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Last year, Bennett Friedman, who owns a plumbing showroom in Manhattan called AF New York, took a business trip to Milan. On the morning of his return he faced a choice: stop in the bathroom there or wait until he got home. The flight was nine hours. He waited. The move seems almost masochistic. But in his home and office bathrooms, Mr. Friedman had installed a Toto washlet. To sit upon a standard commode, he said, would be like “going back to the Stone Age.” “It feels very uncivilized,” he said. For those who own Japanese toilets, there is a cultish devotion. They boast heated seats, a bidet function for a rear cleanse and an air-purifying system that deodorizes during use. The need for toilet paper is virtually eliminated (there is an air dryer) and “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place (the seat lifts and closes automatically in many models). Jean Z. Poh, founder of the luxury jewelry e-commerce site Swoonery.com, said a washlet is, in its own way, a luxury item.
Fata T-K: Had my first float today it is just amazing! The staff is very friendly and also they are very clean. Went with one of my friends and we are going again soon. Go,go,go you will love it!! Austen F: What an incredible experience! This will be a big part of my mental and physical health from now on! I highly recommend this for everyone. If you meditate, you owe this to yourself! Joanne S: Today was my first float and it will definitely not be my last! I am already looking forward to going back. So happy to have such a great business in my neighborhood. I plan to be a regular. There should be no doubts, everyone needs to try this! Jeffrey L: 5 Stars and I haven’t even floated yet. Was @ Yoga Patch for another event and checked out the fkc counter. Was greeted by two staff member floaters who took the time to share their personal experiences with the modality with me and amazing benefits they received. You guys Rock. Cindy P: I loved my floating experience. Having the ability to totally relax my body in a weightless environment was amazing. The facility has a calm, zen, and modern vibe. Great people! Great experience! Vee O: Great environment and professional staff. If you are on the fence about this, don’t be. One of the coolest most unique experiences I’ve ever had. Can’t wait for my next visit Tatiana W: Amazing experience. I will be back. Nick W: I had my first float and I’m glad it was at Floating KC. The staff was great and the whole experience was very well thought through. Tonya B: It’s been years since I’ve slept so well. Woke up pain free and feeling amazing the next morning. This float had such a positive effect on my mood. I will be going back! Hayle B: I had my very first float today! It went smooth and I was able to not only leave refreshed but more relaxed then I have been in months. The staff was intelligent, friendly and helpful. I will definitely be coming back! Kassi S: It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I had no body pain after my session and had several visions while floating! It was truly a magical experience! Margot Anne T: Transformative experience. I’m so happy I experienced this wonderful place. Will definitely be back. Adam G: Had my first float today and all I can say is…WOW!!! What a great experience. Sonya M: Wow! First timer here. My husband I both are already making our 2nd appts. No words can describe this. Need to try it out! Daniel G: So great. Highly recommended, especially to my fellow dental people with our inevitable neck and back issues. Danielle N: Everyone should float!! Still feeling that #postfloatglow Kaylin R: The physical and mental rejuvenation I received from floating can’t be compared to anything else. It’s the perfect way to decompress. Brandon R: My first time floating was in a tank. These rooms offer the only real way to float. Everyone needs to experience Floating KC! Logan M: My first float was everything I was hoping for. The staff is helpful and friendly, an extremely calming environment inside, clean, the massage chair was 100X better then expected. Then the float, oh my the float, so perfect. I want everyone I know to try this out!! Jessica S: I immensely enjoyed this new experience and cannot wait until my next float! It really was different that anything I’ve tried before and it was amazing. Adam G: Had my first float today and all I can say is…WOW!!! What a great experience. Cindy P: I loved my floating experience. Having the ability to totally relax my body in a weightless environment was amazing. The facility has a calm, zen, and modern vibe. Great people! Great experience! Marcia P: It took me a few minutes to turn off my brain (my own worst enemy), but once I did, it was very calm & relaxing. A great way to decompress! Manisawn K: Floating helped ease my foot pain and swelling – as I am 6 months post foot surgery. Finally! Something that relieved all of the stress, weight, and ache away without awful side effects of prescription drugs. It was also a great way to relax my mind. I slept like a baby, immediately (within a few minutes), once I got home and it normally takes me 45-60 minutes to fall asleep. So cool! Kayla B: It was nothing short of amazing! The entire experience, from head to toe, so good. A feeling you can’t really receive any other way. The entire atmosphere had a time warp effect on me. My breath was like ocean waves crashing in my head, which became a wonderful white noise. I felt safe, perfectly warm, and comforted. I highly, highly recommend giving it a go! Do it, Do it, Do it!! Nathan S: Best experience floating so far. Really well thought out operation. So happy they’re in KC. Jeremy B: The float rooms utilized by Floating KC are second to none. Perfect temperature balance of both water and air inside the Zero Gravity II and no awkward ceiling drips while you float, makes for a more-than-pleasant experience. And the massage chairs… oh, the massage chairs. I’d put one in my own home in a heartbeat if I had the $. Between the chairs and the float rooms, it’s seemingly impossible to walk out of FKC not feeling exponentially better than when you walked in. Zack S: Great environment and professional staff. If you are on the fence about this, don’t be. One of the coolest most unique experiences I’ve ever had. Can’t wait for my next visit 🙂 Tyler M: I felt incredibly cleansed and relaxed after floating. The whole experience was really comfortable and I WILL be back!
The Justice Department is updating a report on how armed the federal government is. It will be the first time Justice has addressed the topic in six years, and it comes as conservative and libertarian complaints about an excessively gun-happy government have intensified. The issue was central to the recent controversy generated by a stand-off between right-wing rancher Cliven Bundy and agents from the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. ADVERTISEMENT Bundy and his supporters argued an armed federal government threatened too much force in a dispute over grazing and public lands. But critics of Bundy worry that the decision by federal and local officials to back off in response to armed resistance by Bundy and his supporters could embolden self-styled militia groups. The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will undertake this year’s report. It will begin surveying federal agencies about how many of their agents carry guns and have the authority to make arrests in July, according to the author of the 2008 version Brian Reaves. It is not clear when the data will be finalized, though the final release could take until early 2015. Six years ago, the Justice Department found that 73 government agencies employed about 120,000 armed agents. The 2008 report found that four out of five armed federal agents belonged to branches of the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Security, but the other 20 percent were spread out among dozens of agencies that are not as well known for their law enforcement activities. Not only is the FBI armed. So too are members of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Railroad Retirement Board, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to the report. Until recently, even the Library of Congress employed an armed unit. From 2004 to 2008, the government added about 15,000 armed agents, the earlier Justice report found. During that time period, an additional eight agencies began employing armed units. That’s angered libertarian groups who question the need for some of those agencies to be armed. They argue the government is increasingly arming itself. “Hey, if you don’t bring that book back, we’re coming for you,” joked Larry Pratt, executive director of the conservative Gun Owners of America. Earlier this month, the office of inspector general for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would be acquiring submachine guns. That prompted Bob Owens to write on the Bearing Arms website that it was “part of a trend to arm every branch of federal government, whether the individual agency has a legitimate need for a paramilitary force or not.” Rep. Jim Bridenstine James (Jim) Frederick BridenstineNASA names facility for 'Hidden Figures' inspiration Katherine Johnson SpaceX could disrupt NASA plan to return humans to the moon Hillicon Valley: Lawmakers press officials on 2020 election security \| T-Mobile, Sprint execs defend merger before Congress \| Officials charge alleged Iranian spy \| Senate panel kicks off talks on data security bill MORE (R-Okla.) in a May 21 letter wrote USDA expressing concern about the purchase, and asking for more information. He said he was worried USDA was straying from its mission. The department has said that officers with the USDA Office of Inspector General after often armed as they are investigating crimes including fraud, smuggling and theft of government property.
Dragon Age: Inquisition developer BioWare will soon have one more accolade to add to its mantelpiece: The game is being honored by the GLAAD Media Awards for its outstanding representation of LGBT characters, GLAAD announced yesterday. GLAAD is giving a Special Recognition award to Dragon Age: Inquisition for "the many complex and unique LGBT characters prominently integrated throughout the game," the organization said in a press release. GLAAD gives out Special Recognition awards for media that doesn't fit into the GLAAD Media Awards' existing fields; there is currently no specific category for video games. Dragon Age: Inquisition won acclaim from critics and fans alike, particularly for its well-drawn characters and the varied relationships, both platonic and romantic, that players can have with them. For instance, Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Iron Bull (screenshot above) is a pansexual Qunari, a race in Inquisition that sees no connection between sexual intercourse and love. We've reached out to BioWare for comment on the award. The 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held in two ceremonies, one on March 21 in Los Angeles and the other on May 9 in New York. For more on Dragon Age: Inquisition, which was Polygon's pick for game of the year 2014, check out our full review. Update: A BioWare representative told Polygon that the team is "proud and happy" to receive the Special Recognition from the GLAAD Media Awards.
Correspondent IMPHAL, June 19 – Believe it or not, mystery shrouded Ngankha Lawai village in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, 35 kms south of here after a young farmer fainted and was hospitalized following an encounter with an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO). The mysterious incident occurred when the 31-year-old farmer Koiremba Kumam was taking video of a fish farm near his house using his mobile phone on June 15 around 3.11 PM. “Suddenly, I captured mashak khangdaba potsak ama (UFO) in the sky,” the farmer said. “I fainted for a few seconds after a small round black object sped towards me.” Showing the video image of the UFO captured in his mobile phone, Koiremba claimed he felt an electric shock when it came towards him. He returned home after few moments of unconsciousness. The family took him to the nearby district hospital due to deterioration of his health, and later referred to RIMS hospital in Imphal the following day. But he was discharged from the hospital the same evening after receiving treatment, as there was no symptom of any illness. However, Koiremba said he has not fully recovered. A similar mystery shrouded Leikai Village under Imphal West district in the early part of last year when the villagers saw a bluish icy mass, weighing around five kilograms which fell on the tin-roofed kitchen of one Sougrakpam Jugeshwar of the locality with a sudden bang from the sky. Lok Sabha MP Dr. Thokchom Meinya, who is also an astronomer, reacting to the descriptions given by the onlookers, had opined that the mass might have been accidentally ejected from the support system of a rocket or a space craft. This is the startling footage of an unidentified flying object, filmed by a fish farmer in Manipur. After filming for 19 seconds, the man experienced loss of consciousness. According to his family, he was in a semi-unconscious state of over 18 hours after he sighted the UFO in his fish farm, located at Ngangkha Lawai, Moirang near Loktak Lake. The Doctor's diagnosis read 'loss of consciousness, showing signs of weakness with non-responsive motor response.' Puzzled at his claim of being hit by a UFO shockwave, he was discharged after placing him under few hours of observation. However Kumam Koiremba still complains of weakness and exhaustion after his 'encounter' with the UFO.
A porn movie shot at the Pyramids of Giza has angered many Egyptians. "A set of sexually explicit scenes was illegally filmed inside the Giza Necropolis by a foreign tourist while visiting the site," Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damati confirmed in a statement, quoted by News Time Africa. Government authorities have vowed to investigate the event involving the shooting of the adult film by foreign tourists at the world famous Pyramids. Al Arabiya reported that the controversial pornographic film with English subtitles was shot by Russians and was available online for nine months and had been uploaded on three porn websites. In his statement, the Egyptian antiquities official also confirmed that the explicit contents were illegally shot by a woman. New surveillance cameras are being installed in the popular tourist spot in an attempt to revamp the tourist site, he added. Osama Karar, the coordinator of the Popular Front to Defend Antiquities in Egypt, said that the sex movie clips reveal the identity of a tour guide and the name of an Egyptian tour company. According to Egyptologist Bassam al-Shamaa the area where the porn movie was filmed is prohibited for tourists. "Surveillance cameras aren't enough to secure such important sites," said al-Shamaa via News Time Africa. "A full security cordon must be installed to prevent such incidents – which demean Egyptian civilization – from reoccurring," he added. The controversial video went viral after local news websites reported the incident. Earlier, Egyptian authorities had refuted the film's authenticity saying the video was fake and had been morphed.
SHARE JMU AthleticsJames Madison head coach Mike Houston has been the chief architect up a very smooth transition with the Dukes, but he deflects the praise to his team and staff. Brian McLaughlin @BrianMacWriter Coaching changes are supposed to be chaotic. The staff is in flux, the players don't know what offensive scheme or defensive strategy will take hold, recruits flip out and scurry to all corners. There's bitterness, nervousness ... it can be total havoc, a rebuilding job that takes a few years to happen. Or it can be the way it has gone at James Madison with Mike Houston at the helm. The Dukes are just humming along like they usually do. Houston came in with his own convictions, but he also wasn't attempting to rock the worlds of his new players. The players also bought in, and the record stands at 6-1--with the lone loss coming to ACC title threat North Carolina. So how has this happened? Houston was coming from The Citadel, where they run a tricky offense that may not fit JMU's personnel. But Houston adapted to JMU, much to the relief of the program. "I think one thing that has stood out is having a new coach who put a lot of trust in his players to help us get over the coaching change, that's what sped up the transitional process," JMU quarterback Bryan Schor told HERO Sports. "One thing that was different too is we had older players who had gone through a coaching change before (Mickey Matthews' firing after 2013). Coach Houston trusts his players and he wants them to trust him. You can't control that this is your third head coach in your career ... and that was something that clicked, that all of this was outside our control." Schor said that when the team began hearing rumors that The Citadel's head coach may be heading to Harrisonburg, Va. to coach the Dukes, many of the players had been impressed by the Bulldogs' big win at South Carolina, along with what they'd done in the FCS playoffs. Having a good reputation coming in never hurts, it appears. "We just quickly identified the fact that he was here because he truly wanted to be here," JMU running back Khalid Abdullah told HERO Sports. "Just seeing him in a few press conferences, it was easy to see he was enthusiastic about where he was." Houston said he planned to transition with an open mind, just like he did when he went from winning a ton of ballgames at Lenoir-Rhyne in North Carolina to taking over at The Citadel. He was willing to adapt to a military school and all of the challenges that come with that, but one common thread was the toughness he was prepared to implement--both physically and mentally. That hasn't changed, whether his players are wearing the powder blue of The Citadel or the purple and gold of JMU. He also has worn his CEO hat well. "The seamless transition comes from two things, it speaks to the kind of young men in the program here, character-wise they've been phenomenal," Houston told HERO Sports. "And I took my time to put together a staff. As I look at them, we have that mixture of youth and experience. I have a staff that is known up and down the state of Virginia ... It's the kind of people that I surrounded myself with. There are no huge egos, just a team mentality within our coaching staff. It is what I wanted it to be in that respect." If there was one thing that did change, it was the offseason routine. That much is certain. Houston saw the 2015 JMU approach as effective, but maybe a bit more finesse than he wanted things to be. So in 2016, things were different leading up to game one. The result on offense ... for example ... is the physical No. 3 rushing offense in the nation (316 yards per game). And oh, the No. 1 team in rushing is worth mentioning here? The Citadel is averaging 354 yards per game. Bryan Schor has been impressive this season, racking up 18 total touchdowns to just three interceptions. (JMU Athletics) "We had a very physical camp this year, and (Houston) preached that all spring and going into fall," Schor said. "He didn't think we were as physical as we needed to be, so that's something he has brought into the program and people have bought into that. "I think I am a little surprised about how things have gone so far. I knew we'd be a good running football team, we stressed that all spring and fall to be a hard-nosed team. I knew it would be an important part of the offense, but after the first few games it was surprising to see how it took off." Fans will see that attack this weekend during homecoming against Rhode Island, then the two biggest tests come on the road after that--at Richmond and at Villanova. Toughness will come into play, as well as that cohesiveness.
Amazon and the Washington state Attorney General’s office allege in a pair of new lawsuits that two men are running a “get rich quick scheme,” defrauding “hundreds if not thousands” of would-be entrepreneurs by claiming an affiliation with the retail giant and offering costly seminars focused on making money as a third-party seller. Court documents allege that Christopher and Adam Bowser claim to have inside information about how to make money on Amazon. They allegedly pitched their experience and track record to get people to attend seminars at a cost of up to $35,000. In marketing materials, the pair claim they have made more than $50 million selling goods on Amazon, including $12 million last year alone. Amazon and the AG’s office allege that the two men use Amazon logos and other materials in mailers and emails to give people the impression that the seminars are associated with Amazon. Here is the heart of the case, from the Attorney General’s filing with the King County Superior Court: Defendants claim consumers will be able to make $5,000 to $10,000 a month by becoming a third party seller on Amazon. To lure consumers to purchase these business opportunities, Defendants misrepresent to be affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Amazon. Defendants also claim to have secret techniques and inside access that can ensure a “huge profit.” Consumers are encouraged to sign up for additional workshops and packages that can cost up to $35,000. However, Defendants are not affiliated with Amazon and most of the “tricks” offered violate Amazon’s terms of use, which can result in Amazon suspending the “students”‘ accounts. Amazon was a little more direct in its accusations, filed in U.S. District Court of Western Washington Wednesday. “Defendants Christopher and Adam Bowser are con-artists who prey on people hoping to become sellers on Amazon.com,” reads the first line of Amazon’s complaint. GeekWire called the phone numbers in the marketing materials, seeking to reach the Bowsers for comment. A woman answered the phone asking which event we would like to attend, but said she did not have a direct line to the Bowsers. Amazon released the following comment on the lawsuit: Amazon has zero tolerance for fraud. Amazon is investing heavily in protecting the integrity of the Amazon marketplace for consumers and sellers. Among other measures, we take independent legal action against bad actors, and we will continue to do so. Amazon is constantly innovating on behalf of consumers and sellers to ensure that they can buy and sell with confidence on Amazon. In its filings, Amazon wrote that they attract people to their seminars by “deceitfully suggesting,” a relationship with Amazon. The Bowsers plaster their materials with the terms AWS — most recognized as Amazon Web Services — but in this case standing for Amazon Wealth Systems or Amazing Wealth Systems, and FBA — the initials of the Fulfillment by Amazon program. But, Amazon and the AG’s office insist the the Bowsers have no affiliation with or inside information on the company. The Bowsers do not and cannot deliver on their false promises because they have no special information about Amazon and no way to offer consumers any advantage as Amazon sellers; worse yet, the Bowsers actively mislead consumers about Amazon’s systems and what is permissible under Amazon’s selling policies. When the Bowsers’ victims realize they have been duped (as many eventually do), the Bowsers refuse to return those victims’ money. The Attorney General’s office concluded that “most Washington consumers who purchase Defendants’ business opportunities will not develop a successful online business as promised, earn little or no income, and may end up heavily in debt as a result.” Amazon wrote that the alleged scheme has been successful, with the Bowsers holding events all over the country, including several in the Seattle area over the summer. Up to 100 people typically attend, according to Amazon’s complaint, and the goal is to upsell these “students” to more expensive seminars. In the classes, Amazon alleges that the Bowsers to teach prospective sellers to skirt Amazon’s rules by opening up multiple accounts and buying fake reviews for their products. They also supply fraudulent products for students to sell on Amazon and offer costly coaching packages. Consumers unhappy with the experience complained both to Amazon and the Better Business Bureau. Amazon is seeking an injunction stopping the Bowsers from claiming affiliation with the retail giant, using its logos and other trademark information and encouraging people to use fake reviews. Amazon also wants the court to force the Bowsers to give up their profits and award unspecified damages to Amazon. The Attorney General’s office is also seeking fines of $2,000 for each time the Bowsers violated the Consumer Protection Act and the Business Opportunity Fraud Act. Here are the full complaints from Amazon and the Washington Attorney General’s Office. Amazon Complaint by Nat Levy on Scribd Washington Attorney General’s Office complaint by Nat Levy on Scribd
The Tennessee Titans should address their offensive line during the NFL Draft, but they signed some insurance in the meantime. The Titans announced Wednesday they agreed to terms with Byron Bell, who started 15 games at left tackle last year for the Carolina Panthers. He looked better as a starter for three years at right tackle before that, and that's where he should compete in Tennessee. The Titans have Byron Stingily at right tackle, but he did not look like a quality NFL player a season ago. Tennessee ultimately could be replacing one free agent disappointment (Michael Oher) with another. At least Bell's deal will be considerably less than Oher was paid a season ago. The latest Around The NFL Podcast delves into the 2015 NFL schedule, grading the prime-time games and highlighting the Week 1 matchups. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
After president-elect Donald Trump’s 10-15 minute scheduled get-to-know-you with lame-duck president Barack Obama ran an hour and a half, too many of my friends who ought to know better contacted me with some variant of “maybe everything really is going to be OK after all.” No. It really isn’t. SNL’s Dave Chappelle says he’s “going to give Trump a chance.” We should not. Trump’s wide-eyed expression as he sucked in his new DC digs, pathetically reminiscent of the stupefied expressions of Bolshevik revolutionists wandering the Winter Palace, brought it home: the barbarians are at the gate. Do not be fooled by what the media is attempting to present as a smooth transition of power, a quirky one to be sure, but generally falling within American political tradition. Do not believe Trump’s condescending tweet damning liberal protesters with faint praise. “President Trump” cannot end well. Do not be fooled by what the media is attempting to present as a smooth transition of power, a quirky one to be sure, but generally falling within American political tradition. Do not believe Trump’s condescending tweet damning liberal protesters with faint praise. “President Trump” cannot end well. Remember how, the morning of the election, the New York Times gave Trump a 15% chance of winning? Given that I’ve been saying The Donald had an excellent chance of winning for many months, maybe you should be scared when I tell you what I think there’s really a 15% chance of: another presidential election in four years. Here’s how I think the early years of the Trump Administration will play out, and why. Before we get started, forget impeachment. Impeachment is a political process, not a legal one. With Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, the chances of Republicans impeaching a Republican president are pretty much zero. Second, forget constitutional checks and balances. Weimar Germany had a lovely constitution, in many ways better than ours, but constitutions are mere paper unless they’re enforced by people. Current examples: Guantánamo, immigration prisons, drone assassinations and secret black site CIA prisons are all brazenly unconstitutional. If Trump and his henchmen want to trash legal and political precedent, nothing institutional will stop them. Finally, Democrats who place their hope in recapturing Congress in two years need to get real. There aren’t enough available red seats for that to happen in 2018. If anything, they’ll probably lose even more ground. Trumpism is here to stay, for at least four years. I use the method used by some authors to write character-based novels in order to game out presidential administrations. Rather than outline the plot in advance, these novelists develop characters, throw them into a situation, and watch what they do. As with those novels, it isn’t hard to predict how a president and his closest advisers will respond when faced with a given political development. All you have to do is consider their personalities, resumes and policy preferences. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Help Keep Common Dreams Alive Our progressive news model only survives if those informed and inspired by this work support our efforts Looking at Ronald Reagan’s 1981 cabinet, which included a dentist as secretary of energy and an anti-environmentalist as secretary of the interior, it was obvious that the US government wouldn’t lift a finger to slow down the raping of the planet. While invasion of Iraq wasn’t exactly predestined, it came as little surprise that a Bush Administration full of neoconservatives who had called for the invasion of Iraq saw the 9/11 attacks as a reason/excuse for what they wanted to do all along. It’s already clear that Donald Trump’s cabinet and closest advisers will come from the fringes of the paranoid far right. Among the highlights: Then there’s possible Secretary of State Newt Gingrich, who wants to deport Muslims who believe in Sharia law, and Interior Secretary Sarah Palin, who thinks shooting wolves from a helicopter is sporting fun. I’ve examined all the lists of cabinet prospects. Not a liberal or a leftist among them. No centrists either. At best, we’ll wind up with a few relatively sane right-wingers mixed into a majority of complete lunatics. These, headed by the delightfully clearheaded and thoughtful Donald Trump, are the characters of our story. Now add the situation. Imagine 6 or 12 or 18 months from now, when these characters face the inevitable political crisis: terrorist attack. Natural disaster. Economic meltdown. Race riot. Nuclear crisis. These aren’t personalities predisposed to respond to these challenges with introspection or compromise. Beginning with Trump himself, these are people with a cop mentality who, like a hammer, see everything as a nail to be pounded into submission. Bear in mind, they’ll be 6 to 12 to 18 months inside the Washington Beltway bubble. Trump’s canny campaign instincts, his intuitive understanding of populist anger that got him elected, will have been dulled by lack of interaction with the public. Moreover, Team Trump will be 6 to 12 to 18 months into an unprecedented period of constant left-wing criticism and street protest. Think Richard Nixon: they’ll be deep inside a bunker mentality. Everyone in the cabinet room will favor moves to curtail civil liberties: tracking and cracking down on leftists, preventative detentions, new police forces to protect the state and ferret out illegal immigrants and those who hide them, the use of drones to kill Americans on American soil (something Obama said was OK), even more abusive NSA surveillance. In my book “Trump: A Graphic Biography,” I described the president-elect as “an accidental authoritarian.” He thinks of himself as a patriot, a good man. He hasn’t been planning to lead a plot against America. Trump’s fascism will come about naturally, caused by the perfect storm of his ego, his CEO mentality, the politics and personalities of the men and women with whom he is surrounding himself, and a set of developments that are all but inevitable. Canceling the next election? For these characters, it will be an easy call.
There are two kinds of buzzed people who take the wheel of his simulated Chevy in the basement of a CAMH building, Dr. Robert Mann observes: those who drive cautiously and those who let ’er rip. The scientist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health points to the flat-screen TVs that serve as the “windshield” for the extracted cab of a Chevrolet compact — complete with steering wheel, dashboard, gear shift and pedals — and explains the clinical study he’s been working on since 2013. Robert Mann, senior scientist and principal investigator for CAMH, left, watches the Star's Alex Ballingal as he takes a driving simulation of the Quebec countryside. CAMH hopes to study and measure the effects of cannabis while driving using this Virage VS500M driving simulator. ( Chris So / Toronto Star ) Mann wants to know how well people can drive when they’re high. He’s inviting volunteers to smoke up and get behind the wheel of the “state of the art” driving simulator housed in the building off College St. “There’s a fair amount of uncertainty on the impact of cannabis on driving skills,” he said in an interview this week. “There’s still a discussion, still an argument, about what the effects are.” That’s why Mann and his team at CAMH are trying to determine the relationship between marijuana consumption and driving ability. How high can you be before you’re a bad driver? Article Continued Below It isn’t an easy question to answer. A review published in 1999 of marijuana-driving research concluded that, while cannabis is the second-most frequent substance found in the blood of people involved in car crashes (after alcohol), there was little evidence that it increased the risk of collisions. But similar reviews from 2011 and 2012 found that driving on cannabis “significantly increased” the risk of a collision. Mann hopes his study can dig deeper, to help determine how high is too high, especially as the federal government has promised to legalize marijuana. “That’s an issue that jurisdictions are looking at,” he said, pointing to U.S. states where recreational weed is now legal. “The (existing) evidence has pretty much convinced me that if you are driving under the influence of cannabis, you are at an increased risk of getting in a collision… We don’t know what dose relates to that yet.” The CAMH study focuses on 19- to 25-year-olds who are regular cannabis users, because research suggests members of that age group are more likely to drive high than drunk, Mann said. Volunteers are carefully screened with psychological questionnaires and blood and urine tests to make sure they aren’t uninitiated to marijuana or dependent on the drug, Mann explained. Once approved, volunteers enter a smoking room at CAMH and light up a joint made from either normal marijuana or pot that’s had the active ingredient — THC — extracted entirely. They have their blood sampled so that researchers can later determine how high they were, and then it’s on to the driving simulator. The machine shifts and vibrates while computerized highway landscapes roll by on three large screens. The experience is similar to real driving, except that the effect of images swirling on the screens can provoke mild vertigo, Mann said. After getting the hang of the simulator for a few minutes — and any desire to gun the gas and go off-road is sufficiently indulged — participants drive for 10 minutes through this video-game-like universe, rounding bends and avoiding traffic in a replication of the usual monotony of driving in real life. Article Continued Below Then Mann asks them to drive for another 10 minutes while counting backwards by threes from a random number, such as 797, to see how they handle distractions. The simulator carefully tracks the driver’s movements and speed. And yes, there are sometimes crashes. The subjects return 24 hours later to repeat the test, and then come back again a final time 24 hours after that. Mann said that allows the researchers to measure any lingering effects. So far, they’ve tested 75 people. The goal is to have 114 subjects participate in the study by the time it finishes in the spring. Mann said the study was approved by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He plans to publish his results in the coming months.
Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the Roman Catholic Church's 266th Pope on March 13, 2013. The first pontiff from Latin America was also the first to take the name Francis. It was a sign of maverick moves to come. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis at the reception desk of the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI residence, where he paid the bill for his stay during the conclave that would elect him leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis embraced a young boy with cerebral palsy in March 2013, a gesture that many took as a heartwarming token of his self-stated desire to "be close to the people." Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis washes the feet of juvenile offenders, including Muslim women, as part of Holy Thursday rituals in March 2013. The act commemorates Jesus' washing of the Apostles' feet during the Last Supper. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Crowds swarmed Pope Francis last July as he made his way through World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to the Vatican, 1 million people turned out to see the Pope. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – During an impromptu press conference on the plane from Brazil to Rome, the Pope uttered five now-famous words about gay priests: "Who am I to judge?" Many saw the move as the opening of a more tolerant era in the church. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – In August, Pope Francis and Italian teens took what is likely the first papal selfie, another indication of the Pope's down-to-earth charm. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis has eschewed fancy cars, instead choosing to drive a white Renault 4L. And he told priests and bishops to do the same. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis embraced Vinicio Riva, a man with a rare skin disease, in November. The images went viral, with even atheists expressing admiration for the gesture. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis marked his 77th birthday on December 17 by hosting homeless men to a Mass and a meal at the Vatican. One of the men brought his dog. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – Pope Francis jokes with members of the Rainbow Association, which uses clown therapy in hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages. Many Catholics saw this image as the joyful flip side of Francis' embrace of the disfigured man. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Pope Francis' first year Pope Francis' first year – In December, Time magazine named Pope Francis its Person of the Year, lauding him as "the people's Pope." Hide Caption 12 of 13
Senior MPs called on David Cameron to consider stripping the boss of Google from his role as a government adviser tonight after he suggested that his company’s contribution to the British economy was more important than paying its fair share of tax. Politicians from all three parties rounded on Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, after he defended its use of loopholes to minimise its UK tax bill. He insisted that Google would comply only with the letter of the law – despite paying only £6m of taxes on £2.6bn of revenue generated in the UK in 2011. Google uses anomalies in international law to move profits into low-tax jurisdictions even if they have been generated by business carried out in Britain. Chancellor George Osborne has made tackling the practice a priority for Britain’s chairmanship of the G8. But in an interview with the BBC, Mr Schmidt defended his company’s practice, suggesting that its contribution to the UK economy was more important than the tax it paid to the Exchequer. “We are investing heavily in Britain,” he said. “We power literally billions of pounds of start-ups through advertising networks and so forth, and we’re a key part of the electronic commerce expansion of Britain, which is driving a lot of economic growth for the country. So from our perspective, I think, you have to look at it in a totality. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. “The people we employ in Britain are certainly paying British taxes, and more importantly, they’re British citizens and they’re driving a lot of GDP. I think the most important thing to say about our taxes is that we fully comply with the law, and well, obviously, should the law change we’ll comply with that as well.” His comments were condemned by MPs, who pointed out that much of the investment in broadband internet infrastructure that had allowed Google to grow had been paid for by taxpayers. Margaret Hodge, the chairman of the powerful Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which carried out an investigation into the tax practices of multinational companies, said the Government should consider whether Mr Schmidt was an appropriate person to remain on its Business Advisory Group if Google maintained its tax position. “I think we should be careful who we talk to, and I think if people want to have the voice of Government, they have a responsibility to pay their fair share,” she said. A government source also questioned Mr Schmidt’s position, claiming Google was “not really investing very much in Britain” and that the company had a “disproportionate influence” on Mr Cameron. “It’s a bit like The Wizard of Oz,” the source said. “From the outside, they appear terribly important and powerful but, when you look closely at what they are actually investing in Britain, it is pretty insubstantial.” Fiona Mactaggart, another member of the PAC, said that while she would need to look closely at Mr Schmidt’s exact position as a government adviser, the company’s privileged position did raise questions. “Given he has not made the moral leap to recognise that Google should pay its fair share of taxes in the UK, it makes you think maybe he is not well-equipped to do that role,” she said. Charlie Elphicke, the Conservative MP for Dover, said he was “surprised” by Mr Schmidt’s comments. “The key point of corporation tax is that businesses that make profits in the UK pay a fair share of that in tax,” he said. “Mr Schmidt says Britain has been a good market for his company. If that is the case, why has it paid such little tax?” Ms Hodge added that the position of MPs remained consistent. “These global companies should pay a fair rate of tax related to the economic turnover in this country and the profits they derive from that turnover,” she said. “Google is clearly not doing that.” She objected to the idea that multinationals already make a sufficient contribution, saying: “I really get fed up when these global corporations talk about how they are contributing in other ways. So, of course, if they employ people, those people pay their PAYE, they pay their national insurance, and just because they pay one tax doesn’t mean that they should get away with not paying another.” A spokesperson for the Treasury said that, while the Government was committed to creating the “most competitive corporate tax system in the G20”, this commitment went “hand in hand” with the need for strong international standards to make sure global companies “pay the taxes they owe”. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads. Subscribe now
Doing the math on Clinton's health plans Pharma deals are down, but health services deals are up, and Medicare finally issues its star ratings. But first: Clinton supporters talked up the campaign's health plans at the Democratic National Convention. UNDERSTANDING CLINTON'S HEALTH PLANS — Liberal analysts on Wednesday focused on the Democratic nominee's health care proposals and how she might seek to implement them. Story Continued Below Jennings: Medicare buy-in could be great option. Chris Jennings, an adviser to Hillary Clinton's campaign and a Democratic health care expert, said that a Medicare "buy in" option for people aged 55 to 65 could be an enticing option in the Clinton administration, especially if insurers are fleeing the ACA exchanges. "I think it's exactly the direction we should be seriously thinking about, particularly if the exchanges aren't working to provide serious competition and choice," Jennings said Wednesday at an Americans United for Change health care panel in Philadelphia. "That should be a message to the health plans: you know, don't pull out of these exchanges. If we need to work with you, we can work with you. But there's got to be a choice." The Medicare buy-in that Clinton has proposed would create a separate pool for the 55 to under 65 population, he said, and it would be a "new option" for that population, too. Clinton: All about affordability. That was the key focus of the rest of the panel, which included top Democratic health care minds Neera Tanden, Ron Pollack, Nancy-Ann DeParle and former Sen. Tom Daschle. "Affordability is an issue for the broad public that we all have to address," Tanden said. Clinton's latest health care proposals wouldn't add to the deficit. That's according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is out with new reports analyzing both candidates. In addition to a Medicare buy-in, Clinton proposed increasing funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps and empowering the HHS secretary to block certain premium increases. "The net cost of Clinton's additional health policies would likely be about $50 billion over 10 years," CRFB says. To offset the policy, as well as a new proposal to expand access to college, Clinton would change the 3.8 percent investment surtax that applies to income above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. While the new proposals wouldn't increase the debt, "both spending and revenue will likely be higher than our previous estimates," CRFB concludes. See the analysis: http://bit.ly/2aiCiZH THIS IS THURSDAY PULSE — Where we're constantly losing things — documents, socks, track of time — and are prepared to reward mightily for anyone who can help. Know any services that might be available and responsive to rush-in orders? Send tips and state secrets to ddiamond@politico.com or @ddiamond on Twitter. With help from Nancy Cook (@NanCook), Jen Haberkorn (@JenHab) and Rachana Pradhan (@RachanaDixit). STAR RATINGS ICYMI: Medicare finally issues quality star ratings. The once-delayed ratings were finally released on Wednesday, and CMS says that it's an important step to help patients shop for care. "We have received numerous letters from national patient and consumer advocacy groups supporting the release of these ratings because it improves the transparency and accessibility of hospital quality information," CMS's Kate Goodrich writes in a blog post. The ratings are on a five-star scale, but many well-known hospitals were only awarded four stars or less, Jordan Rau writes at Kaiser Health News: http://bit.ly/2anRF6K Industry reaction: Displeased. Wednesday's Afternoon Pulse carried critiques from hospital leaders, who say the ratings don't fully account for the sociodemographics of the patient mix, and here are a few more sharp responses. — Chip Kahn, Federation of American Hospitals: "The new hospital star ratings fall short and are not ready for primetime… CMS should go back to the drawing board." — Atul Grover, Association of American Medical Colleges: "Perhaps we in the medical community should start issuing Star Ratings for agencies, starting with CMS." Local hospitals don't fare so well. No hospital in the Washington metro area received five stars, and many prominent facilities received just a fraction, including · George Washington University Hospital: 1 star · MedStar Georgetown University Hospital: 1 star · Sibley Memorial Hospital: 3 stars · Virginia Hospital Center: 4 stars MORE FROM THE CONVENTION Speakers tackle HIV/AIDS, contraception, gun violence. Across the day, speakers vowed that Democrats would make progress on a slew of public health priorities if Clinton was elected to office. · Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy framed gun violence as a public health crisis that claims the lives of 90 Americans per day. "I have had enough," he said, invoking his nearly 15-hour filibuster in the Senate last month, to protest the lack of gun control legislation. "It's time to take Washington back from the gun lobby," and Clinton is prepared to do it, he argued. · NARAL's Ilyse Hogue attacked Trump's criticism of abortion providers and patients; "he says women like me who have abortions should be punished," she said. (Trump has walked those statements back.) She also linked Trump's position with Republican VP nominee Mike Pence's efforts in Congress and Indiana to propose "some of the most outrageous abortion restrictions in the country." Several Democratic lawmakers also praised the White House cancer "moon shot" as a program that must continue under Clinton. California Rep. Judy Chu said that it's been an inspiration to America's patients — and helped inspire her colleague, Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai, who passed away from pancreatic cancer last week at age 49. "I will never forget the tears in his eyes when he learned about the cancer moon shot initiative," she said. "In his memory, we've got to keep hoping — and fighting." A message from PhRMA: Insurers don’t pay full price for your medicines. So why do you? A new study found net prices for medicines grew just 1.5% last year. And due to market negotiations, retail medicine spending grew just 0.4% in 2017—the slowest rate in 5 years. Visit LetsTalkAboutCost.org to find out more. ON THE TRAIL Trump blasts Democrats — and blasts email — on Obamacare. In the middle of President Obama's convention speech on Wednesday night, the Republican nominee sent a mass email to his listserv, attacking Democrats' signature health reform. "Owning the 3rd term: Obamacare has been an absolute disaster," the email reads, pointing to reports of insurance premium growth compiled by Kaiser Family Foundation, Politifact, and more. McCain hits the air with new Obamacare-themed ad. GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona is hitting the air with a new TV ad attacking his Democratic opponent, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, over her vote for Obamacare, Pro's Theo Meyer reports. "Liberal Ann Kirkpatrick bragged about helping Nancy Pelosi pass Obamacare," the ad's narrator says, followed by a clip of Kirkpatrick saying that her vote for the bill was "the one I'm most proud about." See the ad: http://bit.ly/2acMIPO PHILANTHROPHY Foundations join on chronic illness. Five major national health care foundations are working together on a new project aimed at reducing the costs of caring for chronically ill patients, the groups announced in the New England Journal of Medicine. The Commonwealth Fund, the John A. Hartford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Peterson Center on Healthcare, and the SCAN Foundation said they will launch the initiative later this year. More for Pros from Brianna Ehley. MERGERS FTC requires unprecedented divestiture. The FTC is requiring the country's largest generic drug company, Teva, to divest more than 75 generic drugs to competitors as a condition of acquiring the third largest generic drug company, Allergan. The agreement marks the largest drug divestiture order in a pharmaceutical merger case, FTC said on Wednesday. If finalized, it would settle FTC charges that the proposed $40.5 billion acquisition of Allergan's generic drug business would be anti-competitive. More for Pros from Sarah Karlin-Smith … Meanwhile, FTC will permit Mylan to acquire Swedish drug maker Meda for $7.2 billion, but the company must divest rights to two generic drugs. More from FTC. Pharma dealmaking falls, health services deals are up. That's according to a pair of new PwC reports out this morning, which conclude that the total number of pharma deals fell 19 percent since last year. One key factor for the slowdown? The chilling effect of Brexit on global markets, PwC concludes. Meanwhile, the deal volume in the health services sector is up 16 percent since last year, with physicians, hospitals and long-term care facilities among the most aggressive employers engaging in M&A. ZIKA VIRUS Florida steps up investigation of non-travel-related infections. The state's Department of Health is now investigating two new cases of the Zika virus that may have come from local transmission, bringing the total number of cases in question to four. If confirmed, these cases would signal the arrival of Zika in the continental United States and would mean that local mosquitos now carry the virus, Pro's Nancy Cook reports. (So far, Zika has only shown up here through sexual transmission, or from people who traveled abroad to infected areas like Brazil). This discovery would also reignite the somewhat toxic political debate over which party is responsible for blocking emergency federal funding. … This pattern of four mysterious cases is consistent with the way the dengue virus appeared in the United States in 2013, Florida health officials say. Now, the health department is going door-to-door to try to suss out the number of infected people and is collecting urine samples from residents in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Overall, Florida has counted 328 cases of travel-related Zika infections, and 53 additional cases involving pregnant women. AROUND THE NATION Mercatus on Medicaid. CMS' latest update on Medicaid's financial outlook shows that expansion enrollees are costing way more than initially anticipated, the Mercatus Center's Brian Blase writes, arguing that Congress must boost its oversight of the program. The CMS Office of the Actuary's 2015 report estimates that newly eligible adults had $6,366 in costs last year on average, an increase from $5,488 in 2014, Pro's Rachana Dixit reports. The 2015 cost figure is substantially higher than what had been expected previously: actuaries had estimated that per enrollee costs for 2015 would be roughly $4,300. The agency's actuaries say the increase in costs could be the result of several factors, including that managed care plans' rates were set higher than anticipated to care for the expansion population. CMS, however, responded that total actual Medicaid spending in 2014 was $4.4 billion less than projected last year by agency actuaries. The 2015 spending report: http://bit.ly/2avNpSp Blase's column in Forbes: http://bit.ly/2avNaXy WHAT WE'RE READING by Nancy Cook Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine hold different positions on abortion funding: http://on.wsj.com/2abckHT A take from the JAMA Forum on the partisan divide in this year’s election on health care by Larry Levitt: http://bit.ly/2ao4OwJ Anthem is getting past Cigna merger blues: http://on.wsj.com/2ae2Pqw Being unfit may be almost as bad for your health as smoking: http://nyti.ms/2aLCz8u Large employers are key to reforming health care, according to an op-ed from the Harvard Business Review: http://bit.ly/2auNgi8 A message from PhRMA: Insurers don’t pay full price for your medicines. So why do you? Due to robust market negotiations, retail medicine spending grew just 0.4% in 2017—the slowest rate in 5 years. And a new study found net prices for medicines grew just 1.5% last year. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel that way for you. Forty percent of a medicine’s list price is given as a rebate or discount to the government and middlemen, like insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These rebates and discounts exceed $150 billion annually, but insurers don’t always share these savings with you. Visit LetsTalkAboutCost.org to find out more.
L-System Playground Name Foo Bar Axiom Rules F => F+F--F+F Angle Iterations Shortcuts Axiom is the initial state of L-System before any of the rules are applied. Axiom corresponds to zero iterations. The following commands can be used: fghiFGHI — move and draw line in the current direction — move and draw line in the current direction other letters — no action; can be used for substitution rules — no action; can be used for substitution rules [] — push/pop current position and angle to/from stack — push/pop current position and angle to/from stack -+ — rotate around Z axis (clockwise/counter-clockwise) — rotate around Z axis (clockwise/counter-clockwise) <> — rotate around X axis (tilt left/right) — rotate around X axis (tilt left/right) ^& — rotate around Y axis (pull up/down) The following commands can be used: Rules are applies to L-System state on each iteration. These are simple substitution rules which replace letters (aka chars) with strings. If no rules can be applied, L-System state doesn't change. Rules syntax: <rules> ::= <rule> [<new line> <rule>]* <rule> ::= <char> " => " <string> The following commands can be used: fghiFGHI — move and draw line in the current direction — move and draw line in the current direction other letters — no action; can be used for substitution rules — no action; can be used for substitution rules [] — push/pop current position and angle to/from stack — push/pop current position and angle to/from stack -+ — rotate around Z axis (clockwise/counter-clockwise) — rotate around Z axis (clockwise/counter-clockwise) <> — rotate around X axis (tilt left/right) — rotate around X axis (tilt left/right) ^& — rotate around Y axis (pull up/down) Rules syntax:The following commands can be used: Rotation angle in degrees used by commands "-+<>^&" (full rotation is 360 degrees). When focus is outside of text inputs, "a" and "A" can be used as shortcuts to increase/decrease angle by 5 degrees. Amount of times the substitution rules will be applied to L-System state starting with axiom. Note that rules often have exponential complexity so specifying too many iterations can freeze the browser. (For most built-in L-Systems more than 8 iterations is already too much.)
Hello again... My apologies for the neglect I have given my DA account over the majority of this year. Things have kept me busy and have gone in unexpected directions, but I am recently able to turn some attention towards colorful equines once again. Hopefully I can keep at it to some degree, and I can make good on some obligations in the fandom as well. As for this image: Just a little visual exploration of the Power of Love and the two characters who are most closely linked to it. I suppose that it's not surprising that it's such a potent force in Equestria, what with "Friendship" driving mad-god destroying energy blasts. Doing the math, Twilight with the power of four Alicorns was evenly matched with a Tirek powered with the magic of every other pony in Equestria. So it seems safe to say that the Alicorns are mighty powerful. And yet Chrysalis, fueled by the true-love from one unicorn, was able to overpower Celestia... and Cadance and Shining, using their own true love, were able to blast an entire army away without the Elements of Harmony or any other artifact. (I excuse poor Celestia and her forced-by-story-conventions defeat... if she started throwing down the kind of fireballs Twilight was tossing at Tirek she'd have melted all of the wedding guests and half the palace.) Still, it looks like Love is a pretty potent pony power, so it seems to me that Cadance should get more credit for being a potential badass. Add the Crystal Heart to her arsenal (and that neat crystal-forming power she whipped out in Season 5) and I don't think she's anyone with whom you'd want to tangle. As for the artwork itself, I feel like it should have been painted onto someone's van in the 70's... As always, I encourage you to check out the full-sized version.
Going Viral How The Double Cork Changed Slopestyle And What The Future Holds Words: Gerhard Gross For years slopestyle was in a relatively flat state. Sure, there were rodeos, backflips, and occasional frontflips, but for the most part runs were dominated by a series of leveled-off spins. It was a kick to tune in to X Games, Dew Tour, Vans Triple Crown, and Burton US Open, but to see the true progression of riding, you had to turn to video parts. Then the double cork was injected into runs in 2008 and the script literally flipped. Since then, the idea of sending it twice-around-upside-down has spread to riders around the world, going from standout trick to the standard in just three years. The result is lines that are mind-boggling to behold. To understand how the seed for the current level was planted though, you have to go back to ground zero, the point of inception. It all started with a miscalculation. One Giant Misstep For Snowboarder-Kind In 2001 JP Walker was trying to learn a frontside cork 900 when he accidentally over-rotated, flipping twice. Although he didn't land, he started to imagine how he could make adjustments so he could stomp it. Says JP, "I didn't have anyone else to watch or any photos to look at, so I just brewed it over in my head for a couple of years." Two years later he was filming for Shakedown; he had broken his jaw at the start of the season and winter was almost over. After thinking about it for so long and wanting to finish his part strong, it seemed like the perfect time to try to dump a cork over twice. He ended up landing it in four tries. JP recalls, "Everyone was tripping: 'What are you going to call it? Call it a JP flip or a Walker roll.' I was like, 'Naw, I'm not going to do that.' That would be harsh, you know? It's just one cork, plus an additional cork on the end—a double cork." Updated: Although other notable riders such as Jim Rippey, Ben Hinkley, and Mike Michalchuk, to name a few, did their variations of double flips before this, JP’s was the first to be truly corked. And so the term “double cork” was coined. The progression doesn’t stop here though. Head to the next page and flip into the present day. But the new trick didn't take off right away. It was difficult for other riders to wrap their heads around how to approach it. Part of the problem was that JP's way was similar to a double underflip. Plus he came around to 900. The next season, 2004, the only one to be seen was Travis Rice's frontside 1080 double cork on Pyramid Gap in Absinthe's Pop and in his TransWorld interview that year—a completely different version than JP's. It was followed a year later by the first on a park jump by David Benedek in 91 Words For Snow. Says David, "[JP's] was clearly the first legit double cork, but it didn't catch on with me because it didn't look like something you could repeat every time. Then I saw Travis' double cork and it made so much sense that a 1080 would put you back on your feet. So Travis' became the template for all the others." Soon after, Travis and David were feeling confident enough to try their double corks in a competition setting—the true test of having a trick dialed. The venue they chose was the December 2006 Nokia Air & Style in Munich, Germany. The stadium was packed with thousands of screaming fans. One hundred and fifty thousand euros in total prize money was on the line. No pressure. That evening in the qualifying rounds, Travis stomped a frontside 1080 double cork and David took it one step farther, landing a frontside 1260 double cork. In the finals, David fell on a repeat 1260 attempt, finishing fourth, and Travis won the event with a double backflip backside 180. But it was the double cork that truly stole the show. So we’ve reach constant corkage. But you know there’s more. The next page dives deep. So put on the snorkel and head on down. Half a world away, 14-year-old Seb Toutant was watching from Quebec, Canada, soaking in all the action. What he saw marinated in his mind for the next year until one day he was practicing backside 1080s at his home resort of Val Saint-Côme. As he spun, he kept coming out of the trick with a weird cork at the end. Says Seb, "I thought, 'Dude, maybe if I take off with more cork, I can bring it into a double cork.' I knew David did a front 10 double and Travis did a backside double rodeo, so I figured it was possible. I didn't go riding to do a double that day, it just worked out." It took another full season before he was ready to try his new trick in competition. In April of 2008, he dropped it at the Empire Shakedown (a big air to rail setup now called the Ride Shakedown) in Mont Saint-Sauveur, Quebec, for the win. With competition double corks now done in both directions, slopestyle was ripe for an explosion in progression. The hardest work had been done: proving the tricks were possible and consistently doable. But it had yet to reach the tipping point. The final push, according to European contest killers Seppe Smits and Gjermund Braaten, came in two strokes, first with Travis Rice's backside 1080 double corks in That's It, That's All in the fall of 2008, and with Seb's at the Burton New Zealand Open slopestyle in 2009—the same event where double corks became the standard for winning halfpipe runs. Says Seppe, "From that point on, everyone was starting to try backside double corks 10s. It was a really big step in the evolution. And going to 1260 was kind of quick for most people." Doing the trick still wouldn't guarantee a win, but it was clear that if you wanted to podium in the future, you'd have to add one to your bag pretty quick. Other ABDs (Already Been Dones) That Set The Bar Double backside rodeo–Eric Willett, 2009 Burton New Zealand Open Slopestyle Frontside 1080 double cork–Halldor Helgason, 2009 Breckenridge Dew Tour Slopestyle Frontside 1080 double cork to double backside rodeo–Eric Willett, 2010 Burn River Jump Slopesyle, Livigno, Italy Cab 1260 double cork–Seb Toutant, 2010 Billabong Ante Up, Whistler, BC, Canada Backside 1260 double cork–Mark McMorris, 2010 Billabong Ante Up, Whistler, BC, Canada Cab 1440 double cork–Sage Kotsenburg, 2011 Billabong Air & Style, Innsbruck, Austria Cab 1260 double cork to frontside 1080 double cork to backside 1080 double cork–Seb Toutant, X Games 15 Aspen, Colorado So double corks work, but why? Gerhard breaks it down in the next page… These Corks Were Made For Stomping: Why Doubles Work Throwing down a double cork takes some serious air-awareness, tech skills, and commitment. Because of that, landing one in competition is usually rewarded with high scores, but that's not the only reason the trick works well in a slopestyle setting. Doubles tend to be something you stomp the piss out of. Bud Keene, the US Snowboarding national freestyle development coach and Shaun White's Olympic coach, explains, "When it comes around, a double matches the transition of the landing far better than flat spins ever did. When you take off a big jump and start to spin flat, generally you match the horizon with your board. When you come down on a landing that's 35 degrees steep, you're landing on your tail, nose, heels, or toes. Doubles match landings very well. Riders go into that third plane, so it's no trouble to slap tranny flat base and ride away. There's not 1,000 degrees of rotation to stop on a dime so there's a lot less reverting. They've made it a much more technical sport and it's much more fun to watch." Style, Rails, And Better Courses: What's Next? The story of slopestyle progression doesn't end with the double cork, but the current level is close to a plateau as far as jumping goes. The NBD (never been done) list is getting short: four back-to-back double corks in one run and a 1440 double cork in a line are still left to claim. After Torstein Horgmo landed the first triple flip in competition at the X Games 15 Big Air last January and Mark McMorris, Pat Burgener, and Seb Toots all debuted their backside triple corks (switch for Pat), it seems like the trick is ready to be that new new. But doing it in a slopestyle run might not happen so soon. Mark McMorris, one of the obvious picks to land a triple in competition, says, "I don't think they are possible on any of the jumps at [slopestyle] contests right now. Maybe X Games, but I don't think we'll see a lot of them next year. At least I hope not, because they're kind of dangerous." Thankfully, slopestyle isn't defined by corks alone. Mark, Seb, Gjermund, Torstein, and Seppe feel that progression will continue less in the form of totally new tricks and more with a focus on style and changing up grabs. Mark says, "Right now you see a lot of mutes and Indys. I think we'll see a lot of nose and tail to throw some diversity into the tricks." Torstein Horgmo agrees, adding, "The technicality of tricks might stagnate for a little while. I don't know where it will go in terms of putting another flip or spin on, but I'd like to see different variations and more style. Doing a trick your own way and not the way your friends do it is a part of progression, too." Jibs are another area ready to be revisited. With the hype over what happens in the air, they've nearly become a token obstacle, often set only at the top of the course, something that riders hit on their way to the section where the winners are decided—the jumps. Seb, Gjermund, Mark, and Torstein think that riders have been holding back on the jib sections and this is where we'll start to see new or at least more technical tricks. That leaves the courses with a need to evolve. Riders have pushed creativity to the limit given what they have to work with and are ready for new and more challenging setups. Says Torstein, "I like to ride creative features where I'm not stuck doing something that everyone else is doing, and they're stuck too because that's how the feature is. Putting kickers on the sides of jibs—that alone opens up so many more tricks. As far as airtime, there are so many different styles of jumps that aren't always used. Plus they can still build jumps that are way bigger, but way safer." Is the double cork going to be the key to Olympic glory? Find out on the next page! The Big O Factor Riders have always been the driving force behind progression, but this past September a new factor entered the mix: Olympic slopestyle. There's no denying the Olympics were a motivator for upping the level of halfpipe riding in 2010, but whether it will have the same effect on slopestyle remains to be seen. Much of the standard of riding at Sochi in 2014 will be dependant on the quality of the course and making sure the best riders aren't excluded because of red tape surrounding contest schedules and qualification processes. But Bud Keene is confident the Olympics will take it up another notch. Bud says, "Money has always been on the line [in contests], now there's a medal. The exposure is huge. The more people watching, the more that's at stake. At that top level, it will get tight and more people will be pushing it. 2014—we'll see triples." Beyond that? Everyone we spoke with is confident the quad cork is coming at some point. If it's physically possible to do a trick, rest assured someone will eventually step up and try it. After all, Ulrik Badertscher already put down a backside 1620, heinous as it may have been. New tricks are an inseparable part of snowboarding. They will be followed by tweaks to style and consistency and will eventually turn up in contests. As Mark McMorris says, "Everyone thinks the sport will stop at some point. But the jumps will keep getting bigger and safer, progression will never stop." Double Corks "Suck" Haters have been calling out progression since the first 360 went down. Fortunately, talk is cheap. As Bud Keene, who rode for Sims and Burton in the mid-'80s points out, "When I retired as pro in '89 people were doing 540s and that was about it. When guys started doing 720s people were like, 'Oh my god, snowboarding's going to hell. What a bunch of ballerinas.' Then when people went to nine it was, 'Oh my god, circus performers. Snowboarding's going to hell.' I've seen it every step of the way. Now the double comes along and people are talking shit about it, usually people who can't do them. As long as it's done with style, smoothness, and grabbing your board, it's all good."
