeks. I anticipate starting after the holidays. Of the 9 newest acquisitions, 8 are pitchers. Does anybody wonder if in Mark Appel we may have acquired the Astro’s Jesse Biddle?
Off Season Transactions
The following is an update of the Phillies’ offseason roster status, which currently stands at 40 players –
Free Agents (5)
Cliff Lee, Aaron Harang, Jerome Wiliams, Chad Billingsley, and Jeff Francoeur
Guaranteed Contracts (8) – contract information from COTS
Matt Harrison ($13M for 2016 and 2017, $13.5M club option or $2M buyout for 2018) David Hernandez ($3.9M for 2016) Charlie Morton ($8M for 2016, $9.5M mutual option. $1M buyout forfeited if he declines option. Additional $0.5M in performance bonuses.) Carlos Ruiz ($8.5M for 2016, $4.5M club option or $0.5M buyout for 2017) Andres Blanco reached arbitration agreement for 2016 at $1.45M Ryan Howard ($25M for 2016, $23M club option or $10M buyout for 2017) Peter Bourjos reached arbitration agreement for 2016 at $2M Miguel Gonzalez ($4.66M for 2016, and a vesting option for 2017). Not on 40-man, outrighted to LHV back on 4/1/2015.
Arbitration Eligible Players (3) – salary projections from Tim Dierkes of MLBTR
Jeanmar Gomez ($1.5M) Jeremy Hellickson ($6.6M) a Boras Corporation client Freddy Galvis (1.9M)
Remaining roster players (30)
Fall Ball – cumulative stats for Arizona Fall League, Australian League, and the winter leagues in the Dominican, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, as well as Nicauragua, and the WBSC.
No change in the VWL by Miguel Gonzalez. He stands at a 4.13 ERA in 7 starts – 12 BB, 19 K in 32.2 IP.
Rhys Hoskins continues to improve and has increased his production (.309/.377/.545, 5 HR, 27 RBI ) and Cord Sandberg has rebounded (.268/.355/.378) in Australia.
The AFL has completed its season. Drew Stankiewicz (.483/.531/.621) responded well after his call up following J.P. Crawford’s thumb injury. Tom Windle (1.74 in 10 appearances) pitched well. Yacksel Rios (2-2, 5.14) got lit up in his final start and saw his ERA jump by about 3.00, however he pitched well in his other starts.
Maikel Franco has stalled after his quick start in the DWL.230/.333/.361, but has 9 BB and only 6 K in 61 AB. Roman Quinn hasn’t played since 11/28 when he was hitting.212 and had struck out 27 times in 99 AB. Angelys Nina continues to be steady at.269/.317/.333 in 156 AB. Joely Rodriguez has a 3.00 ERA in 10 appearance/4 starts and 21 K in 21 IP and has reverted to a relief role. Ranfi Casimiro has posted a 1.96 ERA in 5 starts. Relievers Ulises Joaquin (3.55 ERA, 10 K in 12.2 IP), Nefi Ogando (3.12 in 10 appearances), and Jimmy Cordero (2.16 ERA in 9 appearances, 9 K in 8.1 IP) are throwing well. Although Cordero hasn’t pitched since 11/22.
Victor Arano is killing it in Mexico with a 4-0 record and 0.75 ERA in 23 appearances, 19 K in 24 IP. Odubel Herrera has hit the ground running hitting.450 in 5 games in Venezuela.
Dylan Cozens continues to post good numbers in Puerto Rico.346/.370/.558 with 3 HR in 15 games. He has 10 K and 2 BB in 52 AB. Jesmuel Valentin continues to put up a respectable.260/.306/.317 in 123 AB. Hoby Milner has posted an ERA of 2.00 in 13 appearances (9.0 IP). Reinier Roibal has a 1.73 ERA in 6 starts – 26 IP, 22 K, 8 BB. Daniel Stumpf has a 1.00 ERA in 13 appearances, 18 IP, 10 K, 5 BB.
There is winter baseball in Nicauragua. Austin Davis, Harold Guerrero, Jairo Munoz, and Will Morris are all on the same team. Davis has a 1.12 ERA, 46 K in 40.1 IP. The quartet has started 25 of the team’s 27 games. The rest of their stats are here.
The US entry in the WBSC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Premier 12 took silver in Japan when they lost to South Korea in the final game. The manager of the GCL Phillies, Roly de Armas, was one of the coaches. Cody Forsythe, Joey Denato, and Kyle Martin were on the USA team. So were FA pitcher Anthony Vasquez and FA 2B Tyler Pastornicky. Their combined stats are here. They do NOT include the final game which the USA lost 8-0. Joey DeNato entered in the ninth with 2 out and the bases loaded. He threw 5 pitches and recorded a swinging strike out to end the threat. Kyle Martin entered as a PH in the ninth and struck out looking. (Pastornicky started at third and went 0-4 with 2 K. Vasquez pitched 1.2 innings and faced 8 batters recording a hit, walk, HBP and K. He entered with 2 out in the fourth and stranded a runner, pitched a clean fifth, and left with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth after striking out the first batter then going single-HBP-BB.)Out of Sight is Not Out of Mind
For a brief time in 2011, I had a place for everything. I discarded more than half of my possessions, with the idea of owning nothing that didn’t have its own hook, spot or shelf. Once everything had a home, I could put everything away in five minutes, and wake up to a clear space and a clear mind.
It took about a month to do — and about six months to undo. When I wrote about my success, I gave it the ambitious title “Everything in its Place, Finally and Forever.” Things eventually reverted to tolerable clutter. It never got back to a clothes-on-the-floor level of messy, but there are objects on the dining room table that are never used for dining, and books living on surfaces other than my bookshelves.
I have never forgotten the uncanny peace that comes from a home devoid of chaos. It’s a completely different home-life experience, free of a certain kind of tension that you only notice when it’s gone. Every item sitting out is an unresolved issue, both in the real world and in the mind. They give your day-to-day life a sense of perpetual unresolvedness, like you’re always in the middle of renovating or switching to new software at work.
I’ve been meaning to do it again for four years now, but it’s an enormous job, and the benefits seem to wear off too quickly. Unless you’re born organized, decluttering is a fight against gravity and entropy, and maybe some other inalienable laws of the cosmos.
The problem was my method. I thought tidying was just a matter of making things look nicer. While I was going closet-to-closet, purging and re-stacking, a tiny Japanese woman was developing a science around the idea of “everything in its place”. Now she’s got a million-selling book and a three-month waiting list for her services.
Her name is Marie Kondo, and she says our conventional notions of tidying set us up for relapse. When we’re children we’re told to tidy our rooms, which we know means “get everything off the floor and out of sight”, and we generally don’t develop the concept of “tidy” any more deeply than that.
Marie says tidying up is something that should done in one single, thorough effort, and it should last a lifetime, because it’s as much a rearrangement your philosophy as of your home. Our homes — and consequently, our lives — get messy because we have fearful and unhealthy relationships with our possessions. Where you keep your things is important, but it’s less important than which things you keep, how you feel about them, and why you have kept them.
A family member gave me the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and I’ve begun the process. Kondo’s prescriptions contradict almost everything I did when I first purged my apartment.
Some of her main tenets:
Aim for perfection, in one swoop — quit trying to do a little bit every day. One chapter is entitled, “Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever.” Tidying should be dramatic and thorough, because it represents a dramatic change, not only in what you own, but how you relate to what you own. Before you’re done, every item you own will have been handled and examined.
Sort by type of possession, not by room. Last time I went room to room, closet to closet, pulling everything out, purging things I could do without, and then putting them back neatly. This method makes for a clear space (for a while) but it focuses too much on what each room looks like at a glance, and too little on why we keep the items we do, and how it feels to own them. In Marie’s method, you go through all your clothes first, then books, papers, mementos, and so on. Gather every single book in the house into one place before deciding which to keep.
Do it in two distinct phases: discard, then arrange. In the conventional room-to-room method, we do the discarding and arranging at the same time. Choose something to keep, put it on the shelf. Choose something to toss, put it in the bag. Instead, go through each category of possession individually, donating whatever you’re not keeping. Once you’ve purged every category in this way, go through them all again and assign each item a home.
Keep only items that evoke joy. For each item of each category, hold it in your hands and see if it sparks any joy for you. If not, it’s detracting from your experience at home. Donate it. This criterion sounds vague, but it’s far superior to the usual ones: discard things that no longer work, that you haven’t used in a year, or which aren’t “useful or beautiful”. None of these tests work in all cases, because we keep different kinds of possessions for different reasons. Should I discard photo albums that I haven’t looked at in a year? Should I keep an old vase just because it’s still beautiful? The “joy criterion” seems to answer the broader question of whether an object belongs in our lives or not.
Be wary of storage. When we’re holding onto something that brings no joy to our lives, it’s either out of an unhealthy attachment to the past or an unhealthy fear of the future, according to Ms Kondo. A room that looks tidy but contains unwanted items in storage containers still feels cluttered, at least to the owner of those items. Decluttering is a kind of soul-searching — it requires us to make decisions about our values and our expectations for our lives — and storage is a way of dodging that important work.
The Joy Test
There’s a lot more in the book, but the central commandment is to apply the joy test to every item you own, right down to the post-its on your bulletin board.
Otherwise we end up with too many possessions that evoke negative emotions: shame, guilt, regret, revulsion. When you look in your closet, chances are half the clothes in there make you feel bad for one reason or another. You either never wear them, or they look dumb on you, or they cost a lot but don’t fit, or they were gifts you don’t like. This stuff is pure baggage, and we keep it everywhere, not just in our closets but on our bookshelves, in our garages, on our walls and in our cupboards. Cutting these emotionally draining objects loose is an amazing feeling.
The joy criterion seems to apply to everything else in life too. Suddenly I’m looking at all of my choices this way. If I have to choose between working on X or Y, I go for the one that evokes more joy when I consider it. Which fitness program should I follow? How should I schedule my day? What should I order at the restaurant? Should I keep working, or go for a walk?
The answers are surprisingly practical for an intuition-based method. But it makes sense, because the joy test leads directly to living from our values instead of our habits. You’d think we already do this, seeking joy by default, but often we’re working from another motive that doesn’t always serve us in the long term: familiarity, fear, gratification or sense of control.
There are some items that are necessary, even though they don’t seem to elicit any joy. Tax records, for example. But the joy criterion is broad enough to work here too — I know I’d rather have my records organized neatly by year, in crisp folders, than have them joylessly rubber-banded together into a large brick at the bottom of a filing cabinet. The joy test makes the emotional effect of each possession clear.
I’m going through everything this way over the next six weeks: clothes, books, tools and utensils, papers, mementos and even food in my cupboards. I’m done my books so far, and it’s wonderful to look at my bookshelf and see only books that bring me joy. I hadn’t realized how much of an effect my possessions have on how it feels to be home. I want my whole house to feel like my bookshelf.
This will be my 21st official experiment, and I’ll update my progress on the experiments page, with pictures. I invite you to do it along with me if it interests you.
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CHECK) and inker Art Thibert (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN). Dan Panosian will be doing the covers for the series.
The comic will pick up right where the game Arkham City left off. The city prison is shut down and the Joker is dead. Batman questions whether or not Gotham needs him.
The comic will be available on February 24th, 2015 and the game will be available on June 2, 2015.
Source: EWNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen as having solidified his grip on power in the wake of the execution of his powerful regent Jang Song-thaek. The young leader's unpredictability is expected to be the biggest variable determining geopolitical situations in Northeast Asia. / AP-Yonhap
The Korea Times held a round-table discussion on Dec. 26 to take a close look into the North Korean situation following the purging of the once-powerful Jang Song-thaek, uncle of the communist regime's leader Kim Jong-un. Three experts offered their insights. They are Professor Son Tae-gyu of Dankook University, Free North Korea Radio head Kim Seong-min and professor King Myung-do teaching North Korean Studies at the Kyungmin University. Both Kim and King defected from the North. — E.D.
By Kim Tae-gyu, Jun Ji-hye, Nam Hyun-woo
Question: Did Kim Jung-un solidify his grip on power with the execution of his uncle Jang Song-thaek?
King: By and large, Kim's measure would have a short-term effect. But in the long run, it would end up generating confusion. Who would remain loyal to a leader who purges his own uncle?
Take a look at the unprecedented nationwide campaign of pledging allegiance for Kim. Even the previous events on Feb. 16 (birthday of former dictator and Kim Jong-un's father Kim Jong-il) and on April 15 (birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung) fell short of it. That means that people are currently not loyal in earnest.
Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae's attitude at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (on Dec. 16) drops a hint. While trembling, he promised to be royal to just one leader, namely Kim. He would have known Jang's power better than any other persons. In a situation where even Jang can be executed through a summary trial, others would be killed without a trial. Let me remind you that Jang was Kim's uncle. His charges were just about the possibility of a coup. Against this backdrop, who wouldn't be scared?
It was a bad move. But Kim had no choice because he was afraid of Jang's influence in just two years after he took charge. Reports possibly made their way to Kim that Jang grabbed all the power and he even did not respect Kim, which would have been simply impossible under the leadership of Kim Jong-il. Kim might feel such an atmosphere while being with Jang. The accusations like Jang clapped his hands half-heartedly would hold some truth.
From the perspective of Kim, his biggest mistake was the purge of former Vice Marshal Lee Yong-ho. After that, Jang's strength got way too big since Jang's major rival was gone. Choe and others promise their allegiance for now but nobody knows who would revolt. I expect quite big confusions. It would not be about expelling Kim. It would be about competing to gain Kim's confidence to strengthen their own power base.
Kim: There are so many analyses on Jang. Kim is now too strong. Jang swayed Kim over the past two years unlike the North Korean system of the past 17 years. Jang could not break it but anyway he shook it, which eventually led to his fall. It was rumored that Jang pulled the strings behind Kim and senior officials knew that they have to go through Jang to reach Kim.
Everybody is in panic now and Choe is not a No. 2 man but like a rank-and-file officer. All would have to lie on their face to serve their leader. For now, the system got back to the past and in the sense, Kim's grip on power is stronger. But we can hardly predict the future.
Q: Do you think execution of Jang was well prepared?
Kim: I bet Kim was emotionally hurt by Jang for some reason. North Korea is based on a dictatorship but Jang might be reported as a potential threat to the top leader. In the beginning, I think Jang's critics could not do anything with the powerful figure. Kim might have been uneasy with Jang. He might have been afraid of Jang.
King: Kim has always depended on Jang. Video footage showed that they always talked gently. But once again, the miscue was the purge of former Vice Marshal Yi Yong-ho. I expected that Jang would be executed, but not this quickly. I thought that it would take at least a year because there are so many questions to be asked.
If Jang is alive, however, his followers may come up with some moves like exiles en masse. Hence, Kim seems to have executed Jang so fast. In the case of Vice Marshal Chae Ryong-hae, he is so weak. Do you know why the North promotes him? That's because he is too feeble to control the military.
Son: We need to learn who spearheaded the purge of Jang. I wonder whether Kim masterminded it or some others pulled the strings behind him as some North Korean defectors claimed of late. We can make a correct analysis on Kim's status only after being clear about such questions.
Kim: I don't think that a scenario makes sense that Kim is controlled by any secret power. It would be claims from those who have no deep understanding of the North Korean system.
King: To form a force, there should be a central figure. But there is no outstanding candidate for now. Prime Minister Park Bong-ju and Vice Marshal Chae Ryong-hae cannot be such centers. In particular, nobody follows Chae in the military now.
Kim: North Korea returned to the autocratic system of the past.
King: It remains to be seen whether those who promises their allegiance to Kim are sincere. If I am in North Korea, I would criticize Kim in my heart. People there are presently loyal because they are scared but they would have some complaints. How one can televise the purge of his uncle? Only a figure with the caliber of Jang can put his gun at Kim. Others cannot even approach Kim with a gun.
King Myung-do, a professor of Kyunmin University, left, speaks during a forum about where North Korea is headed following the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of leader Kim Jong-un. Participants in the forum agreed that Kim will continue the "reign of terror," at least in the near term, to further tighten his control over the reclusive country.
/ Korea Times photo by Nam Hyun-woo
Q: Do you think that people's uprising against the Kim regime is possible?
King: North Koreans are educated not to do so from childhood. They should risk lives of their families to make such an attempt. Even one succeeds in coup, he would not be praised as an hero. He wouldn't be admired in the United States or South Korea, either.
Son: There was a big event of Jang's execution. But such events took place in the past and that led to the iron-fisted control. Things would be similar now.
Q: Do you think Jang could ever detect Kim's intention to execute him?
King: I don't think so. Jang had been probably living in ease. He would have not been able to imagine that Kim could go so far as to kill him.
Jang could have showed saucy manner to Kim. When the two appeared in official meetings, they were sometimes wearing exactly the same suits. Even the buttons, collars and sleeves were the same. Wearing the same suit with the leader was just unimaginable in the past. This could have led to Jang misunderstanding that he is in the same position as Kim.
King Myung-do
King Myung-do is a defector professor teaching North Korean
Studies at the Kyungmin University in Gyeonggi Province.
King, who flew to North Korea in 1994, is a son-in-law of Kang
Song-san who served the Premier of North Korea from 1984 to
1986 and again from 1992 to 1997, and passed away in 2007.
King's family is a relative of Kang Pan-sok, the mother of the North Korea's former leader Kim Il-sung.
He, born in Pyongyang, graduated from the Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, the leading foreign-language institute of North Korea.
He had assumed the key posts of the isolated state between the
1970s and early 1990s tasked with dealing with the International affairs.
He also worked as a researcher specializing in defense at the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces. While working in the ministry, he had been confined to the detention center in the South Pyeongannam Province between March 1990 and February 1991 for contacting foreigners without permission.
When he entered the South in 1994, he attracted a lot of attention from the public and the media because he was from one of the most prestigious families unlike general defectors. Kim Seong-min
Kim Seong-min, a North Korean defector, heads the Free North
Korea Radio, operated by North Korean defectors in Seoul.
Since entering the South in 1999, he engaged in a various activities to help North Korean defectors including volunteer work to protect and rescue refugees from the North.
He opened the radio station in 2004 after being concerned
about decreasing media reports in the South about the real status
of North Korea. The main goal of his radio station is to send messages to the North and to notify the international community as well as Seoul of the truth about the Stalinist State.
Kim, born in Pyongyang, is also a well-known poet both in the
South and North.
After graduating from a noted educational institute nurturing
writers in the North, he worked in the art unit of the North Korean People's Army.
His late father Kim Soon-seok (died in 1974), who was a professor at the Kim Il-sung University, is one of the most famous poets in North Korea.
Kim carried on his literature career after settling in the South by receiving a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Chungang
University and making his debut in 2003. Son Tae-gyu
After graduating from Sungkyunkwan University, Professor Son Tae-gyu of Dankook University started his professional career at the Hankook Ilbo, a sister company of The Korea Times, in 1984
and worked on many beats at the politics and city desks.
He covered Cheong Wa Dae in the mid 1990s.
Son got his master's degree in politics at University of Connecticut in 1991 and his doctorate in journalism at the University of North Carolina in 2002 before becoming a professor at Dankook the next year.
He now teaches politics there.
He is regarded as one of the foremost experts in journalism and politics, in particular on North Korean issues.
The journalist-turned-professor has taken many other significant
tasks in state-run or private entities because he worked for such organizations as the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Kwanhun Club.
He authored several books on the freedom of journalism, reform
of journalism and a three-way comparison of journalism in Korea, Japan and the United States.
Son is also a renowned columnist in local newspapers.
Q: Do you think rumors involving Jang and Kim's wife Ri Sol-ju are credible?
Kim: I heard from many diplomats that Jang is a lady-killer.
King: Considering such evaluation, I don't think rumors that Jang and Ri had been in immoral intimacy are totally untrue.
Rumors say Ri and Jang met while Ri was in the Unhasu Orchestra and Wangjaesan Light Music Band. The orchestra was established by Jang, not Kim.
Q: How Ri got married to Kim then?
King: Kim was probably charmed by Ri's beauty and the two went on a date. I don't think Kim's father (Kim Jong-il) allowed them to get married while he was alive because Ri continued to sing in the orchestra just until Kim Jong-il died. If the former Northern leader gave green light to their marriage, Ri would not have sung like that.
Q: How is Kim Kyong-hui? She has not been showing up after her husband Jang's execution.
Kim: I think rumors are true that she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
King: I believe that Kim Kyong-hui gave a nod to Kim to execute Jang as she was probably aware that she also could die instantly due to her disease. The reason why she disappeared from the official meetings after Jang's execution could be also because of her health problems.
If she is not appearing although she is healthy, that would indicate that there was a huge problem in Jang's execution. If Kim killed Jang without his aunt's agreement, this could greatly impact the North as Kim Kyong-hui's force emerging from Kim Il-sungrelatives still remains undiminished.
Q: How do you evaluate the possibility that North Korea could launch military provocation between January and March?
King: I expect Pyongyang to take cautions attitudes. When I look at President Park Geun-hye, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Nam Jae-joon and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, they seem to be ready to strike back in the event of North's provocation.
I heard when Prongyang shelled Yeonpyeong Island in 2010, the South was not capable of attacking the North's artillery unit. The isolated state ratcheted up their verbal salvo after the Yeonpyeong incident, saying it can plunge into was at any time.
To counter that, the United States and the South have set up appropriate reaction systems by bringing in strategic bomber B-52 for example so that Seoul can attack the North whenever it provokes military actions. These are not my personal anticipation. These words are from officials of the intelligence entities.
NIS chief Nam recently said in a private meeting that the two Koreas could be possibly unified in 2015. I don't think he made such comments without any reasons.
If the North makes any provocative action, Seoul could shot back, which could lead to the full-scale war. Kim Jong-un is probably aware of the Seoul's move, so it could keep his attempt to make provocation at bay.
Kim: The President, defense minister and the NIS chief are all conservative. This could render Pyongyang reluctant to act thoughtlessly.
But in my opinion, the North could commit such provocations as cyber attack.
Inter-Korean relations will be uneasy for the time being.
For people in the North, they were already swayed by the fact that a nephew killed his uncle. This emotional fear is difficult to be healed even from reign of terror. The year 2014 could become period of turbulence.
Son: I agree with the two. Provocative behaviors would be no easy matter for the North as the current South government is different from the previous ones under Kim Dae-jung or Roh Moo-hyun. But I want to point out one thing— how Pyongyang sees relations between Seoul and Washington.
The only event that the North apologized about its misdeed was when two U.S. Army officers were slain by ax-wielding North Korean soldiers while trimming a tree inside the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the truce village of Panmunjeom in 1976.
At the time, the North made apology because the U.S. was actually made preparations for the all-out war including paralyzing communication in the North. This incident shows that the Stalinist state is afraid of Washington's move.
Relations between Seoul and Washington have recently become estranged. Pyongyang is definitely looking into the situations as well. The North is possibly watching for a chance by using a gap between the South and the U.S.
Q: When talking about the North, not only relations between Korea and the U.S., but also those between Pyongyang and Beijing are cited as a significant factor. How do you evaluate that?
Son: To be honest, expectations (especially from people in the South) that China will play a role in dealing with the North is the wrong perspective.
Beijing is not in such position that it can do something to handle various sensitive incidents such as Jang's execution.
I have talked about this with high-ranking Chinese officials many times. Their views were more realistic than those of people in the South. They sufficiently understood that China is not playing a proper role regarding matters related to the North.
King: But I still think China is the most significant factor in inter-Korean relations. If Beijing tries to break off relations with the North, everything in the North will all stop. When you go to the local market in Pyongyang, 90 percent of goods there are from China. Even electricity, iron ore and coal are all from China. If China cuts those off, the North will collapse within a month. But Beijing is not doing that.
Kim: North will possibly experience troubles with China though after Jang's execution, because it was Jang that maintained relations between the two countries. How people in the North see Kim is different from how those in China see the young leader. From Chinese perspective, Kim is actually too young to be a partner and Jang's existence could have been helpful. Beijing could have been in panic after Jang's execution.
Q: How do you evaluate Kim's character? Is he violent or what?
King: Kim is clumsy. He is interested in politics, but his political capacity doesn't seem to match with it. While his father was alive, the late leader once appeared at a discussion session and asked which of his children he would like to success his leadership.
He said the oldest son is not interested in politics, while Kim Jong-un and youngest daughter are interested. He said he wishes to bequeath his leadership to the daughter unless she was a female. This means that the daughter was clever than her brothers, regardless of her young age, and Kim Jong-un is not smart enough, though he had interest in politics.
That's why he sacked former Vice Marshal Ri Young-ho and Jang. If he was in his right mind, he couldn't have done such things and would have accompanied them, politically. His big postures during TV appearances are all a bid to style himself on his grandfather and founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. As he imitates his grandfather, he does not look the same as he was young. There is a rumor that the young leader went through plastic surgery to resemble his grandfather.
Q: In a series of photos of Kim taken after executing Jang, he seemed exhausted. What does that mean? Was that Kim showing a sign of remorse for cruelly executing his uncle?
King & Kim: That seems more like hangover after binge drinking.
King: Under Kim Jong-il's leadership, every meeting between Kim and other high-ranking officials was punctual. When a meeting was scheduled at 10 a.m., it sharply started at then. If a meeting that broadcasts live is scheduled at 11 a.m., however, Kim Jong-un attends it some 20 minutes lately.
He usually puts on make-up before attending aired meetings. But in those photos in which he appears worn out, it seems that he was running so late that he did not have time to do so. There were speculations that he had his eyebrows waxed, to make eyebrow drawing easier. The point is that he seems to have been rushed, not implying any other significant meaning.He could have ordered Jang's execution while he was under influence of alcohol.
Kim: How can a 30-year-old have such a physique?
Son: Kim is not bright. Unlike his father's succession, the absence of Kim Jong-il comes as a factor of frustration to his leadership.The situation is different from the time of Kim Jong-il's succession; Kim Ii-sung was still alive then. While being educated at Switzerland, he had experienced the taste of capitalism, but has to rule his Stalinist regime now. He is not bright enough to do the conflicting two things at the same time.
Q: What are your suggestions to the South's North Korea policy down the road?
King: Naive ideas that the South's should pursue more flexible North Korea policy makes them (the North) to engage in further provocations. As politicians said, we have to prepare for a war to avoid it.
A lunatic is just a lunatic. We have to cure the mental illness. During the Kim Dae-jung administration, the South offered too much amount of aids to the North. That does not deter any provocation from the North. The South should pursue more stern policy against the North. The North's nuclear experiments all occurred during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
Q: But bombardment on Yeonpyeong Island and sinking of the South's naval ship Cheonan occurred during the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Son: During the Lee administration, there was no distinct North Korea policy. When Kim Jong-il took power, there were concerns over his reckless actions against the U.S. Nothing has changed. The South should come up with humanitarian approach toward the North only after it shows some sign of reconciliation, such as abandoning its nuclear program.
King: There still are controversy over Cheonan's sinking over who is behind it, but artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island was clearly done by the North. The South should have countered to the North with more sternly. Offering sign of talk to the North further will only give images to it which they can make use of.
Q: There are a number of cases that North Korean defector made their way back to the North.
King: In order to bring the unification between the two Koreas, defectors should settle down in the South more successfully. Some 25,000 defectors here send money to their family members in the North even though they live in poverty in the South, because life in the North is much harsher.
At least they remit money twice in a year. Many North Korean say the family members of a defector never run out of money or food. Such families usually have gathering each other and chat about their defected family members, such as "How much did him (defector) sent to you?"
If there were 300,000 defectors here and if all of them sent money to the North, the two Koreas must have unified.
This is the way to achieve unification without arms. Kim ordered barbed fences between the North and China to be poisoned. One of my acquaintances got prinked while crossing over. He has to amputate his legs.
Since the North has no remedy at law, the classic unification measure that unified the East and West Germany doesn't work. We should use defectors here and bring all those sojourning in China. On average, I learned that it costs some 7 million won for a North Korean to flee from the country.
The amount has increased from 1 million won in the past, but the sluggish economy raised the cost. Coast guard officers escort defectors safely to Guangzhou if they were paid. The South's government should subsidize defectors here instead of wasting tens of billions of dollar.
Kim: Separating the Ministry of Unification and defectors is important. The ministry is in charge of defectors who the North hates. If the ministry takes care of defectors, they cannot engage in talks with the North. For example, former the main opposition Democratic Party's former lawmaker Chung dong-young was one of the favored figures of the North.
However, as he brought defector issues to negotiation table, the North turned down the negotiation. The Ministry of Unification cannot play actual role in helping defectors. Defector issues should be dealt by a ministry with nationwide administrative network, such as the Ministry of Security and Public Administration (MOSPA).
King: I agree with that. The MOSPA should manage defectors scattered around the country. It costs too much for a defector living in Busan to visit the unification ministry in Seoul. It should be done as same as the government's multicultural policies.
There are many defectors who failed to settle down in the South's society because they were so accustomed to socialism. The government should come up with measure to help them. Many defectors face difficulties here because of ostracism.
Kim: Defectors are evolving though. I have observed them for the past 15 years, they have changed a lot. In the past they were busy only receiving government subsidiary, but they now know that they have to work in order to feed themselves.
Son: The government has no plan on how to deal with defectors for unification. It only exerted efforts on controlling the divided situation of the two Koreas. It has to segregate North Korean citizens from its leadership, including Kim. Such an approach will disrupt the regime.
Also, it should bolster efforts on broadcasting, sending leaflets to the North and helping defectors to spread what life in North Korea is miserable compare to outside world. It is difficult to expect any effective measure by the Ministry of Unification, since it has been under progressive administration more than 10 years.
Q: Do the leaflets are working?
King: A lot of things spread through leaflets quickly. The only source of information about Kim families' corruption and the regime's reality is leaflets. Other things are almost impossible. If North Korea citizens were caught while listening the South's radio broadcasting, they will be imprisoned in gulags. Radios available in market are tuned limitedly to North Korean broadcastings. Radios imported from China are also manipulated. North Koreans modify it to listen Japanese and South Korean radio broadcasts.
Son: I served for military in Imjingak, border town. I first saw leaflets there and learnt a lot about the North. In the 70s and 80s, there were a significant number of South Korean soldiers who defected to the North because of physical abuse rampant in the South's military.
People going up to the North outnumbered defectors from the North. About 1,100 went to North Korea.
King: Physical abuse was rather rampant in South Korean army then that of the North.On the Left, there are always cries for socialism because that philosophy distills to "economic equality," which furthers the peer pressure desire for equality, because with equality, there is no longer conflict within the group and this enables the individual to do whatever they want and to force the others to accept the externalized costs. Socialism just formalizes that.
We have no shortage of sagacious Europeans telling us how socialized medicine is "cheaper" because look, they did not receive a bill for a certain medical procedure. What geniuses! They do not mention that other people's taxes are paying for this, and that Europeans are fleeing the continent because of its high taxes, much as they once fled it to come to America. If you penalize productivity, you get an ingrate herd of do-nothings.
But somehow all of these wise Europeans have disappeared when the Obamacare bills have come due. Perhaps they did not understand the greater challenges in America... or perhaps they finally noticed that all of their nations are bankrupt, too, and did the same thing every socialist-tinged economy does: ignore infrastructure to pay out benefits to useless idiots, while penalizing the productive enough that they flee, leaving behind a vast herd of takers with not enough makers.
Socialized medicine always raises costs. You are no longer paying for your own medical care, but that of another person at least. And his attorney, and the government's attorneys, and attorneys at the hospitals and working for the doctors. And a legion of bureaucrats, usually obese and unintelligent, to file paperwork and talk to people on phones. And the set-aside by hospitals and doctors to cover the amount of care each year that will not be reimbursed in time. And the paperwork the doctors, nurses, attorneys, and bureaucrats must file. On and on it goes.
Obamacare savaged the American middle class. The typical Leftist voters -- women, the young, and minorities -- did not notice because they are the 47% who receives more in benefits than it pays in taxes, so for them and in the short-term only, it is a "good deal." But like all snake oil sales, eventually the scam is discovered, and then there is hell to pay.Though many had held doubts about the Piltdown man, few directly challenged its authenticity. German paleontologist Franz Weidenreich correctly predicted as early as the 1920s that the Piltdown man skull was a composite of orangutan and human skulls Woodward kept the Piltdown man fossils under his close supervision until his death in 1944. “He did allow other scholars to look at them, but not for prolonged periods of time,” says Hadingham. “If indeed the access to the bones been a little more open, it seems highly probable that somebody would have spotted the telltale signs.” The Piltdown myth was finally exposed in 1953 by Joseph Weiner, Wilfred Edward Le Gros Clark and Kenneth Oakley, who proved not only that the Eoanthropus dawsoni didn’t exist, but also that the Piltdown skull was a deliberate hoax.They found that the teeth, which were taken from an ape, had been artificially worn down to more resemble human teeth. They also found that the bones had been dyed to make them appear older than they actually were. Lastly, a fluorine content test confirmed the results of a 1949 test that showed that the bones were only about 500 years old.They published their findings in the November edition of the Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Geology. Their work was revealed to the public in a Nov. 21, 1953, article in The Times of London “That the jaw and tooth were those of an ape has been maintained before now by several distinguished anthropologists, but they have always assumed them to be genuine fossils, and have merely thought that, though found in association with the cranium fragments, they had wrongly been presumed to belong to the same creature,” wrote the Times. “Never until now has it been suspected that they represent a deliberate attempt to mislead.”by
We construct personal timelines in many ways. Lately, I find myself situating events according to where they fall within the lifetimes of dogs I have owned.
Perhaps this is why the 2016 Presidential election already seems more than usually disheartening. We are staring in the face of another election between a Clinton and a Bush. Been there, done that — three dog generations ago.
Marx famously remarked that “history repeats itself; first as tragedy, then as farce.” He was referring to “great world historic facts and personages.”
No one could accuse the Clintons or the Bushes of being great world historic personages. And, for that matter, the first Clinton v. Bush matchup wasn’t any more of a tragedy than presidential elections normally are. Indeed, the consensus, at least on the liberal side, is that the better man, the lesser evil, won.
I am not so sure.
I am positive, though, that should history repeat itself in 2016, as it very likely will, it will be as a farce.
I am positive too that if she is the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton will win. And she will be the nominee; only a miracle can stop her now.
Because hardly anyone really wants her to become President, the scenario about to be played out is farcical through and through: the plot line is improbable, the characters are exaggerated and grotesque, the entire affair borders on slapstick.
It would be hilarious, if it weren’t pathetic.
How did it come to this? Blame lesser evilism. Its appeal, when elections loom, can be, and often is, irresistible. Its downside, though, is that it makes Clinton v. Bush choices, or rather their functional equivalents, ubiquitous.
This time around, the lesser evilists will have an especially strong case; stronger by far than a quarter century ago when Bill and George I went at it– not because Hillary now is any less evil than her husband was then, not by any means; but because between Jeb and his father there is no comparison.
The first George Bush was a mediocrity; for American Presidents, this is par for the course. Jeb, the latest Bush in line is, a mediocrity too. But, like his brother, George II, another mediocrity, this one is also a calamity waiting to happen.
George père and mother Barbara set out to raise a litter of muckety-mucks to take over the family business they inherited from Senator Prescott Bush, George I’s poppy. They succeeded with two of their brood. But they also bred each and every admirable leadership quality out of the family line.
The Clintons lack admirable leadership qualities too, but the comparison stops there: without family connections, they had to claw their way up to muckety-muck status. Boundless opportunism and brazen slickness got them where they are.
They have been there far too long. Even though, on average, human beings live seven times longer than our best friends, 1992, the year Bill slammed George I, was forever ago for us too.
Jaded voters, staring in the face of middle age today, were barely post-pubescent in 1992; the digital age was in its infancy, and the worldwide web was still only a gleam in Al Gore’s eye.
Back then, there was a peace dividend that hadn’t yet been squandered entirely, and a climate that had not yet been heated up to ruinous levels. Constitutionally protected rights and liberties still seemed secure.
And yet, on the Clinton side, there isn’t even a (human) generational difference between then and now.
It was by being Bill’s First Lady, his official wife, that Hillary got the experience, credibility, gravitas and, above all, the corporate and political connections she needed to be parachuted into New York state fifteen years ago, to become its lackluster Senator; and then, after losing to Barack Obama in the 2008 primaries, to become perhaps the most inept Secretary of State in modern times.
This would include even her husband’s picks for the job: the hapless Warren G. Christopher and Madeleine (Mad Maddy) Albright, the principal architect and proud defender of sanctions responsible for the early deaths of some half million Iraqis.
At least the House of Bush had the decency, as long ago as the year 2000, to pass the baton on to a new generation.
That was the year that Jeb’s older brother was first elected President, not in reality but according to the dispositive ruling of five Republican Supreme Court Justices.
Fifteen years is a long time too. Infants fifteen years ago are adolescents today; dogs that were puppies then are now most likely dead. Only two of mine ever lived that long.
Mainstream pundits, commenting on the scene, decry America’s lapse into “dynastic politics.” But they haven’t quite got that right.
There is no Clinton dynasty; there is just a husband and wife who stay together because it is useful to both of them that that they do.
It is only on the Bush side that there is dynastic politics to complain about. And how can even sycophantic commentators not complain about a dynasty that is as interesting and appealing as Wonder Bread! Compared, say, to the Kennedys, they are a joke. They even make the Windsors look good.
But credit where credit is due: in only three (human) generations, the Bushes have managed to turn themselves into one of the most noxious political families in the history of the United States.
Of course, it is still possible that some or all of the likely Clinton v. Bush matchup won’t materialize; the farce this time is not a done deal – yet.
It isn’t likely but Jeb could still do himself in or be done in by Republicans even more retrograde than he. The chances that the Clinton juggernaut will founder are a lot worse.
In 2008, after it had become clear that she would lose the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, Hillary was asked why she was keeping on.
To the dismay of Secret Service agents, intent on keeping the first serious African American contender for the presidency out of the crosshairs of any of America’s armed-to-the-teeth Dylann Roofs, she said, in so many words, that while there is death, there is hope.
Indeed. There is serious illness too.
Even a quarter century ago, Hillary was no spring chicken. She isn’t a septuagenarian yet, but she soon will be; and, as Bette Davis is reported to have said, “old age is no place for sissies.”
There is therefore a non-trivial chance that lightening will strike. But it isn’t much of a chance; and as long as Hillary stays alive and spry, the Second Coming of the Clintons is at hand.
In a word, we are doomed.
In Greek antiquity, tragedians sometimes resorted to a plot technique that Aristotle called deus ex machina. When all seemed hopeless, an actor representing a god would be lowered onto the stage by a machine-like contrivance. The god would then go on to set matters aright.
Over the past several months, in several entries on this site, I argued, in effect, that were Virginia’s former Senator Jim Webb to launch a serious campaign, he could play a similar role. Webb has been testing the waters seemingly forever.
There is no reason to think that his views on domestic politics are more “progressive” (less retrogressive) than Hillary and Bill Clinton’s, and he is plainly not a principled anti-imperialist. But, from the perspective of a professional soldier, Webb’s take on American foreign and military policy is as good as it gets.
This is the important thing. At this stage in capitalism’s history, the constraints capitalists, especially finance capitalists, impose upon the political class are so demanding that only far-reaching systemic changes, propelled on by people power, can change domestic politics for the better.
In other (no longer fashionable) words: “the only solution, revolution.”
Hillary surely heard that slogan, back in the day, after she stopped being a Goldwater Girl. Her future husband would have heard it too, as he struggled to “remain viable within the system” while picking up all the girls he could. In the late sixties and early seventies, radical politics was the best aphrodisiac.
Were Webb actually to become President, it would hardly matter what his views on domestic politics are; the constraints are too constraining. But what he thinks about foreign and military affairs would matter. In those areas, Presidents can still shape the course of events.
Also, as a white Southerner with ties to organized labor and to many of the white and black rural constituencies that suffer the most from neoliberal predations, Webb could shake up the Democratic Party enough to shift the focus of its concerns back to where they were before the Clintons helped make prissy niceness the be-all and end-all of liberal politics.
Maybe, just maybe, this would be |
a billionaire New York businessman, has acknowledged legally using foreign workers in his businesses but has said his experience would allow him to reform a visa system that can be easily manipulated.
The case is Alexia Palmer v. Trump Model Management, et al., U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-08037.Erlend "Nukeduck" Vatevik Holm has left ROCCAT's European LCS team to join another organization, ROCCAT announced Tuesday.
Ha det bra!Today we are officially announcing the first roster changes to our EU LCS League of Legends team. Norwegian... Posted by Team ROCCAT on Tuesday, December 8, 2015
In a post on Facebook, the team also announced that they are "loaning out" their AD Carry, Rasmus "MrRallez" Skinneholm, and their Top Laner, Eitenne "Steve" Michels, to an unnamed challenger squad.
ROCCAT finished fifth in the European LCS Summer Split, then 5-6th in the playoffs. They were knocked out of the regional qualifiers in the second round by Origen.
Nukeduck joined the team in January and previously played for Ninjas in Pyjamas. He finished the summer split with an average 4.92 KDA, playing mostly on Azir and Varus.
Daniel Rosen is a news editor for theScore eSports. He's sort of disappointed that the origin of Nukeduck's name isn't as exciting as he hoped. You can follow him on Twitter.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
KILLER co-pilot Andreas Lubitz battled depression while training to fly planes, it was revealed last night.
The 28-year-old fitness fanatic, who “deliberately” flew the Airbus 320 into the Alps on Tuesday, killing 149 people, told friends at the time he was trying to cope with the condition.
But those who knew him said he suffered a “burn-out” six years ago.
Astonishing details emerged yesterday of the terrifying last few minutes of doomed Germanwings flight 4U 9525.
Investigators listened to audio from the aircraft’s black box recorder, which revealed that captain Patrick Sonderheimer left the cockpit and was then locked out by Lubitz.
Passengers were seemingly unaware of the drama unfolding and only started screaming seconds before the plane hit the mountainside at 430mph.
Germanwings disaster: Live updates as investigators into French Alps disaster continues
In another shocking twist, Lubitz’s parents only learnt he was responsible for the crash as they sat in a room near the crash scene in Seyne-les-Alpes.
Last night, German police sealed off their detached house at Montabaur in Germany’s Rhineland, and were examining computers as they searched for clues to what pushed Lubitz over the edge.
The mother of one of his school friends said Lubitz had taken a break from pilot training because he was suffering from depression. She said: “Apparently he had a burn-out, he was in depression.”
Carsten Spohr, boss of Germanwings’ parent company Lufthansa, confirmed that Lubitz “took a break in his training six years ago”.
He added: “Then he did the tests – technical and psychological – again. He was deemed 100 per cent fit to fly. I am not able to state the reasons why he took the break for several months.”
Spohr said all pilots undergo annual medical checks but no special psychiatric assessments beyond training. He added: “If one person takes 149 people with him to death, it is not suicide.”
Lubitz’s Facebook page said his interests included his local Burger King, 10-pin bowling and aviation humour.
(Image: Reuters)
He started as cabin crew with Lufthansa before becoming a pilot.
Peter Ruecker, a member of a glider club who watched Lubitz learn to fly as a teen, said: “He was happy he had the job with Germanwings and was doing well.”
He described the co-pilot as a “rather quiet” but friendly young man.
French prosecutor Brice Robin revealed that investigators had listened to audio on the black box.
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He said: “When you commit suicide, you normally do it by yourself. When you have 150 people with you, you wouldn’t normally call it suicide. His intent was to destroy the plane.
“On the recording, you hear the screams only on the last moments and nothing else.”
He added: “In the first 20 minutes of the flight, the pilots talk in a normal fashion. Then we hear the command asking the co-pilot to take over. We hear the sound of a door closing so we assume he went to the toilet or something.
“The co-pilot, at that moment, is on his own and uses the flight monitoring system which starts the descent of the aeroplane. This action can only be done voluntarily. We hear the pilot asking to access the cockpit but there’s no answer.
(Image: Getty)
“He knocks on the door and has no response. The tower ask them to do a distress signal but again there is no response. Other planes try to contact this Airbus and no answer is forthcoming.
“Alarm systems indicate to all those on board the proximity of the ground then we hear noises of the door trying to be broken into. This is the cockpit door, which, according to international
measures, is reinforced.
“There was no distress signal, no mayday signal received by the control tower. No answer was received despite the numerous calls from the tower.
“At this stage, nothing indicates a terrorist attack. We will see how this investigation progresses.”
Hundreds of victims’ relatives arrived in Seyne-les-Alpes yesterday, mostly from Spain. At least 51 of the victims were Spaniards and at least 72 were German.
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Try your hand at our daily news quiz:so hey what if we are all inside gods' dream? it would explain why he is all powerful and benevolent and yet horrible things happen: when one is dreaming normally things progress randomly as in real life but when one is aware (lucid) that one is dreaming one can alter the dream for the better. maybe this is what is happening; god loves us and wants things to be good but when he loses lucidity things are out of control! in our dreams we don't like it when things are scary, painful, sad or evil and when we are lucid we can fix this because we become all powerful. so it would be with god, obviously he/she/it would want his own consciousness to be happy, good and peaceful but in non lucid dream sections this is uncontrolled. in hinduism they say we are all in vishnu's dream, this works for christianity as well. the concept of karma in buddhism/hinduism is something that definitely applies to our dreams. freak out in a dream and the dream becomes scary, be calm dream calm, be violent dream violent, etc. also if you ignore things in dreams and truly don't think about them they lose a lot if not all their power. in buddhism it is said that we are nothing, empty and the only thing passed onto the next life is our desires. it's exactly the same with dreams, if a problem or desire plagues you it will be in your dreams and if you get over it completely usually it's gone. in waking life it's not this simple but it would make sense if we were all in a dream of someone else. we are subconscious ideals in someone else's dream! when we truly let go we stop being dreamed and then we "wake up" which in this case would be... i don't know... still working on that part, what is outside of this dream??? there's the heaviest part!
this would also explain why our consciousnesses are not technically whole. for example the spaces between thoughts are empty, the brain still works but there are sections where nothing is thought. not to mention the fact that we have memories that fade over time and sometimes are forgotten but that modern science says is all stored in the subconscious which access too would leave open all of man-kinds history which for this idea would actually be the knowledge and conscious mind of god. just like in a dream the way ones knowledge is broken up into pieces; dream character a doesn't know what dream character b does and neither know everything that you know but if they all linked up they would know everything there is to know about the dream world because it is all from one brain that has just created temporary imaginary separate entities that seem quite independent...
also this is a fun way to explain why our dreams are so changeable and fragmented, they are dreams inside a dream. a world created by an already incomplete consciousness. so our dreams are choppy but reality is stable with fixed laws of physics and what-not because it is the supreme dream and then ultimate reality is a unified and perfect state free from change maybe...Real-time view data is not available at this time. Learn more.
Join Funny Or Die for a skin-crawlingly funny Halloween as we invite the great masters of horror to introduce some of the funniest horror sketches you will ever watch.
There is always a scary girl in every horror movie and Chloe Moretz is that girl.
Host John Carpenter Writer Ryan Perez Director/Show Lead Ryan Perez Executive Producer Funny Or Die Actor Lesley Tsina Cinematographer Brian Lane Hair and Makeup Kat Bardot Hair and Makeup Kat Bardot Sound Designer BoTown Sound Set Designer Ellie del Campo Set Designer Martin C Vallejo
Starring: Chloe Moretz & Jennifer Irwin
Featuring: Kevin Pederson, Lesley Tsina, Oscar Blanco Bu Irvin-Christina, Sizi Irvin-Christina, Kevin Pederson, Steve Pallow, Ashton Sanders-Rodney, Kendall Knauf, Kira Kosarin, Harper Lambert, Temara Melek and Celene Tien
Written and Directed by Ryan Perez
Director of Photography - Brian Lane
1st AC - Ray Lee
2nd AC - Alyssa Soetebier
Gaffer - Tony Lopez-Cepero
Best Boy Electric - Igor Tochilokov
Electrician - Aaron Ulrich
Key Grip - Dave Cronin
Grip- Paris Cronin
Assistant Director - Tim Ketcherseid
2nd AD - Matt Mazany
Production Designer - Martin Vallejo
Art Director - Ellie Del Campo
Costume Designer - Beckee Gardner
Wardrobe Asst- Ashly Kember
Hair and Make Up- Kat Bardot
Hair and Make Up Asst - Jenna Keller
Sound - BoTown Sound
Production Coordinator - Alistair Walford
Production Assistants - Andrew Grissom & Russ Fung
Produced by Josh Martin & Sean Boyle
Executive Producer - Mike FarahCronulla Sharks have pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in rugby league history to stun the Melbourne Thunderbolts 48-40 in the Holden Cup at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
Melbourne had raced out to a 34-6 lead at half-time, and led 40-18 with 18 minutes to play, but five tries in the final quarter of the game capped off one of the greatest escapes in recent memory.
It was the second time the Thunderbolts had scored 40 or more points in a game this season and lost, while the win moves the Sharks to three wins from as many games.
After last week's game against Manly was postponed, Cronulla's fresh legs proved the difference, allowing them to walk off their home ground as shock victors.
The Thunderbolts were the first to score, with skipper Jake Turpin doing it all himself from dummy-half. It was a case of anything you can do, I can do better (or at least just as well) when Cronulla's skipper and No.9 Jayden Brailey scooted over from close range to level the scores.
The Easter Bunny must have been on the players' minds, with Josh Kerr the next to score, also burrowing over from close range.
Both teams blew great opportunities with the Thunderbolts denied a try due to a forward pass, before Sharks fullback Ryan Cummins ignored support when he probably should have passed.
That missed chance came back to haunt the home side, as the Melbourne halves combined to take control of the game.
Five-eighth Scott Drinkwater set up Charlie Galo with a wicked grubber, before late inclusion Brodie Croft produced some scintillating footwork to extend the lead.
The pair then combined shortly after, with Croft dummying past defenders before positioning his halves partner to score under the sticks.
A try to Joel Gittins on the stroke of half-time off another crafty cross pass looked to have put the result beyond doubt, until the Sharks produced their own Easter miracle.
Tries to Ryan Cummins and Jayden Walker cut the margin to 16, before a fortuitous try to Louis Geraghty gave Melbourne some breathing space at 40-18 after 52 minutes.
The game looked dead and buried with 20 minutes to go, but thanks to their fresh legs, the Sharks were able to find another gear.
An inside ball from Brailey put winger Josh Tuilagi over, and then the skipper did it all himself to cut the gap to just 10 points with 12 minutes remaining,
With momentum and the crowd suddenly on their side, the Sharks scored again, this time through winger Sione Katoa who tiptoed inside the dead-ball line to narrow the margin to just four.
The unprecedented comeback was complete the following set, with Brailey slicing straight through some exhausted markers before linking up with his five-eighth to miraculously give the Sharks the lead.
Melbourne tried desperately to steal the win, but an error on the final play was gleefully accepted by Katoa who toed through to score his second for the evening to seal the stunning result.
Special mention must go to Sharks goal-kicker Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga who nailed 8 from 8 including several kicks from the sideline after managing just 1 from 6 in the Round 2 win over the Dragons.
Sharks 48 (Jayden Brailey 2, Sione Katoa 2 Ryan Cummins, Jayden Walker, Joshua Tuilagi, Jack Williams tries; Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga 8 goals) defeated Storm 40 (Jake Turpin, Josh Kerr, Charlie Galo, Brodie Croft, Scott Drinkwater, Joel Gittins, Louis Geraghty tries: Jesse Arthars 6 goals) at Southern Cross Group Stadium. Half-time: 34-6 Storm.Published Monday, August 13, 2012 at 7:52 pm
By Jesse Wood
Aug. 13, 2012. Atop Beech Mountain Resort this weekend during Festival of Gnarnia, more than 150 people were arrested and more than 300 citations for alcohol and drugs were issued, according to local law enforcement officials.
Though while the buzz ended for those select festival attendees, thousands of more people enjoyed the 100-plus bands and sideshow acts without going to jail or receiving tickets.
Some people – like Amy Morrison of the Beech Mountain Tourism Development Authority – feel that the small percentage of those busted gave the inaugural festival a bad reputation and that overall, the pros outweighed the cons. She estimated that 6,000 to 7,000 people attended the festival, and using that estimation and figures from law enforcement agencies, one to two percent of the festival goers were arrested – as opposed to the 10-percent rumor circulating around Facebook and other online forums.
“Overall, I think it was really exciting to have that many people on the ski resort at za time when we would actually have no one,” Morrison said.
In the aftermath of the festival, the homes and businesses are “still standing,” as one local merchant put it, and the mountain is clean from trash and litter, which initially concerned some of the locals.
While the economic impact of the festival won’t be known until September, the local merchants and lodging rental agencies noticed the financial benefits of the festival immediately.
Local businesses such as Fred’s General Mercantile, which experienced its best summer weekend ever, couldn’t keep shelves stocked fast enough, and according to Morrison, only three rental houses were not booked during the weekend – which is unheard of for this time of year.
Still, the festival was both an upper and a downer based on what all transpired on the mountain from last Thursday to Sunday.
“You know, we still have mixed emotions,” Fred Pfohl, owner of Fred’s General Mercantile, said. “Business is wonderful, [but] I hate to see people get themselves in trouble with drugs. From a businessman’s standpoint, it was worth it to us.”
Pfohl said that people are going to question whether to have this event again in a place like Beech Mountain, even though no property was damaged and no violence occurred on the mountain during those three days.
Speaking with him on Monday, he recounted what an older gentleman, who witnessed the “dreadlocks and see-through blouses,” told him over the weekend: “Everyone I ran into was real nice, real respectful and said they enjoyed coming here to such a beautiful place. He said, ‘It gave me a little more faith in next generation coming up.’”
As for the law enforcement agencies, it was quite a haul netting copious amounts of MDMA, LSD, DMT, marijuana, a variety of pills, ketamine, psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, bath-salts, large nitrous oxide tanks and possibly even some PCP.
The confiscation amounts are still being tallied, but Brad Putnam, assistant special agent in charge with N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement, said one man arrested had 290 dosage units of MDMA, 700 hits of either LSD or liquid MDMA and 63 grams of cocaine.
The ALE, which had 25 officers present at different times during the event, worked in cooperation with Beech Mountain, Boone and Banner Elk police departments, the State Highway Patrol and Avery and Watauga sheriff’s departments.
Putnam said that the agencies had been planning this sting for about one month and weren’t surprised with the results.
“We have experience working this type of venue, this type of event and we developed intelligence and information prior to the event on what would likely be transpiring as far as illegal and criminal drug activity,” Putnam said.
Law enforcement officials from various agencies went inside the festival undercover but a high majority of the arrests were made outside of the festival, which was held on Beech Mountain Resort and was leased by the production company Upstanding Entertainment.
“A lot of these occurred before people made it into the venue,” Putnam said. “We were trying to defuse situations before they became problems.”
On Facebook and other online forums regarding the busts at Gnarnia, festival-goers were irate that the police officers were allegedly wearing infrared goggles and entering camp-site tents on private property without probable cause, but officials, such as Putnam and Beech Mountain Police Department Captain Jerry Sturbyfill denied these claims.
Not only did the officers fill up their station’s evidence rooms, but they also filled up the local county jails. Watauga County’s jail, which holds 106 people, was filled to capacity, along with Avery County’s male’s cells, which currently holds 30 men.
ALE logged 108 arrests, 39 of which were felonies, and gave out 258 citations. Boone Police Chief Dana Crawford said his staff arrested five people and charged 8 felonies and 13 misdemeanors for the weekend. Sturbyfill with Beech Mountain Police Department estimated a total of 160 arrests with 300 charges in total for all law enforcement at the festival.
Not all of the local agencies had tallied the figures or didn’t respond as of press time, so an exact festival-weekend arrest figure is not yet known.
Suffice to say, there hasn’t been anything like this in a long time. Avery Sheriff Kevin Frye said there was a festival on Grandfather Mountain 25 to 30 years that was a “little bit like this.”
“But nothing in the last many, many years,” Frye said.
So, will there be a second Festival of Gnarnia on Beech?
When Morrison of the Beech Mountain TDA waxed about the economic benefits of the festival, she spoke as if this could the first and the last Festival of Gnarnia on Beech.
“If only for one time, it’s definitely been a nice boost,” she said.
As of press time, Beech Mountain Resort didn’t respond to phone calls, nor did a representative from Upstanding Entertainment respond to an email.
See more recent article dated Wednesday, Aug. 15, with trafficking arrests figures here: https://www.hcpress.com/news/beech-council-hears-best-worst-of-gnarnia-festival-including-festival-goer-found-in-newland-dumpster.html
See initial article about the busts – and the good times – at Festival of Gnarnia here: https://www.hcpress.com/news/festival-atop-beech-lsd-mushrooms-ecstasy-you-name-its-here-influx-of-people-good-for-business.html
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commentsPage 1 of 5 RedShark Replay: Phil Rhodes explains the background and the (then) latest developments in the ever-evolving world of RAID (first published in July 2013).
I can't wait until my computer contains no moving parts whatsoever. The first parts that fail on computers are fans, and the second are hard disks. They're also comparatively slow, heavy, power hungry, and they make an irritating noise. For all these reasons and more, everyone was very pleased when companies like OCZ and Micron started making noises about solid state disks in the late 2000s, although as I recall we weren't quite so pleased about the prices. Even in 2013, solid state storage is six or seven times the price per gigabyte of spinning disks, so people who need to store trivial little quantities of data such as stereographic feature-length productions at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second will need to look elsewhere for storage technology.
All of which is a complicated way of saying that we are, for the immediate future, still going to be storing things on traditional hard disks. These disks are neither large, fast nor reliable enough to store huge, valuable data, so we may have to keep using them in the form of arrays for some time to come. Most people are familiar with the idea of using several hard disks in cooperation to achieve better reliability or higher performance. This article is about exactly how we do that, and how some of the traditional approaches that are used by other industries don't necessarily suit film and TV work, even though they're widely used.
To evaluate these techniques, we really need to understand what makes hard disks fail. Disks store information on circular platters, often made of glass for stability, which are coated in a particulate magnetic medium. Information used to guide the magnetic pickups over the appropriate area of the disk, as well as to gauge its rotational speed, is factory-encoded onto the disk and referred to as Servo Information. User data is written among the servo information. Tracks are concentric circles (not a single spiral, as on a CD or LP) and are, of course, microscopically tiny. Tracks are broken up radially into chunks called sectors, each of which can usually store a few thousand bytes, and is the smallest individual part of the disk that can be read or written. Guiding the pickup over the right microscopically-tiny area of the disk, recognising with the pulses of magnetism thereon, and making sense of the signal received is reliant on extremely precise mechanical alignments. Most hard disks that aren't destroyed by abuse fail because of wear in the bearings that support the stack of platters, or the Read/Write heads. Mistreatment such as shock can cause the heads to actually contact the surface of the disk, damaging both. Heat exacerbates wear by spoiling mechanical tolerances with thermal expansion and causing lubricating oils to thin out. As with any high precision mechanical device, it's disturbingly easy to kill or contribute to the death of a hard disk while it's running.14 individual gold medals were up for grab Saturday inside Rabobank Arena for the state wrestling championships.
Two local wrestlers made it to the finals. Jaden Abas, a freshman at Frontier, matched against Clovis junior Justin Mejia. Abas was pinned in round two, a tough loss for the youngster but he walked out of Rabobank to huge cheers from the hometown crowd.
That set the stage for Navonte Demison. Demison, a junior at Bakersfield High School, finished in third place two years ago and was runner up last year. "Ever since last year's loss this is one of the only things I've ever thought about," he said. "Every day I woke, I went to bed, I just thought about being a state champion."
It didn't take long for that vision to become a reality. Demison went on the attack and pinned his opponent at exactly one minute.
HIGHLIGHTS-Final 30 seconds of Demison's match
"We have a board at school (with names of past winners). My coach is always telling us get on the big board and finally my name is on the big board."
Buchanan won the team title knocking off Clovis who had won the last five years.
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Like Stephen Hicks on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/StephenHicks23ABC
Follow him on Twitter- https://twitter.com/stephenhicks23Sixty-five people were shot, 13 fatally in Chicago over Labor Day weekend, bringing the city's 2016 homicide count to 512. According to the Chicago Tribune, this figure exceeds the homicide count in the city for the entirety of 2015. Much of the violent crime that occurred over the holiday weekend was isolated to Monday. The Chicago Tribune reports that 31 of the shooting victims were shot between 6 a.m. on Monday and 3 a.m. Tuesday.
@DanScavino @SheriffClarke @LouDobbs
Chicago has recorded its 500th homicide of the year. Making 2016 the deadliest year in 2 decades. — Bill Brinkle (@theglobaluniter) September 6, 2016
it is crazy how Chicago's homicide total is has reached now, what is was for 2015 in total. #PrayForHumanity — ℕiaMac (@NiaMac_) September 6, 2016
The 13 fatalities made Labor Day weekend the deadliest holiday weekend the city has seen all summer, the Tribune further reported. There were 69 shootings over Memorial Day weekend, six of which were fatal. Over Fourth of July weekend, five people were shot and killed, and another 61 were shot non-fatally.
As with Fourth of July weekend this year, many of the homicides the city saw this weekend were committed in towards the end of the holiday weekend, on the early hours of Monday morning. According to the Tribune, Chicago police say that the late holiday weekend shootings were primarily committed by gangs, in retaliation to heated encounters that occurred throughout the weekend.
The Tribune reports that homicide rates in Chicago haven't been so dire since the mid 1990's, when there were more than 900 homicides per year. The 90 homicides the Tribune tallied for August ties with June of 1996, and that figure comes second only to July of 1993, when 99 people were killed in Chicago.