With millions of lenses, frames, and cases, and many thousands of optical instruments now in use and service on the battlefronts, every AO man and woman can take pride in his part as a necessary cog in the wheel of Victory. Whether an AO person’s job is in the offices doing clerical work or running a machine, or whether it is in the factories or branches – at a bench or a machine it is important to the production of the staggering quantities of vision equipment which have been and are being delivered to the armed forces. Military secrecy still must surround much of AO’s war story. It is nevertheless possible, with a few facts and figures, to give a highlight picture. 18,000,000 Pairs of Lenses Since Pearl Harbor, AO has supplied the Army, Navy, Air Force, and industrial producers of vital war equipment with more than 18,300,000 pairs of lenses. This in itself is a production job to boast about and this record was made in a period when skilled manpower was being drafted, new machinery and equipment could not readily be obtained, and when many essential materials were scarce. More than 1,400,000 pairs of complete corrective prescriptions were individually prepared for the Armed Forces by AO in 1943, over 2,000,000 since Pearl Harbor, a record which indicates the extent to which AO branch laboratories were taxed. Altogether, AO people delivered to the war effort in excess of 6,500,000 pairs of individually ground and polished spectacle and goggle lenses. This does not include flat or dropped lenses or millions of pairs of focus lenses used by people in essential war plants. 95% Goggles Go To War But this lens story is only one phase. Add to it over 10,000,000 goggle frames and other individual safety products; nearly 5,000,000 pairs of sunglasses; tens of thousands of pieces of ophthalmic testing and refracting equipment used by the Army; plus the AO Army Prescription Serve, and the figures begin to give some appreciation of the magnitude of the task which AO people have successfully accomplished. In 1943 over 95 percent of AO goggles and safety equipment and practically all sunglass production went to war. Figures are of little significance, however, when it comes to such projects as the Mobile Optical Units which were designed, equipped and built for the U. S. Army Medical Dept. An idea presented by the Surgeon General’s staff in Washington in late 1941 became a finished, practical reality in early 1942, largely through the ingenuity, enthusiasm and plain hard work of AO engineers and machinery experts. Completely equipped units, built around husky G.I. trucks rolled out of Southbridge under their own power, ready to do their job wherever American fighting men needed glasses. Ahead of Schedule A later development – portable optical repair units – will enable Army Medical Corpsmen to repair and replace glasses almost literally within sound of front line guns. AO people will remember a recent letter of congratulations from the Surgeon-General’s office prompted by the delivery of a large quantity of these Portable Repair Units weeks before the Army even expected delivery. AO has also built and equipped Base Type and Mobile Type Optical Service Units for the Navy, completely stocked with lenses, frames, and cases. Cases Play Part Cases made by Casedale people play an important role in AO’s wartime production story. Most spectacle prescriptions made for Army personnel is delivered with a necessary cases. Millions of pairs of goggles and sunglasses sent to the Armed Forces are protected by cases of standard and special design. Several hundred thousand cases were also supplied on Lease-Lend orders and to equip the Mobile Optical units. Today AO goggles and sunglasses are on land, on the sea, and in the air. They are improving vision, protecting eyes, and increasing combat efficiency from Iceland and Alaska to England, Italy, and islands of the South Pacific. Saving Precious Seconds Special purpose goggles and lenses play a vital part in Navy fire control and spotting. Absorptive lenses for specialized tasks are saving precious seconds by eliminating glare, and, in general, by making men see better, quicker, when the difference of a few seconds may mean the difference between life and death – even the difference between the success and failure of a mission. A partial list of AO goggles, spectacles, and sunglasses will show them actively at war in the pilots’ seats of bombers and fighters, behind the machine guns which protect these bombers, behind the sights of anti-aircraft guns, in tanks and behind the guns of tank destroyers. They are on the ground crews at air fields; protecting the eyes of mountain and ski troops from cold and snow glare, and on desert troops to shield them from dust and sun glare. Polaroid, with its amazing property of cutting out unwanted glare, is doing active serve on Navy ships protecting lookouts and gunners from the reflected glare of the sea. Exact Figures Cannot Be Given These are only the high spots of AO’s complete war program. To fill in the missing items it would be necessary to list almost the entire machinery and equipment catalog of AO. Exact delivered quantities of any of these pieces cannot be given for military reasons. One of these days the figures can and will be made public. For the present, information must be confined to generalities and totals that only hint at the tremendous volume which has been required to satisfy the needs of the largest Army and Navy this country has ever known. In 1942 and 1943 AO supplied thousands of instruments to the armed forces. To meet this requirement AO production was multiplied, in many instances, a hundred fold. And the end is not yet. Just as the production of AO people has improved and protected the vision of American fighters in every engagement with the enemy to date, so will AO products made and still being made in Casedale, Lensdale, and the Main Plant be in the thick of the coming invasion of Europe as well as all other fronts of the present and future. Ad from 1944 AO News 14-Jan-1944 More info on WWII Medical Research center website (includes AO Lensometer / lab photos) http://med-dept.com/amb.php About "Doc Tillyer" In Memory Of... May 1945 Tribute to AO Workers killed in WWII WWI and AO's support of War effort Dick Whitney Return to AO History Main Page Return to Whitney Home Page
I think we all can agree the St. Louis’ monument the Gateway Arch certainly has some special powers. For example it’s pretty clear that thing is some how a super magnet for attracting street crime, crappy hockey goalies and cheesy tourist calendar photographers, but maybe there’s something else going on there… The St. Louis Arch, a 636 ft. monument on the west bank of the Mississippi River, has stood for nearly forty years. It is a shining monument built to convey St. Louis’s role as the Gateway to the West. Only now has the reason for its construction as well as its true purpose been revealed. It seems that some of the same scientists responsible for the doomsday weapon research in the deserts of the Southwest U.S. during the forties, were also interested in controlling the weather. They hoped to use weather control as a means to aid in troop movement and logistics for the Allies, as well as use it as a tactical weapon against the enemy. This, they hoped, would bring about a quick end to the war in Europe. Thus, the design for the arch was conceived. Ok, lets just slow it down here for a second there crazy. The government wanted to win World War II, so they decided the best way to do that was to: Control the weather… (No one likes to march in the rain!) …and they decided to build their weather controlling machine in the middle of the continental United States, instead of anywhere near Europe… …and they decided to build it 20 years after World War II had ended? Hmm. Well this all checks out, so lets see what proof Professor Screwball has of our local weather manipulation device actually doing anything. As storms roll across the plains of North America they cut a path of destruction. The midwest has a notorious reputation for severe and dangerous weather. Powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes, and severe ice and snowstorms pummel the area year round. But, for some odd reason, as these storm systems approach the St. Louis metro area; they seem to “split” in half. One half of the storm system will move to the north, while the other half will move the opposite direction; creating an area in the middle without any severe weather. This area in the middle, you guessed it, the St. Louis metro area. These storms then “rejoin” again over Illinois and Indiana, well past St. Louis. We’ve had this the whole time and no one thought to turn down the f*cking heat this summer?! You know what though, we have had a few storms smack around the city a bit. We certainly remember losing power a few times over the last 5 years. Could maybe, this be all bullshit?! Gee, we hope not. Finding something false on the internet could really hurt it’s credibility. Does this happen every time, you may ask? The answer, put simply, is no. Ah! Of course! Obviously the device cannot be used frequently during business hours as many tourists are inside the arch, but also the ‘Powers that be’ use this device at their own discretion so as not to draw too much attention. Naturally. Plus to activate the weather Arch you’ve got to solve the Pharaoh’s riddle, get past the Black Knight, fight off the giant spider from that creepy Punky Brewster episode, and then turn turn the two keys simultaneously before the cursed skeleton army made up of the 1996 Rams offensive starting lineup is awakened, so it’s just not feasible to active the thing for every little storm. Sorry Lambert Airport, next time you come up here and fight the spider. So why are we just hearing about this now you might ask? Well…blah blah blah government secrets or something like that we bet. The government has long since tried to cover up the details on this secret research project. Nailed it. To this day, very few people know of the existence of the ‘Weather Control Experiments’ taking place in the Midwest. How’d you find out? Ah, nevermind. Secrets make the day more fun! But the next time you watch the weather, pay close attention to the strange weather patterns and movement of storm systems in the St. Louis area. …except for when nothing special happens, which means no one turned on the Arch that day. Remember that. All of this falls apart if you start thinking there can’t be exceptions, or if you’re not a moron. Oh but that thing about it attracting crappy hockey goalies to St. Louis is actually true. Look it up. via Failed Success.com and our tipster who protects us from “What the hell am I going to write about?!” storms all the time.
News The Jonas Gutierrez Question One player who divides the fans is Jonas Gutierrez; is he a tireless unselfish worker for the team who never gives less than 100%, or a plodder who can’t cross a ball to save his life? (To feature like Jim, send in your letters/articles for the magazine/website to [email protected]) After the Chelsea match, Alan Pardew singled out Jonas for a special mention when speaking to the Evening Chronicle; “Jonas answered a few critics, he was fabulous against Chelsea. Everyone gets a lift when new players come in (unless they take your place!) and Jonas is a great example of that. He’s a good player who has been running on empty and has lacked confidence and belief due to the team not been strong enough. When you bring new players in it is only right you give him his chance and say ‘Come on, we’ve got a proper team now, come and show your true form’. Against Chelsea he did that and I’m very proud of him”. I think there’s no doubt that Gutierrez has been poor this season but he has hardly been alone in that. In any team it is essential you have your really gifted flair players such as Cabaye and Ben Arfa but just as important is that you have your worker ants/water carriers, like Jonas. Down the years the likes of Manchester United and others have had grafters to complement their real stars, in a lesser team the worker ants will still be exactly that but even the best teams they need them. The trouble is that when your team is struggling for flair, workers like Jonas can still be busy but just end up running into dead ends, especially this season as Newcastle have missed the likes of Ben Arfa and Cabaye, while generally the squad players called into the team have been woeful. Plus of course the lack of movement of some of our players has been embarrassing, especially seeing the energy and workrate of players like Sissoko and Gouffran. Jonas will run and run but he desperately needs others to create situations for him and of course he really comes into his own in covering the pitch to cover the flair players when they are creating their magic. I was as amazed as anybody when he appeared from nowhere…like a superhero, to soar above John Terry for that crucial first goal. However, he got on the end of a brilliant Santon class and Jonas had the opportunity to get into that position thanks to the quality of Newcastle unsettling the blues on the day. This worker ant still has a lot to offer. New Mag in newsagents from Saturday but order now online and copies will be posted out on Friday, or why not start a subscription – prices from only £23. [latest_issue]
Photo-illustration: Randi Klett; Photos: iStockphoto Advertisement The U.S. economy has grown 8 percent since 2007, but the annualized electricity demand growth has been zero over that same period. That’s the first time in recent memory that U.S. energy use remained flat over multiyear span during which the economy expanded. The third annual Sustainable Energy in America fact book from Bloomberg New Energy Finance found that electricity demand growth, which has slowed since 1990, has come to a grinding halt. “There has been an outright decoupling between electricity growth and economic growth,” the report states. Furthermore, it notes, the U.S. economy has become less energy-intensive. Although the trend has been going on for nearly a decade, the slowdown or rollback of energy efficiency policies, especially at the state government level, could mean the flat line representing electricity use will start to creep back up in the coming years. Commercial facilities have led the move towards efficiency. Many cities and states have started establishing policies for commercial building energy benchmarking, a requirement that has been in place in many European cities for years. Building codes are also being updated; 10 states adopted more stringent building codes in 2014. Efficiency measures in public buildings, including federal facilities, have also become considerably more commonplace in recent years. Many of the states and cities that require energy benchmarking are leading by example and benchmarking their own building stocks, while also looking at the reduction of energy expenditures as a way to cut costs. In 2013, the U.S. government’s energy consumption was at the lowest level it had been since 1975, when record keeping began. In homes, appliances and consumer electronics are becoming increasingly energy efficient. Those gains, however, are largely offset by the fact that there are more devices overall. Instead of home energy use being substantially lower, it is just stagnant. In many ways, the United States is playing catch up with Western Europe, which has long had more stringent energy efficiency standards. The demand forecast for the EU-27 is estimated to grow only slightly, at about 0.5 percent per year, through 2020, according to EURELECTRIC [PDF], an electricity industry group. Countries such as Estonia and the Czech Republic will drive most of that growth, whereas demand will be relatively flat in countries such as Italy and Sweden. For the United States to continue its downward trend, the adoption of stronger energy efficiency standards and building codes must become even more widespread—especially into the South, where progress has lagged. Much of the future progress could hinge on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, which will regulate emissions from existing power plants. For many states, meeting the targets will require strengthening energy efficiency policies, both for power plants and down throughout the system to homes and businesses.
BART has agreed with bicycling advocates to conduct a pilot program allowing bikes on trains at any time, including rush hours, on Fridays in August, BART announced. "Bike Fridays" are intended to test whether BART should liberalize its rules for bikes on board or continue with the current limitations during peak periods on several lines, BART said this past week. "The bicycling community, particularly the East Bay and San Francisco Bicycle Coalitions, have been instrumental in helping us design this pilot project," BART Board Vice President Tom Radulovich said in a statement. "Issues surrounding lifting the restrictions have been long-debated inside BART. I'm happy to see that we're now about to put the idea to the test." Some restrictions will remain in place on Fridays in August, including bans on taking bikes onto the first car or onto crowded trains, BART said. BART estimates that about 4 percent of BART riders travel by bicycle to BART stations, and that about 60 percent of those customers take their bikes on board. More information about the current bicycle policy can be found on BART's bike Web page.
Today, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced that, following advice from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), he intends to accept undertakings from News Corporation on their proposed merger with BSkyB in lieu of a referral to the Competition Commission. A notice of consultation on the undertakings has been launched today and expires on 21 March. The Secretary of State is required to look at the specific issue of media plurality related to the merger (competition issues having already been dealt with at European level) and issues of plurality focus on the provision of news. The undertakings that News Corporation has offered would involve Sky News being ‘spun-off’ as an independent public limited company. The shares in that company would be distributed amongst the existing shareholders of BSkyB in line with their shareholdings - News Corporation would therefore retain a 39.1 per cent stake in the new company. To ensure editorial independence and integrity in news reporting, the company would have a board made up of a majority of independent directors, including an independent chair, and a corporate governance and editorial committee made up of independent directors (who would have no other News Corporation interests). News Corporation would not be allowed to increase its shareholding in the new company without permission from the Secretary of State for 10 years. The company would have a ten year carriage agreement and a seven year renewable brand licensing agreement to ensure its financial viability - measures considered by the regulators to be long term in the rapidly-changing media sector. Jeremy Hunt said: “I am consulting on proposed undertakings from News Corporation. Informed by advice from the regulators, I believe that these will address concerns about media plurality should the proposed News Corporation/BSkyB merger go ahead. The undertakings offered would ensure that shareholdings in Sky News would remain unchanged, and indeed offer it more independence from News Corporation than it currently has. “Throughout this process I have been very aware of the potential controversy surrounding this merger. Nothing is more precious to me than the free and independent press for which this country is famous the world over. In order to reassure the public about the way this decision has been taken I have sought and published independent advice at every step of the way, even when not required to do so by law. And I have followed that independent advice.” Once the Secretary of State has considered responses to the consultation, he will reach a decision on whether he still believes that the undertakings in lieu should still be accepted. If, after consultation, he is still of the view that the undertakings in lieu which News Corporation has offered address the concerns about media plurality, he will accept them and not refer this merger to the Competition Commission. Further information
To celebrate still being hot at 45, supermodel Stephanie Seymour decided to pose for a sexy photo shoot with her two sons, ages 17 and 20. The result is every bit as creepy as it sounds. Sebastian Faena/Harper's Bazaar Continue Reading Below Advertisement Do you add a comma after the M in MILF when you're talking about your own mother? The son on the left wearing the neck bandanna and leather pants is Harry, the youngest. The one on the right, looking for all the world like he is about to fuck his mother, is Peter, the eldest. The photo set ran in Harper's Bazaar in March of 2014 and was immediately awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Unfortunate Boners. Sagely expecting some kind of backlash, the magazine printed a quote from Peter alongside the images of him crushing his pelvis against his mother's ass while hungrily pulling open her dress: "It's pretty sad to have nothing else to do but go online and write nasty things about people you don't even know." Surely that curbed any comments about the disturbingly Oedipal nature of Seymour's bizarre decision to dry-hump her children for Harper's Bazaar, forcing people to think about their own lives before passing judgment on this time-defying woman and her porcelain offspring. Sebastian Faena/Harper's Bazaar Continue Reading Below Advertisement "Those people online should be buying this corset and briefs by Dolce & Gabbana and boots by Tom Ford!" As you may have guessed, that quote didn't actually prevent anyone from criticizing the photo shoot. If anything, it made the photographs that much creepier, because it implied that Peter knew what he was doing was fucking weird. We suppose we can understand Stephanie wanting to share the spotlight with her equally impossibly attractive children, but man, there's a difference between "candid" and "lacing up your mother's thigh-high sex boots." Also, you're not doing much to deflate those "mother-son appendage juggling" rumors with photos like these: celebrity-gossip.net Continue Reading Below Advertisement If this isn't dirty, we're dirty for sharing it. This is a photo of Peter and Stephanie enjoying a walk on the beach together, which looks a lot like a photo of Peter making out with his mom on the beach. When this admittedly private moment was made public, Peter went on Facebook to quickly deflect any accusations of incest by assuring us that everything was cool, because he's gay and is therefore not attracted to women. He might as well be squeezing his sister's breast, for all the satisfaction he's getting out of that trip to second base with his mother. Scott E. Baird can be found gushing on Twitter about how Highlander 2 is the best film. For more baffling Hollywood moves, check out 5 Types of Movie Adaptations That Must Be Stopped and 5 Unwritten Rules Hollywood Needs to Stop Following. Spread some family-exploiting ideas to your friends looking to have kids. Click the Facebook 'share' button below. Check out Robert Evans' A Brief History of Vice: How Bad Behavior Built Civilization, a celebration of the brave, drunken pioneers who built our civilization one seemingly bad decision at a time.
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Reality television star Kim Kardashian is getting political. The 35-year-old Kardashian took out a full-page, paid advertisement in the New York Times Saturday. In it, she denounced the Wall Street Journal for running an ad paid for by Turkic Platform denying the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in the year 1915. In the article titled, “Genocide Denial Cannot Be Allowed,” Kardashian writes: “My family and I are no strangers to BS in the press … but when I heard about this full-page ad that ran in the Wall Street Journal denying the Armenian genocide, I couldn’t brush it off.” At the Armenian Consulate in Glendale, several Armenian protesters gathered to voice their concerns over corruption in the Armenian regime. Their take on Kardashian’s advertisement? “My first reaction … she’s right on point,” said one man, while another said: “Media should be careful in what they print, what message they are trying to give society.” The advertisement mentioned the WSJ’s response was, “We accept a wide range of advertisements, including those with provocative viewpoints.” Back in April, when the ad surfaced in the WSJ, Kardashian took a similar stance. Coincidentally, monument in remembrance of the Armenian genocide was unveiled Saturday in downtown LA’s Grand Park.
The following page is an archived Long-term Abuse report. Please do not modify it. If the user returns, please post a message on the main talk page so this report may be unarchived. No further edits should be made to this page unless the user returns. See WP:LTA for more information. Supreme Genghis Khan Shortcut: WP:LTA/GK WP:LTA/SGK Original name(s) Supreme Genghis Khan Wikilifespan March 6, 2016 ( ) – unknown Known IPs Various ranges Sockpuppet investigations Supreme Genghis Khan Instructions Admins: Revert, block, and revoke talk page access without communication with the user. Do not add any content, including sock puppet templates, to his userpages. Speedy-delete any pages created by the user, RevDel browser-crashing edits and globally lock accounts. Non-admins: Revert and report to AIV without communication with the user. Do not add any content, including warning or SP templates, to his userpages. Tag any pages created by the user for speedy deletion (add {{G5\|Supreme Genghis Khan}} to the top of the page, or, if the page is an attack page, replace its content with {{Db-mult\|g5\|g10}} ). If you use Twinkle or Huggle to tag pages, make sure to uncheck "Notify page creator if possible". Vandal accounts should also be reported at m:SRG or #wikimedia-stewards Status Unknown Basic information Comprehensive edits analysis Supreme Genghis Khan is a vandal and troll who has abused a large number of sockpuppet accounts since 2016. By the time his userpage and those of his sockpuppets, tagged with sockpuppet templates, were deleted as a result of consensus at an MfD discussion in July 2016, he was confirmed to have abused over 190 sockpuppets. Supreme Genghis Khan's account was globally locked in April 2016 following cross-wiki abuse, and following consensus reached in a discussion at the administrators' noticeboard, he was banned indefinitely from English Wikipedia in May 2016. Habitual behavior Supreme Genghis Khan's disruptive behavior takes many forms, the most common of which include the addition of duplicated images to articles ( ) and other users' userpages ( ), and other image vandalism such as the replacement of images in BLPs with an image of Osama bin Laden or North Korean leadership (Kim Jong-un and Kim Jong-il; ). Edit summaries can be obscene (e.g. "Fuck you, [user]!" and "[User] has AIDS!"; ) and may have to be hidden by administrators. This image vandalism can cause browsers to crash; some instances have added nearly 2,000,000 bytes to a page (example). Other disruption patterns include replacing article content with giant text (e.g. "GENGHIS KHAN FAVOURITE...!"; ), full unwikifying of articles by adding <nowiki> tags ( ), personal attacks (often gross; e.g. "[User] is a rapist/pedophile/sex offender") and harassment, abuse of warning templates ( ), vandalistic and malicious page moves ( , ), impersonation of other users through usernames (see below) and signature forgery ( ), creation of hoaxes and attack pages, blanking of AIV reports and obscene unblock requests. Supreme Genghis Khan has a history of adopting usernames which impersonate or attack users who have blocked or reported him, making close typos, adding e.g. "Genghis Khan", direct attacks, or in some cases variations of the Khan moniker using accented characters to evade detection. Several editors (such as ) have been targeted in this way. Cases Proposed ban for Supreme Genghis Khan at ANI Other notes , another long-term abuser active during the same time period as Supreme Genghis Khan, is suspected of being a meatpuppet of him. For example, while their contributions are quite different, some sockpuppets have claimed they are "friends", such as and .
Laurie Metcalf will be the guest of honor at the 2014/15 edition of the annual Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon, taking place March 9. EMMY AND OBIE AWARD-WINNING ACTOR AND ORIGINAL ENSEMBLE MEMBER LAURIE METCALF TO BE HONORED AT STEPPENWOLF SALUTES WOMEN IN THE ARTS FUNDRAISER MARCH 9, 2015 CHICAGO (December 2, 2014) – Steppenwolf Theatre Company proudly announces award-winning star of stage and screen Laurie Metcalf as the guest of honor at the 2014/15 annual Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon on Monday, March 9, 2015 at 12 noon (location TBD) . Widely celebrated for her role as Jackie Harris on the long running hit sitcom, Roseanne, as well as recent featured roles in Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang Theory, Ms. Metcalf’s remarkable career has spanned theater, film and television. Winner of three Emmy Awards and two Obie Awards, Ms. Metcalf was one of Steppenwolf’s original ensemble members alongside fellow college classmates Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney, Joan Allen, John Malkovich and others. Her career-making turn as Darlene in Steppenwolf’s 1984 revival of Lanford Wilson’s Balm in Gilead catapulted Metcalf into the national spotlight. She has received Tony nominations for her work in David Mamet's November and Sharr White’s The Other Place. Recently she starred in the Domesticated with Jeff Goldblum at Lincoln Center Theater. Ms. Metcalf’s dynamic career continues at full speed with major roles in three current TV series: the HBO series Getting On, CBS’s The McCarthys and The Big Bang Theory. This year’s event features an in-depth conversation with Laurie Metcalf and Steppenwolf Artistic Director Martha Lavey. Previous honorees for Steppenwolf Salutes Women in the Arts include ensemble members Joan Allen and Martha Plimpton, along with Juliette Lewis, Julianna Margulies, Margo Martindale, Julianne Nicholson and Mary-Louise Parker. The sixth annual luncheon brings together nearly 300 leaders from Chicago’s business and civic communities to honor Ms. Metcalf for her incredible contribution to the field. The event raises funds for Steppenwolf’s professional development programs, including Steppenwolf for Young Adults, the nationally recognized education program, the School at Steppenwolf, as well as the Professional Leadership Programs, providing apprenticeships, fellowships and internships for the next generation of arts managers and producers. Table sponsorships for Women in the Arts are currently available. Individual tickets, if available, start at $200 and will go on sale January 9, 2015. To purchase tickets or learn about table sponsorship opportunities, contact Steppenwolf’s Special Events Department at 312-654-5632 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . BMO Harris Bank is a lead sponsor of the 2014/15 Women in the Arts luncheon. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline Partner of Steppenwolf Theatre Company. About the Honoree Laurie Metcalf is an award-winning actress with an extraordinary career in theater, television and film that began with her work at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Since joining the original Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 1976, Metcalf has performed in more than 35 productions with the company. Her show-stopping performance in Steppenwolf’s 1981 revival of Lanford Wilson’s Balm in Gilead gained her widespread praise. The production was remounted in New York and she received the 1984 Obie Award for Best Actress and a 1984 Theatre World Award. The New York Times hailed her performance as a “tour de force” saying, “Laurie Metcalf, whose 20-minute Act II monologue in Balm in Gilead should in itself prove one of the year's most memorable theatrical events.” Additional highlights of Metcalf’s stage career have included David Mamet's November, for which she received a Tony Award nomination; Justin Tanner's Voice Lessons; Sharr White’s The Other Place, earning her a second Tony nomination; and All My Sons alongside Neil Patrick Harris at the Geffen Playhouse. In 2010, Metcalf returned to Steppenwolf to star in the world premiere production of Lisa D’Amour’s critically acclaimed Detroit. In 2012, she joined David Suchet in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night at the Apollo Theater in London. Most recently, Metcalf starred with Jeff Goldblum in Domesticated by fellow Steppenwolf ensemble member Bruce Norris at Lincoln Center. Metcalf has performed in a wide range of films, including Desperately Seeking Susan, Making Mr. Right, Miles from Home, Internal Affairs, Mistress, A Dangerous Woman, Uncle Buck, Blink, The Secret Life of Houses, Toy Story, Runaway Bride, Bulworth, Meet the Robinsons, Georgia Rule, Leaving Las Vegas, Scream 2, Stop Loss and Hop, among others. Embracing strong and complex female roles in both film and television, Metcalf played one of Jim Garrison's chief investigators in JFK and portrayed real-life Carolyn McCarthy in the television movie The Long Island Incident. Metcalf has gained wide-spread fame for her role as Jackie Harris in the hit series Roseanne, which ran from 1988 to 1997. Her performance garnered her three consecutive Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe nominations. She received an Emmy and Satellite Award nomination for her reoccurring role in the popular TV series, Desperate Housewives. Additional memorable guest appearances include Absolutely Fabulous, Malcolm in the Middle, Dharma & Greg, The Norm Show, Frasier in which she played the character Nanny G, The Big Bang Theory, Without a Trace, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Grey’s Anatomy and Monk; she was nominated for the Emmy Award as Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series for both of the latter two listed roles. Currently, she can be seen in her reoccurring role on The Big Bang Theory and in leading roles in the new CBS comedy The McCarthys and HBO's Getting On. Steppenwolf Theatre Company is America’s longest standing, most distinguished ensemble theater, producing nearly 700 performances and events annually in its three Chicago theater spaces—the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat Garage Theatre. Formed in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has grown into an ensemble of 44 actors, writers and directors. Artistic programming at Steppenwolf includes a five-play Subscription Season, a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season and two repertory series: First Look Repertory of New Work, and Garage Rep. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally, including Off-Broadway, Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf has the distinction of being the only theater to receive the National Medal of Arts, in addition to numerous other prestigious honors including an Illinois Arts Legend Award and 12 Tony Awards. Martha Lavey is the Artistic Director and David Hawkanson is the Executive Director. Nora Daley is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre and twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr.
He has donated his entire salary to charity for the 35 years he worked as a librarian. His retirement benefits and his share of family property were all used for social causes.He did odd jobs in a hotel or a laundry to meet his daily needs. No,it wasn’t easy for him as he was born into a rich agricultural family and wasn’t used to such life. He has slept on pavements and railway platforms to find out what it is like to be poor, without a roof over your head. During the Indo-China War when Nehru urged people contribute to the defence fund, he donated his gold chain to the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He does not wish to own anything as he believes that we don’t take anything with us when he leave this planet. He runs an organization `Paalam’ that serves as a bridge between donors and beneficiaries: it collects money and materials from those willing to donate and distribute them among the weaker sections. He is P. Kalyanasundaram. The United Nations Organisation adjudged him as one of the Outstanding People of the 20th Century’. An American organisation has also selected him as the `Man of the Millennium. ‘The Union Government has acclaimed him as `The Best Librarian in India’. He has also been chosen as `one of the top ten librarians of the world’. The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, has honoured him as `one of the noblest of the world’. The story of P.Kalyanasundaram Born in August 1953 in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, Kalyanasundaram studied Tamil at St Xavier’s College. At that time he was so bothered about his shrill feminine voice that he even wanted to commit suicide at one point. It was then that he met Thamizhvaanan, writer of self-improvement books, whose advice he never forgot: “Don’t bother about how you speak. Strive to make others speak good about you.” He had found his calling: child welfare. While an undergraduate at Madras University, Kalyanasundaram started the International Children’s Welfare Organisation to help slum children. This was his initiation into social service. His resolve was strengthened in 1962. At the height of the Indo-China war, he made it to the columns of local newspapers when he donated his gold chain to the National Defence Fund. Kalyanasundaram thought the publication of the news in Ananda Vikatan, a popular Tamil magazine, would encourage more donations. But when he met the editor, S. Balasubramanian, he was dismissed as a publicity hound and challenged to prove his sincerity within five years. Kalyanasundaram began by apportioning his salary as a college librarian: Rs.40 for personal expenses, Rs.100 for children’s welfare. The five-year period soon ended but he did not stop. After that social service became his life. At one point, he decided to donate his entire salary and met his daily needs doing odd jobs. The anonymous good Samaritan worked thus for 27 years. In 1990, however, the truth was out. When the University Grants Commission gave him over Rs.1 lakh as arrears of his salary, Kalyanasundaram gave it to the district collector for the higher education of orphans. Though he didn’t want it to be publicised, the collector gave it wide coverage in the media. It was only then that his life’s work was noticed. Recognition in the form of a spate of awards followed. The gold medallist in library science, even donated the entire amount of Rs. 30 crores that he received with the Man of the Millenium award. For 45 years, Kalyanasundaram’s social work focussed on children. However, in 1998, after retirement, he decided to expand his service and, thus, Paalam was born. One of the first things he did was to direct the money he received as retirement benefit to social cause. Paalam serves as the link between donors and beneficiaries. Assistance is not only monetary. Children are helped in pursuing education, medical attention is provided to the needy, blood donation camps are organised and blood samples are reached to hospitals during emergencies, the unemployed, elderly, sick and handicapped are rehabilitated, and free counselling is provided. “We cannot sustain ourselves, unless we contribute to the society in someway or the other. I strongly feel if even one person does his bit towards social good, there will be some change.” – – P. kalyanasundaram
Donald Trump drives a golf buggy during his visits to his Scottish golf course Turnberry in 2016: Trump in a golf buggy during a visit to his Scottish golf course in 2016 Donald Trump has reportedly played golf on one of every four days of his presidency, prompting fresh accusations the President is taking too much time off. It came after it emerged Mr Trump chose to stay at one of his golf resorts rather than attend a benefits concert for communities affected by Hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey. Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton, George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter appeared on stage together at the event promoting “The One America Appeal”. The current President spent much of the weekend at his golf course in Virginia and recorded a video message that was played to the concert audience in Texas. It was reportedly his 75th appearance on the grounds of one of his golf courses since he entered the White House in January. Mr Trump has been US President for 275 days, meaning that he has played golf every 3.7 days on average. American actor Chris Evans, who is a regular critic of Mr Trump, said in a Twitter post: "He's played golf roughly once every 4 days of his presidency. "Think about that. It's insane. I even rounded the [numbers] in his favour." Mr Trump repeatedly criticised Barack Obama for taking too much time off work, but has himself come under fire for spending time playing golf. It was reported in the summer that Mr Trump had taken more than three times as many holiday days as his predecessor. The US Secret Service has reportedly spent at least $137,505 (£105,178) renting golf carts to protect the President at his private clubs. According to federal purchase orders obtained by American Bridge, a political action committee that campaigns against the country's Republican leadership, the sum includes a $61,960 (£47,374) contract to rent golf carts at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. The contract runs from 29 September until 38 May 2018 and is reportedly the largest payment for the vehicles so far.