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The Tribune reported in July that while Chicago doesn't have the nation's highest murder rate per-capita—St. Louis saw 50 murders per 100,000 people in 2015, the most in the country—it far exceeds other large US cities in sheer number of homicides. In 2015, 494 homicides were committed in Chicago, New York saw 339 killings, and Los Angeles counted 280.Wireshark-announce: [Wireshark-announce] Wireshark 1.6.6 is now available
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 I'm proud to announce the release of Wireshark 1.6.6. What is Wireshark? Wireshark is the world's most popular network protocol analyzer. It is used for troubleshooting, analysis, development and education. What's New Bug Fixes The following vulnerabilities have been fixed. o wnpa-sec-2012-04 The ANSI A dissector could dereference a NULL pointer and crash. (Bug 6823) Versions affected: 1.4.0 to 1.4.11, 1.6.0 to 1.6.5. o wnpa-sec-2012-05 The IEEE 802.11 dissector could go into an infinite loop. (Bug 6809) Versions affected: 1.6.0 to 1.6.5. o wnpa-sec-2012-06 The pcap and pcap-ng file parsers could crash trying to read ERF data. (Bug 6804) Versions affected: 1.4.0 to 1.4.11, 1.6.0 to 1.6.5. o wnpa-sec-2012-07 The MP2T dissector could try to allocate too much memory and crash. (Bug 6804) Versions affected: 1.4.0 to 1.4.11, 1.6.0 to 1.6.5. o The Windows installers now include GnuTLS 1.12.18, which fixes several vulnerabilities. The following bugs have been fixed: o ISO SSAP: ActivityStart: Invalid decoding the activity parameter as a BER Integer. (Bug 2873) o Forward slashes in URI need to be converted to backslashes if WIN32. (Bug 5237) o Character echo pauses in Capture Filter field in Capture Options. (Bug 5356) o Some PGM options are not parsed correctly. (Bug 5687) o dumpcap crashes when capturing from pipe to a pcap-ng file (e.g., when passing data from CACE Pilot to Wireshark). (Bug 5939) o Unable to rearrange columns in preferences on Windows. (Bug 6077) (Note: this bug still affects the 64-bit package) o No error for UDP/IPv6 packet with zero checksum. (Bug 6232) o Wireshark installer doesn't add access_bpf in 10.5.8. (Bug 6526) o Corrupted Diameter dictionary file that crashes Wireshark. (Bug 6664) o packetBB dissector bug: More than 1000000 items in the tree -- possible infinite loop. (Bug 6687) o ZEP dissector: Timestamp not always displayed correctly. Fractional seconds never displayed. (Bug 6703) o GOOSE Messages don't use the length field to perform the dissection. (Bug 6734) o Ethernet traces in K12 text format sometimes give bogus "malformed frame" errors and other problems. (Bug 6735) o max_ul_ext isn't printed/decoded to the packet details log in GTP protocol packet. (Bug 6761) o non-IPP packets to or from port 631 are dissected as IPP. (Bug 6765) o lua proto registration fails for uppercase proto / g_ascii_strdown problem. (Bug 6766) o no menu item Fle->Export->SSL Session Keys in GTK. (Bug 6813) o IAX2 dissector reads past end of packet for unknown IEs. (Bug 6815) o TShark 1.6.5 immediately crashes on SSL decryption (every time). (Bug 6817) o USB: unknown GET DESCRIPTOR response triggers assert failure. (Bug 6826) o IEEE1588 PTPv2 over IPv6. (Bug 6836) o Patch to fix DTLS decryption. (Bug 6847) o Expression... dialog crash. (Bug 6891) o display filter "gtp.msisdn" not working. (Bug 6947) o Multiprotocol Label Switching Echo - Return Code: Reserved (5). (Bug 6951) o ISAKMP : VendorID CheckPoint : Malformed Packet. (Bug 6972) o Adding a Custom HTTP Header Field with a trailing colon causes wireshark to immediately crash (and crash upon restart). (Bug 6982) o Radiotap dissector lists a bogus "DBM TX Attenuation" bit. (Bug 7000) o MySQL dissector assertion. (Ask 8649) o Radiotap header format data rate alignment issues. (Ask 8649) New and Updated Features There are no new features in this release. New Protocol Support There are no new protocols in this release. Updated Protocol Support ANSI A, BSSGP, DIAMETER, DTLS, GOOSE, GSM Management, GTP, HTTP, IAX2, IEEE 802.11, IPP, ISAKMP, ISO SSAP, MP2T, MPLS, MySQL, NTP, PacketBB, PGM, Radiotap, SSL, TCP, UDP, USB, WSP New and Updated Capture File Support Endace ERF, Pcap-NG, Tektronix K12 Getting Wireshark Wireshark source code and installation packages are available from http://www.wireshark.org/download.html. Vendor-supplied Packages Most Linux and Unix vendors supply their own Wireshark packages. You can usually install or upgrade Wireshark using the package management system specific to that platform. A list of third-party packages can be found on the download page on the Wireshark web site. File Locations Wireshark and TShark look in several different locations for preference files, plugins, SNMP MIBS, and RADIUS dictionaries. These locations vary from platform to platform. You can use About→Folders to find the default locations on your system. Known Problems Wireshark might make your system disassociate from a wireless network on OS X 10.4. (Bug 1315) Dumpcap might not quit if Wireshark or TShark crashes. (Bug 1419) The BER dissector might infinitely loop. (Bug 1516) Capture filters aren't applied when capturing from named pipes. (Bug 1814) Filtering tshark captures with display filters (-R) no longer works. (Bug 2234) The 64-bit Windows installer does not ship with libsmi. (Win64 development page) Application crash when changing real-time option. (Bug 4035) Hex pane display issue after startup. (Bug 4056) Packet list rows are oversized. (Bug 4357) Summary pane selected frame highlighting not maintained. (Bug 4445) Wireshark and TShark will display incorrect delta times when displayed as a custom column. (Bug 4985) Getting Help Community support is available on Wireshark's Q&A site and on the wireshark-users mailing list. Subscription information and archives for all of Wireshark's mailing lists can be found on the web site. Training is available from Wireshark University. Frequently Asked Questions A complete FAQ is available on the Wireshark web site. Digests wireshark-1.6.6.tar.bz2: 21527655 bytes MD5(wireshark-1.6.6.tar.bz2)=61145ccd7684b3cfb159fc902fedfecf SHA1(wireshark-1.6.6.tar.bz2)=0b60fd7d117e78292548fd50d71f750a5dca8b37 RIPEMD160(wireshark-1.6.6.tar.bz2)=27a3d7fa7f78350dabb00d3ee382c335f7e110ae wireshark-win64-1.6.6.exe: 22760504 bytes MD5(wireshark-win64-1.6.6.exe)=a9f5fea05e277a948e9c585642115df3 SHA1(wireshark-win64-1.6.6.exe)=89dbaf374a1be818b1cc10f748b120c09484fe9e RIPEMD160(wireshark-win64-1.6.6.exe)=d56f52d18b9d3c30d6cdee15ffc70c8d308e2c24 wireshark-win32-1.6.6.exe: 19585469 bytes MD5(wireshark-win32-1.6.6.exe)=c89af0c8fc3008a240189a5d30d661cf SHA1(wireshark-win32-1.6.6.exe)=9484b742e71b4b566dc9594c446322ef50674eb4 RIPEMD160(wireshark-win32-1.6.6.exe)=c0dcae642fbdeb26cf22aa2787eb7af4be5a4451 wireshark-1.6.6.u3p: 26122267 bytes MD5(wireshark-1.6.6.u3p)=7f178814800b26a5d83f181f6e6a8fa0 SHA1(wireshark-1.6.6.u3p)=b6143156174e0f2f3977460416fee02736438ea9 RIPEMD160(wireshark-1.6.6.u3p)=7c8a2d22b9e9572e71f3a2955191ca53e83830a7 WiresharkPortable-1.6.6.paf.exe: 20473388 bytes MD5(WiresharkPortable-1.6.6.paf.exe)=b8089c4dd1665b00a22171761ed0608a SHA1(WiresharkPortable-1.6.6.paf.exe)=863d7fe1f9578e04322ca21a1328534c4d88f836 RIPEMD160(WiresharkPortable-1.6.6.paf.exe)=86d0805e48387f5c2400b240b1563ac980d72c40 Wireshark 1.6.6 PPC 32.dmg: 21197095 bytes MD5(Wireshark 1.6.6 PPC 32.dmg)=e0199168e1ff9ac47aacc7b2cd4ff47a SHA1(Wireshark 1.6.6 PPC 32.dmg)=4ddb12b6d |
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In fact, by eight weeks old, all of the baby’s organs are in place and only need to be fully developed.
6) A Baby’s Brainwaves Can be Measured at 6 Weeks Old.
See the brainwaves for yourself here.
7) At 6 Weeks, a Baby Will Move Away if His Mouth is Touched.
The Endowment for Human Development has a video of a six-week-old baby responding to touch here.
8) A Baby’s Ear Can Begin to be Seen Around 6 Weeks.
9) A Baby Has Fingerprints at 9-10 Weeks.
These fingerprints will be the same throughout the baby’s life. His permanent identification is already developing. Watch a video and see an unborn baby’s fingerprints here.
10) A Baby Can Suck Her Thumb and Yawn at 9 1/2 Weeks Old.
According to The Endowment for Human Development, most babies prefer their right thumb. At this age, plenty is going on. A baby’s vocal cords are forming, her bones are hardening, and her toenails and fingernails are emerging. See a video of a ten-week-old baby yawning here.
For more on prenatal development, go here.
Editor’s Note: The information here has, in large part, been studied and documented by The Endowment for Human Development (“a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health science education and public health” that has cooperated with National Geographic to put out a video about prenatal development) and The South Dakota Task Force to Study Abortion.
Reprinted with permission from LiveActionNews.Our bahd Adam put together a handy list of all the Slanguage the boys dropped during episode 114 of the pod. Enjoy bahds!
Goop – Stupid person
The Pine Overcoat – A coffin
Duck Soup – Something easy
Flub the Dub – Escaping duty, slacking
Bank’s closed – No action, no making out
Bags of mystery – Sausages
Get a wiggle on – Let’s get going
Give her the wind – Breaking up with her
Glad rags – Fancy clothes
Fly rink – Bald head
Blow your wig – Getting excited
Seeing snakes – Drunk, banged up
Bumping gums – Talk about nothing
Happy returns – Puking
Snipe – Smokes, darts
Focus your audio – Listen
Dead hoofer – Bad dancer
The beast with two backs – Sex
The green gown – Sex in the grass
The motorized freckles – Insects
Making feet for the children’s stockings – Making babies
Shaking of the sheets – Sex
Corn ground – Sex
Foam domes – Padded bra
Chassis – Female body
In the ketchup – In the red, in debt
Frosted – Angry
Bogart – Hold onto something too long, hogging (a joint)
Writing a book – Asking too many questions
Ossified – Drunk
Scrooched – Drunk
Slificated – Drunk
Zozzled – DrunkBIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA — With two days to go until Election Day, Doug Jones visited three black churches in Birmingham on Sunday to make a final pitch to African American voters. Roy Moore, who hasn’t made a public appearance in days, didn’t attend his own church services.
Flanked by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Terry Sewell (D-AL), Jones spent the day working to convince black voters in the state’s biggest city that he is the only candidate who will represent voters of color.
In order to pull off a victory in Tuesday’s special election, Jones will need African American voters, who make up roughly a quarter of the state, to represent more than a quarter of the electorate. Meanwhile, Moore has made little effort to convince the state’s black population to vote for him — he recently told a black supporter that America was last great during the era of slavery.
“Look, what do you expect out of a person who hates black people, disrespects women, and thinks we need to be pregnant and in the kitchen?” Sheila Tyson, a Birmingham city councilor, told ThinkProgress Sunday outside Jones’ campaign headquarters.
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Inside the building, Booker called Tuesday’s race “one of the most consequential elections in my lifetime” and invoked Birmingham’s history in the civil rights movement.
“I know this city literally taught the world what it means to stand up for your country’s values and ideals, even though people were trying to knock you down,” he said. “That’s who we are.”
David Russell outside Jones' Birmingham headquarters. CREDIT: Kira Lerner
Montgomery resident David Russell, who identified himself as an active member of the Alabama Democratic Party, said he thinks Jones could have done more to connect with black voters. But he still believes Jones’ outreach will be enough to win on Tuesday.
“I would have done more door knocking,” he said. “Every ten or 15 minutes I see an ad on the television, but when you’re dealing with African Americans, they like to see you. They want to be able to shake your hand and talk to you.”
Congregants of three Birmingham-area churches did get to meet Jones in person on Sunday. At the New Hope Baptist Church, Pastor Gregory Clarke told ThinkProgress that Jones is doing everything he should to turn out black voters.
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“He’s been very visible in the communities, particularly with churches and congregations all across this state,” Clarke said. “It’s up to us, as pastors and civic leaders, to make it happen.”
Sandra Pratt attended services Sunday and said she was pleased to see Jones stop by to speak about the issues that have taken a back seat in this race, including Medicaid and health care for children. She said she thinks black voters will turn out in high numbers on Tuesday because of the high stakes of the race.
“We don’t want to sit back,” she said. “We want to move forward. And a lot of people are excited. They want to move forward, so they’re going to get out and vote.”
When Pratt was 11 years old, she spent 6 days in jail with her sister for participating in the civil rights marches. She said she has seen how far Alabama has come since then — and she wants to see the progress continue.
“You don’t want your kids to go through what you went through,” she said. “Bottom line, you’ve got to put Doug Jones in there.”In the light of recent events (most this post here and here) I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to make a pronoun checklist. This list was compiled with the help of shutthefuckupotherkin who’s a linguist.
The basic idea is to curb the flow of completely ridiculous pronouns that some people seem to be churning out, and thus to help NB people to be taken as serious as they deserve. (no, if you insists on ‘purr’ as a personal pronoun i can guarantee that nobody will take you seriously).
So, what should your pronoun be checked for?
- should be pronounceable (zch is probably not a good choice)
- should be pronounced different from established pronouns as I assume that you want to be called your pronoun not only in written form (yt vs it, where’s the difference?)
- should be brief. A pronoun longer than the word it’s place holding for is not very practical. (consider three to four letters for the base form)
- should not be a preexisting word. It will only cause confusion if you use words that have established definitions. (yes I’m looking at your faerieli)
BONUS ROUND:
- should not be a gendered pronoun in another language.
EXTRA BONUS ROUND:
- if your pronoun turns out to already exist as a word in another language (eve if not a pronoun) consider adjusting your pronoun to avoid confusion in multilingual people.Mike
Tisa Farrow (The Grim Reaper), Ian McCulloch (Contamination), Al Cliver (Cannibals), and Richard Johnson (The Haunting) star in this worldwide splatter sensation directed by ‘Maestro Of Gore’ Lucio Fulci (City of the Living Dead, House by the Cemetery ) that remains one of the most eye-skewering, skin-ripping, gore-gushingly graphic horror hits of all time!
Blue Underground is proud to present Zombie in a new 2K High Definition transfer from the original uncut and uncensored camera negative in stores October 25. Each flesh-eating frame has been lovingly restored to skull-rotting perfection under the supervision of Cinematographer Sergio Salvati (The Beyond). Now fully-loaded with hours of brand new Extras, this is the Ultimate Edition of Zombie!
Disc 1 Extras:
Zombie Bluray• Audio Commentary with Star Ian McCulloch and Diabolik Magazine Editor Jason J. Slater
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Poster & Still Gallery
• Guillermo del Toro Intro
Disc 2 Extras:
• Zombie Wasteland – Interviews with Stars Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson & Al Cliver, and Actor/Stuntman Ottaviano Dell’Acqua
• Flesh Eaters on Film – Interview with Co-Producer Fabrizio De Angelis
• Deadtime Stories – Interviews with Co-Writers Elisa Briganti and (Uncredited) Dardano Sacchetti
• World of the Dead – Interviews with Cinematographer Sergio Salvati and Production & Costume Designer Walter Patriarca
• Zombi Italiano – Interviews with Special Make-Up Effects Artists Gianetto De Rossi & Maurizio Trani and Special Effects Artist Gino De Rossi
• Notes on a Headstone – Interview with Composer Fabio Frizzi
• All in the Family – Interview with Antonella Fulci
• Zombie Lover – Award-Winning Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro talks about one of his favorite filmsMarvel's Agents of SHIELD showrunner Jed Whedon has responded to the show's critics.
Whedon told Comic Book Resources that the ABC comic book drama will continue to evolve and be shaped by viewer response.
Justin Lubin
"When you're in a band and you play a song and the crowd goes to the bar to get a drink during that number, you don't play it again," he said.
"We won't keep doing things if people don't respond to them, and we take fan reaction into consideration, of course."
Whedon - who runs the show with Maurissa Tancharoen - previously revealed that the pair have a two-year plan for the show.
"We've always had a plan in place that all involved parties feel is both rewarding to those who already love the show, and to those who feel they are not getting everything they want out of it yet," he promised.
"But you can't please everyone, and when you don't, they seem to tweet at you."
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD returns to ABC tonight (January 7) at 8/7c and airs on Channel 4 in the UK.
Agents of SHIELD star on Coulson reveal: 'It's completely satisfying'
Watch Clark Gregg and Joss Whedon talk Marvel's Agents of SHIELD with Digital Spy below:
Catch up on all the latest TV and Movies releases in Digital Spy's Screen Time:Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday called for special elections on Sept. 13 to fill Anthony Weiner’s Congressional office and six vacant State Assembly seats. Party leaders will now get to choose the candidates to run. That is not the way a democracy is supposed to work. Unfortunately, it’s the way things are done in New York.
Federal law requires the governor to hold a special election quickly for a vacant House seat. New York State law says that “party nominations for an office to be filled at a special election shall be made in the manner prescribed by the rules of the party.”
That means Representative Joseph Crowley, the Democratic Party chief in Queens, will probably crown the next congressman in Mr. Weiner’s heavily Democratic district. The Republican bosses do it the same way. If an outsider wants to get on the ballot, he or she will have to collect 3,500 signatures by July 13. Fat chance.
This scam is even worse in state races in New York. Citizens Union reported recently that a third of the Legislature was first anointed as candidates in these back-room, special-election deals. Mr. Cuomo didn’t have to hand those six open seats to the bosses. State law says that the governor can call a special election to fill open seats in the Legislature or wait until the next election.
There is a regularly scheduled primary on Sept. 13, which is now the same date as the special elections. The general election is Nov. 8. The rules for these elections aren’t that great either, but the voters have more of a voice than they do in the special elections.
Mr. Cuomo should have allowed the state races to go through the normal process. He can now start making amends to New Yorkers by pushing to change the state’s special election laws, so the voters, not party bigwigs, get to choose who represents them.This page is about the game itself. For an overview of Fallout: New Vegas-related articles, see Portal:Fallout: New Vegas.
“ Enjoy your stay. ”
Fallout: New Vegas is a post apocalyptic role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. While New Vegas is not a direct sequel, it uses the same engine and style as Fallout 3. It is the fourth major installment in the Fallout series (sixth overall). It was developed by a few of the employees who worked on previous Fallout games at Black Isle Studios, along with a larger number of new employees. It is set primarily in a post-apocalyptic Nevada, although some areas of California, Arizona and Utah are also visited.
The game was released on October 19, 2010 in North America, October 22, 2010 in Europe, and November 4, 2010 in Asia. It is available on the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It was released on Backwards Compatibility for Xbox One on June 23, 2016.
Contents show]
Development history Edit
Discussions for New Vegas began between Obsidian and Bethesda in 2008/'09. They knew the game wouldn't be a "Fallout 4," and it was referred to as "Fallout 3.5" within Obsidian. It was specifically designed to be more of an expansion rather than a sequel; Obsidian, however, saw the project as akin to the Grand Theft Auto titles Vice City and San Andreas—not numbered entries, but full games in their own right. As Bethesda "had dibs" on the U.S. East Coast, Obsidian set the game in the American West. Obsidian submitted a three-page pitch to Bethesda for the project, which they named "Fallout: Sin City." The game was later renamed to "New Vegas."
The game was originally slated to have three playable races—human, ghoul, and super mutant. This idea was abandoned due to issues with the engine, specifically with how the weapons and armor would work.[1]
The game was announced on April 20, 2009, at Bethesda's London showcase.[2] The first official information was released in the February 2010 issue of PC Gamer. A cinematic teaser trailer and a gameplay trailer were released. The game spent a total of 18 months in development.[3]
Story and setting Edit
Setting Edit
The game is set in and around a post-apocalyptic retro-futuristic Las Vegas, following the Great War between the U.S. and China, as a conventional and nuclear war that occurred on October 23, 2077. It lasted less than two hours, while causing immense damage and destruction. Before the Great War, the Resource Wars took place, during which the United Nations disbanded, a plague rendered the United States paranoid, and Canada was annexed. Thanks to Robert House, the city of Las Vegas itself wasn't hit as hard as most of the other districts, with most buildings left intact. The Hoover Dam supplies free electricity and water to those who control it.
Story Edit
The story has taken some parts from the Fallout and Fallout 2 stories, and is for the most part unrelated to its predecessor, Fallout 3.
Fallout: New Vegas takes place in 2281, four years after the events of Fallout 3, thirty-nine years after Fallout 2, one-hundred and twenty years after Fallout and six years before the events of Fallout 4. The New California Republic plays a major part in the game's story, being in a three-way struggle among the Caesar's Legion slavers, the New California Republic and the mysterious Mr. House.
The Courier, the player's character, was meant to deliver a package from Primm to New Vegas; however, they are intercepted by the Great Khans led by a mysterious man, who shoots them and takes the package, leaving the Courier for dead in a shallow grave. The Courier is later found by a robot named Victor, and is taken to the settlement of Goodsprings, where Doc Mitchell saves their life. After the Courier is given some medical tests, the player is pushed back into the open world, and the quest Ain't That a Kick in the Head begins. Fallout: New Vegas has a definitive ending, unlike Fallout 3.[4]
The endings for Fallout: New Vegas are dependent on what actions the player took during the game's quests, with separate endings being shown for each major location, political faction, and recruitable companion.
Gameplay Edit
The gameplay system is similar to Fallout 3 gameplay, although some changes have been made, one being changes to the combat system to give the feel of a first-person shooter, including the ability to use weapon iron sights. The game also made a change from the true bullet flight paths in Fallout 3 to simulated bullet flight paths, which means the bullets, when fired, originate from the center of the screen's crosshairs, rather than the tip of the gun's barrel.
Hardcore mode Edit
Hardcore mode is an optional setting which makes the game more realistic, with gameplay elements such as dehydration, and non-instantaneous healing. It can be turned on and off mid-game. Either a trophy or achievement is awarded for completing Fallout: New Vegas on Hardcore mode; however, in order to earn it, the entire game must be played in Hardcore, from the point first prompted until the endgame sequence, without ever turning the setting off. The Casual/Hardcore mode distinction is independent of difficulty settings.
Character system Edit
The SPECIAL system returns, and directly influences speech options and quests. Unlike Fallout 3, traits are available for taking, and perks are gained every two levels instead of every one, a move made by the developers to avoid creating overpowered Couriers.
Combat Edit
The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., is an active pause combat system implemented in the game, just like in Fallout 3. While using V.A.T.S., the otherwise real-time combat is paused. V.A.T.S. also allows the gory deaths in the game to be shown in slow motion and great detail. Attacks in V.A.T.S. cost Action Points, and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries.
During real-time combat, you can now look down the iron sights of weapons, rather than the zoom in Fallout 3. Unlike Fallout 3, melee weapons now have special moves in V.A.T.S., such as "Fore!" for golf clubs.
New Vegas also brings back the Damage Threshold (DT) mechanic absent from Fallout 3. If an enemy has a high DT, some weapons may be ineffective. This is indicated by a red shield near the enemy's health bar when attacking it, both in and out of V.A.T.S. The damage threshold will be due to high armor or a built-in mechanic to that character, and will require the Courier to either retreat or attack with a more powerful weapon. Players also take much more damage in V.A.T.S. than in Fallout 3 (75%, up from 10%), which makes dying during V.A.T.S. a real possibility. Another new feature is the presence of a dynamic "Kill Cam," which shows the killing bullet in slow motion, permitting players who prefer to play in real-time to experience the same cinematic feel of V.A.T.S. This camera can also be enabled/disabled at will, and is only shown on killing the last enemy of a group.
Karma and Reputation Edit
Karma is back, incorporated alongside a reputation system similar to Fallout 2.[4] Reputation is a form of tracking relationships within the many factions and towns of Fallout: New Vegas, such as the NCR or Goodsprings. A high reputation with a faction or town may give certain benefits, such as gifts from the people of that town, while a low reputation may lead to hits being taken out against you. Karma in New Vegas has little effect compared to Fallout 3; reputation is the primary factor affecting how people react to you.
Weapon Modding Edit
A modding feature allows you to modify your gun by adding scopes, extended magazines, silencers, and more. Weapons can have a maximum of three attached mods, and they cannot be removed once placed. Obsidian implemented this feature as a direct response to the popularity of the Weapon Mod Kits mod for Fallout 3.[5]
Unique weapons Edit
There are unique versions of weapons in Fallout: New Vegas, a feature introduced in Fallout 3. Unique weapons have different textures and adornments. They were not originally intended to be modified and most cannot be; however, some are still able to take on modification (such as the weathered 10mm pistol). Even so, their built-in abilities and higher damage output often make up for their lack of flexibility. Counting all the add-ons, there are a total of 81 unique weapons to be found inside the game, but some require the completion of a quest to find (e.g., Pew Pew). Some can be found on the bodies of enemies (e.g., Oh, Baby!,) or can be found in specific locations such as the Ratslayer.
Companion wheel Edit
A new companion wheel has been added to quickly and easily give companions commands such as "Talk," "Use Ranged Weapons" and "Wait Here." It also makes it easier to restore their health (using stimpaks) and swap equipment. The companions also have their likes and dislikes; giving a sniper companion a shotgun, for example, will result in a nasty remark and decreased effectiveness.
Gambling Edit
The city of New Vegas, as well as other smaller settlements in the game, have a variety of colorful casinos or other forms of gambling to explore. In Fallout: New Vegas, several gambling mini-games have been added, including blackjack, roulette, and slots. Outside the casinos, many people across the Mojave play Caravan, a card game designed by Obsidian specifically for New Vegas. Luck is a considerable factor when it comes to gambling. You get money for winning, and floor managers will congratulate you with food or drink and maybe a VIP stay at the hotel. Winning too much money after that, however, will make the managers come down, give you the customary "tap on the shoulder," and tell you to leave the casino on suspicions of cheating. You will not be able to gamble in that casino anymore but are still able to enter and buy items or food from the casino. This will not remove your current chips.
Developers Edit
Fallout: New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a company founded by Feargus Urquhart and Chris Avellone, two of the makers of Fallout 2 (originally at Black Isle Studios). The project is led by J.E. Sawyer, one of the lead designers of Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle Studios. John R. Gonzalez is the lead creative designer, while Obsidian founder Chris Avellone, who worked on Fallout 2 and Van Buren as a senior designer. Joe Sanabria is the lead artist.
Products Edit
Collector's Edition Edit
The Collector's Edition of Fallout: New Vegas includes Fallout: New Vegas; "Lucky 7" poker chips, replicas from the ones found in the game; a deck of Fallout: New Vegas themed playing cards; a replica of the "Lucky 38" poker chip (The platinum chip) from the game; All Roads, a graphic novel about the history of Fallout: New Vegas written by Chris Avellone; and a "The Making of Fallout: New Vegas" DVD. The entire package comes in a collectible Fallout: New Vegas box. The Collector's Edition was also available for pre-order.
A total of four add-ons, Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road have been released. The pre-order bonuses are now released as another add-on, Courier's Stash, as well as another add-on called Gun Runners' Arsenal which was released on September 27, 2011.
Fallout: New Vegas had four different pre-order bonuses: the Classic Pack, Caravan Pack, Tribal Pack, and Mercenary Pack. Each one had a unique suit of armor and a unique weapon not found in-game, along with a few other items that are available within the game.
Ultimate Edition Edit
The Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition was released on February 7th, 2012 in North America and February 10th in Europe. The package contents are the base game along with all add-ons, including Gun Runner's Arsenal and Courier's Stash.
Controversies and censorship Edit
In the German version, there is no gore. German players who want the full Fallout experience can—as with Fallout 3 —buy the Austrian version, which basically features the uncut PEGI version with German speech and text. However, the German Ultimate Edition is completely uncensored.
experience can—as with —buy the Austrian version, which basically features the uncut PEGI version with German speech and text. However, the German Ultimate Edition is completely uncensored. Just like in Fallout 3, the Fat Man weapon was once again renamed to the "Nuka Launcher" in the Japanese version of Fallout: New Vegas. The Little Boy mod, however, was not.
, the Fat Man weapon was once again renamed to the "Nuka Launcher" in the Japanese version of. The Little Boy mod, however, was not. Fallout: New Vegas was officially banned in the United Arab Emirates, but the ban was repealed later as it did not contain enough violence to meet the ban's criteria after a test run. The ban lasted for about a day after the game's release and the game was soon stocked in stores fully uncensored (with gore) alongside the collector's edition. The ultimate edition was released without any issues, as the original game was already in stock and the ultimate edition was simply the same game with all DLC included.
Gallery Edit
Videos Edit
Fallout New Vegas Intro (HD)
See also EditTo understand what the BeOS and Haiku operating systems are, we first must remember that BeOS was developed with the multimedia user in mind. BeOS wanted to be what OS X has become today: an easy to use, attractive operating system. However, BeOS was a niche OS, destined for the media-hungry user. The percentage of audio and video applications available for Haiku is greater than the one in Linux, OS X or Windows, and the inner workings of the operating system were created in such a way, that the same multimedia passionate would find it easy to work with the user interface and files. Each application can interfere with other applications of its kind. A WAVE file selection can be dragged from a sound editor and onto the desktop, to create an audio file. Audio applications can interfere with each other via the Haiku Media Kit — the corespondent of a Linux sound server. Applications like Cortex are a perfect example of how BeOS and Haiku deal with multimedia files: you can have more than one soundcard and use each one of those soundcards independently or separately. You can link one soundcard to the Audio Mixer, start a drum machine application and link that software to the Audio Mixer. If you want to output whatever you create with the audio application, all you have to do is drag the microphone and link it to the application’s icon in Cortex.
Everything in Haiku is about simplicity. You can drag and drop a file unto an application’s window and if the program can handle the file type, it will open it up instantly.
When BeOS failed to deliver as a commercial operating system, the Haiku team took over and created a BeOS from scratch, making the operating system open-source. Haiku is a POSIX-compliant OS that at first looks appears to be a clone between OS X and Linux. While the UI might appear not as polished as OS X’s Aqua and the application base might be much smaller than that of Windows, Haiku is nevertheless the fastest of them all.
Imagine starting up a full-featured Fedora distribution with the speed of a simple GeeXbox Linux distribution. In VirtualBox, with 512 RAM base memory and a CPU of 1,83GHz, Haiku boots in exactly ten seconds from the bootloader menu to a ready to be used desktop. Shutting down the operating system takes a full three seconds on the same virtual machine. Haiku also works on older machines and the boot time varies a couple of seconds worth with a 500MHz processor and 256 SDRAM. With just 358MB of harddrive space occupied by the default installation, Haiku does not need a SWAP partition like Linux but instead it can use a SWAP file for virtual memory.
The native filesystem that Haiku uses is called BFS (Be File System) and is a fully 64-bit capable journaling file system. Just like EXT3 or XFS, it is case sensitive and can be used on media storage devices. Most importantly, BFS has support for extended file attributes (metadata) and has indexing and querying capabilities. In many ways, BFS acts like a relational database. BFS can handle up to two exabytes when it comes to file size limit. You can find BFS support in the Linux kernel under the name BeFS (for practical reasons, not to be confused with the UnixWare Boot File System that has the same abbreviation as Haiku’s filesystem).
The operating system in itself has been developed in C++ and has an object-oriented API. The individual servers and APIs are known to BeOS users as “kitsâ€. There’s a Networking Kit that provides all the functionality needed for networking. There a MIDI Kit that deals with the MIDI protocol. The latter is also tied to the Media Kit that handles all things video and audio.
One of the differences between Haiku and other UNIX-like operating systems is the Translation Kit. This has nothing to do with language but instead is a collection of libraries that deal with specific image files. The Translation Kit is composed of modules, each designed to read, write, convert a certain graphic file format. To be able to view JPG files – for example – you need to download one of the JPEG Translator binaries and copy it in /boot/system/add-ons/Translators. Once you do that, there’s no need to restart the Translation Kit server for the new settings to take effect. You’ll be able to view JPEG files instantly, once the binary file is in it’s place. Translation Kit libraries – also called “Translators†– are preinstalled for the most common image file types that vary from GIF to SGI to RAW. Translators can be downloaded separately from BeBits, the biggest repository of BeOS and Haiku software.
Haiku keeps things simple, with simple applications and simple configuration options. With a minimum of effort you can install or apply something and that something just works as it should – be it an application, system setting or search query.
The operating system focuses less on the command line since it’s easier for the user to use the fast user interface. There is a BASH port in Haiku with a suite of common UNIX binaries like diff, tar, rm, route, grep, ssh or traceroute ready available. Like Linux distributions, BeOS also had a package system. PKG files could be installed with the help of SoftwareValet. There were no online repositories available at that time and the installer application itself could handle files only from the GUI perspective. Haiku has a project trying to bring back the days of the PKG files with a project that will be written in the Haiku API. Today, most of the software available for Haiku comes in ZIP packages, with many open-source projects being ported from Linux and BSD. Device drivers and applications alike. QEMU, ScummVM, HandBrake, the Realtek RTL8132 Family Driver are just a few of them.
Haiku’s folder structure is somewhat different from the one we’re used to see in Linux since the operating system was developed with the single user in mind.
Some may find it strange at first that a UNIX-like operating system has no multiuser access implemented. This is just another thing that separates Haiku from OS X, Solaris and Linux. Its folder structure may resemble Linux and OS X, it may have a BASH prompt, but at heart, Haiku is a single user operating system. The owner of the files will always be “baron†and the group you’ll be in will always be “usersâ€. This is because the developers wanted to use the UNIX-like structure but saw no need for multiuser access in the days of the BeOS.
Since it has no multiuser support, it has no /root folder, the current user being the one and only administrator of the system. The root of the filesystem holds the volume names. Everything is treated as a file, just like in Linux, only from a single user’s perspective, volume names appearing as a disk in the root of the filesystem. The main disk volume is also called /boot and contains the /home folder, the /preferences and /system folders, the applications folder called /apps and other three system folders. The /develop folder, for example, holds the header files and system libraries needed for compiling binaries, the compiling tools and afferent documentation. By default, the /boot/home folder has the following simple structure:
/boot/home/config /boot/home/mail /boot/home/queries.bash_history
Haiku keeps things organized in an effective manner, not piling up folders in the user’s workspace folder. System files the non-technical user doesn’t want to see are hidden away deep in other parts of the system.
/boot/home/config holds the user’s configuration files and is similar to Linux’s /usr/bin folder in many ways. This is the place where the user’s screensavers reside, the Tracker add-ons, the Translator files, everything that belongs to the user. In Haiku, many of the files are symlinked to one another and many of the folders appear even two or three times in different parts of the system, in a well-thought but chaotic technical ecosystem.
There are two components that define the Haiku desktop: the Tracker and the Deskbar. From a Linux user’s point of view, the Tracker is a crossbreed between Nautilus and GNOME itself. Nevertheless, it is more than a file manager and together with the Deskbar it forms the entire Haiku desktop component. The Tracker can manage file operations but can also decide how the volumes on the desktop are visible. It is a file manager but also an interface for some of Haiku’s most-used system settings; like SVG (Simple Vector Graphics) icon size or access to the user Add-Ons (that could be better compared to Nautilus’s script function). The Deskbar on the other hand integrates the Tracker and the Registrar, the latter handling the application processes.
Some applications also have the ability to detach themselves from their window and stick unto the desktop. They are called Replicants and you can identify them by the tiny arrow residing in the lower-right corner. You can drag this arrow and embed a copy of the application in the Desktop.
From the security point of view, being a single-user operating system built on an UNIX-like structure, Haiku does not yet pose a security risk. It’s main use is for the desktop and there are next to no servers running on a Haiku operating system. Having a small userbase and being POSIX-compatible, there are no viruses for Haiku. The only thing that comes close to malware in Haiku would be a malicious BASH script or a logic bomb. There’s no login screen to protect the user before reaching the desktop and this could be regarded as a risk. Risk that could be overcomed with the help of a library called Real Multi User or with third-party software like Lock Workstation.
The Tracker can manage extended attributes. In detailed file view mode, Tracker displays ID3 tags taken from MP3 files as editable attributes and it’s a matter of a few clicks to add custom ones to multimedia files.
Another interesting thing about Haiku and the BFS filesystem is that – like I mentioned before – it acts like a database. Whenever you search for a file, a query file is formed that holds the search results for that specific query you made. You can later re-make that particular search by simply clicking on the file that’s automatically saved in /boot/home/queries. The speed by which queries take place thanks to the BFS filesystem is simply amazing. You could compare it with how fast you get results from a pre-indexed Linux filesystem by the use of locate and updatedb. Queries can be manipulated and edited so that the entire search formula is displayed to the user in a true database manner. An old project called TrackerBase, developed by Scot Hacker, can take those query results and transpose them in HTML format by using only a native Haiku webserver called PoorMan’s Webserver. You can better regard queries as a less powerful variation of an SQL server’s results.
Generally, Haiku GUI applications have a very small memory footprint. This is a reminiscence from the BeOS R5 era (1998-2001) when most applications were simplistic and didn’t require many resources to run. Things changed now in Haiku with the appearance of resource-hungry software like Firefox – and consequently – Haiku ports of those open-source applications. Haiku comes bundled with Firefox Bon Echo (version 2.0.0.21pre). BeZilla uses 52940KB of memory when opened. This really has an impact on the overall performance of the operating system that’s used to lightweight software.
Haiku’s goal was to maintain backwards compatibility with BeOS R5 binaries so that applications developed for the last version of BeOS could run without problems in Haiku. Sadly, since the development of BeOS ended in 2000, those third party applications running now in Haiku were developed for an age that ended ten years ago.
The operating system is currently sin Alpha stage, with a WebKit port and a WiFi stack prototype in the works. Unlike in Linux, where the developer base is ever-growing, the progress of the Haiku Project took time to reach this milestone, with a release candidate |
the election because he’s the one who is going to be disenfranchising the electorate.”As TPMMuckraker has reported, allegations of voter fraud have returned this year, though many voting rights experts say have been overblown.
Here’s the e-mail:Caribbean to Caliphate - there are few films I have made that received similar, curious interest from friends and colleagues. Usually after a few seconds delay they ask:... "from where?" Nobody, it seems, imagines the palm-lined beaches of the Caribbean as a recruitment ground for the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).
The Africans are going to a pool of unemployment, they just sit in the ghetto and do nothing. And then drugs come in and it's a haven for the drugs. And now the guns are in, so the murder rate is just spiralling out of control. Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of Trinidad's Jamaat al-Muslimeen group
And yet Trinidad has a problem.
At a conservative count, at least 130 Trinidadians have left for Syria and Iraq, which may not sound a lot, but the tiny two-island-nation has only 1.3 million inhabitants, which means that in terms of per capita figures, recruitment is the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
So the problem is genuine and the question is, of course, why? The answer depends on who you ask.
According to Yasin Abu Bakr, one of the main reasons why young black men are joining ISIL is their marginalisation. Abu Bakr is the leader of the Jamaat al-Muslimeen, a militant group which counts mainly Afro-Trinidadian Muslim converts as its members.
The Jamaat al-Muslimeen staged a violent coup in 1990, trying to overthrow the government of the day. More than 40 people died in the unrest that ensued, and the coup failed, but after two years in prison its leaders were released as part of an amnesty.
The Jamaat al-Muslimeen gave Muslims in Trinidad a new, more militarised image.
Abu Bakr, who still preaches in the original compound, says the coup's goals were to stop Trinidad's drugs trade and to improve the living conditions of Afro-Trinidadians who stayed disempowered since they came as slaves.
"The Africans are going to a pool of unemployment, they just sit in the ghetto and do nothing. And then drugs come in and it's a haven for the drugs. And now the guns are in and so the murder rate is just spiralling out of control," says Abu Bakr.
'Unruly ISIS' and the criminalised image of Islam
Much of the media coverage on recruits has focused on young black men with gang connections who have gone to Syria. Trinidad suffers from finding itself on the drug route between South America and the US, Europe and West Africa, and with a plethora of feuding drug gangs the murder rate is out of control.
During our stay in Trinidad the black township of Enterprise was the focal point of violent attention. Younger members from the so-called "Muslim Gang" had assassinated their former Godfather Selwyn Alexis, aka Robocop, accusing him of not sharing the profits.
Since the killing, the new splinter group had become known as "Unruly ISIS'. Having been expelled from a number of mosques in Enterprise, they were now trying to claim a religious home by force.
The mosque of Imam Mourland Lynch, a Robocop associate, lies just across the road from Unruly ISIS' headquarters. Imam Lynch says the police have told him he too is on the group's hitlist.
When we meet he explains that gangs seek association with mosques because "if they go to the mosque on a Friday, all their sins will be washed away. They did not explain to them, it's only a minor sin that's washed away."
But this is clearly not the whole story. Some of the members of Unruly ISIS were originally members of Imam Mourland's mosque. He says he expelled them for trying to claim part of the drugs trade in the area. The police has raided his mosque several times for drugs and guns, but Imam Lynch points out they have never found anything.
The fact is that in certain neighbourhoods of Trinidad the image of Islam has become criminalised and associated with gangs. The funeral of former Godfather Robocop was attended by several religious leaders.
Imam Lynch says they are not worried about being associated with gangsters: "Once they get a cut of the spoils, they're good with that. The Muslims are doing the crime and then some of them benefiting from it." This, he agrees, leaves the field wide open for ISIL-inspired clerics who preach a cleaner version of Islam.
INTERACTIVE: The Rise of ISIL
The spectrum of Trinidadians who join ISIL
A generational rift has been growing: many of Trinidad's younger Muslims no longer respect the country's religious or political leaders, and the phenomenon is not limited to young black males in deprived neighbourhoods.
I think some people feel that there is no hope in changing the political system that exists here. And I strongly believe that some of these individuals say 'Maybe we will make more of a difference there'. Fuad Abu Bakr, son of Jamaat al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr
As our net of contacts expands, we hear of a different set of Trinidadians who left for Syria, a young lawyer who had just qualified for the bar, a Commonwealth games medallist, as well as the sons of wealthy, politically well-connected Asian business families. None of these want to go on record, however, and many have lawyers who keep journalists at bay.
To find out more we return to the Jamaat al-Muslimeen mosque, this time to speak to Fuad Abu Bakr, son of the leader of Trinidad's Islam-inspired coup. Fuad has founded the New National Vision party as an alternative to the political mainstream which many regarded as deeply corrupt.
He says it's time to understand the full spectrum of Trinidadians who join ISIL.
"Politicians sometimes try to minimise the issue and say that it's a small group of people who are criminally oriented who get involved in these things, and that is not true," he says.
He says the community he knows has little faith in mainstream news: "When a Muslim sees these videos of decapitating people on the beach and music playing in the background and these gory things, many of them don't trust those images. They say 'Who verified this footage?'"
Instead they turn to personal contacts and rely on direct communication through social media.
"If I have a friend who's already travelled to Syria and they are sending me pictures of schools with kids and gardens and a society that is operating by Islamic laws, that would interest a Muslim individual. I think some people feel that there is no hope in changing the political system that exists here. And I strongly believe that some of these individuals say 'Maybe we will make more of a difference there'."
Boos mosque: A religious pit stop for ISIL recruits
In the end, no matter what motivation and from which walk of life they were, the journey to Syria and Iraq took many Trinidadian recruits to Rio Claro in the south of the country. Boos mosque and its community under Imam Nazim became a religious pit stop for many travellers including Shane Crawford and Fareed Mustapha who feature prominently in ISIL social media.
Those who had attended the mosque told us Imam Nazim had preached the glory of the ISIL caliphate. Local and international security agencies had paid a number of official visits and probably many more undercover.
When we were granted a rare interview with Imam Nazim he denied being an ISIL recruiter. So far altogether 15 members of his own family have set off to Syria - his daughters, their spouses and his grandchildren - but Imam Nazim said he had no knowledge or influence.
The tides are now turning.
Turkey's Syrian border is closed, making it hard to enter ISIL territory. The international military offensive is pushing foreign fighters out of ISIL territory and social media images depicting a flourishing ISIL caliphate no longer hold true.
Many Trinidadians who have left for Syria are now reported dead or wounded, including the social media ISIL posterboy, Shane Crawford, whose last message was for Trinidadian sympathisers to carry out attacks at home.
Nobody can predict what the next chapter will bring, but ISIL is expert at inserting itself into local grievances. Trinidad is currently updating its anti-terror laws, but to stop recruitment politicians must create a more just society that gives a future to its young people.Americans Aren’t Becoming More Politically Independent, They Just Like Saying They Are
Gallup reported Wednesday that 43 percent of Americans identify as political independents — a record high. Thirty percent call themselves Democrats, and 26 percent call themselves Republicans. So what does this mean for our political future? Absolutely nothing.
Many of these independents are closet partisans. They say they are independent but consistently lean towards one party or the other. In Gallup’s latest survey, only 13 percent of Americans don’t favor the Democratic or Republican party. In other words, 87 percent of Americans prefer one party over the other, which is about on par with data since 1991.
Political independence isn’t more popular, it’s just more fashionable.
And there is little data to suggest that leaners are less partisan than partisans. According to the American National Elections Study (ANES), 92 percent of Democrats voted for President Obama in 2012 — just a tad higher than the 88 percent of Democratic-leaning independents who did so. Ninety-two percent of Republicans and 86 percent of Republican-leaning independents voted for Mitt Romney.
In fact, the ANES found that fewer independent leaners voted for the opposite ticket than self-identified partisans who said they weren’t strongly attached to a party. Just 9 percent of Democratic-leaning independents voted for Romney, and just 9 percent Republican-leaning independents voted for Obama. Among those who identified with a party but not strongly, 15 percent of Democrats voted for Romney and 12 percent of Republicans voted for Obama.
As Ariel Edwards-Levy at the Huffington Post has pointed out, the growing unpopularity of both parties likely has led to people not wanting to identify with either one. But when push comes to shove, these voters consistently favor one side over the other.Image: Craig Anderson, Flickr
Earlier this summer, when the BP Oil Spill was still at the top of the headlines everywhere, Russian predictions of a toxic rain consequent to the BP oil spill were generally dismissed by the scientific community. But the cultural meme, as well as an underlying level of anxiety for Gulf residents, was planted. Now, reports are appearing that raise the spectre of the Russian prediction. Are people living on the Gulf, and even further inland, really at risk? Or is the only risk the diversion of dollars into lawyers' pockets?It is certainly impossible to overlook the source of recent reports of a Florida family sickened by Corexit in their swimming pool: a website called Florida Oil Spill Law. According to the reports, the Scheblers of Homosassa, Florida, became suspicious that their pool water was causing rashes, severe diarrhea and very dark urine. These symptoms are certainly consistent with ingredients in the underwater dispersant, Corexit 9527, used in response to the BP oil spill. 2-Butoxyethanol can break down blood cells, which would cause a dark appearance in the urine, and cause gastrointestinal irritation, an underlying cause of diarrhea.
The Scheblers were aware of the work of chemist Bob Naman on oil spill contaminants and their inland effects. They collected a sample of their pool water and mailed it to Naman for analysis. The results: an astounding 50.3 parts per million (ppm).
The Scheblers attribute the Corexit ingredients in their private pool to overhead flights of aircraft delivering dispersants for aerial spraying:
"At night we would hear very low aircraft, including helicopters. We figured they were just heading to help out in the Gulf," and Mrs. Schebler added that she was told, "The prevailing winds from the Gulf are easterly -- and when they spray, it is airborne -- and that we are right in the path of those winds." It was also noted that, "We had alot of rain here before my husband got sick, and wondered what was going on... We had been having daily downpours in July."
In fact, the 2-butoxyethanol is not an ingredient in the dispersant that is applied by aircraft. Because it is very volatile, it is not a good choice for use in a dispersant intended for aerial use.
A better guess would be that the 2-butoxyethanol is not degrading as quickly as might be predicted from the data, and the chemical is evaporating and returning to earth with rainfall. But the value of over 50 ppm is difficult to explain by rainfall. Such a value suggests a serious concentration of these chemicals relative to their probable concentration in the Gulf waters, which should be well under 1ppm based on reports of the volumes of dispersant used. Since the 2-butoxyethanol can only evaporate when it is in the uppermost layer of the Gulf waters, and the pool would have already contained a large volume of 2-butoxyethanol free water to further dilute the concentration in rain, this hypothesis can be dismissed. Furthermore, if the concentration of 2-butoxyethanol in rain, or on drifting winds, had been high enough to result in a pool concentration of over 50ppm, dozens of people out walking or gardening should be reporting similar symptoms.
Curiously, EPA water analysis reports do not mention 2-Butoxyethanol. As this volatile chemical is both a good marker for the underwater dispersant Corexit 9527 and an excellent target for study to improve scientific knowledge on the mobility and fate of this commonly used industrial chemical, the lack of data in EPA's public records is difficult to understand. Earlier EPA air quality testing did not find the two indicator chemicals at levels above the detectable "reporting limit".
So what remains is to imagine that the Scheblers are the victims of an unfortunate, but unfortunately not uncommon, industrial accident. With the increased demand for dispersants, the increased handling and transport may have resulted in a leak or other point-source contamination that has affected the Scheblers disproportionately. Alternatively, one can imagine that a sample in Naman's lab, where Corexit and its ingredients are commonly handled, could be contaminated during or before testing (although this fails to explain the alleged symptoms of Schebler family members).
Or this could be cooked data for the purpose of winning the lawsuit lottery. Is the real risk that dollars needed to combat legitimate damages caused by the BP oil spill (which may well include the Scheblers, only a jury can decide) will be diverted from where they are really needed?
Study of the mobility and fate of chemicals in the environment is a cutting-edge science, complicated by the number of variables and complexity of natural systems. The law suits that follow the BP spill incident will certainly stretch this branch of environmental science to new limits. What will the juries hear? Can they listen objectively, or will they be haunted by fears of toxic rain?
What would you decide? Did BP contaminate the Schebler's pool?
More on Corexit in BP Oil Spill:
Which is Worse? Washing Laundry or Spraying Corexit 9500 Dispersant on Oil Spills?
1.1 Million Gallons of Toxic Chemical Dispersants Now in the Gulf
Must-See Video Shows BP Gulf Spill & Toxic Dispersants Underwater
Chemical Dispersants 101: How They Work (Video)One more SDCC 2015 panel to go, guys. We got some pretty big comic news yesterday at the Women of Transformers panel in the form of a new ongoing being announced, and now it sounds like the IDW and Hasbro: Transformers, Jem, Ponies, and More panel will be bringing us even more news!
“IDW and Hasbro: Transformers, Jem, Ponies, and More
IDW editors John Barber and Bobby Curnow, along with Michael Kelly (Hasbro’s senior director, global publishing), present a comprehensive overview of all things IDW and Hasbro; Transformers, My Little Pony, Jem, G.I. JOE, Dungeons & Dragons. Get the inside scoop on the latest news and announcements. Featuring writer Mairghread Scott, artist Agnes Garbowska, and more special guests.”
TFW is live on the scene to bring you the full details – read on and periodically refresh for the latest updates!
Post-Panel Update: In addition to some general teases and details, there were also two new series announced – Transformers: Redemption, drawn by Livio Ramdondelli… and TRANSFORMERS: SINS OF THE WRECKERS, written and drawn by Nick Roche with colors by Josh Burcham!
• Taking seats now
• Panel hosted by John Barber
• Mairghread Scott, Carlos Guzman, Bobby Curnow, Agnes Garbowska, Michael Kelly, Jeremy Whitely on panel
• Panel starting
• Slides, exciting announcements then Q&A
• 2016
• Micronauts, Rom the Space Knight, not TF related but still cool
• TF now
• TF RID comic hits next week, based on show
• Will focus on stories not in TV show but that were implied
• Transformers going on now
• Explaining CW story
• Prime will struggle with what it means to be a Prime
• Sara Pitre-Durocher will draw
• Issue 50 will be the biggest thing done in TFs in a while
• MTMTE now
• Next issue will be the most bizarre issue you’ve ever read
• Scavengers will return soon, Grimlock is with them
• Rise of Decepticon Justice Division War Against Megatron storyline will come to a head by 50
• Windblade now
• Discussing Velocitron planet now, recap of story thus far
• Elita One
• Windblade ends at 7
• Restarts as TAAO
• Will jump forward in time
• Focus on colony worlds and different factions like beasts versus Velocitrons
• Art by Sara Pitre-Durocher
• August incentive covers
• Chibi, drawn by Agnes (MLP artist)
• New book
• Transformers Redemption
• Drawn by Livio
• 1 shot 40 pages. Dinobots, going into rust sea to repopulate
• Victorion will be there and more new characters
• WRECKERS!!!
• NOV 2015
• SINS OF THE WRECKERS
• 6 ISSUES, DRAWN AND WRITTEN BY NICK ROCHE (Note: Roche has clarified on his Twitter that the series will in fact be 5 issues, not 6)
• Continues Prowl’s story
• VERITY there too!
• Big repercussions from this
• All ties together with other stories as they hit 50 ish
• TF vs Joe
• Story continues
• Crazy stuff
• Done, panel pics coming shortlyPlease enable Javascript to watch this video
An Eastlake tattoo artist used his time and talents to help a five-month-old boy suffering from a unique disorder.
"Well everyone thought it was his Halloween costume when he was wearing it cause he has an aviator jacket that he wore with it," said Lauren Rowan of Perry.
It's not a Halloween costume but a special cranial helmet that Talen Rowan is wearing. Talen suffers from Plagiocephaly which causes flat spots on his head. He has to wear the helmet for seven months.
"So we took him to specialists and they said this helmet was the right treatment for it. He's gotta wear it 23 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Rowan.
The Rowan family was looking for an artist to customize Talen's helmet so they posted an ad online and that's when tattoo artist Greg Chadwick came forward and gave them a great offer.
"If I can make somebody's day better, opening a door, saying something nice, I'm just doing what I do," said Greg Chadwick of Eastlake.
Chadwick spent more than 12 hours airbrushing Talen's cranial helmet to look like an aviator helmet complete with goggles and Talen's name on the back. Chadwick usually gets $100 an hour for his work at Iron Clad Tattoos, but he airbrushed the helmet for free.
"I contacted Lauren and Matt and said I'd like to do it no charge. Don't worry about it, just pay it forward or just do something nice for somebody down the road when you can you know and here we are,” said Chadwick.
The family can't thank Greg enough.SINGAPORE - A 10-year-old boy was knocked down by a car in Yishun on Sunday (May 14) evening and taken to hospital with severe injuries.
The accident occurred at Yishun Ring Road, towards Yishun Avenue 2, at about 6.30pm, citizen journalism website Stomp reported on Monday (May 15).
An eyewitness who gave his name as Mr Lee W. X. told The Straits Times on Monday that he had been using an AXS machine nearby when he heard "a very loud bang".
"When I looked, I saw a boy on the road, covered in blood," said the 29-year-old business development manager.
He said the driver of the car, a woman with an elderly man in her vehicle, got out and looked at the boy, before returning to her car.
"The boy was by himself but I think later on his brother, who was about his age, came along and saw him. He was in total shock," said Mr Lee. He added that the boy's parents did not appear to be present.
The boy was conscious but lying on the road with his head covered in blood, and could not get up, said Mr Lee.
He added that people crowded around the boy, some of them with gloves on who appeared to be doctors from a nearby clinic.
"They brought their equipment to check on him," he said.
Asked if the boy was jaywalking, Mr Lee said: "A lot of people cross the road the way the young boy crossed. They alight from the bus (at the bus stop) and just cross."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force told The Straits Times that it was alerted to the accident along Yishun Ring Road at about 6.30pm on Sunday.
"A boy sustained head injuries and was taken to Khoo Teck Puat hospital," said the spokesman.
He added that the hospital was alerted to be on standby to receive the patient, which typically indicates that the injuries were severe.
The police told ST that they were alerted to the accident involving a car and a pedestrian at 6.30pm.
The 10-year-old male pedestrian was taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and police investigations are ongoing.
ST understands that the driver of the car is assisting with investigations.Back in 2009, when Shree Renuka Sugars made the first of its two major Brazilian acquisitions, it marked the coming of age of a company formed just a decade before. It was also the first global purchase by an Indian sugar company.
Now, it is all falling apart.
On Sept. 29, Shree Renuka Sugars—founded by the mother-son duo of Vidya and Narendra Murkumbi in 1998—said that its Brazilian subsidiary has filed for bankruptcy protection in the country.
Shree Renuka Sugars is one of the largest sugar producers in the world, and perhaps the first Indian victim of the Brazil’s ongoing economic maelstrom.
In a statement to the BSE (pdf), the company said that Shree Renuka do Brasil Participacoes Ltda (SRDBPL) together with all of its subsidiaries—collectively known as Renuka Brazil—has filed for protection under judicial recovery at the designated court in Sao Paulo.
“Shree Renuka Sugars believes that re-organisation under judicial recovery is the best way to re-organise, protect our Brazilian subsidiaries and provide a path to our eventual turnaround in Brazil,” the statement added.
The main reasons for the crisis at Shree Renuka, according to experts and the firm, is a depreciating real, the country’s currency—thanks to a slowing economy—and the drought that has engulfed Brazil’s sugar market.
Sugar woes
Brazil faced a severe drought in 2011 and then again in 2014. Together with falling sugar prices over the last two years, Renuka do Brasil’s cash-generating ability has been negatively impacted, the company said in a statement.
Sugar prices globally have been spiralling downwards for the last few years. In August, global raw sugar prices dropped to 10.13 cents a pound—the lowest in seven years, Reuters reported. The main reason for this fall is an excess supply globally.
The stormy economic climate in Brazil, the world’s largest producer and exporter of sugar, is making the situation worse. The country is grappling with a high budget deficit, increasing unemployment and a rising inflation. In 2015, the gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to shrink by 0.9%, according to government projections. And its recent sovereign rating downgrade to junk by credit rating agency, Standard & Poor’s, could worsen the situation.
Meanwhile, the country’s currency has also taken a dive. The Brazilian real has depreciated over 30% in 2015 against the US dollar. That’s quickly ballooned the dollar debt on the Shree Renuka’s books in Brazil.
An analyst with a domestic brokerage firm in Mumbai said that the exchange rate fluctuation coupled with the drought have hit the company hard.
“They faced difficulties in 2011, but in 2012 they increased their stake in the Brazilian units thinking it was short-term, but now things have worsened,” he said, requesting anonymity due to compliance issues.
These conditions have made Shree Renuka’s debt “unsustainable”, the company told Bloomberg. The company forwarded the BSE statement in reply to an email from Quartz seeking more details.
The Brazil debt troubles though don’t have any exposure to Indian banks, Narendra Murkumbi, vice chairman and managing director told CNBC TV-18 news channel. ”The loans are with all the Brazilian banks; there is a small exposure from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India,” he said.
The total value of Shree Renuka’s assets in Brazil is $1 billion (Rs6,557 crore) and the loans in the country are worth $650 million (Rs4,262 crore), Murkumbi added.
India’s largest sugar refiner
Shree Renuka Sugars started out in 1998 by acquiring a loss-making sugar mill—Nizam Sugars Ltd—in Andhra Pradesh through loans and equity contribution from farmers, thereby making them shareholders in the firm.
Over the next decade, the Murkumbis set up some six new sugar mills across the country. But the big move came in late 2009 when the company decided to venture into Brazil. Between November 2009 and July 2010, Shree Renuka bought out two sugar companies—Vale Do Ivai SA Acucar e Alcool and Equipav—in Brazil for a combined $332 million. Back then, the two companies also had a combined debt of $970 million.
But the acquisitions cost Shree Renuka dearly. Since 2014, the company’s profit’s have dried up and and swung to losses, mostly due to increased expenditure and interest costs. In March 2015, the company reported net loss of Rs295 crore ($45 million) on revenues of Rs5,744 crore ($876 million).
In July this year, credit ratings agency India Ratings and Research, a unit of Fitch Ratings, downgraded the credit rating of Shree Renuka and put it under a negative outlook.
“The downgrade reflects the substantial deterioration in SRSL’s consolidated credit metrics for the third consecutive year in the 2015 financial year,” the agency said in a release.
“This was due to a continuous decline in its sugar segment profitability and consistently high debt levels,” it added. In the 2015 financial year, the company had a total debt of Rs9,160 crore ($1.4 billion), according to India Ratings.
India-Brazil trade
Shree Renuka isn’t the only one to bet on Brazil’s once thriving economy in the past.
Indian companies have been stepping up their play in the South American economy for the last few years. Information technology companies such as TCS, Wipro, and Infosys, pharmaceutical company Cadilla, automaker Mahindra & Mahindra and infrastructure firm, L&T have also set up shop in Brazil.
Total investments by Indian companies in Brazil is around $5 billion (Rs32,762 crore), according to the Indian embassy in Brazil.
Here’s how trade between India and Brazil has grown in the last few years:
But with the Brazilian economy in free fall, some Indian companies may be left with a bitter aftertaste.Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami.
Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in Cleveland.
The last time information from Donald Trump’s income-tax returns was made public, the bottom line was striking: He had paid the federal government $0 in income taxes.
The disclosure, in a 1981 report by New Jersey gambling regulators, revealed that the wealthy Manhattan investor had for at least two years in the late 1970s taken advantage of a tax-code provision popular with developers that allowed him to report negative income.
Today, as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump regularly denounces corporate executives for using loopholes and “false deductions” to “get away with murder” when it comes to avoiding taxes.
“They make a fortune. They pay no tax,” Trump said last year on CBS. “It’s ridiculous, okay?”
Donald Trump's stance on presidential candidates has changed significantly over the years. Here's how. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)
The contrast highlights a potentially awkward challenge for Trump.
He has built a political identity around his reputation as a financial whiz, even bragging about his ability to game the tax code to pay as little as possible to the government — a practice he has called the “American way.” Moreover, he has aggressively pursued tax breaks and other government supports to bolster his real estate empire. But that history threatens to collide with his efforts to woo working-class voters who resent that they often pay higher tax rates than the wealthy who benefit from special loopholes.
Trump’s personal taxes are a mystery. He has refused to release any recent returns, meaning the public cannot see how much money he makes, how much he gives to charity and how aggressively he uses deductions, shelters and other tactics to shrink his tax bill.
Trump, who said last week on ABC that his tax rate is “none of your business,” would be the first major-party nominee in 40 years to not release his returns.
In an interview this week, Trump said that he has paid “substantial” taxes but declined to provide specifics.
He reiterated that he fights “very hard to pay as little tax as possible.”
“One of the reasons is because the government takes your money and wastes it in the Middle East and all over the place,” he said.
[The Fix: The 10 most tortured Republican responses to Trump]
Trump’s contradictory approaches have been apparent for years.
He criticized 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney for delaying the release of his returns. Romney, a former private-equity executive, had come under fire for paying a low tax rate because most of his income came from investments.
“It’s a great thing when you can show that you’ve been successful and that you’ve made a lot of money,” Trump said at the time.
Romney eventually released returns showing that, for his 2011 taxes, he chose not to take certain deductions, bringing his tax rate more in line with that of average Americans.
Trump, early in his campaign, seemed ready to give voters a look at his tax filings.
In January, he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was ready to disclose his “very big... very beautiful” returns.
But as his campaign gained momentum, Trump backed away from his declaration. He first claimed that ongoing audits by the Internal Revenue Service prevent disclosure.
Then last week, he told the Associated Press that voters are not interested in seeing his tax filings and that “there’s nothing to learn from them.”
[Fact Checker: Trump’s false claim that ‘there’s nothing to learn’ from his tax returns]
Trump’s new position has unnerved some tax experts, who see value in the tradition of transparency by presidential contenders.
“At some point, he could be the tax collector in chief. He’d supervise the IRS, making sure all of us live up to our own tax responsibilities,” said Joe Thorndike, a director at Tax Analysts, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that specializes in tax policy. “People deserve to know... how a person like that plays the game.”
Trump’s stance has become an issue in the campaign.
Romney said on Facebook last week that refusing to release tax returns should be “disqualifying” for any nominee and speculated that Trump’s returns could be hiding a “bombshell of unusual size.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) weighed in this week, telling reporters that Trump will “have to make that decision himself” but that presidential candidates’ releasing their returns has “certainly been the pattern for quite some time.”
[Mitt Romney believes ‘there’s a bombshell in Donald Trump’s taxes’]
Trump’s likely Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, who has disclosed decades of tax returns, released a 60-second ad last week asking, “What’s Donald Trump hiding?”
“You’ve got to ask yourself: ‘Why doesn’t he want to release it?’ ” Clinton said at a New Jersey rally last week. “Yeah, well, we’re gonna find out.”
Bob McIntyre of the liberal group Citizens for Tax Justice suspects Trump’s tax returns, if made public, would undermine the political image the candidate has crafted of a brilliant businessman with what his campaign has called “tremendous cash flow.”
Trump may be worried that “he’d show very little income on his tax returns compared to his wealth claims,” McIntyre said, adding that Trump’s returns could also show that he “writes off everything he has in his life — the hairdo, the plane — as business expenses.”
Trump has repeatedly said that he would be open to sharing his returns. In 2011, he said he would release them after President Obama released his long-form birth certificate but never did after the certificate’s release. In 2014, he said he would “absolutely” release them “if I decide to run for office.” Last year, he said he would release them when “we find out the true story on Hillary’s emails.”
To back his refusal, Trump has released a letter from his tax attorneys that said his tax returns had been audited by the IRS since 2002, and that audits on the returns since 2009 were still underway.
The attorneys’ letter also said returns from 2002 to 2008 had been closed administratively by the IRS, meaning their audits had been completed. Trump said in an interview that he would still not release those returns because “they’re all linked.”
But experts say that Trump is free to release his tax records. President Richard Nixon released his returns while under audit. Nothing, including an audit, “prevents individuals from sharing their own tax information,” an IRS spokesman said.
[Yes, Donald Trump could release his old tax returns if he wanted to]
The only window into Trump’s handling of his income taxes came during the 1981 New Jersey gambling commission report.
Trump had submitted his 1978 and 1979 returns to the regulators as part of an application for a casino license. State records summarizing the returns show that Trump claimed that his combined income during those two years was negative $3.8 million, allowing him to pay no taxes. A few years earlier, he had told the New York Times he was worth more than $200 million.
Tax analysts say it is possible that Trump pays very low income taxes, or no taxes at all, using tactics available to wealthy investors and developers, such as depreciating the value of real estate.
When asked this week whether he pays income taxes, Trump said, “I will give that to you as soon as I get my audit finished.” He added later, “But with that being said, when you’re in the real estate business, you do have certain tax advantages.”
Trump has benefited from public money by aggressively seeking large tax reductions at developments including Trump Tower.
His first major development, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, built in partnership with Chicago’s wealthy Pritzker family, was made possible with the help of a New York City tax subsidy worth $400 million over 40 years, according to city records.
It was New York’s first-ever tax abatement for a commercial property, secured by Trump with help from his developer father’s political allies, according to “Trump: The Deals and the Downfall,” a biography on Trump’s developments by investigative reporter Wayne Barrett.
Trump has defended his use of public tax assistance to boost private projects. He said opponents of such government supports, including some conservatives, are out of touch with reality.
“The true conservative philosophy is that a thing like that shouldn’t happen. But they’re in the world of the make-believe,” Trump said in an interview. “The real world is that without certain tax abatements, you have a choice. The job could get built... or you don’t have to have anything. It could just go stagnant, and a town can die.”
Trump’s strategy to ease his company’s tax burden has resulted in sore feelings in some communities, where local governments rely heavily on tax receipts from large businesses.
In Ossining, N.Y., home to a Trump National Golf Club, town officials say that a tax break being sought by the company would cost their coffers more than $200,000 a year.
In seeking the reduction, Trump’s attorneys have claimed that the club is worth far less than the roughly $15 million value assessed by the city.
Trump’s attorneys have filed papers with the state claiming that the “full market value” of the property is $1.4 million. The same golf course appears on Trump’s new financial disclosure form released this week as part of his presidential campaign — valued by him at more than $50 million.
[Trump’s business booms as he runs for president, financial disclosures show]
Trump attorney Alan Garten did not respond to questions about the discrepancy.
Ossining Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg, a Democrat, expressed frustration that Trump seemed to be gaining “at other people’s loss.”
“It’s hard to look at someone who talks about their wealth frequently and think they got that successful on other people’s backs,” she said.maxvall
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war reparations from its western neighbor at the time – yet that neighbor was the East German Democratic Republic (GDR). Today Warsaw argues that Poland's former communist government was forced to waive its rights by the Soviet Union.
Poland's de facto leader Kaczynski has suddenly stirred the pot with his talk of reparations
1953 waiver of reparations stands
Now Warsaw is going a step further. PiS parliamentarian Arkadiusz Mularczyk has requested that the Bureau of Research in Poland's lower house of parliament, the Sejm, assess whether Poland has any right to demand damages from Germany according to current international law. The answer to Mularczyk's request is due on August 11.
As far as German lawyers are concerned, the issue was resolved years ago. In 2004, Jochen Frowein, an expert on international law and the former director of the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, along with a Polish historian, came to the conclusion that no such demand by Poland had any chance of being upheld in a court of law – and that remains the case today. In his opinion the question has been "legally resolved and definitively settled." He also points to the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, otherwise known as the Two Plus Four Agreement. The agreement, signed in 1990, paved the way for German reunification and also made clear that Germany would not be responsible to pay any further reparations stemming from World War II.
Frowein refutes Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz's claim that Poland's 1953 waiver is invalid because communist Poland was not a sovereign state. "Poland's 1953 renunciation of reparations claims against Germany remains valid today," says the German legal expert. "The fact that the constitutional situation in Poland has changed and that it is no longer a communist state does nothing to change the validity of that declaration. Many other treaties that Poland signed at the time have also remained in effect."
Bundestag MP Wellmann thinks Germany is giving Poland quite enough already
Strange demands
German politicians agree. Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentarian Karl-Georg Wellmann points not only to the legally binding character of the 1953 waiver but also to the current EU budget, from which Poland profits greatly. "We would gladly remind the Polish government that Poland receives some 14 billion euros from the EU each year," as Wellmann told DW. Poland is the largest net recipient of EU cash and Germany the largest net contributor. Germany pays roughly 4 billion of the 14 billion euro total – and has been doing so for years.
"Germany has always stood by Poland, and was the country that did the most to make sure that it not only became a member of NATO but also of the EU. Poland has profited dramatically from that fact," argues the CDU politician. "To put all that into question by issuing such odd demands is something that Europe simply can't understand."
A political maneuver?
For Thomas Nord (Left party), who heads the German-Polish parliamentary group in Germany's lower house, the Bundestag, current talk of war reparations is nothing more than a "political maneuver" by the Polish government in its dealings with Germany and the EU. "It always easy to point to Germany's role in the Second World War, it is morally correct and justified," says Nord. "If you pair that with talk of reparations one can exert more pressure on Germany and use it to one's own political advantage at home. The only problem is that it is not supported by international law." He adds that Germany's moral obligation towards Poland will forever remain.
That is also the attitude of the German government: Deputy spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer recently answered a press question on the subject by saying that Germany feels a political, moral and financial responsibility for the Second World War. She emphasized, however, that the question of reparations was resolved long ago – legally and politically.Kim Jong Kook is set to return with TURBO as an appearance for MBC’s Gayo Daejun has been confirmed.
On December 21st, MBC confirmed that TURBO will be performing for this year’s Gayo Daejun. The yearly event held on December 31st will also be attended by popular artists such as SHINee, BTS, B1A4 and more.
MBC previously announced plans of staging the ceremony with a “time slip” concept. For TURBO’s year-end stage, it was highly speculated that it will follow their musical career starting from their debut back in 2000.
The performance will also mark Kim Jong Kook’s first public performance since announcing his plans after Running Man. Since the controversy with SBS started, the artist confirmed that he may be more active in his activities as a singer instead.
Source: NewsenThe United Kingdom and the world are still reeling from the jihad terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that murdered 22 people and injured 59, and the country remains on high alert as police have uncovered and are hunting for the members of an entire jihadi network connected with the Manchester attack.
MI5 has also revealed that there are as many as 23,000 jihad terrorists on the streets of Britain today.
That’s an army. And Britain is indeed at war. But this is not just a problem that Prime Minister Theresa May has the responsibility to solve. It is also a problem that she and her colleagues have created.
This Britain of troops on the streets and high tension over another imminent jihad attack is the Britain that Theresa May and her ilk have chosen. This is the Britain of the policies that she and her predecessors, David Cameron,Gordon Brown, and Tony Blair have followed for years. They now have the Britain they have made. In getting to today’s traumatized, bloodied, nervous, frightened Britain, they followed a multi-pronged strategy.
One chief element of this strategy was to demonize and marginalize anyone who spoke too clearly about the motivating ideology behind jihad terrorism.
For years, May and her cohorts have hounded, stigmatized, and demonized foes of jihad terror, falsely claiming that they represent a “far-right” equivalent to jihad terrorists, while appeasing and accommodating Muslim groups in Britain, many of which were by no stretch of the imagination “moderate,” and allowing numerous jihad preachers to operate without hindrance.
Meanwhile, Britain has a steadily lengthening record of admitting jihad preachers without a moment of hesitation. Syed Muzaffar Shah Qadri’s preaching of hatred and jihad violence was so hardline that he was banned from preaching in Pakistan, but the UK Home Office welcomed him into Britain.
The UK Home Office recently admitted Shaykh Hamza Sodagar into the country, despite the fact that he has said: “If there’s homosexual men, the punishment is one of five things. One – the easiest one maybe – chop their head off, that’s the easiest. Second – burn them to death. Third – throw ’em off a cliff. Fourth – tear down a wall on them so they die under that. Fifth – a combination of the above.”
May’s government likewise admitted two jihad preachers who had praised the murderer of a foe of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. One of them was even welcomed at the airport by no less illustrious a personage than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
What can one conclude from all this than that the British government is indifferent to the preaching of jihad terror and Sharia oppression in the country?
But toward Christian preaching it is not so charitable.
The UK government last December banned three bishops from areas of Iraq and Syria where Christians are persecuted from entering the country. And of course, May also has banned me from entering the country for the crime of saying: “[Islam] is a religion and is a belief system that mandates warfare against unbelievers.”
Yet that is a manifest and readily demonstrable fact. It was tantamount to banning me for saying that human beings need oxygen to live.
In sum, May and her predecessors for years have been effectively encouraging the preaching of jihad, while energetically discouraging and stigmatizing resistance to jihad.
That road leads to Manchester.
When you ban foes of jihad and allow jihad preachers to enter and preach all over the country, you’re going to get more jihad. And so that is what Britain has today, and will have a great deal more of in the near future.
Events canceled for security concerns, heavily armed troops roaming the trains and the streets, the candle and flower industries booming as more and more impromptu monuments spring up to an ever-rising number of victims of jihad — this is Theresa May’s Britain. This is the Britain she wanted. This is the Britain she has.
If Britain survives as a free nation, which is quite reasonably in question at this point, Theresa May will not be remembered as a statesman. She will be excoriated as the useful idiot she is, one among the small group that is chiefly responsible for the downfall of British society.
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His latest book is The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Iran. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.On or around Sunday 26th June 2016, people gathered in 130 cities from 69 countries across the world to take part in the fourth Support. Don’t Punish “Global Day of Action”. This was another clear show of force for harm reduction and drug policy reform, with a wide variety of actions organised by civil society partners and networks of affected groups around the world.
Actions this year included giant video projections, street art, rallies, concerts, petitions, sports events, film screenings, information stands, media stunts and much more to call for drug policy reform. To check out what happened country by country during the Day of Action, view the best photos and watch videos of the events, click on the map below.
Please also visit our Facebook page to view all best photos of the Day of Action.As far as simple joys of life go, a good cup of south Indian filter coffee ranks pretty high up there for me. But every time a steaming cup arrives at my table at a restaurant, the heady aroma rising from the hot liquid filled to the brim with a foam crown on top, it gets me thinking about how such a great culinary invention came to be paired with such poor design/user experience.
Yes, the dabara set in which it is typically served, is a terrible way of drinking filter coffee and while I normally trust markets and competition to improve consumer experience over time, this, like revolving doors at hotels (no, not QWERTY keyboards), has fallen through the cracks and is now a fit case for intervention.
Here's the trouble. Most restaurants fill the coffee to the brim of the tumbler. This means when you try to pour the coffee into the accompanying dabara, there is no surface to hold that won't immediately scald your skin. The rim is hot and the body of the tumbler is hotter. If you decide to wait till the tumbler is cool enough to be held by the rim, the coffee inside gets too cold, and insipid. I have tried gingerly lifting the tumbler with both hands. I have tried wrapping a paper napkin around the edge of the rim and then lifting it. These efforts have yielded roughly the same results: burnt fingers, spilt coffee, stained trousers, embarrassed companions, bruised ego.
Is there another restaurant item that demands paying customers to risk injury? No. That's why the dabara set needs to be replaced urgently as the carrier of this heavenly concoction.
When I consulted a friend who is knowledgeable in these matters, he said the problem was actually with me. If only I had grown up in Tamil Nadu drinking filter coffee from a young age, I would have developed resistance on my fingers. This perhaps explains why there is little demand for change from its core consumers.
So why did the Tamil filter coffee remain trapped in steel, a singularly unsuitable medium for the consumption of hot beverage?
In Kerala, where I grew up, we drink a lot of hot tea. But this is typically served in glass or ceramic cups. The thermal conductivity of stainless steel is about 16 times that of glass. So Kerala tea made the sensible transition from steel once glass and ceramic utensils came into wider circulation. So why did the Tamil filter coffee remain trapped in steel, a singularly unsuitable medium for the consumption of hot beverage?
May be there is tradition dating back centuries that must remain untouched? It turns out, Tamil Nadu doesn't have a long coffee drinking tradition. In his essay In Those Days There Was No Coffee, social historian A.R. Venkatachalapathy records that coffee drinking gained currency in Tamil Nadu only in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It is fathomable that a 95-year-old Tamilian alive today might recall a childhood where coffee was still new, its rising popularity a source of great cultural anxiety. A practice dating back less than a hundred years cannot claim any protection on account of antiquity.
So how did coffee come to be served in a dabara set to begin with? I called Mr Venkatachalapathy, who was generous with his time, and offered a very interesting explanation.
This design was not meant for the hot hot coffee that everyone clearly likes these days.
Filter coffee was originally consumed lukewarm, he says. The decoction took time to drip and collect to form a thick, cold base. Hot milk was added to it and the final product used to be lukewarm. Now this has changed because restaurants make watery decoction and serve it hot and add boiling milk, resulting in a scalding end product.
But the main inspiration behind the design and use of the dabara set, Venkatachalapathy says, was Brahminism and its attendant horror of the saliva, even one's own, as a pollutant.
"The design of the dabara set is about brahmanical notions of purity and pollution. Saliva ritually pollutes. Brahmins were early adopters of coffee. So it was meant to be had lukewarm and to be poured into the mouth without sipping," he said.
That makes perfect sense. And brings to sharp and clear focus why we need reformation now. This design was not meant for the hot hot coffee that everyone clearly likes these days--else present day restaurants would have served it lukewarm. And if there are people who are scared of their own saliva, let's have pity on them and make allowance for dabara sets on request.
But as default and for everyone else, please end this torture, and just give us that goodness in a container that allows for the consumption of coffee as a peacetime activity.By Kristina Launey
Last week, a California State Court became the first in the nation to rule that a retailer violated the Americans with Disabilities Act due to a website that is not accessible to individuals with vision-related disabilities. As we have previously reported, courts have ruled on whether the ADA applies to websites, but have always stopped short – because the cases had usually settled at early stages – of reaching the dispositive factual issue of whether a website actually violated the ADA.
This ruling came on a motion for summary judgment filed by plaintiff Edward Davis’s attorneys, Scott Ferrell of The Newport Trial Group, Victoria Knowles, and Roger Borg. Judge Bryan Foster of the San Bernardino Superior Court ruled that the defendant luggage retailer violated the ADA and corollary California law – the Unruh Act – because plaintiff “presented sufficient evidence that he was denied full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, privileges, and accommodations offered by defendant [via its website] because of his disability.” The judge also found sufficient evidence that Title III of the ADA applied to the website because there was a sufficient nexus to defendant’s physical retail store and the website.
The judge ordered the retailer to pay $4,000 in statutory damages under the Unruh Act, finding it undisputed that plaintiff’s access to the website was prevented at the time it was designed. The judge ordered injunctive relief in the form of defendant taking steps necessary to make the subject website “readily accessible to and useable by individuals with visual impairments or to terminate the website”; but provided no detail on whether a certain standard would need to be met to have complied with this injunctive relief order. The plaintiff will also be entitled to attorneys’ fees as the prevailing party, which could be substantial given the discovery and briefing involved in the motion for summary judgment.
This order ironically came during the same week virtually all scientists, practitioners (including me), educators, government officials, companies, advocates, and interested individuals with disabilities were attending digital accessibility’s major annual conference – California State University, Northridge’s 31st Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference- just a few hundred miles away from the court.On Wedding Design
Fancy Cabel Fancy Cabel
After the wedding, sometimes people would ask me if everything feels different or more great now that we're married. When I would tell people "actually, not really!", I could naturally sense a little bit of romantic disappointment in their faces, like I'm the Harlequin Grinch. But I don't mean "not that different, yawn" — I mean "not that different, because, honestly, it's always been great." [AWWWW.MP3] My overall advice: when you know, you'll know.
Anyway, I don't want bore you with the personal blah blah blah. Instead, I'd like to talk to you about design...
Wedding design! (Guys? Guys? Stay with me here!)
The Brainstorm I spent a too-long amount of time brainstorming the foundation of our design. First, I knew I wanted to incorporate Nicole's love of visual contrast — she who is so fond of a super-dark gray cloudy sky with a burst of a blue showing through, or a beautiful flower popping up through tired concrete. Second, I knew that the design had to represent both of us, a little piece of each. I know, right? As much as I'd love to make a wedding invitation with photos of say, photos of the latest flavors of Sun Chips ("You're invited to our peppercorn-ranchuptuals!"), it probably wouldn't play too well outside of, uh, me.
Then, two key words popped into my mind:
Pixel flowers.
Retro 8-bit quirky and fun but elegant and beautiful and colorful. Perfect. I immediately remembered seeing a magazine illustration by the amazing
Save The Date The first thing we had to tackle was the age-old "save the date". Due some tardiness with the art director (sorry!), we decided to do it electronically to get it out the door instantly. Otherwise there'd be no date to save.
Enter friend and artistic genius
The first bit David cranked out was a perfect little pixel illustration of myself and Nicole, that I hoped we could use in a variety of places throughout the project. It went through some fun variations:
As you can see, we started off super micro (and I looked a little bit like Gob from Arrested Development about to perform a magic trick), then we got super (super) deformed, and finally with a bit more nudging I think David nailed it with the last one — it's cute, with just a dash of disturbing. Just like us! Uhh..
Illustration in hand, it was Cabel's turn. A few fonts, some colors, a clean layout, and a little extra something on my t-shirt (what is that? a tri-force? I honestly don't know why I added it) and it was ready to be e-mailed!
That's it. Simple. To the point. Fun.
Technical notes: I used e3 Software's truly excellent Direct Mail application to send it out. It's got a great statistics view that can show you how many people opened up the message, assuming their mail reader loads images by default. Font wise, that's Metroscript by Alphabet Soup for the logotype, and House Industries' Neutra 2 for the details. I used Neutra 2 primary because I wanted to be the last person to use this font. I love it, but I literally see it everywhere, all day long. So, sorry, suckers! You're not allowed to use this font because I'm the last guy. I called it. It's done, font closed. Use something else. Myself included. Don't look at the Coda header.
The Invitation Onto the master illustration itself. Once I fully explained what was on my mind, David quickly cranked out a sketch of the core idea: an elegant tree, with little pixel flowers on it.
I wanted to take it into more "tree" than "branch", so I pitched the idea of having it wrap-around to the back of the invitation. David translated this into a rough layout sketch:
I liked it! But the tree seemed a little super-wide. With that in mind, it was time to make it "real".
Finally, wanting to shed the peach color and fill more space after committing to a text-free cover, we arrived here:
Awesome. Yay, David! It was time to start getting print-ready.
Pre-Press I had decided on using letterpress for these invitations. It's good for small print runs, and it's also such a visceral, physical technique. If you ever get a chance to watch letterpress machines in action, it's mesmerizing and also tinged with danger. I found a great, local, and now-highly-recommended print shop —
I went through their paper samples and picked one, but ink colors were harder for me — I looked at their stock inks but none of them were quite. It was time to bust out the Pantone book and pick three spot colors (for an extra charge, naturally). For the record, it's Pantone 510U, 5225U, and 5205U!
Then I re-formulated the art to fit the correct paper size, drawing an extra branch here and a flower there.
I was done. It was printin' time.
Finished Product The invitations were now ready to go.
I love the texture, rough print, and embossed feel of letterpress. It made the "physical" nature of this job even more fulfilling.
There was one final surprise on the finished piece.
Since letterpress creates an actual physical impression in the paper when it stamps the ink, I thought it would be interesting to do one letterpress plate without ink — our pixel selves, subtly debossed on the inside.
As a bonus, since the impression runs deep, we're also embossed on the outside, and it's carefully aligned so that it looks like we're standing under the tree. Sort-of.
That's it! Here are scans of the finished piece:
Custom Stamps One last stop before the postal office: custom stamps. We decided to use zazzle.com for this — as should be glaringly obvious. The giant zazzle advertisement (zazzvertisement?) on every stamp was a huge negative, but a high-quality pixel stamp was hard to pass up.
The Event This fell into Nicole territory — I did the print, she did the space. But I thought she did a really stunning job designing the venue — the colors, the flowers, the details, everything kept the original idea flowing through to something physical, gussying up an industrial warehouse-style bar/venue with beautiful elegance. It was, as they say, like a dream.
I'll let these photos speak for themselves!
Yes. It's true. That is a pixel flower cake. Making that happen? High point of my life so far.
Confidential to those getting married in Portland: the amazing cake came from Bakery Bar, the gorgeous flowers by Francoise Weeks, stunning-to-everyone photography by Robert McNary, and the venue was the accommodating and incredible Holocene. Oh, and my suit? 100% Duchess.
The Photobooth A quick wedding recommendation: for some really fantastic, non-cheesy photographic memories of your guests, look for a local distributor of good old fashioned photo booths. None of this fancy-pants digital stuff — we're talking a green, incandescent bulb that says "smile", little strips of paper sent by an ancient motor into various vats of chemicals, dropped into your hands still wet, a cool little honeycomb texture running through the paper and an ever-so-slight sepia tone. These are the real memories, four classic frames at a time.
The Gifts As a "thank you" gift to the wedding party, we decided to get some laser-etched Moleskines made. (Can you tell I enjoyed this project?) I sent the art to Joe at
The Ring The very, very last step in the process: my wedding ring. A gift from Nicole, it holds a secret inside: a tiny pixel flower. You'll never see it, but I'll always know it's there.
Finally, Something Cool From Noby A little bit before the wedding, a special gift arrived from Japan: custom-made chocolates with our little pixel selves printed on the package. These
Phew The rest was a blur.
My great friends Alex and
People ate many foods, drank many things, hugged a lot, saw goofy old pictures of both of us in an amazing slideshow my folks put together, danced like crazy to an amazing mix from the
This was a great day. And in the end, before we knew it, it was time to close the place out and hop in the car, slightly melancholy that possibly the greatest party of our lives was over but more than slightly excited that the rest of everything was starting right then and there, in the middle of the automatic car-wash at the 76 station, in the early hours of the next day, as a shaving-cream "cabel + nicole" was washed off the hood but, really, will always be there.
Totally married. Totally awesome.
So, exactly four months ago, I totally got married. This has been a completely great thing, and I highly recommend it. You know, when you're ready.After the wedding, sometimes people would ask me if everything feels different or more great now that we're married. When I would tell people "actually, not really!", I could naturally sense a little bit of romantic disappointment in their faces, like I'm the Harlequin Grinch. But I don't mean "not that different, yawn" — I mean "not that different, because, honestly, it's always been great." [AWWWW.MP3] My overall advice: when you know, you'll know.Anyway, I don't want bore you with the personal blah blah blah. Instead, I'd like to talk to you about design...Wedding design! (Guys? Guys? Stay with me here!)I spent a too-long amount of time brainstorming the foundation of our design. First, I knew I wanted to incorporate Nicole's love of visual contrast — she who is so fond of a super-dark gray cloudy sky with a burst of a blue showing through, or a beautiful flower popping up through tired concrete. Second, I knew that the design had to represent both of us, a little piece of each. I know, right? As much as I'd love to make a wedding invitation with photos of say, photos of the latest flavors of Sun Chips ("You're invited to our peppercorn-ranchuptuals!"), it probably wouldn't play too well outside of, uh, me.Then, two key words popped into my mind:Retro 8-bit quirky and fun but elegant and beautiful and colorful. Perfect. I immediately remembered seeing a magazine illustration by the amazing Nick Dewar of pixelated blossoms somewhere once. With Nick's illustration serving as mental inspiration (thank you, Nick!), it was time to get cracking.The first thing we had to tackle was the age-old "save the date". Due some tardiness with the art director (sorry!), we decided to do it electronically to get it out the door instantly. Otherwise there'd be no date to save.Enter friend and artistic genius David Lanham, out of the Coda icon. He graciously found time to to lend his illustrative talents to this project.The first bit David cranked out was a perfect little pixel illustration of myself and Nicole, that I hoped we could use in a variety of places throughout the project. It went through some fun variations:As you can see, we started off super micro (and I looked a little bit like Gob from Arrested Development about to perform a magic trick), then we got super (super) deformed, and finally with a bit more nudging I think David nailed it with the last one — it's cute, with just aof disturbing. Just like us! Uhh..Illustration in hand, it was Cabel's turn. A few fonts, some colors, a clean layout, and a little extra something on my t-shirt (what is that? a tri-force? I honestly don't know why I added it) and it was ready to be e-mailed!That's it. Simple. To the point. Fun.Onto the master illustration itself. Once I fully explained what was on my mind, David quickly cranked out a sketch of the core idea: an elegant tree, with little pixel flowers on it.I wanted to take it into more "tree" than "branch", so I pitched the idea of having it wrap-around to the back of the invitation. David translated this into a rough layout sketch:I liked it! But the tree seemed a little super-wide. With that in mind, it was time to make it "real".Finally, wanting to shed the peach color and fill more space after committing to a text-free cover, we arrived here:Awesome. Yay, David! It was time to start getting print-ready.I had decided on using letterpress for these invitations. It's good for small print runs, and it's also such a visceral, physical technique. If you ever get a chance to watch letterpress machines in action, it's mesmerizing and also tinged with danger. I found a great, local, and now-highly-recommended print shop — Egg Press — who were happy to tackle the job.I went through their paper samples and picked one, but ink colors were harder for me — I looked at their stock inks but none of them were. It was time to bust out the Pantone book and pick three spot colors (for an extra charge, naturally). For the record, it's Pantone 510U, 5225U, and 5205U!Then I re-formulated the art to fit the correct paper size, drawing an extra branch here and a flower there.I was done. It was printin' time.The invitations were now ready to go.I love the texture, rough print, and embossed feel of letterpress. It made the "physical" nature of this job even more fulfilling.There was one final surprise on the finished piece.Since letterpress creates an actual physical impression in the paper when it stamps the ink, I thought it would be interesting to do one letterpress plate— our pixel selves, subtly debossed on the inside.As a bonus, since the impression runs deep, we're also embossed on the outside, and it's carefully aligned so that it looks like we're standing under the tree. Sort-of.That's it! Here are scans of the finished piece:One last stop before the postal office: custom stamps. We decided to use zazzle.com for this — as should be glaringly obvious. The giant zazzle advertisement (zazzvertisement?) on every stamp was a huge negative, but a high-quality pixel stamp was hard to pass up.This fell into Nicole territory — I did the print, she did the space. But I thought she did a really stunning job designing the venue — the colors, the flowers, the details, everything kept the original idea flowing through to something physical, gussying up an industrial warehouse-style bar/venue with beautiful elegance. It was, as they say, like a dream.I'll let these photos speak for themselves!Yes. It's true.Making that happen? High point of my life so far.A quick wedding recommendation: for some really fantastic, non-cheesy photographic memories of your guests, look for a local distributor of good old fashioned photo booths. None of this fancy-pants digital stuff — we're talking a green, incandescent bulb that says "smile", little strips of paper sent by an ancient motor into various vats of chemicals, dropped into your hands still wet, a cool little honeycomb texture running through the paper and an ever-so-slight sepia tone. These are the real memories, four classic frames at a time.As a "thank you" gift to the wedding party, we decided to get some laser-etched Moleskines made. (Can you tell I enjoyed this project?) I sent the art to Joe at Engrave Your Tech, who happened to be here in PDX, and the books were made super-quick. He also let me individualize each book with the person's name on the spine. They turned out amazing. (Sadly, it looks like Joe's not engraving them anymore (yipes!), but I bet he'll come up with something even better.)The very, very last step in the process: my wedding ring. A gift from Nicole, it holds a secret inside: a tiny pixel flower. You'll never see it, but I'll always know it's there.A little bit before the wedding, a special gift arrived from Japan: custom-made chocolates with our little pixel selves printed on the package. These DECOチョコ (deco-choco) treats came from Noby, one half of Panic Japan. Talk about hitting your target audience — I was amazed. Let this be the best snack food picture I will ever post on this blog!The rest was a blur.My great friends Alex and Steve gave killer best-man speeches: embarrassing (there's no shortage of Cabel stories) but also very heartwarming. (Also, Steve delivered this great line: "If you asked me to describe the business relationship between Cabel and I, in Star Wars terms, I would say he is like the R2-D2 to my C3PO. He rolls around, interfacing with computers, solving problems, and making strange beeping noises, while I flap my arms helplessly, and shout 'We're doomed!'")People ate many foods, drank many things, hugged a lot, saw goofy old pictures of both of us in an amazing slideshow my folks put together, danced like crazy to an amazing mix from the Juice Team on a tiny stage with the people I love, and talked to friends both old and new. And there was delicious cake. So much cake.This was a great day. And in the end, before we knew it, it was time to close the place out and hop in the car, slightly melancholy that possibly the greatest party of our lives was over but more than slightly excited that the rest of everything was starting right then and there, in the middle of the automatic car-wash at the 76 station, in the early hours of the next day, as a shaving-cream "cabel + nicole" was washed off the hood but, really, will always be there.Totally married. Totally awesome. © 2009 Cabel SasserJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began his Mideast tour in Cairo on Saturday. He plans to visit Jordan, Israel, and Palestine later this week. (AFP/File)
Follow > Disable alert for Shinzo Abe Disable alert for United Nations Disable alert for Cairo Follow >
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Saturday $2.5 billion in non-military aid for the Middle East as he launched a regional tour that includes visits to Jordan and Israel.
In a speech in Cairo, Abe also pledged $200 million in non-military assistance for countries affected by the Islamic State (IS) group’s bloody expansion in Iraq and Syria, which spurred an exodus of refugees to neighboring countries.
“Japan will newly carry out assistance of 2.5 billion US dollars in non-military fields including humanitarian assistance and infrastructure development, intended for the entire region,” Abe said, according to an official transcript.
He said Japan would “provide assistance for refugees and displaced persons from Iraq and Syria”.
“I will pledge assistance of a total of about 200 million US dollars for those countries contending with ISIL (IS), to help build their human capacities, infrastructure, and so on,” he added.
A Japanese foreign ministry official told AFP that much of those funds would go towards assisting neighboring states hosting refugees.
The United Nations has warned that the number of Syrian refugees could shoot up to 4.27 million by December from the current figure of more than three million.On July 7, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s armed forces, embarked on a rare, eight-day state visit to India. Personally ushered in by the Indian army’s chief, General Bipin Rawat, at the Buddhist shrine in Bodh Gaya, Myanmar’s top general toured several crucial military and nonmilitary facilities around the country before meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defense Minister Arun Jaitley, and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on July 14. Earlier in July, both sides had met at the 7th Delhi Dialogue, where they promised to scale up counterinsurgency and trade cooperation.
A week-long tour by a top Burmese military official certainly stands out in the basket of India’s diplomatic overtures. It’s a far cry from the status quo ante in 2014 when the previous president of Myanmar, Thein Sein, was not invited to Modi’s inauguration. Obviously a lot has changed since then.
Since the visit, coincidentally or otherwise, came at a peculiar time of extremely tense relations between India and China, wherein the armies of both countries remain locked in a taut standoff at the Doklam triboundary in Bhutan, it must be seen in the dual context of evolving bilateral between New Delhi and Naypyidaw and the shape-shifting geopolitics of the extended South Asian region.
Why Is New Delhi Rolling out the Red Carpet for Myanmar’s Top General?
For starters, the current Indian government, much unlike its predecessor, sees real potential in Myanmar as a strategic “land bridge” to the tiger economies of Southeast Asia, and, with little doubt, a counterbalancing entity against Beijing’s fast growing clout in the extended South Asian region. While the former is manifest in India’s Act East policy, the latter remains a diplomatic subtext.
Over the past three years, New Delhi has made an active effort to reach out to Myanmar along various modalities of bilateral cooperation, with military-to-military cooperation occupying the frontline. The renewed military-to-military framework, which extends to both the territorial and maritime fronts, was laid down during the first India-Myanmar Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting in July 2015, where India stated its commitment to support the modernization of Myanmar’s armed forces and to build a “professional and capable Myanmar Navy.”
Since then, New Delhi has slowly ratcheted up defense sales to Myanmar. The basket of arms that India has sold to the Myanmar army and navy so far is inarguably bulky: 105mm light artillery guns, rocket launchers, rifles, radars, mortars, bailey bridges, communication gear, night-vision devices, |
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DonGrisu Profile Joined April 2012 Austria 498 Posts #10
This gonna be brutal for Fnatic... Ipl >> Ares Out, depature In...!!This gonna be brutal for Fnatic... Fnatic 4 Ever...!!
Luolis Profile Blog Joined May 2012 Finland 6052 Posts #11 Naama allkill. GO! pro cheese man / Its never Sunny in Finland. Perkele / FinnishStarcraftTrivia
StarVe Profile Joined June 2011 Germany 12271 Posts Last Edited: 2012-12-13 21:25:13 #12 On December 14 2012 05:03 Fusilero wrote:
Maybe this time J can win a match...maybe...possibly....
Nah not today only inori was a worthy victory for J.
Hey, hey, in EG MCSL he once beat Titan by fungaling his army when he a-moved up a ramp into spines. Lost to LiveZerg in the ace match though. :D Hey, hey, in EG MCSL he once beat Titan by fungaling his army when he a-moved up a ramp into spines. Lost to LiveZerg in the ace match though. :D
mikkmagro Profile Joined April 2011 Malta 1509 Posts #13
Easy for Acer, even though I'm a Fnatic fan..Oz and aLive haven't been performing that well since joining Fnatic, and their foreigners are far from being as good as Acer's. Ares is no longer on Fnatic: http://fnatic.com/news/10231/fnatic-and-byul-part-ways.html#comment-111805 Easy for Acer, even though I'm a Fnatic fan..Oz and aLive haven't been performing that well since joining Fnatic, and their foreigners are far from being as good as Acer's. mousesports, Team Acer, Fnatic!
Inzan1ty Profile Joined September 2012 1086 Posts #14 On December 14 2012 06:25 mikkmagro wrote:
Ares is no longer on Fnatic:
Easy for Acer, even though I'm a Fnatic fan..Oz and aLive haven't been performing that well since joining Fnatic, and their foreigners are far from being as good as Acer's. Ares is no longer on Fnatic: http://fnatic.com/news/10231/fnatic-and-byul-part-ways.html#comment-111805 Easy for Acer, even though I'm a Fnatic fan.., and their foreigners are far from being as good as Acer's.
you mean since they lost in GSTL and Hwanni`s departure, aLive was certainly a beast when he joined and won IPL, but how can you stay motivated when nobody actually gives a fuck and the foreigners are just mediocre prac. partner...
Oz really disappointed since he left FXO though, a few glimpse of his possible skill e.g vs stephano arent enough these days... you mean since they lost in GSTL and Hwanni`s departure, aLive was certainly a beast when he joined and won IPL, but how can you stay motivated when nobody actually gives a fuck and the foreigners are just mediocre prac. partner...Oz really disappointed since he left FXO though, a few glimpse of his possible skill e.g vs stephano arent enough these days... RIP Seung Hyun 'Space' Park † 6/5/2013 - Undead hero and eSports rolemodel
decado90 Profile Blog Joined December 2012 United States 480 Posts #15 It's a shame how bad Fnatic has become. Team house in Korea and it's gone to waste. "Be formless like water"- Bruce Lee
Psyclon Profile Joined July 2010 Bulgaria 2443 Posts #16 Hoping for a good showing by the new recruit and a finishing blow by Nerchio Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds!
Acronysis Profile Joined November 2011 866 Posts #17 On December 14 2012 06:48 decado90 wrote:
It's a shame how bad Fnatic has become. Team house in Korea and it's gone to waste. It's a shame how bad Fnatic has become. Team house in Korea and it's gone to waste.
Oz is still good, even if he is inconsistent, and i have confidence aLive will come back. You don't just lose that amount of skill. Have faith =) Oz is still good, even if he is inconsistent, and i have confidence aLive will come back. You don't just lose that amount of skill. Have faith =) The multiplying villanies of man do swarm upon him.
JoeCool Profile Joined January 2012 Germany 2107 Posts #18 After the underwhelming Flas vs Rain series, Im hoping for some good games here.
stuchiu Profile Blog Joined June 2010 Fiddler's Green 35380 Posts #19 Is this it, is J going to win? Moderator
Dodgin Profile Blog Joined July 2011 Canada 38849 Posts #20 J is using Jinro's account? That's so random.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next AllCTVNews.ca Staff
The federal election race is officially under way, and the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP appear to be in a three-way race as they leave the starting line.
The latest ballot tracking from Nanos Research shows a razor-thin margin of voter preference support separating the first-place Conservatives from the NDP and Liberals, in a survey that asked respondents which two parties they would consider voting for in their local riding.
Stephen Harper’s Conservatives led the survey results with 31.5 per cent support overall, followed closely by Thomas Mulcair’s NDP at 30.1 per cent, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals trailing at 29.3 per cent support. The Green Party ranked a distant fourth in the survey with 5.4 per cent support.
“The trend has been favouring the New Democrats,” pollster Nik Nanos told CTV News on Sunday. However, he points out that the 78-day election campaign will afford each party and leader more time to rise and fall in popularity. “Who knows where we’ll end up on election day?” he said.
The Conservatives were most popular in the Prairie provinces with 52.7 per cent support. They were also buoyed by a leading 36.5 per cent result in Ontario. Atlantic Canada and Quebec were their weakest regions, where they had only 18 and 17.6 per cent support, respectively.
Liberal support was strongest in Atlantic Canada at 48.2 per cent, followed by 29.8 per cent support in Quebec and Ontario. Their weakest numbers came out of the Prairie provinces, where only 18.2 per cent of supporters favoured them.
The NDP continued to lead all parties in Quebec with 36.4 support. They also garnered support in the mid- to high-20 per cent range in all other parts of Canada, with their weakest showing in the Prairies coming in at 24.3 per cent.
Nanos Research collected the survey data through random landline and cellphone interviews with 1,000 Canadians over the course of four weeks, weighted for age and gender using the latest census information. The numbers are based on a four-week rolling average of Canadian opinion ending on July 31.
Results are considered accurate to 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.The episcopal palace on Liège’s Place Saint Lambert is a rather grand location for a last chance saloon, but for many teams and riders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is the final opportunity to salvage some reward from the Classics campaign. Related Articles Gasparotto and Thurau pulled from Criterium du Dauphine due to low cortisol levels
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Small wonder, then, that Enrico Gasparotto (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) wore the broadest smile of all of the contenders when he met the press during the pre-race presentation on Saturday afternoon. Fresh from his second Amstel Gold Race victory last weekend and a best-ever placing of fifth at Flèche Wallonne in midweek, the Italian lines out for La Doyenne unfettered by pressure: come what may, his Spring has been a resounding success.
“I was close in 2012 when I finished third, but up to now winning Liège has been more a dream – but why not dream when things have gone so well for me already this week? I’m going to keep dreaming even if I know it won’t be easy,” Gasparotto said. “There’s an extra climb, the weather’s going to be bad, but I think I’m the rider in the peloton with the most positive mood at the moment because even if the race was cancelled tomorrow, I’d still go home happy.”
Gasparotto’s podium finish in 2012 came the week after his previous Amstel Gold Race victory and he seems to be imbued with a same feel-good factor this time around. After a solo training camp on Mount Teide in Tenerife, Gasparotto came down off the volcano to place second at Brabantse Pijl before winning over the Cauberg last Sunday and performing strongly on the Mur de Huy three days later.
“I watched last year’s Flèche Wallonne on video and took Michael Albasini, who finished on the podium, as a point of reference. I was 12 seconds behind him at the bottom and the gap was the exact same at the top. That gave me the conviction all winter that I could come back to Flèche Wallonne and be up there with the best,” Gasparotto told Cyclingnews. “Fifth place at Flèche has given me even more tranquillity and it’s given me a lot of confidence.”
While Flèche and, to a lesser extent, Amstel tend to follow a preordained script ahead of their final climbs, Gasparotto insisted that he had no ideal scenario in mind ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, particularly given the predicted foul weather.
“The important thing is to be first in Ans, and it doesn’t matter how, why or when you attack. Anything can happen, especially if there’s bad weather or even snow. There could be ten riders in a sprint or we could be coming home in ones and twos. With weather like this, whoever copes with it the best will be in front,” Gasparotto said. “We already saw how it affected riders at Amstel.”
The addition of the Côte de Rue Naniot between the Côte de Saint-Nicolas and the interminable final drag up to the finish at Ans, too, lends a further veneer of uncertainty to Sunday’s race. On reconnoitring the climb for the first time on arriving in Belgium last week, Gasparotto immediately thought it suited to the talents of his former Astana teammate Jakob Fuglsang.
“It changes the race completely in my opinion, and Saint-Nicolas won’t be as important as before. Everybody is going to be frightened by this climb,” Gasparotto said. “I’d fancy Fuglsang, provided he’s recovered from Trentino, because he’s done Flanders already this year and that means he’s got the resistance in his legs.
“He’s always attacked on Saint-Nicolas and put me in difficulty – even when we were teammates, but that happens – so I think Jakob is the favourite, after Alejandro Valverde. The only scenario I’d predict in advance is that Jakob will attack on the pavé.”
Gasparotto was coy, meanwhile, about his own future once the curtain falls on this Classics campaign. After picking up a haul of UCI points this week, he could well find suitors in the WorldTour for 2017, but given his ill-starred relationship with the Italian national team, he is unsure of his prospects of lining out at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
“[Italian manager] Davide Cassani told me he wants to talk with me, but I’ve not spoken to him yet. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the national team – love from me and hate from them, because I’ve never done the Worlds in my career. We’ll see,” Gasparotto said with a smile. “First up I’ve got Romandie and then the Dauphiné, which is important for the team and we want to honour it so I’m only thinking about the team until then.
“Obviously people are asking me questions about the transfer market too, but with the way the mercato is in cycling at the moment, we’ll wait for June.”Cardiovascular disease kills more people on Earth than anything else—over 17 million a year, and the number keeps going up. Of those deaths, more than 40 percent is due to coronary heart disease. Medicine has drugs that can treat it and practices that can help prevent it, but nobody really knows what causes it or how to cure it. Now, Google and the American Heart Association aim to change that by dropping a $50 million funding bomb on the problem. And as you might expect from a Silicon Valley giant that believes in moving fast and breaking things—an approach that hasn't always transferred well to basic scientific research—the company isn't spreading the money around.
In an announcement this month at the American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Florida, Google Life Sciences and the AHA said the money would go to one team over five years. This isn't covering the bases. This is, to mix a lot of metaphors, a Manhattan Project. Or as Google likes to call such things: a moonshot.
'We have the capacity to make very precise measurements of things that up until very recently, we’ve not been able to take a look at.' Gregory Graf, researcher, Saha Cardiovascular Center at The University of Kentucky
“Traditional research funding models are often incremental and piecemeal, making it difficult to study a long-term, multifaceted subject,” Andrew Conrad, CEO of the life sciences team at Google, said in a statement. “AHA and Google Life Sciences have committed to a bold new approach.”
When moonshots work, they're great. You get to the moon. But science is an incremental, layered process. Giant pools of money don't always break research barriers. On the other hand...wow. That's a giant pool of money.
Swings in Science Funding
The AHA, already the largest funder of cardiovascular research in the US outside of the federal government, says the program will be its most heavily funded initiative in nearly a century. Applications begin in January and if all goes according to plan, they’ll be due by February 14th. (Valentine’s Day. Get it?) If you want the $50 million, your idea has to fit on a single page. And Google won’t take a financial or intellectual property stake in the results.
Conrad has said he hopes that the program will accelerate the field of heart research much like Google’s self-driving car eventually compelled the entire automobile industry to follow its lead. Going back in time even farther, the partnership isn’t that novel, says David Kaiser, a physicist and science historian at MIT. He points to corporate funding of science from Bell Labs, Westinghouse, and General Electric. “They typically had their own flourishing in-house research laboratories and supported research on academic campuses,” Kaiser says. “Not just research to improve their particular products, but basic scientific research.”
These days, researchers traditionally rely on federal grants to get their studies funded—and frustration at the process is well-documented. Many of these awards are in the $250,000-a-year range and require time-consuming grant writing to maintain. A recent article in The New York Times detailed how studies in the area of heart disease in particular often don’t get published because so much research yields results that are too narrow.
Even the National Institutes of Health, the federal agency that typically funds life sciences research, has vacillated on what the best funding model is, says Gregory Graf, a researcher at the Saha Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Kentucky. The NIH funds heart disease research to the tune of $1.2 billion a year, $432 million for coronary heart disease alone, and awarding generous amounts of money in the form of multi-million dollar program project grants, or so-called “P awards” once wasn't always so surprising.
“They would fund three to five or six investigators who would make use of core facilities and infrastructure that would allow groups of scientists to gain synergy,” Graf says. But now the NIH has begun to pull back. “It’s perceived to have generated a large amount of overhead that didn’t necessarily result in greater efficiencies." Besides, Graf points out, smaller grants mean the NIH can maintain a larger number of investigators overall.
At the same time, Google's jackpot funding might work in the right field. That's a Manhattan Project-type approach. So is the field of heart disease research ready? Researchers have ways to examine the genome, to look at changes in DNA markers that turn genes "on" or "off." “We have the capacity to make very precise measurements of things that up until very recently, we’ve not been able to take a look at,” says Graf. The costs of doing all that have declined as well. “We live in an era where we can generate very large quantities of data," Graf says. "What we don’t have are very good tools to make sense of it." That's something Google is particularly good at—and interested in.
So whether Google's money ultimately cures coronary heart disease or not, it's almost sure to move the field forward. That $50 million is a very big bomb, but the disease is a very big target.It is a pleasure to invite you to submit proposals to the first “Announcement of Opportunity” for observations to be performed with the AstroSat observatory.
AstroSat is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission. It was launched on 28th September 2015 by PSLV C30 and offers a unique opportunity to observe cosmic sources in X-rays, optical and ultraviolet wavelengths simultaneously using five state-of-the-art instruments.
AstroSat has X-ray instruments covering the energy range of 0.3 to 100 keV for pointed observations. There are Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) using X-ray reflecting mirrors and X-ray CCD for imaging and spectral studies in 0.3 – 8 keV, three identical Large Area X-ray Proportional Counters (LAXPC) covering 3-80 keV region and Cadmium Zinc-Telluride Imager (CZTI) array with coded mask aperture sensitive in 15-100 keV. The UV and Visible bands are covered by an Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) consisting of two identical telescopes, one covering the Far UV band (130 – 180 nm) and the second sensitive in Near UV (200 – 300nm) and Visible (320 – 550 nm) bands. There is a Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) for detection and monitoring of new and known X-ray sources in 2.5 – 10 keV region.
This AO solicits proposals to be carried out in the period from October 2016 to March 2017. This announcement is open to Indian scientists residing and working at institutes/Universities/colleges in India, involved in research in the area of astronomy and who can submit proposals as Principal Investigators (PIs) for specific target observations with necessary scientific and technical justification.
Interested students, researchers, faculty and astronomy community at large, involved in scientific research in the field of astronomy are welcome to participate. This is an exclusive opportunity to Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) for utilizing AstroSat observatory.
It is expected that funding support for carrying out the data analysis project will be utilized from respective host institutions.
The AO procedures documentation for this announcement is available in the ISRO website at:
http://www.isro.gov.in/....................
The deadline for submission of proposals is July 2016. Exact date will be announced in Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) website (www.issdc.gov.in)
We invite you to submit proposals and wish you success in using the AstroSat observatory.
We appreciate if you would distribute this information to the interested colleagues in your institution who wish to submit proposals for observatory time.
If you have any queries regarding the AO, please email to issdc@istrac.gov.in, astrosathelp@iucaa.in.(by Jonathan Blow)
I am happy to announce that Indie Fund, continuing our tradition of backing interesting and innovative games, is funding Miegakure by Marc ten Bosch.
“Miegakure” is a Japanese term meaning “hide-and-reveal”, and refers to an art of garden design that creates an illusion of a larger garden within a smaller space.
Miegakure, the game itself, is a puzzle adventure that takes place in four spatial dimensions. Our everyday world has only three spatial dimensions, but there’s no limit to the number of dimensions we can simulate on a computer. Miegakure simulates a higher-dimensional space and invites you to solve puzzles inside that space. The hiding-and-revealing happens because, though Miegakure’s world is 4D, we can only see three dimensions at once; as we play the game, we are finding different vantage points from which to see the four-dimensional world, revealing something new each time.
This makes for very interesting puzzles. But it’s also just mind-expanding and trippy.
Here’s a video showing the way the game handles movement and visibility:
This video goes deeper into the technical foundations:
I am deeply interested in games that help us see the world in new ways, and that make new mental states available to us. Miegakure is the best example I know of such a game. By the time you finish playing, you may feel your mind has changed, and that you now understand 4D in a new way, a way that is intimate but difficult to fully grasp.
Also, the puzzles are very cool. They are fun to play.
I first saw Miegakure years ago when Marc demoed it at the Experimental Gameplay Workshop in 2009. Back then, the game was very new; though only a few months of work had been done so far, Marc had already put together the basic gameplay. He could have released the game then, but instead he’s worked on it for years, making it as beautiful and as interesting as possible. You’ll feel all this effort when you play the game.
Ron Carmel, one of the chief instigators of Indie Fund, has also played Miegakure. He says, “When i play the game I feel like my mind is at the cusp of understanding something profound about the 4th spatial dimension, even though it never quite gets there.” It’s a very interesting feeling!
For more information about Miegakure, you can visit the game’s site.The first deputy governor of Russia’s central bank, Sergei Shvetsov, has said that his institution will support efforts to block access to external websites selling cryptocurrencies in the country.
Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, Reuters reports that Shvetsov cited the “unreasonably high risks” involved in cryptocurrency investment as a reason for the proposed measure, adding: “We cannot give direct and easy access to such dubious instruments for retail (investors).”
As such, the Bank of Russia will be working alongside the judiciary to ensure the closure of websites offering these services – a crackdown that he indicated will extend to “all cryptocurrency derivatives.”
Russian news agency TASS quotes Shvetsov as stating:
“We consider all cryptocurrency derivatives to be a negative development on the Russian market and do not consider it possible to support it, and will even assume measures to restrict potential operations with such instruments made by the regulated part of the Russian market. Meanwhile, we assume efforts aimed at closing external websites that allow Russian citizens to acquire such assets together with the General Prosecutor’s Office.”
Shvetsov further added that, with bitcoin being an asset that can generate high returns very quickly, it shows signs of being a pyramid scheme.
The move to block access to cryptocurrency trading websites follows a number of warnings from Russian authorities in the past few months.
Alexey Moiseev, the country’s deputy finance minister, said in September that he expects upcoming legislation to feature a flat-out ban on payments made in cryptocurrency. Earlier the same month, deputy governor of the Bank of Russia Dmitry Skobelkin told Bloomberg: “China doesn’t recognize cryptocurrency as payment and forbids ICOs. Our views are absolutely similar.”
Shvetsov image via ShutterstockThis is a post by iOS Tutorial Team member Matthijs Hollemans, an experienced iOS developer and designer. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter. It happens to the best of us: you’re working happily on your app and all is well, and then suddenly – POOF! – it crashes. Aaargh!! (Cue sad violin.) The […]
This is a post by iOS Tutorial Team member Matthijs Hollemans, an experienced iOS developer and designer. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter.
It happens to the best of us: you’re working happily on your app and all is well, and then suddenly – POOF! – it crashes. Aaargh!! (Cue sad violin.)
The first thing to do is: Don’t panic!
Fixing crashes doesn’t need to be hard. You’re likely to worsen the situation if you freak out and start changing things at random, hoping the bug will magically go away if only you utter the right incantations. Instead, you need to take a methodical approach and learn how to reason your way through a crash.
The first order of business is to find out where exactly in your code the crash occurred: in which file and on which line. The Xcode debugger will help you with this, but you need to understand how to make the best use of it, and that’s exactly what this tutorial will show you!
This tutorial is for all developers, from beginning to advanced. Even if you’re an experienced iOS developer, you’ll probably pick up some tips and tricks along the way you didn’t know about!
Getting Started
Download the example project. As you’ll see, this is one buggy program! When you open the project in Xcode, it shows at least eight compiler warnings, which is always a sign of trouble ahead. By the way, we’re using Xcode 4.3 for this tutorial, although version 4.2 should work just as well.
Note: To follow along with this tutorial, the app needs to be run on the iOS 5 Simulator. If you run the app on your device, you’ll still get crashes, but they may not occur in the same order.
Run the app in the simulator and see what happens.
Hey, it crashes! :-]
There are basically two types of crashes that can happen: SIGABRT (also called EXC_CRASH) and EXC_BAD_ACCESS (which can also show up under the names SIGBUS or SIGSEGV).
As far as crashes go, SIGABRT is a pretty good one to have, because it’s a controlled crash. The app terminated on purpose because the system recognized the app did something it wasn’t supposed to.
EXC_BAD_ACCESS, on the other hand, is a lot harder to debug, because it only happens when the app got into a corrupted state, usually due to a memory management issue.
Fortunately, this first crash (of many yet to come) is a SIGABRT. A SIGABRT always comes with an error message that you can see in Xcode’s Debug Output pane (bottom right corner of the window). (If you don’t see the Debug Output pane, tap the middle icon in the View icons section on the top right hand corner of your Xcode window to display the Debug area. If the Debug Output pane still isn’t visible, you might have to tap the middle icon at the top of the Debug area – the icons next to the search field). In this case, it says something like this:
Problems[14465:f803] -[UINavigationController setList:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x6a33840 Problems[14465:f803] *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '-[UINavigationController setList:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x6a33840' *** First throw call stack: (0x13ba052 0x154bd0a 0x13bbced 0x1320f00 0x1320ce2 0x29ef 0xf9d6 0x108a6 0x1f743 0x201f8 0x13aa9 0x12a4fa9 0x138e1c5 0x12f3022 0x12f190a 0x12f0db4 0x12f0ccb 0x102a7 0x11a9b 0x2792 0x2705) terminate called throwing an exception
It’s important that you learn to decipher these error messages because they contain important clues as to what is going wrong. Here, the interesting part is:
[UINavigationController setList:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x6a33840
The error message “unrecognized selector sent to instance XXX” means that the app is trying to call a method that doesn’t exist. Often this happens because the method’s being called on the wrong object. Here, the object in question is UINavigationController (located at memory address 0x6a33840) and the method is setList:.
Knowing the reason for the crash is good, but your first course of action is to figure out where in the code this error occurred. You need to find the name of the source file and the number of the line that’s misbehaving. You can do this using the call stack (also known as the stacktrace or the backtrace).
When an app crashes, the left pane of the Xcode window switches to the Debug Navigator. It shows the threads that are active in the app, and highlights the thread that crashed. Usually that will be Thread 1, the main thread of the app, as that is where you’ll be doing most of your work. If your code uses queues or background threads, then the app can crash in the other threads as well.
Currently, Xcode has highlighted the main() function in main.m as the source of the problem. That isn’t telling you very much, so you’ll have to dig a little deeper.
To see more of the call stack, drag the slider at the bottom of the Debug Navigator all the way to the right. That will show the complete call stack at the moment of the crash:
Each of the items from this list is a function or a method from the app or from one of the iOS frameworks. The call stack shows you what functions or methods are currently active in the app. The debugger has paused the app and all of these functions and methods are now frozen in time.
The function at the bottom, start(), was called first. Somewhere in its execution it called the function above it, main(). That’s the starting point of the app, and it will always be near the bottom. main() in turn called UIApplicationMain(). That is the line that the green arrow (at the beginning of the highlighted line on the right pane in Xcode) is pointing to in the editor window.
Going further up the stack, UIApplicationMain() called the _run method on the UIApplication object, which called CFRunLoopRunInMode(), which called CFRunLoopRunSpecific(), and so on, all the way up to __pthread_kill.
All of these functions and methods in the call stack, except for main(), are grayed out. That’s because they come from the built-in iOS frameworks. There is no source code available for them.
The only thing in this stacktrace that you have source code for is main.m, so that’s what the Xcode source editor shows, even though it’s not really the true source of the crash. This often confuses new developers, but in a minute I will show you how to make sense of it.
For fun, click on any one of the other items from the stacktrace and you’ll see a bunch of assembly code which might not make much sense to you:
Oh, if only we had the source code for that! :-]
The Exception Breakpoint
So how do you find the line in the code that made the app crash? Well, whenever you get a stacktrace like this, an exception was thrown by the app. (You can tell because one of the functions in the call stack is named objc_exception_rethrow.)
An exception happens when the program is caught doing something it shouldn’t have done. What you’re looking at now is the aftermath of this exception: the app did something wrong, the exception has been thrown, and Xcode shows you the results. Ideally, you’d want to see exactly where that exception gets thrown.
Fortunately, you can tell Xcode to pause the program at just that moment, using an Exception Breakpoint. A breakpoint is a debugging tool that pauses your program at a specific moment. You’ll see more of them in the second part of this tutorial, but for now you’ll use a specific breakpoint that will pause the program just before an exception gets thrown.
To set the Exception Breakpoint, we have to switch to the Breakpoint Navigator:
At the bottom is a small + button. Click this and select Add Exception Breakpoint:
A new breakpoint will be added to the list:
Click the Done button to dismiss the pop-up. Notice that the Breakpoints button in Xcode’s toolbar is now enabled. If you want to run the app without any breakpoints enabled, you can simply toggle this button to off. But for now, leave it on and run the app again.
That’s better! The source code editor now points to a line from the source code – no more nasty assembly stuff – and notice that the call stack on the left (you might need to switch to the call stack via the Debug Navigator depending on how you have Xcode set up) also looks different.
Apparently, the culprit is this line in the AppDelegate’s application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method:
viewController.list = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"One", @"Two"];
Take a look at that error message again:
[UINavigationController setList:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x6d4ed20
In the code, “viewController.list = something” calls setList: behind the scenes, because “list” is a property on the MainViewController class. However, according to the error message the viewController variable does not point to a MainViewController object but to a UINavigationController – and of course, UINavigationController does not have a “list” property! So things are getting mixed up here.
Open the Storyboard file to see what the window’s rootViewController property actually points to:
Ah ha! The storyboard’s initial view controller is a Navigation Controller. That explains why window.rootViewController is a UINavigationController object instead of the MainViewController that you’d expect. To fix this, replace application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: with the following:
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions { UINavigationController *navController = (UINavigationController *)self.window.rootViewController; MainViewController *viewController = (MainViewController *)navController.topViewController; viewController.list = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"One", @"Two"]; return YES; }
First you get a reference to the UINavigationController from self.window.rootViewController, and once you have that you can get the pointer to the MainViewController by asking the navigation controller for its topViewController. Now the viewController variable should point to the proper object.
Note: Whenever you get a “unrecognized selector sent to instance XXX” error, check that the object is of the right type and that it actually has a method with that name. Often you’ll find that you’re calling a method on a different object than you thought, because a pointer variable may not contain the right value. Another common reason for this error is a misspelling of the method name. You’ll see an example of this in a bit.
Your First Memory Error
That should have fixed our first problem. Run the app again. Whoops, it crashes at the same line, only now with an EXC_BAD_ACCESS error. That means the app has a memory management problem.
The source of a memory-related crash is often hard to pinpoint, because the evil may have been done much earlier in the program. If a malfunctioning piece of code corrupts a memory structure, the results of this may not show up until much later, and in a totally different place.
In fact, the bug may never show up for you at all while testing, and only rear its ugly head on the devices of your customers. You don’t want that to happen!
This particular crash, however, is easy to fix. If you look at the source code editor, Xcode has been warning you about this line all along. See the yellow triangle on the left next to the line numbers? That indicates a compiler warning. If you click on the yellow triangle, Xcode should pop up a “Fix-it” suggestion like this:
The code initializes an NSArray object by giving it a list of objects, and such lists are supposed to be terminated using nil, the sentinel referred to in the warning. But that wasn’t done and now NSArray gets confused. It tries to read objects that don’t exist, and the app crashes hard.
This is a mistake you really shouldn’t make, especially since Xcode already warns you about it. Fix the code by adding nil to the list as follows (Or, you can simply select the “Fix-it” option from the menu):
viewController.list = [NSArray arrayWithObjects:@"One", @"Two", nil];
“This class is not key value coding-compliant”
Run the app again to see what other fun bugs this project has in store for you. And what do you know? It crashes again on main.m. Since the Exception Breakpoint is still enabled and we do not see any app source code highlighted, this time the crash truly didn’t happen in any of the app source code. The call stack corroborates this: none of these methods belong to the app, except main():
If you look through the method names from the top going down, there is some stuff going on with NSObject and Key-Value Coding. Below that is a call to [UIRuntimeOutletConnection connect]. I have no idea what that is, but it looks like it has something to do with connecting outlets. Below that are methods that talk about loading views from a nib. So that gives you some clues already.
However, there is no convenient error message in Xcode’s Debug Pane. That’s because the exception hasn’t been thrown yet. The Exception Breakpoint has paused the program just before it tells you the reason for the exception. Sometimes |
him and said, "Hello, Orson. Do you remember me?" "Please help me," he said. "I'm so tired." "Arthur Anderson. I was your Lucius in Julius Caesar" "Of course, dear boy. How good to see you." When I reported for the next rehearsal, I had been upgraded to the role of First Knight, and given lines taken away from another actor, who I am sure cordially hated my guts. Orson Welles and the microphone were made for each other. He had a rich, flexible and resonant voice, nowhere used to greater dramatic effect than on radio. Whatever his successes and failures, he lived his life intensely, and every one of his productions was an adventure. I was lucky to be included in a few of them.
Anderson remained a popular voice actor. Between 1963 and 1992 he was the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun in commercials for Lucky Charms cereal. He was also the voice of Ducky Drake, the cartoon duck mascot for Drake's Cakes.
His film credits included Midnight Cowboy, Green Card and I'm Not Rappaport and appearances on the television series Car 54, Where Are You?, Courage, the Cowardly Dog and Law & Order.
Anderson continued to work until his 90th year. One of his last performances was in 2012 at the Episcopal Actor's Guild, where he recreated his 1938 Mercury The Ghost of Christmas Past in the Quicksilver Radio Theater's 200th anniversary production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
He authored two books, Let's Pretend and An Actor's Odyssey, both available through BearManor Media.
Anderson was predeceased by his wife, Alice, and is survived by his daughter, Amy.
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Post your comments on the Wellesnet Message Board.Jury Sympathetic To Life360's CEO Sending 'Dear Piece Of Shit' Letter To Patent Troll; Says Patents Not Infringed
from the nice-move dept
"We have been committed to fighting these baseless claims from the outset and sharing our resources with the tech community. Today, we're taking it a step further and offering to provide free legal support to other small companies being sued by AGIS," said Chris Hulls, co-founder and CEO of Life360. "By providing this support, we can make it economically viable for smaller companies to defend themselves thus breaking the calculus that is core to most patent trolls' existence."
"Anyone who got a letter like that—three days, or shut down—of course, you're going to be pissed," said Sheri Coombs, an elementary school teacher in Palm Beach County who served on the jury. "He reacted, and who could blame him?"
On cross-exam, Hannemann suggested the expletive was a "calculated move" to get press coverage for Life360.
"The calculated move was not the expletive," said Hulls. "The calculated move was to make clear that we didn't feel that we were infringing and be very public about that with our investors." He wanted to "set a firm tone" showing that Life360 "won't roll over."
"Close to zero," said Hulls. Having a map with visual representations of people on it is important, but "Mr. Beyer's patents are not about putting people on the map. There are eight different things for most of these. If we change one of these steps, we are no longer infringing."
If Life360 removed its "call" feature—a feature used by 0.36 percent of its users—it couldn't possibly be infringing anymore, even accepting the plaintiff's other arguments.
"You could make the changes to make it not infringe but you haven't yet, right?" Hannemann asked.
"I was advised by our attorneys that we should not make any changes to our product while this litigation is ongoing because it would be a false admission that we felt we were infringing," Hulls said. "And I think this trial will hopefully show we were not infringing these patents and they're invalid."