Liverpool started their season in triumphant fashion on Sunday with a 4-3 win at the Emirates that included two amazing goals from Philippe Coutinho (if we think he meant to score the second off his shin), a stunning strike from Sadio Mané and some, shall we say, inconsistent defending by the left-back Alberto Moreno. Liverpool and Coutinho stun stuttering Arsenal in seven-goal thriller Read more Considering Moreno had an uneven end to last season – including a horror show against Sevilla in the Europa League final – it raises the question: why he is still Liverpool’s first-choice left-back? Jürgen Klopp has spent roughly £70m on seven new signings but not a single full-back among them (Georginio Wijnaldum, Mané, Loris Karius, Alex Manninger, Ragnar Klavan, Joël Matip and Marko Grujic). In addition, Jon Flanagan (on loan) and Brad Smith (sold) have left the club in the summer. It seems an odd strategy when there seems to be an obvious gap to fill, or at least it would have made sense to provide some competition for the Spaniard. True, Klopp may see James Milner as a future left-back and the former England international played there during pre-season but he is not the quickest and he too is prone to the odd rash challenge. There is also the talented but injured Joe Gomez in the squad and Klavan has played at left-back before. It is also true that Liverpool tried – and failed – to sign the Leicester reserve left-back Ben Chilwell and that Klopp still has time to sign a new defender before the transfer window closes. However, when it came down to it at Arsenal, Moreno lined up and gave away a penalty in the first half with a very rash challenge before losing Theo Walcott who went on to score. On Sky, the commentators all had a go at the Spaniard. “You might as well start a goal down with Moreno at left-back,” said Gary Neville, who should know a thing or two about going a goal down from his spell in charge of Valencia, while Graeme Souness added: “He’s a winger playing left-back – he doesn’t sense danger early enough.” There were other players to blame as well – Adam Lallana giving away the ball in midfield unnecessarily when Moreno had started his run forward – and it is true that the Spaniard is good going forward, but teams are likely to target him throughout the season. Arsène Wenger says Arsenal were not ready on a physical level for Liverpool Read more Liverpool are far from the only team to have started the season with what would appear an obvious weakness in their squad. Arsenal, as always, seem short up front and in central defence yet with Arsène Wenger’s stubbornness seemingly increasing by the year, one would suspect that he will attempt to go through the season with the players currently available to him. It was also interesting to see Manchester City’s tactics against Sunderland with Pep Guardiola asking his full-backs to help out in midfield whenever necessary. Maybe that is what happens when you have had Philipp Lahm in your squad for the past three years. Either way it does not seem that Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna would be the most obvious choices to perform those duties, yet City have signed players for other areas of the team. Other teams have strengthened where appropriate, it would seem, with Chelsea bringing energy to their midfield in N’Golo Kanté and speed up front with Michy Batshuayi and Manchester United adding in every area – Eric Bailly in defence, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba in midfield and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack. That, of course, does not mean either of those teams will win the title. One game into the season is far too early to make any calls on which teams will do well – Aston Villa won their first game of last season, at Bournemouth after a majestic Rudy Gestede header for example – and who will not. And, who knows, Moreno may be able to cut out the mistakes in his game, under the tutelage of Klopp and his coaching staff, and have a storming season. It seems unlikely after a display of such inconsistency as the one on Sunday but stranger things have happened. Much stranger.
After a long wait for international delivery and a pickup delay at the post office because of New Years I finally received my Secret Santa gift. After a bit of inquiry I told my SS that I would like something from where every he is from that I can have in my house. He really stepped up. As you can tell what he sent me were two Swedish crystal sculptures from the artist Mats Jonasson. One is a Moose and the other a Elk. I hope Alexander got a great deal on these in Sweden because in my googling about the artist these items show up as quite valuable here in the states. I'll find a nice spot in the house to display these. Thanks again! Shakeyjake p.s. I hope I read your reddit username right on the package. Message me if I didn't
Only radical reforms will solve neoliberalism’s crisis of democracy. To build an effective socialist presence in America we will have to learn from our past and look to our future, building a movement vibrant and open enough to attract a diverse new generation of activists. In “Lean Socialist: Why Liberalism Needs Socialism—and Vice Versa” (May 2013), Bhaskar Sunkara calls for the rebirth of a socialist movement that would work alongside liberals for immediate gains for working people, while simultaneously offering a vision of a socialist society that would extend democracy into the economic sphere. And, at the same time, that movement would fight for the structural reforms most likely to lead towards that goal. We at Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), including our founding co-chair Michael Harrington, have always embraced this strategy. The problem? Socialists became indistinguishable from liberals because the liberals and a strong labor movement disappeared, swept away when “the tides of neoliberalism moved in.” As Barbara Ehrenreich frequently noted in the 1990s, with liberals and social democrats endorsing Clinton’s and Blair’s “kinder, gentler” dismantling of the welfare state, socialists were often the last defenders of the liberal gains of the 1930s and 1960s. But to go beyond liberalism, we absolutely agree with Sunkara that work must be done alongside movement activists, rather than so-called liberal technocrats. Socialists need to teach the liberals to fight once again. But how? First, we must remind liberals of history. Before social democracy retreated, socialists foresaw the dangers of insufficiently radical reforms. In the 1970s and 1980s, European socialist theorists such as Nicos Poulantzas and Andre Gorz joined Harrington in warning that if the Left failed to socialize control over investment, the corporate drive for profit would lead capital to abandon the “social contract” compromise of the welfare state. Socialist governments in France, Sweden and elsewhere pushed for democratizing investment. But capital immediately fought back, beginning with the CIA-aided overthrow of the Allende regime in Chile in 1973 and continuing with French capital’s strike of the early 1980s. In the face of the onslaught, democracy and old-style liberalism began to crumble. This time around, liberals must recognize the true enemy and embrace radical reforms. Socialists will be there to push them to do so. Second, we must remind liberals that racism and the center and Right’s use of a racialized politics played a central role in the rise of neoliberal capitalism. Thatcher’s and Reagan’s opportunistic attack on income-based child support for single mothers (aka “welfare”) played a major role in constructing a right-wing majority. Though the main beneficiaries of means-tested “welfare” were white, Clinton passed “welfare reform” to rein in mythical, non-white “welfare queens.” This distracted the public from Corporate America’s job-killing deindustrialization and outsourcing policies. So, since conscious socialists are but a small part of the American public, how do we build the revived Left that Sunkara calls for? Clearly, we need an anti-racist radical movement capable of refuting pervasive myths about the U.S. welfare state. The emergence of a militant immigrant rights movement and low-wage workers movement will be central to a Left and labor revival, as will the resistance of underemployed and indebted college graduates. We take heart along with Sunkara that younger people are favorable (or at least open) in their attitudes toward socialism. But 30 years of neoliberal capitalist state policies have fostered a deep skepticism about politics. Many find it hard to envision mass movements winning reforms in state policy that would improve their lives. Sunkara is right to issue his impassioned plea to “Lean Socialist,” and young people are joining the socialist movement, in part due to the invaluable intellectual work that he and his colleagues carry out at Jacobin magazine. But even if the socialist Left can break out of its at times sectarian and insular culture, we are unlikely to become a mass movement overnight. We know that socialist renewal in the United States (whatever its organizational form) will only occur on the terrain of the democratic socialist tradition of Eugene V. Debs. To build an effective socialist presence in America we will have to learn from our past and look to our future, building a movement vibrant and open enough to attract a diverse new generation of activists. Such a revived socialist movement will have to speak to constituencies far beyond the current reach of Jacobin, In These Times or DSA.
Truthout depends on you to continue producing grassroots journalism and disseminating conscientious visions for a brighter future. Help us start 2014 strong by clicking here! When Senator Elizabeth Warren came out for increasing Social Security last month it set in motion a remarkable turn of events. For over a decade the only discussion of Social Security by the Washington power types was over how much to cut it and when. The extreme left position was that current spending was about right. Senator Warren changed the debate when she endorsed a bill proposed by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin that would index retirees’ benefits to an index that more closely tracks the cost-of-living of seniors. The bill also would raise benefits by roughly $70 a month. As a result of Warren’s prominence in national politics, and the fact that raising Social Security benefits is actually quite popular, the Washington insider types were forced to take the idea seriously. As was predictable, she was quickly denounced by the usual suspects, most notably the ostensibly center-left group Third Way. Third Way is one of the many Wall Street funded groups that manage to get credibility in policy circles almost entirely by virtue of their funding. They have no real political following and rarely produce anything resembling original thinking or research. But in Washington, money commands attention. Third Way is one of a long list of organizations that have received Wall Street funding to go after Social Security and Medicare under the guise of protecting the young from their greedy parents and grandparents. This list includes Lead or Leave, the Concord Coalition, The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, America Speaks, Fix the Debt and the Can Kicks Back. At a time when we are seeing the largest upward redistribution in the history of the world these organizations have attempted to divert attention from the class war on the nation’s middle class and poor. Instead they are trying to convince young people that their financial difficulties stem from the size of their parents’ Social Security checks. The Wall Street crew also has allies in this effort in the media and academia. The Washington Post stands out in the former category, using both its news and opinion pages to push for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. There is also considerable funding for academics who want to do work showing how the young are losing out to the elderly. For these reasons, Warren’s call for raising Social Security benefits could mark a real turning point. It could mean that we get a public debate which looks at the program with open eyes, recognizing that it is a large and growing portion of workers’ retirement income. While Social Security does keep most seniors out of poverty, the $1,300 average monthly benefit is certainly not enough for a comfortable retirement for people who lack another source of support. A modest increase in benefits to retirees in the bottom half of the income distribution would make a big difference in their standard of living at relatively little cost to the program. What is most desperately needed for middle income workers is a new retirement system to replace the failed 401(k) system. There has been much work on this issue over the last two decades at both the state and federal level. The outlines of such a new system are clear. It needs to have low administrative costs so workers can maximize the amount that they earn relative to financial intermediaries. It has to be portable so workers can keep the same plan when they change jobs. It should be simple and ideally offer something like a cash balance system where workers can be guaranteed a minimal return. And it should allow for easy, if not automatic, conversions to annuities in retirement. There would be lots of support for this sort of system from across the political spectrum. And it could be set up at the state of level, as activists in Washington State and elsewhere have tried to do. The only real obstacle are those firms in the financial industry that currently make a fortune from fees managing 401(k)s. But this has been enough to prevent any plan from moving forward to date. Anyhow, Warren’s support for raising Social Security benefits could be exactly what we need to move the discussion of retirement income in a positive direction. As far as the pain suffered by the young, it is very real but the main causes are the high unemployment budgets coming out of Congress and the over-valued exchange rates. The young are biggest victims of unemployment, not only because they are more likely to be unemployed, but because they are also likely to see their hours cut and get lower pay when they do work. We know how to reverse these policies, but it means confronting Wall Street, not beating up our parents and grandparents.
Every Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit organization made up of some of North America’s most respected economists, releases its latest batch of working papers. The papers aren’t peer-reviewed, so their conclusions are preliminary (and occasionally flat-out wrong). But they offer an early peek into some of the research that will shape economic thinking in the years ahead. Here are a few of this week’s most interesting papers. Title: The 9/11 Dust Cloud and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Reconsideration Authors: Janet Currie and Hannes Schwandt What they found: The dust cloud following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City created an environmental hazard for in-utero fetuses, leading to lower birth weights, greater incidence of premature births and more admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) — especially for boys. Why it matters: The 9/11 attacks were an unprecedented environmental catastrophe for a major U.S. city. The carcinogenic pollutants released in their aftermath should have, according to previous research, negatively affected birth outcomes for in-utero fetuses, yet research to date had not found any evidence of this for the babies born to women living near the affected areas. But these women were not like average moms — they were already predisposed to positive birth outcomes. This paper controls for the socioeconomic status of the mothers and their families in and around the neighborhoods affected by the 9/11 dust cloud. The authors followed them over time and found statistically robust evidence of negative birth outcomes. That the negative effects were especially pronounced for boys is in accordance with literature on “fragile males” that documents how male fetuses are more vulnerable to bad outcomes. Key quote: “[W]omen who lived in neighborhoods exposed to the 9/11 dust cloud were quite different than women in other parts of New York City. In particular, they were less likely to have poor birth outcomes, other things being equal. When we control for these pre-existing differences by following the same mothers over time, we find large effects of exposure to the dust cloud.” Data they used: New York City birth records from 1994 to 2004, totaling more than 1.2 million births. Title: Changing Times, Changing Values: A Historical Analysis of Sectors within the U.S. Stock Market 1872-2013 Authors: Oliver D. Bunn and Robert J. Shiller What they found: Using more than 130 years of data, the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings (CAPE) ratio can be used to predict stock price movements by sector. This method is enhanced by accounting for changes in corporate payout policy and by factoring in inflationary effects. Why it matters: Shiller, a 2013 Nobel laureate in economics, teamed with Bunn to spruce up his favorite stock-market indicator, the CAPE ratio. The price-to-earnings (PE) ratio helps gauge how “expensive” a share of a company’s stock is compared to its underlying fundamentals — its earnings. Shiller pioneered adjusting PE ratios to the current state of the economy, the so-called business cycle. In this paper, Shiller and Bunn tweak the CAPE ratio to forecast stock-price movements using decades of originally sourced data on three sectors: railroads, utilities and industrials. Key quote: “Our results using over a hundred years of data are consistent with the notion that major sectors of the stock market show frequent mispricings that can be exploited in an investment strategy that generally leads to better results than holding the market portfolio.” Data they used: Primary sources beginning in the 1870s through today, most notably Standard & Poor’s Security Price Index Record and the Standard & Poor’s Analysts’ Handbook Title: Lead Exposure and Behavior: Effects on Antisocial and Risky Behavior among Children and Adolescents Author: Jessica Wolpaw Reyes What they found: Higher exposure to lead in childhood is linked to major behavioral problems in later childhood and young adulthood, such as attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and teen pregnancy, as well as aggressive and criminal behavior. Why it matters: Lead is a toxic metal, and children especially are harmed by exposure to it, even at very low levels. Lead can inhibit important neurological and behavioral development, leading to lower IQ, in addition to aggressive and impulsive behavior. Lead-based paint and water pipes are common means of childhood exposure, but leaded gasoline was also common before 1985 and existing research has already validated a tight link between lead in gasoline and the level of lead in children’s blood. In this paper, Reyes examines the relationship between the phase-out of lead in gasoline following the Clean Air Act and negative behavioral outcomes like ADHD, teen pregnancy and criminal activity in young adults. Because the link between lead exposure and behavior could be confounded by socioeconomic factors, the author controlled for individual and family characteristics. Even after making these adjustments, Reyes found significant negative behavioral outcomes were caused by lead exposure. Key quote: “The foregoing results suggest that lead — and other environmental toxicants that impair behavior — may be missing links in social scientists’ explanations of social behavior. Social problems may be, to some degree, rooted in environmental problems. As a consequence, environmental or public health policy aimed at reducing exposure to environmental toxicants may be effective in reducing the social and economic costs associated with child behavior problems, teen pregnancy, aggression, and crime.” Data they used: Children’s blood lead levels from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; behavioral outcomes from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, covering a nationally representative sample of 10,000 individuals born circa 1980; and data on the lead content in gasoline from a “variety of government sources.”
Leaders must be supremely confident about where they’re taking their organization, or at least look like they are, in order to be effective. Who wants to follow someone who’s lost? One of the most engaging parts of studying leadership is watching leaders decide where to go – the process of forming grand-scale strategy. It plays out over years, highlighted by moments that brightly illuminate the giant forces that leaders must judge and contend with. For leaders in two industries, we’re in one of those moments now. As everyone who wasn’t in a coma is well aware, Walt Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens just had the greatest opening weekend of all time. Disney CEO Robert Iger looks like a genius for his big investment in the Star Wars franchise. But the world barely noticed something else that happened last weekend: Disney’s stock price plunged. From the market opening on Friday to the close on Monday, the stock dropped about 5%. What gives? While most people were watching the box office numbers (or the movie), investors were focused on big-picture strategy. On Friday morning, analyst Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research downgraded Disney stock to “sell” because he’s worried that ESPN, the locomotive that drives Disney’s (dis) profits, is headed for long-term trouble. ESPN extracts billions of dollars annually from cable TV subscribers who are forced to buy programming in bundles that include ESPN regardless of whether they want it. But cable TV is in trouble as millions of viewers cancel their service (or never sign up) in favor of buying exactly the programming they want online. This “over the top” model was widely dismissed as insignificant just a few years ago. Now Reed Hastings’s Netflix (nflx), delivered over the top, has about the same market cap as Jeff Bewkes’ Time Warner (twx). In the business that we used to call TV, who sees where they’re going most clearly? Sign up for Power Sheet, Fortune’s daily morning newsletter on leaders and leadership. Several media outlets are now reporting that Google and Ford are in talks about developing autonomous cars. A source has told Reuters that Ford (f) CEO Mark Fields and Google (googl) co-founder Sergey Brin met earlier this month in California to discuss the possibility. The idea of self-driving cars was widely dismissed as impossible only a decade ago, and even two years ago several mainstream “experts” said it was decades away. Google’s Brin, CEO Larry Page, and former CEO Eric Schmidt saw where they were going more clearly than any auto industry CEO. Fields looks smart for possibly getting in on the trend with the leading player, but we don’t know if any deal will happen. Nor do we know what Apple’s Tim Cook may be thinking; he hasn’t even commented on widespread reports that Apple (aapl) will introduce an autonomous car in 2020 or so. But it’s already clear that no auto industry CEO saw that one day a car’s software would be more valuable than the physical vehicle. This is business chess at the grandmaster level. We rarely get to glimpse what’s going on in the minds of leaders as they decide where to take their organizations. It’s a lot of fun when, at moments like these, we do.
La pleine conscience En chinois, le mot « ordinateur » se dit littéralement « cerveau électrique ». En islandais, une boussole est un « indicateur de direction » et un microscope « un observateur du petit ». En lakota, un cheval est littéralement un « chien prodigieux ». Ces néologismes montrent la capacité cumulative de la langue, qui nous sert à décrire l’inconnu en faisant référence au connu. « C’est par la métaphore que la langue évolue », écrit le psychologue Julian Jaynes. « Quand quelqu’un nous demande “Qu’est-ce que c’est ?”, si la réponse est difficile à formuler ou l’expérience évoquée entièrement unique, on dira souvent : “Eh bien, c’est comme —”. » Ce procédé métaphorique est au cœur de Toki Pona, la langue la plus concise au monde. Tandis que Le Robert illustré compte 200 000 entrées et que même Koko le gorille communique en employant plus de mille gestes tirés de la langue des signes américaine, l’ensemble du vocabulaire de Toki Pona ne compte que 123 mots. Pourtant, comme sa créatrice Sonja Lang et de nombreux locuteurs l’affirment, cela suffit à exprimer presque n’importe quelle idée. Cette forme si économique est obtenue en réduisant la pensée symbolique à ses éléments les plus basiques, en fusionnant des concepts liés et en utilisant certains mots pour de multiples fonctions du discours. En comparaison avec les centaines ou les milliers d’heures d’étude nécessaires pour maîtriser d’autres langues, les personnes parlant le Toki Pona s’accordent à dire qu’il leur a fallu environ 30 heures. Beaucoup d’entre elles considèrent que cette facilité d’apprentissage fait du Toki Pona une langue auxiliaire idéale au niveau international, qui pourrait concrétiser le rêve d’un retour à l’unité humaine d’avant Babel. Cette langue est déjà utilisée dans ce but par des centaines de passionnés qui entrent en contact et forment une communauté sur Internet. Ils sont issus de pays divers : du Japon, de Belgique, de Nouvelle-Zélande et même d’Argentine. En plus de faire de Toki Pona une langue facile à apprendre, son approche minimaliste a pour but de transformer la façon de penser des personnes qui l’utilisent. Le manque de vocabulaire provoque une sorte de circonlocution créative qui demande de prêter une plus grande attention aux détails. Évitant les expressions figées, le processus reste ainsi très fluide. Selon Lang, le résultat est une immersion dans le moment présent, dans un état rappelant ce que les bouddhistes zen appellent la « pleine conscience ». Simple « Qu’est-ce qu’une voiture ? » s’est demandée Lang depuis sa maison de Toronto, lors d’une conversation téléphonique que nous avons eue récemment. « On pourrait dire qu’une voiture est un espace utilisé pour être en mouvement », a-t-elle proposé. « Ça donnerait tomo tawa. Mais, si on se fait renverser par une voiture, il s’agira d’un objet lourd qui nous percute. On dirait alors kiwen utala. » La vraie question est : Qu’est-ce qu’une voiture pour vous ? Comme dans la plupart des cas en Toki Pona, la réponse est relative. « Nous portons de nombreuses casquettes dans notre vie », poursuit Lang. « À un moment, je serai la sœur de quelqu’un, et le moment d’après je serai une employée, ou un écrivain. Les choses changent et nous devons nous adapter. » La dépendance de la langue sur la subjectivité et le contexte est aussi un exercice de mise en perspective. « Il faut considérer la façon qu’a notre interlocuteur d’envisager le monde ou une situation donnée », déclare Marta Kreminska, citoyenne polonaise. « Pour cette raison, je pense que Toki Pona a un grand potentiel pour rassembler les gens. » Pour créer cette nouvelle langue, Lang a travaillé à reculons, contre la tendance d’un lexique naturel. Elle a commencé par réduire le vocabulaire et consolider le spécifique dans le général. « Je pense que les couleurs sont de bons exemples », dit-elle. « Il existe des millions de teintes qui diffèrent légèrement les unes des autres, et à un moment, quelqu’un dit : “Bon, d’ici jusque là, c’est du bleu, et d’ici jusque là, c’est du vert.” Ce ne sont que des lignes arbitraires sur lesquelles les gens se mettent d’accord. » Toki Pona a une palette de cinq couleurs : loje (rouge), laso (bleu), jelo (jaune), pimeja (noir) et wallon (blanc). Tel un peintre, le locuteur peut les combiner pour exprimer n’importe quelle teinte du spectre. Loje walo pour le rose, laso jelo pour le vert. Les nombres aussi sont réduits. Lang n’avait que des mots pour « un » (wan), « deux » (tu) et « plusieurs » (mute). De nombreux locuteurs ont donné au mot luka le sens additionnel de « cinq » et utilisent mute pour dire « dix ». Les mots sont répétés jusqu’à atteindre le nombre désiré. « Certains pseudo-mathématiciens veulent être capables de dire 7422,7 », plaisante Lang. « Je leur réponds que l’enjeu n’est pas vraiment là. » « Je n’ai réalisé la complexité des autres langues que quand j’ai commencé à parler le Toki Pona. » L’enjeu, c’est la simplicité. Et en Toki Pona, « simple » signifie littéralement « bon ». Les deux concepts se retrouvent dans un seul mot : pona. « Si vous pouvez vous exprimer d’une façon simple », explique Lang, « alors vous comprenez vraiment de quoi vous parlez, et c’est bien. Si quelque chose est trop complexe, c’est mal. Trop de bruit entre dans l’équation. Cette croyance est fermement ancrée dans la langue. » Le polyglotte Christopher Huff est d’accord, et note que Toki Pona l’a rendu plus honnête : « Je suis plus à l’aise avec les choses que je ne connais pas, maintenant. » « Je n’ai réalisé la complexité des autres langues que quand j’ai commencé à parler le Toki Pona », ajoute Krzeminska. « Il y a tellement de choses différentes à dire avant d’arriver effectivement à exprimer ce qu’on veut, et il y a tellement de choses qu’on n’est pas autorisé à dire, même si on les pense. Prenez les marqueurs de politesse, par exemple : “Si cela ne vous dérange pas trop, pourriez-vous s’il vous plaît m’apporter une tasse de café ?” En Toki Pona, on dirait simplement : “Donnez-moi du café.” Soit la personne le fait, soit elle ne le fait pas. Il n’y a pas de mot pour “s’il vous plait” et “merci”. Je veux dire, si vous le vouliez vraiment, vous pourriez utiliser pona, mais pourquoi utiliser à l’excès un mot si important et si puissant ? » 4’33” Pourtant, comme le découvrent finalement les utilisateurs de Toki Pona, on ne se débarrasse pas si facilement des conventions culturelles les plus fortes. Le plus souvent, les locuteurs trouvent rapidement des substituts astucieux, surtout dans le domaine non-verbal. « Je me rends compte que je me repose davantage sur le langage corporel », admet Krzeminska. « On a tellement l’habitude de dire “s’il vous plait” et “merci” qu’on a tendance à hocher légèrement la tête à la manière des Japonais à la place. Cela fait bizarre de ne rien dire du tout. » Malgré ces compromis sur l’étiquette, Toki Pona parvient tout de même à transmettre une culture qui lui est propre. À travers l’omission et l’inclusion, le vocabulaire même est enraciné dans les matériaux de base de la vie quotidienne. « Cela m’a été inspiré par les chasseurs-cueilleurs », note Lang. « Je me suis demandée ce que cela ferait d’être une simple personne au cœur de la nature, qui interagit avec les choses de façon primitive. » Par conséquent, la langue compte plusieurs mots désignant divers organismes vivants, mais dont aucun ne fait référence de façon spécifique aux technologies modernes. Toute technologie est concentrée dans le mot général pour « outil » (ilo), auquel on peut ajouter, si besoin, d’autres mots décrivant différentes fonctions. Sur ce choix, Huff parle d’une division au sein de la communauté de Toki Pona : « Les uns pensent qu’on peut évoquer ces choses en Toki Pona, donc que nous devrions en parler. D’autres considèrent qu’il y a certaines choses dont on n’a pas du tout besoin de parler. » En plus des partis pris notés précédemment, le lexique montre aussi une tendance assumée au positivisme. Krzeminska, qui parle cette langue avec son meilleur ami, a remarqué qu’ils ont tendance à basculer en Toki Pona pour des conversations plus plaisantes. « C’est l’un des principes de Sonja. C’est une langue pour dire les choses mignonnes et agréables. Les concepts sont limités, aussi un mot peut vouloir dire beaucoup de choses. Le mot pona renvoie à toutes les bonnes choses dans le monde : les ananas, les bananes, les chatons. Si je dis que mon ami est un jan pona, je dis que c’est quelqu’un de bien. Souvent, quand on est tous les deux fatigués et qu’on se sent un peu submergés, on dit que tout sera pona. Tu es une belle personne, tout est beau et tout sera toujours beau. Dès lors, tout s’arrange. » ~ Pour avoir une perspective différente, je me suis adressé à John Quijada, le créateur d’Ithkuil. Cet ancien salarié du DMV (le département des véhicules motorisés) a passé trois décennies à perfectionner ce qu’il appelle « une langue idéalisée, dont le but est d’atteindre le plus haut degré de logique, de détail et d’exactitude dans l’expression cognitive ». En combinant 58 phonèmes au sein d’un cadre grammatical exigeant, Ithkuil est conçue pour exprimer précisément toutes les pensées humaines possibles. La langue est si complexe que même son créateur met souvent 10 minutes ou plus pour former un seul mot. Par exemple, aistlaţervièllîmļ est le terme qui désigne « une situation dans laquelle une personne laisse passer une opportunité normalement inaccessible, car elle ne se présente pas sous la forme optimale de cette opportunité, en dépit du fait qu’il est peu probable qu’elle se présente un jour sous cette forme (par exemple : gâcher une bouteille de vin très coûteuse car on ne parvient pas à trouver le meilleur moment pour la boire, ou laisser passer le grand amour car on espère que quelqu’un d’ “encore mieux” croise notre route) ». Une étudiante travaillant sur cette langue affirme que cela lui a permis de « voir des choses qui existent mais n’ont pas de nom, de la même manière que le tableau périodique de Mendeleïev laissait des cases vides où mettre les éléments qui n’avaient pas encore été découverts ». Tordez un simple phonème et vous arriverez à une nouvelle variation dans votre pensée. Changement après changement, un locuteur pourrait errer pour toujours à travers un paysage infini de pensées uniques, dans une sorte de dérive linguistique. J’étais curieux de savoir ce qu’un homme qui a dédié sa vie à l’exactitude pensait d’une langue dans laquelle un mot pour désigner le sol (anpa) signifie aussi « défaite », et le nom « tête » (lawa) est aussi utilisé comme verbe pour signifier « contrôler ». « J’ai toujours été fasciné par l’ambiguïté », admet Quijada. « J’ai beaucoup de respect pour cela. C’est une des raisons pour lesquelles j’ai tenté d’en venir à bout : je voulais voir si c’était possible. » Quant à l’écart entre Toki Pona et Ithkuil, ce passionné de musique se montre très concis, comme on pourrait s’y attendre : « C’est la différence entre 4’33” de John Cage et une symphonie de Beethoven. » Traduit de l’anglais par Sophie Ginolin d’après l’article « How to Say (Almost) Everything in a Hundred-Word Language », paru dans The Atlantic. Couverture : Une femme parle le Toki Pona. Création graphique par Ulyces.