Just last year, we wrote about how the CEO/founder of the social network Life360 responded to a threat letter from a patent troll, AGIS, by sending a letter titled "Dear Piece of Shit" and explaining why the company had no intention of settling with some stupid patent troll shakedown move. Three days later, AGIS sued for patent infringement. Since then, Life360 has become a vocal opponent of patent trolls, and AGIS in particular. In fact, just last month the company made a really bold move in announcing that it would provide free legal support for any other startups sued by AGIS:The company also filed a complaint with the California Attorney General against AGIS. And, now, Life360 has won in court as well, with a Florida jury saying that it was clear that the company did not infringe on the AGIS' patent. The "dear piece of shit" letter was entered as evidence during the trial, but Life360 actually used it to its advantage, talking about how Hulls had founded the company and worked for a while without salary, building it up and suddenly got a letter from a company that wasn't even a competitor, telling him he needed to shut down the company in just three days or pay up. That seemed to get sympathy from the jury.Reporter Joe Mullin spoke to people on the jury and found that the letter actually worked to Hulls' advantage:The jury didn't invalidate the patent, but agreed that Life360 didn't do everything claimed in the patent, which was necessary for it to be infringing.AGIS' lawyer, Mark Hannemann, of Kenyon and Kenyon (who Hulls claims is really the one responsible for AGIS trying patent trolling), tried to make a big deal out of the "piece of shit" letter, but that seemed to backfire as well, as Hulls had a ready response:It also sounds like Hannemann made another mistake in cross-examining Hulls, in asking him how much he thought a "reasonable royalty" would be on those patents, allowing Hulls to make the simple point that what is in AGIS' patents ( 7,031,728 8,126,441 and 7,672,681 ) wasn't even remotely important or new:And, while the jury didn't go as far as to call the patents invalid, it did definitively say that Life360 didn't infringe. Not that this suggests the "dear piece of shit" letter is advisable, but it didn't seem to work against Life360 in this case.Also, I hope that other companies sued by trolls think about launching similar programs to Life360 promising to pay the defense costs of other startups as well. That could really put a dent into the trolling business model of shaking down startups that don't have enough cash to fight a patent lawsuit.
Filed Under: chris hulls, mark hannemann, patent trolling, patents
Companies: agis, kenyon and kenyon, life360Roy Moore wasn’t the only loser Tuesday night. He might not have even been the biggest one.
The Alabama Republican’s stunning defeat at the hands of Democrat Doug Jones dealt a crushing blow to the nascent political operation helmed by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who threw every ounce of his political muscle behind Moore’s candidacy, even as many national Republicans, save President Donald Trump, rushed to distance themselves following the emergence of sexual-assault and child-molestation allegations against Moore.
Bannon headlined rallies for Moore, enlisted allies in a political effort to boost his candidacy, and marshaled his website, Breitbart News, to Moore’s defense against those misconduct allegations—and in an effort to discredit the former state supreme court justice’s accusers—with at least one top Breitbart staffer spending the last month of the race in-state. And when it was all said and done, with Jones claiming triumph, the Bannon critics (and there are many) took the chance to dance on his grave.
“Bannon is like so many people that get involved in politics. They work on their first race, their person wins, and they think people voted for them,” said Stu Stevens, the former top strategist to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. As part of his closing argument supporting Moore’s campaign, Bannon had made bashing Romney a rhetorical centerpiece.
“I think Bannon made an ass of himself [tonight],” Stevens added. “Be wary of the angry millionaire.”
Whether the Breitbart chief is actually buried will be determined in the days and weeks ahead. Bannon is not known to be easily humbled and a source close to him simply said that he and his associates were “stunned” by the results of the evening.
They were also busy figuring out the moves ahead, including laying the blame on establishment Republicans for ditching Moore in the midst of his scandals. Though Jones’ margin exceeded 1.5 percent of all votes cast with all precincts reporting, Moore refused to concede the race. The margin is far above the 0.5 percent threshold that triggers an automatic recount in Alabama, but Secretary of State John Merrill said Tuesday evening that any candidate can request a recount as long as the candidate himself pays for it.
The overwhelming likelihood that Jones would be seated could well spark a tectonic shift within the GOP, strategists said Tuesday. They equated it to Scott Brown’s surprise Senate victory in Massachusetts in 2010, which proved to be a political turning point in a young Barack Obama administration.
As in that moment, Tuesday night’s ramifications for the current president could prove profound. Dispensing with the concerns of some of his advisers and family members, Trump decided to forcefully boost Moore’s candidacy in the final weeks. He specifically touted it as a means of helping move forward his governing agenda, which now finds itself more in peril.
White House officials told The Daily Beast earlier Tuesday that the president kept tabs on the race in his residence in the White House. When he finally weighed in just after 11 p.m., Trump’s response was uncharacteristically muted.
“Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory,” the president wrote on Twitter. “The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!”
One senior Trump aide stressed early Tuesday that Trump would take a Jones upset “very, very” hard—not least, the aide said, because it would rob the president of the ability to goad his predecessor, Barack Obama, over getting involved on Jones’ behalf. (Obama didn’t touch the race until its final days, when he put out a robocall on behalf of the Democratic contender.)
As much as he would have been a governing ally for the president, Moore was also an avatar for a distinctively Trump-era style of politics. Bannon, in particular, considered Moore a leader of his crusade against the Republican establishment in Washington, and against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) specifically. When Moore prevailed in a primary challenge to Sen. Luther Strange in September, Bannon allies were sure to point the finger directly at McConnell, who, they said, was so disliked in the state as to make his endorsement a poison pill.
McConnell allies were sure to reciprocate the sentiment in the wake of a massive upset that brought the Republican margin in the Senate down to just a single vote.
“Steve Bannon has done more for Democrats than they could’ve ever thought possible,” said Josh Holmes, McConnell’s former chief of staff. ”Bannon displayed an absolutely breathtaking display of political incompetence that will go down in the annals of history for every Republican to mourn for generations.”
Though McConnell allies squarely blamed Bannon for the loss, it was the Senate Leadership Fund, a McConnell-allied super PAC, that helped pave the way for Moore’s primary victory. The group spent significant sums hammering Rep. Mo Brooks, a conservative House member perceived as a likely threat to Strange’s incumbency. Moore, on the other hand, was seen as an easy target for Strange in a head-to-head primary runoff. But Moore prevailed, and his faults proved deadly in a general election.
SLF stayed out of the general-election contest, and other prominent arms of the Republican political machine did the same. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which withdrew from a joint fundraising pact with Moore in the wake of his sexual-misconduct allegations, quickly—if perhaps fancifully—attempted to capitalize on that stance by immediately courting Jones’ vote once it became clear he’d prevail.
“Tonight’s results are clear—the people of Alabama deemed Roy Moore unfit to serve in the U.S. Senate,” said NRSC Chairman Cory Gardner in a statement. “I hope Senator-elect Doug Jones will do the right thing and truly represent Alabama by choosing to vote with the Senate Republican Majority.”
Bannon and his anti-establishment allies, several of whom traveled to Alabama for what they expected would be a Tuesday night victory party, had been feeling incredibly optimistic about Moore’s chances right up until the race’s sudden shift, around 10 p.m. ET, in Jones’s direction.
“I’m feeling pretty good about it,” Corey Stewart, former chairman of the Trump campaign in Virginia and failed gubernatorial candidate, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday afternoon. Stewart said he would leave the Yellowhammer State on Wednesday.
“People can see through this attempt by Washington elites to try to pick the next senator from Alabama, and they don’t like it,” he continued. “I’m talking about Mitch McConnell, and Condi Rice, and Cory Gardner. Naturally, people resent that.”
Still, Stewart felt there was something to worry about, even as he predicted Moore’s imminent triumph that never came.
“The reason I’m here is when the establishment is done with Roy Moore, they’re going to try to crush me and any other anti-establishment, pro-Trump candidates for U.S. Senate and for Congress,” he said. “So I’m here for solidarity. They’re gonna try to pick us off one by one, so we gotta stick together, man.”
If the messaging emerging out of the so-called Republican establishment on Tuesday night is any indication, Stewart has a point. Insurgent and Bannon-aligned forces in Trump’s GOP now find themselves playing defense in an ongoing civil conflict.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
April 7, 2016, 9:00 AM GMT / Updated April 7, 2016, 9:55 AM GMT By Dave Levinthal
The full version of this story was originally published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
In this year’s presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton has criticized the flood of so-called "dark money" that has dominated presidential politics since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. But is there a gap between the rhetoric and the reality?
A Center for Public Integrity investigation reveals that despite Clinton’s statements about campaign finance reform, corporations, unions and dark money nonprofits have already poured millions of dollars into a network of Clinton-boosting political organizations. That’s on top of the tens of millions an elite club of Democratic megadonors, including billionaire financiers George Soros and Haim Saban, have contributed to pro-Hillary super PACs.
Click here to read the full Center for Public Integrity report.
Three cash-flush super PACs exist almost exclusively to strengthen Clinton’s presidential effort.
Priorities USA Action, for example, has already spent millions helping Clinton secure the Democratic nomination. Ready PAC organizes and collects information from grassroots supporters. Correct the Record serves as a political SWAT unit attacking those who attack Clinton.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Apollo Theater in the Harlem section of New York City on March 30, 2016. JASON SZENES / EPA, file
A fourth super PAC, American Bridge 21st Century PAC, aids Democratic candidates in general with opposition research — and was praised by Clinton at its outset.
These four core pro-Clinton super PACs have together raised $86 million, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of the most recent filings made with federal regulators. Of this haul, more than $10 million collectively comes from dozens of corporate or nonprofit sources, making tracking the money to a human source challenging.
The 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling freed corporations, unions and certain nonprofits to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for and against political candidates, and on balance, conservatives have embraced Citizens United much more than liberals, many of whom consider poorly regulated political money a poison that weakens democracy.
Click here for a glossary of campaign finance terms
The high court’s decision was prompted by a dispute over an anti-Clinton movie that conservative activist organization Citizens United wanted to broadcast during the final weeks of an election.
“Wouldn’t you know that Hillary Clinton has become one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision,” Citizens United President David Bossie said. “It is an irony that is not lost on me.”
On the campaign trail, Clinton has assailed the system born out of this ruling.
In a speech last year, Clinton said, “We have to end the flood of secret, unaccountable money that is distorting our election, corrupting our political process, drowning out the voices and votes of people.”
“As president, I'll appoint Supreme Court justices who recognize that Citizens United is bad for America. And if necessary, I'll fight for a constitutional amendment that overturns it,” Clinton wrote in a CNN op-ed piece marking the 6th anniversary of the Citizens United decision.
“You're not going to find anybody more committed to aggressive campaign finance reform than me,” Clinton said on Feb. 9 during a speech following the New Hampshire primary.
But she’s also had to field questions from reporters and her rival Bernie Sanders about her own campaign finances.
At a Democratic debate on Feb. 11, Clinton responded to a question about millions of dollars liberal financiers Soros and Donald Sussman have poured into Priorities USA Action.
“You're referring to a super PAC that we don't coordinate with, that was set up to support President Obama, that has now decided that they want to support me,” Clinton said. “They are the ones who should respond to any questions. Let's talk about our campaigns.”
When Sanders later pressed her about Priorities USA Action, she shot back: “It's not my PAC.”
Technically, Clinton is correct about her relationship with super PACs: Federal law prohibits her, or any presidential candidate, from commanding and controlling super PACs that back them. The Sanders campaign receives modest support from a few super PACs and a “dark money” nonprofit, and he can’t legally force them to stop.
Josh Schwerin, Clinton’s spokesman, declined to address specific Center for Public Integrity questions about secret and tough-to-track money that super PACs are using to support her candidacy.
But the campaign argues it “cannot afford to unilaterally disarm” and quit the big-money game. That, they say, is because powerful conservative interests, most notably the secretive outfits backed by billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, plan to support the Republican presidential nominee with hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump, himself a billionaire, is using his own wealth as campaign fuel.
“When she is elected president, Hillary Clinton will make it a priority to restore a government of, by and for the people,” Schwerin said.
Not satisfactory, say some prominent liberals. Clinton’s supposedly reform-minded campaign, they continue, has instead tolerated if not embraced a Democratic operation similar to what the Koch brothers have wrought.
“It’d be like tobacco companies coming out and saying they wanted to fight against lung cancer,” said Dylan Ratigan, the former MSNBC host and author of the New York Times bestseller “Greedy Bastards,” who hasn’t yet endorsed a presidential candidate. “In a way, the Koch brothers have more credibility than Clinton on election money issues — they’re at least upfront about how they want to use money to buy politics.”
An online Center for Public Integrity/Ipsos poll of more than 2,000 adults conducted in late February indicates many potential general election voters are likewise concerned about how serious Clinton is about remaking the nation’s campaign system — a goal the vast majority support yet would be a monumental challenge under any circumstance.
Half of all poll respondents — and nearly four in 10 self-identified Democrats — said Clinton is relying on super PACs and big money too much. That compares to 18 percent overall who said Clinton is relying on them the “right amount” and 5 percent who said “too little.”
And when asked, “If elected president, which of the following would do the most to reform the campaign finance system and make it less reliant on big money?” Clinton trailed both Sanders and Trump among respondents.
A ‘Milky Way’ of Clinton groups
During the 2016 election cycle, most Republican presidential candidates, current and former, have enjoyed support from super PACs that exist for one reason: to support the candidates’ campaign.
The development represents the full flourishing of a trend that began during the 2012 presidential election. While technically separate of the campaigns they back, the super PACs are often run by friends, associates or former staffers of the presidential candidate being supported.
The pro-Clinton groups are intimately linked to each other. Two of them — American Bridge 21st Century PAC and Correct the Record — share office space in downtown Washington, D.C.
Click here for a list of pro-Clinton groups
Federal records show all four regularly move millions of dollars in cash and resources among themselves, meaning an initial, anonymous contribution to one super PAC might additionally flow through any of the rest before it’s finally used to help Clinton.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks on March 22 during a campaign rally at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle. Ted S. Warren / AP
Consider the $1 million Priorities USA Action gave Correct the Record in December. Correct the Record in turn gave American Bridge 21st Century $400,000 later that month. And earlier in 2015, American Bridge 21st Century paid Ready PAC $150,000 for personal information about its legions of supporters.
Priorities USA Action and Correct the Record have even together formed a federal joint fundraising committee called American Priorities 16, a vehicle that allows the two groups to more seamlessly solicit donations and swap resources.
Another thing these groups have in common is David Brock, the Clinton ally who either leads or has advised or assisted them all. Brock is also involved with several nonprofit organizations friendly to Clinton’s cause, such as Media Matters for America, which monitors conservative media for bias, and the American Independent Institute, which funds journalism exposing the “nexus of conservative power in Washington.”
“She doesn’t just have a constellation, she has a galaxy — a Milky Way — of this outside funding,” says former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who ran against Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary and dropped his bid in October.
Leaders of the pro-Clinton super PACs say they serve an essential purpose: efficiently and effectively defending Clinton against Republicans who will use the Citizens United decision against Clinton to the greatest extent possible.
Clinton, they continue, also can’t be expected to battle unlimited political money with limited resources — the most a presidential candidate’s own campaign may accept from an individual donor during the general election is $2,700.
Brock, for his part, says he’s “very proud of the progressive infrastructure” that he’s helped build in a bid to aid Clinton.
“Her solutions are robust, and I believe it when she says she’ll follow through”
After the Citizens United decision, Brock said, Democrats and liberals had a choice.
They could bury their “collective heads in our ideals and principles and cede the new political reality to the likes of Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers or play by the rules as they are and play to win,” Brock said. “We made the decision, the correct and only one in our view, to play by the rules as they are and play to win so that progressives can gain enough political power to move America forward in a number of critical areas including campaign finance reform.”
Added Justin Barasky, a Priorities USA Action spokesman: “To think we’re not going to fight back against those attacks would be political malpractice. We’re not going to allow Republicans to buy an election.”
Barasky noted that Priorities USA Action does support Clinton’s campaign finance reform platform and itself recently shut down its sister nonprofit, Priorities USA, which had accepted millions of dollars in undisclosed contributions while it was still largely a vehicle for supporting President Barack Obama and his political agenda.
Campaign reform activists underwhelmed
Among the more than 20 campaign finance reform group officials the Center for Public Integrity interviewed about Clinton in February and March, including officials with past ties to both major parties, many offered some measure of understanding for Clinton’s situation. Several employed the “she can’t unilaterally disarm” talking point the Clinton campaign uses.
In other words: Better that Clinton play and win by the lousy election rules in place today and reform the system later than martyr herself on some altar of idealism.
“Her solutions are robust, and I believe it when she says she’ll follow through,” said Marge Baker, executive vice president for People for the American Way, which advocates for a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United.
“We don’t expect her to lay down arms. We would like to see her elevate this issue into a centerpiece of her campaign,” said Adam Lioz, counsel and senior adviser at Demos.
Other reformers, however, feel stung by what they consider President Barack Obama’s underperformance on political transparency and campaign reform matters, have this advice for Clinton: Show us, don’t tell us.
They want to see Clinton sign an executive order requiring government contractors to disclose funding they give “dark money” political nonprofits.
They want to see her appoint new commissioners to the ever-gridlocked Federal Election Commission — five of six commissioners continue to serve despite their terms having long ago expired.
And they most certainly want to see her engage Congress legislative proposals, even if they’re relatively modest measures such as incentivizing people to make small-dollar political contributions.
“These are somethings we need to see before we can figure out the level of her commitment,” said David Donnelly, president and chief executive of Every Voice.
Other observers are much more skeptical.
“There’s nothing in her background that suggests this will be a top priority for her,” said Trevor Potter, president of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center and a former Federal Election Commission chairman who served as general counsel for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“If her candidacy is any reflection of her personal priorities, she’s a hypocrite,” said Cyrus Patton, chief executive of Mayday.US, which works to elect to office hardcore campaign reformers. “My faith in her commitment to change is slim.”
Schwerin, Clinton’s spokesman, defended her reform record, noting that as a U.S. senator, she co-sponsored numerous bills aimed at enhancing donation disclosure and increasing public campaign financing.
She also co-sponsored perhaps the highest-profile piece of campaign reform legislation this century: the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2001 — better known as McCain-Feingold.
“Hillary Clinton has spent her career fighting for campaign finance reform,” Schwerin said.
The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.Perth Kangaroos : A History
Wearing yellow shirts and black shorts, IFC (International Football Club) Perth Kangaroos competed in the Singapore Professional Soccer League, during the 1994 season, taking out the title without loss. Pre-season favourites, their run-away success paved the way for a Perth side to enter the N.S.L. in their own country after years of being ignored by the Australian Soccer Federation. The Kangaroos were controlled by Global Football Australia, a consortium consisting of Joe Claudio (Chairman), Frank Schaper (Managing Director), Trevor Crewe (Director), Jim Davis (Director) and Tom MacKay (Director).
Having been snubbed once again by the national body, the West went in search of first class competition and found it in the S-League, a ten team competition that also featured fellow-Australians the Darwins Cubs. It was hoped at the time that this formula, whereby clubs from different nations would compete for a common championship, would lead to a wider South-East Asian competition. With estimates of a projected audience of over 3 billion, thanks to live television broadcasts of the S-League in Asia, the potential for expansion into Asia was enormous for West Australian, and Australian, soccer.
As it became clear that the competition would be a walk-over for the Kangaroos, home attendances plummeted from over 5000 to as little as 500. Crowds in Singapore were also poor as the premier South-East Asian competition at the time was the Malaysian League where the cream of the Singapore League were playing for the Singapore Lions. In an effort to increase gates, the Kangaroos switched their home matches from Macedonia Park mid-May to night fixtures for the remainder of the season at Dorrien Gardens. Financial losses caused by falling attendances only added to the clubs woes which saw its on-field achievements often over-shadowed by the off-field problems which dogged the club from the start of the campaign.
The Kangaroos had difficulties securing players before the season began, only a last-minute agreement between the Professional Soccer Federation board and the W.A. State League, which the saw the S-League side lease a maximum of three players from each State League club for the duration of the season, saved the club the embarrassment of not fielding a team in the tournament. Even so, they had to call off a practice match against Singaporean side Selangor at the Kiev Sports Ground at half-time when a lack of players forced the Kangaroos out of the game. An hour before the scheduled kick-off time, Perth Italia issued writs which effectively refused to let the Kangaroos use five of their players - Vince Matassa, Gareth and Craig Naven, Dale Wingell and Paul Strudwick - who had been training with the Kangaroos without renewing their club contracts, making them ineligible for the S-League team. An inquiry into the fiasco was called by the W.A. Sports Minister and the matter was cleared up within the week, the Kangaroos agreeing to use only contracted players. Wingell and Strudwick left Italia within weeks in order to make themselves available for the Singapore competition. In fact, none of those who turned out for the team for their opening S-League match against Gilbraltar Cresent had signed any sort of contract with Global Football Australia at that stage. The players had decided to seek legal advice concerning the contracts they were offered pre-season in order to secure a better deal.
In the last week of April, a combination of events prompted speculation amongst the local soccer scene that all was not well at the fledgling club. Joe Claudio resigned from his position of Chairman to commit himself to his legal career, and only days later the Kangaroos had to postpone their home fixture against Balestier United when that club were unable to find a suitable flight to Perth.
The following week the problems at the club were made public when Global Football Australia declared themselves bankrupt, management of the Kangaroos being handed over to the Soccer Association of W.A. The threat of not being able to complete the season was averted when Arena Investments came to the rescue with a $50,000 package, part of which was that the players would see out the season with no financial benefits.
As the season began to tail-off, and it became obvious the Kangaroos would take out the S-League, the club came into heavy fire from State League clubs when they refused players the right to appear for both the Kangaroos and their State League club on the same weekend. Many of the players believed they were capable of playing twice in two days, and some proved this correct when they put in credible efforts for both sides having been granted special permission to play locally. This refusal on the Kangaroos behalf led to two problems for the S-League side. Firstly, a number of the Kangaroos squad opted to turn out for their State League clubs, where they would get renumeration for playing. And secondly, State League clubs began making their players unavailable for the Kangaroos as the local competition was reaching make-or-break point for some clubs. This further depleted the Kangaroos squad, so much so that coach Gary Marocchi and his assistant Mickey Brennan were called upon to play in the final weeks of the season.
The players that turned out for the team during the season were Vince Matassa, Michael Petkovic, Vladimir Beretovac, Sean Lynch, Alex Cummings, Craig Naven, Marc Wingell, Joe Marrapodi, Stephen Willey, Gareth Naven, Scott Miller, Steve Bourne, Ray Marinovic, Paul Dymock, Vince Tana, Paul McVittie, Dale Wingell, Jason Van Rooy, Taki Nicholaidis, Gary Lees and Paul Strudwick. The 'non-playing' staff was made up of coach Gary Marocchi, assistant coach Mickey Brennan and club physio Barry Tate. Captained initially by Craig Naven, and later by his brother Gareth, the Kangaroos were never challenged in their quest for the championship which they clinched three rounds before the season was over. Strudwick topped the S-League scorers chart with 16 goals and was rewarded by being selected for the S-League select XI, while Lees came in a close second on the scorers charts bagging 15. Gareth Naven took out the "West Australian" Player of the Year Award polling 40 votes, 15 clear of Scott Miller and Vladimir Beretovac on 25. Next up were Paul Strudwick (24), Steve Bourne (19) and Gary Lees (18).
In a revealing article written for the "West Australian" (26/07/94) newspaper titled "Kangaroos are big loser off the field", Mel Moffat questioned the future of the club whose original committment was for three years in the S-League. He put the full cost of the venture in the vicinity of $100 000 once all things had been taken into consideration, although the true cost was never publicly released.
Requiring home gates of around 3 000 to remain solvent, the club started off well but the fans fell away rapidly with home gates for the second half of the season averaging just 600. Moffat notes that the Football Association of Singapore went back on their original deal with the Perth Kangaroos by removing their best players for the Singapore Lions, who were pulling crowds around 50,000 in the Malaysian League. Roger Lefort, then executive director of the Soccer Administration of W.A., has gone on record to say that this was the killer blow to the league which was severely weakened and relegated to second-class status within its own country. And the failure to attract major sponsorship for the team cost them considerably.
Moffat calculated that on a weekly salary of $400 per match, the players lost over $60,000 by playing 12 matches for nothing once G.F.A. left the scene. Coaching staff were estimated to add a further $10 000 to this bill. A players fund, set up to raise money for those who took to the field, raised $20,000 (part of which was Strudwick's $2,500 for being the leagues leading scorer) which was split amongst the squad at the completion of the season. Arena Investments are said to have been out of pocket by around $20,000 once they'd paid for the teams travel and accomodation expenses, despite having collected the (Singapore) $70,000 prize-money which came with the trophy.
Despite the huge financial loss, Gary Marocchi believed the venture was worthwhile, "With next year's move to the N.S.L. in mind, it was a good experience for our players to take part in an international competition." He went on to say that he supported the club taking part in the S-League the following season in order to benefit the players who would make up Perth's new National Soccer League side.
The club was laid to rest at a meeting of W.A. soccer officials late in August when it was decided that the state would focus it's attention on getting a team in the Australian domestic competition.
PERTH KANGAROOS : THE RESULTS
Note : Games marked with an asterix (*) were friendlies. All others are S-League matches.
Date Opponents (Venue) Score Scorers Feb 21 Selangor* (Malaysia) (N) 1-1 Lees Mar 3 Selangor* (Malaysia) (H) 1-4?? Mar 12 Spearwood Dalmatinac* (A) 8-2 Lees 3, Marinovic 2, D.Wingell, Lynch Mar 15 Bayswater Inter* (A) 9-1 Strudwick 2, G.Naven 2, Lees 2, McVittie 2, Marinovic Mar 17 Dianella Serbia* (A) 1-1 Strudwick Mar 27 Gilbraltar Cresent (H) 2-0 Lees 2 Apr 3 Gaylang International (H) 4-1 Lees 3, G.Naven Apr 5 W.A. Selection* (N) 5-0 Beretovac, +4 Apr 9 Tyrwhitt (A) 3-0 McVittie, Bourne, Lees Apr 16 Jurong Town (H) 11-0 McVittie 3, Lees, Miller, Strudwick 3, Marinovic, own goal, Willey Apr 19 Perth Italia* (A) 3-2?? Apr 24 Darwin Cubs (A) 5-1 McVittie 2, Bourne, Miller, own goal May 7 Singapore Police (A) 3-0 McVittie, D.Wingell 2 May 15 Tiong Bahru (H) 4-0 Strudwick 2, Marinovic, Cummings May 22 SAFSA (H) 10-1 Strudwick 4, Bourne 2, D.Wingell 4 May 28 Gilbraltar Cresent (A) 3-0 Bourne 2, Strudwick Jun 5 Gayland International (A) 2-1 G.Naven 2 Jun 11 Tyrwitt (H)?-??? Jun? Jurong Town (A) 3-0 G.Naven, D.Wingell, Lynch Jun 25 Darwin Cubs (H) 2-1 G.Naven, Marinovic Jul 2 Balestier United (H) 5-0 Lees 2, D.Wingell 3 Jul 8 Olyroos* (N) 0-2. Jul 10 Singapore Police (H) 5-0 Miller, Lees 3, Nicolaidis Jul 17 Tiong Bahru (A) 4-2 Lees 2, Tana, Strudwick Jul 22 SAFSA (A) 1-1 Marinovic Jul 23 Balesteir United (A) 4-0 Strudwick 4
Photographs: Match action from the Kangaroos 4-1 home win over Geyland, photography by Richard Kreider
This page was last updated on the 22nd March, 2002
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of breaking through. Even then he wanted to be viewed as something more than a glam real estate speculator, someone of substance politically. (When I arrived in his office, he told me he was taking a call from Sen. Bob Dole, then the Senate minority leader, the timing of which was probably prearranged.)
We walked over to the 21 Club, his regular dining spot, Trump’s Cheers, where everybody knew his name and instantly started to clamor for his attention, clearly lusting to get into his next deal.
Even then he looked down at the grubby big shots who just wanted to make megabucks off real estate. He had higher ambitions. Although if you tuned in to his tone a quarter-century ago, there is at least some hesitation at putting himself forward as savior of the world. A trace of humility at the task. That’s gone now.
What you do find is a prescient Trumpian impatience with “defense intellectuals,” exemplified in his contempt for then-fashionable nuclear-deterrence theories like “dense pack,” a plan to group our nuclear silos so close together that attacking missiles would destroy each other by means of “fratricide”—crashing into each other over the desolate Great Plains. He saw how dense it was! He knew about the dangerous reality of a “hair trigger” nuclear “posture.” He said he had an uncle who was a nuclear scientist who made him aware of the all-too-easy proliferation of nuclear weapons. He had read Strobe Talbott’s sagacious history of the START talks, Deadly Gambits
Still. Impatience, combativeness, impulsiveness—not exactly what you’re hoping for when it comes to the guy in charge of the nuclear trigger. The combo makes one uneasy. On the other hand he seemed genuinely aware of just how much danger nukes put the world in and how futile efforts thus far had been to deal with that danger. He didn’t sound eager to pull the trigger, which I guess is good. There had to be a deal!
Still, I used to laugh when I thought back on Trump and me in “21” talking nukes.
I’m not laughing anymore.
* * *
The text below was first published in Manhattan, inc., in 1987, and later collected in Manhattan Passion, under the headline “Trump: The Ultimate Deal—In which we see the world through the eyes of Qaddafi’s pilot.”
Forty-eight hours before our scheduled lunch, Donald Trump called to cancel it. He’d had severe second thoughts, he said, about the advisability of revealing the extent of his involvement in the delicate—and explosive—subject I’d wanted to discuss with him.
“I’m dealing at a very high level on this,” he said. With people in Washington. In the White House. There was too much at stake for him to risk the wrong kind of exposure on The Subject.
The Subject has itself been the subject of considerable delicate pre-lunch negotiations between Trump and the magazine. Trump was enthusiastic when he first heard I wanted to focus on The Subject.
That’s great, he said: The Subject is far more important than any development deal he’s ever done, than any deal of that sort he’ll ever do. The life-or-death nature of The Subject transcends mere real estate. He’s pursuing it as if it were the biggest deal of his life. The Ultimate Deal.
But now he’s changed his mind about talking about it. “It’s awesome what’s at stake here,” he said, “and some writer who’s cynical could come along and try to make me look like an idiot and ruin my credibility.” In addition his PR adviser told him he shouldn’t talk about The Subject at all, he should only be plugging the success of the Trump Tower Atrium. Cancel the lunch.
After further negotiations, however, we arrived at a compromise. We could talk about the Trump Tower Atrium and The Subject. Or we could talk about talking about The Subject, which I believe is where things stood when I arrived at Trump’s office.
Trump was on the phone with some Midwestern senator when I walked into his office. He was promising to buy a table at some kind of fundraiser he wouldn’t be able to attend. While I waited, I got a chance to gaze at the three-sided panoramic view of Manhattan through the tall windows of Trump’s office. I got a chance to watch Trump upside down in the gold mirror tiles on the ceiling above his desk.
When Trump got off the phone we talked about The Subject and quickly negotiated the following deal: Trump would agree to talk about The Subject as long as I’d agree not to reveal in this article just what The Subject was.
Just kidding. See, that’s just the kind of thing Trump is worried about. And that’s why—as I write this—I’ve come to feel protective about Donald Trump. I want to protect him from my own most cynical instincts, the side of me that might be tempted to go for a cheap joke, an easy laugh at the expense of Trump’s involvement with The Subject. Because when I first read a couple of references to Trump’s interest in The Subject I have to admit I was skeptical, perhaps even cynical. But I’ve come to believe, from listening to him talk about it, that Trump is sincere about it.
This is a painful conclusion for me to come to in certain respects. Because The Subject is nuclear weapons proliferation and Trump’s crusade to find a way to halt it before a wild-card nuke deals death to millions. And because I’ve become convinced that Trump’s involvement is, well, serious, I have to abandon all the easy jokes and wisecracks I could have made if I thought it was some weird ego trip by an overambitious real estate promoter eager to thrust himself into the national arena.
Since I don’t think that’s true, I won’t be able to make sarcastic remarks about nuclear war being bad for real estate values, about the danger of landlords acquiring neutron bombs as a way of dealing with stubborn tenants blocking condo conversions, about co-oping the missile silos and sending surprise eviction notices to the Soviets.
Actually, it was more than Trump’s sincerity that convinced me to abandon such unworthy material. Something else convinced me. As soon as I heard of Trump’s initial enthusiasm for talking about The Subject, I went out and got a copy of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists special issue reviewing the sorry state of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. And then read, for the first time, Deadly Gambits, Strobe Talbott’s inside story of the Reagan administration’s pathetic and fraudulent nuclear weapons negotiations with the Soviets. The Bulletin’s report was distressing, but the Talbott book was worse, a sickening chronicle of bunglers and clowns engaged in Machiavellian bureaucratic maneuvering, the main purpose of which was to find the most effective means of deceiving the American people. Pretending to seek an arms control agreement while deliberately sabotaging any chance of a real deal in favor of foolishly conceived arms-race escalations such as the notorious “Dense Pack” mode of basing the MX. Remember the Dense Pack basing mode? That was Caspar Weinberger’s brilliant solution to the alleged vulnerability of the MXs he wanted to build. The genius of Dense Pack was to group all the MXs into one big missile field on the untested theory that hundreds of Soviet warheads targeted on this concentration would crash together in midair over the target and blow themselves up by “fratricide,” leaving the MXs totally untouched.
If Congress could listen to Weinberger propose spending billions of dollars for this mad-as-a-hatter scheme without having him medicated, I could certainly listen to Trump’s plan to halt nuclear weapons spread, and take it seriously.
After all, these people—Weinberger’s Dense Pack of “defense intellectuals”—not only did not want to make a deal, they wouldn’t know how to make a deal if they did. And one thing Donald Trump knows how to do is make deals.
And so it occurred to me in the aftermath of reading Deadly Gambits: What could we possibly have to lose by placing all nuclear negotiating in the hands of Donald Trump? At least the guy knows how to negotiate. And after all, it’s not without precedent for a smart businessman to come up with a brilliant deal in the nuclear weapons field: Many historians of the arms race argue that the United States and the Soviet Union missed an irretrievable opportunity to stop the arms race before it could begin back in 1946 when the Baruch Plan was rejected. Financier Bernard Baruch, you might recall, proposed that both superpowers place all atomic technology under the control of an international authority that would prohibit weapons development. Rejection of the Baruch Plan is regarded by many as one of the great Lost Opportunities in modern history.
Perhaps someday history will look back with similar regret at the Trump Plan for halting nuclear weapons spread—another Lost Opportunity. Or, if Trump gets his way with this, the way he does with other deals, it’s not inconceivable that history will look back on the Trump Plan’s acceptance as one of the few hopeful developments in the course of a miserable century. In any case, you read it here first.
“My uncle who just passed away was a great scientist,” Trump is telling me as we make our way out of his office to the elevator. “He was a professor at MIT. Dr. John Trump. In fact, together with Dr. Van de Graaff they did the Van de Graaff generator. He was the earliest pioneer in radiation therapy for cancer. He spent his whole life fighting cancer and he ended up dying of it.”
It was his uncle, Trump tells me, who got him started thinking about The Subject.
“He told me something a few years ago,” Trump recalls. “He told me, ‘You don’t realize how simple nuclear technology is becoming.’ That’s scary. He said it used to be that only a few brains in the world understood it and now you have a situation where thousands and thousands of brains can easily understand it, and it’s becoming easier, and someday it’ll be like making a bomb in the basement of your house. And that’s a very frightening statement coming from a man who’s totally versed in it.”
Downstairs on the sidewalk outside Trump Tower, Trump gazes at a crowd of chanting demonstrators across the street.
“Who are they?” he asks me.
“They’re anti-Marcos. They say he’s buying the Crown Building on the corner.”
“Marcos doesn’t own it,” Trump says. “They think he does, but it’s not him, it’s somebody else.”
Still, this sudden manifestation of Third World strife on his doorstep is a kind of confirmation of Trump’s fears, which center on a Third World madman getting the bomb. Like Qaddafi.
Particularly Qaddafi.
Because Trump’s got inside information on the character of the Libyan dictator. From Qaddafi’s pilot.
“I have a pilot who works for me who used to be Qaddafi’s pilot,” Trump is telling me as we head through the crowds on Fifth Avenue in the direction of “21.” “He’s a highly trained American pilot. And I asked him, ‘What kind of guy is Qaddafi?’ And he told me, ‘Mr. Trump, you’ve never seen a man like this. This man would get onto his plane, and he’d slap his subordinates in the face. A total schizo.’ ”
The pilot quit Qaddafi, Trump says. “He was being paid a fortune—he’s a great pilot—but he said, ‘I couldn’t stand it. He’d get into the plane, he’d scream, shout, slap people. He was crazy. You never knew. Hair-trigger.’ ”
Hair-trigger. Trump foresees a situation soon when such hair-trigger heads of state will have their hands on multiple nuclear triggers.
And it drives him crazy that nobody in the White House senses the danger.
“The fact is, it’s already very late. It’s one of the great problems of the world. Not one of them. It is the. And yet it amuses me that when people in Washington talk about the big issues they talk about tax reform. The hours and hours and money and worse that’s spent on this ridiculous tax-reform issue. If one half of the same effort were devoted to this much more important issue, you might be able to solve it.”
“What explanation do you find for the lack of action on nuclear arms spread?” I ask Trump as we approach the spear-topped iron gate of “21.”
“I’ll tell you why,” Trump says. “People just don’t believe the inevitable. You know, there’s a feeling that it’s always going to happen to the other guy. I read something the other day about a football player who played five years and he saw a lot of guys getting hurt and he never thought it could happen to him. All of a sudden his knee’s gone and he’s out forever. You know—he’s gone. He never thought it could happen to him. Never thought.”
Inside “21” everyone greets Trump effusively. And me, suspiciously: An officious functionary sidles up to me and tells me to straighten up the knot of my tie. I think of various irresponsible remarks to make on the order of “Hey, fella, when Qaddafi gets the bomb, you’ll have more important things to worry about.” But I resist the temptation. More is at stake here, I remind myself, than a cheap remark.
Upstairs at our corner banquette, Trump is greeting some sycophantic admirer, and this time a captain sidles up to me, points to his tie, and nods significantly at me. Evidently I haven’t straightened my knot sufficiently yet. I see him standing there pointing at his ridiculous little tie, and just pity his lack of awareness of the nuclear proliferation crisis, which, if you ask me, will make all questions of tie-straightness irrelevant.
We order drinks, a Heineken for me, a prim Virgin Mary for Trump, and he continues on the blindness of U.S. policymakers.
“I believe they’re sort of fools,” Trump says. “They only think about Russia. Russian and U.S. weapons. But the summit is a joke. It’s not about the real nuclear problem. You have countries like France that are openly and blatantly selling nuclear technology.”
Trump is very down on the French.1.
A normal friend calls you a friend after knowing you for a few weeks and getting a beer twice.
A Polish friend will only call you his friend after knowing you for years and after you’ve helped him move out of his apartment and attended his grandmother’s funeral.
2.
A normal friend wishes you a happy birthday and hands you a gift on your 18th birthday.
A Polish friend hits you with a belt on your buttocks 18 times.
3.
A normal friend wants to grab a drink and a snack in a bar.
A Polish friend tells you he prefers to stay at home and invites you over. You come planning to order a pizza, but find beers in the fridge and a table full of snacks and meals ready for you.
4.
A normal friend comes for a visit to your house and waits for you to offer him tea or coffee.
When a Polish friend comes over, he walks through the door and asks, “What do you have to eat?”
5.
Your normal friend tells you your new haircut looks good on you, even if it doesn’t.
Your Polish friend goes “Wow, you look like you were run over by a lawn mower!”
6.
A normal friend says “please.”
A Polish friend says, “Pass me the salt. Shut the door. Turn off the TV.”
7.
A normal friend answers “Fine, thanks, you?” to the “How are you?” question.
A Polish friend starts making a list of everything that goes wrong for them that day: “It’s so cold and I lost my gloves, my hands are numb from the cold and I couldn’t find my bus ticket in my backpack and I got a fine.”
8.
A normal friend buys champagne when they’re offered a promotion and calls up all his friends to celebrate.
A Polish friend only tells you about the promotion if you specifically ask how work is going. And even then, he’ll try to humbly downplay the importance of it. “Yeah, things are going well… Actually, I’ve just been offered a promotion, but it’s nothing big, I mean, I get a raise and a work car, so yeah… I’m content.”
9.
A normal friend brings a couple of beers to a house party.
A Polish friend brings a couple of bottles of vodka and insists you take it in shots.
10.
A normal friend tells you a lot about his personal life within the first few hours of meeting him for the first time.
A Polish friend will keep his secrets for as long as he can and only reveal them during a drunken night. You will never speak of them again.
11.
A normal friend emails you and Facebooks you regularly if you’re living away.
A Polish friend won’t email you for 8 months, but next time you see each other, you will pick up right where you left off.
12.
A normal friend will have many other friends.
A Polish friend knows and gets along with many people, but only has two or three real friends.Apple's AppleCare+ for Mac plan was introduced on June 5
In March of 2017, an iPhone 7 Plus purchased in September was temporarily eligible for AppleCare+. That is no longer the case due to policy reversion
AppleCare+ is no longer available for an iPhone 7 Plus purchased less than a year ago
A MacBook Pro purchased in October 2016 isn't eligible for AppleCare+, but standard AppleCare can still be purchased via Apple Support
All of Apple's AppleCare+ plans for Macs, iPads, and iPhones, must be bought alongside a new device or within 60 days of purchase, according to AppleCare+ support staff that MacRumors spoke to this morning.Following its Worldwide Developers Conference in June that saw the debut of new iMacs, MacBooks, and MacBook Pro models, Apple introduced an updated AppleCare+ for Mac warranty plan that provides standard AppleCare coverage along with accidental damage coverage.The original AppleCare plans for the Mac could be purchased while the Mac was still under its standard warranty, so customers had a year to buy it, but with the new AppleCare+ plan for Mac, a purchase must be made within 60 days.Apple in March changed its AppleCare+ policy for the iPhone and iPad and temporarily allowed customers to purchase the plan for up to one year after the device's purchase, while it too was still under standard warranty, but that policy appears to have been reverted back to 60 days.AppleCare+ plans for the iPhone and the iPad must once again be purchased within 60 days of a device purchase. Attempting to make an AppleCare+ purchase on an iOS device purchased more than 60 days ago now brings up no AppleCare+ purchase options when logging into the AppleCare+ website.As for the Mac, customers who have had their Macs for longer than 60 days but less than a year are not eligible for AppleCare+ but are still able to purchase a standard AppleCare Protection Plan, MacRumors has learned. Apple is only offering AppleCare+ for Mac on its website, so customers will need to call in to Apple Support to make the standard AppleCare purchase. Standard Mac AppleCare is priced at $149 to $349, depending on the machine.AppleCare+ for Mac is available for the MacBook Mac Pro, and Mac mini, with prices ranging from $99 to $379. The plan extends the warranty of the Mac to three years and includes coverage for two incidents of accidental damage, but a service fee of $99 will be charged for screen damage or external damage while a service fee of $299 will be charged for any other damage.AppleCare+ for iPhone is available for $129 for the iPhone 6s and later, $99 for the iPhone SE, and $99 for iPad models. It extends warranty coverage to two years and covers two incidents of accidental damage, with a service fee of $29 required for screen repairs or $99 for other damage.Purchasing AppleCare+ for Mac, iPhone, or iPad after the device has already been purchased requires customers to run a remote diagnostic to ensure the device is working properly or have it inspected at an Apple retail location.I wasn’t exactly blown away by my first order from Yaeliq, but I really like the variety he has, as well as the pricing, and there were a couple in the first batch I really liked, so I decided to place an order for more – this time with 20 different tobacco flavors so I could put them all to the test. The first one of those is Black Devil.
Here’s what Yaeliq says about Black Devil
Black devil – The taste is same as the original.
LOL. Not much of a description there. I have no idea what the original Black Devil is. He has a picture of some black colored cigarettes, so it must be some kind of cigarello or something. At any rate, this one turned out to be a pretty decent vape.
I’ve got bottle here in 18 mg, 50/50 blend. Some of his tobaccos I have tried are really not good at all. This one is actually quite pleasant. On the inhale, I get a very mild tobacco flavor. On the exhale, I am picking up hints of graham cracker. I would put this one as tasting similar to a RY4 blend. Vapor production is pretty good, and throat hit was a little lacking.
The Bottom Line
Taste. This one was interesting. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but the taste is quite good. It is a very mild tobacco flavor. Very smooth, and has a sweetness to it – like a chocolate or graham cracker. It’s a quite good, all around tobacco vape.
True to Description. Since I have no idea what a black devil is, I really can’t say whether this one is true to the description or not. Maybe someone who has tried a Black Devil can chime in on that one.
Throat Hit. I was a little underwhelmed by the throat hit on this one. It’s not the worst, but it’s not great.
Vapor. Vapor production is great on this one even at a 50/50 blend.
Overall
I actually really like this one. It has a good, mild tobacco taste with some rich sweetness to round it out. It is a great all around tobacco, and probably one of the best ones I have tried from Yaeliq. I would loosely compare this to Indigo RY. I could actually see myself ordering up a 100ml bottle to keep around. This one wins my seal of approval, and if you are looking for a tobacco vape from Yaeliq, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving Black Devil a shot.
Check it out here: http://www.yaeliq.com/black-devil.htmlDATE: Apr 11, 2013 | BY: Rudie Obias | Category: Sci-Fi
With The Hunger Games: Catching Fire‘s first teaser trailer set to premiere during the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday April 14th, Lionsgate released a new image from The Hunger Games sequel. The image features Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reunited with her sister, Primrose (Willow Shields). If you recall, Katniss volunteered to be the female District 12 Tribute in place of her sister for the 74th Hunger Games in the first movie, so this reunion was long in the making.
Lionsgate also launched the website TheHungerGamesExplorer.com, which appears to feature a countdown clock to when the first teaser trailer will be released, as well as six new images that will also be unlocked periodically. At the moment, only two of the six images are viewable. The website also features various social media tools and locations such as Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire follows Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) as they return to District 12 as newly crowned champions of the 74th Hunger Games. Their homecoming is short-lived, because the pair soon sets out on a Victory Tour of the other Districts of Panem. While on the Victory Tour, Katniss begins to understand the budding rebellion against the Capitol and President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss and Peeta later participate in the Third Quarter Quell, or 75th Hunger Games, which is comprised of the past winners of the last 25 Hunger Games.
Actors Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth are all returning to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and they will be joined by a new cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffery Wright, Jena Malone, and Sam Claflin, who will play fan-favorite Finnick Odair.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will hit theaters everywhere on November 22nd, in IMAX. Remember this scene from the first movie?Paxton was removed from his third Minor League rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah, after throwing 44 pitches in what was expected to be his final tuneup before rejoining the Mariners' rotation after 3 1/2 months on the disabled list with a sprained tendon in the same finger.
OAKLAND -- The long-awaited return of Mariners southpaw James Paxton has been delayed again, this time by a torn fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
OAKLAND -- The long-awaited return of Mariners southpaw James Paxton has been delayed again, this time by a torn fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand.
Paxton was removed from his third Minor League rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah, after throwing 44 pitches in what was expected to be his final tuneup before rejoining the Mariners' rotation after 3 1/2 months on the disabled list with a sprained tendon in the same finger.
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"He's back in Seattle," Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said Friday. "We'll check him out when we get back there Monday. Then he'll play catch and do all that stuff. But the nail has to heal up."
Griffin said Paxton wouldn't be allowed to throw at all until Monday at the earliest and could be delayed further depending on what the doctor feels when he checks him out.
"It just depends on how it looks," Griffin said. "If he throws and pulls it back up, we're going to lose the three days. So we just have to see. The doctor will check it out Monday and we'll see if he's ready to throw."
Paxton has been sidelined since May 28 after injuring his finger in his 10th start of the season, but Griffin said the two issues are unrelated.
"The injury that he had originally, there's nothing wrong with that," Griffin said. "It's perfect. This is a new thing."
Paxton was throwing well in his third rehab outing, allowing five hits and two runs with two strikeouts before having to be pulled after his first pitch of the fourth inning.
The 26-year-old Canadian opened the season as Seattle's No. 2 starter and was 3-3 with a 3.70 ERA before his injury. He's 12-7 with a 3.05 ERA in 27 career starts, but missed four months last year with a strained lat muscle behind his left shoulder and has been sidelined for 13 weeks now this year with his finger issue.
Manager Lloyd McClendon had planned to slot Paxton back into the rotation during the Rangers series when Seattle returns home next week, but said Friday he's now not ready to reveal his pitching plans for that four-game set from Monday through Thursday.The model results confirmed that abiotic drivers played an important role in shaping Neanderthals distribution during the Last Interglacial. The high suitability of the Mediterranean coastlines and the low suitability values of most sites at the northern and eastern distribution limits (Germany, Hungary, Ukraine) challenge the notion of Neanderthals as a species with preference for colder environments.
Annual rainfall and winter temperatures were the most important predictors at the continental scale, while topography and summer rainfall defined habitat suitability at the local scale. The highest habitat suitability scores were observed along the Mediterranean coastlines. Mountain ranges and continental plains showed low habitat suitability values.
We used archaeological records and palaeoclimatic and topographic predictors to calibrate a model based on an ensemble of generalized linear models fitted with different combinations of predictors and weighted background data. Area under the curve scores computed by leave‐one‐out were used to assess variable importance at the continental scale, while local regression combined with recursive partition trees was used to assess variable importance at the local scale.
In this paper, we investigate the role of climate and topography in shaping the distribution of Neanderthals ( Homo neanderthalensis ) at different spatial scales. To this end, we compiled the most comprehensive data set on the distribution of this species during the Last Interglacial optimum (MIS 5e) available to date. This was used to calibrate a palaeo‐species distribution model, and analyse variable importance at continental and local scales.
Introduction Our knowledge about Neanderthals has greatly increased over the last two decades, with more than 2000 research papers published in areas as diverse as chronology (Gaudzinski‐Windheuser et al., 2014; Higham et al., 2014), ecology (Finlayson & Carrión, 2007; Henry et al., 2010), population dynamics (Sørensen, 2011; Bocquet‐Appel & Degioanni, 2013), adaptive traits (Sørensen, 2009; Rae et al., 2011), diet (Henry et al., 2010; Hardy & Moncel, 2011), technology, cognition and behaviour (Peris et al., 2012; Shaw et al., 2012), genetics (Briggs et al., 2009), and their relationship with anatomically modern humans (Sankararaman et al., 2012; Hortolà & Martínez‐Navarro, 2013). Still, there are acute knowledge gaps regarding the ecology and distribution of Neanderthals left to be addressed, and filling these gaps may eventually help us to understand why Neanderthals lived where they did, and why they eventually became extinct. In this study we focus on how abiotic factors shaped their distribution during the Last Interglacial climatic optimum (MIS 5e, 124‐119 ka BP), a warm period with average temperatures around 2 °C higher than today, that offered a unique opportunity for hominins to spread throughout Europe during c. 10,000 years, and therefore can be considered as a suitable period to assume a maximum expansion of Neanderthals range. The distribution of Neanderthals during MIS 5e has been previously assessed by Richter (2005, 2006), Wenzel (2007), and Gaudzinski‐Windheuser & Roebroeks (2011). These papers provide valuable knowledge on the distribution of Neanderthals during a warm period, but are mainly focused on Neanderthals' range across Central Europe, and lack quantitative assessments of the role of ecological factors in shaping the Neanderthal distribution. Wenzel (2007) provided the most comprehensive data to date on the distribution of Neanderthals during MIS 5e, but since its publication, new Neanderthal remains attributed to MIS 5e have been found in Spain (Arsuaga et al., 2012), Italy (Fiorenza, 2015) and France (Moncel et al., 2007; Daujeard & Moncel, 2010). These new sites have the potential to change our view about the distribution of Neanderthals during the Last Interglacial. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive compilation of data on the distribution of Neanderthals during the Last Interglacial, and use this data set to test a simple hypothesis on how abiotic drivers (climate and topography) could have shaped this species' distribution at two different spatial scales, continental and local. This hypothesis is rooted in the hierarchical framework proposed by Pearson & Dawson (2003), and our current knowledge on the ecology and distribution of Neanderthals. According to Pearson & Dawson, climate influences species distribution at global and continental scales, while the effect of topography is restricted to scales ranging from regional to local. The hypothesis we intend to test here follows these principles, and can be divided into three main points: The northern limit of Neanderthal's range was constrained by low winter temperatures. The southern edge was limited by a combination of high temperature and low water availability during the summer. High topographic diversity combined with moderate slopes could have favoured occupation at the local scale. Low winter temperature has a negative effect over net primary productivity (Bonan, 2008) and the availability of small and big game (Badgley & Fox, 2000), compromising the high caloric intake required by Neanderthals and leading to a higher mortality rate (Steegmann et al., 2002; Sørensen, 2009). High summer temperatures in southern latitudes combined with low availability of water might have prevented the occupation of plains in the Mediterranean peninsulas due to a seasonal reduction of net primary productivity (Bonan, 2008) and increased heat stress (Churchill, 2006). However, Mediterranean coastal areas could have been suitable because of the buffering effect of the sea vis‐à‐vis temperature, and the ready availability of resources like shellfish (Hardy & Moncel, 2011). At the local scale, high topographic diversity could have provided the required abundance and diversity of prey and shelter (Tews et al., 2003; Daujeard et al., 2012), whereas gentler slopes could have facilitated mobility (Féblot‐Augustins, 1993). We test this hypothesis by applying a palaeo‐species distribution model (PSDM; Svenning et al., 2011; Varela et al., 2011; Franklin et al., 2015), a tool that has been used before in distribution studies of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (Banks et al., 2008a,b; Beeton et al., 2013; Burke et al., 2014). Here, we add to these by modelling Neanderthals distribution during MIS 5e for the first time with the most complete data set available to date, while providing a novel insight into the drivers of Neanderthals distribution at different geographical scales.
Materials and methods Study area, presence data and environmental predictors The study area (20° N to 70° N, 10° W to 70° E, see Fig. 1) comprises Europe and the Irano‐Turanian region. It does not cover the entire known range of Neanderthals, which extended at least to Okladnikov in Southern Siberia (Krause et al., 2007), because there is only one single presence record attributed to MIS 5e beyond the Caspian Sea (Ust‐Izhul, Siberia; Rolland, 2010), and therefore the data available would be too sparse to fit a reliable model for this region. Figure 1 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Neanderthal sites in the European and Irano‐Turanian Region used to calibrate the models and habitat suitability during MIS 5e. Site codes: 1 – Lehringen; 2 – Veltheim Steinmühle; 3 – Neumark Nord; 4 – Burgtonna; 5 – Waziers; 6 – Jaskinia Nietoperzowa; 7 – Caours; 8 – Gouberville; 9 – Velykyj Glybochok; 10 – Horka Ondrej; 11 – Yezupil; 12 – Subalyuk Cave; 13 – Krapina; 14 – Betalov Podmol; 15 – Kabazi II; 16 – Grotte Vauffrey; 17 – Payre; 18 – Abri des Pêcheurs; 19 – Oyambre; 20 – El Castillo; 21 – Lezetxiki; 22 – Crvena Stijena; 23 – Saccopastore; 24 – Estragales; 25 – Grotta del Cavallo; 26 – Grotta Riparo del Poggio; 27 – Gánovce; 28 – Bolomor Cave; 29 – La Carihuela; 30 – Del Angel Cave; 31 – Karain Cave; 32 – Es Skhul; 33 – Tabun. We reviewed the literature for sites with Neanderthal fossil or lithic remains attributed to MIS 5e, and found 50 records located in 14 countries, 25 of them with absolute dates, and 25 of them with relative dates (see Appendix S1 in Supporting Information). Bioclimatic and elevation maps (1 km resolution) were downloaded from www.worldclim.com (Hijmans et al., 2005; Otto‐Bliesner et al., 2006), and we derived maps of slope, topographic wetness index and topographic diversity (see Appendix S2.1 for further information). All the variables were aggregated by average to a resolution of 5 km, and the MIS 5e sea level was set at 7 m a.s.l. (Dutton & Lambeck, 2012). We assessed multicollinearity among the 19 bioclimatic and three topographic predictors, and based hereon selected six uncorrelated predictors (see Appendix S2.2 for further information on variable selection): maximum temperature of warmest month (Bio5), minimum temperature of coldest month (Bio6), annual precipitation (Bio12), precipitation of warmest quarter (Bio18), slope and topographic diversity. We compared the distributions of the sites with absolute and relative dates over the environmental predictors using density plots and a Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, finding that there was no bias in the data attributable to the type of dating method (see Appendix S2.3). We reduced sampling bias and spatial clustering in the presence records by imposing a minimum distance of 100 km between nearby sites (Boria et al., 2014), and used a non‐metric multidimensional scaling (metaMDS function of the R library ‘vegan’; Oksanen et al., 2013) to ensure that sites with unique combinations of environmental conditions were not removed by the spatial filtering (Varela et al., 2014; see Appendix S2.4). After the filtering, 33 presence records were considered suitable to calibrate the PSDM (see Appendix S1 and Fig. 1). Finally, we computed descriptive statistics of the values of the predictors at the selected sites |
5 ( ) 3.80[185]
Past sketches involving the NFL are shown.
"An SNL Valentine" February 14, 2015 ( ) N/A
A special dedicated to Valentine's Day.
"SNL 40th Red Carpet Live" February 15, 2015 ( ) N/A
A special hosted by Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly and Al Roker. They will interview past hosts, current and previous cast members, and musical legends that previously performed on the show.
A three and a half hour prime-time special celebrating SNL's fortieth year on the air.[186][187]
"SNL Goodnight Sweet Prince" April 23, 2016 ( ) 4.5/11[189]
Jimmy Fallon hosts this special retrospective of Prince's rare, but memorable performances on the show, including his first performance on the infamous season six episode hosted by Charlene Tilton (the one in which Charles Rocket's accidental utterance of the word "fuck" called for NBC to fire then-showrunner Jean Doumanian and most of her cast), his performance on the SNL 15th anniversary special, his first performance after 21 years in 2006 on the season 31 episode hosted by Steve Martin, his final performance on the season 40 episode hosted by Chris Rock, a never-before-seen clip of his performance at the cast party following the SNL 40th anniversary special, and clips of the short-lived recurring sketch The Prince Show with Fred Armisen as Prince and Maya Rudolph as Beyonce.
"Weekend Update at the RNC[190]" July 20, 2016 ( ) N/A
Colin Jost and Michael Che host a special edition of Weekend Update from the 2016 Republican National Convention live on MSNBC. Kate McKinnon appears as Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
"Weekend Update at the DNC[191]" July 27, 2016 ( ) N/A
Colin Jost and Michael Che host a special edition of Weekend Update from the 2016 Democratic National Convention live on MSNBC.
"The 2016 SNL Election Special[192]" November 7, 2016 ( ) 2.1/7[193]
Recent political sketches involving the 2016 US presidential election, hosted by Tom Brokaw.
"SNL Thanksgiving Special[194]" November 23, 2016 ( ) 1.6/5[195]
Thanksgiving-themed comedy from the Saturday Night Live crew is presented.
"SNL Christmas[196]" December 14, 2016 ( ) 1.6/5[197]
Holiday-themed comedy from Saturday Night Live is presented.
"SNL Presents: Halloween[199]" October 28, 2017 ( ) 3.1/9[198]About
The Static Displacement Field Drive. The worlds first propellant-less propulsion device
The Static Displacement Field Drive Propulsion System!
The Static Displacement Field Drive is the first spacecraft propulsion device of its type that uses the effects of special relativity on electric fields to generate thrust. We are making this technology available to YOU!
Quadcopter with four Displacement Field Drives installed
This same technology works just as well on a QUADCOPTER as it does in a multimillion dollar spacecraft.
We are making this technology available to YOU thru our quadcopter drive kits and experimenter's kits.
Who is Displacement Field Technologies?
Displacement Field Technologies, Inc. is a start up that is developing the next generation propulsion system for the 21st century. Our Static Displacement Field Drive (SDFD) prototypes generate thrust from 10-500 Millinewtons (1-50 grams) of force. This output exceeds the thrust generated by the state-of-the-art Ion Drive Engines it will replace in spacecraft applications.
Ion Drive Engines:
Weigh hundreds of pounds.
Consume kilowatts of power.
Use hundreds of pounds of Xenon propellant. Once the propellant is spent, the spacecraft can no longer be propelled or re-positioned.
Function only in the vacuum of space.
Are unavailable to the general public, experimenters, and hobbyists due to the high cost of adoption.
The Static Displacement Field Drive:
Weighs less than five pounds.
Consumes less than 50 watts of power.
Uses no propellant. Can function as long as adequate voltage is available.
. Can function as long as adequate voltage is available. Will generate usable force in Earth’s atmosphere just as well as as it will in the vacuum of space.
Technology will be available to our Kickstarter supporters in a variety of Experimenter’s Kits and Quadcopter Drive Kits, so you can begin working with this next-generation technology in tandem with the aerospace industry.
Today, propellant-less drive technologies are viewed with the same regard as heavier-than-air flying machine concepts were given in the early 20th century. The science of the 1900’s declared that anything heavier-than-air would fall to the ground. Modern science (citing Newton’s Third Law) continues to insist that mass can’t be moved without a reaction force in the opposite direction to the create motion. Until now.
1903: The Wright Brothers
A couple of unknown bicycle makers started work on their idea to exploit the effects of differential air pressures to allow heavier-than-air machines to fly. They accomplished this by using particularly-shaped objects (airfoils) to create lift. Despite the accepted scientific understanding of their day, they demonstrated that heavier-than-air flying machines are possible, and changed the world.
2003: The Scalar Group
One-hundred years later, a small team of researchers around the world started work on their idea to exploit the effects of special relativity on electric fields to create force. Their goal was to demonstrate that propellantless propulsion devices are possible through the effects of relativity on electric fields, and they accomplished this by using particularly-shaped charged objects to create a revolutionary propulsion device. Despite the accepted scientific understanding of the day (Newtonian Physics), they demonstrated that the Static Displacement Field Drive is possible, and set the stage to change the world.
2014: Displacement Field Technologies, Inc.
Displacement Field Technologies, Inc. is ready to move beyond theory and experimentation, and into production. We need your help to prove this technology the scientific community. This can be accomplished only through a thrust test conducted by an independent third-party. Furthermore, your assistance will fund the start up costs for the production units manufactured for the aerospace industry.
What Does This All Mean?
We are entering a new age. One where the car is replaced by the land speeder. Where “hover-boards” can be used on any surface. Where a trip to the moon is as as effortless and inexpensive as a cross-country flight. Where Mars is the next frontier. This is your chance to be a part of history. This technology is going to open up space to everyone, and you will be a part of it as it happens!
We Want to Include YOU in our Breakthrough Discovery
Through your support of this Kickstarter campaign, you can position yourself to be a part of this historic development.
Be present at our historic thrust test. Imagine being present for the Wright brothers’ historic first flight….
Own the actual device that changes the world. What would you have given to OWN the Wright flier after its first flight….
that changes the world. What would you have given to OWN the Wright flier after its first flight…. Be a part of our post-test commemoration, and be part of history as it happens. Celebrate with this generation’s “Wright brothers” after their “first flight”....
Gain access to technologies that were once only science fiction, and are now a reality. The Wright brothers put their flier into storage for five years after flying it. You could be working with this advanced technology immediately ….
…. Get the first crack on licensing this ground breaking technology. Maybe your quadcopter can be the first to enter Low Earth Orbit…!
How We Get There, Together
Displacement Field Technologies, Inc. is already entertaining interest from a plethora of aerospace companies. Once our technology is proven through a third-party thrust test, this interest will likely become our first production orders.
We are currently negotiating for a series of thrust tests at multiple facilities. The cost for these facilities varies from $500-$1000 per hour. Additional related costs include the devices, travel, and lodging to attend the testing. Our arrangements will include the testing of three of our existing prototypes, at a total cost estimate of $30K. The primary reason for this Kickstarter campaign is to generate funding for this testing phase.