To start off this week’s column, HPN thought we’d get to the nitty-gritty and step through the scenarios each team has before them to make the grand final: Effectively, it’s all in Adelaide’s hands unless Melbourne do something unprecedented to Fremantle. With that behind us, let’s get to the week’s power rankings: 1. Brisbane The Lions enter the last week of the regular season undefeated and as the presumptive favourites for the flag. Brisbane have shown an uncanny knack of holding onto slim leads late, with constant opposition attacks being repelled. With two marquee tall forwards (Harris and Frederick-Traub), the Lions have the ability to switch one down back late to plug any holes. Frederick-Traub in particular has been an ironwoman so far – spending just 0.8% of the total Lions game time off the ground. Harris and Kaslar are also in the top 10 in this category – the only club to play three players that heavily. Harris and Frederick-Traub are also the only two players in the competition with more than 10 contested marks – the two have more than the Bulldogs and Giants have as teams so far. This week they don’t have to worry too much about the result, however they can end Carlton’s season by either winning or keeping the game close. 2. Adelaide The HPN panel agonised about whether to drop Adelaide below the Dees, but in the end stuck with the ladder. Despite their loss to Melbourne last week, the Crows are still in the box seat to make the grand final. With Perkins missing parts of the game last week with injury, it demonstrated a potential weakness in the Crows forward line – a lack of depth up forward which threatens the clean, open forward-line structure favoured by Bec Goddard. The scenarios for Adelaide to make the grand final are laid out above, but it’s pretty simple – win and they’re (more or less) in. Adelaide will know if they need to worry about winning margin by the time they play, because Melbourne play Fremantle the day before. 3. Melbourne With a win over Adelaide, Melbourne strengthened their final credentials, but it may be a case of too little, too late. The Demons rely on the top end of their list to a very high degree. Paxman, Pearce and O’Dea are three of the top four disposal winners in the entire AFLW to date, with the Dockers the only other club to have three players in the top 10 for disposals. While one may be tempted to suggest that they rise and fall on the play of these three (and the prolific Mithen and Hickey as well), in reality it is the lesser lights of the Demons squad is often the difference. If Mifsud fires, or Kemp jags a few marks, the Demons turn from being a good side to a deadly one. Melbourne are in with a win and an Adelaide loss, but they’d need to break margin records against Fremantle to give themselves a chance of qualifying against a victorious Crows. 4. Collingwood The Pies have gone from being also-rans to being nearly the form side of the competition, with their third win on the trot coming against GWS last week. Six weeks in, the Pies seem to have sorted their forwardline issues, and Hutchins has been a stabilising force down back. But, of any player in the league, Emma King might be the biggest lock for All-Australian selection, dominating in the ruck (and last week up forward) week after week. It’s bordering on impossible for the Pies to make the grand final, but merely being mathematical shots after being winless halfway through the competition is a fantastic achievement. 5. Carlton Last week’s loss against cellar-dwellers Fremantle has likely cruelled the Blues chance of making the grand final; as Melboune’s loss the week before to GWS did. At one point of the season the Blues were likely the best side going, up until 10 minutes left in the Adelaide game. Had they won that game, they would likely be eyeing off a spot in the grand final. Unfortunately, injuries and slight form issues hurt Carlton, as did a few close results going against them. As indicated above, the Blues can still make the top 2; but it’s a hard task from here. 6. Western Bulldogs In another universe the Bulldogs may be in contention for the grand final – with three losses of less than 10 points and another of 14 on their resume. The Dogs are a good side, but have sorely missed their marquee forward (Brennan) for most of it. Brennan is still second in the AFLW for most goals per game – the issue being that she has only played three games. The Dogs play GWS this week in Canberra with the Wooden Spoon on offer – something both sides are presumably desperate to avoid, with not even a decent draft boon available from finishing last. 7. Fremantle After a long difficult slog, with several stars on the sidelines, the Dockers finally recorded their first win. Kara Donnellan led from the front, and has likely cemented her spot in the AFLW Team of the Year. The Dockers have a chance to spoil the Demons’ final hopes this weekend if they can manage a second win on the run. If they are badly beaten by the Dees, and the Bulldogs win a close one, the Wooden Spoon could also still be theirs. 8. GWS Of all the teams in season one of the AFLW, the Giants may be the most unpredictable. When they are switched on, GWS can eke out a solid performance, as they did against the Blues, Dockers and Demons. When they aren’t, blowouts like last week’s or the matches against the Crows and Lions tend to happen . Next season should be better for the Giants, as they should have a second marquee ready to go from the start, and can hope for better luck on the health side of things. Team depth and team bests Round 6 was another week where most of the marquees dominated, and Emma King finally got a nod of recognition from whoever writes the bests lists at afl.com.au. Carlton again had their elite four players among their bests, but those players were still mostly less impactful than in other weeks given the loss to Fremantle. We’ve noted the concentration of workload in the Blues top end, and the potential drawbacks from that. Fremantle showed them up this week with a wide spread of contributors and plenty of pressure. 74 tackles is the league’s third highest total this season, and was met with just 37 by Carlton. Six Dockers also got into double-digits, while only two Blues did. Vescio hit her average of seven touches and kicked her 3 goals. Davey’s 14 was well down on her usual 20 while Arnell (8) and Jakobsson (6) did not reach their usual high quality 11 and 10 disposal average. In the end, Carlton couldn’t find other support when their best players were mostly only good, not great. For Fremantle, a side still hurt by injuries, a big bright spot was their top-up in Alicia Janz being named in the bests. The netball convert Janz is the first top-up to be so named so across the competition. In her second game she showcased her strength and aggression with some of her 8 tackles being huge and impactful ones laid at key moments. Now let’s look to the team-by-team season tallies: We’re down to five players who have featured among their team’s best players every week, and four of them are among the biggest stars identified at the start of the season, VWFL marquees for the Victorian sides. The fifth player to be recognise among the bests every week is a bolter – Erin Phillips in her first season of competitive adult footy. She was picked up as a rookie convert by Adelaide and we’ve written before about the serendipitous and clever Adelaide recruiting. Phillips’ versatility and impact has been immense. She’s averaging 18 disposals, has kicked 5 goals, has laid 3.3 tackles per game. Perhaps an under-noted feature of her game is the sheer volume of free kicks she continues to receive, with her 18 frees (3-a-game) well in front of Sarah D’Arcy’s 11 in second place. While as an accomplished basketballer Phillips has probably successfully “simulated” a few (especially in round one against GWS), the bulk have come from the panicky infringements she induces in defenders during the 1-on-1 contests Adelaide have consistently set up for her. Who might win the MVP If we’re looking for a likely league MVP (we’re assuming a 3-2-1 system for this analysis by the way), we can look to the most frequently named players in the bests: From this group, the Bulldogs’ Blackburn and Kearney seem less likely to take the award, having each other as competition for votes and playing at a Bulldogs side which unexpectedly sits at the bottom of the ladder. The same may be true of the well-balanced Lions, where in different games one would expect Harris, Frederick-Traub, Bates, Zielke or Ashmore to potentially take the maximum votes. Within the struggler division, Donnellan should nearly monopolise the Dockers’ votes and Dal Pos and Swanson should do the same at GWS. Nobody at these sides is likely to take enough off winning sides to come close to the top. Collingwood haven’t had a consistent standoud all year, with Eva or King probably closest to favourite to top their vote total. Vescio exploded onto the scene in round one and has continued to be the most prolific and dangerous goalkicker in the league, but goals aside, Davey has been much more involved in general play and they will probably play spoiler to each other. Phillips, a clearly dominant player in one of the best sides, must also be favoured to win a lot of votes at the Crows, particularly early. Marinoff, Randall and Perkins would be the competition there. Our favourite for the unnamed inaugural AFLW best and fairest award, however, is Daisy Pearce. Pearce is such a class above her teammates (and, really, nearly everyone else), that she could plausibly poll in every Melbourne win, including multiple 3-vote games, as well as jagging a vote or two in their narrow losses to Brisbane and GWS. Advertisements
Tom Steyer speaks last month at a San Francisco rally calling for the impeachment of President Trump. Tom Steyer speaks last month at a San Francisco rally calling for the impeachment of President Trump. Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press Photo: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Steyer rolls out another folksy TV ad calling for Trump’s impeachment 1 / 1 Back to Gallery San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer is bumping up his $20 million effort to get President Trump impeached with a new nationwide ad blasting the president and the Republican-led Congress for their proposed tax plan. “They won’t tell you that their so-called tax reform plan is really for the wealthy and big corporations while hurting the middle class,” Steyer, wearing jeans and a work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, said in the ad shot at his Pescadero ranch. “It’s up to all of us to stand up to this president, not just for impeachable offenses, but also to demand a country where everyone has a real chance to succeed.” The ad, which began running Thursday, is the second piece calling for Trump’s ouster. So far, Steyer has put an estimated $20 million into urging people to endorse an impeachment petition at NeedToImpeach.com. According to Steyer and his aides, about 2.3 million people have signed the online petition. The new ad is far more personal than the first pro-impeachment spot Steyer began running last month, one that prompted Trump to dub him “wacky & totally unhinged Tom Steyer” in an Oct. 27 tweet. In the new piece, Steyer, 60, sits outdoors at his ranch and talks into the camera, recalling the 2008 financial crash. “It turned out that the system that had benefited people like me, who are well off, was in fact stacked against everyone else. It’s why I left my investment firm and resolved to use my savings for the public good,” he said. “But here we are, nine years later, and this president and a Republican Congress are making a bad situation even worse.” In recent years, Steyer has been one of the nation’s biggest donors to Democratic causes, giving more than $160 million to Democratic campaigns, and liberal and progressive causes, since 2014, according to the nonpartisan Open Secrets website. He put millions into the recent Virginia governor’s race, helping Democrat Ralph Northam to a surprisingly easy victory. But his multimillion-dollar leap into the impeachment question may be a step too far for many Democratic leaders. On ABC’s “This Week” Sunday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez took pains not to endorse Steyer’s effort, although he didn’t walk away, either. When asked by ABC’s Martha Raddatz whether he supported Steyer’s call for Trump’s impeachment or would prefer that Steyer backed off, Perez walked a narrow and careful line. “Tom Steyer has a right to do whatever he feels he needs to do,” Perez said. “And Tom Steyer invested a lot of money in Virginia and elsewhere. And I applaud his efforts in investing, in organizing and in helping elect Democrats.” The Republican Party’s view was a bit stronger. “At this point, Tom Steyer should just light his money on fire,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens. “Even Democrats like Nancy Pelosi are calling his baseless ad campaign a distraction,” referring to reports that House Speaker Pelosi has said that privately. Read Full Article
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general on Thursday. (Reuters) The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as the next attorney general on Thursday. (Reuters) The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to confirm U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch as the next attorney general, paving the way for her likely confirmation by the full Senate, which is expected to vote on her nomination in the next week or two. By a vote of 12 to 8, the committee approved the nomination of Lynch, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, as the first African American woman to take the reins of the Justice Department. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced in September that he would step down as soon as the Senate approved a new nominee. Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) voted with the committee’s nine Democrats to approve Lynch’s nomination. Several Republicans on the committee, including Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Tex.), said they would oppose the nomination because of President Obama’s executive action on immigration. “I supported advancing Loretta Lynch’s nomination to the floor today because her record of service over several decades shows that she is well-qualified to be attorney general,” Hatch said. “There is good reason to believe that Ms. Lynch will be more independent than the current attorney general and make strides toward recommitting the department to the rule of law.” Hatch said that Lynch’s record “does not include anything sufficient to overcome the presumption in favor of confirmation.” Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Loretta Lynch during her confirmation hearing for the role of U.S. attorney general on Jan. 28, 2015. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) Senate Democrats have expressed outrage that Lynch’s nomination has been pending for 110 days, longer than any other attorney general nominee in recent history. “Political fights over immigration should not hold up Loretta Lynch, DHS funding or anything else,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). “But the hard right, upset over the president’s immigration policies, is grasping at straws to have a fight, any fight, over immigration. Loretta Lynch, a supremely qualified nominee for a vital national security and law enforcement post, should never have been pulled into the fray.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and other Republicans have said they will oppose Lynch’s nomination on the Senate floor and have called on all Republicans to join them, partly because she defended Obama’s action on immigration during her Senate confirmation hearing. “The answers Ms. Lynch gave in this hearing room, in my judgment, render her unsuitable for the position of chief law enforcement official,” Cruz said. A vote on the Senate floor could come as early as next week. With the change in Senate rules in 2013, only a simple majority is needed to stop a Republican filibuster and confirm Lynch. Assuming all Democrats vote in her favor, she needs the support of only four Republicans on the Senate floor to secure a majority.
AP Photo Trump calls German chancellor's immigration moves ‘insane’ Donald Trump says German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept thousands of Syrian refugees is 'insane." “They’re going to have riots in Germany,” the Republican presidential hopeful said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation." “I always thought Merkel was, like, this great leader. What she’s done in Germany is insane. It’s insane… letting in that many people." Story Continued Below Merkel’s decision to open the doors to thousands of refugees stranded on their flight from war-torn Syria came as a surprise to some in Europe. And, last week, she defended her strategy against growing criticism. “We will manage,” she said. Trump disagreed, calling on U.S. Middle East allies to help with the Syrian crisis — countries that Democratic presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also says could help more. “What they should do is get all the countries together, including the Gulf States, which have nothing but money. They should all get together and they should take a big swath of land in Syria,” Trump said. “They should do a safe zone for people where they could live. And then ultimately go back to their country, go back to where they came from.” The billionaire real estate developer and entertainer also reiterated the U.S. should limit the number of the refugees allowed into the U.S. “10,000, I'm not thrilled, but maybe. 200,000 people?” he asked. “This could make the Trojan horse look like peanuts if these people turned out to be a lot of ISIS," Trump declared.
Angry Puerto Ricans Attack Whitefish Energy Workers; Canceling Contract Will Delay Power 2 to 3 Months: Official Congratulations liberals. You’ve just screwed Puerto Rico out of getting electricity restored for another two or three months and you’re endangering power workers who are now having rocks and bottles thrown at them by Puerto Ricans angered at press reports about the Whitefish Energy contract even though the contracting authority said Whitefish was doing “excellent” work. NBC News buried the lede in their report on the government of Puerto Rico cancelling the $300 million contract with the small Montana firm Whitefish Energy to restore power to Puerto Rico after the entire island lost power after two powerful back to back Hurricanes, Irma and Maria, hit in September destroying the poorly maintained electric grid. (Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority) PREPA CEO Ricardo Ramos said during a news conference Sunday afternoon that he accepted the governor’s recommendation and would be writing a letter to the board of directors “asking for a resolution that will allow me to cancel the contract,” adding that the contract was not officially canceled as of yet. Ramos added that the plan was for Whitefish to “finish what they started,” which was work on two transmission lines on the island. He added that he hoped to speak with officials at Whitefish within the next few hours and that the contract required a 30-day notice for cancellation. “Even if I cancel today it becomes effective in 30 days,” he added. Earlier Sunday, Gov. Rosselló said he was calling on PREPA to cancel the contract out of public interest. …Ramos said he will follow the governor’s suggestion and will move to cancel the contract. Ramos said that the move to cancel the deal comes after the controversy over the contract, but did not signal that there was anything “outside of the law” with the agreement. He added that Whitefish had been doing a great job but that political distractions had snowballed. Ramos said the cancellation will not stop any work the company currently has in progress, but could delay other grid-restoration efforts by 10 to 12 weeks. He also said it would cost PREPA additional money to demobilize the contract. Whitefish Energy said in a statement Sunday evening that it was “very disappointed” that the governor asked PREPA to cancel the contract, “which led to PREPA’s announcement this afternoon.” “The decision will only delay what the people of Puerto Rico want and deserve — to have the power restored quickly in the same manner their fellow citizens on the mainland experience after a natural disaster,” the company said in the statement. “We will certainly finish any work that PREPA wants us to complete and stand by our commitments knowing that we made an important contribution to the restoration of the power grid since our arrival on the island on October 2.”… A video clip of Ramos’ press conference by NBC shows Ramos saying that Puerto Ricans angered by news reports about the Whitefish Energy contract have been attacking workers the past four days, throwing “stones” and “bottles” at them, adding to things he must be concerned with. Ramos also said Whitefish was doing “excellent” work a and “great job” and there was no need to cancel the contract but the media drove public opinion to attack workers and force the cancellation. Way to go liberals. Good luck getting mainland power workers to leave their homes and fly to an island where the locals attack you for doing your job and the government may cancel your contract at anytime depending on the political winds. Continuing to repair lines and towers each day in #PuertoRico. Great progress this week on lines in #Caguas! pic.twitter.com/K3MZHQbLeJ — Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 24, 2017 Brigadas trabajan tendido eléctrico en las Parcelas Falú en San Juan y reparando postes en el área de Caguas. ¡Seguimos! #PRSeLevanta CC6 pic.twitter.com/JLOKdiw3Vg — AEE (@AEEONLINE) October 24, 2017 The #WhitefishEnergy and @AEEONLINE teams are making moves today on towers and lines in Manatí. Getting closer to powering up #PuertoRico! pic.twitter.com/4O9BryRrwa — Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 25, 2017 A big thank you to Luis, Roberto and the rest of the @KUAdirect team for helping us power up #PuertoRico. Great teamwork today 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/VfIdXcNM1f — Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 24, 2017 More tower repairs as we get closer to restoring power to #PuertoRico pic.twitter.com/iDHfVvSEj6 — Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 27, 2017 Photos and video of work done this past week.
Share Pin +1 Share Shares 72 One of the fun things you can do with the Communicative Coffee Table is to pop “the question” to your girlfriend in a really innovative way. The tabletop grids slide to reveal a chalkboard, and you can use this to write out: “Will you Marry Me…” or whatever note you wish to convey. Eight slide boards adorn the table, kinda like those grid jigsaws. One of them conceals a duster to clean the chalkboard; all you need to do is simply slide it over the writing. I can picture your cute proposal hidden somewhere, a candlelight dinner + the d°light UrHeart. Perfect! I want this table at my coffee shop to leave mindless messages for the next coffee addict! Designer: Di Wu
Rolling Stone ’s Matt Taibbi has started what amounts to a premature “Miss Me Yet?” meme for President Obama, and he recommends that question be answered “yes.” In a Friday piece, Taibbi opined, “Donald Trump may have won the White House, but he will never be a man like his predecessor, whose personal example will now only shine more brightly with the passage of time. At a time when a lot of Americans feel like they have little to be proud of, we should think about our outgoing president, whose humanity and greatness are probably only just now coming into true focus.” Taibbi doesn’t think an administration headed by the “race-baiting” Trump “will end up staining or outright repudiating [Obama’s] legacy…I think it will be the other way around. Trump's presidency is almost sure to throw the best qualities of this unique and powerful historical figure into relief. [Obama] has been the great model for young men of his generation. And ten years from now, when the millions of young people who grew up during his presidency start to enter the workforce and become leaders and parents, we'll see more clearly what he meant to this country.” The challenges for Obama, wrote Taibbi, began on Day One, as he “enter[ed] the White House as the first African-American president at a time when the economy was in ruins and the culture war was spiraling out of control…He also had to manage this while somehow not allowing himself to be rattled by the torrent of abuse he received.” During Obama’s first term, Trump emerged as the country’s most prominent birther, about which Taibbi commented, “That such an idiotic campaign may have launched Trump into the White House to succeed Obama is an incredibly bitter pill, but this story isn't exactly over yet. When Trump takes over he will immediately have to reckon with Obama's example, and this is a historical popularity contest His Orangeness seems doomed to lose.” Taibbi had high praise for Obama’s executive skills, especially vis-à-vis Trump’s (bolding added):
Since the moment Node.js was unveiled to the world, it has seen a fair share of both praise and criticism. The debate still continues, and may not end anytime soon. What we often overlook in these debates is that every programming language and platform is criticized based on certain issues, which are created by how we use the platform. Regardless of how difficult Node.js makes writing safe code, and how easy it makes writing highly concurrent code, the platform has been around for quite a while and has been used to build a huge number of robust and sophisticated web services. These web services scale well, and have proven their stability through their endurance of time on the Internet. However, like any other platform, Node.js is vulnerable to developer problems and issues. Some of these mistakes degrade performance, while others make Node.js appear straight out unusable for whatever you are trying to achieve. In this article, we will take a look at ten common mistakes that developers new to Node.js often make, and how they can be avoided to become a Node.js pro. Mistake #1: Blocking the event loop JavaScript in Node.js (just like in the browser) provides a single threaded environment. This means that no two parts of your application run in parallel; instead, concurrency is achieved through the handling of I/O bound operations asynchronously. For example, a request from Node.js to the database engine to fetch some document is what allows Node.js to focus on some other part of the application: // Trying to fetch an user object from the database. Node.js is free to run other parts of the code from the moment this function is invoked.. db.User.get(userId, function(err, user) { // .. until the moment the user object has been retrieved here }) However, a piece of CPU-bound code in a Node.js instance with thousands of clients connected is all it takes to block the event loop, making all the clients wait. CPU-bound codes include attempting to sort a large array, running an extremely long loop, and so on. For example: function sortUsersByAge(users) { users.sort(function(a, b) { return a.age < b.age ? -1 : 1 }) } Invoking this “sortUsersByAge” function may be fine if run on a small “users” array, but with a large array, it will have a horrible impact on the overall performance. If this is something that absolutely must be done, and you are certain that there will be nothing else waiting on the event loop (for example, if this was part of a command-line tool that you are building with Node.js, and it wouldn’t matter if the entire thing ran synchronously), then this may not be an issue. However, in a Node.js server instance trying to serve thousands of users at a time, such a pattern can prove fatal. If this array of users was being retrieved from the database, the ideal solution would be to fetch it already sorted directly from the database. If the event loop was being blocked by a loop written to compute the sum of a long history of financial transaction data, it could be deferred to some external worker/queue setup to avoid hogging the event loop. As you can see, there is no silver-bullet solution to this kind of Node.js problem, rather each case needs to be addressed individually. The fundamental idea is to not do CPU intensive work within the front facing Node.js instances - the ones clients connect to concurrently. Mistake #2: Invoking a Callback More Than Once JavaScript has relied on callbacks since forever. In web browsers, events are handled by passing references to (often anonymous) functions that act like callbacks. In Node.js, callbacks used to be the only way asynchronous elements of your code communicated with each other - up until promises were introduced. Callbacks are still in use, and package developers still design their APIs around callbacks. One common Node.js issue related to using callbacks is calling them more than once. Typically, a function provided by a package to do something asynchronously is designed to expect a function as its last argument, which is called when the asynchronous task has been completed: module.exports.verifyPassword = function(user, password, done) { if(typeof password !== ‘string’) { done(new Error(‘password should be a string’)) return } computeHash(password, user.passwordHashOpts, function(err, hash) { if(err) { done(err) return } done(null, hash === user.passwordHash) }) } Notice how there is a return statement every time “done” is called, up until the very last time. This is because calling the callback doesn’t automatically end the execution of the current function. If the first “return” was commented out, passing a non-string password to this function will still result in “computeHash” being called. Depending on how “computeHash” deals with such a scenario, “done” may be called multiple times. Anyone using this function from elsewhere may be caught completely off guard when the callback they pass is invoked multiple times. Being careful is all it takes to avoid this Node.js error. Some Node.js developers adopt a habit of adding a return keyword before every callback invocation: if(err) { return done(err) } In many asynchronous functions, the return value has almost no significance, so this approach often makes it easy to avoid such a problem. Mistake #3: Deeply Nesting Callbacks Deeply-nesting callbacks, often referred to as “callback hell”, is not a Node.js issue in itself. However, this can cause problems making code quickly spin out of control: function handleLogin(..., done) { db.User.get(..., function(..., user) { if(!user) { return done(null, ‘failed to log in’) } utils.verifyPassword(..., function(..., okay) { if(okay) { return done(null, ‘failed to log in’) } session.login(..., function() { done(null, ‘logged in’) }) }) }) } The more complex the task, the worse this can get. By nesting callbacks in such a way, we easily end up with error-prone, hard to read, and hard to maintain code. One workaround is to declare these tasks as small functions, and then link them up. Although, one of the (arguably) cleanest solutions to this is to use a utility Node.js package that deals with asynchronous JavaScript patterns, such as Async.js: function handleLogin(done) { async.waterfall([ function(done) { db.User.get(..., done) }, function(user, done) { if(!user) { return done(null, ‘failed to log in’) } utils.verifyPassword(..., function(..., okay) { done(null, user, okay) }) }, function(user, okay, done) { if(okay) { return done(null, ‘failed to log in’) } session.login(..., function() { done(null, ‘logged in’) }) } ], function() { // ... }) } Similar to “async.waterfall”, there are a number of other functions that Async.js provides to deal with different asynchronous patterns. For brevity, we used simpler examples here, but reality is often worse. Mistake #4: Expecting Callbacks to Run Synchronously Asynchronous programming with callbacks may not be something unique to JavaScript and Node.js, but they are responsible for its popularity. With other programming languages, we are accustomed to the predictable order of execution where two statements will execute one after another, unless there is a specific instruction to jump between statements. Even then, these are often limited to conditional statements, loop statements, and function invocations. However, in JavaScript, with callbacks a particular function may not run well until the task it is waiting on is finished. The execution of the current function will run until the end without any stop: function testTimeout() { console.log(“Begin”) setTimeout(function() { console.log(“Done!”) }, duration * 1000) console.log(“Waiting..”) } As you will notice, calling the “testTimeout” function will first print “Begin”, then print “Waiting..” followed by the the message “Done!” after about a second. Anything that needs to happen after a callback has fired needs to be invoked from within it. Mistake #5: Assigning to “exports”, Instead of “module.exports” Node.js treats each file as a small isolated module. If your package has two files, perhaps “a.js” and “b.js”, then for “b.js” to access “a.js”’s functionality, “a.js” must export it by adding properties to the exports object: // a.js exports.verifyPassword = function(user, password, done) { ... } When this is done, anyone requiring “a.js” will be given an object with the property function “verifyPassword”: // b.js require(‘a.js’) // { verifyPassword: function(user, password, done) { ... } } However, what if we want to export this function directly, and not as the property of some object? We can overwrite exports to do this, but we must not treat it as a global variable then: // a.js module.exports = function(user, password, done) { ... } Notice how we are treating “exports” as a property of the module object. The distinction here between “module.exports” and “exports” is very important, and is often a cause of frustration among new Node.js developers. Mistake #6: Throwing Errors from Inside Callbacks JavaScript has the notion of exceptions. Mimicking the syntax of almost all traditional languages with exception handling support, such as Java and C++, JavaScript can “throw” and catch exceptions in try-catch blocks: function slugifyUsername(username) { if(typeof username === ‘string’) { throw new TypeError(‘expected a string username, got '+(typeof username)) } // ... } try { var usernameSlug = slugifyUsername(username) } catch(e) { console.log(‘Oh no!’) } However, try-catch will not behave as you might expect it to in asynchronous situations. For example, if you wanted to protect a large chunk of code with lots of asynchronous activity with one big try-catch block, it wouldn’t necessarily work: try { db.User.get(userId, function(err, user) { if(err) { throw err } // ... usernameSlug = slugifyUsername(user.username) // ... }) } catch(e) { console.log(‘Oh no!’) } If the callback to “db.User.get” fired asynchronously, the scope containing the try-catch block would have long gone out of context for it to still be able to catch those errors thrown from inside the callback. This is how errors are handled in a different way in Node.js, and that makes it essential to follow the (err, …) pattern on all callback function arguments - the first argument of all callbacks is expected to be an error if one happens. Mistake #7: Assuming Number to Be an Integer Datatype Numbers in JavaScript are floating points - there is no integer data type. You wouldn’t expect this to be a problem, as numbers large enough to stress the limits of float are not encountered often. That is exactly when mistakes related to this happen. Since floating point numbers can only hold integer representations up to a certain value, exceeding that value in any calculation will immediately start messing it up. As strange as it may seem, the following evaluates to true in Node.js: Math.pow(2, 53)+1 === Math.pow(2, 53) Unfortunately, the quirks with numbers in JavaScript doesn’t end here. Even though Numbers are floating points, operators that work on integer data types work here as well: 5 % 2 === 1 // true 5 >> 1 === 2 // true However, unlike arithmetic operators, bitwise operators and shift operators work only on the trailing 32 bits of such large “integer” numbers. For example, trying to shift “Math.pow(2, 53)” by 1 will always evaluate to 0. Trying to do a bitwise-or of 1 with that same large number will evaluate to 1. Math.pow(2, 53) / 2 === Math.pow(2, 52) // true Math.pow(2, 53) >> 1 === 0 // true Math.pow(2, 53) \| 1 === 1 // true You may rarely need to deal with large numbers, but if you do, there are plenty of big integer libraries that implement the important mathematical operations on large precision numbers, such as node-bigint. Mistake #8: Ignoring the Advantages of Streaming APIs Let’s say we want to build a small proxy-like web server that serves responses to requests by fetching the content from another web server. As an example, we shall build a small web server that serves Gravatar images: var http = require('http') var crypto = require('crypto') http.createServer() .on('request', function(req, res) { var email = req.url.substr(req.url.lastIndexOf('/')+1) if(!email) { res.writeHead(404) return res.end() } var buf = new Buffer(10241024) http.get('http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/'+crypto.createHash('md5').update(email).digest('hex'), function(resp) { var size = 0 resp.on('data', function(chunk) { chunk.copy(buf, size) size += chunk.length }) .on('end', function() { res.write(buf.slice(0, size)) res.end() }) }) }) .listen(8080) In this particular example of a Node.js problem, we are fetching the image from Gravatar, reading it into a Buffer, and then responding to the request. This isn’t such a bad thing to do, given that Gravatar images are not too large. However, imagine if the size of the contents we are proxying were thousands of megabytes in size. A much better approach would have been this: http.createServer() .on('request', function(req, res) { var email = req.url.substr(req.url.lastIndexOf('/')+1) if(!email) { res.writeHead(404) return res.end() } http.get('http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/'+crypto.createHash('md5').update(email).digest('hex'), function(resp) { resp.pipe(res) }) }) .listen(8080) Here, we fetch the image and simply pipe the response to the client. At no point do we need to read the entire content into a buffer before serving it. Mistake #9: Using Console.log for Debugging Purposes In Node.js, “console.log” allows you to print almost anything to the console. Pass an object to it and it will print it as a JavaScript object literal. It accepts any arbitrary number of arguments and prints them all neatly space-separated. There are a number of reasons why a developer may feel tempted to use this to debug his code; however, it is strongly recommended that you avoid “console.log” in real code. You should avoid writing “console.log” all over the code to debug it and then commenting them out when they are no longer needed. Instead, use one of the amazing libraries that are built just for this, such as debug. Packages like these provide convenient ways of enabling and disabling certain debug lines when you start the application. For example, with debug it is possible to prevent any debug lines from being printed to the terminal by not setting the DEBUG environment variable. Using it is simple: // app.js var debug = require(‘debug’)(‘app’) debug(’Hello, %s!’, ‘world’) To enable debug lines, simply run this code with the environment variable DEBUG set to “app” or “”: DEBUG=app node app.js Mistake #10: Not Using Supervisor Programs Regardless of whether your Node.js code is running in production or in your local development environment, a supervisor program monitor that can orchestrate your program is an extremely useful thing to have. One practice often recommended by developers designing and implementing modern applications recommends that your code should fail fast. If an unexpected error occurs, do not try to handle it, rather let your program crash and have a supervisor restart it in a few seconds. The benefits of supervisor programs are not just limited to restarting crashed programs. These tools allow you to restart the program on crash, as well as restart them when some files change. This makes developing Node.js programs a much more pleasant experience. There is a plethora of supervisor programs available for Node.js. For example: All these tools come with their pros and cons. Some of them are good for handling multiple applications on the same machine, while others are better at log management. However, if you want to get started with such a program, all of these are fair choices. Conclusion As you can tell, some of these Node.js problems can have devastating effects on your program. Some may be the cause of frustration while you’re trying to implement the simplest of things in Node.js. Although Node.js has made it extremely easy for newcomers to get started, it still has areas where it is just as easy to mess up. Developers from other programming languages may be able to relate to some of these issues, but these mistakes are quite common among new Node.js developers. Fortunately, they are easy to avoid. I hope this short guide will help beginners to write better code in Node.js, and to develop stable and efficient software for us all.