Another objective of this campaign is to make this breakthrough technology accessible to everyone. Through this campaign, we will offer Experimenter Kits and Quadcopter Drive Kits, granting YOU the opportunity to start working with this breakthrough technology in tandem with the top aerospace companies!
The Testing
Our testing will consist of three sessions--the third will be the qualifying session. The qualifying session will include up to four Kickstarter supporters to help us change history, and will be recorded for a documentary as the test that confirms our findings. A commemoration ceremony will follow the next day at a location to be determined. All Kickstarter supporters at or above the $10.00 level are welcome to join in this exclusive celebration. This is your chance to be a part of history. This technology is going to open up space to everyone, and you will be a part of it as it happens!
The Static Displacement Field Drive
SDFD view from bottom showing HV diodes
The Static Displacement Field Drive is the first all electric propulsion device of its type. This propulsion device:
Operates in a vacuum or within an atmosphere.
Doesn't need air to generate thrust.
Doesn't use a propellant to operate.
Can propel a spacecraft through space using electricity only.
How does this breakthrough technology work?
This technology works by rotating a charged disk with a special high resistance coating against another stationary disk with a conductive coating.
Relativistic electric fields interacting with the static electric fields
When these disks are charged and rotated against one another, the axial force they produce will propel a spacecraft or lift a quadcopter off the ground. For more information on this patent pending technology, please see our detailed documentation (including designs and experimental data) on the following sites:
Top view of the Static Displacement Drive
For a manual on how to create relativistic electric fields and to generate thrust from them for inventors and developers in a simplified non-theoretical format, the PDF "How to Implement Relativistic propulsion" is available at http://www.electricspacecraft.org/.
For a more in-depth description for the engineer or scientist of this patent pending technology, please see the downloadable PDF, "New Electrodynamics", is available at http://www.electricspacecraft.org/.
The supporting documentation is also available on this site.
Displacement Field Drive in Operation
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The Static Displacement Field Drive has been in development for 10 years with five successful prototypes manufactured within the last year. These prototypes generate thrust from 10 - 500 Milli-Newtons, or 1 to 50 grams of force--enough to lift a quadcopter into low-earth orbit. The manufacture cost of each of these devices is $5,000-$10,000. Most of the manufacturing cost is in the silver nanoparticles used in the disk coatings, and in the development and implementation of the manufacturing process used to make the coatings.
Experimenter’s and Quadcopter Drive Kits
One objective of this campaign is to make this breakthrough technology accessible to everyone. This is your opportunity to work with this technology in tandem with the top aerospace companies! We are offering two types of kits:
An Experimenter’s Kit that you power with a high voltage power supply, allowing you create relativistic electric fields and the thrust that they generate.
A Quadcopter Drive Kit includes two ultra-light disks that replace the propellers on your quadcopter, and run using your quadcopter’s existing power supply. This kit will:
Weigh only a few more grams more than a propeller
Requires the same amount operating power as a propeller.
Operates in a vacuum
Produce as much thrust as a propeller.
Require no air to generate thrust.
The included disks have an integrated high voltage charge pump circuit that charges the disks as they rotate against each other, requiring only a positive voltage of 1-30 volts applied to the stationary disk e.g. from the positive power supply on your quadcopter.
Quadcopter Drive Kit
One Quadcopter Displacement Drive installed on a Quadcopter
Each Quadcopter Drive Kit contains:
One fixed ultra light disk coated with a high resistance coating. This disk also contains a high voltage charge pump using low leakage diodes that generates the high voltage potential used to create relativistic electric fields.
One rotating ultra light disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the relativistic changes to the static electric electric field when it is rotated. This disk contains a high voltage charge pump using low leakage diodes that generates the potential used to create relativistic electric fields.
Experimenter’s manual (still to be printed)
Miscellaneous hardware (still to be determined)
One Quad Coper Disk Set and their Engineering Models
This kit will include all critical components needed to replace your quadcopter propeller to generate thrust from relativistic fields. Yes(!) it is easy to convert a quadcopter into a device that can easily operate in space with the addition of a single component of NASA proven technology. Satellites like Echo 1, Echo 2, and Explorer 9 used this component to operate in space, and you can too!
You could outfit your quadcopter with these components and be the first to achieve low earth orbit with the Quadcopter Drive Kit.
Quad Copter with 4 Engineering Prototype Displacement Field Drives
The Experimenters Kits
Peliminary Deluxe Experimenters Kit
The Experimenter’s Kit will be available in two varieties, the Basic Experimenter’s Kit, and the Deluxe Experimenter’s Kit.
The Deluxe Experimenters kit includes:
One disk coated with a high resistance coating that amplifies the dot product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One high gain disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the cross product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One low gain disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the cross product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One balanced copper disk
One dual high voltage electronic tube diode assembly.
Experimenters manual with experiments (still to be printed)
Motor assembly and wiring harness (still to be determined)
Miscellaneous hardware (still to be determined)
This kit contains everything needed to create relativist electric fields that can be used to create thrust. All you have to supply is the high voltage power supply. The experimenter’s manual will have a number of experiments to demonstrate creating thrust from the set of rotating disks.
2 Disk Experimenters kit with Diode Assembly, motor, and 3 and 6 inch disks
The Basic 2 Disk Experimenters kit includes:
One disk coated with a high resistance coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the dot product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the cross product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
Experimenters manual with experiments (still to be printed)
The 2 Disk Experimenters kit includes:
One disk coated with a high resistance coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the dot product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the cross product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One dual high voltage electronic tube diode assembly.
Experimenters manual with experiments (still to be printed)
The 2 Disk plus Motor Experimenters kit includes:
One disk coated with a high resistance coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the dot product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One disk coated with a conductive coating that amplifies the relativistic changes of the electric field from the cross product component of the electric field when it is rotated.
One dual high voltage electronic tube diode assembly.
One motor and associated hardware (still to be determined)
Experimenters manual with experiments (still to be printed)
Our Cool T-Shirt:
Back Side
Front Side
Our Time Line:
How we will use your Funds:
The Future:
Today our devices are generating 100's of Milli-Newtons (4 - 12 oz) of thrust and this is just the start for this new propulsion technology. The charged coated disks that we are using today have what is called a dielectric constant that determines now much charge the disks can hold. Our disks have dielectric constants of 1 to 5 that allow them to hold 1 to 10 micro Coulombs (amount of electrons) of charge. Today there are materials that have dielectric constants of 30,000 or more that we could use for our charged elements. That would allow us to use charged elements that hold Coulombs of charged that would translate into devices that could lift 100's of Newtons (100's of lbs).
And YOU could be a part of this game changing technology. All that we need is YOUR help.After 80 days the coin swap, necessary to move CasinoCoin to a new blockchain, has concluded. 89.91% of the coins were swapped, which is a great result and exceeded the predictions of many in the CasinoCoin Foundation and community.
This leaves the Foundation, a non-profit entity, with 10.09% of the coin supply. This will be used to fund continued development, marketing and operations for the CasinoCoin project.
During reconciliation we discovered a variance of 1,486 coins, which is possibly a result of human error during the swap process. This represents 0.003% of the total supply and is well within the acceptable tolerance of such an operation.
The ~36 million swapped CXX (old CasinoCoin) were sent to a burn address, which has no private keys associated to it. This means there is no way, anyone, can access or move the coins. The address was generated using this Python program.
Coin Swap Statistics
Total coins swapped: 35,971,598.97473669 CXX
Total coin swap transactions: 1,008
CXX burn address: http://insight.casinocoin.info/address/CburnburnburnburnburnburnburpsuTNW (no private keys held)
Number of coins retained by the CasinoCoin Foundation: 4,026,914,393.20604000 CSC
CasinoCoin Foundation wallet address: http://explorer.casinocoin.org/address/cDarPNJEpCnpBZSfmcquydockkePkjPGA2
Total supply/circulating supply: 39,999,999,933.338 CSC
The circulating supply is the same as the total supply as all coins are in circulation, including those held by the Foundation. From time to time, CSC will be liquidated to sustain the Foundation.
When the community relay node program is launched, the total and circulating supply will be brought up to 40 billion CSC, with the difference being awarded for the first batch of transaction confirmations.Once again with “Guest,” the show dedicated an entire episode to a single person: this time Nora (Carrie Coon), who lost her husband and both her children to the Departure. Up until now, Nora's been an elusively loose cannon—a high-functioning professional who has a gun in her purse and hand cream in her glove compartment. She's also practical: When she calls up a prostitute from an ad in the local alt-weekly and asks that prostitute to shoot her in the chest while she's wearing Kevlar, she makes sure there's an inflatable mattress for her to collapse onto so she doesn't get hurt. (The symbolism in this scene is heavy-handed—Nora, winded, takes a gasp of air and comes back to life. The prostitute is called Angel. The thrash metal Nora puts on the stereo to cover the sound of the gunshot is Slayer's "Angel of Death.")
The crux of the episode comes later, when, drunk on who knows how many dirty martinis, Nora starts yelling at the man next to her at the hotel bar who tries to talk to her about the nature of loss and moving on. "What's next?" she screeches. "What's fucking next? Nothing is next! Nothing!" As small talk with a smarmy stranger goes, it's definitely overkill, but as an encapsulation of the show's main premise, it's quite precise. The universe is empty and meaningless, devoid of lasting significance. All that's left is the present moment, and the acceptance of being content to be left among the living. It's no coincidence that Holy Wayne happens to quote from Ecclesiastes, the Bible's most existentialist book, when he finally draws Nora into his arms: "For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion." The abiding message of Ecclesiastes (oddly, for the Old Testament) is one of futility: life is short and will end in death, so all humans can do is take pleasure in simple things and appreciate its transience.
This theme of acceptance is underscored by the episode's closing scenes, in which Nora shops for food she might actually eat (rather than restocking the sugary cereals her kids loved), agrees to go to dinner with Chief Garvey, and conducts another interview with a grieving victim of the Departed. Earlier in the show, Nora's boss comments on how remarkable it is that all of her interviewees gave an affirmative response to #121, the question of whether they believed their loved one had gone to a better place. This time, the tearful woman Nora talks with says no. Might this sense of finally being able to appreciate being left among the living be moving us towards a happier ending of sorts for the people of Mapleton? For Nora, who's chosen simulations of reality over living in the present moment up till now (the fake food, the non-fatal gunshot, making out with an eerie replica of a man instead of the man himself), the simple fact that she's shopping for rice cakes seems to hint at a more hopeful future. Whether the show's other characters can find the same fragile peace without a hug from Holy Wayne is another question.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.JERUSALEM - Too hot to handle: Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a little unexpected mishap on Sunday when he shoved a lit cigar into his jacket pocket, which subsequently caught fire.
Fortunately for Bibi, the cigar was safely extinguished and Netanyahu survived the ordeal unharmed.
Notably, the finance minister, who is an avid cigar smoker, does not like to be seen in public with a cigar in his mouth.
As he approached journalists waiting for him to answer questions following the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu hurriedly shoved his cigar in his jacket pocket.
However, the lit cigar caught fire at the exact moment Netanyahu attempted to explain his reasons for opposing the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners earlier Sunday.
Kol Israel radio reporter Shmuel Tal was the first to notice the smoke rising from Netanyahu's pocket and wondered “what’s this smell?” is anyone burning here?”
At that point, the finance minister spotted the danger and pulled out the cigar from his pocket. Housing Minister Isaac Herzog promptly came to his colleague’s aid and put out the fire with his shoe.
Netanyahu’s big rival, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, happened to pass by at the time of the incident and was overheard saying “I hope the finance minister is not on fire.”
'Knows how to operate under fire'
The reporters could not control themselves and burst out in laughter at the unusual sight. Once they were able to clam down, Netanyahu proceeded to explain his motive for opposing the latest goodwill gesture to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
"The Palestinians failed to act against those terror groups,” he said. “Therefore, I see no reason to reward Hamas while the army chief and others warn about the Hamas getting stronger,” he said.
However, despite Bib's objection and a burning jacket pocket, the government voted in favor of the release, by an 18 to 3 margin.
Netanyahu's media advisor Ofir Akonis said the minister was not injured in the incident and that his jacket was not ruined.
"This just proves the finance minister knows how to operate under fire," he said.A nearly-complete London tower is being investigated thanks to reflected daylight that is dazzling (and sizzling) the neighborhood in extreme, surprising and undesirable ways. The structure is the alleged source of myriad problems, from cooked car parts in adjacent vehicles (parked in its bright glare) to spontaneous fires in a nearby businesses (with carpets catching fire from the focused light).
On the vehicular front, per Mirror News in the UK (images via [Duncan]): warped side panels, melting mirror casings and a burning smell in some cars all point to the proverbial finger at glare caused by the uniquely-shaped, 37-story structure known as the Walkie Talkie building still under construction. While the matter is studied, usage of parking spots that fall under the building’s reflected spots of sunlight has been suspended.
Meanwhile, local businesses report peeling and puckered paint and other forms of heat damage to their exteriors and interiors, including a carpet that spontaneously ignited, presumably due to the light rays reflected from above and focused through the facade glass storefront.
As a temporary measure, and in a tacit acknowledgement of guilt, the building developers are apparently doling out cash for repairs and preventative measures to affected individuals and businesses until a lasting solution can be found.
This almost-finished work of urban architecture has a 300 million dollar price tag, yet it remains unclear how this fundamentally problematic design issues can be addressed now that the skin has been installed. Thankfully, the damage should be nearly done for this year. As the sun drops in the sky over the next few weeks of fall, the phenomena should disappear … at least until next summer, that is, but at least it buys the developers a bit more time.California Rep. Lou Correa, who sits on the Homeland panel, was the first Democrat to call for hearings. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Democrats press GOP to scrutinize rise in white supremacy
House Democrats are calling on their GOP colleagues to hold congressional hearings on the rise of white supremacy and domestic terrorism following Saturday’s deadly outburst in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee are asking panel Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) to examine racist fringe groups, including those that organized Saturday’s violent protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the University of Virginia campus.
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The rally, whose attendees carried Confederate flags and swastikas, turned deadly after an alleged white supremacist drove a car through a group of counter-protesters advocating equality. One person died and more than a dozen remain in serious or critical condition.
California Rep. Lou Correa, who sits on the Homeland panel, was the first Democrat to call for hearings.
“Yesterday’s horrific acts against innocent Americans were clear acts of terrorism,” he said. “Our country has a homegrown terrorism problem we refuse to address. That ends now. We must hold hearings and finally address that terrorism inflicted by white supremacy extremists is destroying our country.”
A spokesman for Homeland ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) confirmed to POLITICO that committee Democrats were organizing to increase pressure on the panel to schedule hearings on white supremacist terrorism.
Homeland Democrats have already called for such hearings twice this year to no avail. A spokesperson for McCaul did not respond to request for comment.
The issue is going beyond the committee. Top House Democrats will discuss the matter during a leadership call and Democratic caucus conference call scheduled for Tuesday, according to a senior Democratic source. House Judiciary Democrats likewise held a call and are coordinating efforts to ramp up pressure on Republicans to address the growing threat.
Democrats are starting to grow impatient with their GOP counterparts after Saturday. One Democratic source on the Homeland panel said Republicans for some time have been receiving law enforcement notices saying white supremacist extremism pose serious threats of lethal violence. One such notice, dated May 10, was first reported by Foreign Policy on Monday.
“We must not only see real action from the President to address the threat posed by domestic terrorism, but we must also see action from those in his party in Congress,” Thompson said in a statement. “Unfortunately, multiple requests to simply hold hearings on domestic terrorism have been ignored by House Republicans.”
He added: “They must realize this error and join us to work together to find solutions to counter this real and present threat. Failing to do so clearly puts American lives at risk.”
In a Monday night letter to McCaul, Correa said the panel "has the responsibility to protect the American people from the threat of terrorism."
"This committee was created to prevent terrorism," the letter says. "As a nation, we need to address the white supremacy movement. White supremacist domestic terrorists cannot be allowed to continue to terrorize Americans."The GOP’s push for inclusivity suffered some setbacks this week.
Earlier this month, the Republican National Committee released its 2012 election post-mortem, conceding that the GOP must do more to reach out to minority communities. The RNC even pledged $10 million to the effort.
Asked at a press conference how the GOP can bring gays and women into the GOP fold, RNC Chair Reince Priebus said the key is to treat people with respect. “I think it’s about dignity and respect, that nobody deserves to have their dignity diminished, or people don’t deserve to be disrespected,” Priebus said on March 18, the day the RNC released its report.
But less than two weeks since then, it has become clear that not everyone in the party is on board with the GOP’s new message of inclusivity. Here’s a rundown of the speed bumps the GOP has encountered this week on its way toward a more tolerant party.Ben Carson Rails Against Gays
As the Supreme Court heard arguments on California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage, rising conservative star Ben Carson on Tuesday weighed in on the issue on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“Well, my thoughts are that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Carson said. “It’s a well-established fundamental pillar of society. And no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn’t matter what they are. They don’t get to change the definition. So it’s not something that’s against gays. It’s, it’s against anybody who wants to come along and change the fundamental definitions of pillars of society. It has significant ramifications.”
RNC Official Calls Homosexuals ‘Filthy’
Then on Thursday, a Republican National Committeeman in Michigan found himself in hot water over an anti-gay Facebook post. Dave Agema posted an article Wednesday on Facebook that denounced the lifestyle of homosexuals as “filthy.” The article went on to list a number of “statistics” about homosexuals, including a claim that “50 percent of suicides can be attributed to homosexuals.”
A group of Michigan Republicans called for his resignation from the RNC over the post. Agema said the piece was worth sharing as the Supreme Court considers landmark gay rights cases this week. Priebus even weighed in with a statement. “The party’s position on traditional marriage is clear but as I have been saying, all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” he said.
Congressman Reminisces About ‘Wetbacks’
Later Thursday came news of Rep. Don Young (R-AK) giving an interview to a local radio station, in which he reminisced about “wetbacks” working on his father’s ranch in California. “My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes. It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine,” Young said on KRBD.
In a statement after the interview, Young said he meant no disrespect when he used the term. “During a sit down interview with Ketchikan Public Radio this week, I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California,” Young said, according to the Anchorage Daily News. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect.”Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is riding a wave of popular support despite public concerns about a lack of progress on homelessness and anger over the Hornby Street bike lane, according to a new Angus Reid poll.
Robertson has one of the highest approval ratings among Canadian politicians, with 43 per cent approving of his performance and 47 per cent disapproving of it.
That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but Mario Canseco, vice-president of communications for Angus Reid Public Opinion, said it's an astonishingly high approval rating, especially compared with the ratings of other current politicians.
"This is great news for an incumbent," he said. "What's fascinating is that Robertson has such a high approval rating. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is at 30 per cent. Premier Gordon Campbell was at between nine and 12 per cent before he resigned. The NDP's Carole James is at 25 per cent.
"It is rare for someone in Canada to be over 40 per cent, so having someone at 43 per cent is something of a phenomenon."
However, those numbers don't make him a shoo-in for next fall's civic election. Less than one-third (31 per cent) of Vancouverites polled believe he deserves to be re-elected, while 40 per cent said he doesn't and the remaining 29 per cent "don't know."
The random poll of 403 Vancouver residents was done Nov. 2-4 and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
Canseco said respondents tended to reflect the voting outcome of the 2008 civic election; 54 per cent said they voted for Robertson while 39 per cent said they chose Peter Ladner of the Non-Partisan Association.
The poll found there was a noticeable gender gap, with almost half of women — 47 per cent — approving of Robertson while 55 per cent of men disapproved of him.
It also showed that despite significant efforts to reduce street homelessness, which Vision Vancouver says has been reduced by 47 per cent over the past two years, most people — 57 per cent — believed the problem had not improved. More alarmingly, 17 per cent believe it has worsened, with just one in 10 believing it had improved.
On public safety and overall quality of life, nearly one-quarter of respondents believe matters have worsened under the mayor. On artistic and cultural activities — one of the four Vision Vancouver platforms in 2008 — 15 per cent believed matters had improved. But 18 per cent say it has worsened, with just under half believing it has stayed the same.
And yet Robertson gets what Canseco says are "impressive marks" for his actions on the environment, with 32 per cent saying he's done a good job. One in 10 believe the environment has worsened.
It is on the Hornby bike lane that people are most divided, with 53 per cent opposing the creation of the lane and 42 per cent supporting it. But when broken out by what mode of transportation the respondents use, the numbers reflect a pattern. Nearly three-quarters of those who drive to work or school dislike the lane, while 86 per cent of those who ride a bike to work or school approve of it. Roughly half of those who take public transit or walk approve of the lane.A man, peering over the ledge of a precipice into nothingness; a woman, looking down in horror at the cracks blooming across her chest, only to see that they reveal a star-studded interior.
These first two images of Thomas McConkie’s newly-released book, Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Developmental Map, juxtapose two conceptions of “faith crisis.” One is the binary clinging to safe ground or leaping into an abyss; the other, McConkie’s rendering, casts it as a transformative rupture, or rather, series of ruptures, that usher in more light and wisdom each time we re-emerge.
What characterizes McConkie’s contribution to the growing literature on faith crisis is the scaffolding of adult developmental stages, familiar to some through the likes of Fowler’s Stages of Faith or Piaget’s pioneering stages of child development. McConkie interweaves the field’s latest research into a compassionate and gently illuminating exploration of the spiritual expressions of five core stages —“Diplomat,” “Expert,” “Achiever,” “Individualist,” and “Strategist”—and their respective “faith crises,” strengths, and challenges.
Thus, the book offers a bird’s eye view of the whole spiritual landscape, encompassing a range of faith transitions that individuals and communities face (tailored but certainly not exclusive to a Mormon context). This focus creates more of a meta-approach; rather than addressing any particular “crisis” (like an issue of Mormon doctrine or history), the book sketches the underpinning values and frameworks that lend themselves to particular kinds of faith crises—or rather, what may appear as such while shifting between stages. “A faith crisis,” McConkie suggests, “may simply be a developmental shift unrecognized, unsupported.” This book helps fill that gap.
I could write a whole series of posts on the beautiful insights of this book (maybe I will), but I’ll just headline a few excerpts to give you a taste of the kinds of paradigm shifts McConkie offers:
This book is for everyone, and especially for those whose sense of integrity, honesty, and authenticity make it as hard to stay as it is to leave.
“Whether we are active members, inactive members, or active members who are considering going inactive, my sense is that we all seek to authentically express our relationship to Mormonism. For some, leaving the Church is tempting but would ultimately be gut-wrenching; too much of our identity belongs to it and we feel called to find a way to make it work. For others, staying in the Church feels dishonest. There are too many beliefs and practices that no longer resonate with us, and the pain of attending church week after week has started to drown out the spiritual benefits of community worship. Many in these predicaments feel that in order to be authentic, in order to show up more fully and engage with the faith community more genuinely, they have to be able to show up with all of themselves…. Whether we are active or inactive, radical or straight-laced, my argument is that we can all learn to express our unique growth in healthier ways. Through insights from the field of adult development, we can learn to recognize and validate the myriad relationships we all form with Mormonism. And we can thrive together as a community of support that has learned to honor one another’s process of spiritual unfolding.”
Instead of the urgent, one |
1. Low income
The most common reason for not saving money might not seem like much of an excuse at all for many. Instead, it might feel more like a fact. Currently Malaysia’s minimum wages is RM900 for Peninsular and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak. This is hardly enough for a family to fulfil their basic needs, what more saving.
It is easy for one to save money when they make four or five figures a month. However, if you earn minimum wages and live in a city with high cost of living, it can be difficult to save money no matter how frugal you are. It’s scary because the importance of savings is especially important for those in the lower income bracket.
It’s essential that you try your absolute hardest to save. Even if it’s a little bit at the start. If trying to cut corners on your spending fails, you might want to look into increasing your income.
Quick tips Negotiate for a raise, consider finding a different position, work more hours, or establish some part-time work on the side by monetising your hobbies.
2. Lack of financial literacy
People with higher financial literacy will assume greater responsibility for their financial well-being. For example, individuals need to determine not only how much to save for retirement, but also how to allocate the retirement wealth wisely. They can learn about budgeting and saving to manage expenses and debt. Indeed, financial literacy is an essential living skill for all of us to build financial security and achieve financial well-being.
However, individuals with low financial literacy are less likely to take calculated risks and invest their money in stocks. Many have also fallen prey to financial scams and lost their life savings.
Quick tips You must stop telling yourself this excuse. There are so many fantastic resources at your disposal that will help you boost your financial education.
3. Servicing multiple debts
On the bright side, if you’re reading this article then you’re on the right track!Take the initiative and start reading up on personal finance and how money works in the real world. Seek help from trusted professionals and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Another reason that prevents people from saving money is the continual need to play catch up on their debts. You most likely fall into this category if you owe massive amounts of debts – credit card, student loan, personal loan, housing loan and/or car loan.
The worst part about this position is that it is hard to get ahead. Once you are behind, it makes it that much harder to reverse things unless you make drastic changes.
According to the Malaysia Department of Insolvency, 41 Malaysians are declared bankrupt every day, with the majority of them being under the age of 44. The main reasons cited are inability to pay off car loans, poor control of credit card usage and a failure to pay off personal loans.
It is highly possible for an average Malaysia earning RM4,000 to service debts worth RM3,700 every month:
Monthly repayment Total RM3,700 Credit card RM500 Student loan RM200 Personal loan RM300 Housing loan RM2,000 Car loan RM700
Sure, you need to repay your debt. But it’s not the only financial priority that deserves your attention. Your twenties and thirties are your prime saving years. A Ringgit saved today can be more than a Ringgit earned tomorrow – thanks to the power of compound interest over time.
Quick tips You can put the bulk of the money available each month toward debt repayment. But still set aside 10% to 20% for savings. It’s okay to work towards more than one financial goal at a time.
4. Low financial incentive for saving
It’s important to know how to clear your debts effectively so you can start saving quicker. Here are some effective methods!
Savings and fixed deposit (FD) accounts do not yield returns as much as investments do. The maximum interest rate offered is only 4% per annum, which may come with various terms and conditions. If that’s not bad enough, current inflation rate stands at about 1.8% – and this means the effective interest rate we earn from our savings is only 2.2%.
Some may still stick to savings and FDs as they have a low tolerance for risk and is dead afraid that they will lose all their hard-earned money in investments. However, understanding how an investment works can help you take calculated risks when it comes to growing your money through investments. Consider investments like unit trust, REITs and share trading if you are looking for higher yield for your savings.
Quick tips Savings or FDs accounts can be good to put some of your savings intended for emergency as they are more liquid than investments. They are a place to stash away your cash so that you do not use it until you really need it.
5. Procrastination
This is another huge financial mistake. Procrastination can be very costly; for example, if you save RM100 per month for 25 years at an interest rate of 3% you will accumulate RM44,712. If you chose to start saving later, and you saved for 15 years instead, you would only have accumulated RM22,754. This is the advantage of compounding interest. And this is a really conservative example!
Quick tips If you start saving earlier, you can get away with making smaller monthly contributions to your nest egg than if you waited and tried to play catch up down the road.
6. Having wrong misconception of saving
Let compound interest do the heavy lifting for you!
Whenever there is a hike in petrol prices, we can see Malaysians queuing up at the petrol station to fill petrol the night before the price rise. They somehow believe that they are saving money on petrol – which is a misconception altogether.
If a Toyota Vios driver decided to fill up a full tank before the recent petrol hike of RM0.10 for RON95. Before the price hike, his full tank would have cost him RM87.75 (RM1.95 x 45 litres). After the price hike, it would cost him RM92.25 (RM2.05 x 45 litres). So, he would have made a one-time saving of RM4.50 only.
That may just be enough for a plate of mixed rice with two dishes. Look for real ways to save instead of focusing on the petty things.
Quick tips If you are really looking forward to save money on petrol, consider driving at a moderate speed, avoiding congested zones, or dump the car whenever you can and start walking or taking public transport.
7. Malaysia is a shopping heaven
These real money saving tips will definitely help you save hundreds a month.
Not shopping is probably a tough thing to do for most Malaysians. With shopping malls at almost every neighbourhood, pasar malam, warehouse sales every weekend, cutting off spending can be truly torturous.
And this is probably the number one cause for Malaysians’ inability to save money. As Malaysians we are always spoilt for choices, from food, entertainment or branded items. A friends gathering never goes away without an eat-out or sales never swing by without us taking advantage of that.
You can always enjoy a better television or a newer car, but splurging on the latest models can be a very expensive (and unnecessary) habit. You should only upgrade when your current item, be it smartphone or TV, is broken, not every time a newer model comes out. This is a result of the mentality that believes your money is yours to spend (now).
Quick tips Prioritise your spending and buy according to your needs and not wants. When there is a sale, it does not automatically mean that you must buy something. Buy only if you really need something.
Anytime you must spend, think thrice if you can do without it. And the money you put into savings is the highest priority “spending” you can do. Pay yourself first, and then use what’s left over to purchase something you want. Here are tips to help curb the temptation to spend money!
Don’t let these excuses stop you from saving for the rest of your life. If you don’t, you won’t achieve what you want. Or worse, if something bad happens, you’ll be completely exposed financially.
Identify your common excuses that stop you from saving and start taking proactive steps in overcoming your stumbling blocks. Once you have done that, you may find saving money much easier to accomplish. It may not be easy, but it is possible and it is well worth it, because saving gives you peace of mind and financial independence.
What’s the number one reason that stops you from saving? Share with us.Microsoft Band 2 is now available for just $144.99 for Amazon Prime members in the US, down $105.00 from its original price of $249.99.
Features:
Continuous heart rate monitor tracks heart rate, calorie burn, and sleep quality
Tracking for running, biking, golf, and more
Email, text, calendar, and call alerts on the go
11 sensors, including GPS, UV monitor, and barometer
Full-color curved display
Microsoft Band helps you live healthier by tracking your heart rate, exercise, calorie burn, and sleep quality, and helps you achieve more with email, text, and calendar alerts at a glance. Advanced sensors track data specific to running, biking, and golfing. Technology from Microsoft Health gives you actionable insights based on your data. Microsoft Band works with Windows Phone, Android, and iPhone.
Get the deal here from Amazon. It is available for $175 from Microsoft Store.Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan threatened to “tear this godd*m country apart!” over Ferguson.
Farrakhan told parents to teach their kids how to toss Molotov cocktails.
The radical Jew-hater told supporters at Morgan State University, “We going to die anyway. Let’s die for something.”
The Daily Caller reported:
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan went on a fiery tirade about Ferguson on Saturday — threatening that if the demands of protesters aren’t met, “we’ll tear this goddamn country apart!”
Farrakhan stated in his speech — given at Morgan State University, a black college located in Baltimore, Md. — that violence was justified in response to the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson and peaceful protests are only in the interest of “white folks.”
“We going to die anyway. Let’s die for something,” the radical figure told the crowd to roaring applause.
He even said the parents of teenagers should teach their kids how to throw Molotov cocktails. “Teach your baby how to throw the bottle if they can. Fight,” the minister advised, and then imitated throwing the explosive device.
Farrakhan argued that violence was justified by the “law of retaliation” HE claims is in both the Bible and the Koran.It was just last week when legendary hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller delivered his latest anti-Fed sermon and once again extolled gold as the asset class to own in these experimental times in which the "bull market in stocks is exhausted", saying "what was the one asset you did not want to own when I started Duquesne in 1981? Hint…it has traded for 5000 years and for the first time has a positive carry in many parts of the globe as bankers are now experimenting with the absurd notion of negative interest rates. Some regard it as a metal, we regard it as a currency and it remains our largest currency allocation."
Today, it is the turn of that other prominent anti-Fed crusading hedge fund billionaire, Elliott Management's Paul Singer, who in his latest letter said that gold’s best quarter in 30 years is probably just the beginning of a rebound as global investors weigh the ramifications of unprecedented monetary easing on inflation.
As cited by Bloomberg, Singer said that "it makes a great deal of sense to own gold. Other investors may be finally starting to agree,” Singer wrote in an April 28 letter to clients. "Investors have increasingly started processing the fact that the world’s central bankers are completely focused on debasing their currencies."
He said that "if investors’ confidence in central bankers’ judgment continues to weaken, the effect on gold could be very powerful. We believe the March quarter’s price action could represent something closer to the beginning of such a move than to the end."
What makes Singer's outlook especially notable is that it thankfully disagrees with the view from Goldman Sachs which as we reported last night, was stopped out of its short gold position with a 4.5% loss, and while forecasting modestly higher prices in 3, 6 and 12 months (it now sees gold at $1,100 instead of $1,000) still expects weaker gold prices over the next 12 months. Which considering Goldman's absolutely abysmal predictive track record is great news for gold bulls.
Bloomberg adds that in addition to expressing his gold view through options, Singer is backing a new venture focused on royalties, streaming, and other forms of investments in the mining industry that will be led by Shaun Usmar of Barrick Gold Corp.
And while Goldman cotninues to bash gold (which has once again jumped this morning right on schedule), some unexpected support to Singer's view came from none other than JPMorgan's Private Bank whose Solita Marcelli told CNBC that "we're recommending our clients to position for a new and very long bull market for gold." After seeing three back-to-back years of losses, the precious metal has rallied 20 percent in 2016. And that's just the start of the next leg higher, according to Marcelli. "[We think] $1,400 is very much in the cards this year."
As CNBC adds, the firm's global head of fixed income, currencies and commodities reasoned that, with so many negative interest rate policies around the world, gold will continue to be bought as an alternative currency. And, with expectations that investors will seek to hedge against the resulting volatility, Marcelli believes that gold will remain attractive in a world where bonds and U.S. rates may cease to be the main risk-off asset.
"Central Banks may consider diversifying their reserves [as they anticipate] negative rates on existing holdings," said Marcelli, when discussing the commodity as safe-haven trade. "Gold is a great portfolio hedge in an environment where the world government bonds are yielding at historically low levels."
While Marcelli admits the move will come slowly, she remains convinced that the commodity will continue to grind higher — with that key $1,400 level being the first line in the sand.
"Gold is looking more and more attractive every single day," concluded Marcelli. "As a nonyielding asset, it has a minimal storage cost, so when you compare it to negative-yielding assets, it actually has a positive carry."
It is refreshing to see that in a world in which over $7 trillion in bonds have a negative yield, someone has done the math. It is less refreshing that gold is once again so prominently featured in the official narrative, because if cash has recently become a target in a global NIRP world, that means that gold, whose wealth preservation qualities are vastly greater, will surely undergo an Executive Order 6102 redux in the coming years as governments around the globe seek to eliminate access to hard assets."It's been ongoing for week or two. It's a nice straight swap," Collingwood's national recruiting manager Derek Hine said of the deal.
"It gives Jackson an opportunity where he's probably third or fourth in line here, so it's a win win I think,"
The Magpies look at the inclusion of Karnezis as a boost to their midfield, despite his having rarely played through that part of the ground while at the Lions.
"He's a 191cm mid," Hine said.
"He's got that utility scope. He's played a lot down back. We see him potentially going through the midfield as that taller mid type."
Karnezis has long been on the Magpies' radar but they looked to have lost the inside running on a trade for a late draft pick when North Melbourne joined the race early this week.
That development left Collingwood with only pick No.67 available to trade for Karnezis, well behind the Kangaroos offer of pick No.47, meaning a player needed to be traded.
Overall, Hine suggested that the club was satisfied with the work done on the list through the Gillette Trade period.
"The closer you are to the nose the more chance you are of getting that elite talent. We've been really pleased that we've been able to sneak in there and the opportunity presented itself with the West Coast trade and so we thought it makes the loss of Dale (Thomas, to Carlton) a little bit more palatable."
Collingwood preferred to use defender Ben Reid as a forward late in the season rather than give Paine an opportunity, but he is well placed to earn games with the Lions.The recruiting of Sydney Swans' Jesse White also appeared to push the young forward further down the pecking order at the Westpac Centre.MANGALURU: Canara Plastic Manufacturers Association (CPMTA) has expressed its disappointment at the proposed Goods and Service Tax (GST) rates of 18% and 28% for plastic products. This is a big blow to the plastic industry, CPMTA maintained adding that time and again, the government has assured the stakeholders that there will be no extra burden of tax in GST than currently being paid by the industry notedPlastic industry runs on very thin margins due to highly competitive market largely due to cheap imports from China, Nazeer said, adding that despite these issues, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector has worked very hard over the years and achieved the quality of international standard due to sustained quality efforts. Today MSME’S are exporting more than 30% of production in highly competitive international market particularly against china.Plastic industry serve daily necessities like packaging of food products, house ware, lunch boxes, buckets, pencil boxes, water bottles, and toys. Most plastic processors are MSME units and majority are not under excise because of low turnover or being in backward region. Most plastic products presently are being sold with VAT of 5% to 14.5% whereas GST for plastic products is proposed at 18% to 28%, Nazeer noted.Therefore these products of necessity are likely to become 10% more expensive under GST and GST rates of 18% to 28% on plastic items will force the small manufacturers to close their manufacturing activities. This in turn will result in very large number of workforce being rendered unemployed, Nazeer said urging the union government and the empowered GST council to reduce the rates to 12% for all the plastic products and thereby save the industry.Tijital is a little known independent videogame developer. You most likely haven’t heard of a game called Trials, which shows a lot of promise. He is currently edging towards his first commercial release, a game called Taijou.
Name?
Tristan ‘tijit’ Trabilsie.
Age?
21.
Location?
Adelaide, South Australia. I live with 4 other people in a sharehouse we like to call “Nerdhaus”.
Development tool(s) of choice?
Mostly GameMaker, but more recently I have also been using C# / XNA.
How did you become interested and get into game development?
I knew I wanted to develop games since I was like 5 years old and I played Wonder Boy III on the SEGA Master System (a game which I only managed to beat a couple of years ago when I picked it up on an emulator and nostalgiagasm’d). I taught myself to use GameMaker when I was in high school because programming is cooler than socialising. Before that I hadn’t done much other than play around with the demo version of Klik'n'play that came with Sim City.
What are your goals and aspirations as a game developer?
As far as creating stuff goes I have two goals: the first is to have a game that is fun to play. The second is for it to be challenging. The tricky part of designing for me is for the challenge part to not subtract from the fun part.
Speaking of challenge, do you enjoy making games that only a few people are going to finish or would you rather make a game that is mildly challenging, knowing that of all your audience will see the ending?
I like having a finished product that is mildly challenging to just finish, and have a bunch of extra modes or levels that will really push people to their limits. So far my games haven’t had a lot of narrative involved so “seeing the ending” is usually just a fadeout or credits sequence, but this is something I’m working on at the moment.
What inspires you to keep creating videogames?
Tricky question, because creativity is hard. Like a lot of people, inspiration comes in bursts that can last a day or a month, and the periods of time between these bursts are also pretty variable.
You released a game called Trials quite sometime ago now. What are the influences and inspirations for Trials?
Initially Trials was a one-week experiment. I wanted to see a first person platformer that used classic design elements from 2d platformers without the clutter. The goal was to make a game that was easy to play through but hard to speed run. The one-week, 6-level prototype sat around on a hard drive for around a year before I found it again, polished it up and released it, which took about 2 - 3 months.
As much time as I put into it, I really didn’t feel as though Trials was what I wanted it to be. There were some fundamental problems about the game, the largest being the XY plane movement being improportional to the jump height (the player moved too slowly) and it never felt like the player was moving particularly fast, which is a huge design flaw for a speed running game. I still see Trials as a prototype, and at some point in the future plan to make a spiritual “sequel” with this and a whole bunch of other flaws addressed (it will have a different name as another game called Trials / Trials 2 already exists).
I noticed very little publicity, following its release. How has Trials been received since its release? Are there many regular players?
I didn’t spend a lot of time spreading the news about Trials. At the time I hadn’t had much experience with PR and mostly spread the word within random communities that I was involved with at the time. There were a few regulars when it was first released (that I was competing for the best time with) but I don’t think it’s played much any more.
Are you more well-versed, PR-wise now or are you hoping to that your next release will be eye-catching enough to catch peoples’ attention?
I haven’t released a new big game recently but I have done a lot of talking to different people about contacting various websites and getting articles written. I have been updating blogs more frequently and linking to new game footage on places like Reddit. I’m hoping that Taijou will catch on. It’ll be my first commercial release so I kinda want to polish it as much as possible.
Development has slowed down a little as I’m waiting on some art / sound assets, so it’s probably a good time to release another open beta. I want to get as much play-tester feedback as possible before release.
You have a donation 'goal’ system for each project on your website, in which new content is released when goals are met, ranging from level packs to sequels to full game releases. How has this worked out for you so far?
Well I haven’t actually reached the donation goal for any of my games (I guess my site isn’t well known enough). It was an idea that I got my web programmer to prototype because at the time, it was a way for people to pay for content in the games that they cared about more.
Would you like to make a living from independent videogame development or do you think it will always be an 'on the side’ venture?
I’d love to be able to create games full-time. My current project, Taijou is like 95% finished and I intend on collaborating with an artist and a composer to make it sellable. In a recent game jam I got a key for GameMaker HTML5, and I have been mucking around with that a whole lot. The ability to embed games into a web page is something new to me and is really awesome. I am considering making a browser-based rogue like and making money from it (some how).
I’ll have to see where I go from there.
Have you considered learning something in the vein of ActionScript (FlashDevelop, Flixel / FlashPunk) and attempting the sponsorship route?
I’ve done very little ActionScript and those experiences were kinda bad for me. I’m going to stick to GML and XNA because that’s what I know best. I would probably consider sponsorships if that weren’t the case, although html5 and WebGL are picking up and I’m sure this kind of payment system will work for other types of embedded games soon. I’m not really a fan of pay-to-play or “free to play” pay-to-win models. I much prefer paying an outright amount for a game and just being able to play all of its content.ADVERTISEMENT
President Obama would be foolish not to dump Vice President Joe Biden from his re-election ticket and rope in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to a growing chorus of, well, mostly conservative and Republican commentators. At The Weekly Standard, William Kristol argues that Clinton would help Obama win back white working-class voters; The Washington Times' Joseph Curl says that Clinton's enormous popularity would put Obama over the top. Even some liberals, like The Daily Beast's Michael Tomasky, are pushing the idea, arguing that Clinton would give Obama an election-ensuring 20-point advantage among female voters. Maybe so, but here are five reasons the much-ballyhooed Biden-Clinton switcheroo just won't happen:
1. Everyone denies, believably, that the change is in the works
The idea of swapping Clinton for Biden has been around since at least 2010, and "the White House has constantly shot down the rumors," says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. Plus, Biden says he's in it for the long haul, and more importantly, Clinton says that this is her last year of serving in public office, period. On top of that, Obama has Biden out on the trail, stumping for the campaign in key areas around the country. "If that's the sign of a president who's about to toss his vice president overboard, they're putting on a pretty good act."
2. Biden is a serious asset
This idea is being floated again now because of White House anger over Biden's recent Meet the Press appearance, in which he said he supported gay marriage, forcing Obama's hand, says Maggie Haberman at Politico. And in fact, "Biden's tendency to wander off-script is a familiar downside to having him on the ticket." At the same time, though, Joe from Scranton's "ability to connect with voters, especially working-class voters, is a serious upside," now more than ever. Biden's blue-collar appeal is probably a big part of why "he's attracting so much attention from the Right."
3. Clinton wouldn't really help Obama much
There's also this big, eternal truth: "Vice presidents don't make much of a difference," says Harry J. Enten at Britain's The Guardian. No voters will change their mind based on Obama's No. 2, and if Obama's coalition is less enthusiastic than in 2012, it's "not in places where Clinton could help." Does anyone really think young voters, or blacks, will be swayed by putting Clinton on the ticket? "I could see the possibility that Clinton might theoretically add a percentage point to the ticket among women or Hispanics," says Ed Kilgore at Washington Monthly, "but the time to make that calculation was four years ago," not now.
4. The swap would be awkward, even counterproductive
In the instances when sitting presidents, "in more-or-less modern times," have swapped out their VP at re-election time — Gerald Ford in 1976, and FDR in 1940 and again in 1944 — they did so because of ideological splits, says Jeff Greenfield at Yahoo News. That's not the case with Obama and Biden. In fact, try describing "with a straight face" how Obama would explain the swap. The only believable answer — "I've concluded that my re-election will be much more likely if I run with Hillary Clinton" — would be electoral poison. Voters don't want to hear politicians admitting to playing politics.
5. Replacing Biden would smack of desperation
The Obama critics making this "fundamentally ridiculous argument" aren't really trying to help Obama beat Mitt Romney, of course, says Outside the Beltway's Mataconis. They are intelligent enough to know that, unless Biden has to sit out for serious medical reasons, a Biden-Clinton switcheroo "would be seen, correctly, as an act of desperation and weakness on Obama's part." And Obama is far from desperate. Still, with three long months before the Democratic National Convention, there are "plenty of other opportunities for the rest of the punditocracy to float this ridiculous scenario, and perhaps even a few others." Enjoy.Buy Photo Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Tom Fiegen speaks at the 4th District convention in Ames on April 30, 2016. (Photo: Kathie Obradovich/The Register)Buy Photo
AMES, Ia. — Patty Judge talked about her baby granddaughter. Tom Fiegen talked about a farmer who “F-bombed” him out of disgust for Democrats who sell out to large agribusiness.
Even in brief speeches at the Iowa Democrats’ 4th District convention Saturday at Ames Middle School, the contrast of style and issues among the candidates for U.S. Senate was stark.
Rob Hogg bemoaned the dysfunction in Congress and called for Democrats to help make it work again. Bob Krause emphasized the need for campaign finance reform and called on the audience to share social media posts for Democrats — even some of his Senate primary opponents.
Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and former state agriculture secretary, focused on convincing fellow Democrats that Republican incumbent Sen. Chuck Grassley can be defeated. She said Grassley had adopted the image of Iowa’s grandpa — “and you can’t vote against grandpa, right?”
“Wrong,” a man in the auditorium yelled.
“Wrong, yes! You are right,” Judge responded. “But the truth of the matter is about Chuck Grassley, over the past few years, he has steadily moved to the right. He’s quit being an independent thinker.”
Judge also said she questioned whether to run for Senate after her new granddaughter, Millie, required open-heart surgery soon after her birth. Her son, Joe Judge, the baby’s father, told her she had to run, for Millie.
Fiegen, a lawyer from Clarence, lambasted fellow Democrats. He told a story about being accosted by a farmer in Dubuque County who said, “You effing, effing, effing Democrats.” The farmer said Democrats say they’re with him until Monsanto or Cargill wants something.
“What I propose is, we show the people of Iowa unconditional loyalty,” Fiegen said. Fiegen, who endorsed Bernie Sanders for president, was a clear favorite with the convention audience, with at least half (and maybe more than half) in Sanders’ camp.
He drew applause when he claimed that he was the “only candidate” in the Senate race who supports the Des Moines Water Works’ lawsuit over water quality. It was a dig at Judge, who was formerly part of Iowa Partnership for Clean Water, which ran ads against what it called the “frivolous” lawsuit. She has said she supports the right to sue but believes it will be costly in terms of money and ill will between rural and urban Iowans.
Buy Photo Kathie Obradovich (Photo: The Register)
Hogg, a state senator from Cedar Rapids, arrived during the lunch break and spent time working the crowd before his speech. He directly countered Fiegen’s claim to be the only opponent of the Water Works suit. He said the Des Moines utility has a real problem that it needs to solve, but he also would have preferred a legislative solution to pay for anti-pollution programs for the next 15 years.
He also touted endorsements from the Iowa Federation of Labor and AFSCME Iowa Council 61. He called Grassley the “chief obstructionist” for filling the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Generally, however, Hogg offered a congenial “ya gotta believe”-style pep talk aimed at the need for Democrats to retake the Senate majority. Congress needs to work to solve issues like the budget deficit, creation of a vibrant economy and cleaning up the environment, he said.
“I need you to believe with me that we can change the way we do politics and we can actually get Congress to work again,” he said.
The audience seemed the least familiar with Krause, even though he and Fiegen ran for Senate in 2010. He asked how many of them were familiar with Bob’s Cookie College, the theme of his issue-based Web videos. Only a few hands went up.
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Undaunted, Krause evangelized on the power of social media to elevate Democrats — all Democrats — as a way to counter being outspent by the GOP. “What got Trump where he was? Tweets. And entertainment,” Krause said.
He took the time to explain to the crowd how to share a post on Facebook.
“This is where the watershed starts. You can 'like' something, you can share something. If it’s Hillary you’re interested in, Bernie, Kim Weaver, Bob Krause, Rob Hogg, Tom Fiegen, Patty Judge, hit the share button. S-H-A-R-E, share button,” he said.
If I had to rank which of these approaches got this Sanders-friendly convention audience to push “like,” I’d say it was Fiegen’s anti-establishment red meat that came out on top, followed by Judge’s family folksiness, Hogg’s idealism and, finally, Krause’s social media tutorial.
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/26FtGolNewly homeless, a group of fairies find themselves trying to adapt to their new life in the forest. As they dodge dangers from both without and within, optimistic Aurora steps forward to organize and help build a new community. Slowly, the world around them becomes more treacherous, as petty rivalries and factions form.
Beautiful Darkness became a bestseller and instant classic when it was released in 2014. This paperback edition of the modern horror classic will contain added material, preparatory sketches and unused art. While Kerascoet mix gorgeous watercolors and spritely cartoon characters, Vehlmann takes the story into bleaker territory as the seasons change and the darkness descends. Like any great horror, there are moments of calm and jarring shock while a looming dread hangs over the forest.
Translated from the French by Helge Dascher.After a pretty rough overnight session in the bitcoin price, it looks as though we are finally getting some reprieve on the correction that has dominated this week’s action. This isn’t to say we have seen the last of it, there is every chance that it might continue and that this could just be a small bounce, but for now, at least, it looks as though the worst of it is over.
This means that we can switch our risk off sentiment to something a little bit more risk on, widen out our stop losses and go after a little more aggression to the upside if we see a breakout trade materialize. Those who have been with us all week will know we have been looking primarily to the downside for our breakout entries. We have got in and out of the markets on a couple of upside positions, but we have been forced to limit our targets based on the overarching beverage momentum.
Going forward, we can be a little bit more neutral, as long as price continues to act as it did overnight last night.
If things turn around again, we will have to reevaluate our bias.
So, let’s get to the details. As ever, take a quick look at the chart below before we get started. It is a one-minute candlestick chart, and it has our key range overlaid in blue.
As the chart shows, we are trading at the very top of price action today, with a range defined by support to the downside at 2485 and resistance to the upside at 2503. Standard breakout rules apply, so a close above resistance will put us in long towards 2520. Conversely, a close below support will have us in a short trade towards 2465. Stop losses on both positions will ensure we are taken out of the trades in the event of a bias reversal.
Charts courtesy of Trading ViewOne March day in 1984, Onnie Lee Logan received a letter from the Mobile, Ala., County Board of Health, telling her that her services were no longer required and that her license to practice as a midwife was revoked with immediate effect. The letter thanked her for her 38 years of faithful service to the county and wished her a healthy retirement.
Logan was devastated. Although she was then around 73 years old, Logan had expected to keep on delivering babies as long as she was healthy enough to do so. “Nothing in my life has ever made me feel so little,” she would recall in her 1989 autobiography, Motherwit: An Alabama Midwife’s Story. Indeed, it was the shock of her enforced retirement that drove Logan to set down her life in print, producing an unforgettable memoir of one of the last African-American “granny midwives” in the South.
Onnie Lee Logan was born around 1910 near Sweet Water, Marengo County, southwest Alabama, the 14th child of Len Rodgers, a farmer and carpenter, and his wife, Martha, a midwife and farmer. Like her 15 siblings and like half of all babies born in the United States at that time, Onnie Lee was delivered in her own home by an unlicensed midwife. In rural Southern communities from the earliest days of slavery, most midwives were African American, known as “granny midwives.”
In Onnie Lee’s family, the tradition was particularly strong, with her mother, both of her grandmothers and even a brother-in-law serving as midwives. Although many of her neighbors struggled to make ends meet by sharecropping, Onnie Lee’s parents owned their own land—a “huge plantation,” as she remembered it—on which they raised livestock and grew vegetables and produced some rice and cotton. Though the family was cash-poor, it was also self-sufficient and remained debt-free, no mean feat in rural Alabama during the hard times of the 1920s and 193 |
PT’s crashing of foreign and domestic stock and oil markets into dollars and treasuries will reduce the amount of those FDIC bailout bonds that the Fed will have to monetize. Precious metals will undoubtedly become beneficiaries of this flushing out as well. This will be the dollar and bond markets’ last hurrah, and will pave the roads leading to devaluation of the dollar, and to the greatest bull market in gold and silver of all time. The next leg up will make up for all the big profits that have eluded newer investors in precious metals thus far. The best is yet to come. Buy your tickets now, and make sure that you’re already on the train when it leaves the station!
Market In Review
The Challenger job cuts rose 31% to 97,373 month-on-month. This is the first rise in job cuts since January.
Can you imagine the federal government is asking Goldman Sachs about its compensation packages and credit derivative instruments? The government will do absolutely nothing, – Goldman controls our government.
Besides supplying foreign currencies via loans to friendly countries called swap facilities, the Fed is also using this front to buy Treasuries. The friendly countries are England, So. Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
The reason the Treasury reconfigured its figures on foreign central bank Treasury sales was to boost foreign participation in Treasury auctions. That allowed foreigners to show larger auction purchase numbers to cover up Fed purchases of US Treasuries. These swaps allowed a cover for the continued monetization via Treasury purchases and at the same time make it look like the foreigners were the buyers. This way they do not have to continue to use secret offshore accounts in the Caribbean. The actions could explain why the Japanese tried to smuggle US Treasury bearer bonds from Italy into Switzerland for sale before the dollar tanked. The US is in a box and they cannot get out. They have to print money and issue credit or deflation will take charge.
We are now seeing the result of such policies in the value of the dollar as it plummets downward. Obviously others have caught on to what the Fed is up too. If you throw all this monetization into perspective you have to realize it’s hyperinflationary.
Then there is the $2 trillion budget deficit, which could become much worse if Cap & Trade and Health Reform become law. That could guarantee double digit deficits as far as the eye can see, never mind what fiscal madness could be cooked up over the next 3-1/2 years. How would you feel if you were holding dollar denominated assets? In addition the administration’s failed programs have to make you cringe. Instead of applying the stimulus package quickly most of it will occur next year, which was purely a political decision, which will prove to be a costly one for the overall economy. Put this together with the rampant corruption in wall Street and banking, the insider trading by Goldman Sachs and others aided and abetted by the New York Stock Exchange; tremendous political pressure to disband the Fed and a public that is finally catching on to what is really going on and you have a formula for disaster. We also shouldn’t forget the enablers of the Wall Street-Government crime syndicate, the SEC and CFTC, which cover up all these illegal activities.
Every large dollar holder knows going in that it has been US policy for years to inflate its currency. They should have recognized this as a cost of doing business. This inflation in part allowed US consumers the ability to continue to buy massive amounts of foreign products. That meant that in time the dollar was doomed to fall in value. Eventually dollar holders will lose 2/3’s of their dollar purchasing power via devaluation and default. As a result of these profligate US policies we hear rumors that secret deals have been made with creditors to keep them from dumping their dollar denominated assets. It is finally becoming clear to foreigners that today’s American financial system is built on fraud benefiting a small group of elitists who control Wall Street, banking and our government. Then again foreigners are not without fault. Almost every one of them have manipulated their currencies and secretly and openly subsidized their industries. Thus, there is plenty of blame to go around.
Inflation has continued to recede worldwide as monetization is neutralized by the pull of deflation. We are frequently asked when is inflation going to start moving upward or where is hyperinflation? Be patient it is on the way. Our financial system, after two years of crisis, still is insolvent and will continue to need massive infusions of monetized capital. That will be especially true if the FASB changes their rules back to mark-to-market from mark-to-model. We are looking at budget deficits of over a trillion dollars or more as far as the eye can see and we are looking at continued increasing unemployment. That means continued massive money and credit creation. Eventually that will bring the higher inflation and hyperinflation. As a result of this policy of throwing money at the problem the dollar is paying a price. It was but two months ago that we recommended the sale of the dollar and the assumption of short positions at 89.5 on the USDX. As we write that index is at 77.60. We believe it is headed toward 71.18, its former low by the end of October. We projected all this in mid-May some three months ago. We at that time moved based on fundamentals and in June we found the elitists at the Bilderberg Meeting in Greece decided that the dollar could no longer be defended at then present levels.
America is still a great importer of goods and the increase in the cost of goods purchased is a very strong stimulus for price inflation. That T-shirt from China that once cost $1.00 would rise to $1.50 and soon. The idea for the elitists is to hold the dollar decline at 71.18. At first they’ll be successful, but in time that level will be broken and the dollar will fall to 40 or 50. It could take six months or three years dependent on what transpires. The anecdote is gold as it has been for centuries. Gold is wealth preservation that preserves assets whether we have inflation or deflation.
Some governments will continue to create money and credit, such as the US and England. Some may decide to bite the bullet now, as we believe the eurozone may now be doing. The ECB has dropped M4 from 12.8% to 4.7% over the last two years, which could well be an indication they have decided to enter deflationary depression – we will see.
A lower dollar 15 years ago would have been helpful for exports, but in today’s environment a 71.18 USDX dollar would only add ½ of 1% to GDP.
Few talk about it but chances are excellent that in September and October that the stock market could take a heavy hit, falling quickly and deeply back to 6600 on the Dow. De-leveraging has a piece to go with banks still at 40 or 50 times deposits. Eight to ten times is normal. This recent bear market rally is very similar to the 1930 rally, which ended percentage-wise just about where we are presently. Unemployment is rising and that means earnings cannot maintain. Who will they sell too? Get out your parachutes; it is time to jump.
On Thursday, there was a rumor on Wall Street repeated by CNBC that the Labor Department would adjust unemployment from January thru July by 500,000 to 1 million additional lost jobs. This wouldn’t be surprising considering Washington lies about everything. If this is true the market will be seriously affected.
Goldman Sachs made $100 million in trading revenue, a company record 46 separate days in the second quarter. You can only achieve this on inside information. In the second quarter they only had two losing trading days. As a former trader for 25 years and official member of the Los Angeles Traders, I find that totally impossible without inside information. They made $50 million a day. These people are criminals, especially for what they have done to the gold and silver markets.
Commercial paper expanded last week up $10.7 billion to $1,076 trillion. Asset backed paper fell $3 billion after being up $900 million the prior week, to a total of $434.8. Unsecured financial issuance fell $400 million after falling $26.6 billion the previous week.
CEO Index, the only one of its kind, fell to 63 in July. The overall confidence was 75.7 in May. 88.8% rated current conditions as bad, up from 86.3% in June and 81.6% in May.
The employment confidence index fell 25% with 57% of CEO’s expecting a continued decrease in employment in the next quarter. More than 95% rated the rate of current employment environment as bad, the highest level for 2009. 0.4% thought they were good.
Thirty-nine percent expect capital spending to drop and the consensus was we are treading water. They thought the government is only delaying the inevitable. 33% believe the worst is yet to come. They think the President’s healthcare reform if approved would have a devastating effect on the economy. Cap & trade if passed would be equally devastating.
Rumors reach us that a major investment house will put out a call to get its clients out of the ETFs due to anticipated accounting issues. Could it be that GLD and SLV will be exposed as Enron-type frauds?
The continuing saga of Pat Kiley
In the ongoing saga of Pat Kiley we do not know if any money will be rescued, but we figure about $190 to $200 million disappeared. As you know we heard rumors that large amounts of cash were dispersed worldwide to Zurich, Scandinavia, Greece, London and Panama. We hope the FBI is about to move on this unfortunate scandal.
The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for state jobless benefits fell last week, providing another glimmer of hope that the economy may be on the road to recovery.
Initial claims for jobless benefits fell by 38,000 to 550,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis in the week ended Aug. 1, the Labor Department said in its weekly report Thursday. The four-week average of new claims, which aims to smooth volatility in the data, fell by 4,750 to 555,250, the lowest level since Jan. 24.
The tally of continuing claims — those drawn by workers for more than one week — rose by 69,000 during the week ended July 25 to 6,310,000, the highest level since July 4.
For months, issuers have raised credit card rates and fees at a dizzying pace. Now, a growing number are starting to tack on new card fees for inactivity or purchases made outside the U.S.
In June, Fifth Third Bank began charging a $19 fee if credit card borrowers have no account activity in 12 months. Discover now levies a 2% fee on purchases made outside the U.S., and Chase has introduced a $30 annual fee on its popular Freedom credit card.
Citigroup, meanwhile, has rolled out a policy where certain credit card borrowers who pay late are subject to a “reinstatement fee” to be able to redeem accumulated points for rewards. This fee is currently $0. But it won’t stay that way, predicts Robert Hammer, who consults with the industry, if Citigroup finds cardholders aren’t objecting to the policy. Citigroup spokesman Samuel Wang says, “We currently have no plans to raise it.”
The fees represent issuers’ latest attempt to mitigate the effects of a credit card law passed in May, which restricts rate increases and marketing to college students. Analysts say that because most provisions don’t take effect until February 2010, issuers are finding ways now to bolster their income despite consumers’ precarious financial situations.
Issuers are “hoping to slip in fees where they’re least likely to be noticed,” says Adam Jusko, founder of IndexCreditCards.com, a card comparison site.
Mortgage rates in the U.S. fell for the first time in three weeks, boosting the potential for further stabilization in the housing market.
The average 30-year rate dropped to 5.22 percent from 5.25 percent, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac of McLean, Virginia, said today in a statement. The 15-year rate averaged 4.63 percent for the week ending today.
Lower rates may increase demand for homes in the fourth year of the housing recession. New and existing-home sales rose in June as falling prices and a government tax credit lured buyers. The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index rose 0.5 percent in May from the prior month, the first gain since July 2006.
“If you’re a homebuyer and you’re employed, you can’t complain,” said Donald Rissmiller, chief economist at New York- based Strategas Research Partners. “Policy makers have to consider this a success.”
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke is trying to lower loan costs with a program to purchase securities backed by mortgages. The central bank’s purchases brought down yields on government debt and mortgage-backed bonds issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, allowing lenders to reduce rates on new loans and still sell the securities at a profit.
The Federal Reserve’s $1.25 trillion plan for buying mortgage-backed securities helped drive rates to a record low 4.78 percent twice in April. Falling rates helped boost refinancing and purchase applications for home loans.
Rates started climbing in May along with Treasury yields on investor concern that higher government debt would fuel inflation. The 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.75 percent today from 3.61 percent last week.
The pace of U.S. job losses slowed more than forecast last month and the unemployment rate dropped for the first time since April 2008, the clearest signs yet that the worst recession since the Great Depression is easing.
Payrolls fell by 247,000, after a 443,000 loss in June, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The jobless rate dropped to 9.4 percent from 9.5 percent.
Fannie Mae plans to tap $11 billion in new government aid after posting another massive quarterly loss as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust keeps growing.
The mounting price tag for the rescue of Fannie and its goverment-sponsored sibling, Freddie Mac, is surpassed only by insurer American International Group Inc., which has received $182.5 billion in financial support from the government so far.
Fannie Mae’s new request for $10.7 billion from the Treasury Department will bring the total for Fannie and Freddie to nearly $96 billion. Freddie is expected to report its quarterly results on Friday.
The government has pledged up to $400 billion in aid for the two companies, which play a vital role in the mortgage market by purchasing loans from banks and selling them to investors. They have been under government control since last September, when their near-collapse helped set off the financial crisis.
Together, Washington-based Fannie and McLean, Va.-based Freddie own or guarantee almost 31 million home loans worth about $5.4 trillion. That’s about half of all U.S home mortgages.
With assets of that size, “it’s hard for their problems to be small,” said Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner at Federal Financial Analytics, a consulting firm that advises financial institutions.
Fannie Mae posted a second-quarter loss of $15.2 billion, or $2.67 per share, including $411 million in dividend payouts. That compares with a loss of $2.6 billion, or $2.54 per share, in the year-ago period.