Have a question? Ask Us Who owns the Federal Reserve? The Federal Reserve System is not "owned" by anyone. Although parts of the Federal Reserve System share some characteristics with private-sector entities, the Federal Reserve was established to serve the public interest. The Federal Reserve derives its authority from the Congress, which created the System in 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. This central banking "system" has three important features: (1) a central governing board--the Federal Reserve Board of Governors; (2) a decentralized operating structure of 12 Federal Reserve Banks; and (3) a blend of public and private characteristics. The Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., is an agency of the federal government. The Board--appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate--provides general guidance for the Federal Reserve System and oversees the 12 Reserve Banks. The Board reports to and is directly accountable to the Congress but, unlike many other public agencies, it is not funded by congressional appropriations. In addition, though the Congress sets the goals for monetary policy, decisions of the Board--and the Fed's monetary policy-setting body, the Federal Open Market Committee--about how to reach those goals do not require approval by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government. Some observers mistakenly consider the Federal Reserve to be a private entity because the Reserve Banks are organized similarly to private corporations. For instance, each of the 12 Reserve Banks operates within its own particular geographic area, or District, of the United States, and each is separately incorporated and has its own board of directors. Commercial banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System hold stock in their District's Reserve Bank. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. In fact, the Reserve Banks are required by law to transfer net earnings to the U.S. Treasury, after providing for all necessary expenses of the Reserve Banks, legally required dividend payments, and maintaining a limited balance in a surplus fund. Related Information Federal Reserve Board issues interim final rule regarding dividend payments on Reserve Bank capital stock The Federal Reserve System: Purposes and Functions Related Questions What is the purpose of the Federal Reserve System? What does it mean that the Federal Reserve is "independent within the government"? Does the Federal Reserve ever get audited? Is the Federal Reserve accountable to anyone? How is the Federal Reserve System structured?
In the summer of 2014, Chelsea brought Brazilian-Spanish striker Diego Costa from Atlético Madrid to Stamford Bridge on a £32 million transfer as we looked to solve our woes of the previous three-and-a-half years at his position. With the support of Cesc Fàbregas, Eden Hazard and manager José Mourinho, Diego quickly became one of the Premier League's most lethal forwards, helping the Blues to the Premier League and the League Cup titles in his first season at the club. However, the first half of his second season in England didn't go as expected. Diego's form, as well as the rest of the team's form fell heavily only three months after getting a domestic double, with the axe falling on Mourinho in December. His sacking and the re-introduction of former interim boss Guus Hiddink did turn our fortunes around somewhat, and helped Diego find his scoring boots once again. Although Chelsea's current form on the pitch has really helped to push last season's results to the back of our minds, there's still a looming question on what lead the squad to the "palpable discord" of last season. And in an interview with former Barcelona player Simão Sabrosa for Portuguese TV network Sport TV, Diego spoke about his relationship with Mourinho, admitting that he made a few mistakes when working with the Portuguese boss. "Obviously, working with [José] Mourinho puts you in a great position. These years with him were good. The last year [wasn't], since we weren't getting results on the pitch and things weren't working as expected by everyone. And some stuff happened, but nothing too serious." "My relationship with Mourinho... I say this to everyone, 'every person has a good and a bad side'. But Mourinho and I had a good relationship. He always joked with us, gave us plenty of freedom, he talked with us... He was someone who also listened a lot." "There were a lot of good things. So when I look back, there were a few moments that I made mistakes; plays which I shouldn't have made given all the love and respect he gave to me" "Thus, I have nothing against him. If there is someone who should have something against someone is Mourinho himself [towards me]. And I believe he doesn't have that. I had a good rapport with him." One moment that made headlines around the globe and seemingly summarised the relationship between Mourinho and his players towards the end of his second stint was the bib incident, which happened on November 29th of last year during the game against Tottenham in the Premier League. At the time, a clearly frustrated Diego threw his pink bib up in the air after going back to the bench following a warm-up routine that amounted to nothing since Mourinho chose Kenedy and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to take the pitch instead of our then not-so-prolific striker. When prompted with the video by Sabrosa, the mildly annoyed Diego explained what lead him to his action, and what ensued after with Mourinho. "This video... The moment I first saw the video I thought 'thank God it didn't hit him'. Imagine what would happen if it did?" "At that time I was furious, because at that day was my daughter's birthday. And it was also the first time he had me on the bench [throughout a game] — which is normal, things like these happen since I wasn't playing too well. It was an option he made. But I had this expectation that I would enter the pitch." "I went to do warm-ups, thinking that he would put me in the game... And we always want to play. So when I realised that I wasn't going to play since he had made another substitution, I took the bib and threw it high as an act of frustration." "After that I spoke to him, and said that it wasn't my intention to hit him with the bib. He knew that I was enraged, and I apologised because the whole affair was a bit ugly." "The press here [in England] is very prone to speak beyond reason, saying that I wanted to hit him, but that didn't happen. I explained my reaction to him, he accepted my apologies and everything was OK." -Diego Costa; Source: Sport TV via ESPN Brasil While it doesn't explain why last season went so awry, Diego's explanation does provide closure for this one particular incident. Diego's a fiery character and he seemed to have a similarly frustrated reaction at Conte earlier this season as well. But that issue was quickly smoothed over, with Chelsea continuing to win and Costa continuing to lead the league in goals. May those long continue. Meanwhile, our search for a definitive answer for what wen wrong last season — if there is one in the first place — continues...
While military efforts generate the bulk of the attention, there’s more than one facet to taking on ISIS. The Washington Post reported the other day on an angle that’s generating quite a bit of attention among members of Congress. With Washington at loggerheads over how to counter the Islamic State on the ground, both parties are proposing expanded financial sanctions as a strategy to assail the terrorist group’s operations. Republicans like Jeb Hensarling (Texas), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) are calling for Congress to pass new laws to further cut off the group’s financial networks. At face value, this makes a fair amount of sense. U.S. officials, most notably through the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, can undermine terrorist networks by cutting off their finances and access to international banking. It’s not the same thing as an airstrike, but it can matter just as much. There are, however, two angles to this that Congress should be aware of. The first is that new laws won’t necessarily make much of a difference. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew hasn’t asked for new sanctioning tools from lawmakers, and he recently explained that Obama administration officials have already “shut the formal banking system off from ISIS.” The second is that congressional Republicans can do something constructive – the Senate can confirm Adam Szubin, the acting Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial crimes – but they don’t want to. [E]quipping OFAC with people who can maximize the its existing tools is paramount, [Richard Nephew, head of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and a former top State Department official on sanctions policy] concluded. “The fact that Adam [Szubin] is where he is means that his replacements can’t be hired behind him,” Nephew said. “There may be some additional value of additional tools, but really, it’s having enough people on deck to use the tools you’ve got.” Szubin, you’ll recall , was nominated for a job that involves “tracking terrorists to prevent them from raising money on the black market and elsewhere.” He’s extremely well qualified; he’s worked on blocking terrorist financing in previous administrations; and he enjoys broad, bipartisan support in the Senate. But senators in the GOP majority decided that President Obama wants Szubin to work on disrupting terrorist financing, which means he can’t get a confirmation vote – because anything Obama wants must be rejected, no matter the consequences. Szubin, who has no critics in either party, was first nominated in mid-April . Given his broad support and the importance of the issue, this should have been one of the year’s easiest votes. Republicans, for reasons even they can’t explain, prefer to keep him waiting, indefinitely, as a way of annoying the White House.
…“and we will win, and you will win, and we will keep on winning; and eventually you will say we can’t take all of this winning, …please Mr. Trump …and I will say, NO, we will win, and we will keep on winning”. ~ Donald Trump The February jobs report was released earlier today and the results stunned the markets. Employment in the private sector surged by 298,000 for the month However, no forecaster anticipated manufacturing and construction jobs growing over 106,000 jobs. Construction jobs swelled by 66,000 and manufacturing added another 32,000. A stunning reversal in the sectors gaining the most significant growth in the first full month of a Donald Trump presidency: The total shattered market expectations of 190,000, according to economists surveyed by ADP. The blockbuster report also solidified market expectations for the Fed to hike interest rates next week. Probability for an increase jumped to 91 percent after the release, according to the CME. The report encompassed the first full month under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure system. (read more) The results are so far beyond expectations that all current forecast models are being revised. SO MUCH WINNING!💃👏🎉 There's scant reporting on this👇so I thought I'd do a vid (w/Hey Ya! FLAVA😂) on Trump's BLOWOUT🛠JOBS⚒REPORT! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/ZnreEge49K — Boston🇺🇸Bobblehead (@DBloom451) March 8, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js […] The year is off to a sizzling start for job creation, according to the ADP counts. January added 261,000 positions, a number that was revised upward from the originally reported 246,000. “Confidence is playing a large role,” Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, told CNBC. “Businesses are anticipating a lot of good stuff — tax cuts, less regulation. They are hiring more aggressively.” Services led the way with 193,000 new jobs, with 66,000 coming from professional and business services. Health care added 38,000 while information-related jobs came to 25,000. Job creation was fairly evenly distributed across business size. Companies with 50 to 499 employees added the most with 122,000, while small firms added 104,000 and large contributed 72,000. (link) President Trump has proposed such a significant paradigm shift in U.S. production and manufacturing that he has almost single-handily uncoupled federal economic policy from Wall Street and attached it to the Main Street economic engine. This result is stunning, yet not unexpected by those who have taken deep dives into the possibility. REMINDER – One of the larger hurdles President Trump faces is a need to re-educate an entire generation on a fundamentally new vision of the U.S. economy. A return to a Pro-Main Street, goods-based, manufacturing, technology, innovation and industry driven economic model. Interestingly, many people have referenced a 1991 (25 years old) video of Donald Trump testifying before congress – as evidence of him being tuned in to political consequences of economic activity. The entire video is well worth watching because it gives you insight into a very specific moment in time as they discuss the ‘Reagan era’ 1986 tax reform act. For the sake of this discussion post I would like to draw your attention to a very specific exchange between Donald Trump and Representative Helen Delich Bently (R-MD). Representative Bently takes the discussion a little off subject from real-estate and engages Mr. Trump on U.S. manufacturing. Remember this is 1991. (The video is prompted to @39:24) Watch – it’s only about two minutes: [Related Note – During Donald Trump’s testimony before congress in this video, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz were approximately 20-years-old. This understanding sets the backdrop for a generation who is disconnected from the previous economic model being discussed within the congressional committee itself.] In this 1991 hearing, Representative Helen Bently is pointing out an ongoing erosion of U.S. manufacturing. Notice how she references current trade deals and “fair trade” versus “free trade”, sound familiar? It should. What you will find in all of Donald Trump’s positions, is a paradigm shift he necessarily understands must take place in order to accomplish the long-term goals for the U.S. citizen/worker as it relates to “entitlements” or “structural benefits”. All other politicians begin their policy proposals with a fundamentally divergent perception of the U.S. economy. They are working with, and retaining the outlook of, a U.S. economy based on “services”; a service-based economic model. Consequently their forecasted economic growth projections are based on ever-increasing foreign manufacturing dependency, and even more solidifying service-based economics. While this economic path has been created by decades old U.S. policy, and is ultimately the only historical economic path now taught in school, Trump intends to change the course entirely. Because so many shifts -policy nudges- have taken place in the past several decades, few academics and even fewer MSM observers, are able to understand how to get off this path and chart a better course. President Trump is proposing less dependence on foreign companies for cheap goods, (the cornerstone of a service economy) and a return to a more balanced U.S. larger economic model where the manufacturing and production base can be re-established and competitive based on American entrepreneurship and innovation. No other economy in the world innovates like the U.S.A, Trump sees this as a key advantage across all industry – including manufacturing. The benefit of cheap overseas labor, which is considered a global market disadvantage for the U.S., is offset by utilizing innovation and energy independence. Removing many of the burdensome regulations eliminates choking business costs and provides an offset for any import cost increases. The third highest variable cost of goods beyond raw materials first, labor second, is energy. If the U.S. energy sector is unleashed -and fully developed- the manufacturing price of any given product will allow for global trade competition even with higher U.S. wage prices. In addition the U.S. has a key strategic advantage with raw manufacturing materials such as: iron ore, coal, steel, precious metals and vast mineral assets which are needed in most new modern era manufacturing. Trump proposes we stop selling these valuable national assets to countries we compete against – they belong to the American people, they should be used for the benefit of American citizens. Period. EXAMPLE: Currently China buys and recycles our heavy (steel) and light (aluminum) metal products (for pennies on the original manufacturing dollar) and then uses those metals to reproduce manufactured goods for sale back to the U.S. – Donald Trump is proposing we do the manufacturing ourselves with the utilization of our own resources; and we use the leverage from any sales of these raw materials in our international trade agreements. When you combine FULL resource development (in a modern era) with with the removal of over-burdensome regulatory and compliance systems, necessarily filled with enormous bureaucratic costs, Donald Trump feels we can lower the cost of production and be globally competitive. In essence, Trump changes the economic paradigm, and we no longer become a dependent nation relying on a service driven economy. In addition, an unquantifiable benefit comes from investment, where the smart money play -to get increased return on investment- becomes putting capital INTO the U.S. economy, instead of purchasing foreign stocks. With all of the above opportunities in mind, this is how we get on the pathway to rebuilding our national infrastructure. The demand for labor increases, and as a consequence so too does the U.S. wage rate which has been stagnant (or non-existent) for the past three decades. As the wage rate increases, and as the economy expands, the governmental dependency model is reshaped and simultaneously receipts to the U.S. treasury improve. More money into the U.S Treasury and less dependence on welfare programs have a combined exponential impact. You gain a dollar, and have no need to spend a dollar. That is how the SSI and safety net programs are saved under President Trump. When you elevate your economic thinking you begin to see that all of the “entitlements” or expenditures become more affordable with an economy that is fully functional. As the GDP of the U.S. expands, so too does our ability to meet the growing need of the retiring U.S. worker. We stop thinking about how to best divide a limited economic pie, and begin thinking about how many more economic pies we can create. President Donald Trump’s “America First” economic thinking is intensely generational in scope. Simply put, we begin to…. …..Make America Great Again ! Advertisements
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis, in a nice finishing touch to the best month of his career, was named the American League Player of the Month for May. Kipnis hit .429 (51-for-119) with 30 runs, 15 doubles, three triples, four homers and 17 RBI. He is the first Indian to win the award since he was named AL Player of the Month for June in 2013. Kipnis led all big-league players in batting average, on-base percentage (.511) and runs in May. In the AL, he finished first in slugging percentage (.706) and extra base hits (22). He hit safely in 25 of the 29 games he played in last month. The last day of May was Sunday and Kipnis went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in a 6-3 victory over Seattle in 12 innings. The two hits pushed him over the 50-hit threshold and run gave him 30 for the month. "To reach 30 runs and 50 hits in the way we did it makes it even better," said Kipnis after that game. "We did it in a win and in an extra-inning game. "The 51 hits is a lot of hard work in the cages coming to fruition. The 30 runs is a credit to my teammates. I can get on base, but I'm not scoring without them. They're driving me in. "It was a fun month. No only for me, but our team as well. We're finally starting to turn it around." The Indians went 17-12 in May after going 7-14 in April. The 51 hits were the most in May by an Indians player since 1914. His 22 extra base hits, according to Elias, made him the first Indians second baseman to collect 20 or more in a month. The last Indian to get 22 extra-base hits in a month was Travis Hafner in August of 2006. Kipnis became just the third player in MLB history with more than 50 hits and at least 30 runs in May. Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Al Simmons were the others. Cobb had 58 hits and 40 runs in 1921 and Simmons had 57 hits and 32 runs in 1925. The left-handed hitting Kipnis reached base 72 times in May -- 51 hits, 16 walks, five hit by pitches. The last Indian to do that was Hall of Famer Earl Averill, who reached base 74 times in July of 1934. Kipnis came out on top in a loaded field that included Texas' Prince Fielder (.377, nine homers, 28 RBI, .656 slugging percentage), Toronto' Josh Donaldson (10 homers, 23 RBI, 24 runs, .649 slugging) and Chris Colabello (.368, seven doubles, 15 runs, .417 on-base percentage), the Twins' Brian Dozier (24 runs, 10 doubles, seven homers, .630 slugging) and Oakland's Stephen Vogt seven homers 23 RBI, .614 slugging) of the Oakland Athletics.
David Freedlander is senior political correspondent with The Daily Beast. Follow him on Twitter @Freedlander. Imagine for a moment that you hail from one of the most famous families in international finance. Your father is worth $20 billion. And on account of his largesse, your last name is as synonymous with Democratic politics as Roosevelt or Kennedy. Seeking your generosity, candidates come to you, hat in hand. Your concerns, they tell you, will be their concerns—so long as you contribute at their next fundraiser. And then, in your early 40s, you decide that this whole system is messed up. That it is you, and people like you, the rarest of the one percenters, who have warped our politics. Story Continued Below This, in essence, is the path recently trod by Jonathan Soros, the son of the financier George Soros, who, like his father, has given prodigiously to Democratic interests—more than $2 million in the last few years to various candidates and causes. But now he’s hoping his cash can buy him something more: He’s quietly bankrolling an effort to limit the very influence of rich donors like him. Sitting on the 40th floor of the midtown Manhattan office tower that houses the private investment firm he runs, with Central Park at his feet and a cloud-covered city rolling behind him, Soros is aware of the irony—as well as the skepticism—that surrounds such an idea. But he has sketched out an ambitious plan to support candidates in congressional and state-level elections across the country who can help push the most sweeping campaign finance reforms in a generation, reforms that would include a national clean elections bill, which would mandate a robust public financing system for all federal elections. If all goes according to his ambitious plan, Soros sees this happening by 2021. “The path will not be straight, we know that,” he says. “But there is real momentum. We are serious about winning.” Soros, 43, doesn’t fit the stereotype of the dowdy good-government scold. Wearing gray jeans and an open collared shirt, he smiles easily, flashing what seems like disregard for the long odds his effort faces. Soros began his mission to solve the problem of money in politics in 2012 when he founded Friends of Democracy PAC, a hybrid political action committee and super PAC with a staff of three. The group, which has an office in Washington, D.C, jumped into eight competitive congressional elections that year and spent more than $1.7 million backing candidates who pledged to support a series of campaign-finance principles, including proposals to strengthen election law enforcement and institute publicly financed elections. Seven of their candidates won office. This year, the organization wants to ensure those seven stay in office, while getting behind another eight candidates yet to be determined. The group is also taking aim at lawmakers in state legislatures around the country who have been attempting to loosen regulations on campaign financing. This effort has involved a rather un-Soros-like strategy: Friends of Democracy has found a couple of Republican candidates in close contests willing to buck their party establishment and support clean elections. “The new McCains,” Soros calls them, and the hope is that they are willing to take a dollop of Soros cash in exchange for pledging to limit the role of the rest of the big money funders. The outfit is still scouting possible beneficiaries of its handouts, but Soros mentioned Rep. Walter Jones, the maverick North Carolina Republican, as a possibility—and he said the group is eyeing other candidates who hail from deep blue states. “We might be able to get away with it in Massachusetts,” he says. But first, he has to take Albany. The Empire State has been designated the initial domino in the Soros mission not because the place is uniquely corrupted by cash, but rather because that’s where campaign reform efforts have gained the most traction already. Talk of reform in New York caught Soros’s attention in 2011, just as he was preparing to leave his father’s hedge fund and strike out on his own. A self-described “democracy geek,” the younger Soros earned a degree at Harvard Law School, where he studied under the civil rights activist Lani Guinier, and then served as an election observer when democracy came to the former Soviet Republic of Moldova. In New York, he glimpsed an opportunity, he says, to encourage a fairer process. In 2012, Soros poured $250,000 into the campaign of Cecilia Tkaczyk, an upstate state Senate candidate who made campaign finance reform a key part of her come-from-behind victory, and helped lobby Gov. Andrew Cuomo to keep a campaign promise to push for campaign finance reform. Now, Cuomo has included a fair elections proposal in his state budget—a measure that, among other things, would create a public financing system and lower contribution limits for donors—to nudge New York away from its pay-to-play political culture. But supporters of the measure are not hopeful. “There are members who say they support us, but they don’t really,” said one Albany political operative who requested anonymity. “They perceive it as not in their self-interest.” Soros is holding out hope that Cuomo will make good on the promise to enact reform. “If you look at the things he campaigned on, this is the last one he hasn’t gotten done,” Soros says. “For a guy who likes to check the box, this is a big deal as he heads into his re-election campaign.” And for Soros—a guy trying to check some boxes of his own—New York’s reform measure could provide an invaluable example of what might be possible nationwide. ***
The White House has denied a petition with over 140,000 signatures calling for Black Lives Matter to be classified as a domestic terrorist group. The petition, which asked the White House to “formally recognize Black Lives Matter as a terrorist organization”, received a total of 141,444 signatures in just 10 days, making it one of the most-signed petitions currently on the platform. “In the wake of the tragic recent events in Dallas, Falcon Heights, and Baton Rouge, the President brought together law enforcement officials, civil rights leaders, activists, faith leaders, academics, and state and local elected officials this week to encourage frank conversations about the steps we can take together to build trust and ensure justice for all Americans” replied the“We the People” petition team. As part of these conversations, the President directly addressed the concern that the “Black Lives Matter” slogan, social media movement, and the associated protests are somehow inherently anti-police: “I know that there are some who have criticized even the phrase ‘black lives matter,’ as if the notion is, is that other lives don’t matter. And so you get ‘all lives matter’ or ‘blue lives matter.’ I understand the point they’re trying to make. I think it’s important for us to also understand that the phrase ‘black lives matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest that other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability. “And so we shouldn’t get too caught up in this notion that somehow people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow, automatically, anti-police, are trying to only look out for black lives as opposed to others. I think we have to be careful about playing that game, just because that’s not obviously what is intended.” After quoting further segments of President Obama’s speech on the topic, the petition response finished off, stating: The White House plays no role in designating domestic terror organizations. The U.S. government does not generate a list of domestic terror organizations, and therefore we are not able to address the formal request of your petition. We encourage you to engage with your community in the ongoing discussion of how we can better build trust and safety in our communities. The White House’s response to a petition made just last year calling for Ku Klux Klan to be recognized as a domestic terrorist group, however, seemed to be more sincere. “The U.S. government has long identified white supremacy extremists among the domestic terrorism threats confronting our nation, and the existence of such groups represents a continued threat to the ideals of our nation” said the White House in their response to the petition made last June, which gathered over 30,000 less signatures than that the petition for Black Lives Matter. That’s why the federal government doesn’t hesitate to investigate and take appropriate action when there is an indication that white supremacists or white supremacist groups threaten or use force, or engage in other illegal activities. Indeed, although simply believing in white supremacy or belonging to a white supremacist group—while abhorrent—is not a crime, the federal government has successfully charged white supremacists over the years using many federal statutes, including those prohibiting civil rights violations and solicitation to commit crimes of violence. The federal government also works closely with local and state law enforcement and community-based organizations to identify, investigate, and prosecute hate-fueled violence. The response went on to list various actions that were being taken by the state in order to combat “white supremacy extremism”, before listing ways that people could contact the F.B.I. should they see any unlawful activity take place. These features were absent from the petition calling for Black Lives Matter to be recognized as a terrorist organization, despite the fact that more murders have been recorded in the U.S. over the past year as a result of Black Lives Matter than that of the Ku Klux Klan. You can read the White House’s full response to the Black Lives Matter petition below: Thanks for participating on the We the People platform. You recently signed a petition asking the Administration to “Formally recognize Black Lives Matter as a terrorist organization.” In the wake of the tragic recent events in Dallas, Falcon Heights, and Baton Rouge, the President brought together law enforcement officials, civil rights leaders, activists, faith leaders, academics, and state and local elected officials this week to encourage frank conversations about the steps we can take together to build trust and ensure justice for all Americans. As part of these conversations, the President directly addressed the concern that the “Black Lives Matter” slogan, social media movement, and the associated protests are somehow inherently anti-police: “I know that there are some who have criticized even the phrase ‘black lives matter,’ as if the notion is, is that other lives don’t matter. And so you get ‘all lives matter’ or ‘blue lives matter.’ I understand the point they’re trying to make. I think it’s important for us to also understand that the phrase ‘black lives matter’ simply refers to the notion that there’s a specific vulnerability for African Americans that needs to be addressed. It’s not meant to suggest that other lives don’t matter. It’s to suggest that other folks aren’t experiencing this particular vulnerability. “And so we shouldn’t get too caught up in this notion that somehow people who are asking for fair treatment are somehow, automatically, anti-police, are trying to only look out for black lives as opposed to others. I think we have to be careful about playing that game, just because that’s not obviously what is intended.” This is a difficult time for our nation and this is a charged debate that stirs deep emotion. Speaking at the memorial service in Dallas earlier in the week, the President emphasized that progress requires, in part, Americans on all sides to “stand in each other’s shoes and look at the world through each other’s eyes.” He added: “With an open heart, those protesting for change will guard against reckless language going forward, look at the model set by the five officers we mourn today, acknowledge the progress brought about by the sincere efforts of police departments like this one in Dallas, and embark on the hard but necessary work of negotiation, the pursuit of reconciliation. “With an open heart, police departments will acknowledge that, just like the rest of us, they are not perfect; that insisting we do better to root out racial bias is not an attack on cops, but an effort to live up to our highest ideals. And I understand these protests — I see them, they can be messy. Sometimes they can be hijacked by an irresponsible few. Police can get hurt. Protestors can get hurt. They can be frustrating. “But even those who dislike the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter,’ surely we should be able to hear the pain of Alton Sterling’s family … and know that his life mattered to a whole lot of people of all races, of all ages, and that we have to do what we can, without putting officers’ lives at risk, but do better to prevent another life like his from being lost. “With an open heart, we can worry less about which side has been wronged, and worry more about joining sides to do right. Because the vicious killer of these police officers, they won’t be the last person who tries to make us turn on one other. The killer in Orlando wasn’t, nor was the killer in Charleston. We know there is evil in this world. That’s why we need police departments. But as Americans, we can decide that people like this killer will ultimately fail. They will not drive us apart. We can decide to come together and make our country reflect the good inside us, the hopes and simple dreams we share.” The White House plays no role in designating domestic terror organizations. The U.S. government does not generate a list of domestic terror organizations, and therefore we are not able to address the formal request of your petition. We encourage you to engage with your community in the ongoing discussion of how we can better build trust and safety in our communities. Thank you for your participation in the We the People platform. We’ll be back in touch soon. — The We the People Team Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook.