“We are dependent on the continued support of Treasury in order to continue operating our business,” Fannie Mae said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing late Thursday.
The results were driven by $18.8 billion in credit losses due to declining housing market conditions, made worse by rising unemployment. Nearly 4 percent of the loans Fannie Mae owns or guarantees were delinquent as of June 30, up from 1.4 percent a year earlier.
The two companies lowered their standards for borrowers during the real estate boom and are reeling from the bust. High-risk loans, now defaulting at a record pace, have come back to haunt the companies. Worse still, the recession is causing formerly reliable homeowners with good credit to default.
The Obama administration is expected to unveil its plans for Fannie and Freddie early next year. Options being considered include keeping the companies private, winding down their operations, merging them into a federal agency or separating out their bad mortgage assets into a new company backed by the government.
Meanwhile, the head of the federal agency that regulates Fannie and Freddie Mac, James Lockhart, is stepping down at the end of the month. Edward DeMarco, chief operating officer of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was named acting director on Thursday.
DeMarco, 49, has worked at the agency since October 2006. Before that, he worked at the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department.
Joseph Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes — 7/07/2009
Last week the U.S. “stood down” in Iraq, finalizing the pullout of 140,000 troops from Iraqi cities and towns — the first step on the long path home. After more than six years, most Americans are war-weary, even though a smaller percentage of us have been involved in the actual fighting than in any major conflict in U.S. history.
But not so fast. The conflict that began in 2003 is far from over for us, and the next chapter — confronting a Taliban that reasserted itself in Afghanistan while the U.S. was sidetracked in Iraq — will be expensive and bloody. The death toll for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan reached 5,000 in June. An additional 80,000 Americans have been wounded or injured since the war in Iraq began. More than 300,000 of our troops have required medical treatment, and Army statistics show that more than 17 percent of our returning soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, even though most of the population has long told pollsters they can’t wait for U.S. forces to leave, U.S. officials have said we are likely to station 50,000 troops at military bases in the country for the foreseeable future. This is because the situation in Iraq is highly precarious.
Moreover, the U.S. barely has begun to face the enormous financial bill for the war. By our accounting, the U.S. has already spent $1 trillion on operations and related defense spending, with more to come — and it will cost perhaps $2 trillion more to repay the war debt, replenish military equipment and provide care and treatment for U.S. veterans back home. Many of the wounded will require indefinite care for brain and spinal injuries. Disability payments are ramping up and will grow higher for decades. The stress of extended, multiple tours to Iraq means that a whole generation of U.S. military men and women may now be suffering from long-term mental health issues. The suicide rate in the Army is at its highest level since record-keeping began.
This wartime spending undoubtedly has been a major contributor to our present economic collapse. The U.S. has waged an expensive war as if it required little or no economic sacrifice, funding the conflict by massive borrowing. As we’ve observed in the past, you can’t spend $3 trillion on a reckless foreign war and not feel the pain at home.
Burned by the difficulties in Iraq, our political leaders have no illusions about the length and difficulty of the challenge facing us in Afghanistan. But in other respects we seem set to repeat the same mistakes that we made in Iraq. The president has just signed yet another “emergency” supplemental appropriations measure ($80 billion) to fund continuing operations in Iraq and expansion into Afghanistan. This means that for the 30th time since 2001, war spending has been rushed through the budget process without serious scrutiny.
Obstacles continue to beset returning veterans too. Despite an increase in the Department of Veterans Affairs budget, the backlog of disability claims has reached its highest level.
Early this year, President Barack Obama committed 20,000 troops to a “surge” in Afghanistan. That, combined with a large, ongoing presence in Iraq and continued reliance on private contractors for virtually every aspect of military support, remains a recipe for staggering out-of-control expenditures. Surely we can draw some lessons from the Iraq debacle and set aside money to care for our veterans, crack down on fraud and profiteering, and account for the true costs of the war in the budget so the American taxpayer can see what we are paying for.
Linda J. Bilmes of Harvard University is a former assistant secretary of Commerce. Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University is a winner of the Nobel Prize in economics and a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. They are the co-authors of “The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict.”
Former congressman William J. Jefferson was convicted of corruption charges Wednesday in a case made famous by the $90,000 in bribe money stuffed into his freezer and a legal battle over the raid of his Washington office that reached the highest levels of the U.S. government.
Federal jurors found the Louisiana Democrat guilty of using his congressional office as a criminal enterprise to enrich himself, soliciting and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to support his business ventures in Africa. The eight-woman, four-man jury convicted Jefferson of 11 of 16 counts that included solicitation of bribery, racketeering and money laundering.
Bloomberg reports the reason for RDN’s better earnings: Radian’s results improved as other mortgage insurers, pressured by higher default rates, reported losses. The insurers pay lenders when homeowners default and when foreclosure doesn’t recoup costs. Radian has rescinded, or rejected, a growing number of claims on grounds that false information voids coverage.
“Our recent denial and recisions are much higher than historical levels, reflecting our loss management efforts to review more claims and the significant concentration of loans in our delinquency portfolio” originated in 2006, 2007 and early 2008, Chief Financial Officer Robert Quint said today in a conference call. Radian’s provision for mortgage insurance losses was $142.8 million, compared with $449.2 million in the same period last year. The insurer paid $167.7 million in mortgage insurance claims in the second quarter, compared with $208.8 million in the year-earlier period. The insurer said it expects to pay between $275 million to $300 million in first- and second-lien claims in the third quarter.
The Obama administration launched a broad government effort this week to overhaul mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and is considering splitting the companies and putting their troubled assets in a new federally backed corporation, administration officials said.
The move would dispense with one of the biggest burdens created by the financial crisis: the hundreds of billions of dollars in money-losing home loans owned by District-based Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The government has already pledged nearly $2 trillion, including $85 billion in direct aid, to keep the mortgage market working through the firms.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. made more than $100 million in trading revenue on a record 46 separate days during the second quarter, or 71 percent of the time, breaking the previous high of 34 days in the prior three months.
Trading losses occurred on two days during April, May and June, down from eight in the first quarter, the New York-based bank said today in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company made at least $50 million on 58 of the 65 trading days in the period, or 89 percent of the time.
Only five percent say the president’s policies have cut the deficit, and 10% say they have had no impact. Thirteen percent(13%) are not sure.
The Institute for Supply Management’s index of non- manufacturing businesses, which make up almost 90 percent of the economy, fell to 46.4 from 47 in June, according to the Tempe, Arizona-based group. Fifty is the dividing line between expansion and contraction. ADP Employer Services said companies cut staff last month more than economists anticipated.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s move to ban so-called flash orders may help NYSE Euronext take back market share of U.S. stock trading at the expense of three-year-old rival Direct Edge Holdings LLC.
Senator Charles Schumer said yesterday the SEC will seek to stop the practice in which some brokers get a split-second advantage in viewing requests to buy and sell stock, after discussing the issue with Chairman Mary Schapiro. NYSE Euronext, the only one of the top four U.S. exchanges that doesn’t use flash orders, has seen its portion of the nation’s share trading slip to 30.3 percent in the second quarter from 35.5 percent a year earlier, while Direct Edge’s doubled since November.
“
The big existing exchanges are going to be benefiting because the pendulum is swinging back in that direction in the area of transparency,” said Thomas Caldwell, who manages about $1 billion, including NYSE shares, as chairman of Caldwell Financial Ltd. and president of Urbana Corp. in Toronto.
Flash orders grew to 2.4 percent of the shares traded in the U.S. in June, three years after the practice began as a way of increasing the odds an order would be filled, according to data compiled by New York brokerage Rosenblatt Securities Inc. Schumer said the delay in routing transactions to other exchanges makes it easier for brokerages with the fastest computers to get an edge calculating demand for a stock.
MBA Mortgage Applications up 4.4% last week.
The pace of layoffs may be easing. Private-sector jobs in the U.S. fell 371,000 in July, according to a national employment report published Wednesday by payroll giant Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) and consultancy Macroeconomic Advisers.
The expected loss compares with the 350,000 drop in the ADP survey projected by economists in a Dow Jones Newswires survey. ADP revised its June job loss figure to 463,000, down from 473,000 first reported.
The ADP survey tallies only private-sector jobs, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ non-farm payroll data, to be released Friday, includes government workers. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report July job cuts totaling only 275,000, about half the loss of 467,000 reported in June. The July unemployment rate is projected to rise to 9.7% from 9.5% in June.
Economists think that economic output may have stopped contracting in the second quarter, but any turnaround in the labor markets is still months away.
Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, noted that the decline was the smallest since October 2008, but added, “Despite recent indications that overall economic activity is stabilizing, employment, which usually trails overall economic activity, is likely to decline for at least several more months, albeit at a diminishing rate.”
The latest ADP report showed large businesses with 500 employees or more shed 74,000 jobs and medium-size businesses lost 159,000 workers last month. Small businesses that employ fewer than 50 workers cut 138,000 jobs in July.
Chris Varvares, president of Macroeconomic, noted that job losses are easing in major industries. Service-sector jobs fell 202,000 in July, less than the 225,000 average in the previous three months. Factory employment dropped 99,000 in July, compared with the 150,000 average in the prior three months.
Varvares said payrolls are unlikely to turn up until early 2010. Macroeconomic forecasts the unemployment rate to peak at 9.9% in the fourth quarter of 2009, with the rate possibly rising above 10% for one month or two.
ADP, of Roseland, N.J., says it processes payments of one in six U.S. workers, while Macroeconomic Advisers, based in St. Louis, is an economic consulting firm.
In another Wednesday job report, TrimTabs Investment Research estimated that job losses accelerated last month, with 488,000 workers laid off in July, worse than the ADP estimate. TrimTabs uses daily income-tax withholdings to the U.S. Treasury to estimate changes in employment.
“While Wall Street is convinced the recession is over, the economy continues to shed jobs at an alarming rate,”said Charles Biderman, chief executive of TrimTabs.
Also on Wednesday, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas said that the number of layoffs announced by U.S. companies jumped 31% in July to 97,373. Challenger said that so far this year, employers have announced 994,048 job cuts, 72% more than the 579,260 announced in the first seven months of 2008.
Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the kingdom’s former ambassador to the United States, is reportedly under house arrest over a conspiracy against the monarch.
Saad al-Faqih, head of the opposition group Islamic Reform Movement, told Arab-language TV al-Alam that Prince Bandar has been disappeared and the media has published no word from the ex-diplomat’s whereabouts since nearly three months ago.
According to al-Faqih, the prince first disappeared in Britain but he returned to the kingdom shortly afterwards.
He added that after Saudi officials discovered that he had provoked 200 agents working for the Saudi security service to stage a coup against King Abdullah, he was put under house arrest.
Al-Faqih said people close to the king had disclosed Bandar’s plots and foiled them. ]
He said Saudi sources believe that intelligence provided by some Arab countries help the Saudi monarch foil Prince Bandar’s conspiracy.
Power struggle between members of the Saudi royal family has been common as power is shared among some 200 princes out of the estimated 7000 family members.
Known as Bandar Bush because of his close relations with former US President George W Bush, the prince is son of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz.
75% of Americans and at least 276 Congress members and 19 Senators want to audit the Fed, but the Fed is fighting tooth and nail to keep everything hidden.
Most people assume that the Fed wants to keep secret the list of banks which received bailout money. You know, something along the lines of “we gave Goldman Sachs $100 billion”.
But what the Fed is really struggling to keep hidden is the fact that the entire financial system is based on massive manipulation and fraud by the Fed and its primary dealers.
Specifically, the Fed is desperately trying to hide that many trillions of the government’s bailouts have gone to inflating the stock market, buying up the U.S. government’s own treasuries, and gaming the currency and gold markets.
Of course, when the New York Federal Reserve’s “primary dealers” (the dealers through which the Fed carries out its open market operations in general, and its PPT, ESF, and other schemes through) get the huge sums of cash from the Fed, they place bets based on inside knowledge of where the money flows are going (they also, supposedly, skim off part of the cash, but that’s for another essay).
In other words, the Fed’s primary dealers engage in insider trading and front-running on a scale which would make your normal white collar felons look like a silver nanoparticle.
Finally, the Fed is not the only central bank engaging in manipulation. An audit would show how the Fed is playing footsie with other private central banks in an international con game.
Don’t believe me? Show me the books and prove me wrong.
The California dream has faded since the 1970s for many in the Golden State, according to a new Field Poll.
Just 41 percent of registered voters agree the state is “one of the best places to live,’’ a sharp drop from the 76 percent who thought so 30 years ago when Field first asked that question.
The survey, released yesterday, found that Republicans were the most likely to have lost that lovin’ feeling about their state.
Just 30 percent of GOP respondents said that California remained a great place to live, compared with 80 percent in 1977.
The decades after that year brought dramatic growth in the state’s population, from 22.8 million in 1978 to the latest estimate of 38.3 million people, a 68 percent increase.
The Field Poll report compared Californians’ attitudes on a range of social and lifestyle issues over the last 30 years.
Findings were based on Field Polls taken from 1975 to 1978 and from 2006 to 2009.
Among the biggest changes found in attitude was the increasing support for gay marriage, now favored by 49 percent of Californians and opposed by 44 percent.
In 1977, voters were opposed by a 62-to-31 ratio.
President Barack Obama’s approval rating is falling on concern unemployment is rising and the budget deficit will grow, a Quinnipiac University poll shows.
Exactly half of the registered voters surveyed from July 27 to Aug. 3 by Quinnipiac said they approve of the job Obama is doing, compared with 42 percent who disapprove. That’s down from 57 percent approval and 33 percent disapproval in a poll taken in late June, according to results released today.
The poll found that voters disapprove of the way Obama is handling the economy by 49 percent to 45 percent. On his effort to overhaul of the health-care system, 52 percent disapprove of his handling of the issue while 39 percent approve.
Only foreign policy offered a bright spot: 52 percent of poll respondents approved of his job on this front, compared with 38 percent who disapproved.
Quinnipiac took the poll in the middle of a controversy over Obama’s remarks about the arrest of Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates, who is black, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after a confrontation at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a white police officer.
Obama, asked about the incident during a July 22 news conference, said police “acted stupidly” in making the arrest. In the poll, voters by 49 percent to 33 percent said Obama acted “stupidly” when he waded into the matter. Even so, 55 percent said they approved of the way Obama is handling race relations.
The poll surveyed 2,409 registered voters nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Maurice “Hank’’ Greenberg, who led American International Group Inc. for 38 years until his ouster amid state and federal accounting probes in 2005, will pay $15 million to settle US claims he manipulated the insurer’s earnings.
Greenberg, 84, and former AIG chief financial officer Howard Smith “directed several different accounting transactions to materially affect AIG’s reported financial results,’’ the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a lawsuit filed yesterday in federal court in Manhattan. Smith will pay $1.5 million to resolve the suit. [Another giant fraud, no jail time, and a penalty that is ridiculously low. As you know Greenberg is a guiding light of the Council on Foreign Relations, and an Illuminist. This is how the system works.]
Transaction prices of commercial property sold by major institutional investors fell by 18 percent in the second quarter of 2009, according to an index developed and published by the MIT Center for Real Estate (MIT/CRE).
The 18.1 percent drop in the transactions-based index (TBI) for the second quarter is by far the biggest quarterly decline in the gauge’s 25-year history. (The second-biggest down quarter was the fourth quarter of last year, at -10.6 percent.) This was the fifth consecutive quarterly drop and the seventh in the past eight quarters. The index is now down 22 percent year-to-date, down 32 percent from where it was a year ago and down 39 percent from its mid-2007 peak — far greater in nominal terms than the 27 percent drop the index experienced in the previous major commercial property downturn in the late 1980s and early 1990s (the two drops are now tied in real terms, net of inflation, at 41 percent), and substantially greater than the current drop in national housing prices (about 30 percent).
“The big news this quarter is not just the magnitude of the drop, but the fact that transaction volume actually increased in the presence of this decline, the first volume increase since last summer,” said Professor David Geltner, director of research at MIT/CRE. “Perhaps most important, the supply-side index of the prices property owners are willing to sell at plunged a record 18.5 percent, suggesting a degree of ‘capitulation’ which may help to bring market prices finally to a bottom; this is the kind of thing that could begin to rebuild liquidity in the market.”
MIT/CRE publishes not only the price index based on closed deals, but also compiles indices that separately gauge movements on the demand side and the supply side of the market that it tracks. The demand-side index tracks the changes in prices that potential buyers are willing to pay (sometimes called a “constant-liquidity” index of the market, because it tracks how much prices would have to change to keep a constant ability to sell as many properties at the same rate of trading volume). That index has now fallen steadily for all of the past eight quarters. It fell again in the second quarter, almost in lock-step with the supply-side index, bringing the demand index now to a level 48 percent below its mid-2007 peak.
“As is generally the case, the results posted by our index are corroborated by recent evidence from another commercial property price index whose methodology was developed at the MIT/CRE: the Moody’s/REAL Commercial Property Price Index, produced by Moody’s Investors Service,” said MIT/CRE Research Technician Holly Horrigan. “The Moody’s/REAL report released by Moody’s on July 20 indicated that index dropped 16 percent during April and May alone, which by May put it already down 22 percent year-to-date and 35 percent below its 2007 peak,” Horrigan noted. The TBI tracks the prices that institutions such as pension funds pay or receive when transacting commercial properties like shopping centers, apartment complexes and office towers. The MIT Center’s TBI is based on prices of National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) properties sold each quarter from the property database that underlies the NCREIF Property Index (NPI), and also makes use of the appraisal information for all of the currently 6,000 NCREIF properties. Such an index — national, quarterly, transaction-based and by property type — had not been previously constructed prior to MIT’s development of it in 2006. NCREIF supported development of the index as a useful tool for research and decision-making in the industry.
Monster Worldwide Inc., an online careers and recruiting firm, said its employment index edged down three points in July to 114 from 117 in June. The current month’s reading is 27 percent below the 157 mark seen a year ago.
On Thursday, JP Morgan again saved the stock market after disappointing retail sales data. CBOT sources say JPM bought |
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Fuzzing objdump (PR 17512) and readelf (PR 17531)
Hi!
I was privately asked how I fuzzed objdump in PR 17512 and I figured it
could be interesting to others too. So here it is.
Short version: I used the most naive way.
Longer version: I started with the most simple approach I could get
results with and improved it only a little bit so far. There was just no
need for improvements -- until recently I was getting more crashes than
I can analyze (i.e. run through valgrind:-). Thanks to the excellent
work of Nick Clifton, crashes are harder to get now. But there is a long
way to go.
Hardware resources: one several years old desktop. Previous batches of
crashes required from minutes to half an hour to get. The last one is
the result of one night.
binutils was built like `./configure && make`. Using address-sanitizer
would probably improve the process.
Commands fuzzed: `objdump -x $file` in PR 17512[1] and `readelf -a
$file` in PR 17531. Someone more familiar with binutils could choose a
command involving more parsing and hence improve code coverage.
[1] https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17512 [2] https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=17531 Fuzzer: zzuf with more-or-less default options. It was used like this: zzuf -s 0:1000000 -c -C 0 -q -T 5 -M 100 -j 4 objdump -x "$file" 2> log Options: -s 0:1000000 -- seeds to try, change as you wish -c -- only fuzz files specified in command line (just in case) -C 0 -- don't stop after the first crash -q -- suppress output from objdump -T 5 -- limit cputime to not hang on infinite loops -M 100 -- limit memory to not eat all of it -j 4 -- number of simultaneous jobs Another option of interest is -r -- ratio of changed bits. After you get a crash like this: zzuf[s=1448,r=0.004]: signal 11 (SIGSEGV) you can get a fuzzed sample with the following command: zzuf -s 1448 -r 0.004 < "$file" > fuzzed-file
In fact, I run zzuf from a script against different samples in batches
of 10K seeds, then run random selection from found crashes under
valgrind and collect unique errors. When crashes are rare it's possible
to run all of them through valgrind. This part of the process is also
quite naive but it you are fixing crashes as you find them it's not
needed at all.
Samples: I started with clam.exe from ClamAV, then used'main() { return
0; }' compiled in different ways and then switched to samples from
https://github.com/radare/radare2-regressions. Looking at code coverage
and optimizing the set of samples could improve the process. My uploaded
samples named as (\d+)-(0.004) are clam.exe zzufed with seed $1 and
ratio $2, samples named as (\d+)-(\d+)-(0.004) are from
radare2-regressions zzufed in the same way. If someone is interested I
can provide a precise list.
License -- short version: AFAICT clam.exe is under GPLv2 and "was
entirely written by hand using HIEW"[1], radare2-regressions is under
GPLv3+. Feel free to use in testsuites etc.
[1] http://lurker.clamav.net/message/20071225.173819.0255a1c0.en.html -- Alexander Cherepanov
By Date By Thread
Current thread:David Zalubowski/Associated Press
JR Smith's daughter, Dakota, was released from the hospital Tuesday following an extended stay in the neonatal intensive care unit after she was born five months premature.
Smith posted photos on Instagram as he and his wife, Jewel, left the hospital:
On Wednesday, Smith shared a photo of himself and his two daughters at home:
After Dakota was born prematurely in January, Smith told ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne her health was of the utmost importance.
"I'll be happy when I can bring her home, but until then, it's something I want to keep in the front of my mind all the time," he said in March.
"I talk to my wife about it. Just keep having conversations about it. It's pretty much the only thing that relieves some of the pressure."
Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Will Harden Burn Himself Out Before the Playoffs? When MJ Wore #12 After His Jersey Was Stolen Before a Game 15 Years Ago, LeBron, Wade and Melo Took Over All-Star Weekend 14 Years Ago, Iverson Dropped Career-High 60 Points The Kyrie and LeBron Bromance Is Back! Bats Have Become an Unexpected Attraction at Spurs Games KD Giving Back to His Hometown with Durant Center Four Years Ago, Klay Drops Record 37 Pts in One Quarter Remembering the Night Kobe Scored 81 Points Happy 37th Birthday Dwyane Wade Steph Is a Few Shots Away from NBA 3-Point History Can Harden Keep His Dominance Going? Steph Gifts Fan Who Asked for Girls UA Kicks with New Curry 6s Happy 34th Birthday to LeBron 👑 4 Years Ago, Kobe Passed Jordan on the NBA Scoring List Drummond and Embiid Reignite Rivalry Happy 24th Birthday to Giannis Antetokounmpo Right Arrow Icon
Smith scored five points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Faisal Shahzad: "Islam will spread on the whole world and democracy will be defeated" - video courtesy of al-Arabiya
A video has emerged in which the man who attempted to set off a car bomb in New York defends his actions.
Faisal Shahzad says in the tape he is carrying out the Times Square attack as revenge for Muslim fighters, "oppressed and weak Muslims", and "martyrs".
The Pakistani-born US citizen has admitted all charges relating to the attempted attack on 1 May.
A petrol and propane bomb was left in a car but failed to ignite. Shahzad is due to be sentenced in October.
A street vendor saw smoke coming from the vehicle and alerted the police.
I will take revenge on their behalf and I really wish that the hearts of the Muslims will be pleased with this attack Faisal Shahzad
Shahzad was arrested two days later as he tried to take a flight to Dubai from New York's John F Kennedy airport.
In the video, broadcast on the al-Arabiya TV station, Shahzad refers to the US-led war in Afghanistan and to two Islamist leaders killed by US forces - Baytullah Mehsud and Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi of al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"Eight years has passed by in Afghanistan and you will see that the Muslim war has just started," he says.
"This attack on the United States will also be a revenge attack for all the mujahideen... and the weak and oppressed Muslims, for example Baytullah Mehsud and Abu Musaab al-Zarqawi, and all the Muslims and Arabs that have been martyred.
"I will take revenge on their behalf and I really wish that the hearts of the Muslims will be pleased with this attack.
"Islam will spread on the whole world and democracy will be defeated... and the world of Allah will be supreme."
'Muslim soldier'
In a court appearance in Manhattan last month, Shahzad said he wanted to let the US know that if it did not get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and stop drone attacks and meddling in Muslim lands, "we will be attacking US".
Faisal Shahzad charges Attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction
Conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction
Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction
Attempted act of terrorism transcending national boundaries
Conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries
Attempted use of a destructive device during and in relation to a conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries
Transportation of an explosive
Conspiracy to transport an explosive
Attempted destruction of property by fire and explosive
Conspiracy to destroy property by fire and explosive
Shahzad, 30, told the court: "One has to understand where I'm coming from. I consider myself... a Muslim soldier."
During their investigation, the FBI traced the purchase of the Nissan Pathfinder SUV to Shahzad, a transaction that eventually led to his arrest.
While being interrogated, Shahzad revealed he had gone to Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region in December 2009 for bomb training with militants affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, according to the indictment.
He is also alleged to have received about $5,000 in cash from an identified co-conspirator in Pakistan, whom he understood worked for the Taliban.
It said the same co-conspirator directed a second payment to Shahzad, of $7,000 in April, with which he bought a weapon, material to make the car bomb and the Nissan Pathfinder.Kerry says certain practices occurred 'on autopilot' and vows to meet allies to repair damage caused by NSA spying revelations
John Kerry, the US secretary of state, conceded on Thursday that some of the country's surveillance activities had gone too far, saying that certain practices had occurred "on autopilot" without the knowledge of senior officials in the Obama administration.
In the most stark comments yet by a senior administration official, Kerry promised that a previously announced review of surveillance practices would be thorough and that some activities would end altogether.
"The president and I have learned of some things that have been happening in many ways on an automatic pilot, because the technology is there and the ability is there," he told a conference in London via video link.
"In some cases, some of these actions have reached too far and we are going to try to make sure it doesn't happen in the future."
In recent days, the Obama administration has put some distance between it and the National Security Agency (NSA). Kerry's comments are a reflection in particular of a concern about the diplomatic fallout from the revelation that the US monitored the cellphone of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
The tactic has irritated senior intelligence officials. On Thursday evening, the director of the NSA, General Keith Alexander, blamed US diplomats for requests to place foreign leaders under surveillance.
During a pointed exchange with a former US ambassador to Romania, James Carew Rosapepe, Alexander said: "We, the intelligence agencies, don't come up with the requirements. The policy-makers come up with the requirements."
He added: "One of those groups would have been, let me think, hold on, oh: ambassadors."
Alexander said that the NSA collected information when it was asked by policy officials to discover the "leadership intentions" of foreign countries. "If you want to know leadership intentions, these are the issues," he said at a discussion hosted by the Baltimore Council on Foreign Relations.
Earlier in Washington, the debate continued about whether further legal constraints should be placed on the NSA. The Senate intelligence committee approved a bill that placed largely cosmetic restrictions on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance programme.
The bill, sponsored by committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, allows the NSA continue to collect phone metadata of millions of Americans for renewable 90-day periods, but orders it to be more transparent about the practice.
"I think there's huge misunderstanding about this NSA database programme, and how vital I think it is to protecting this country," Feinstein told reporters.
The bill, which is competing with more restrictive measures from other committees, now moves forward to a full Senate vote. The stage is now set for a showdown with the USA Freedom Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit bulk collection of Americans' telephone records.
Senator Mark Udall, a Democratic member of the Senate intelligence committee and a supporter of NSA reform, said it did not go far enough.
"The NSA's invasive surveillance of Americans' private information does not respect our constitutional values and needs fundamental reform, not incidental changes," he said.
In a separate development on Thursday, a group of technology giants called for substantial reforms to the US government's surveillance programmes. The companies were furious about revelations this week – the latest to emerge from documents leaked by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden – that the agency had intercepted the cables that link the worldwide data centres belonging to Google and Yahoo.
It was also reported that Obama had ordered the NSA to stop eavesdropping on the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Reuters cited a US official as saying the president had ordered the halt in the past few weeks.
The NSA's surveillance of the IMF and World Bank has not previously been disclosed.
In response to Reuters inquiries, a senior Obama administration official said, "The United States is not conducting electronic surveillance targeting the headquarters of the World Bank or IMF in Washington." The Obama administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not address whether the NSA had eavesdropped on the two entities in the past.
Kerry, in his comments to a conference organised by the Open Government Partnership, acknowledged that trust needed to be restored. "There is an effort to try to gather information, yes, in same cases inappropriately, and the president is now doing a thorough review, in order that nobody will have a sense of abuse," he said.
Despte the cracks between the administration and the spy community, Kerry was careful to defended the motives of US intelligence agencies, insisting no "innocent people" were being abused and saying surveillance by several countries had prevented many terrorist plots.
After the 9/11 attacks, he said, the "US and others – I emphasise to you, others – realised that we are dealing with a new world where people are willing to blow themselves up. There are countless examples. Look at Nairobi. What if you were able to intercept that? We have prevented airplanes from going down and buildings from being blown up because we have learned ahead of time of such plans."
Kerry also criticised what he said was an "enormous amount of exaggeration and misreporting" about the extent of the surveillance programmes, appearing to single out recent European reports that millions of French and Spanish citizens had been targeted by the US.
Kerry will leave Washington this weekend for Saudi Arabia, Poland, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and Morocco. With tensions between the US and many of its allies rising, the department acknowledged that at least parts of the nine-day trip might be difficult.
"The secretary believes that rolling up his sleeves and having personal diplomacy is the way that we should continue to approach either issues we work together on, global challenges, or issues where there may be concerns as it relates to the intel-gathering reports," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
A German MP said he met Snowden in Moscow on Thursday, and said the NSA whistelblower was prepared in principle to help Germany investigate allegations of surveillance by US intelligence.
Hans-Christian Stroebele, a lawmaker with Germany's opposition Greens and a prominent critic of the NSA's alleged actions, told ARD television that Snowden "made clear he knows a great deal."
He said Snowden would be prepared to travel to Germany and testify, "but the circumstances would have to be cleared up".A plummeting body temperature usually means an accident. It conjures dire images of people falling into a frozen pond or wandering about in a blizzard. But for some mice—or rather the scientists who study them—a sudden chill recently proved to be a good thing.
Neuroscientist Jan Siemens at Heidelberg University in Germany and colleagues engineered mice with deficient thermoregulation systems in order to investigate how the body maintains a particular internal temperature. In each mouse they implanted a molecular switch that allowed them to control its body temperature. By giving the mice a certain drug, the researchers could flip the switch on; it activated a particular set of neurons in the hypothalamus and the mouse’s core temperature plunged about 7 degrees Celsius.
“It was quite frightening to see a mouse’s body temperature drop like that,” says Siemens, lead author on the paper published this week in Science. But the fact that he and his co-workers could cause such a dramatic change meant that they had homed in on a central piece of the thermoregulation puzzle. Comparatively little is known about human thermoregulation, which is a crucial aspect of our health. Rises or falls in body temperature often signify serious problems such as systemic infections or inflammation, and drastic changes in temperature can prove fatal.
The hypothalamus is widely considered to be an important part of how our bodies maintain a set body temperature but little was known about how much control it exerts or by what mechanisms. Earlier research singled out a subset of cells in the hypothalamus that respond to increases in body temperature. These so-called warm-sensitive neurons lie within a region called the preoptic area and clearly play a key role, Seimens says, but we do not know how other parts of the body’s thermostat are involved.
The new research suggests one way that warm-sensitive neurons could monitor and influence body temperature—via a temperature-sensitive protein called TRPM2. The findings make a strong case that it is part of the reason that warm-sensitive neurons respond to their surrounding temperature, explains neuroscientist Shaun Morrison at Oregon Health & Science University, who was not involved in the research. “This is a major discovery in the field of thermoregulation.”
Moreover, the ability to control a mouse’s body temperature as Siemens and his team did represents a significant addition to the repertoire of methods available to study thermoregulation and its related systems. “This is really science fiction, and it’s beautiful,” says neuroscientist Andrej Romanovsky of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. “It’s really changing our understanding and giving us these fantastic tools.”
To control the mouse’s neuronal activity, the researchers used a complex combination of molecular devices. A protein called Cre recombinase allows the expression of a set of protein receptors called DREADDs (for designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs), which increase the activity of the neurons in which they are inserted. By inserting this Cre–DREADD system into cells with TRPM2, Siemens and colleagues were able to selectively activate only TRPM2-expressing neurons. They also used another type of DREADD that blocks neuronal activity to show that turning off TRPM2-containing neurons causes body temperature to rise.
Thermoregulation has proved difficult to study—in part because the system behind it is ill-defined, with many different parts that interact within the body, Romanovsky explains. He and many other researchers believe that thermoregulation does not occur via one centralized system but rather “works as a federation of control systems.”
Siemens and colleagues have not yet suggested a mechanism to explain how TRPM2 trips the loss of body heat in mice. Morrison notes that this will be a key step in elucidating the role TRPM2 plays in thermoregulation. Scientists will also have to validate the findings in other animals before they can begin to determine whether the protein functions in a similar way in humans, Morrison adds. There are many examples of thermoregulation mechanisms that exist in mice but not rats.
Because Siemens and his colleagues observed that TRPM2 was activated only at high body temperatures, they suspect that it may serve as a kind of emergency brake to stop fevers from rising too high. But that physiology has yet to be fully fleshed out, and Romanovsky expressed some skepticism that the reported data fully support such a role. If it does turn out to be true, however, Morrison notes it would be interesting to see whether uncontrollable fevers might be driven in part by changes in TRPM2 function.
The technology used here to change body temperature on command could ultimately help scientists studying and treating human diseases. Regulating body temperature is closely tied to metabolism, which means these new findings could have implications for controlling body weight and increasing longevity, according to Morrison.
Siemens says he is particularly excited about the possibility of cooling the human body for therapeutic purposes. For example, lowering a patient’s body temperature can mitigate tissue damage from heart attacks. Doctors currently use cold liquids, ice baths and specific drugs to prevent the nervous system from its desperate attempt to restore the body’s core temperature. But using molecular tools would effectively set a patient’s internal thermostat a little lower, convincing his or her body that it didn’t need to fight the change.
It is still far too early to know how this technology could be applied to humans, but the tools are immediately useful in mouse models of thermoregulation and other physiology. “Thermoregulation has been uncharted territory for many decades,” Siemens says. “This is the tip of the iceberg.”Twitter’s share price has been on a long, slow slide since the company went public back in November 2013. It’s currently trending around an all-time low of $14 a share, but the stock price was up more than 10 percent in premarket trading after the company reported strong user growth today.
Last quarter, Twitter’s daily active user base grew by 11 percent, but its revenue growth slowed to just 1 percent, well below the 48 percent growth rate it managed for the same period in 2016. Investors took this as a sign that advertisers are losing faith in Twitter — or migrating to more popular services like Instagram.
Users up, dollars down
This quarter was a repeat of that dynamic. The daily average user count was up 14 percent, but its revenue dropped to $548 million, a decline of 8 percent from the same period last year. The company still isn’t profitable, but it highlighted the fact that its losses shrunk by about 23 percent to just $62 million.
Twitter continues to be a central part of the news cycle around the world, although not at the fever pitch it was when President Trump was firing off political commentary at 3AM each morning. During 2016, none of the tweaks the company made seem to have generated new momentum. But over the last two quarters it’s become clear new users are finally flocking to the platform.
Twitter wants to be TV
The big question now is whether Twitter can find a way to reverse the slide in its revenue. It’s now competing against Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, all of which have larger daily user bases. In response, Twitter is moving its focus away from advertising in the timeline to broadcasting big live events. Over the last three months it pushed 800 hours of live video from big name partners like PBS, the PGA, Bloomberg, and the Halo World Championship. The live video feeds reached an audience of more than 45 million viewers, a 31 percent increase from the same period last year.Not many readers are in doubt that more than cold water separates America and the UK from Europe. Rediscovery of three European masterworks of the relatively recent past demonstrates one of the key aspects of this perennial cultural divide-the ability (perhaps freedom) of writers on the Continent to be applauded as experimentalists, while also being championed by the literary establishment. There are very few American or British writers who have managed this feat.
1.
“The rocks do not need my memory or not.”
Man in the Holocene by Max Frisch: We begin with the German-writing Swiss author Max Frisch. Born in Zurich, the son of an architect, he worked as an architect himself (winning a commission for a major public swimming pool) before a meeting with Bertolt Brecht sparked a change of direction.
Like his countryman Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Frisch initially achieved national and indeed international fame as a dramatist, but today he’s best remembered by English readers as a novelist. In books such as I’m Not Stiller, Homo Faber and Montauk, he explores his signature themes of the crisis of personal identity, the inescapability of guilt, the possibility of innocence, and the inevitable disintegration of self—or what one reviewer describes as, “The tragedy of the Swiss penchant for precision colliding with the organic chaos of life and love, which it so desperately, secretly seeks.”
His most significant creation, however, may be the finely faceted gem Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän, Man in the Holocene. Published in its entirety as a piece in The New Yorker (to my mind the most interesting thing they’ve ever done), it was counted by the New York Review of Books as the single most important work of 1980.
In an age of epic fat books frantic to spin out multiple plotlines to demonstrate recommended retail value, we often forget the crystalline beauty of the tight, short novel… the apparently quiet story… the genius of simplicity. And, in terms of plot, nothing could be simpler than this architecturally refined parable (which I liken to a mutation of James Purdy’s elegiac In a Shallow Grave and the elegant cytoplasmic wisdom of Lewis Thomas’ The Lives of a Cell).
Herr Geiser is an old man (or at least a man who’s old in habits and mind) who lives alone, which is to say in a hermetic state of intimacy with his total detachment from others, in a scenic but socially sterile Swiss valley inundated with rain and threatened with being cut off from all transportation and communication. So, what does he do to pass the time? He meticulously categorizes the nuances of the thunder and builds an infantile but intricate pagoda of crisp bread, while taking his scissors to his encyclopedias and reference library, pasting the pages on the walls around him like an externalized inventory of his own brain—the paper thin structure of beliefs his delicate grasp on truth and sanity has been. These scrapbook images and excerpts are actually reproduced within the text, drawing us deeper into Geiser’s obsessive solipsism, while at the same time, calling us to search with him for our own place in the “grand scheme of things.”
The novel thus has an immediate graphic design interest that rivals anything William Burroughs ever did with his cut-up methods. But the compulsive, kaleidoscopic anxiety of Geiser has a poignant degenerative end point. As the storm intensifies, and the valley becomes more remote from the outside world, Geiser’s memory begins to fail. Eventually, cerebral apoplexy strikes like the lightning outside, and his surgical quantification of data loses all coherence.
What he’s built with his slicings of store bought information is just another kind of crisp bread edifice… a jigsaw shrine of relics of human knowledge, which are supposed to be a tribute to man’s understanding of the world—an expression of security—some platform of factual certainty. But how fragile this house of cards seems in the barren isolation of age and physical / mental infirmity. Man in the Holocene, with its exacting line drawings of hypothetical dinosaurs and recitations of empty materialist schoolbook facts, is in the end a clinically lyrical poem about the futile heroism of our cultural narratives of evolution and history. It’s also, and more importantly, an eloquently forensic portrait of profound personal loneliness and our hopeless dependence on memory to shape experience and to define meaning. The result is a uniquely compelling fragment—a shred of the much-too-tiny shadow we’re all afraid we cast in time.
(For instructors in the field of 20th century literature, or for book clubs interested in this work, I highly recommend pairing with it Lars Gustafsson’s The Death of a Beekeeper, which is available from New Directions.)
2.
“On the polished wood of the table, the dust has marked the places occupied for a while—for a few hours, several days, minutes, weeks—by small objects subsequently removed, whose outlines are still distinct for some time, a circle, a square, a rectangle, other less simple shapes, some partly overlapping, already blurred or half obliterated as though by a rag. When the outline is distinct enough to permit the shape to be identified with certainty, it is easy to find the original object again not far away.”
In the Labyrinth by Alain Robbe-Grillet: There was a period (in fact about two decades) when Alain Robbe-Grillet wasn’t only one of the most famous writers in France, but in the whole world. Born into a family with a technical and scientific background, he trained as a chemical engineer, until like Frisch, he found his true calling, writing Les Gommes (The Erasers). On the surface, and surface is the key word with this author, The Erasers is a mystery story, where a police agent named Wallas stalks an unknown assassin through a nameless puzzleboard Flemish town—although it may be that like Winnie the Pooh and the Woozle that wasn’t, he’s really tracking himself. Nothing is certain. The only thing the reader can be sure of is the laser precise detail in which all that isn’t clear is described, catalogued and analyzed.
Robbe-Grillet would go on to write such works as The Voyeur and Jealousy, along with the script to the notoriously formless avant garde film Last Year at Marienbad (which draws on the haunted novella The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares, referenced tellingly in the television show Lost).
But perhaps his greatest influence was as a scientist of the nouveau roman in For a New Novel: Essays on Fiction. It’s here that he articulates his “theory of pure surfaces,” a radical rejection of conventional characterization that emphasizes instead an obsessive phenomenological objectivity. As Roland Barthes put it, “Imagine the motionless changes of orientation produced by a mirror-image as being somehow decomposed and distributed throughout a certain period of time and you have the art of Alain Robbe-Grillet.”
The impact was powerful in both the world of literature and popular culture. On national radio, sections of Robbe-Grillet’s seemingly manically fastidious descriptions of apparently banal objects and scenes were recited for humorous effect. Yet, no one could deny the hypnotic nature of his language or the sincerity of his assault on traditional narration, and its distorting (or revealing) effect on our sense of time and animacy.
I find the best introduction to his work (and therefore his distinctive point of view) to be In the Labyrinth, which picks up on several of the themes as well as the fraught mood of The Erasers.
It’s the story of an anonymous soldier who wanders wearily after a lost battle through a shadowy unnamed city on a mission given to him by a dying friend to deliver a package whose contents he doesn’t know. Plagued by fever and the imminent arrival of enemy forces, disoriented and alone, the soldier’s confrontation with the maze of the city becomes the structure of the book, and the city takes on a sense of ominous character of its own.
As readers will perceive, there are more than a few echoes of Kafka, Beckett, Camus and Borges…but what distinguishes Robbe-Grillet’s story is his style and vision, with its relentless examination and prosecution of minutiae. This short, disarmingly seductive novel is a remarkable example of suspense created while defying all its usual mechanisms, and a crispness of prose that crackles and rings while blatantly opposing all the assumed notions of poetic writing.
(I recommend reading Robbe-Grillet in conjunction with Harold Pinter’s early, career-building plays and some of his extremely lucid remarks on his process of writing—a philosophical approach to character and the nature of drama arising from all that is unsaid and only partially seen. Both writers are published by Grove Press.)
3.
“He does not know any more about the rules of the game than they do, but he feels they are in the process of being born from every one of the players, as on an infinite chessboard between mute opponents, where bishops and queens turn into dolphins and toy satyrs.”
The Winners (Or the Biggest Losers) by Julio Cortázar: Julio Cortázar, the polymath hipster, should’ve won the Nobel Prize in my view, but he was always too cool for school. Some will argue with me for including this Argentinean author in the European category, and insist on classifying him as part of the Latin American revolution in literature. I defend my position by pointing out that Cortázar was born in Brussels, spent his early childhood in Switzerland and produced all his major works in Paris, where he finally died. What’s more, although he wrote about South America, his key influences were surrealism, the nouveau roman, American jazz and Lawrence Durrell—and he was deeply admired in Spain.
Later renowned for the novels Hopscotch, 62: A Model Kit, and the collection of short stories Blow-Up (which inspired the Michelangelo Antonioni film), his first work translated into English was Los Premios (The Winners).
I found this book at a garage sale and I earnestly encourage you, if you don’t know it, not to leave your discovery of it to such random circumstance. (Although, as the story gives sinister suggestion to, just how random is anything?)
This wasn’t Cortázar’s first novel, but it was his first novel translated into English, and it has some of the sprawling ambition of the young writer. The amazing thing is the degree of polish and confidence it displays in the face of its own complexity. To quote from the book’s jacket: “A luxury cruise ship sets sail from Buenos Aires. The passengers are a lively and unlikely mix who have all won their trips in a national lottery. At first the mood is festive. But all is not well on board the Malcolm. No one will reveal the boat’s destination; the crew barricades itself behind locked doors in the stern and a looming sense of menace gradually builds to an explosion.”
The Hospital Ship… Das Narrenschiff or the Ship of Fools, has been a staple allegory of Western literature for a long time. The dramatic potential of a group of strangers in a confined space cut off from the rest of the world is rich. But Cortázar more than exploits the obvious, and insinuates that which is decidedly not obvious. Consider this suspiciously graceful remark from not quite the half-way point in the book: “I don’t think there’s really any joke being played, but that we’re simply the victims of a swindle. Not just an ordinary swindle of course, but something more…metaphysical, if you don’t mind that awful word.” Indeed. The passengers of the Malcolm may not have any choice in the matter.
Just as Frisch’s work captures our contemporary fixation on trivia, and Robbe-Grillet the almost brutally democratic indifference of the camera eye and the paranoia of surveillance, Cortázar shows us the sweepstakes frenzy of reality TV well ahead of his time. Imagine The Poseidon Adventure written by a first rate mind, or Lost without the grievously disappointing finale… and you have some idea.
(For readers with a musical background, I can’t recommend highly enough some of Cortázar’s journalistic pieces on jazz. Some of what may seem elusive or obscure in his fiction has an immediate clarity of intent and delivery when seen from this vantage point.)
Summing Up
There are certainly many other European (and world) writers who have managed to earn reputations within the literary establishment while innovatively pushing the boundaries of style and structure. To some extent my larger point here is that we rather expect this of European authors and do a great deal to inhibit it in Americans.
In singling out the particular (or peculiar) writers above, I don’t mean to elevate their work over others, merely to highlight three decisive, accessible and accomplished novels of exploration that deserve rediscovery.Brock Osweiler is the quarterback of the present for the Broncos. Whether Paxton Lynch will be the quarterback of the future — this year or at some point down the road — remains to be seen.
Broncos coach Vance Joseph said Monday he’s “not sure” when Lynch, the 2016 first-round pick who hasn’t been active for a game since injuring his throwing shoulder on Aug. |
’s order is needed. Such a policy needs to be cognizant that facilitating that process will enrage the local ruling classes. These will loudly justify their resistance as a patriotic act to protect “sovereignty” and “independence”.36
1328 Inwood Rd
Dallas, TX 75247
(214) 631-4263
I cannot say enough great things about common ground. Andrew, you were awesome. The staff is incredibly nice and helpful and worth paying the 5-10% premium over buying online. The fact you can play test almost any game is fantastic (we could not figure out Azul but bought Catan and Splendor). I wish I had found this place earlier.
YOU CAN DO BETTER I was calling around to look for a type of card not sure what the name is. I was told they dont know just look through the website. Seemed lazy They do not have cards to look at just 1 touch screen to browse on. I ask how they priced the cards was told TCD market when I went to their website they had several cards priced 4x the amount of market I asked about that and was told "I dont know what to tell you" the man said I thought well when asked that you should tell customers "what we want"
Woo! I've been searching for a place like this in Dallas for a while. After frequenting Emerald Tavern in Austin, I was eager to find another board game venue. Common Ground Games offers a wide variety of board games (from your serious D&D to your silly Sushi Go). Half of the store is for selling board games and the other half is devoted to playing board games. There is ample seating, and their games library is extensive! You can come here to try out one of their demo games on the shelf, and if you enjoy it you can purchase a new one in store. I've never felt pressure to purchase, and the staff is friendly. I do encourage purchasing from them so you're not just freeloading heh. Their rewards program sounds pretty cool too: I think it was $10 off every $100 you spend, a discount on your birthday, and it's free to join! They also host Magic and Pokemon tournaments so keep your eyes out on their website. Common Ground Games is a great place to spend time with friends and try new games. The signage may look plain (it just says Games), but I encourage you to check them out! Wish they sold food and drinks like a cafe similar to Emerald Tavern though. Games I recommend: Hanabi, Fluxx, Splendor, Sushi Go
Great staff, amazing store, and unbeatable sales. It was a truly great place to celebrate International Table Top Day. On top of that, the store was using raffle profits to support charitable causes
I checked out this game store while on a business trip and was pleased with their space and selection. I was able to find a few games not stocked at my local game store which was fun and unexpected as I am pretty jaded about this stuff. The staff I interacted with was amiable and funny. Not pushy but present and engaged when I had any questions or concerns. They also informed me that they offer demos and some open board gaming on certain days (Thursday's when I was there in 2017) in a large playing area partitioned from the merchandise section of the store. This had the added benefit of reducing the noise level in the shopping area. I recommend dropping in if you are around. Also, there is a nice comic and toy shop right next door to them if you'd like to scratch two need itches for the price of one trip :)
Love this place for getting our board game action on! The staff is super friendly and always helps us find new games that we love :)
Called to see if they had a product in stock and guy on phone had no clue about their products. Didn't want to go check and asked me if it was in stock. That's why I'm calling to ask. Useless employees.
Jamison and the crew are awesome, their game selection is excellent, and it's an all-around cool place to hang out even if not playing anything. They have tournaments and demo's for a wide variety of games all the time, so if you're into or interested in board and card games even a little bit, this is definitely a great place to go! :)
So my original review of the store mentioned that the small size was the only complaint I had. Since that review the store has expanded to more than twice the original size. That being said, they have also expanded their player base as well so it can still get a little crowded for large events but once again, the staff handles the added volume very well. And for those long tournaments a well stocked vending machine for snacks and drinks...and it even takes credit cards! If you love Magic, board games, D&D, or Pokemon you owe it to yourself to check this store out. Lots of tournaments, great groups of friendly and welcoming players and a staff that genuinely cares about the gaming community in Dallas. You really can't beat this place and the players are lucky to have such an awesome place to have fun! UPDATE: still the best game store in Dallas. I love this place!!!
I've been going here for the past couple years. The staff is wonderful to work with. Plus their selection of games, cards, minis, etc is always on point. I appreciate how clean the atmosphere is and everyone I've ever met to play games with has been wonderful!
This place is amazing. Staff is extremely friendly, they have events pretty much everyday, and most of their players are pretty awesome too! I always look forward to going to this store. Was one of the first places I went since I moved to Dallas. The store was really small back then! Now it is much bigger, accomodating probably up to, if not more than 100 players during big events! I love this place. I'm so happy it's doing well!
This place is AWESOME! They have a large variety of games, but they also have a wall where you can just try out the games and see if it's something you'd like. The store is super clean and organized, and the games are all in good condition! I would definitely recommend visiting and giving this place business.
Played games and had fun on Tabletop day! Played coup, code names, zombie dice, carcassonne, sentinels of the multiverse, adventure time flux, one night ultimate vampire, and more! I won coup 3 times! #thuglife
Great friendly staff...lots of friendly gamers, clean stire, very family friendly. Staff is willing to help you find the perfect game, or even demo one if you need instruction.
CGG is one of my favorite local hangouts - and not just because I adore Jamison and DR! It's conveniently located right off of I-35 (and next door to Zeus Comics). The patrons are so friendly and I have so much fun there, that I've been indulging in a long-forgotten, guilty pleasure - Magic the Gathering. I used to play casually, long, long ago with a handful of pals. I've become a semi-regular at FNM and drafts. They've also started a Tuesday night Commander league with great prize support. The people that play there are so helpful and they don't get bent out of shape when I make the inevitable play mistake. If Magic isn't your thing, they have a huge demo wall full of games for people to try. Jamison is really great at teaching people new games. There's also a demo night on Wednesdays where the über patient and knowledgeable Professor Michael demos and plays new games. He's taught me almost every game I know! They also run tournaments for Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Heroclix, and other games that I can't remember off the top of my head. You get the idea...there's always fun stuff going on! If you subscribe to the newsletter, or follow the store on Facebook, they keep you updated on all the upcoming events, sales, and new merchandise. I've gotten some great deals, like MTG starter packs for $10 and Shadowhunters for 30% off on Halloween. I always earn $5 off rewards too, with their free loyalty program. Oh, and the MTG singles are competitively priced as well. I scored some great gifts around the holidays and Jamison even got them wrapped for me. He's such a peach! Even though the store is small, the selection is great because the owners are gamers themselves. Jamison is also happy to order hard-to-find or out of stock items and they usually arrive in about a week. He even special-ordered Titty Grab for me when I needed a gag gift. The service here is EXCELLENT. To summarize: I LOVE THIS PLACE!
While the selection of games and cards, they jacked up the price of the final fantasy tcg for the launch. This is a sure fire way to drive me away from ever shopping there again. Not having a booster box price and just selling it at the overpriced individual boosters x36 is bad. While in line the guy at the register also started bashing on final fantasy games as a whole and put a bad taste in my mouth. There are other card shops in dfw I would recommend over this shop.
I've been here a few times and always enjoyed myself. The employees and very nice and I love the sample games they have.
Common Ground Games, and staff, is fantastic! PROS: - THE STAFF is what really makes this game shop a cut above the rest. Interested in hearing an honest review, ask them. Want advice on how to play a certain game, let them know. If you are interested in doing events - they will try their best to accommodate. -THE EVENTS that CCG hosts are so much fun. I am not very good at Magic The Gathering, but the atmosphere and friendliness made me want to join in on the fun. - THE AVAILABILITY of games. They have a demo wall, so you can try before you buy! Board games can get a bit pricey, so knowing if you will like a game before spending the bucks really helps. - THE PRICES are fair, and the owner is very transparent about what sets his prices. CONS: - NEEEEEEEEEDs a bigger space. I know they already doubled their size, but they deserve even bigger.
This place was cool. A great selection of games and a whole separate area for games to be played and if you want to demo a game they will let you. They are slightly pricy but it's worth it. Staff is very helpful tooReporters in Ottawa became surly quickly Friday when it was discovered the government lock-up they attended for a briefing on proposed anti-terror legislation was light on information and heavy on restrictions.
Why We Need to Resist Quick-Fix Anti-Terrorism Laws read more
Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners ‘Punch to the Gut’ Musical on Residential Schools Returns to Vancouver Children of God has been shaped by intense audience reactions, says director Corey Payette.
The federal government was tabling Bill C-51, Canada's new ''Anti-Terrorism Act'' meant to bolster authorities' powers to prevent and dismantle terrorist activity.
Journalists were corralled in a so-called lock-up to hear details of the new proposed law. Media lock-ups are frequently used to provide journalists with extra time to pore over information on a complicated subject, such as a budget. The reporters can't publish their pieces until a set time, usually when the government announcement becomes official.
The idea is that when the government unveils the news, the public will have instant access to the finer points of whatever is being released.
That was the case Friday when reporters were told they could sign an embargo and listen to a briefing of Bill C-51, hosted by Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice.
The bill was expected to have controversial new powers -- such as lower thresholds for arresting suspected terrorists -- for law enforcement in the name of protecting Canadians.
''The media lock-up will start at 11:00 A.M. until the designated Public Safety Canada official announces that the embargo is lifted, at approximately 12:30 P.M.,'' said a Thursday release to the parliamentary press corps from the minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
''Once the lock-up has commenced, no one will be allowed to leave the room or contact their office until the embargo is lifted.''
Bills are usually given to reporters in a lock-up before they are tabled in Parliament. A copy of the new Anti-Terrorism Act is what most members of the press were expecting Friday.
No bill to view
But when more than two dozen reporters arrived at the briefing in Ottawa, they were told they would not be getting a look at the bill, even before the question-and-answer portion of the technical briefing.
President of the Parliamentary Press Gallery Laura Payton took up the cause and at the back of the room argued with government staffers, questioning the point of having reporters sign an undertaking when they weren't even being given sensitive information, just backgrounders. The backgrounders detailed little information the reporters didn't already suspect would be in the new legislation.
The staffer insisted to Payton reporters weren't actually in a lock-up, but merely signed an undertaking to observe an embargo on disseminating information from the backgrounders until the embargo was lifted.
The Tyee is withholding the staff member's name in accordance with the undertaking's stipulation not to attribute information to government employees at the event.
The briefing, referred to three times as a ''lock-up'' by another government staff member in his opening remarks, then began.
Dissent grows
The minor grumblings about the lack of information that had been moving around the room suddenly matured into outright dissent.
''Can you give us an explanation for why you would hold a briefing and not give us the legislation at the beginning?'' boomed one reporter.
''We'd be happy to take your questions on the substance of the information,'' replied a frazzled bureaucrat attempting to maintain a social veneer.
He was then interrupted by another salvo of displeasure.
''We don't have any information,'' they said. ''We haven't even had time to read the backgrounders!'' and ''Give us the bill!'' were shouted by reporters on chairs circling the room.
The shouting and sarcastic remarks continued -- at one point it seemed a walkout was close to happening. Renewed demands from one corner of the room or another to see the bill were called out as staffers went on with their briefing.
Public Safety Canada and Department of Justice employees around the room began nervous attempts to calm reporters.
''Are you filming us?'' a CBC reporter asked in disbelief to a staffer who appeared to be using a phone to record the discontent. The undertaking signed by media specifically said there was to be no filming in the room.
About 15 minutes later, Stephen Harper's director of communications, Jason MacDonald, arrived and sat down, promptly thumbing away on his phone. The undertaking the journalists signed also forbid the use of cell phones to ''release or communicate documents, materials or information, or other records of any nature whatsoever to anyone in any manner'' during the embargo.
Explain law
Staffers described to journalists Bill C-51 and how it makes it an indictable offense to advocate and promote terror, to preventative arrests and expanding the powers of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
The bulk of reporters' questions were on how the bill makes it an indictable offense to knowingly advocate or promote terrorism offences ''in general,'' which could mean people who post propaganda on social media are subject to arrest.
During the question-and-answer period, reporters asked how the government would decide who is supporting terrorism. Stephen Maher from Postmedia asked if someone would be breaking the law if they posted material encouraging attacks by Ukrainian militants on Russian targets in Crimea.
The row of bureaucrats at the front of the room said they wouldn't speculate on hypothetical situations. Many answers seemed scripted to the point where one reporter asked if they were just reading parts of the backgrounder as their answers. The staffer replied that they weren't.
A little after 12 p.m., the bill was given to reporters.
Half an hour later, the embargo was lifted and reporters were told they could expect a text message with a wireless code so they could file their stories. But the wireless did not immediately work.
Meanwhile, a massive white screen lowered from the ceiling behind two Canadian flags. A six-metre-tall Stephen Harper was projected onto it as he gave a speech to introduce the new anti-terror legislation live in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
The prime minister talked about a growing ''great evil'' Canadians need to be scared of in the form of violent jihadists wanting to kill anyone ''who does not share their narrow and oppressive world view.''
Meanwhile, reporters pleaded with government staffers to get the wireless working so they could get their stories -- cobbled quickly from what information they were given -- to the public.
Payton said she left after 15 minutes of waiting for the wireless to work and doesn't know if it ever came on.Google has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a copyright infringement case that some developers think could have a big impact on their ability to innovate in software.
The case was brought by Oracle four years ago and accuses Google of infringing patents and copyrights related to Java in its Android mobile OS.
Google emerged largely victorious from a lower court trial but an appeals court overturned that ruling in May. Google now wants the highest court in the U.S. to hear its case.
Android has become the most widely used mobile operating system, but Oracle says Google copied basic elements of Java to develop the OS. It filed its lawsuit against Google four years ago and was seeking US$1 billion in damages for its copyright claims.
Specifically, Oracle says Google copied the structure and organization of the Java APIs (application programming interfaces), in part so that developers already familiar with Java would find it easier to write programs for Android.
Google argued that the APIs shouldn't be protected by copyright because they're required to write compatible programs. The lower court agreed, but the appeals court sided with Oracle and said APIs are creative works that deserve protection like any other.
The search and advertising giant filed its request for the Supreme Court to hear the case earlier this week. The court doesn't accept all cases and it might well decline its request.
Google's filing wasn't immediately available on the Supreme Court's website. Oracle has until Nov. 7 to file its response.
"Early computer companies could have blocked vast amounts of technological development by claiming 95-year copyright monopolies over the basic building blocks of computer design and programming," Google said in its filing, according to a Reuters report.
James Niccolai covers data centers and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow James on Twitter at @jniccolai. James's e-mail address is james_niccolai@idg.comFour years ago I named this blog Houses and Holes. Even then it was obvious where we were headed. I had just been run out of Business Spectator following the RSPT debacle during which I had defended the tax against the prevailing editorial line. That was a salutary lesson in Australian “leadership”. I learned that our elites are spectacularly incapable of looking beyond today, are capable of pathological self-interest, and have absolutely no idea what they are doing when it comes to the common or national interest.
It was a bowel-shaking discovery.
And so the blog was founded and took its name from the principle of chronicling (and fighting) the rise of an Australian elite intent on squandering our extraordinary good fortune.
I tell this story today not because the departure of Ford and Holden has proved my basic Dutch disease thesis right. I tell it because the calamitous failure of leadership that has led to this moment is not leaving. It remains firmly in control.
Briefly then, let us survey how we got here, before I attempt to assess where the ill-conceived plans of our betters are taking us.
Without putting too fine a point on it, the Howard Government blew the mining boom. Rather than save the most incredible economic windfall just about any economy, anywhere has ever enjoyed, it squandered the proceeds on tax cuts and middle class welfare.
As well, through much of this period, the Macfarlane-led Reserve Bank of Australia allowed a huge housing bubble to develop around the fiscal largesse. First in Sydney, and then nationally, house prices became a national obsession via conspicuously loose monetary policy (within the high structure).
When the good times ended, the Rudd Government inherited a Budget in structural deficit but also a 150 year boom in mining investment. Rather than blow the boom it exploded itself by proposing and then selling out a mining tax that was designed to prevent the boom from hollowing out the rest of the economy.
Hamstrung by political failure, the Stevens RBA turned to the currency to control the boom and pushed it to astronomical highs. It has struggled ever since to lower the dollar as other central banks have outstripped it on innovative policy amid a global currency war.
All four episodes have egged on a very elevated interest rate structure and thereby an over-valued Australian dollar.
The upshot today is we have Dutch disease. Neh, we have Australian disease. The Dutch had their illness for only a few years and their manufacturing rebounded to new highs when their commodity boom ended. Our manufacturing sector is headed for extinction as a lack of competitiveness is a decade long rubric for the economy.
So, if the history of our macro management is one of short term decisions that prove destructive over time, what can we say about our future? What if we extrapolate this myopic policy-making through the next five years of mounting challenges? Where will we be?
First, the government will brush off the departure of the car industry. It will sell the message that this was an inevitable failure, driven by Detroit, in which we had no choice and no say. It will double-down on house prices and consumption as the new sources of growth, abandoning Budget discipline as it continues to support household incomes through its own borrowing, distributed via more middle class welfare and pork-barreled infrastructure spending.
But behind this, our great post-mining boom adjustment will go on as declining terms of trade and stalled income growth emanate from a slowing China. The mining and now manufacturing investment cliffs will subdue growth for three years and the Abbott Government’s measures will not be enough to stimulate trend growth.
Thus the RBA will keep interest rates very low and do nothing to control the rise of housing speculation. It will ignore sensible calls to emulate the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s macroprudential tightening and watch as Sydney speculators blowoff prices at a marvelous rate. First home buyers will be collateral damage as the Australian housing market surges alongside global asset markets that are all drunk on similar liquidity. It may even give us a little reprieve if consumers get tipsy too, though they look seriously sober today.
Meanwhile, global interest rate markets will slowly rise and eventually even the housing addled RBA will have to apply the interest rate brakes. Market anticipation of this (which has already started) will keep the currency buoyant, perpetuating the hollowing out process that can no longer be hidden.
Because the housing boom is really only a speculative bubble, driven by low yields on other asset classes, with no real underlying demand, it will roll over quickly when interest rates rise. As housing stalls it will expose the enduring weakness in the underlying economy as mining investment is still falling, the car industry implodes and other tradables fall away on the still overly high currency.
At this point, interest rates will fall again, even further than they did earlier in the cycle. The currency will crash and inflation surge. The Abbott Government will be faced with falling asset prices and rising inflation. Likely, it will apply a renewed first home buyers grant in a desperate gambit to keep the falling housing market aloft. It will also be at war with unions as wage claims rise with inflation. The Labor Opposition will be deeply obstructionist.
Perhaps the Abbott stimulus will succeed for another year. Then again, maybe it won’t, as it’s own Budget deficits will now be running at $50 billion per annum. With no prospect of a return to surplus over the cycle, global markets and the ratings agencies will cut Australia’s AAA rating. That will flow through to the banks funding costs, that are still supported by the sovereign. Interest rates will rise despite the RBA rate cuts as global markets force a current account adjustment onto Australia.
I do not mean this as a forecast. Our famous good fortune may bail out our leaders again. The US may recover strongly next year and cause our dollar to fall heavily. China might send a new wave of investment of such magnitude into Australian real estate that we can trade on ghost cities for another cycle. Mars might conquer earth and declare all debts null and void.
But the departure of Holden is the writing on the wall for our current macroeconomic settings and this story is meant as a cautionary tale imploring our leadership to seriously address our competitiveness predicament now and not later. We are not innocent in this advancing fate. It is not the pre-ordained outcome of some naturally perfect market. We are electing it with our choice of macro and micro economic settings.
Australians are capable of anything, given the right signals. We’re a doughty, pragmatic and innovative people. It’s surely better that we take control of our destiny than it is to wait upon the unintended consequences of other’s actions. We need to fight to preserve and build upon every skerrick of potential production in our economy or we really do risk a generational decline.Watch Jenny Hval's Dreamlike, Experimental Video For 'Sabbath'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of the artist Courtesy of the artist
Fascination was the first emotion I felt when I heard Jenny Hval's music. The second was relief. That might be an unusual response to Hval's work, which is highly intimate, sexually explicit and abounding with startling images that reflect both her feminist view of the world and her ability to carry forward messages from the subconscious. Most first-time listeners feel challenged and perhaps uncomfortable with the sound that she describes, on her new album Apocalypse, girl, as "soft dick rock." But for those listeners who've followed the path of women artists challenging preconceptions from Yoko Ono's housefly meditations to Carolee Schneeman's erotic Meat Joy, and on through the "transgressive" art of post-punk provocateurs like Lydia Lunch and Karen Finley, Hval is that treasured figure: a younger visionary who honors the legacies of earlier generations while finding her own ways to explore the timeless tension between individuals' private lives and the roles and rules society imposes.
Hval's music, gorgeously rendered on Apocalypse, girl, is electronically driven, ravishingly pretty and sneakily theatrical in its creation of an interior world leaking into and being pressed upon by the larger one. In songs like "Sabbath," which tells of a young girl's erotic self-realization, Hval goes poetic, but in such a visceral way that her images will make you itch. The video for "Sabbath," debuting here, further enhances the music's dreamlike quality — but those familiar with experimental art's intergenerational conversations will also see Hval's wit in connecting with that history.
YouTube
Hval and I recently engaged in an email conversation touching upon her rich knowledge of art and literature, her favorite real and spiritual collaborators, and the possibilities and problems of working in a pop idiom grounded in the marketplace.
Apocalypse, Girl enters the musical conversation, at least in the U.S., at an intriguingly tense and potentially transformative moment in pop's ongoing conversation about gender and sexuality. Both mainstream pop and indie rock abound with confrontational scenarios staged by women, from the latest work by Rihanna and Madonna to the many indie performers currently inspired by post-punk feminist rock. You've been developing your erotic vocabulary for a decade now; do you feel the landscape has opened up for this kind of work in music and in the art world since you started? Is it a circling back to the transgressive art moment of the late 1980s and early 1990s, or are we hearing something new?
I hope the moment we're in is something new — a lot has happened since the '80s and '90s (both in music, the arts in general and in feminist theory and practice). But it can only exist because of that work from the late '80s and early '90s, and I know that that time was incredibly important. The fact that for some reason (probably because of the work of so many groundbreaking artists) utterly unique female artists could become popular was very striking to grow up with.
I was thinking about this when I wrote about Bjork for The Talkhouse a while back — what would I even be if I had not grown up with her music from such an early age? I can't imagine living and expressing myself without all those thoughts about being that she gave me. When I started out it seemed like times had changed and artists had to express some kind of retro stereotype. As if the world was weary of people expressing themselves altogether. If things are different now, it's a fantastic and important change.
There's more open discussion of transgender identity than ever before, and in addition, living on the Internet has granted ordinary people an easy and possibly irresistible way to construct multiple selves. Your voice is quite conventionally feminine, though you manipulate it a lot — on first listen, I wouldn't connect it with trans liberation. Yet your songs viscerally describe bodies that become fluid while experiencing desire. "Sabbath" offers a dreamscape of a boy and a girl switching genders and then both becoming animals — a horse, a wolf. Is this a kind of trans state?
I'm so happy these things are talked about, and I wish we could listen better, even if sexuality is openly discussed in certain parts of the world. I write about sexuality longing to take part in a conversation, to hear other people's voices. The world is more beautiful when it's polyphonic.
I haven't gone through any of the stuff that a transgendered person has gone through, so I wouldn't claim to know what that is like. But I know that sexuality is a huge part of who we are, and that in-between states are important to everybody. If they weren't, people wouldn't have any problems with genders and sexuality.
It's this kind of universal, but personal, in-between state of transformation I'm dealing with in my music, I think. A transformation is for me a much more interesting way to look at narrative than a "story." In "Sabbath," I send a person on a journey through several transformations (imagining further transformations). The reward is desire, a desire that is not about inequality and dichotomy, but about liberation. It's a fairy tale, perhaps.
Radical feminist art has long used confrontational humor to dislodge some pretty deep preconceptions about identity and acceptable behavior. This is something it shares with surrealism, another one of your influences. What kind of laughter do you hope to generate with your work?
Hopefully more than one kind of laughter, but perhaps a complex laughter, one that jumps out of your mouth and then makes you think. Yes, a dislodging laughter.
One of the central images on Apocalypse, Girl, and certainly the most discussed, involves something that "should" be hard staying soft — music itself, on the one hand, and a man's private anatomy on the other. I know you're a fan of the writer Anne Carson; for fun, I looked through her great verse novel Autobiography of Red for the word "soft," and it comes up once, attached to the image, "a pearl in a mussel." That reminds me of your work — you're always seeking that moment when soft becomes hard, or the opposite. What can we learn from such transitions?
I love Anne Carson's writing. The first piece of hers I read was The Glass Essay, which definitely deals with softness and in some way a situation in which literary genres start to blur and reality and fiction meet. A breakup becomes a moment where the protagonist of the essay starts writing about literature in a way that is not just personal, but placing herself inside it. That is how I remember it. It made such a huge impression on me. I probably devoured it and didn't understand any of the complexities... I read it at a time when I was feeling that way myself...
Softness has definitely been discussed a lot in reviews and interviews for this album — I'm not sure if I intended to write so much about it. But it's definitely there.
I remember this poster ad I saw (it's still going strong) for the first time a few years ago, for a product called "More Man." It's a dietary supplement, or testosterone supplement, I think, and the tag line for the ad was "Are you a man who is becoming a woman?" as if this was some frightening, apocalyptic (yes!) scenario. The signs of becoming a woman were listed below this horrifying headline, and it was all about becoming soft in various ways. Then I realised the company was also selling a female equivalent, More Woman, but the tagline for women couldn't be about becoming a man, so it was just a twisted and sadder version of the man ad. Sorry about this lengthy description, but I just found this ad so interesting — it was a sort of hierarchical fall from man to woman (lower, softer being) and then it seemed woman had nowhere to go except back into a loop of continuously falling and softening.
I'm interested in where health and capitalism meet. They meet in the fear of a soft apocalypse and send us in a loop of constant hardening. It's like the Red Scare of our time.
Your mention of how health and capitalism intersect reminds me of your fondness for Todd Haynes's film Safe. Haynes is one of my favorite filmmakers, partly because his work is so much about the construction of identity — and how what we build as "ourselves" can so easily become dislodged. Safe is now twenty years old, and the anxieties it expresses have only intensified. It's interesting to think about the connections between sexuality and health. What is a healthy sexuality? Is that a subject you confront, do you think, in your music?
The first Haynes film I saw was Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, which completely changed my idea of film back when I was studying film many years ago (for a while I really thought I could be a film director...!). I love the way he took such a complex character. Karen Carpenter, and actually made her universal and political — which is the opposite of every other biographical film, or documentary, about a female musician! He is just the greatest modern sci-fi thinker, isn't he? Because he looks at the female figure as the central figure of our time, at the ugly and manipulated crossroads of capitalism, politics and mental health.
I don't think what we call "healthy" in mainstream media and consumer storytelling has anything to do with actual health at all. It has everything to do with fear and nothing with health. Actual health has to do with social structures, it has to do with class and race and politics. It has to do with people together, I think. Healthy sexuality... it needs to be courageous... openness to others? Respect?
I agree with what you say about needing to listen to each other about sexuality. We are often emboldened to speak, but rarely does culture make a space for actually considering, in a deep way, how others experience both sex and gender. I see this as something your music is working to accomplish. But do you find that it's hard for some listeners to overcome their initial titillation and discomfort? Have you discovered or developed way to get listeners beyond those first reactions?
I think there are two answers: short term, yes. But I don't want to judge anyone for their natural reactions to something. Listeners need time to digest something, and I find that when they are given that time and space, they figure things out and overcome those reactions. I also believe firmly in the power of memory. If you make something that people will remember, they will come back to it. The best art is what haunts you (with or without the colourful aesthetics of the horror genre). Some of my favourite works of art are not the pieces I've loved the most at the time, but the pieces I remember, that keep making an impact on me and keep giving me some kind of drive to understand, or hope.
There are moments on Apocalypse, Girl (like when you sing "feminism's over" in "The Battle is Over") when your phrasing is almost that of a current pop star. I'm curious if you're expressing a connection to mainstream pop, especially on this album, with its references to time spent in New York.
I love pop music, and sometimes I wish I could write something for, or sing, like a really big pop star. I do what I do both because I have chosen another path and because I can't do what pop stars do, it's both a choice and a lack of talent.
The song "Sabbath" is quite poignant in way — it's a very sensual coming-of-age story, acknowledging the fluid desires children experience in a dreamlike or fairy-tale scenario. In a sense, it's recovering a kind of memory that isn't often acknowledged in the proper adult world. It makes me think of Sally Mann's photographs of her children — that unsentimental innocence. What does exploring a young girl's voice and story offer you as an artist and a woman?
I love that you brought up Sally Mann, I just watched the documentary about her — What Remains — and I really loved it. In fact, Lasse (Marhaug, producer of Apocalypse, girl) told me to watch it because it's so interesting how she moves on from capturing her children's faces and bodies to landscapes and even the dead.
In "Sabbath," the subject is an "I" looking at herself, so there is no gaze. But there is definitely a coming-of-age story, and a story of a child discovering her sexuality and telling the story very openly and in her own world. Sally Mann's pictures of her children are always capturing them in their world, and that world is allowed to be huge — it isn't a small space. Even if the photo is a close-up of a face, it shows an entire universe of a personality with infinite imagination. There is something overflowing in those images, something you can't just objectify or "take". They are so strong. I love them. And I love the idea of exploring a childlike (and female) sexuality without even considering that it can be "used," "taken," "deflowered," etc.
The video features two women who seem to be a sort of entourage — you've had them perform with you in other settings. What happens to your persona when you double (or triple) it like this? It makes me think about woman as commodity — an interchangeable product.
Bringing Zia and Annie (the two women in the video) on stage with me has been a revelation. They are amazing beings and incredibly talented and creative artists (both visual artists). I don't think we ever come across as interchangeable on stage except perhaps in this song — we've developed a small series of movements together. But working with interchangeable elements, such as wigs and costumes, has been |
never heard of. Few people in the U.S. know about female genital schistosomiasis, hookworm, Chagas disease, trachoma, river blindness or elephantiasis. But taken together, these diseases have a higher health burden than malaria and tuberculosis, and rival that of HIV/AIDS.
Almost every woman or girl living on less than $1.25 (USD) a day in Africa, Asia and the Americas -- one half of the world's "bottom billion" -- is infected by one or more NTD. But the most shocking aspect of NTDs isn't the devastation they can cause to poor communities; it's the affordability of its solution. It often only costs 50 cents, on average, to treat and protect one person against all seven major NTDs for an entire year. By controlling and eliminating these infections, we can offer one of the best shots for changing the future for those women and girls who live in such abject poverty.
To fully understand how NTDs destroy the lives of girls and women living in the world's low and middle income countries, it is best to look at a few specific examples:
More than 100 million women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from female genital schistosomiasis alone, a parasitic infection that causes severe pain, bleeding and lesions. And these already-crippling symptoms can have a domino effect. Recent studies indicate that women with schistosomiasis have three to four times the chance of contracting HIV/AIDS compared to women without it.
Mothers and soon-to-be mothers are perhaps the most affected group. Up to one-third of pregnant women in Africa are infected with hookworms, which can cause chronic blood loss and place mothers and newborns at extreme risk of dying in childbirth. In Latin America, Chagas disease causes thousands of miscarriages and congenital infections.
It's the shame and stigma of NTDs that is especially heartbreaking. Female genital schistosomiasis is one of the worst, but NTDs such as leishmaniasis and elephantiasis also cause disfigurement and render girls and young women unmarriageable. They have become grounds for spousal abandonment and prevent a young woman from holding and kissing her child -- even though NTDs can't be transmitted through human contact.
Compounding the negative health and social impacts, NTDs actually perpetuate the cycle of poverty because they can cause blindness and other disabilities that make women too sick to carry water, wash their clothes, gather vegetables or even properly care for their children. Soil-transmitted helminths, like hookworm, reduce the intelligence and cognitive abilities of young girls and prevent them from learning in school. And even a healthy girl can miss out on an education, if they are forced to stay home to care for a sick parent or sibling infected with an NTD.
Through this series, I hope to inspire a new generation of women and mothers to learn more about NTDs that disproportionately affect females living in poverty and put them at extreme physical, cognitive and economic disadvantage. I will share details of each of the major NTDs, including the ones mentioned above, and explain how we can control or eliminate them, in many cases for less than a few cents annually.
By becoming educators on "the most important diseases you never heard of," we can begin to break a vicious cycle that has trapped girls and women in poverty for centuries and to see the disappearance of many NTDs in our lifetime.
To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.END7.org and together we can see the end of these diseases of poverty.Berlin: Two senior German conservative politicians have called for the EU to end discussions with Turkey about EU membership after a vote that handed new powers to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Norbert Roettgen, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and head of the foreign affairs committee, said failing to issue consequences after the referendum vote would hurt Europe.
“We would damage the credibility of Europe if we failed to respond to Turkey’s decision against democracy, against the rule of law … if we continue to hold fast to the fiction of accession for a country with such a government and such a constitution,” Roettgen told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk in an interview to air on Sunday.
He said pretending that Turkey joining the EU would also prevent Europe from forging a new, more realistic relationship with Turkey.
Turks voted a week ago by a narrow margin to abolish the post of prime minister and concentrate power in the hands of the president, the biggest overhaul of Turkey’s political system since the modern state was established nearly a century ago.
The results have been challenged in court by Turkey’s main opposition party. Independent election monitors from the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe have also questioned the vote.
Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria and a member of the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, said EU accession talks for Turkey should be ended, not paused.
“It’s about time that the EU membership negotiations are ended,” Herrmann told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. “We have to stop kidding ourselves: There are no common perspectives with the Turkey of Erdogan.”
Turkish economy minister Nihat Zeybecki on Thursday remained committed to its goal of full membership in the EU.
Ties with Brussels have been strained in recent months in the run-up to the April 16 referendum.
Roettgen, Herrmann and other senior lawmakers, shocked by the strength of support among Turks in Germany for the measure, are also calling for tighter rules on dual citizenship.
Germany is home to some three million people with Turkish roots and some politicians say the loyalty many showed to Erdogan, a leader viewed by many in the EU as increasingly authoritarian, reflects a rejection of democratic values.
Roettgen said the result of the vote among Turks in Germany underscored the lack of complete integration of many second and third generation Turks into German society.
He said the issue also involved language, education and a need to outline clear expectations of what was expected of German citizens.San Jose City Council to Consider Mandatory Locked Storage Ordinance
On Tuesday, October 17, the San Jose City Council will be discussing a
The proposed ordinance is a result of
As drafted, the ordinance defines the term “locked container” by referring to the definition used in the California Penal Code, but also requiring the container to be “listed on the California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms roster of approved firearm safety devices.” But many modern and expensive gun safes are not listed on this roster because they are not required to be. As a result, some of the safest and most secure options for storing firearms will not satisfy the requirements of the proposed ordinance.
And this isn’t the only problem. As we have
We encourage all of our members who are able to attend the upcoming City Council meeting to respectfully voice their opinion on the proposed ordinance. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, at San Jose City Hall, which is located at
On Tuesday, October 17, the San Jose City Council will be discussing a proposed firearms ordinance that will require any person who possesses a firearm in their residence to store the firearm in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock when leaving their residence.The proposed ordinance is a result of last year’s Rules and Open Government Committee meeting discussing a number of anti-gun proposals originally introduced by Councilmembers Ash Kalra (now a California Legislator) and Raul Peralez. While the Committee ultimately decided to not proceed with a majority of the proposals, it directed staff to proceed with drafting the mandatory locked storage ordinance now before the City Council.As drafted, the ordinance defines the term “locked container” by referring to the definition used in the California Penal Code, but also requiring the container to be “listed on the California Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms roster of approved firearm safety devices.” But many modern and expensive gun safes are not listed on this roster because they are not required to be. As a result, some of the safest and most secure options for storing firearms will not satisfy the requirements of the proposed ordinance.And this isn’t the only problem. As we have warned our members before, mandatory locked storage ordinances do nothing to promote public safety, and instead create a dangerous patchwork quilt of laws that can easily trap unwitting law-abiding gun owners in criminal prosecution. Even the Chief of Police noted that a “violation of such an ordinance would likely not come to light unless officers were called to a home or business on a report of a burglary or other criminal activity,” making it clear that such ordinances are only enforced after the fact and usually against crime victims. What’s more, California law already has a comprehensive set of laws regarding the negligent storage of firearms in one’s home, which already address every point of concern raised by the Chief.We encourage all of our members who are able to attend the upcoming City Council meeting to respectfully voice their opinion on the proposed ordinance. The meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, at San Jose City Hall, which is located at 200 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113. If you are unable to attend in person, you can submit your comments using the City’s “eComment” system on the agenda webpage, or by contacting the City Clerk’s office at:
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 535-1260
Fax: (408) 292-6207
Email: Office of the City Clerk200 E. Santa Clara St.San Jose, CA 95113Phone: (408) 535-1260Fax: (408) 292-6207Email: cityclerk@sanjoseca.govIn 2014, long before it became generally accepted that the Russian government had meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election using what Russia experts call “active measures” (a term that generally refers to influence campaigns), former RT America anchor Liz Wahl may have provided Americans with the first high-profile warning that the Kremlin was feeding disinformation meant to discredit the United States through the English-language station formerly known as Russia Today.
Wahl resigned dramatically on air, expressing her discomfort with working for the Kremlin-funded organization and its manipulation of the narrative:
Last night RT made headlines when one of our anchors went on the record and said Russian intervention in Crimea is wrong and indeed, as a reporter on this network, I face many ethical and moral challenges. Especially me personally, coming from a family whose grandparents — my grandparents came here as refugees during the Hungarian revolution, ironically to escape the Soviet forces. I have family on the opposite side, my mother’s side, that sees the daily grind of poverty and I’m very lucky to have grown up here in the United States. I’m the daughter of a veteran. My partner is a physician at a military base where he sees every day the firsthand accounts of the ultimate prices that people pay for this country. And that is why, personally, I cannot be part of a network funded by the Russian government that whitewashes the actions of Putin. I’m proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth and that is why, after this newscast, I’m resigning.
In March 2016, Wahl wrote about her decision to resign, noting:
RT’s main goal is not to to seek truth and report it. Rather, the aim is to create confusion and sow distrust in Western governments and institutions by reporting anything which seems to discredit the West, and ignoring anything which is to its credit.
In the piece, she described being bullied by her superiors to present information she knew to be false, if only for the purpose of discrediting the West. One year later, the nation would be embroiled in multiple investigations and an ongoing scandal over Russia’s use of active measures in an attempt to manipulate the United States presidential election in favor of now-President Donald Trump.
The term “active measures” is a term that refers to overt, semi-covert and covert campaigns to destabilize adversaries with propaganda and disinformation carried out by the Russian government and its predecessor, the Soviet Union. Organizations like RT and Sputnik are considered “white” (overt) measures, because their Kremlin funding is made known to the public. In April 2017, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) introduced legislation to investigate RT, noting that recent revelations have given reason to believe the outlet aims to “spread misinformation and undermine our democratic process.”
Chris Donnelly, director of the UK’s Institute for Statecraft, said the Russian government’s use of its state-run media outlets to produce propaganda is nothing new. A recent example of such an exploit was the 10 May 2017 visit by Russian envoys Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister, and Sergey Kislyak, Moscow’s ambassador to the United States. President Trump invited the men into the Oval Office, and while he barred American reporters from witnessing the meeting, a photographer from the Russian agency TASS was allowed inside.
The result was that pictures of the U.S. president holding a jocular conversation with Lavrov and Kislyak were immediately published — apparently against the wishes of the White House. The Trump team was reportedly “furious” over the publication of the photographs from the meeting, with one official telling CNN, “They tricked us. That’s the problem with the Russians — they lie.”
It was a major score for Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, in terms of propaganda. Donnelly told us:
TASS, RT and Sputnik are not news agencies as we think of them, they’re outlets of propaganda. Therefore any employee of those organizations is really acting as an agent of the Russian state, and that means of its leadership — not in the interest of the Russian people. That’s the difference. … This is how the Russian system works. There is no excuse for people in positions of authority to be ignorant of how the current world works.
Lavrov and Kislyak faced American reporters briefly, and were asked if President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey just one day earlier cast a cloud over the visit. Comey was heading the agency leading an investigation into Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. Lavrov mocked reporters by waving his hand and sarcastically saying, “”Was he fired? You’re kidding. You’re kidding.”
Mitchell Orenstein, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and professor of Russian and Eastern European Studies at University of Pennsylvania, told us it was no accident that the Russian government officials came to visit and reporters started getting treated harshly:
I think the issue is that they excluded the American press and included only TASS, which sent a very strong message to the press and people in general that only press agencies that are lapdogs to the government are going to get near the president. … It wasn’t any coincidence that the Russians came to town and people are treating the press worse. A lot of people believe that Trump is Putin’s puppet and he is, and essentially he is taking cues from Putin. He’s learning about how to control the press, how to intimidate the press, how to behave with impunity. This is all the school of dictatorship and he’s a student.
President Trump’s views toward the news media comport with those of the Putin regime. Ben Nimmo, Information Defense Fellow at the Atlantic Council (an international affairs think tank) told us that the Russian government regularly casts the Western news media as “fake news” while simultaneously inundating their populace with actual disinformation.
The relationship between the Kremlin and the Western media is deeply antagonistic from the Kremlin’s point of view. In Russia, Putin‘s staff tell the newspapers and TV stations what to report, and and if you get into that mindset and then find media that doesn’t do what you tell them, it’s annoying.
That is not to say that there are no independent journalists in Russia working against the odds. The problem is that Putin opponents and Russian reporters who focus on topics like government corruption and hypocrisy do so at grave risk. This year alone, two journalists, Yevgeny Khamaganov and Nikolay Andrushchenko, died after being beaten in separate incidents. Political opponent Boris Nemtsov was gunned down near the Kremlin in 2015, and critic Vladimir Kara-Murza was poisoned twice, once in 2015 and again in 2017, but survived. Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption activist who plans to run against Putin in 2018, had a green substance thrown in his face and has lost partial vision in one of his eyes as a result.
The same day the Russian envoys visited, American reporter from Public News Service, Dan Heyman, was arrested after asking Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price about health care legislation. Six days later, the New York Times reported that during a meeting between Comey and Trump, the president told Comey he should consider imprisoning reporters who publish stories containing classified information.
It’s a topic Yale history professor Timothy Snyder has been trying to drive home. In his new book, On Tyranny, the Holocaust scholar instructs Americans on the signs of a looming regime change and what to do to protect democracy. In a 15 November 2016 Facebook post, he addressed readers directly and chastised the idea of a “post fact” or “alternative fact” universe:Hi, I’m Carly Howett, a senior research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. I’ve been working on NASA’s New Horizons mission since 2012, focusing on an instrument named Ralph, which among other things provides the color “eyes” for the spacecraft.
When I started looking at Ralph images of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, back in 2012, the bodies were so far away they appeared as just a speck of light, too close together to see separately. So you can imagine how excited I was to see Pluto and Charon not only as separate worlds this year, but with clear and different features across them. It is these differences, specifically across Charon, which have since been the focus of my work.
Surfaces vary in color when something about them changes; this difference could be due to composition (what the surface is made of) or physical state (changes between solid and liquid, or changes in their structure – for example at high-pressure carbon changes from graphite to diamond). We see this every day on Earth. For example, water looks different compared to sand and they both look different than ice. Another example of these differences is that carbon forms both the dark-colored graphite we use in pencils and clear sparkly diamonds. Looking at Charon, it’s very clear that the northern polar region is much redder than the rest of the moon. But what’s causing this color difference and why does it occur at the pole?
To answer the first part of this question we consider what we know about Charon. We know that Charon’s surface is too cold for anything other than solids to exist, and the surface isn’t subject to extreme changes in temperature and/or pressure, so it is unlikely significant phase transitions are occurring. Instead, we think that the color variation is due to a change in surface composition, which leads to the conclusion that the surface of Charon’s northern polar region is made up of different material than the rest of Charon.
One theory is that small amounts of Pluto’s atmosphere can escape and eventually reach Charon, where it would be temporarily trapped by Charon’s gravity before escaping to space. Charon’s polar regions are very cold, and I mean VERY cold! In fact, over the course of Charon’s year the polar temperature varies somewhere between -433 and -351 °F (-258 and -213 °C), which is only tens of degrees warmer than absolute zero. These temperatures (especially with Charon’s extremely thin atmosphere) are too cold to support surface liquid: gases are deposited straight to solids, and solids sublimate directly to gases. So — unlike at Charon’s warmer equator — any gases that arrive on the winter pole would freeze solid instead of escaping, a process scientists refer to as “cold trapping.” The basic principle that binary systems can share material is not new, but it took New Horizons to visit Charon to see its effect firsthand!
We know Pluto’s atmosphere is mainly nitrogen, with some methane and carbon monoxide, so we expect that these same constituents are slowly coating Charon’s winter pole. The frozen ices would sublimate away again as soon as Charon’s winter pole emerges back into sunlight, except for one important detail: solar radiation modifies these ices to produce a new substance, which has a higher sublimation temperature and can’t sublimate and then escape from Charon.
This new substance is called a tholin, and has been made in similar conditions in laboratories here on Earth. The color of the tholin produced depends on the ratios of the different molecules and the amount and type of radiation you expose them to: tholins colored from yellow to red to black have been made this way. An example of this (pictured above) shows various red tholins made in a laboratory by Sarah Hörst at Johns Hopkins University.
Charon likely has gradually built up a polar deposit over millions of years as Pluto’s atmosphere slowly escapes, during which time the surface is being irradiated by the sun. It appears the conditions on Charon are right to form red tholins similar to those shown, although we have yet to figure out exactly why. This is one of the many things I am looking forward to better understanding as we receive more New Horizons data over the next year and analyze it in conjunction with continued laboratory work.
Such an exciting time!The Lost Interview: Marc Andreessen
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$ARTICLE = <big piece of text> $EXAMPLEIMAGE = <url to image> $NAVLINKS = <dest1/name1> <dest2/name2> <dest3/name3> $INTERVIEWQUESTION = Why are you here? $INTERVIEWANSWER = To seek the Holy Grail.
Marc, your work is amazing, it needs no recognition! You built Mosaic, had several successful companies, started your own venture firm. How does world-changing feel?Oh....I changed the world alright. Now I'm feeling a little guilty.Guilty? You shouldn't feel that one-percenter guilt. You've done good, you helped incorporate CSS into the browser!It's been weighing on me. Remember the 90s? People were dropping out of college to make six-digits knowing nothing but HTML.Of course, I was an HTML 'developer.' The world wanted on the Information Super Highway.It didn't last long. As soon as artists found they could do a table layout themselves, they didn't need HTML developers anymore.I quit and became a journalist. I took inspiration from Bjarne Stroustrup and looked for a way to complicate things. What could we add to Netscape? I found CSS.I thought CSS simplified things.Oh yes, in theory. In practice....practice is what matters. Why do some browsers include padding in the total width and height of a div, but other browsers not? It's designed to keep art school grads from figuring it out.But weren't those problems a result of compromises made between browser vendors? It wasn't originally intended that way.Wasn't it? Think of centering things. The old way?The new way?The recent CSS box-sizing feature is an admission after all these years that IE got the padding right. We just wanted people to do math.ok, but what about separation of content from presentation? What about the Cascading in CSS?Oh yes, the inheritance and principles of CSS are a thing of beauty, a real work of art. Bert Bos did incredible work, he's a great designer. Look at the linear-gradient, how flexibly all that information fits into a small space:That's the brilliance of the plan, if it were all ugly, no one would use it. People were deceived by the excellence of the syntax, and didn't realize it fails at its most basic task: being able to place things where you want them. Not that it mattered, when you're an HTML dev making $100,000, you don't worry about the details.You integrated CSS in Netscape to make it harder, so programmers would get paid more?That's right.Didn't the CSS Zen guys show the good side of CSS?CSS Zen is some of the best design on the web. I go there to get ideas; but even they had troubles: try to find a good example of vertical centering. A lot of their designs look bad on mobile. When they really ran into trouble, they threw some text into an image or used inflexible pixel dimensions.Doesn't the new CSS Flex model fix vertical centering?It's a bandaid. It doesn't fix the real problem:Tim Berners Lee knew it at the time, too, but he wanted to get the SGML guys on board.You want to truly separate content from presentation? We've known how to do it for fifty years. I'll tell you how to do it, it's simple as pie: set all your content to constant variables, in a content file, and build the layout separately in a layout file. For example:You can easily make a dozen different layouts with that content. As a bonus, i18n and translations are easy. You want a semantic web? Build a careful collection of well-named standard variables. But of course we stayed as far away from this solution as possible.Speaking of Flex, isn't it a hot mess? We spent all this time telling people not to use tables, and here they are, back again, more complex than ever, and the html ordering matters visually. We're such hypocrites! But not really, because our goal was always to make things as complicated as possible. And now with Angular.js and React.js we have yet another layer of complexity on top of that! Try getting a semantic web when everything is built in Javascript! It's getting so complex I'm feeling guilty.I don't think I can print this interview. Why are you admitting it now?The complexity of the web is getting out of hand. We need to do something to simplify, it's impossible to know the basics of every framework out there. Besides, after Netscape, I'm a one-percenter, I don't need money anymore.When humans look into outer space and its amazing distant realms, sometimes all we really want to find is someplace like home.
Another planet like Earth, that is. Soon, a new NASA telescope mission called Kepler may finally make that happen.
Set to launch March 5 from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the $550 million Kepler telescope is designed to detect extrasolar planets that are the same size as Earth, orbiting around stars the same size as the sun, at a range similar to Earth's distance from the sun, and with orbits of about one year, like ours.
"The whole mission was designed around this goal," said Kepler co-investigator William Cochran, an astronomer at McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin. "If we find no Earth-like planets, then we can say with great confidence that Earths like ours are rare."
Although more than 300 exoplanets have been discovered around other stars, none have been quite as small as Earth, and even the ones that come close don't usually orbit in what's called the habitable zone — the range in which temperatures would be favorable for life.
The results from Kepler could be important in trying to predict how common life, and even intelligent life, is in the galaxy. A famous calculation called the Drake equation aims to quantify how many extraterrestrial civilizations might exist in our galaxy that we could be able to communicate with.
The equation, devised in 1960 by Frank Drake of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, or SETI, takes into account many factors, such as the rate of star formation in the galaxy, the fraction of stars with planets and the fraction of planets that are habitable. If Kepler can help estimate the frequency of Earth-size planets, astronomers will be a lot closer to making an accurate estimate with the Drake equation.
Kepler differs from most planet-hunting projects, which use the Doppler-shift method to search for stars that wobble due to the small gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. With existing technology, that method can only detect planets that are more massive than Earth, whose gravitational pull is large enough to tug at their parent stars with a strength we would notice.
Instead, Kepler will use a powerful optical telescope to detect the slight dimming of light that results when a planet moves between us and its star. This technique, as opposed to the Doppler method, does not depend on a planet's mass, so is better suited to reveal smaller planets.
"This could be a really fabulous mission," said UCLA astronomer Benjamin Zuckerman, who studies extrasolar planets, but has no direct involvement in the Kepler mission. "The nice thing about this mission, if it works as well as they hope, is that whatever result it gets is interesting. Either they find something, or they can put a strong limit on the frequency of Earth-sized planets."
After Kepler's launch, the telescope will begin continuously observing a single field of view, in which the brightnesses of 100,000 stars will be monitored for changes resulting from transiting planets. It will begin collecting data within days of its launch and the first results could be released by next fall.
"The number of stars we are looking at is such that if it turns out Earth-like planets are common, we should find 30 to 50 of them," Cochran told Wired.com.
If Kepler finds planets that could be Earth twins, it won't be able to detect whether or not they host life. Other missions, such as a potential NASA observatory called the Terrestrial Planet Finder or the European Space Agency's Darwin, will have to investigate those possibilities.
After its launch, Kepler is set to observe for at least three and a half years, with the possibility of extending its run if things go well. The observatory could find Earth-size planets with quick orbits within months, but detecting planets with periods closer to one year will likely happen toward the end of Kepler's mission.
"The only planets we can detect are those for which we are looking edge-on to the orbit," Cochran said. "Then for those where we are looking edge-on, the planets that we'll see most easily are the ones with the shortest periods."
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A group of Japanese women have formed what is thought to be one of the only North Korean fan clubs in the world despite receiving threats.
Set up by Chunhun, a woman in her 20s, she and her friends recreate performances of North Korea's all-female Moranbong band - a pop group handpicked by Kim Jong-un himself.
They also dress up in look-alike uniforms, share North Korean food and go over their dance steps, ready for performances in public.
The women have been accused of being spies for, or defectors from, the reclusive country, and have been harassed on social media.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
Cunhun said the group known as Sengun Joshi - translated as Military-first Girls - are just like other Japanese women who are interested in American or South Korean culture.
She said: "Unfortunately, I'm often asked whether I'm conducting anti-social activities, if I'm a North Korean spy, or if I'm a North Korean defector.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
"I'm the same as girls who like K-pop and love the culture of Seoul, or the girls who wear the same make-up as America's Taylor Swift."
Chunhun, who previously worked at an online news site specialising on North Korea called DailyNK, said her interest in North Korean culture began in university when she studied art and came across North Korean art.
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
(Image: REUTERS)
She says her interest is purely cultural and she is not a supporter of the current regime.He's won all there is to win in world football, he has a significant following on social media and is a cult hero amongst many football fans. Now he's helping people tackle the issue of mental health, but the most extraordinary thing about striker Ivica Strok is he doesn't exist!
Strok came to 'life' as part of the popular computer game Football Manager. The game gives players the chance to replicate the career of a real football manager. You decide tactics, buy and sell players. You can even interact with the press!
And for Jonny Sharples the game helped him through a personal tragedy, and now he is using Strok, the fictional star of his team, to reach fans struggling to cope.
(Image: Jonny Sharples & Ivica Strok, Credit: Jonny Sharples)by
There exists, I suppose, some slight chance of this one making it into the State of the Union address, no doubt in a distorted, bellicose, and xenophobic disguise. Typically, there’s no chance of any announcement at all.
We’re stopping another war.
There are a million qualifications that need to be put on that statement. None of them render it false. A bill looked likely to move through Congress that would have imposed new sanctions on Iran, shredded the negotiated agreement with Iran, and committed the United States to join in any Israeli war on Iran. This would be a step toward war and has become understood as such by large numbers of people. Efforts to sell sanctions as an alternative to war failed. Tons of pushback has come, and is still coming, from the public, including from numerous organizations not always known for their opposition to war. And the bill, for the moment, seems much less likely to pass.
This is no time to let up, but to recognize our power and press harder for peace.
Pushback against the sanctions bill has come from the White House, from within the military, and from elsewhere within the government. But this bill was something the warmongers wanted, AIPAC wanted, a majority of U.S. senators wanted, and corporate media outlets were happy to support. The underlying pretense that Iran has a nuclear weapons program that endangers the world had the support of the White House and most other opponents of the March-to-War bill. That pretense has been successfully sold to much of the public. The additional supporting pretense that sanctions have helped, rather than hindered, diplomacy has similar widespread backing. But when it comes to a measure understood as a step into war, the public is saying no, and that public response is a factor in the likely outcome.
In this instance, President Obama has been on the right side of the debate. I’ve never known that to actually be true before. But there’s been a whole infrastructure of activism set up and fine-tuned for five years now, all based around the pretense that Obama was right on various points and Congress wrong. So, when that actually happened to be true, numerous organizations knew exactly what to do with it. War opposition and Obama-following merged. But let’s remember back to August and September. That was a different situation in which...
We stopped another war.
Raytheon’s stock was soaring. The corporate media wanted those missiles to hit Syria. Obama and the leadership of both parties wanted those missiles to hit Syria. The missiles didn’t fly.
Public pressure led the British Parliament to refuse a prime minister’s demand for war for the first time since the surrender at Yorktown, and the U.S. Congress followed suit by making clear to the U.S. president that his proposed authorization for war on Syria would not pass through either the Senate or the House. Numerous Congress members, from both houses and both parties, said they heard more from the public against this war than ever before on any issue. It helped that Congress was on break and holding town hall meetings. It helped that it was Jewish holidays and AIPAC wasn’t around.
And there were other factors. After the public pushed Congress to demand a say, Obama agreed to that. Perhaps he wanted something so controversial — something being talked about as “the next Iraq” — to go to Congress. Perhaps he expected Congress would probably say No. In such a scenario, the decisive factor would remain the past decade of growing public sentiment against wars. But I don’t think that’s what happened. Obama and Kerry were pushing hard and publicly for those missiles to fly. When they couldn’t get the “intelligence” agencies to back their fraudulent case, they announced it anyway. Those lies are just being exposed now, in a very different context from that in which the Iraq war lies or the Afghanistan or Libya war lies have been exposed. Obama told us to watch videos of children suffering and dying in Syria and to choose between war and inaction. We rejected that choice, opposed war, and supported humanitarian aid (which hasn’t happened on remotely the necessary scale).
In the space of a day, discussions in Washington, D.C., shifted from the supposed necessity of war to the clear desirability of avoiding war. The Russians’ proposal to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons had already been known to the White House but was being rejected. When Kerry publicly suggested that Syria could avoid a war by handing over its chemical weapons, everyone knew he didn’t mean it. In fact, when Russia called his bluff and Syria immediately agreed, Kerry’s staff put out this statement: “Secretary Kerry was making a rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has denied he used. His point was that this brutal dictator with a history of playing fast and loose with the facts cannot be trusted to turn over chemical weapons, otherwise he would have done so long ago. That’s why the world faces this moment.” In other words: stop getting in the way of our war! By the next day, however, with Congress rejecting war, Kerry was claiming to have meant his remark quite seriously and to believe the process had a good chance of succeeding, as of course it did. Diplomatic solutions are always available. What compelled Obama to accept diplomacy as the last resort was the public’s and Congress’s refusal to allow war.
These victories are limited and tentative. The machinery that pushes for war hasn’t gone away. The arms are still flowing into Syria. Efforts to negotiate peace there seem less than wholehearted. The U.S. puppeteer has stuck its arm up the rear end of the United Nations and uninvited Iran from the talks. The people of Syria and Iran are no better off.
But they’re also no worse off. No U.S. bombs are falling from their skies.
There could be other proposals for wars that we’ll find much harder to prevent. That’s precisely why we must recognize the possibility of stopping those proposals too, a possibility established by the examples above, from which we should stop fleeing in panic as if the possibility that |
to help pay for water infrastructure upgrades, such as replacing lead pipes.
"The media’s attention to Flint has put a spotlight on the crisis we face across the nation due to a failure to address aging water infrastructure," Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said in a statement this week.
Clean water advocacy groups think the bill is good, but not great. They prefer legislation introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) that would toughen monitoring of water lead levels and the regulations triggering lead pipe removal.
“The Senate aid package for Flint is an important start but not nearly enough to help the city deal with the immediate and long term health impacts of this crisis," the League of Conservation Voters' Madeleine Foote said in a statement about the plan for loan assistance. "There are many more Flints across the country, and we must make the commitment to seriously invest in our critical water infrastructure and finally address systemic injustices; all Americans deserve access to clean air and water.”
The Senate bill has been held up by a handful of Republicans, though Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), one of its chief architects, has said she's optimistic the bill will get a vote next week.
The EPA is in the process of revising the Safe Drinking Water Act regulation that deals with the way public water systems respond to high lead levels. An agency working group recently made recommendations that a coalition of activists -- including Dr. Marc Edwards, the Virginia Tech engineering professor who helped blow the whistle in Flint -- have said won't do enough to clamp down on shoddy water testing by utilities and to get rid of lead pipes across the country.
Paul Schwartz, a water policy expert at Water Alliance, welcomed the Senate bill but said lawmakers should be looking at current water regulations.
"They're still at the margins of fixing the problem, but not really at the heart of what the major problems are in Flint and across the water utility systems in the United States," Schwartz said.In celebration of Earth Day and to show solidarity with the rest of the world marching against climate change, thousands of Wisconsinites gathered at the state Capitol to demand change in the ways humans and companies use natural resources.
The Madison Climate March began at the Wisconsin State Capitol and ended at Madison Gas & Electric, one of the largest energy companies in the city.
The Climate March accompanied the March for Science. About 5,000 people showed up for the March for Science and 2,500 for the Climate March. Both events took place without incident according to a Madison Police Department report.
"We have to start now," why young adults participate in the climate march. @BadgerHerald pic.twitter.com/aF2qJ34Yht — Emilie Cochran (@emjanet1001) April 22, 2017
New study looks at how climate change will impact animalsThe key to unlocking the future of climate change may just lie in the past. Using historical data, researchers from Read…
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Earth’s average temperature has risen 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century, and is expected to rise another 0.5 to 8.6 degrees in the next hundred years. Climate change is the result of human activity, which has led to the melting of glaciers and other changes in weather.
If not stopped, scientists speculate climate change will present challenges for the human race.
The goal of the march was to encourage MG&E to be a “clean energy leader” for the state, according to Madison’s Climate March website.
Speakers and marchers from around the state encouraged the Madison community to take action to change the way energy is used around us to help future generations.
The speeches had a theme of encouragement about living sustainably now to create an environment that will last for future generations.
"Without air we do not breathe. Without water we do not live," Jessie Brown, activist, said. @BadgerHerald pic.twitter.com/orMHnnVYuO — Emilie Cochran (@emjanet1001) April 22, 2017
Sustainability programs reduce food waste, help manage insecurityWhile harvesting plants in a field for research, University of Wisconsin student Hannah DePorter noticed she and her fellow researchers Read…
Beth Esser, co-founder of MG&E Shareholders for Clean Energy, spoke about utility companies and the dangers they place on the Earth through their use of fossil fuels and coal. Her goal is to encourage MG&E to use more renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.
“I want good, family supporting jobs and a healthy environment,” Esser said. “[Choosing between a] job or the environment is a false choice.”
Tony Schultz, an organic farmer from Athens, Wisconsin, spoke about the harm industrial agriculture has on the planet and the positives small organic farming brings to the land, community and planet.
Schultz said small farms produce more food per acre, which uses land, water and oil “much more efficiently.”
Jessie Brown, an environmental activist, spoke about her experiences at Standing Rock protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. As an indigenous Mayan woman, she said she places great emphasis on her work protecting Native tribes.
“We march for those who fought before us. My ancestors fought — they were warriors, and so am I,” Brown said. “This is my fight now.”
"All power to the people," Brandi Grayson, executive director of Urban Triage, said. @BadgerHerald pic.twitter.com/om3sMStyul — Emilie Cochran (@emjanet1001) April 22, 2017
Madison community continues to stand in solidarity with Standing RockAs part of a national day of action, University of Wisconsin students and Madison residents marched to the steps of Read…
Cindy Bacskai came from Milwaukee to support renewable energy efforts to take care of the climate.
Bacskai said she wants her children to experience the things she’s been able to enjoy such as hiking and animals.
“We can make a difference as the average citizen,” Bacskai said.
Chloe Zick, Kirby Tock and Caroline Schick, high school seniors from Baraboo, Wisconsin, came to the march to encourage other young people to “start now” when it comes to making a difference for the environment.
"When our planet is under attack what do we do? Fight back!" MCs yell as the march to MGE power plant begins. @BadgerHerald pic.twitter.com/S7L3nGoVYo — Emilie Cochran (@emjanet1001) April 22, 2017
UW expert looks to encourage students to fight for cleaner futureAs environmental issues become increasingly challenged at the federal level, experts at the University of Wisconsin are continually looking for Read…
Zick said the best way to ensure a future in the U.S. is to live sustainably and take care of the environment.
“Nothing’s going to change unless we make a change,” Zick said.In this 2006 critically-acclaimed drama, Will Smith stars as Chris Gardner, a down on his luck father who accepts an unpaid intern position at a prestigious stock brokerage firm in hopes of giving his son a better life. Despite having to spend nights in a homeless shelter with his 5-year-old son (played by Smith's real son, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith), Chris never falters in his determination to do everything in his power to make sure his son knows how much he's loved. Based on true events, "The Pursuit of Happyness" (yes, that's spelled wrong on purpose) is a real rags-to-riches story and one that Smith feels is really the embodiment of the American dream.
On Tackling Chris Gardner's True Story and Keeping It Real
Smith had to be willing to be unsympathetic as Gardner, and that was a difficult bridge for him to cross as an actor. "I'm at such a different place in my life right now. The opportunity to work with Jaden -- It's really been the series: Michael Mann opened my mind to a completely different way of working and creating, and it's grown through this process now with Gabriele Muccino. The last little spark coming from Jaden.
I connected with Chris Gardner. We looked in one another's eyes. I said, "I'm going to learn your story and I'm going to tell your story." And he said, 'Just tell the truth.' I went and found the truth. I have so many roadblocks, emotional roadblocks to the truth of characters because I know what a character needs to do to be likable. My son has just developed me to a space where I'm starting to understand and starting to be more comfortable with the idea that the things that you don't do well are the things that are really going to help people. It's new for me and I haven't completely figured out how to articulate all the things that are in my mind, but I'm excited right now about the connection between the things that I believe and now being able to find a way to illustrate those beliefs in my artistry."
Will Smith on Chris Gardner's Struggle
"I've been referring to a film called "What the Bleep [Do We Know!?]". It's about quantum physics. You've heard the old phrase: if a tree falls in the forest, nobody's there, blah blah blah? The idea is that you have command over what your future, what your situation is. That you internally and with your spirit or however you want to put it, the Tao or Muslim Allah or Jesus -- whatever that universal force is that you connect to -- you, in sync with that force, have command to will your future. And in "What the Bleep" it talks about the idea that objects exist if you acknowledge they exist. That was something that Chris and I seriously connected on.
In the film, there's no hint to any racism. That was something specifically that Chris spoke about. He said, 'Well, sure, there may have been racism but the belief that if you acknowledge it, you give it power over you.' You can call it arrogance, you call it naiveté. You call it whatever you want, but I truly believe in a situation where you are hoping to create something, it is a much more powerful space to know that you will not be denied. Whatever's out there, you're running over it. So we're not even going to spend [any] time talking about the white man or, 'They don't have no spots left in this college so I'm going to apply somewhere.' We're not acknowledging [any] of that. 'I'm going to that college, period.'"
Smith continued, "I've always called it naiveté with me that a few years ago I said that I honestly, truly believed that I could be the President of the United States. Now, there were probably political experts that laughed. But put me on a lie detector test right now and I absolutely, positively believe that I could be the President of the United States. I absolutely, positively believe I could fly the space shuttle. Period. And that's where it starts. Chris Gardner laid down in a bathroom with his only child, seemingly the ultimate parental failure. The next morning, he woke up, he bathed his son in the sink and he went to work. You can't do that if there's a possibility this might not work out. You can't do that. You have got to believe that it's already a done deal. It's just a matter of time before you get what you're designing. To me -- Barack Obama called it the audacity of hope. That's designed into the fiber of this country. This country's the only place that Chris Gardner could exist.
I'm getting excited but to me, that is the essence of the power of this film."
On the Appeal of This Rags-to-Riches Story
Smith first fell in love with the idea of making a movie based on Gardner's story after watching Gardner on "20/20". "When I saw that "20/20" piece, said Smith, "Chris Gardner walks through and retraces the steps. There is a segment where he goes into the actual bathroom that he slept in with his son. I was like, 'I'm making that movie.' Then eventually I met with Chris. He was actually writing the book while we were shooting the movie. He would be on the set three, four days a week and every week he'd give me 10 pages, just run me through some of the ideas.
He was extremely helpful all through the process. We would do takes. If something's not feeling right, I would go away with Chris for an hour, just have him talk me through it. Try to get me mentally into the space of the moment, what he connected to.
He's extremely thoughtful. He's a lot like I felt like when I met Nelson Mandela. To have survived the things that he's survived and still have a big belly laugh. There's always going to be the scar tissue of traumatic experiences, but he's so peaceful walking through it. It was an extremely valuable resource to have him there and have him walking me through the scenes and taking me through San Francisco and Oakland."
On Chris Gardner's Reaction to "The Pursuit of Happyness"
Smith recalls, "When he watched the movie, I sat behind him when he watched the movie, which is the most gut-wrenching thing you could ever do is make a story about somebody's life and then sit in the theater with him while they're watching it. With Chris and with Ali, I'm not doing that anymore. Someone trusted you with their life story. It's their family. It's their experiences and it's not like there's going to be a second shot at it. It's one time, and you'll find that most people don't even want to put the stuff out. It's hard enough for them to even talk about it, let alone hand it to somebody to do what they want to do with it on the screen.
They have to love it. It's a complete failure if the movie makes X amount of 100s of millions of dollars and awards and all of that, and Chris doesn't like it, it's a failure. He turned around after the film. I'm sitting there and my heart is jumping and he looked and he said, 'I can't even talk to you right now.' He got up and walked out. I was like, 'Well, what the hell does that mean?' But then we really went outside and he was crying. He just thanked me for the service to his family and he's forever indebted for bringing his story [to the big screen]. And for me, it was a win from that point, so all of this is gravy time now."
On Working Opposite His Young Son
The elder Smith credits the younger one with helping him make it through particularly difficult scenes. "I was struggling with a scene. Seven, eight times [Gabriele Muccino] was coming up and giving me notes. With a particularly difficult scene I was struggling and Jaden said to me, 'Psst, you just do the same thing every take, Daddy.' And I was like, you know, I was a little offended by that. But what he was saying was that innately he couldn't understand how I was reading everything exactly the same way every time. He was feeling like, 'Well, that's not real. I thought we were supposed to be trying to make this real.'
I started watching him and you know how kids are. If he decides he wants to get up and walk, he'll get up and walk. The cameraman will just follow him. But I had my blocking; I knew my left leg was forward. I knew that I was saying it with my left hand every time so in order for them to make the edit, I would do it with my left hand every time. He broke me out of a mechanical space. I've always considered myself to be just average talent and what I have is a ridiculous, insane, obsessiveness for practice and preparation. My father used to say all the time, 'Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.' So if you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready. That is how I run my life. 'Just stay ready.' Stay in shape and then you don't have to rush to train before the movie starts. I'll show you my abs later because I'm in shape. But that idea, if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. So I had this preparation, I had this performance, I've seen it in my mind and I know I'm going to go out there and deliver this performance that way that I want to do it.
Gabriele told me one day, he said, 'Don't pose for my camera.' I said, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'You're posing for my camera. I don't want you to pose for my camera.' He said, 'You're making faces like you are hurt. We will shut down, you go away, you come back when you hurt for real.' I was like, 'Wow.' He and Michael Mann are the two directors that I've worked with that know all my tricks. They can see right through me and all of the Will-isms and the things that I know how to do to make the audience laugh or smile or cry. I know all of those things and they beat those things out of me. It's interesting. It's scary for me right now because I'm moving into a space where I just have no idea what's going to happen when I'm going into these scenes. I'm living in the moments. I'm shooting "I Am Legend" right now and I'm excited about the possibilities of finding that artistic space."
In a crucial scene in the film, Smith's eyes get red but he doesn't shed any tears. Asked if that was a Will-ism Smith said, "No, no, that is all authentic. Gabriele Muccino did a brilliant job of beating me away from my go-to moves. It's like I felt like I'm thinking, 'I'm Allen Iverson in the acting world. How you gonna not let me do my crossover?' He was like, 'Nope, that's not in this movie. You're going to find other things. You're Chris Gardner so you're going to create in a different way. You're going to find different things and however long we have to shoot until you discover it, that's how long we're going to shoot. But what we're not going to do is the same face you made with K at the end of "Men in Black".'"
On the 2007 Post-Apocalyptic Film "I Am Legend""The Last Pictures" montage. Top row (l to r): Soyuz FG Rocket Launch, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan; Typhoon, Japan, Early Twentieth Century; Greek and Armenian Orphan Refugees Experience the Sea for the First Time, Marathon, Greece; Earthrise. Bottom row (l to r): Old Operating Theater, St. Thomas Church, Southwark, London; Glimpses of America, American National Exhibition, Moscow World’s Fair; Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Migrants Seen by Predator Drone, U.S.-Mexico Border.
A piece of artwork headed into space this week may be on display for the next few billion years.
A collection of images called "The Last Pictures" is hitching a ride on a communications satellite today (Nov. 20) that may well orbit the Earth until our planet's predicted fiery death 5 billion years or so from now, according to the the project's creator.
"'The Last Pictures' tells a kind of story to the distant future about where these spacecraft came from and what happened to the people that made them," artist Trevor Paglen, who spent almost five years assembling the collection, told SPACE.com.
The satellite will launch atop a Russian Proton rocket at 1:31 p.m. EST (1831 GMT) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where the local time will be early Wednesday.
Space trash monuments
Long interested in tracking spacecraft, Paglen realized that geostationary satellites, which hover over the same spot on Earth and spin at the same speed as our planet, have orbits that essentially never decay. Long after they cease to function, they continue to circle the planet at an altitude of 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers).
"These spacecraft are the longest-lasting things humans have ever made, and potentially ever will make," Paglen said. "I started thinking about them not just as spacecraft, but as monuments to the historical moment they emerged from. When we're gone, they'll still remain." ['The Last Pictures' in Space: Trevor Paglen's Cosmic Art Show (Gallery)]
The first thing Paglen did was have his project manager call every single company that has put a satellite in geostationary orbit.
Ultimately, Paglen ended up making contact with the Ergen family, owners of the EchoStar Corporation, a company that owns and manages communication satellites. Chris Ergen, son of owner Charlie, became really excited about the project and got the company behind it, Paglen said.
Paglen, who is an artist-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, worked with scientists there and at Carleton College in Minnesota to design a method of inscribing the images using nanofabrication techniques that would allow them to last for billions of years.
"As an artist, I had to learn all about rocket science," Paglen said. "Things like, what does a thermal vacuum change, the coefficient of thermal expansion, and all sorts of strange words that are deeply unfamiliar to most of us who aren't in that industry."
With hundreds of defunct satellites and millions of pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth, he also had to think about how to make his project stand out.
"How do we design an object that almost looks like a treasure that someone would want to open up and take a look at?"
The finished project was encased in a gold-plated disc with a "strange starmap" on the exterior, which Paglen said "looked out of place on the host spacecraft."
The project was commissioned and presented by Creative Time, a nonprofit organization that works with public art projects of all disciplines. The communication satellite, EchoStar 16, is slated to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Last Pictures" montage. Top row (l to r): Cherry Blossoms; The Pit Scene, Lascaux Cave; Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana, 1940; Grinnell Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana, 2006. Bottom row (l to r): Narbona Panel, Canyon de Chelly, Navajo Nation; Waterspout, Florida Keys; Suez Canal, Egypt; Dust Storm, Stratford, Texas. (Image: © Trevor Paglen and Creative Time)
The image of contradiction
"The Last Pictures" is a collection of 100 images Paglen selected after speaking to more than 40 scientists, philosophers, artists and space engineers over the course of several years.
"I was particularly interested in people whose work had to do with some of the contradictions and paradoxes that history and economic development have given us," Paglen said.
The dual nature of things — such as how understanding the interior of stars helped lead to the development of the hydrogen bomb, the pros and cons involved in genetic engineering and the destruction of ecosystems for real estate development — caught his attention.
Whether or not there will be an audience in the future is also a question on which no one agreed. According to Paglen, one participant thinks that people cleaning up space junk in a few hundred years will find it, while others think it won't be found for millions of years.
Paglen, however, doesn't think it will ever be found.
"I think it will orbit Earth forever, until the sun turns into a red giant."
That won't happen for a few billion years, of course. But for Paglen, the prospect of a future audience isn't quite as interesting as the audience that examines the exhibit today. [Earth to Be Consumed by Red Giant (Video)]
"It creates an opportunity for us to think about who we are now, and what we're doing here collectively on Earth," he said.
To that end, Paglen has published a book of the images by the same name, which includes essays about the project and the philosophical questions that it raises.
Paglen thinks a future audience may find the images as mysterious and intriguing as we find ancient cave paintings today.
"We can see them, we can enjoy them. They seem to tell us something about the distant pass, but it's unclear exactly what it is they tell us," Paglen said of cave paintings. "What we've done with this project is make cave paintings for the distant future — twenty-first century cave paintings."
You can watch the launch live on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 1:31 p.m. ET (1831 GMT): http://www.echostar.com/launch
For more information on Paglen's "The Last Pictures" project, visit: http://creativetime.org/projects/the-last-pictures/
Follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+."Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution."
Paul's campaign Web site declares: "Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution."
There is no hedging in that promise. Indeed, Paul has earned the nickname "Dr. No" because he has a long history of standing against the tide on even very popular measures because he disagreed on principle. But "never" is a tough standard to meet, and 17 years in Congress covers an awful lot of votes. An examination of Paul's record shows that although he usually adheres to his principle, he has sometimes voted for programs that aren't "expressly authorized" in the Constitution.
For example, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he voted to authorize the continuing operation of NASA and to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday on the third Monday in January.
More recently, he voted to change federal law governing organ transplants to make it easier for people to receive donated kidneys. He voted to designate the Ellis Island Library as the "Bob Hope Memorial Library." And he voted to change federal law so the American flag would be displayed on Father's Day.
The Constitution discusses many things, but there's nothing that "expressly authorizes" organ transplant law, naming rights for libraries or flags on Father's Day.
When we sent the Paul campaign an e-mail asking for an explanation of these votes, spokesman Jesse Benton declined to discuss them in detail. He quibbled over whether the measures technically could be considered legislation. "Your argument over semantics sounds more like a fishing expedition than good journalism," he said.
Benton later e-mailed to say that one explanation for the NASA vote was that the agency "has a national security component."
We checked with a congressional historian and two constitutional law professors who said they believe those votes do not meet Paul's claim. A.E. Dick Howard, a law professor at the University of Virginia, said Paul's claim "just doesn't stand up....My guess is you could find a hundred other examples."
So we find that Paul's absolutist statement "never" is false.In the Quantified Self community we focus on projects and ideas that help people access and get meaning out their personal data, including the information you can collect with your smartphone. If you have an iPhone, Android, or Windows phone you’re already have carrying of the world’s most sophisticated self-tracking tools. The GPS, accelerometer, the microphone, all of these tiny sensors make up a great set of tools you can use to understand how you move around the world.
I’m going to focus this short “how to” on geolocation data and mapping your movement, specifically using data gathered by the Moves application. Moves is a passive activity and location tracking tool available for the iPhone and Android. We’ve written a bit about it in the past and had a chance to interview their CEO, Sampo Karjalainen. I’ve been using it since May, 2013 and I wanted to share some neat tools and methods for getting a bit more out of the data Moves collects.
I find that visualizing my data on a map to be incredibly powerful. It might by my inner cartographer, but seeing my patterns of movement (or lack there of) in reference to known places and landmarks is a great mechanism for inducing recall and reflection on where I’ve been and what I’ve done. Hopefully you’ll use one of the tools or methods below to map you data and learn something new!
Moves Connected Apps
Like many self-tracking applications and devices, Moves has a API that many different developers have built services on top of. Here are just a few of the services that allow you to see your data on a map. Be advised that each of these services has access to your data. Make sure to read their Terms of Service before agreeing to the data transfer.
WebTrack. This is by far the most utilitarian data mapping tool. However, you shouldn’t get discouraged by the lack of fancy design because it gives you an very unique data view. When you use Moves on your phone you typically only see the “storyline” and the detected places you’ve spent time at. However, Moves is constantly pinging and recording your location when it detects movement. WebTrack allows you to see all those movement points by hovering over the associated timestamp.
Fluxtream. You might know Fluxtream as Friend of QS and a great open-source data aggregation tool. They’ve set up a “Moves Connector” that allows you to import and visualize your Moves data. Because Fluxtream is set up as an aggregation and visualization tool you can also map other interesting data sets. Want to know where you were tweeting last week? Fluxtream will map it for you. (You can see me tweeting on a CalTrain ride between San Francisco and Palo Alto below.)
Zenobase. Another interesting data aggregation service here. Zenobase treats your Moves data bit differently. Rather than importing all the movement geolocation data it focuses on your place data and visualizes those locations. I like the high-level view it start with, but make sure to keep zooming in to see more specific place data.
Resvan Maps. This mapping application adds a unique twist to the typical mapping visualizations. It will plot your places, paths, and categorize paths depending on the activity (transport, walking, running, and cycling). Additionally, you can create “analysis cirlces” and have the application compute the time you spent in a certain location you bound (it aggregates to hours:minutes per day).
MMapper. This method for mapping your data, developed by Nicholas Felton, is by far the most technical, but it produces some really neat visualizations. You’ll have to download Processing and follow the instructions Nicholas provides on the Github repository page here. The great thing here is that the mapping and data access is all happening locally.
Move-O-Scope. Another great mapping application here from the folks at Halftone.co. They’ve probably completed the most thorough mapping and exploration tools for your Moves data. After linking your Moves account you can explore maps by activity type, day of the week, and custom data ranges. Additionally, they’ve implemented a neat feature for exploring place data. You can see how many times you’ve visited a specific place, where you’ve come from and where you go next, what days you typically visit, and your typical time of day at that place. (See this post for background on why they created this nifty tool.)
Map It Yourself!
If you don’t want to trust your data to a third party, but you still want to explore your movement maps there is really great option for you. Our friend and co-organizer of the QS LA Meetup, Eric Blue, recently published a method for easily exporting your data: the Moves CSV Exporter. You’ll have to login and use the Moves pin system in order to download your data, but Traqs isn’t storing your data, just providing a way for you to access it. The tool allows you to download and explore your activity, summary, tracks and place data. We’ll focus on the place data for creating maps. You can also use your full tracks history for mapping all the geolocation points Moves collects.
Because this data is based on latitude/longitude coordinates there are many different methods available that you can use to map your data. I’m going to focus on two here: Google Fusion Tables and CartoDB (if you know of others share them in the comments or our forum).
Google Fusion Tables
Fusion Tables are a new Google Drive tool that you can use to store, analyze, and visualize many different types of data. Once you download your Moves places.csv file you can upload it to a new Google Fusion Table. Once you upload your data, which takes about 2 minutes, you’ll see a menu bar and three tabs: Rows, Cards, Map of longitude. Just click on the “Map” tab and you’ll see your data already placed on a map. If you want to see a heatmap rather than a point map just navigate to Tools -> Change Map and you’ll see an option for a heatmap on the lefthand side. This is just the tip of iceberg for mapping fusion table data. You can learn more about different mapping methods and tricks here.