Diggit- Mining git repositories for developer insights Lawrence Jones Blocked Unblock Follow Following Apr 28, 2016 I’m looking for feedback on what to include in the analysis suite of diggit. Please comment on this article, open an issue at github.com/lawrencejones/diggit or contact me directly at lawrjone@gmail.com if you have any ideas about metrics that could provide value to you when reviewing code in your day-to-day. Thanks! By flagging code smells in review, diggit raises awareness of problems at a point in the development process where code can easily be changed, with an audience of devs who are immediately familiar with program context. Reaching back into a projects history means comments can be made that reflect patterns of interaction with the code, rather than a shallow analysis of the current state. Tracking how conventional code health measures change with time can enhance their utility, giving developers insights into the projects future health, while they have the power to change it. diggit flagging consecutive method-size increases as per Michael Feathers Background I’m a final year student at Imperial College London, studying Computing. diggit is my MEng project, which started as research into how to weaponise software archaeology techniques for the average developer. This research has led to a tool that fits into a projects continuous integration setup, where like a CI testing provider, I pull down a repo on significant changes, run my analysis and then return the feedback in the form of comments on a GitHub pull request. What red flags can diggit detect? As overall project goals, diggit’s stated objectives are to detect when… Files show signs of growing complexity Changes suggest the current architecture is hindering development Past modifications have included changes that are absent in the proposed The first analysis step that’s implemented is the concept of Refactor Diligence, which fits into goal (1), introduced by Michael Feathers in this article. Here Feathers suggests you can generate an profile of project health by analysing how many methods have been consecutively increased in size over the project history. [135, 89, 14, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1] This array tells me that for a particular repository, there are 135 methods that increased in size the last time they were changed, and there are 89 methods that increased in size the last two times they were changed. The last element of the array tells us that a single method has increased in size the last nine times that it was changed. Thankfully, no methods have grown the last ten times they were changed. This profile is a reduction of quite detailed statistics (really, a long chain of method history sizes back until the first point a method decreased in size) and demonstrates the power of a macro-measurement to express a dataset otherwise too large to comprehend. But how do we take action on this information? Refactor the entire codebase? If we look at the metric applied to methods of a popular library such as Sinatra, we can immediately see that some stick out more than others… Treemap of the ‘refactor diligence’ metric over github.com/sinatra/sinatra What if we could receive warnings about these methods when we change them, which is surely when we have the most power to address the problem? It may be that we’re not even aware we’re contributing to a chain of method growth, too focused on the change we’re making at hand to realise that this method has red flags. This is where diggit steps in. On the pull request for this unsuspecting change, diggit easily highlights how the change fits in the context of the projects history, highlighting that the area you just touched has been made less robust because of it. How can you help? The key challenge for diggit will be finding the analysis metrics that provide real value to developers. No one wants their pull requests spammed with useless information, which is why I need feedback from developers about what diggit can provide that will add to their code reviews. Information that can be gleaned by traversing project history, insights which may not be known by those making the changes. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be implementing detection of increasing file complexity, high churn hotspots, problematic temporal coupling. Every new analysis step will start life false-positive adverse, and from there I’ll modify thresholds in response to user feedback. You can sign your projects up by going to https://diggit-repo.com. Please leave comments on this article about any features you could imagine fitting well within this review setup. I’m open to any ideas and would love to work with people to extract quality insights from project version control history, those of highest utility to real developers! References Michael Feathers: Refactoring Diligence inspiration for refactoring diligence analysis metric http://www.ticosa.org/ for general software archaeology resources Adam Tornhill: Your code as a crime scene practical applications of software archaeology methods
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass during the second quarter of their game Thursday, October 20, 2016 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. (Photo: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) The Green Bay Packers pulled off a rare triple double Thursday night at Lambeau Field. Green Bay produced twice as many points, yards and first downs as Chicago in its 26-10 victory. More than 20 years have passed since the Packers last doubled up their rival in all three categories. Neither Green Bay nor Chicago was in the pink of health for this 191st regular-season meeting between the teams. The Packers were without running backs Eddie Lacy (ankle) and James Starks (knee). The Bears started the evening minus quarterback Jay Cutler (right thumb), then lost Brian Hoyer to a broken arm in the second quarter. Judging by the numbers, Green Bay had the more effective contingency plan. The Packers outperformed the Bears offensively at almost every turn. Final statistics had them on top just about everywhere. Working in Green Bay’s favor was its reluctance to part with the ball. Its time of possession was a selfish 39 minutes, 36 seconds. Given so much time, the Packers produced 406 yards. Chicago registered a season-low 189. RELATED: Montgomery leads Packers' new committee DOUGHERTY: Get used to dink-and-dunk Packers D’AMATO: Packers fans far from home INSIDER: Thumbs up to Davante Adams Aaron Rodgers passed and often. He completed 39 of 56 passes for 326 yards and threw three touchdowns passes. Wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb doubled as running backs. They gained 81 of the team’s 103 rushing yards. The Bears were not so fortunate. For the first time in nearly 50 years (Sept. 24, 1967), Chicago failed to have a running back, receiver or quarterback contribute at least 90 yards in the long-running series. Matt Barkley, Hoyer’s replacement, was the top producer with 81 yards passing. Outgaining an opponent by a 2-to-1 margin doesn’t happen every week. Green Bay became the second to do it this season four days after Washington doubled up Philadelphia (493-239) in a 27-20 win on Oct. 16. The Packers have gained at least twice as many yards as their opponent 82 times since 1933. The team’s record: 71-9-2. Green Bay’s favorite teams to double up are the Lions (14) and Bears (10). Tampa Bay had been the last to suffer this fate at the hands of the Packers in December 2014. But Mike McCarthy’s offense did more than outgain the Bears. The unit created more than twice as many points (26-10) and first downs (32-13) as did Chicago. Call it a triple double. That is, a rare triple double. Green Bay was the first to post one this year. Last season, 256 regular-season games were played and only six triple doubles were recorded. Seattle was responsible for three of them. The Cardinals (two) and Steelers had the others. Green Bay has come up with 39 triple doubles since 1933. The Lions (six) and Bears (four) again have been the Packers’ favorite targets. Mike Holmgren was coach the last time they notched one against Chicago. In a 40-3 win on Dec. 11, 1994 they outgained the Bears (516-76) and had far more first downs (28-9). Five and Ten The Packers mounted five drives of 10 or more plays. The majority of the team’s yards (281) and first downs (23) occurred during these long stretches. On its first possession, Green Bay used 13 plays and cashed in on Mason Crosby’s 32-yard field goal. A 9-yard pass to Jordy Nelson on fourth-and-4 kept the drive alive. The second time out, Green Bay utilized 11 plays to reach the Bears’ 1-yard line where Montgomery failed to gain on fourth down. A 44-yard pass interference call on safety Adrian Amos accounted for much of the distance covered. Another pass interference penalty – this time an 18-yarder on defensive back De’Vante Bausby – aided a 10-play jaunt just before halftime. Crosby finished the advance with a 40-yard field goal that put Green Bay up 6-3 at the break. Rodgers then directed two, 13-play touchdown drives in the second half. Scoring passes to Davante Adams and Cobb capped the efforts. Green Bay last had five drives of 10 or more plays in a 31-27 loss to the Patriots in 2010. Matt Flynn guided the team as it amassed 249 of its 369 yards on the five possessions. Only once before have the Packers had five against the Bears. On Nov. 11, 1995, Green Bay mounted drives consisting of 14, 10, 12, 12 and 12 plays as the team prevailed 27-24 at Soldier Field. Marking Double Time Regular-season games in which the Packers had twice as many points, yards and first downs as the Bears. All four took place at Lambeau Field. Date Score Yards FDs Sept. 30, 1962 49-0 409-176 21-7 Nov. 30, 1975 28-7 309-132 22-11 Dec. 11, 1994 40-3 516-176 28-9 Oct. 20, 2016 26-10 406-189 32-13
UPDATE: The Associated Press reports Pennsylvania State Police have captured a man accused of shooting three men to death Monday in rural Morgan County, West Virginia. Thirty-two-year-old Erick Shute was taken into custody in Chester County, Pennsylvania early Tuesday morning. An active shooter was reported in the panhandle of West Virginia Monday evening. Media outlets in the area, including "The Journal" reported a shooting with multiple victims near Gamble Ln. near Great Cacapon, WVa. Monday evening. Morgan County, WV 911 says on Facebook to be on the lookout for a white pickup truck with wood sides. The truck may have a dump bed with a license plate ending in 465. The truck was last seen in the area of Gamble Ln. If you see this truck, call 911 immediately. Do not approach the vehicle. We don't know which direction the truck was heading. As soon as we learn more about the situation, we'll post an update here.
Journey to the final four: Why Juventus need Champions League glory The Old Lady can reclaim her throne at the very top of the European game by converting domestic success into another long-awaited continental crown are European giants. Nobody has won more titles or more Coppas Italia. This season they will become the first club in Italian football history to lift six consecutive scudetti, and only stand in their way of a third straight Italian double. The Old Lady have become completely dominant on the peninsula, hoovering up Serie A’s best and brightest and now routinely swatting away those who attempt to take their crown by cherry-picking the stars of their competitors. The arrivals of Miralem Pjanic from and Gonzalo Higuain from were power moves. And yet Juve are not at the top of the food chain. Their six years of supremacy have seen Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Alvaro Morata all move on, because even the Old Lady are powerless when faced with fluttering eyelashes of the game’s true studs. Paulo Dybala is the latest Juventus superstar linked with a move to a ‘bigger club’. Two lines, taken from two separate interviews, uttered in two different years, from the two major figures at the club, tell the story. "We must not turn the into an obsession, it has to just remain a dream” said coach Max Allegri in March 2016, “but this season it would be a logical conclusion,” added Gianluigi Buffon last week. Allegri’s insistence that European domination remains a “dream” illustrates that Juventus are aware of their place in the contemporary, fully-globalised world of football, where the true elite are untouchable. Buffon’s comment, meanwhile, suggests Juve are ready to re-join the big boys. After all, “We’re talking about the best team in Europe,” explained Marcelo Lippi, a former World Cup-winner and the last coach to guide the Old Lady to the top of Champions League glory. And there are signs that everyone is on board. While Pogba and Vidal jumped ship to super clubs, the likes of Leonardo Bonucci have resisted, and Dybala has just penned a new contract. Keeping Bonucci has been key. Perhaps the finest long-passer in European football, his role has been incremental in forming the best defensive unit in world football which sits resolutely in front of the great Buffon. From Lilian Thuram and Andrea Pirlo and to Patrice Evra and Dani Alves, few clubs in European football have prolonged careers like the Turin giants. Bonucci’s peerless partners, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, however, are now 32 and 36 respectively, and even 39-year-old Buffon can’t go on forever. The break-up of one of European football’s all-time great defences – they’ve conceded just twice so far in this season’s Champions League – is just over the horizon. Allegri, meanwhile, is turning heads amongst ’s owners. Few clubs in world football have invested as widely as Juve in recent years, with fans likely having to go all the way back to the €25 million arrival of playmaker Diego in order to find their last real flop, but to truly take their seat back at Europe’s top table, Juventus need a UEFA Champions League title. Article continues below The €90 million capture of Higuain was a statement of intent. They very likely would have won Serie A with a striker for half the price. Pipita’s arrival emphatically announced that they were ready to take the next step, to stand alongside , and . A Higuain double in last week has them odds on to make their second Champions League final in three years. He now has five goals in 10 matches, his best-ever Champions League return. On Tuesday, Juventus ride again. The Old Lady is going international, and she’s ready to recapture her throne. Check out more UEFA Champions League Nissan content on Goal.com
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia met in Belgrade on Thursday in the first high-level bilateral talks since the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets sparked an unprecedented crisis. "The meeting between the two foreign ministers lasted for 40 minutes," a Turkish foreign ministry official told AFP, confirming it was now over but without giving further details. The meeting between Russia's Sergei Lavrov and Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu, on the sidelines of the ministerial council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was also confirmed by a diplomatic source in Belgrade. Two Turkish F-16 jets shot down a Russian plane on November 24 which Ankara said violated its airspace. Russia insists that the plane did not cross from Syria and accused Turkey of a deliberate provocation. The plane incident has plunged the two countries' relationship into a crisis, with Russia demanding an official apology from the Turkish leadership. Lavrov cancelled a scheduled trip to Istanbul on November 25 and urged Russian citizens to avoid any travel to Turkey, a top tourist destination for many Russian tourists. Russian President Vladimir Putin snubbed an offer from Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the climate summit in Paris early this week. Short link:
Dear Bank, Hello. It’s me, Merchant. It's hard for me to say this to you because we've been in business together for so long -- but I'm going to be direct and honest with you. I'm breaking up. I just can't stay in a relationship where there's no love. When we first met, you made me feel like you wanted me to succeed. We talked finances, marketing, our future together -- you really listened to me. But instead of flowers, you gave me things you thought I needed like bulky terminals, phone lines to install, transactions to reconcile, and chargebacks to wrestle with. At first my business grew, but so did my headaches. You were my first true love, Bank, and I expected your shoulder to lean on. But then I realized you were much of the problem. You're a conservative institution and not nearly as as flexible as your slick advertisements claim, and I'm more of a trailblazing entrepreneur with a zest for innovation and profit making. We've just grown apart. My customers kept telling me there were more fish in the sea. And I didn't want to believe them till I met bitcoin. I never thought I'd be saying this but I think I'm in love. When I read on Coindesk that 96% of merchants recommend bitcoin to their peers -- and that many small businesses are already enjoying success after accepting bitcoin, well, I was hooked. Then I heard that a new bitcoin POS was garnering global attention. It's name was Coin Of Sale. I just had to get to know them better. We started seeing each other (yes, I was cheating on you). I learned that Coin of Sale is the type of POS I've been dreaming of for a long time. No installation. No equipment. And no up-front fees. It works with any iPhone, tablet or Android device with a web connection and it's fast, secure, and easy to use. What's not to love, right? Look, Bank, this break up is for the best. I mean, we've both seen this coming for some time now, haven't we? It's better that we part ways now rather than two days before I started franchising my business. We've nipped it in the bud before I started paying you thousands of dollars more in transaction fees. I know, right? It could have been worse. I'll always remember our time together as a special time in my life. Love, Merchant PS: Please return my credit report, long-form business application, demand letters, and other impediments to doing business. Via email is fine. My address can be found on my website, http://coinofsale.com
The reviews are in and they are not good. The remake of “Ben Hur,” opening Friday, should be the biggest flop of the summer, if not the year. The movie is registering a poor 32% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics and bloggers. The number keeps dropping, too. The big question will be why did Paramount greenlight a remake of the classic 1959 film with director Timur Bekmambetov? read about Leonardo DiCaprio’s charitable foundation here Trade reviews are terrible, and the onslaught of negatives on Rotten Tomatoes and Meta critic are is on its way. The budget is listed officially at $100 million, but $150 million seems like a more reasonable number for what’s been spent. The only thing going for it is a lack of overpaid stars. And that may be the problem. While Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell are fine actors, they’re not big names. “Ben Hur,” if it had to be done at all, needed a “Gladiator” like Russell Crowe to drive the chariot around the box office. But why remake this at all? Why remake most of the remakes? Let them alone on Turner or AMC. New ideas are what’s needed. Hollywood just keeps going back and back to a well no one’s interested in. I digress. “Ben Hur” may do well overseas, where no one will be the wiser. But in the U.S., unless people are desperate for air conditioning, it sounds like trouble is coming. CLICK HERE FOR TODAY’S HEADLINES
US President Barack Obama at the Israel lobby group AIPAC’s conference in 2011. AIPAC This week, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobby organization in the United States, is holding its annual policy conference in Washington DC. The roster of speakers — from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to Christian Right paragon Ralph Reed, President Barack Obama and several members of Congress — is clear evidence that the relationship between and interests shared by AIPAC, the religious right and the US government continue unabashed and unchallenged. For too long this stronghold of the US-Israel alliance has rolled forward unimpeded, funding, defending and capitalizing on Israeli policies and the Israeli settler-colonial enterprise in Palestine. Challenging AIPAC is part of our larger effort to stop the United States’ financial and military support for, corporate investment in and political coverage for Israel. If the goal is to expose and ultimately restrain the role that Israel plays in US foreign policy, focusing exclusively on AIPAC is an insufficient project. The $60-million-per-year organization certainly represents a lot of financial clout in favor of what are called “Israeli interests.” But it is not AIPAC alone that secures more than $3 billion a year in unconditional military aid and an additional $2.5 billion in other forms of aid and loan guarantees for the State of Israel. AIPAC and “US interests” We must look carefully at whose interests in the United States are served by the US-Israel alliance and whose interests are harmed. For only then can we develop an effective strategy to successfully expose and challenge the network of Zionist organizations, the ultra-right wing and religious right, American corporations and the military and foreign policy interests that are served by this alliance. Moreover, with an understanding that the interests of the vast majority of people and communities in the United States are not served but are, in fact, harmed by this alliance, we can build the movement necessary to form this successful strategy. Casting AIPAC as a foreign contaminant poisoning US foreign policy and interests is inaccurate. The global power of the American military, government and corporations largely relies on exporting weapons to the Middle East, extracting profits from elevated gas prices, and opening doors for US trade and multi-national corporate profit. The US strategy for maintaining control in the region has included US military aggression and occupation of countries whose governments challenge American interests; the creation of dependency on US aid and the economic and political alliances with repressive regimes; and building and protecting Israel’s ability to act as a military force to defend these interests. In turn, Israel has become one of the world’s most powerful militaries, which it uses not only to maintain the occupation of Palestinian and other Arab lands, but also as a threat against its neighbors. As important, it enjoys uncritical support from the US government and its representatives in the United Nations. US, Israel and the religious right This mutually beneficial relationship then capitalizes on the interests of the conservative religious right. An extreme but significant and well-funded fundamentalist network supports Israel as part of its belief that this will herald the return of Christ. One of these groups is the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, a Chicago-based group that donated as much as $70 million to Israel in 2009 alone, according to published reports. The US-Israel alliance serves powerful interests and therefore AIPAC and the network of Zionist organizations have powerful allies. But these interests serve a small percentage of the people and communities in the US who are paying the taxes to maintain that alliance. Moreover, the parallel domestic policies in place that protect the interests of this alliance are damaging and repressive to the majority of people in the US. The domestic practices funded and mobilized by a range of Zionist organizations, including but not limited to AIPAC, include anti-Arab and Islamophobic attacks and unconstitutional prosecution of communities and organizations; anti-immigrant policies and militarized borders; FBI raids and grand jury investigations and indictments; and increased surveillance and policing of communities of color in the United States. In addition to AIPAC, many right-wing Zionist organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), have a direct interest in fomenting Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry in the United States to create ideological cover for American and Israeli militarism and occupation in Muslim and Arab countries. The PATRIOT Act, related anti-immigrant policies, and the ability to implement unconstitutional FBI raids and grand jury investigations and indictments come directly out of anti-terrorist laws that were instituted in the 1980s. Now, as then, Zionist think tanks and institutions, such as the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, and the US government partner in drafting and passing this legislation and play a role in the unconstitutional surveillance of individuals, communities and human rights, anti-war, international solidarity and community-based organizations. A similar situation was uncovered in 1993, when federal agents discovered the California offices of the ADL held thousands personal and confidential files — many obtained illegally from law enforcement officers — on more than 1,300 private individuals and organizations. The ADL admitted to selling some of this illegally-obtained information on anti-apartheid activists to the apartheid South African government. Security Solutions International, a US-based private security firm which advises the Department of Homeland Security, has a reputation for hiring Israeli military veterans. They have advised over 700 law enforcement agencies since 2004. Their “curriculum” includes a good deal on the threat posed by radical Islam. The Israeli military itself is contracted by numerous US police forces across the country and by the Coast Guard for training in domestic “population control.” The racialized approach to security that Israeli military personnel have been indoctrinated with translates into dehumanizing people of color here in the US. More generally, the billions of dollars spent on Israel are taken from desperately needed health care, the revival of our faltering public education system, housing and employment programs, to name a few. These are as central to security for the people of the US as is a shift in our foreign policy. Meanwhile, AIPAC, like other Zionist institutions, is attempting to enlist communities of color to defend its agenda. A recent example involves a letter from a black academic excellence student group, the Vanguard Leadership Group (VLG), criticizing campus organizing against Israeli apartheid for “appropriating” the history of the South African anti-apartheid struggle. VLG leadership was honored at an annual AIPAC banquet following a Zionist-funded trip to Israel. In carrying out AIPAC’s agenda, VLG not only betrays the Palestinian and popular movements for self-determination, democracy and rights and the history of the South African anti-apartheid struggle and South African solidarity with Palestine, but also the interests of the vast majority of people in the communities of color they claim to speak for and serve. Thus, an effort to truly confront and ultimately strip the power of the pro-Israel lobby must become part of a broad, grassroots, mass movement. This movement must based on the interests shared by the many communities impacted by the devastation and repression caused by the alliance between Israel, Zionist organizations in the US, the US military, corporations and the fundamentalist religious and conservative right. Challenging business-as-usual in Washington As has been proven time and again, communities in the US or elsewhere will never be secure with a US foreign and domestic policy driven by the interests of its military, military profiteering, war and occupation, and multi-national corporations. Whether in the Middle East, Central and South America or at the US-Mexico border, American policy will not produce just outcomes until it is made to do so. To that end, we do not think our efforts should be pitched to cajoling domestic elites into adopting a just-slightly more sane policy in the Middle East. If they do so, and this gives the Palestinian people a bit more breathing room, that is all to the good. But we must look to further horizons. Rather than pitching Palestinian emancipation as amenable to imperial US national interests, activists and community organizers must take our role seriously and recognize that there is an inherent problem with negotiating Palestinian rights in Washington. We must follow the lead of the Palestinian movement domestically and in Palestine, and heed the logic of the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions — movement to movement, person to person, local government to regional government to national government. It is this work that will make the costs of continuing the “special relationship” between the United States and Israel, and Washington’s support of dictatorships blighting the Middle East, higher than the costs of giving them up. We have much work ahead, but writing from the US, we take tremendous inspiration from movements across the Middle East. While still in flux, in some cases they have successfully taken down US-supported dictators. The lesson is clear: only a powerful grassroots movement rooted in community and transformative in its goals and organizing will bring Israel and its Zionist guardians in the US and US imperialism to its knees. Monadel Herzallah is a labor organizer and a member of the Coordinating Committee of the US Palestinian Community Network. Sara Kershnar is an international organizer with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. Max Ajl studies development sociology at Cornell and works with the ISM in the Gaza Strip. He also blogs at www.maxajl.com. Kristin Szremski is an independent journalist and currently the director of media and communications for the American Muslims for Palestine.
An Oklahoma publication discovered Tuesday that a candidate for state legislature engaged in a Facebook conversation last summer in which he said gay people should be stoned to death. Scott Esk, a self-described “libertarian” (wait, how?) and candidate for State House District 91, responded to another person’s Facebook post in which Pope Francis asked “who am I to judge” when referring to gay people. Esk at first quoted scripture, but when the original poster pressed him he expressed support for a Biblical law that said gays should be stoned to death: (via) When another poster further down asked if he were really advocating stoning people, Esk responded, “I never said I would author legislation to put homosexuals to death, but I didn’t have a problem with it.” (He also said he wasn’t for “hating people.”) The Moore Daily’s Rob Morris gave Esk another chance to walk back the comments, asking if Esk would support a stoning law were it ever to be brought up in his legislature. “What I will tell you right now is that was done in the Old Testament under a law that came directly from god, and that was just,” Esk said. “I have no plans to reinstitute that in Oklahoma law. I have some very huge moral misgivings about those kinds of sins, and think those kinds of sins do not do our country any good.” [h/t Moore Daily] [Image via screengrab] —— >> Follow Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) on Twitter Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
A breached sediment barrier at the mouth of a terrace is a Green Book violation, says Dowdy. The Green Book specifies no barrier shall “be installed across streams, waterways, or other concentrated water flows.” As Randy Dowdy walked along muddy turnrows under pounding January rains, he knew part of the topsoil from the farm that birthed the highest soybean yields in world history was gone. Staring across the wreckage of scoured fields, his record-breaking 171.7 bu. soybeans and 521 bu. corn from fall harvest faded far into the past. Two months after the deluge, on a vital chunk of Dowdy’s south Georgia farmland in Brooks County, the topsoil has either been stripped or flipped, and replaced or mixed with fresh dirt. In agriculture, dirt is death and soil is life. Compounding the topsoil loss, 100 acres of wetlands caught much of the slurry as it spilled off Dowdy’s farmland. In essence, the wetlands were covered with a fertilizer blanket, according to Dowdy, with implications pointing toward a regulatory nightmare. Dowdy signed an easement in 2015 giving Spectra Energy right of way across a mile of his land for the Sabal Trail pipeline, a 515-mile project running through Alabama, Georgia and Florida with the potential to move 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The project section on Dowdy’s land began just after fall grain harvest and was slated for completion the first week of 2017, but when hard winter storms arrived the third week of January, construction remained in process and the ground was relatively unprotected. In the aftermath, Dowdy faces complete and partial topsoil loss on 40-plus acres, decades of lost yield potential, sediment deposition across 100 acres of wetlands and woodlands, and a mounting farmland reconstruction bill expected to rise well over $1 million. Who is to blame? Dowdy points the finger squarely at Sabal Trail and a series of alleged regulatory violations. In a case involving soil disturbance and potential bushel loss, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Dowdy concerning future yields projected over several decades. There is no Lazarus effect or applied alchemy to restore soil health, and ingredients can’t simply be added to a soil concoction to remedy an ill. Pared down, the soil sum is exponentially greater than its individual parts. Topsoil laden with fertilizer is now spread into Dowdy’s wetlands. © Randy Dowdy When Dowdy signed the Sabal Trail easement, the agreement included a stipulation: Sabal Trail would return all land to its pre-construction condition, both in fertility and deposition (topsoil segregated from subsoil). During right of way clearance (100’ width), topsoil was pushed off and placed on the right side of the pathway. An 8’ deep trench was dug to accommodate a 3’ diameter gas line. Dowdy’s ground runs at a steep 10% to 12% grade, and is deemed highly erodible by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Cover crops and a series of terraces control water runoff and slow the flow to a 1% grade equivalency. Minimal erosion settles in the terraces and Dowdy manually places sediment back onto fields. The gas line runs predominantly north to south, while Dowdy’s terraced farm fields often run east to west. Essentially, the gas line runs perpendicular and breaks through every terrace. On Dec. 6, a month before scheduled completion, Dowdy contacted Sabal Trail management, expressing concern over erosion signs and emphasizing the sensitivity of his farmland. According to Dowdy, he contacted Sabal Trail management multiple times in December and was assured construction would be completed by the first week in January. Sabal Trail declined interview requests citing privacy concerns. Parent company Spectra Energy didn’t respond to phone or email questions. “I texted again Jan. 9 and nothing was done,” Dowdy says. “No rebuilt terraces, no cover crops, and no restoration.” Roughly two weeks later, Georgia skies ripped opened and Dowdy’s topsoil was exposed to heavy rains. Across a 180-acre farm, two-thirds of the runoff was headed directly for the terraces. Sabal Trail had placed sediment barriers at the mouth of each terrace, but the barriers acted like corks, backing up water into the fields until the watershed surrendered to gravity, escaping across barriers, over terraces, around right of way mounds and into a creek. A gentle 1% grade became a precipitous 10% to 12% cascade. Dowdy’s meticulously crafted elixir of protozoa, microbials, and organic matter was whisked away into the creek and surrounding woodlands. Bon voyage to soil health. Dowdy says the topsoil disaster was a direct result of Sabal Trail negligence in following the Georgia Soil & Water Commission’s Green Book (Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia) regulations. “Sediment barriers in concentrated flows of water; no straw covers; no safety sediment fences; and many more violations,” Dowdy contends. “They were not in compliance with a bunch of measures.” Blocked terraces and sediment barriers didn’t hold up to January rains. © Randy Dowdy When Sabal Trail arrived to repair the damage and finish construction, the glaring topsoil absence was impossible to fix. “They couldn’t find anybody to sell native topsoil to fill my loss,” Dowdy says. “Are you kidding? Who is going to sell the very lifeblood of their fields?” Dowdy began negotiating with Sabal Trail over restoration expenses. At Sabal Trail’s request, he provided three estimate areas. One: costs of topsoil purchase, extraction, hauling, grading, soil health applications, and terrace reconstruction. Two: estimation of damage to wetlands. Three: long term yield loss projections. According to Dowdy, Sabal Trail management agreed to pay for topsoil restoration and allowed him to begin the process. He began hauling in topsoil (not prime Tift topsoil to match his ground, but a lower grade replacement) with 8 to 18 trucks per day, one excavator, one motor grader, two bulldozers, two tractors, hay blowing equipment, and a painful daily price tag up to $25,000. Before Sabal Trail would write a soil restoration check, Dowdy was required to sign a release waiving compensation for future yield loss and wetlands damage. “They knew I would spend $700,000-plus and were squeezing me, but there was no way I would sign,” he explains. “I want the truth out there. I want people to know the facts.” In March, Dowdy filed a complaint with the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of Georgia. EPD enforces Green Book regulations, but only monitors potential construction project violations on a complaint basis: A single representative in south Georgia covers nine counties. “We have to rely on people letting us know about issues. However, we investigate every single complaint we get,” says Burt Langley, EPD’s director of compliance. Joe Freeman, environmental compliance officer with EPD, visited on-site March 10 and didn’t see any BMP violations that day. “Mr. Dowdy has already undertaken the re-terracing of his fields and the evidence is effectively covered. It may have been different if I’d seen things in December,” Freeman says. Freeman is currently waiting to receive Sabal Trail’s on-site records for review. “As far as woodland damage, I can’t prove the soil was deposited as a result of the Sabal Trail project,” he adds. “Landlords can’t possibly know how to translate complicated compliance permits,” Dowdy responds. “The gas companies bank on farmers not knowing all the precise rules. If EPD can’t monitor these companies, then who can? There's obviously a need for more staffing so EPD can do its job and protect landowner rights and interests.” Another failed sediment barrier located at a terrace mouth. © Randy Dowdy Dowdy doesn’t mince words: “The only people involved in reviewing compliance with permitting standards are on Sabal Trail's payroll. Isn't that the fox guarding the henhouse? What's the point of having an agency that issues permits if they don't personally police for compliance?” Dowdy contends he sent date-stamped photo evidence to Sabal Trail management on the date damage occurred: “Are photos of wetlands, woodlands and ag field damage insufficient for regulators to act?” he asks. On March 11, responding to an irrigation line leak in the right of way, Dowdy found evidence of jumbled soil deposition and says it is a clear violation of Sabal Trail’s permit and agreement. Rance Harrod, irrigation manager with Nashville Tractor, operated an excavator to expose the leak source. “I pushed off a couple of inches of topsoil and hit at least a 6” layer of a hard clay and blackish dirt mix. The excavator was struggling and the ground was coming up in chunks,” Harrod explains. Below the clay (Harrod normally hits clay around 2’) the ground was a soft mixture of soils. “After the first 2”, I didn’t hit pure topsoil again until almost a 1’ down,” he notes. In succession, Harrod scraped off 2” of topsoil, 6” of hard clay, and 10” to 15” of various mixtures before digging into the expected bright orange Georgia clay. “I’m not a soil expert, but it was plain to see as I went down,” he says. “It was clay and soil all mixed up.” “Even the soil that was saved and put back on my land wasn’t segregated. There are 2” on top to fool me, and everything below is topsy-turvy,” Dowdy says. “How do other landowners know this hasn’t been done on their land? Farmers and landowners are just supposed to sign a release and the story is over?” “The only burial of evidence has been on Sabal Trail’s part. Their permit requires soil segregation. When they repaired my fields, they left enough soil on top to make me feel good about it, but now I can prove that my soils are entirely mixed,” he adds. Dewey Lee, agronomist with the University of Georgia, knows the history of production on Dowdy’s ground and says the ramifications of soil disturbance and erosion are incalculable due to topsoil loss. In addition, the mixing of Randy's topsoil with some of the subsoil during restoration has significantly reduced soil quality and yield potential, according to Lee. The departure of organic matter, soil bacteria and fungi creates a snowball of mounting loss. And what about replacement dirt hauled in by Dowdy? “It’s impossible to replace the positive effects of Randy's management on his soils in a short period of time. Just in the disturbance, you lose aggregation, organic matter, fertility, and nutrients,” Lee states. “Now he starts with a different ion exchange capacity and nutrient capacity, and he’s lost structured water-holding capacity. The negative effects are immediate, but of far more concern, the long-term effects could last decades.” While repairing an irrigation line on March 11, Dowdy says he found clear evidence of jumbled soil deposition: “Even the soil that was saved and put back on my land wasn’t segregated.” © Randy Dowdy Lee says the complexity of Dowdy’s loss is magnified by the complexity of benefits formerly contained in his soil. Dowdy kept meticulous yield records on his ground, registering the positive effects of inputs and soil fertility management to attain a degree of predictability. That predictability, according to Lee, is over and all overriding questions about Dowdy’s topsoil future are hindered by a glaring fact: The topsoil is gone or mixed. “How do you quantify loss when the soil is washed away?” Lee asks. “We’re talking about future productivity losses that are incalculable because they’re so high. Add in wetlands damage and the questions are even more overwhelming.” In some quarters, the environmental damage is more alarming than Dowdy’s topsoil loss. Fertilizer dumped into a wetlands environment is regulatory chaos, and the water-soil mix that sloughed off Dowdy’s farmland carried a tremendous payload of fertilizer residue now spread across 100 acres, he says. Dowdy reports nearly a foot of soil deposition at the base of many trees. Dowdy believes he’s facing a lifetime of loss on the affected ground entirely due to the negligence of Sabal Trail. He’s hauled in over 1,000 loads of new dirt and expects he’ll need at least 800 more loads. In part, the breadbasket topsoil of the world’s record soybean yield and some of the highest corn yields is being replaced by a forced substitute. “I want the truth out there so people know what happened. It’s one thing to rebuild terraces, haul in topsoil, bring in hay and straw, put down cover crops, and spread chicken litter,” he says. “It’s another thing to gain soil life from dead dirt.”