CartoDB
CartoDB is a visualization and analysis engine for geospatial data. I’ve been using it to play around with a few of the different geolocation datasets that I have (I actively keep three). Although it is paid service, they do offer a free plan for smaller datasets, which is perfect for your Moves data. Again, you’ll have to upload your places.csv file to a new table once you set up your account. Once the data is uploaded there are quite a few different map visualization wizards you can use to view your data in different ways. Pesonaly I like playing with the “Torque” visualization that gives you a real feeling of space-time to your data.
TileMill
TileMill is an interactive map design tool from the folks over at Mapbox. If you’re looking to create custom maps with your data that you can format, style, and share then this is a wonderful tool to use. At first glance it’s a little daunting because it looks like a mashup of a CSS editor and map tool. That actually gives it the unique power to drive customization. Don’t be afraid, it’s not too hard to get started with. Mapbox has provided a great “crashcourse” to get you started with importing data, saving it as a new layer on your map, and then manipulating how it looks on your screen. If you want to go just a bit farther you can also add legends and informative popups to describe your data points. Mapbox also offers a free hosting plan if you want to share your interactive maps on a webpage. For example check out my MovesMap here, where I added a quick styling to manipulate the point size in relation to the time spent at a location.
(Update 4/24/14: Mapbox has posted an excellent how-to for mapping Moves data with the new official Moves export data function. Check it out here.)
Hopefully you’ve learned something new from this. If you map your Moves data (or any other geolocation data) we want to see it! Leave a link in the comments, post it in the location mapping thread on the QS Forum or get in touch on twitter!A leading climate-change scientist has warned that the US secret service’s interest in geoengineering technology may not be benign. But it’s not the first time a government has tried to control weather patterns
Using the weather as a weapon to subjugate the globe sounds like the modus operandi of a James Bond villain, but a senior climate scientist has expressed concern over the US intelligence services’ apparent interest in geoengineering.
Geoengineering seeks to combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or by increasing the reflectivity of the earth – with clouds or even space dust – to reduce the sun’s warmth.
It is criticised by many environmental activists, including Naomi Klein, for suggesting that a simple techno-fix for global warming is just around the corner but geoengineering may have a more sinister side.
Alan Robock, who studied the potential impact of a nuclear winter in the 1980s, raised alarm over CIA’s part-funding of a National Academy of Sciences report on different approaches to combating climate change, and the fact that the CIA hasn’t explained its interest in geoengineering.
Weaponising the weather is nothing new. UK government documents showed that, 99 years ago, one of six trials at the experimental military station of Orford Ness in Suffolk sought to produce artificial clouds, which, it was hoped would bamboozle German flying machines during the first world war.
Spy agencies fund climate research in hunt for weather weapon, scientist fears Read more
Like so many military experiments, these trials failed but cloud seeding became a reality in 1967/8 when the US’s Operation Popeye increased rainfall by an estimated 30% over parts of Vietnam in an attempt to reduce the movement of soldiers and resources into South Vietnam.
In recent years, the US military’s HAARP research programme has sown a blizzard of theories about how this secretive Alaskan facility has manipulated weather patterns with its investigation of the ionosphere. If HAARP really was so successful, it would probably not be closing this year.
The argument that if we grasped how to control the climate then evildoers would already be doing it doesn’t hold water with conspiratorial thought, however. Some believe the weather is already being shaped by “chemtrails” – aeroplane contrails deliberately laced with toxic chemicals – and mysterious weather warmongers are, for reasons unknown, making the eastern US unbearably chilly and California stricken by drought. Climate scientists dismiss such theories and evidence such as the long list of patents for climate-altering tools tends to demonstrate the boundless scope of the human imagination rather than the more limited reach of operational technology.
Robock is right to raise concerns over who will control any climate-shaping technologies that are proven to work but the omens from James Bond are good. Filming of the new Bond, Spectre, was disrupted earlier this month by strong winds in snowy Austria.
If there is a weather god, we aren’t it, yet.The Senate committee that dealt with Mike Duffy's ineligible expense claims — claims that are now the subject of an RCMP investigation — met Thursday morning to question three Deloitte auditors about potential interference in their audit.
But two of the main players in the controversy weren't there.
Allegations in RCMP documents released last Wednesday suggest Conservative Senator Irving Gerstein tried to manipulate the Duffy audit by directly calling Michael Runia, a partner at Deloitte.
Gerstein and Runia weren't invited to Thursday's internal economy committee meeting, however.
"The people from Deloitte who are appearing (Thursday) at the Senate hearing are the ones who were invited," said Vital Adam, Deloitte senior manager, in an email to CBC News.
The committee instead heard from auditors Alan Stewart, Peter Dent and Gary Timm, who wrote the Deloitte report on Duffy's expenses.
The auditors told the committee Thursday morning that Gerstein's call to Runia had no influence on the audit. They said they did not |
. Restrictive voter ID laws were in effect. Hundreds of thousands of voters—disproportionately people of color—were purged from the voter rolls.
"Denying Trump 270 electoral votes...would be jarring," Hartmann wrote at New York. "At the very least it would spark a more serious and sustained effort to clarify whether the Electoral College exists to rubber-stamp the election outcome or give Americans one last chance to keep an unfit candidate from assuming the presidency."
Meanwhile, Politico reports that more than 50 Democratic electors are now asking for an intelligence briefing on claims Russia interfered with the U.S. elections.Joining the Galactic Federation isn’t just mandatory monitoring and resource rationing. You’re also entitled to HUGE savings on intergalactic goods and services with MyFederation Rewards. Go ahead, treat yourself to that quantum phaser or tactical dentures, it’s YOUR CHOICE!
For over 850 glaagnars, the Galactic Federation has helped quintillions of other sentient life forms assimilate into our vision of one united universe. We stand scrung in scrung with thousands of planets; perhaps yours will be next!
By registering for MyFederation Rewards, you agree to surrender your rights to privacy and wave all individual rights as dictated in the Gluub Agreement, Habeas Corpus, Hongy Bongy, and the Blobbadobo Accords. Registration is mandatory. Not available for hive minds.
ADULT SWIM, RICK AND MORTY AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS AND ELEMENTS ARE TRADEMARKS OF AND © 2017 CARTOON NETWORK.It's time to go back to the Grid.
In June, Disney XD rolls out — Light-Cycle style —TRON: Uprising, a new animated series that plugs fans back into the computer world first dreamed up in the 1980s.
The voice cast includes Elijah Wood, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Nate Corddry, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), Reginald VelJohnson and the dude who originated the role of Tron way back when, Bruce Boxleitner.
Uprising takes place between the original 1982 TRON movie — which featured a computer hacker Kevin Flynn (played by Jeff Bridges) getting taken to a living arcade game of high-tech gladiatorial combat — and the recent 2010 sequel TRON: Legacy that focused on his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) fighting an evil cloned version of his dad named Clu.
The new series stars Beck (Wood), a young program who leads his family and world in revolution against the tyrannical Clu and his No. 2, General Tesler (Henriksen). Fortunately, Beck has been trained to fight by the top warrior in all of this digitized world, Tron (Boxleitner).
Fans first had a glimpse at TRON: Uprising with a special feature on the TRON: Legacy DVD and Blu-ray, and the series will use a combination of 2-D and computer-generated animation.Title: The turbulent life of dust grains in the supernova-driven, multi-phase interstellar medium
Authors: Thomas Peters, Svitlana Zhukovska, Thorsten Naab, Philipp Girichidis, Stefanie Walch, Simon C. O. Glover, Ralf S. Klessen, Paul C. Clark and Daniel Seifried
First Author’s Institution: Max-Planck-Institut fur Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
Status: [Submitted to MNRAS], [open access]
You aren’t truly an astronomer if your work doesn’t involve dust at some point (and I don’t mean the dust on our desks!) Dust grains are literally everywhere in space. They play an important role when we take pictures of the infant Universe, in the births of stars and planets, and in modifying the light we see from far-away galaxies. Mainly composed of carbon and silicon, interstellar dust grains are believed to be created in stars and in supernova explosions. Understanding dust isn’t an easy task because of it is interwoven with astronomy on so many levels. For example, the formation and destruction of dust grains connect with the physics and chemistry of the gas – dust grains absorb UV light which would otherwise break apart gas molecules or ionize atoms, while molecular hydrogen mainly forms on the surface of dust grains. At the same time, gas and dust do not move together in space.
Today’s paper is part of an international collaboration known as the SImulating the Life Cycle of molecular Clouds (SILCC) project. The goals of this project are to provide a self-consistent picture of how molecular clouds are formed and destroyed, how stars are born within them, and how galactic outflows are driven. Since dust is important in every step of this endeavor, understanding the life cycles of dust grains is essential.
The authors model the lives of dust grains inside the interstellar medium using a 0.5×0.5×2.5 kpc simulation box. Given that the typical sizes of disk galaxies are tens of kpc, they are concerned with the interstellar medium at the galactic scale. (As an aside: pc-, kpc-, and Mpc-scale roughly correspond to the size of molecular clouds, galaxies, and galaxies clusters; a good rule of thumb to remember.) Indeed, you can think of the simulations as dissecting a segment of a disk galaxy.
Let’s take a look at a movie from the paper and I will explain what’s happening. The simulations start with a slab of gas uniformly distributed in the x–y plane (left panel), with a Gaussian distribution in the z-direction (right panel). There are mainly two forces at work, gravity tends to attract gas towards the z=0 mid-plane, and supernova explosions1 tend to punch holes in the disk and drive outflow of gas. The grey dots are ‘tracer particles’ which serve to represent dust grains. They are only passively carried around by the gas flow. In the beginning, at 10 Myr, a large fraction of the tracers are unaffected. They are then completely mixed in space after 40 Myr, with most of them residing in dense regions by the end of the simulations at 80 Myr.
One of the outstanding points of the paper is the multi-phase treatment of the interstellar gas. Gas is divided into molecular, cold, warm, and hot phases according to the local temperature. This is the first time we can measure the durations that dust grains spend in different gas phases and the transition rates between these phases from realistic simulations!
Figure 1 shows the seemingly complicated time evolution of the transition rates between different phases. There are mainly two takeaways from the plot with crucial implications. First, the transition rates are highly time-varying. Second, the molecular-to-cold-phase transition dominates. Earlier studies of gas-dust chemistry by other research groups mostly adopted transitions with constant rates, and with the molecular-to-cold-phase transition ignored in the calculations. The current work therefore highlights the inadequacy of the previous studies. Nevertheless, the mean transition rates measured in today’s simulations have similar orders of magnitude with previous studies.
The next important quantity is the time dust grains spend in different gas phases, known as the residence time. This is important because how dust grains grow or break apart depends critically on such durations. Figure 2 shows the histogram of the residence time dust grains have in different gas phases. The key observation from this plot is that the residence time in the molecular phase spans a wide range. This implies large variations in observed dust properties because individual dust grains effectively have different dynamical histories with the gas. This conclusion seems to be consistent with recent observations of grain size and gas-phase chemical abundance.
As a part of the paper, the authors attempt an unconventional approach to define gas phases which makes use of the mass fractions of molecular/neutral/ionized hydrogen but not the traditional temperature cutoffs. They find non-trivial correspondence between the two, which further emphasizes the importance of the elaborate, multi-phase calculations. As noted by the authors, the current simulations do not include magnetic fields, self-consistent treatment of star formation, or other channels of stellar feedback except from supernovae. Future papers will definitely help refine our understanding of how gas, dust, and stars play as a team.
1Only the results of the “random” run is presented here, where the positions of supernova explosions are chosen randomly. The “peak” run places explosions at the peaks of gas density, and the “mixed” run put supernovae at random and at density peaks with 50:50 chance. The “random” run reported is believed to be the most realistic.Spread the love
Houston, Texas – A former Houston Police Department ‘Officer of the Year’ award winner, Noe Juarez, was arrested this past Tuesday morning. He has been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to possess firearms connected with a drug trafficking offense and conspiracy to distribute five or more kilos of cocaine.
Juarez is accused of leading a double life with close ties to the Los Zetas cartel. Court documents accuse him of conspiring with Sergio Grimaldo, the brother of a convicted cartel boss, to distribute five kilos of cocaine in southeastern Louisiana
His co-defendant, Grimaldo, 32, was previously indicted along with his brother, Efrain Grimaldo, a member of Los Zetas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisiana confirmed in an email, according to The NY Daily News.
The Zetas cartel, originally comprised of military special forces, has been labeled by the Mexican Defense Ministry as “the most formidable death squad” in the country.
If convicted on all charges he faces up to life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
Court documents accuse Juarez of beginning his drug trafficking operation in 2012.
The indictment came out of New Orleans, where investigators have been working in conjunction with Houston authorities since 2014, according to court records.
Juarez was arrested by FBI, DEA and HPD officers at the Central Command station and has a bond hearing on Monday but remains in custody.
Prosecutors have claimed that Juarez is a “flight risk” and a “danger to the community,” but his attorney, George Murphy, claims those assertions are baseless.
“He has a long history of law-abiding conduct, he has a big support group and family that is going to make sure he shows up in court,” said Murphy. “So I don’t think they will be able to prove he won’t show up in court.”
Murphy went on to state that the case against his client is flimsy at best.
“They haven’t put any meat on the bones, this is the most bare bones indictment I’ve seen in a long time,” Murphy said.
If you’re still wondering if the institution of policing is corrupt, you haven’t been paying very close attention!
Jay Syrmopoulos is an investigative journalist, freethinker, researcher, and ardent opponent of authoritarianism. He is currently a graduate student at University of Denver pursuing a masters in Global Affairs. Jay’s work has previously been published on BenSwann.com and WeAreChange.org. You can follow him on Twitter @sirmetropolis, on Facebook at Sir Metropolis and now on tsu.It’s time for episode 6, and this week the Feature Pack was released! Kaysee and I sit down to digest all the new features that have been added into the game, and take a look at one change in particular that has everyone divided: the new player experience.
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Show Notes
The Feature Pack has arrived! Details of what’s new can be found on the release page and in the patch notes.
. Gem Store news: this week it’s all about mini pets, with two new ones: Mini Chieftain Utahein and Mini Svanir. All Mini 3-Packs are also on sale. See this post for more info.
Living World Season 2 is coming back… on 4th November. So far, all we have is this teaser image.
Trading Post UI: some great additions make it a useful, and really responsive tool! Some people aren’t 100% happy though…
Previews for minis and finishers: they receive the thumbs up! Will this turn more people to the Gem Store to fill out their collections?
Item Collections achievements – not for everyone, but great to see something for people to who enjoy collecting!
The new player experience: is it as bad as everyone’s saying it is? Does it dumb things down too much? We take opinions from Twitch chat.
[vc_row][vc_accordion][vc_accordion_tab title=”News”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”Topics of Discussion”][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_accordion_tab][/vc_accordion]President Trump attacked ESPN host Jemele Hill one day after she was suspended.
ESPN suspended Hill for two weeks on Monday for criticizing Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on social media. She had said he "created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don't kneel, some will see them as sellouts."
Her post was in reference to Jones's statement that any Dallas Cowboys player who "disrespects the flag" during the National Anthem will not play.
Some players have taken to kneeling instead of standing during the anthem to protest police killings of African-Americans, a movement started by Colin Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers.
On Tuesday morning, Trump questioned the NFL's "massive tax breaks," then weighed in with another tweet: "With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have 'tanked,' in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry!"
With Jemele Hill at the mike, it is no wonder ESPN ratings have "tanked," in fact, tanked so badly it is the talk of the industry! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017
But have ESPN ratings really "tanked"?
On Fox News and conservative talk radio, it's a popular talking point that the subscriber losses are due to rampant liberal bias. But there's little evidence to support that theory.
ESPN had 90 million subscribers as of September 2016, the most recent numbers it has reported. That's down 2 million from a year earlier and down from a high of 100 million in 2010.
Related: ESPN suspends Jemele Hill
So the vast majority of U.S. homes continue to pay for cable, including ESPN. But as the monthly cable bundle has become more and more expensive, and streaming has become more popular, some homes have dropped the big bundles that include ESPN. Others have discontinued cable altogether and turned to streaming services.
The cutbacks have put pressure on ESPN and other sports networks. To address this, ESPN is planning to roll out a direct-to-consumer streaming service next year.
ESPN declined to comment.
--Frank Pallotta of CNNMoney contributed to this report.Researchers from the University of York and Manchester have successfully extracted protein from the bones of a 600,000-year-old mammoth, paving the way for the identification of ancient fossils.
Using an ultra-high resolution mass spectrometer, bio-archaeologists were able to produce a near complete collagen sequence for the West Runton Elephant, a Steppe Mammoth skeleton which was discovered in cliffs in Norfolk in 1990. The remarkable 85 per cent complete skeleton -- the most complete example of its species ever found in the world -- is preserved by Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service in Norwich.
Bio-archaeologist Professor Matthew Collins, from the University of York's Department of Archaeology, said: "The time depth is absolutely remarkable. Until several years ago we did not believe we would find any collagen in a skeleton of this age, even if it was as well-preserved as the West Runton Elephant.
"We believe protein lasts in a useful form ten times as long as DNA which is normally only useful in discoveries of up to 100,000 years old in Northern Europe. The implications are that we can use collagen sequencing to look at very old extinct animals. It also means we can look through old sites and identify remains from tiny fragments of bone."
Dr Mike Buckley, from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: "What is truly fascinating is that this fundamentally important protein, which is one of the most abundant proteins in most (vertebrate) animals, is an ideal target for obtaining long lost genetic information."
The collagen sequencing was carried out at the Centre for Excellence in Mass Spectrometry at the University of York and is arguably the oldest protein ever sequenced; short peptides (chains of amino acids) have controversially been reported from dinosaur fossils.
The research formed part of a study into the sequencing of mammoths and mastodons, which is published in the journal Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. The West Runton Elephant was compared with other mammoths, modern elephants and mastodons. Despite the age of the fossil, sufficient peptides were obtained to identify the West Runton skeleton as elephantid, and there was sufficient sequence variation to discriminate elephantid and mammutid collagen.
Nigel Larkin, co-author and Research Associate with Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service, said: "The West Runton Elephant is unusual in that it is a nearly complete skeleton. At the time this animal was alive, before the Ice Ages, spotted hyenas much larger than those in Africa today were scavenging most carcases and devouring the bones as well as meat. That means most fossils found from this time period are individual bones or fragments of bone, making them difficult to identify. In the future, collagen sequencing might help us to determine the species represented by even smallest scraps of bone.
"Therefore this research has important implications for bones and bone fragments in all archaeological and palaeontological collections in museums and archaeology units around the world, not just those of Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service in Norwich."Christian Right leaders may be assuming they’ll lose their battle against equality for LGBTQ people, and they are hunkering down for what they foresee as a long siege against conservative Christian churches, businesses, and organizations.
Major Christian Right legal agencies have begun issuing manuals for conservative churches and other organizations to inoculate themselves against private lawsuits and government enforcement of civil rights laws.
The national Christian Right legal network Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF, one of the primary groups behind the legislative agenda to redefine religious freedom into an affirmative right to discriminate) joined forces with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention to issue one such handbook, and the Texas-based Liberty Institute has issued a similar manual.
The ADF and Southern Baptist handbook (titled, “Protecting Your Ministry from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Lawsuits: A Legal Guide for Southern Baptist and Evangelical Churches, Schools, and Ministries”) anticipates needing to “engage a hostile social and political culture… amid the gathering spiritual darkness.”
The Liberty Institute sees it as “not a matter of if but when religious institutions will be faced with damaging, anti-religious legal attacks.” To prepare, the Institute advises institutions from churches and synagogues to fraternities and for-profit corporations to “religify.” [Emphases in the original.]
Both manuals urge religification by revising all of their institutional documents, from employee job descriptions to facility rental agreements. Workers and volunteers are reclassified under a broad redefinition of “ministry”; and institutional functions are cast specifically in terms of religious doctrine. The goal is to be seen by the courts as qualifying for broad “ministerial exemptions” from the law in as many ways as possible.
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These Christian Right legal groups are drawing on recent Supreme Court cases as sources for girding these institutions’ legal loins for the supposed coming siege.
They point particularly to the 2012 case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which stopped a disability discrimination complaint by a kindergarten teacher, declaring that the church employed her in a capacity of ministry, and therefore was exempt from employment discrimination laws.
Another pivotal judicial turn is the 2014 decision in Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. & Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell, which for the first time endowed “closely held” for-profit corporations with religious rights under the First Amendment. Taken together, the decisions have opened the door to a wide range of religious exemptions from civil rights and labor laws.
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This Story Filed Under(CNN) Five years after former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of molesting young boys, Penn State's former president will stand trial, accused of helping to cover up Sandusky's crimes.
Graham Spanier, once one of the nation's most well-respected university presidents, will face a jury on felony charges of conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child. Jury selection in his trial began Monday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Two top officials -- former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz -- pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge in the case and will likely testify against him.
The testimony could reveal more than has ever been known before about how and why Sandusky's crimes were kept quiet at Penn State for years.
Since the arrest of Curley and Schultz in 2011, and that of Spanier in 2012, questions have been raised about how officials handled multiple reports that Sandusky was acting inappropriately with young boys at Penn State facilities. Some reports alleged rape, some alleged nothing more than strange behavior.
Curley and Schultz have never before testified in open court, but are expected to do so for the first time in Spanier's trial.
Many are looking to see if they will point the finger at the late Joe Paterno, the legendary head football coach who fell from grace amidst this scandal, just weeks before dying of lung cancer.
JUST WATCHED Did Paterno know about sex abuse in the 1970s? Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Did Paterno know about sex abuse in the 1970s? 02:22
Who is Graham Spanier?
Spanier made a name for himself in the world of academia by successfully raising millions of dollars and transforming Penn State into one of the most well-respected state institutions.
He was also a fascinating character: He studied sociology and wrote papers about mate-swapping and extramarital behavior, which made for entertaining reading for students. He played the washboard at a local bar in town, and spent a night each semester sleeping in freshmen dorms.
But he was also notorious for his ego. Critics say he had a misperception of the world outside of his bubble and did not understand the implications of the Sandusky scandal when it broke. He didn't appear to understand that the world was watching, telling people the news vans would soon leave campus and things would go back to normal in a few days.
He was wrong. Four days after Sandusky's arrest on November 5, 2011, Spanier was fired, along with Paterno.
By the end of the following year, he'd been charged with crimes that could bring a sentence of several years in prison, if he's convicted.
He has always maintained his innocence, and has not been shy in talking about it. Spanier has given multiple media interviews to tell his side, and testified in several civil cases against the university regarding the scandal -- unlike Curley and Schultz, who have pleaded the Fifth.
The problem is that he often came across poorly on the stand, talking about how busy he was, traveling the world. Saying that he couldn't remember what exactly happened when accusations of child molestation came to his attention, since he gets so many emails.
The space between trials
Five years ago, attorneys for the three administrators wanted as much space as possible between Sandusky's trial and that of their clients. They wanted to see if public opinion would change in their favor, or die down altogether. Inside Pennsylvania, not much has changed. There is still a great divide over how to treat Paterno's legacy. And there are still weekly headlines in the local papers about the Sandusky case.
Along the way, attorneys for Spanier, Curley and Schultz had successfully beaten back perjury, conspiracy and obstruction charges after arguing that Penn State's legal counsel, Cynthia Baldwin, had misrepresented herself to them when they testified before the grand jury. The administrators, attorneys said, thought Baldwin was there on their behalf. In fact, she was representing the university, not the men individually.
Then, Baldwin turned on them, becoming a witness for the prosecution in the cover-up case. Faced with having to either admit that she broke lawyer-client confidentiality, or that she misrepresented herself to Curley and Schultz when she went with them as counsel to the secret grand jury proceedings, Baldwin chose to admit to the latter -- although she was not charged in connection with that admission.
The charges of perjury, obstruction and conspiracy against Spanier, Curley and Schultz were tossed, but not before a years-long legal limbo, complicated by the fact that the grand jury judge was removed from his post after being accused of losing his objectivity -- he allegedly brandished a knife in front of one of the attorney general's secretaries (an accusation he said was overblown). It was further complicated by the fact that the trial judge, Todd Hoover, was battling health problems.
When Hoover died in August 2016, finding a replacement was not easy. All of the judges in the county recused themselves because of Penn State connections.
Far-reaching implications
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications: what the jury decides could set legal precedent for future child sex abuse cases in the state.
According to court documents, Spanier is expected to fight the charges with a two-pronged argument: First, that as president of a university, he was not a mandated reporter of suspected abuse of a child that was not under his care. The children that Sandusky brought onto the campus were mostly from his charity, The Second Mile. Second, that the two-year statute of limitations has run out.
Prosecutors argue that every day that Spanier did not report what he knew, the two-year clock to report the crime reset.
The jury's decision on that point could affect how future cases are handled -- most notably, cases involving the Catholic church, where decades-old abuse and cover-up is also alleged.SINGAPORE: A Halloween display showing a mannequin hanging from a tree at *SCAPE has been taken down in the wake of criticism that it was “distasteful”.
The female doll, with long hair and a blood-soaked gown, had been tied on a tree near outdoor stalls at the youth-oriented hangout along Orchard Road.
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Some netizens complained that it glorified the idea of suicide.
A post on the Facebook group Singaporeans Defending Marriage and Family said the display was “extremely disturbing and done in very bad taste and traumatising to children”.
It urged people to write in to the National Youth Council CEO David Chua, who is the chairman of the board of directors for *SCAPE.
“In view of the rising suicide rate and prevalence of suicidal thoughts among young people, the image of a person who appears to have hanged herself being used to promote fun Halloween activities would surely trivialise the issue of suicide among young people,” the post said.
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It added that it might encourage youth to attempt suicide “especially during this examination season where many already face stress, anxiety, or even depression”.
One parent, Mrs Penny Tan, who has three kids aged between 15 and 23, shared the sentiment. “I feel this image of a hanging woman is extremely disturbing and may trigger those with suicidal tendencies. I hope that organisations take more responsibility when putting up such displays to publicise their events. Halloween activities should not cause the public, especially children and vulnerable adults to feel traumatised and shocked.”
Other netizens also pointed out that the display is ill-timed given that it is Suicide Awareness Month in Singapore.
In an email reply to Channel NewsAsia, *SCAPE said the mannequin was installed as part of the Museum of Horror's publicity efforts. "We have received feedback about the mannequin, and after reviewing internally, we informed the vendor to have it removed from the open public area. We hope that the youths will still have an enjoyable Halloween experience at the Museum of Horrors,” it said.
DISPLAY "INAPPROPRIATE"
In response to queries by Channel NewsAsia, executive director of suicide prevention centre SOS, Ms Christine Wong, said it was alerted to the matter by a member of the public on Wednesday morning.
SOS reached out to *SCAPE to advise them that it was an inappropriate depiction of suicide which may be traumatising for the young or vulnerable. The mannequin could also act as a trigger for those with past experience related to suicide, Ms Wong said.
SOS provided some guidelines for organisations to adhere to when rolling out Halloween events. These include not depicting suicides or the process of suicides explicitly or prominently. They should also ensure that suicide is not presented for entertainment purposes, it said.
Disclaimers or warnings of overly graphic or suicide-related content should also be put up appropriately.
In 2015, the number of teen suicides rose to a 15-year high, with 27 suicides involving people in the 10 to 19 age group, according to SOS. Last year, suicides involving youths aged 29 and below made up the highest proportion of the 429 suicides reported.
SOS launched its campaign for Suicide Awareness Month on Wednesday. The crux of the campaign puts a spotlight on the way millennials make light of suicide, especially on social media.
Some examples include: “The weather is so hot I want to die”, “If the train delays again I might kill myself”, “My Wi-Fi is down. #killmenow”13944 Euclid Avenue Suite 208 East Cleveland, Ohio 44112
Tool Loan Program
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Registration Procedure
Complete a confidential application.
Provide a photo ID including Social Security Number, a current utility bill and verification of phone number.
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Tools must be used in the City of Cleveland.
Tools may not be used in connection with any for-profit enterprise.
A valid Tool Loan card must be presented each time a tool is borrowed.
Tool Loan cards must be renewed every two years if you wish to remain eligible.
Loan periods vary from 24 hours to 5 days. Most tools are overnight-loan. Some items are lent by advance registration only. Most tools are lent "first come, first served." See tools available list for details.
Borrowers are responsible for pick-up, safe transport and return of tools.
Borrowers are responsible for secure storage of tools while in their possession.
Borrowers are responsible for safe operation of tools. Do not borrow any tool unless you are familiar with its safe operation. Tool Loan Staff can provide written and verbal instructions.
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Return tolls in clean condition. Do not attempt to repair any tools yourself. Report any damage or malfunction to Tool Loan Staff.
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IS A PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONAt some point during the afternoon of 9/11, WTC leaseholder Larry Silverstein receives a phone call from the Fire Department commander, where they discuss the state of Building 7 of the WTC complex. Silverstein will discuss this call in a PBS documentary broadcast in 2002, saying that he told the commander, “You know, we’ve had such terrible loss of life, maybe the smartest thing to do is pull it. And they made that decision to pull and then we watched the building collapse.” [PBS, 9/10/2002] Some people suggest that by “pull it” Silverstein meant the deliberate demolition of the building. But a spokesman for Silverstein states that he was expressing “his view that the most important thing was to protect the safety of those firefighters, including, if necessary, to have them withdraw from the building.” [US Department of State, 9/16/2005] Yet this claim is contradicted by some accounts, according to which firefighters decided early on not to attempt fighting the fires in WTC 7 (see After 10:28 a.m. September 11, 2001)(see (11:30 a.m.) September 11, 2001). According to Haaretz, “In the afternoon of September 11, the Fire Department informed him that the smaller 7 World Trade Center building, which he owned, was going to collapse.” [Ha'aretz, 11/21/2001] Building 7 eventually collapses at around 5:20 in the afternoon (see (5:20 p.m.) September 11, 2001).Video by FOX News
UPDATE: WASHINGTON (AP) - Top House Democrat: Documents show Flynn apparently lied to US security clearance investigators on foreign payments.
EARLIER: WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination on Monday and declined to hand over documents sought under subpoena by a Senate panel investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.
In a letter to the Senate intelligence committee, Flynn's attorneys justified the decision by citing an "escalating public frenzy against him" and saying the Justice Department's recent appointment of a special counsel has created a legally dangerous environment for him to cooperate with the panel's investigation.
"The context in which the committee has called for General Flynn's testimonial production of documents makes clear that he has more than a reasonable apprehension that any testimony he provides could be used against him," the attorneys wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the AP.
Flynn's decision not to cooperate with the Senate committee represents a new legal complication for the expanding government and congressional inquiries into Russian interference in the presidential campaign and contacts between Trump advisers and Russian officials and representatives. Flynn is a key figure in both the FBI investigation headed by special counsel Robert Mueller and in separate Senate and House inquiries.
© Carlos Barria/Reuters Trump appointed Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and top military intelligence chief, as his top national security aide in January, only to fire him less than a month later. Trump said that Flynn had misled top U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials, including Russia's ambassador to the U.S.
Flynn's letter to the Senate committee stressed that his decision to invoke his constitutional protection is not an admission of wrongdoing but rather a response to the current political climate in which Democratic members of Congress are calling for his prosecution, the person said.
Legal experts had said Flynn was unlikely to turn over the documents without a grant of immunity because doing so might compel him to waive some of his constitutional protections.
Trump himself walked back into the Russia controversy during his visit to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, standing beside him, was asked Monday if he had any concerns about intelligence sharing with the U.S.
After Netanyahu responded — he said the cooperation was terrific — Trump volunteered that he "never mentioned the word or the name Israel" during his recent Oval Office conversation with top Russian diplomats.
That comment referred to revelations that he divulged classified information about an Islamic State threat in his May 10 meeting in the Oval Office with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador. U.S. officials have said the information originated with Israel. However, it has not been alleged that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source.
Trump has defended Flynn since his ouster and called on him to strike an immunity deal because Flynn is facing a "witch hunt." The president's comments are in stark contrast to his harsh words during the 2016 campaign for people who received immunity or invoked the Fifth Amendment in the probe of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.
"You see, the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?" Trump said during a September campaign rally in Iowa.
Flynn's decision not to cooperate now does not fully close the door on future cooperation with the committee. Flynn's attorney Robert Kelner said in March that Flynn wants to tell his story "should the circumstances permit." He noted it would be unreasonable for Flynn to agree to be questioned by the committee "without assurances against unfair prosecution.
Flynn's letter comes less than two weeks after the committee issued a subpoena for his documents as part of its ongoing investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's campaign. In addition to the Senate investigation, Flynn is also being investigated by other congressional committees, as well as the ongoing FBI counterintelligence probe and a separate federal criminal investigation in northern Virginia.
Representatives for the Senate committee's Republican chairman, Richard Burr of North Carolina, and ranking Democrat, Mark Warner of Virginia, didn't immediately respond to calls and emails inquiring about the committee's next steps.
This is the second time he has declined to cooperate with a request from the Senate committee. He also turned down an April 28 request that was similar to ones received by other Trump associates, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Trump associate Roger Stone and former foreign policy adviser Carter Page.
According to Monday's letter, the committee requested that Flynn provide a list of all meetings and communications he had with Russian officials. It also asked him to provide all records of his communications with the Trump campaign that "were in anyway related to Russia." The letter notes that the time frame of the request was Jan. 16, 2015, through Jan. 20, 2017.
Washington lawyer Nina Ginsberg, who has extensive national security law experience, said that if Flynn turned over any personal records in response to the committee's subpoena, he would waive his Fifth amendment rights regarding those documents and have to testify about them.
Ginsberg also noted that the committee faces new complications from the Justice Department's move last week to appoint Mueller as special counsel in the Russia inquiry. If the intelligence committee wants to give Flynn immunity, it will likely have to enter into discussions with Mueller to determine whether the move could impede the FBI's case.
"The committee could decide to go ahead and not worry about Mueller," Ginsberg said, but that could create new legal complications for Mueller's probe.
Lawmakers of other key congressional committees are pledging a full public airing as to why former FBI Director James Comey was ousted amid the intensifying investigations into Russia's interference with the U.S. election.
In Sunday TV appearances, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they will press Comey in hearings as to whether he ever felt that Trump tried to interfere with his |
at the Olympics were Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykänen and Dutch speed skater Yvonne van Gennip as they each won three gold medals.[45] Italy's Alberto Tomba won gold in two skiing events, his first of five career Olympic medals en route to becoming the first alpine skier to win medals at three Winter Games.[47] East Germany's Katarina Witt defended her 1984 gold medal in women's figure skating, capturing a second gold in Calgary.[47] Her compatriot Christa Rothenburger won the gold medal in the 1000 metre race in speed skating, then went on to win a silver medal in the team sprint cycling event at the 1988 Summer Games to become the only person in Olympic history to win medals at both Olympic Games in the same year.[45] The Soviet Union won gold in hockey as Scandinavian neighbours Finland and Sweden took silver and bronze, respectively.[48]
As it had in 1976, Canada again failed to win an official gold medal as the host of an Olympic Games.[49] Canadians won two gold medals in demonstration events, including by Sylvie Daigle as one of her five medals in short-track speed skating.[50] Canada's top official performances came in figure skating where Brian Orser and Elizabeth Manley each won silver medals. Promoted by the media as the "Battle of the Brians", the competition between Orser and American rival Brian Boitano was the marquee event of the Games. Boitano won the gold medal over Orser by only one-tenth of a point.[51] Manley was not viewed as a medal contender, but skated the greatest performance of her career to come within a fraction of Witt's gold medal winning score.[47]
American speed skater Dan Jansen's personal tragedy was one of the more poignant events of the Games as he skated the 500 metre race mere hours after his sister Jane died of leukemia.[52] A gold medal favourite, Jansen chose to compete as he felt it is what his sister would have wanted. Viewers around the world witnessed his heartbreak as he fell and crashed into the outer wall in the first quarter of his heat.[53] In the 1000 metre race four days later, Jansen was on a world record pace when he again fell. After failing again in Albertville, Jansen finally won a gold medal at the 1994 Lillehamer Games.[54]
left) won three gold medals in Calgary The Netherlands' Yvonne van Gennip () won three gold medals in Calgary
One of the most popular athletes from the games was British ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, who gained infamy by placing last in both the 70 and 90 metre events finishing 70 and 53 points behind his next closest competitor, respectively.[47][55] Edwards' "heroic failure" made him an instant celebrity; he went from earning £6,000 per year as a plasterer before the Games to making £10,000 per hour per appearance afterward.[56] Left embarrassed by the spectacle he created, the International Ski Federation altered the rules following Calgary to eliminate each nation's right to send at least one athlete and set minimum competition standards for future events.[57] Regardless, the President of the Organizing Committee, Frank King, playfully saluted Edwards' unorthodox sporting legacy, which would also be commemorated with a 2016 feature film, Eddie the Eagle.
The Jamaican bobsleigh team, making their nation's Winter Olympic debut, was also popular in Calgary.[47] The team was the brainchild of a pair of Americans who recruited individuals with strong sprinting ability from the Jamaican military to form the team.[58] Dudley Stokes and Michael White finished the two-man event in 30th place out of 41 competitors and launched the Jamaican team into worldwide fame.[47] The pair, along with Devon Harris and Chris Stokes, crashed in the four-man event, but were met with cheers from the crowd as they pushed their sled across the finish line.[58] Their odyssey was made into the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, a largely fictionalized comedy by Walt Disney Pictures.[59]
Participating National Olympic Committees [ edit ]
A record 57 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) entered athletes at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, 8 more than appeared at any previous Olympic Winter Games.[60] 1,423 athletes participated in 46 events: 1,122 men and 301 women.[61] Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles and the Virgin Islands had their Winter Olympics debut.
Participating NOCs
Calendar [ edit ]
All dates are in Mountain Time Zone (UTC-7)
OC Opening ceremony ● Event competitions 1 Event finals CC Closing ceremony
February 13th
Sat 14th
Sun 15th
Mon 16th
Tue 17th
Wed 18th
Thu 19th
Fri 20th
Sat 21st
Sun 22nd
Mon 23rd
Tue 24th
Wed 25th
Thu 26th
Fri 27th
Sat 28th
Sun Events Ceremonies OC CC N/A Alpine skiing 1 ● 1 1 ● 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 Biathlon 1 1 1 3 Bobsleigh ● 1 ● 1 2 Cross country skiing 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Figure skating ● 1 ● ● 1 ● ● 1 ● ● 1 4 Ice hockey ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 1 1 Luge ● 1 ● 1 1 3 Nordic combined ● 1 ● 1 2 Ski jumping 1 1 1 3 Speed skating 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 Daily medal events 4 2 2 4 2 2 5 4 3 3 2 2 3 4 4 46 Cumulative total 4 6 8 12 14 16 21 25 28 31 33 35 38 42 46 February 13th
Sat 14th
Sun 15th
Mon 16th
Tue 17th
Wed 18th
Thu 19th
Fri 20th
Sat 21st
Sun 22nd
Mon 23rd
Tue 24th
Wed 25th
Thu 26th
Fri 27th
Sat 28th
Sun Total events
Medal table [ edit ]
A set of medals from the Games on display at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
* Host nation (Canada)
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 Soviet Union (URS) 11 9 9 29 2 East Germany (GDR) 9 10 6 25 3 Switzerland (SUI) 5 5 5 15 4 Finland (FIN) 4 1 2 7 5 Sweden (SWE) 4 0 2 6 6 Austria (AUT) 3 5 2 10 7 Netherlands (NED) 3 2 2 7 8 West Germany (FRG) 2 4 2 8 9 United States (USA) 2 1 3 6 10 Italy (ITA) 2 1 2 5 11 Canada (CAN) * 0 2 3 5 Totals (11 nations) 45 40 38 123
Legacy [ edit ]
Canada Olympic Park in 2006
Prior to Calgary, the Winter Olympics were viewed as a second-rate event compared to their summer counterpart, so much so that the IOC had at one point considered eliminating them entirely.[21] Few cities bid on the Winter Games due to challenges faced in generating revenue.[62] In its bid for the Games, CODA convinced the IOC that it could not only generate enough revenue to turn a profit, but enough of one to ensure a lasting legacy of winter sport development.[21] Organizers followed the lead of their counterparts in Los Angeles for the 1984 Summer Olympics, attracting a large television contract in the United States and was the first host city to benefit from a change in the IOC's strategy on corporate sponsorship.[62] The Calgary Games attracted support from over two dozen major Canadian and multinational corporations, generating millions of dollars in revenues.[19]
Many program changes were made in Calgary to grow the appeal of the Winter Games for sponsors: the extension to 16 days from 12 added an extra weekend of coverage, while the additional programming time was filled by television friendly demonstration events popular in Canada. The exposure curling, freestyle skiing and short-track speed skating gained in Calgary influenced the growth in their popularity and led to all three becoming full medal sports by 1998.[62]
Impact on Calgary [ edit ]
Hosting the Games helped fuel a significant increase in Calgary's reputation on the world stage.[29] Crosbie Cotton, a reporter for the Calgary Herald who covered the city's Olympic odyssey from its bid to the closing ceremonies, noted a change in the attitude of the city's population over time. He believed that the populace began to outgrow its "giant inferiority complex" that is "typically Canadian", replacing it with a new level of confidence as the Games approached.[63] They helped the city grow from a regional oil and gas centre best known for the Calgary Stampede to a destination for international political, economic and sporting events.[29] A study prepared for the organizing committee of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics claimed that Calgary hosted over 200 national and international sporting competitions between 1987 and 2007 due to the facilities it had constructed for the Olympics.[64]
The Games' enduring popularity within Calgary has been attributed to efforts to make them "everybody's Games". Aside from the sense of community fostered by the level of volunteer support, organizers included the public in other ways. People were given opportunity to purchase a brick with their names engraved on it and used to build Olympic Plaza, where medal ceremonies were held in 1988. It remains a popular public park and event site in the city's downtown.[65] Members of the community have attempted to bring a second Winter Games to the city. Calgary offered to take over the 2002 Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal resulted in speculation that Salt Lake City would be unable to remain the host.[66] The city also made an effort to bid for the 2010 Games on Canada's behalf, losing to Vancouver.[67] A 2013 Calgary Sun online poll found that 81% of respondents would support the city hosting a second Olympics.[68]
Canada's development as a winter sport nation [ edit ]
Canada increased its medal totals in each successive Winter Games from Calgary until Vancouver in 2010.
Mindful of the financial disaster the Montreal Olympics became, OCO'88 parlayed its ability to generate television and sponsorship revenues and government support into what was ultimately a C$170 million surplus.[21] (The claim of a surplus has frequently been challenged as OCO'88 counted only its own revenues and expenses and did not include government funded facilities in its accounting.[69]) The surplus was turned into endowment funds split between Canada Olympic Park ($110 million) and CODA, which was reformed following the Games to manage the Olympic facilities with a trust fund that had subsequently grown to be worth over $200 million by 2013.[21] Consequently, all five of the primary facilities built for the 1988 Olympics remained operational in their original intended purpose 25 years after the Games concluded.[70]
Calgary and Canmore became the heart of winter sport in Canada as CODA (now known as Winsport Canada) established itself as the nation's leader in developing elite athletes; in 2006, one-quarter of Canada's Olympic athletes were from the Calgary region and three-quarters of its medalists were from or trained in Alberta.[64] Canada was not a winter sport power in 1988; the nation's five medals in Calgary was its second best total at a Winter Olympics behind the seven it won at the 1932 Lake Placid Games.[7] After 1988, Canada won an increasing number of medals at each successive Olympics,[71] culminating in a 26-medal performance in 2010 that included a Winter Olympic record of 14 gold medals, one more than the previous record holders Soviet Union (1976) and Norway (2002).[72] In 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Team Canada earned its highest count of medals in the Winter Olympics with a total of 29 medals.[73]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Notes
^ The emblem is a stylized, pentagon-shaped, snowflake and maple leaf, made up of five large and five small letters of "C" to symbolize the country of Canada and the city of Calgary, above the Olympic rings.
Citations
Further reading [ edit ]
Dempsey, Daniel V. (2002), A Tradition of Excellence: Canada's Airshow Team Heritage, High Flight Enterprises, ISBN 0-9687817-0-5
Dunn, Bob, ed. (1987), Official Souvenir Program – XV Olympic Winter Games, XV Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee
Gerlach, Larry (2004), The Winter Olympics – From Chamonix to Salt Lake City, The University of Utah Press, ISBN 0-87480-778-6
OCO'88 (1988), XV Olympic Winter Games: Official Report, XV Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee
Podnieks, Andrew (2009), Canada's Olympic Hockey History 1920–2010, Fenn Publishing, ISBN 1-55168-323-7
Wallechinsky, David; Loucky, Jaime (2009), The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics (Vancouver Edition – Winter 2010), Greystone Books, ISBN 978-1-55365-502-2Negotiations between Vevo and MTV, the two heavyweights of the music video, have broken down with dire results for visitors to MTV’s websites where music videos from Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the world will no longer appear.
The websites affected include MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com.
MTV spokesman Kurt Patat would not reveal the reason for the dispute, only that Vevo — a joint venture between record labels Universal Music Group, Sony, EMI and investor Abu Dhabi with a back-end built by YouTube — was demanding something “outside industry standards.” Our educated guess: Vevo wanted control not only of the overlay ads that appear in video windows when MTV’s websites embed Vevo videos, but also over banner ads and other types of advertising on the page.
Vevo, now the number three most popular video site on the internet behind YouTube and Yahoo, is a Universal- and Sony-led initiative to concentrate all major label music videos under one roof, so that websites including YouTube must embed those videos from Vevo if they want to display them, rather than forging deals directly with the labels themselves.
After the site launched, MTV president Van Toffler told Wired.com he wasn’t too worried about the major label-backed venture.
“I have no fear we’ll get videos from artists, labels, Vevo — artists want their videos out there. They call us hourly to get their videos on MTV and MTV.com, and think it’s really potent to marry the screens of digital and TV,” said Toffler. “I understand the business proposition behind Vevo and preserving revenue for the record labels. Having said that, we think it’s a compelling proposition to create narrative, create stories around the music, the videos, and nurture artists and help build careers.”
After negotiations broke down between MTV and Vevo, MTV issued the following statement about Universal’s decision not to renew its contract with MTV’s websites:
For almost 30 years, we have enjoyed long and colorful partnerships with all the music labels, including UMG and their talented roster of artists on MTV, VH1 and CMT. As the industry evolves, we continue to seek out new and innovative ways to connect artists with their fans that are mutually beneficial to everyone. However, during our recent discussions with VEVO, we were unable to reach a fair and equitable agreement for rights to stream UMG artists’ music video content. As a result, UMG has elected to pull their music videos from our web sites. We are disappointed by this move and sincerely hope that UMG will work with us toward a fair resolution and allow their artists to once again connect with the millions of music fans who visit MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com every month.
Meanwhile, UMG claims MTV refused to strike a “fair” deal:
MTVN has been unwilling to negotiate a fair syndication deal with Vevo to carry our artists’ videos and consequently our videos will not be shown on their online properties. We believe that using Vevo as our online music video syndication platform is the best way to maximize revenue for our artists, our songwriters and ourselves, while bringing our videos to the widest possible audience. In less than 8 months since its launch, Vevo has already become the web’s #1 rated video network with over 49 million unique visitors monthly, dramatically eclipsing those on MTV’s online properties, while attracting scores of major advertisers and tens of millions in advertising dollars. As a result, our artists are enjoying tremendous exposure on Vevo on YouTube and Vevo.com, and will enjoy even more as Vevo continues to complete syndication deals supplementing the existing arrangements with leading destinations as AOL and CBS Interactive.
We’ve seen disputes like this before — like when Warner pulled all of its videos from YouTube — and they tend to blow over with the passage of time. But for now, seekers of Lady Gaga and other popular videos will not find them on MTV.com. However, Universal’s videos will still appear on MTV’s television stations.
Follow us for disruptive tech news: Eliot Van Buskirk and Epicenter on Twitter.
See Also:When Brooklyn music venue Death By Audio announced its impending closure in fall 2014, a number of higher profile acts who’d performed at DBA were invited back to play the space’s final shows. Those have now been collected into a new 3xLP live compilation Start Your Own Fucking Show Space. Out August 5 via Famous Class, it features live recordings from Ty Segall, Parquet Courts, Future Islands, Thee Oh Sees, Dan Deacon, Protomartyr, Metz, and more. The label has shared Lightning Bolt’s November 2014 performance of “The Metal East” at DBA, which you can stream below. See the artwork and tracklisting (which is in chronological running order) below.
Start Your Own Fucking Show Space is available digitally and on vinyl. The sleeves of the double gatefold LP list every single show (over 1,800) Death By Audio hosted in the nearly 10 years it was open. There is also a deluxe bundle of the record, which features a bonus LP of Ty Segall’s first New York City show. It took place on September 28, 2008 at DBA, and has previously unreleased material, including the song “Don’t You Want to Go.” The special edition Segall LP is available only physically and is limited to 1,000 copies.
Start Your Own Fucking Show Space:
01 Dirty on Purpose: “Ways to Drown”
02 Deerhoof: “Paradise Girls”
03 Tyvek: “Wayne County Roads”
04 Parquet Courts: “Sunbathing Animal”
05 Coasting “Shopping for a Smile” [ft. Patty Conway]
06 Shellshag: “Destroy Me I’m Yours”
07 Pujol: “Black Rabbit”
08 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: “Bottled in Cork”
09 Screaming Females: “Wishing Well”
10 Pampers: “Monkey Drip”
11 Dan Deacon: “Learning to Relax”
12 The Numerators: “Bill”
13 Ty Segall: “Wave Goodbye”
14 Yvette: “Mirrored Walls”
15 Downtown Boys: “Wave of History”
16 Future Islands: “Balance”
17 Thee Oh Sees: “Turned Out Light”
18 Natural Child: “Crack Mountain”
19 Sleepies: “All Over the Years”
20 Nots: “Strange Rage”
21 Protomartyr: “Free Supper”
22 Metz: “Get Off”
23 Grooms: “Tiger Trees”
24 JEFF the Brotherhood: “Heavy Damage”
25 A Place to Bury Strangers: “I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadow of Your Heart”
26 Lightning Bolt: “The Metal East”
Watch Parquet Courts on Pitchfork.tv’s “Over/Under”:WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court will hear a case Wednesday that could kill ObamaCare on a technicality.
The King v. Burwell legal challenge concerns the subsidies that dramatically reduce the cost of insurance premiums. The GOP-backed lawsuit argues the tax credits, as written, should go only to people enrolled on state exchanges and not those on the federal HealthCare.gov exchange.
If the justices agree, more than 9 million people in as many as 37 states would lose their subsidies, sending the marketplace into a so-called “death spiral.”
“ObamaCare exchanges only worked in conjunction with the subsidies,” said Louise Sheiner, a health economist at the Brookings Institution. “So if you are taking out one piece of the stool, the whole thing falls apart.”
Sheiner believes it’s “laughable” that Congress intended subsidies only for people on state exchanges.
Unlike the first Supreme Court challenge of the law, this case looks at whether the IRS overreached in extending subsidies to those on non-state exchanges.
If the lawsuit is successful, it could force Congress to find a remedy for those losing subsidies.
“It would give Congress a broader opening [to make changes],” said Thomas Miller, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.Get the biggest Manchester United FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Angel Di Maria remains a summer target for Paris Saint-Germain - who are determined to land the out-of-favour winger.
Manchester United insist they have no desire to offload record £59.7million signing Di Maria after just one season at Old Trafford.
But the former Real Madrid star has been on the bench for United's last five games and has failed to live up to his British transfer record fee.
PSG tried to sign Di Maria last summer but their plans were scuppered when their spending power was curbed by UEFA for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.
But Di Maria remains a key target for PSG boss Laurent Blanc and the French champions will push to make the move happen, offering around £45million for the Argentina star.
In pictures: Everton 3-0 Manchester United
That will test United's resolve to keep Di Maria, whose family remain unsettled in Manchester following an attempted break-in at their home earlier this season.
United are also weighing up a move for Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte, who has a £30million buy-out clause in his contract.
Arsenal are also tracking highly-rated France Under-21 centre-back Laporte, while United are maintaining their interest in Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels.FILE PHOTO: Bitcoin (virtual currency) coins are seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s Bitcoin exchanges said on Saturday they are still awaiting clarification from the authorities on a media report that they will be shut down.
Bitcoin fell sharply on Friday after Chinese financial publication Caixin reported that China was planning to shut down local crypto-currency exchanges, although analysts said this was just a temporary setback.
The news follows China’s move earlier this week to ban so-called “initial coin offerings,” or the practice of creating and selling digital currencies or tokens to investors in order to finance start-up projects.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report.
A spokeswoman for Beijing-based OK Coin said the platform has not received any notification from regulators.
Spokespersons at Beijing-based Huobi and Shanghai-based BTCC said they were still waiting for further official clarification.Congresspeople Urge Dept. of Ed. to Issue Comprehensive Trans Student Guidelines
In a letter sent last month, three members of Congress urged the Education Department to clarify an April statement related to how trans and gender-nonconforming students are protected by Title IX.
Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, along with Representatives Jared Polis of Colorado and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan late last month, urging the Education Department to further clarify an April statement from the department's Office for Civil Rights regarding Title IX's impact on transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
"We urge the Department of Education to make further clarification by developing guidance consistent with the law that clearly outlines now the appropriate treatment of transgender and gender non-conforming students under Title IX," the letter reads. "Such guidance would inform schools of the measures needed to be in compliance with current law and existing obligations to transgender and gender non-conforming students. To be in compliance, and avoid costly, unnecessary litigation, schools need clear guidance on the practical application of non-discrimination laws to ensure that transgender students do not face a hostile environment, covering such issues as access to facilities, protecting student privacy, and the application of dress standards, among other topics."
The letter goes on to cite a 2011 study of transgender students in grades six through 12, showcasing startlingly high rates of verbal, physical, and sexual harassment reported by transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
The three members of Congress are the lead sponsors of the current iteration of the Student Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would establish "a comprehensive, explicit prohibition, modeled on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, against discrimination in all public elementary and secondary schools across the country based on a student's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."
“All students, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve an educational experience that is free from bullying and harassment," Rep. Polis tells The Advocate. "I applaud the Department of Education for its commitment to addressing the challenges that LGBT students face in our nation’s public schools. I encourage Secretary Duncan to take the next step by issuing comprehensive guidance on the responsibilities that schools have under Title IX to provide all students with a safe and equal learning environment that is free from discrimination.”
“Without question, Congress needs to pass explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBT students," says Ian Thompson, legislative representative for the American Civil Liberties Union. "This letter to Secretary Duncan makes clear that there are important steps that the administration can take right now while we continue to push for passage of the Student Non-Discrimination Act. The Department of Education should issue comprehensive guidance clarifying Title IX’s protections for transgender and gender-nonconforming students.”
Read the full letter sent to Sec. Duncan below.
Title IX Letter From SNDA SponsorsIt is not often that a stroke of a pen can quickly undo the ravages of nature, but federal regulators now have an opportunity to do just that. Americans’ food budgets will be hit hard by the ongoing Midwestern drought, the worst since 1956. Food bills will rise and many farmers will go bust.
An act of God, right? Well, the drought itself may be, but a human remedy for some of the fallout is at hand — if only the federal authorities would act. By suspending renewable-fuel standards that were unwise from the start, the Environmental Protection Agency could divert vast amounts of corn from inefficient ethanol production back into the food chain, where market forces and common sense dictate it should go.
From an excellent New York Times op-ed by Colin Carter, from the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the UC Davis, and Henry Miller, a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution.
Here is a telling series of numbers from the same op-ed:
More than one-third of our corn crop is used to feed livestock. Another 13 percent is exported, much of it to feed livestock as well. Another 40 percent is used to produce ethanol. The remainder goes toward food and beverage production.
Many people are fond of blaming commodity speculators for high food prices, but from what I know, there is little to no evidence that commodity speculation caused a substantial increase in food prices either this year, or in the past two food crises.
Likewise, I have not seen any credible evidence that increased demand for food in China and India has led to higher prices. The best evidence I have seen was based on simulation models, but I tend to be skeptical of those.
Sure, based on the numbers above, you can say that eating meat is an important cause of high food prices. But a substantial decrease in meat consumption would require cultural change, both here and abroad. Good luck with that, especially when increased protein consumption leads to improved health outcomes in poorer countries.
Rather, many food policy experts agree that renewable-fuel standards have caused a substantial increase in food prices. So I agree with Carter and Miller, especially since gas prices are not particularly high these days.
I’m all for cleaner air and fewer fossil fuels, but society faces tradeoff, and this is a perfect example of an important tradeoff.
The solution to the environmental issues caused by fossil fuels goes through $10 per gallon of gasoline. Only that will stimulate the demand for public transportation infrastructures in major American metropolitan areas (and no, unlike many people in this country, I don’t think driving a car is a human right). But with our election-minded politicians, only a catastrophe will make that possible.
A great read on the topic of food prices, and what causes them to increase, is Patrick Westhoff’s The Economics of Food, the hardcover version of which sells for $16.If Pence And Kaine Aren’t The Future Of Their Parties, Who Is?
In this week’s politics chat, we peer into the future. The transcript below has been lightly edited.
micah (Micah Cohen, politics editor): I’m sure everyone is excited for tonight’s vice presidential debate! But as world-changing as it is likely to be, we’re going to approach it in a somewhat askew way in this chat. Let’s use tonight’s debate between Mike Pence and Tim Kaine to talk about each party’s bench, i.e., which Republicans are best positioned to carry on the torch if Donald Trump loses in November? Which Democrats can get their party back into the White House in 2020 if Hillary Clinton loses? (BTW, I kinda feel sick to my stomach even talking about 2020.)
Let’s start here, though: Are Pence and Kaine automatically major players in the aftermath of a 2016 loss?
harry (Harry Enten, senior political writer): When was the last time a losing VP nominee went on to win a presidential nomination? The answer is 1996, when Bob Dole won after losing as Gerald Ford’s running mate in 1976. Of course, Dole also ran for president a number of times unsuccessfully in-between 1976 and 1996. Remember Dan Quayle got crushed when he ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2000, after losing in 1992.
clare.malone (Clare Malone, senior political writer): I don’t think Kaine or Pence will be major players, is my short answer. Kaine, because he’s too old and not flashy enough (exactly why he was chosen as VP), and Pence because, well, if Trump loses, Pence will be associated with a pretty long losing streak by Republicans. Also, he wasn’t that well liked as governor; his approval rating was at 40 percent in May and even Republican support for his re-election was tepid.
natesilver (Nate Silver, editor in chief): My answer is that yes, they’ll automatically be big players, unless they don’t want to be.
harry: Why?
micah: DISAGREEMENT!
natesilver: Lack of alternatives?
harry: The Democrats clearly lack a strong bench. This is in large part because Democrats have done horribly in recent midterm elections so there are few major statewide Democratic officials. But Republicans don’t have that problem.
micah: I’m with Clare on this.
clare.malone: No no! I think everyone is going to want to wash the stink of 2016 off their pantsuits once this is done with.
natesilver: The question wasn’t whether 2016 would be an advantage to them. It was whether they’d be major players.
clare.malone: I don’t see them being major players. Let’s take Pence, for example: What ring-kissing sway does he hold after this election? I mean, he’s a guy who was chosen from a pretty substantially narrowed field of candidates — people who would hold their nose and put up with Trump. I just don’t think he has a lot of national appeal post-election. And I haven’t seen much to suggest that he’s a Dick-Cheneyesque inside player.
harry: What is a “major player”?
natesilver: “Major player” isn’t my term, Harry. But I’d say it’s someone who is (i) reasonably likely to run in 2020 or 2024 and (ii) would have a credible chance of winning if they did.
micah: Seems pretty clear to me that if Trump loses Pence will have a really hard time wielding any national influence. Kaine has a better chance.
natesilver: Yeah, but a lot of the Republican candidates ran this year and embarrassed themselves. Has Pence been any more embarrassing than the rest of them?
micah: Not more embarrassing, but more tied to Trump.
harry: And I can name of a ton of Republicans who didn’t run this year, Tom Cotton, Cory Gardner, etc.
clare.malone: Pence is a poor man’s Ted Cruz. Literally, poor — Cruz has a ton of powerful donors.
harry: There’s only so much oxygen in that room.
natesilver: I think Pence could say, “I took one for the team, tried the best I could to control Donald and it could have been a lot worse.” (This argument works much better if the GOP retains the Senate.) He’s basically been competent.
harry: Or forgettable.
clare.malone: But I think he’s more an affable second-stringer than someone who can gin up a lot of support.
Yeah, I’m with Harry.
micah: OK, let’s approach this from the opposite angle: Who’s vying with Pence to lead the queue in 2020? (If you’re keeping score at home, Nate lost the first part of this debate.)
natesilver: Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and possibly also Donald Trump Sr.
clare.malone: I would say lol, but…
natesilver: And Paul Ryan?
micah: No Tiffany?
natesilver: She and Barron are too young.
clare.malone: Don’t you think they’re going to run for some state office first? (The family Trump, that is.)
clare.malone: Poor Tiffany — can I go off track for a moment and say that what I took from that Times profile of her is that Marla Maples seems like a really great mom?
Paul Ryan — 2020 for sure. Front-runner status.
harry: Well, Ryan is interesting. You’d think he’d have been in a great position in 2016, and he didn’t run. I think that speaks to the difficulty of turning an unsuccessful VP bid into a successful presidential campaign.
natesilver: Donald Trump Jr. vs Bill de Blasio?
clare.malone: Ivanka vs. de Blasio. She’s the one New Yorkers would like!
micah: Paul Ryan has a good deal of Trump stink on him, doesn’t he?
natesilver: The whole fucking party either has Trump stink on them, or is probably too moderate to be nominated in the next 4-8 years
micah: Chris Christie is both!
clare.malone: OY.
natesilver: Nikki Haley came out looking OK, I guess.
clare.malone: Does Marco Rubio ever come back? What say you, Nate?
micah: Oh god … here we go …
clare.malone: (Most definitely did this on purpose.)
natesilver: He’s actually surging in South Carolina right now, if you look carefully. I think he can still win the nomination.
micah: Who’s more likely to make a comeback, Cruz or Rubio?
natesilver: A comeback or a successful comeback?
clare.malone: Hmmm. Rubio.
natesilver: Let’s take them one at a time.
micah: Cruz.
clare.malone: Dissent!
micah: OK, let’s take Rubio…
harry: What I think we’ll see, in all seriousness, is a Republican Party that realizes it cannot sit on the sidelines. The party will move to coronate a nominee rather quickly. If that happens, Rubio is in a better position for a comeback than Cruz.
micah: What Republican Party?
natesilver: Rubio’s numbers are holding up pretty well in that U.S. Senate race in Florida, albeit against a weak opponent. And he’s a guy with some political talent, who was sort of harmed this year by mismanaging <vomits on self> the expectations game.</vomits on self> The problem is that there’s not that big a market for what he’s selling.
micah: What makes you say he has political talent?
clare.malone: He’s relatively telegenic and knows how to spin a good personal yarn. Make no mistake about that.
micah: IDK, I don’t think he has the “it” factor other politicians do … and he’s really in a mold of pol where you need that.
natesilver: But Cruz has the “it” factor? Did you mean to say ick factor?
micah: No, but Cruz has a base.
harry: Cruz performed marginally better than Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum.
micah: If you don’t have a base, you’d better be able to light up a room.
clare.malone: So what the Republicans need to do is genetically engineer a likable Ted Cruz?
micah: Yes.
natesilver: Cruz didn’t have enough of a base to come all that close to Trump, even with a good team around him and a lot of things that broke in his favor.
clare.malone: What about someone like Ben Sasse? Wild card? He’s really interesting — definitely as smart as Cruz, a bit of an independent streak.
micah: I’d buy Sasse stock.
harry: That’s where I’m looking. I think it’s probably best to put this year in the past and go with someone new, and Republicans have plenty of shiny objects like Sasse.
clare.malone: He’s got outsider credibility, too.
natesilver: My worry with Sasse is that, after a Trump loss, |
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