Police have arrested and charged Aaron Richard Davison, 20, in connection to the hit-and-run death of Thomas "Tommy Ketterhagen, 19, on Jan. 23. Georgetown police said Ketterhagen was last seen cycling along the 2300 block of Patriot Way after 5 p.m. Monday. He was reported missing around 10 p.m. Monday and police said Ketterhagen's mother found his body along the road Tuesday morning. On Friday, police announced that Davison provided a written statement to them on Jan. 26 stating he had veered into oncoming traffic and struck an object. Davison was arrested on a charge of accident involving personal injury or death and has been booked into the Williamson County Jail on $50,000 bond. The arrest affidavit for Davison states a witness came forward and said he saw a blue pickup driving in and out of traffic along northbound SH 130, and that the truck exited the toll road and proceeded southbound along Patriot Way at a high rate of speed. The witness said he heard a "large boom sound" and saw a bicycle wheel fly in the air. He added he saw two people get out of the pickup and look in the ditch before getting back in the truck and leaving the scene. Police said the witness looked in the ditch but did not see Ketterhagen. Police said that pieces of a headlight and blue paint chips were recovered from the scene, and that they were able to track them to a vehicle they had a history with. Police located the vehicle behind a locked gate, and with the help of a DPS helicopter determined the vehicle had damage to its fender and a missing headlight. A search warrant was obtained and the truck was seized as evidence. Facebook LIVE of Georgetown police announcing arrest. (TAP HERE if you cannot see the video.) Ketterhagen was a graduate of East View High School. Principal Dave Denny issued the following statement on Tuesday: “Tommy was always super enthusiastic, full of energy and life. I remember at the state semi-final soccer game, he scored the first goal. He was especially enthusiastic that day and was so excited about scoring that he pulled his jersey over his head. The referee penalized him with a yellow card for excessive celebrations. We were all laughing and yelling at him from the sidelines, ‘You can’t go getting yellow-carded…we need you!’ The EVHS soccer team went on to the State Championship game that year. Tommy loved everyone and always loved being in involved. He was the life of the party. He is already deeply missed.” Thomas "Tommy" Ketterhagen This is a developing story. Please check back to KVUE.com for updates. A GoFundMe was set up for the Ketterhagen family. It can be found here.
NZ spy agency under fire after Dotcom bungle Posted A government-ordered review of New Zealand's leading spy agency has found that it may have operated illegally in cases involving more than 80 people. Prime minister John Key asked the cabinet secretary to examine the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) after revelations it had illegally spied on alleged internet copyright pirate Kim Dotcom. The review has found that over the past decade, GCSB operations involving 88 New Zealand citizens or residents are legally questionable. Details of the cases have not been publicly released. The report says the law governing the spy agency needs to be reformed as it is confusing, difficult to interpret and has not kept pace with changes in technology. The report also highlights management and culture problems within the bureau. The Greens and Labour want an independent inquiry into the country's intelligence agencies and their lines of accountability. Mr Key, the minister responsible for the organisation, says the report makes for "sobering reading". "I acknowledge this review will knock public confidence in the GCSB," he said, vowing to implement major changes. "I expect the GCSB to always operate within the law." The agency illegally spied on Dotcom before armed police raided his Auckland mansion and arrested him for online piracy in January 2012. At the time, Mr Key offered a public apology to Dotcom, acknowledging the German national should have been off-limits to the GCSB because he has residency status in New Zealand. Dotcom, who has received clearance from the New Zealand courts to attempt to sue the GCSB and police over his arrest, expressed surprise at the scale of the problem via Twitter. I'm surprised at the scale of breaches. The Prime Minister should apologize to those people too & inform the targets. — Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) The 39-year-old was arrested by New Zealand authorities cooperating with a massive US probe into online piracy. US authorities allege Dotcom's Megaupload and related file-sharing sites netted more than $US175 million and cost copyright owners more than $US500 million by offering pirated copies of movies, TV shows and other content. Dotcom denies any wrongdoing and is free on bail ahead of an extradition hearing scheduled in August. ABC/AFP Topics: security-intelligence, world-politics, internet-culture, piracy, new-zealand, asia, pacific
A huge ancient tomb belonging to the grandmother of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang has been found in Xi'an during excavations to expand the Xi'an University of Finance and Economics campus in Shaanxi province, northwest China. According to China.org.cn, the tomb complex covers an area measuring 173,325 square metres, stretching 550m in length and 310 meters in width, and is the second largest tomb to have ever been discovered in the country. So far, archaeologists have excavated two carriages and 12 horse skeletons (each carriage would have been pulled by six horses) out of the tomb. The carriages and horses are a symbol of high rank which is equal to that of an emperor or a member of the royal family. The archaeologists also discovered elegantly engraved pottery inscribed with the Chinese characters for Qin Shi Huang's grandmother, together with fragments of jade, gold and silver, have confirmed the archaeologists' beliefs that the tomb belongs to Qin Shi Huang's grandmother. They also believe that the first emperor commissioned the tomb to be built and it was completed in his lifetime, but there is no word yet as to whether they have found her sarcophagus. The turbulent Qin family Qin Shi Huang (260-210BC) was the first emperor to unify China and enact major economic and political reforms across the country. China had previously consisted of a multitude of warring states and kingdoms, each under the control of feudal overlords, leading to much instability. Although history knows his parents, the concubine Lady Zhao and King Zhuangxiang of the Kingdom of Qin, not much else is known about his family. After the death of Qin Shi Huang's father, he took the throne at the age of 13. His mother took a lover Lao Ai and had two illegitimate children. Later, Lao Ai tried to stage a coup with the intention of killing Qin Shi Huang and placing one of the two children on the throne as a puppet ruler. Qin Shi Huang ordered his half-siblings to be killed and his mother was placed under house arrest, while Lao Ai died during the coup. Perhaps the first emperor might have had a closer relationship with his grandmother than with his mother. In later life, he never chose an empress, but sired 50 children on numerous concubines, so he might have had issues with forming relationships with women. The legacy left by Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang standardised units of measurement, the length of axles of carts and currency, creating the Ban Liang coin. He also created the first unified Chinese script to make one language and communication system. Although he destroyed many books about the past so that scholars could not compare his reign to rulers before him, he has left the world a lasting legacy in the form of the Great Wall of China, a defensive wall system, and his mausoleum complex, which is also in Xi'an. The first emperor's tomb complex took 38 years and over 720,000 builders to construct, and its location was deliberately lost, hidden under the man-made Lishan Mountain, with trees and vegetation planted over it. Builders who sealed one tomb chamber were killed when they reported to their superiors, who would in turn seal the next chamber and then report to superiors who killed them in turn. It is also rumoured that his concubines were buried alive with him. When the last builders and guards reported back to the capital that the task had been completed, they were killed too, and the location of Qin Shi Huang's tomb lay hidden for over two thousand years. In 1974, the tomb was discovered by farmers digging wells, who stumbled on the garrison of 6,000 terracotta warriors. The central tomb chamber housing the first emperor's sarcophagus has not yet been excavated as archaeologists currently lack the technology to adequately preserve the tomb's contents. They believe that some ancient booby traps like rivers of mercury and rigged crossbows might still await them, thanks to probes inserted into the tomb discovering abnormally high amounts of mercury.
For Sony’s previous handheld, the PSP, Japan was an anchor market. The system launched in Japan in 2004 and has sold 14 Million units there – just slightly below the 17 Million units it moved in the United States. Sony obviously hoped to maintain the home field advantage with the PS Vita, the new portable console that debuted at the end of 2011. The performance of Vita in Japan has been nothing short of atrocious on so many levels. On the week ending November 11, the unit volume in Japan was a shocking 4,021. The eight-years-old PSP sold 12,000 units during the same week. This is a rare example of a new console failing to dislodge the old one even after one year on the market. Nintendo’s 3DS continued its rampage, moving 186’000 units during the week – 46 times more than its handheld rival. PS Vita has probably already edged into the dead zone where developers start yanking support for stand-alone projects. The week of November 11 was another bad period for Vita – but arguably the week of November 18 was even worse. The sales of Vita rebounded from 4,000 to 13,000, but the increase was intolerably weak considering that this was the Assassin’s Creed III launch period in Japan. The franchise is not as strong over there as it is in America and Europe, but the PS3 version of the game still sold 73,000 units – a solid number considering how badly the PS3 is aging right now. In stark contrast, the Vita version of the AC3 sold just 24,000 units – and this triggered only 9,000 unit increase in the console sales. The inability to deliver a strong unit volume rebound during a major software launch is a death knell for a video game console – and this is what Vita has demonstrated all through the autumn. For example, in October, Vita was the launch pad for a relatively big title, “The Legend of Heroes”. The game sold 21,000 units during its debut week – Vita sales bounced to 15,000 units and then dropped back to a 6,000 weekly pace in just two weeks later. It looks identical to the impact that Assassin’s Creed III is now having on Vita – negligible. PS Vita is going to struggle to hit 700,000 units in Japan during the calendar year 2012. This is far below viability. At the same time, Nintendo 3DS is riding a massive wave of blockbuster games week after week – Animal Crossing will hit 1 Million units next week, New Super Mario Bros stands at 1.3 Million, the latest Pokemon at 2.8 Million. Sony’s credit rating was lowered to junk level this week. The PS3 is aging badly and the PS Vita is about to be knocked out of the portable console market. Nintendo’s portable gaming empire is facing a potentially lethal long-term threat from mobile apps. Apple's iPad application market is getting more and more sophisticated game titles, as ambitious games like "The Room" and "Clash of Clans" edge towards console game quality. Google has finally started solving its app market problems and Android app revenue is soaring. But for now, it can feast on Sony’s corpse and hoover in consumer dollars that it had to split with PSP just two years ago.
Islip, New York, got slammed with 35+ cm of rain in less than a day on Aug. 13, 2014, causing widespread flooding. New research suggests global warming may be a root cause of extreme weather events like this. Photo by Andrew Theodorakis/Getty Images If you live in some parts of the Northeast United States,* you just experienced two months’ worth of summer rain falling in less than a single day. Of course, if you do live in the swath of the country from Detroit to New York and down into the mid-Atlantic states, you hardly need me to tell you that. Look out the window. But what you might want to know is that the deluge you’re getting may be due to climate change. Tying extreme weather to climate change is tricky. It’s not so much “this event was due to the Earth warming, which is disrupting the climate” as it is “statistically speaking, we’re seeing more extreme weather events, getting even more extreme over time”. Think of it as playing craps with ever-so-slightly loaded dice. You can’t be sure that snake eyes you threw was due to the dice being weighted, but over time you’ll see a lot more of them than you’d expect, statistically, from fair dice. We’re throwing an awful lot of meteorological snake eyes lately. A paper just came out by a team of climatologists possibly linking global warming to these extreme weather events. It’s based on an idea that’s been around a while, but hadn’t been verified. Now we’re seeing evidence for it. The key to this is what’s called a “blocking pattern”, where a high-pressure system becomes immobile, squatting over a specific spot. Under the high-pressure spot, this can bring long, grueling heat waves that don’t go away for days or weeks. On the edges it can bring a deluge of rain, as moist air from the south is brought up to meet colder air coming down from the north. That’s what Detroit and New York just went through. These blocking patterns are themselves associated with the jet stream, the constant flow of air about 10 kilometers above sea level at latitudes between 30° and 60°. Sometimes the flow weakens, and the winds can dip down into more southern latitudes. These meanders (sometimes mistakenly called the “polar vortex”) depend on a lot of factors, but the new research just published indicates they may be due to the Arctic warming up. The physics is complicated — fluid dynamics is amazingly subtle and complex — but the research indicates a warming Arctic can create and amplify the conditions that lead to jet stream excursions, and therefore blocking patterns. In 2013, a blocking pattern squatted over Alaska, causing record breaking heat for the largest state. Photo by Jesse Allen and Jeff Schmatltz, using data from theLand Processes Distributed Active Archive Center(LPDAAC) and theLANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. It was a blocking pattern that led to a phenomenal heat wave in Alaska in 2013, to the floods in the Northeast, and to the unbelievable rain we saw here in my home town of Boulder last year; we got over 30 cm in just a day or two. A normally quiet creek near my house became a raging torrent: During the Alaska heat wave, I mentioned that there were some scientists wondering if this were tied to global warming and climate change (similar thoughts happened after the Boulder flood as well), and of course the usual suspects came in and raised the zombies of denial. This new paper supports what I was saying. Again, we can’t always point to any one event and say “global warming caused (or amplified) this — though sometimes we can. But as our planet heats up, as ice in the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland slides away, as California continues to suffer its most apocalyptic drought on record, pointing a finger at such things will get easier and easier. Tip o’ the brolly to The Guardian. *Correction, Aug. 14, 2014 at 14:15 UTC: I originally wrote the Northeast U.S., but of course only some parts got the torrential rain, like Islip, New York. I apologize for using imprecise language there.
At least 12 refugee claimants in Halifax are facing a housing crisis because some landlords are refusing to rent to them, according to workers at the Halifax Refugee Clinic. "The challenges, to begin with, are financial," Gillian Smith, the clinic's settlement co-ordinator, said in an interview. "But then beyond that there's discrimination. "And it's illegal in Nova Scotia for landlords to discriminate due to someone's race or religion or family status, but it happens. They do." The clinic opened 17 years ago. It helps refugee claimants access legal services, settlement support, housing, health care and food security. 'We don't want more families here' Smith spoke of a case just last week where the clinic was about to send an application for a family and were told by the landlord not to bother because "we don't want more families here." Other refugees face housing problems because they don't have a network of friends and family here to support them. Gillian Smith, settlement co-ordinator at the Halifax Refugee Clinic, says about 12 refugee claimants are facing a housing crisis. (Craig Paisley/CBC) "They might not have a credit history or a social insurance number yet," Smith said. "They might not be employed yet. And part of the narrative that people don't often hear is that when someone makes a refugee claim, they have to wait for work authorization from the federal government and this can take months." That means some refugee claimant families and single people are forced onto social assistance, even if they have a job offer waiting for them. Agencies trying to address crisis To try to address this crisis, which includes homelessness for some, the Halifax Refugee Clinic is working with other organizations and shelters and reaching out to the public for donations to help subsidize people's rents. Smith pointed out that refugee claimants are often at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to housing, even though Canada recognizes housing as a fundamental human right. Halifax doesn't have any shelters for families. That means some families who are homeless have to split up and go to men's and women's shelters. "And that is an unacceptable situation," Smith said. "It would be retraumatizing for a family who's already lost everything, and what they have been able to do is stick together, for them to be split up in Canada." Miia Suokonautio, executive director of YWCA Halifax, speaks about a program that helps women find housing. (Paul Palmeter/CBC) YWCA Halifax is one the organizations trying to help some of these newcomers with their housing challenges. It also offers affordable housing in its apartments for homeless women, former inmates and women coming off the streets. "The issue of housing is a very, very, very big issue for our community in general," said YWCA Halifax executive director Miia Suokonautio. "If you have many children or you don't speak English, if you have an addiction or a mental health issue or if you're underage and a landlord doesn't want to rent to you, those are all serious concerns." Doing the right thing Jeremy Jackson, vice-president of marketing and program development with Killam Properties, said many landlords have been "doing the right thing" with regard to new Canadians. Some Halifax landlords, he said, provided rent-free apartments to Syrian refugees in 2016 for periods ranging from three months to one year. And in the past 10 years, Killam has partnered with non-profit housing agencies to provide subsidized, supported housing units to new Canadians and under-housed Nova Scotians. "Back in 2016, when Canada accepted all the new Syrian [refugee] families, Killam would have subsidized about 60 units across our portfolio and 25 of them would have been here in HRM," Jackson said. In one of the company's Clayton Park buildings in Halifax, Killam recently donated a community room for the YWCA Halifax Newcomers Connect program. An open house was held there Tuesday. The free, drop-in program, which launched in June, provides child care, networking, adult education, English lessons and one-on-one support. Sixty women attend the program.
Despite accusations that they are “killers of the sick and elderly,” a growing number of B.C. health-care workers are resisting a mandatory flu shot, arguing that it is an issue of personal choice. And now, a union representing thousands of health-care workers in the province, is telling them they have a right to opt out, even if that potentially works against public health efforts to stop the spread of the disease. “We always encourage our members to get vaccinated, but we also believe that they have a right to make their own personal health choices,” said Miriam Sobrino, spokeswoman with the Health Sciences Association of B.C., the union representing the province’s non-nurse, non-doctor health-care professionals. [np-related /] An Oct. 18 statement by the union acknowledges that health-care workers may wish to eschew vaccination for any number of factors, including “philosophical or religious objections.” “They don’t believe in vaccination for whatever reason — I don’t know what the reasons are,” said Ms. Sobrino. In August, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to legislate mandatory flu shots for doctors, nurses and any other healthcare worker who may come into contact with patients. In previous years, the rate of inoculation for the province’s health-care workers had been below 50%, one of the lowest in Canada. “We know that a surprising number of health-care workers will go on working even when they have symptoms of influenza,” provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall told CBC at the time. “Influenza is not a trivial illness, particularly for vulnerable people.” However, the B.C. Nurses Union immediately struck back at the plan as a “punitive action,” — particularly since it forced the non-vaccinated to spend the flu season wearing a surgical mask. “It’s just a way to identify the unclean, I think, and stigmatize them into being vaccinated,” said Sara Gough, a Vancouver-based registered nurse who refused the shot. Ms. Gough said the provinces’ anti-flu shot faction is balking mostly at the “forced nature” of the policy. “I know nurses who have gotten the shot in previous years who are so angry this year that they’re not getting the vaccine as a protest,” Ms. Gough said. In response, anti-vaccine nurses are accused of being “killers of the sick and elderly,” wrote Ms. Gough in an email to the National Post. Vaccine opponents contend that vaccination is not worth the hassle, citing recent reports that the shot may not be as effective as previously thought. “Do traffic lights prevent all fatalities and traffic accidents? Does that mean we should stop using traffic lights?” said Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease consultant at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. “More patients are alive at the end of flu season if healthcare workers get vaccinated … we have lots of supportive evidence for that,” she said, adding “influenza is still the single most common infectious disease cause of death in Canada.” In a November op-ed, University of Toronto bioethics researcher Ross Upshur maintained that eschewing a flu shot fundamentally violates the credo of “do no harm.” If healthcare workers “are vectors of disease for hospitalized patients, they are putting patients at risk for increased harm,” he said. It is “disheartening” to see how few Canadian professionals are getting the flu shot, even if they work with children and the elderly, said Maher El-Masri, a nursing professor at the University of Windsor. “I think we have a responsibility to protect our patients.” Nevertheless, he said the B.C. government’s actions might be going a “bit too far.” While there is “absolutely a benefit” to inoculating health professionals, there is no definitive research weighing the benefits of vaccinating an entire province’s worth of health-care workers. “If we don’t vaccinate, how many people are we killing, and how many people are we putting at risk for increased complications?” he said. National Post, with files from Postmedia News
Victims of third-degree burns and other traumatic injuries endure pain, disfigurement, invasive surgeries and a long time waiting for skin to grow back. Improved tissue grafts designed by Cornell scientists that promote vascular growth could hasten healing, encourage healthy skin to invade the wounded area and reduce the need for surgeries. These so-called dermal templates were engineered in the lab of Abraham Stroock, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Cornell and member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, in collaboration with Dr. Jason A. Spector, assistant professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and an interdisciplinary team of Ithaca and Weill scientists. The research was published online May 6 in the journal Biomaterials. The biomaterials are composed of experimental tissue scaffolds that are about the size of a dime and have the consistency of tofu. They are made of a material called type 1 collagen, which is a well-regulated biomaterial used often in surgeries and other biomedical applications. The templates were fabricated with tools at the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility to contain networks of microchannels that promote and direct growth of healthy tissue into wound sites. "The challenge was how to promote vascular growth and to keep this newly forming tissue alive and healthy as it heals and becomes integrated into the host," Stroock said. The grafts promote the ingrowth of a vascular system -- the network of vessels that carry blood and circulate fluid through the body -- to the wounded area by providing a template for growth of both the tissue (dermis, the deepest layer of skin), and the vessels. Type I collagen is biocompatible and contains no living cells itself, reducing concerns about immune system response and rejection of the template. A key finding of the study is that the healing process responds strongly to the geometry of the microchannels within the collagen. Healthy tissue and vessels can be guided to grow toward the wound in an organized and rapid manner. Dermal templates are not new; the Johnson & Johnson product Integra, for example, is widely used for burns and other deep wounds, Spector said, but it falls short in its ability to encourage growth of healthy tissue because it lacks the microchannels designed by the Cornell researchers. "They can take a long time to incorporate into the person you're putting them in," Spector said. "When you're putting a piece of material on a patient and the wound is acellular, it has a big risk for infection and requires lots of dressing changes and care. Ideally you want to have a product or material that gets vascularized very rapidly." In the clinic, Spector continued, patients often need significant reconstructive surgery to repair injuries with exposed vital structures like bone, tendon or orthopedic hardware. The experimental templates are specifically designed to improve vascularization over these "barren" areas, perhaps one day eliminating the need for such invasive surgeries and reducing the patient's discomfort and healing time. Eventually, the scientists may try to improve their tissue grafts by, for example, reinforcing them with polymer meshes that could also act as a wound covering, Spector said. Other collaborators include first author Ying Zheng, a former postdoctoral associate in Stroock's lab; Dr. Peter W. Henderson, chief research fellow at Weill Cornell's Laboratory for Bioregenerative Medicine and Surgery; graduate student Nak Won Choi; and Lawrence J. Bonassar, associate professor of biomedical engineering. The work was supported by the Morgan Fund for Tissue Engineering and the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research.
Olympian Michael Phelps To Coach At Arizona State University Enlarge this image toggle caption Getty Images Getty Images Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, intends to join Arizona State University as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2016-17 season, according to the Arizona Republic. That will follow his presumed retirement after the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, where Sports Illustrated sees him as a gold medal favorite in three individual events. Phelps — who is 30 — moved to Arizona to train with Bob Bowman, the coach he has worked with for almost two decades. Under Bowman's tutelage, Phelps won 22 medals, including 18 gold. While he briefly retired after the 2012 London Olympics, he announced last year he would resume training. Out of the pool, Phelps has encountered challenges. In 2014, he was arrested for driving under the influence in Baltimore. It was his second DUI offense. Phelps subsequently entered a rehabilitation program. Earlier this year, he got engaged to Nicole Johnson, a former Miss California, and the couple is expecting a child. Bowman's move to ASU has already provided a recruiting boon for the university, according to the Washington Post, and Phelps' presence on the coaching staff will likely attract more star swimmers to Arizona.
What’s better than sitting around a campfire in the summer evenings? A beautiful summer evening with a backyard fire pit is the perfect gathering spot for family and friends. How does it look this place ? Materials: 6- Bags of Sacreete (or Quickcreete – whatever you call it) one for each upright. 6- 6x6x10’s (for the uprights) 6- 6x6x8’s for the top sections 6- 2x6x8’s for the stabilizers that go kitty corner on top of 6×6’s (for strength) 24- 3/8’s x 8″ lags for laggin the top horizontal pieces to the uprights (countersunk) 24- 4″ Deck screws for screwing the top pieces together horizontally before lagging them. 24 – 3″ Deck screws for screwing the top 2×6 stabilizers to the 6×6’s 10- 3/8×8″ eyebolts with nuts and washers for hanging the swings ” I din’t have any building instructions to go by, pretty much just winged it. I layed out the hexagon in the yard so that center for the uprights for each bay was 7′ apart because I knew I wanted to get 5′ swings. I had 14′ from each upright to the upright opposite of it. I’m not sure what the angles were, I just took two pieces of scrap and layed them up there and messed around cutting a few until I got the angle right. We got all the top pieces set up there before lagging them all in. Left one bay swingless so that I could carry firewood in. I got 6x6x10’s for the uprights and they are sacreeted almost 3 feet in the ground. I guess its a little over 7 feet to the bottom of the 6x6x8’s on top. ” Chenango Dave (owner)
The House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into possible ties between President Trump’s election campaign and Russia may soon expand to include another Trump campaign official. Brad Parscale, the digital director of Trump’s 2016 campaign, is expected to be invited to speak with the committee as they begin scheduling witnesses over the summer, according to CNN. ADVERTISEMENT Parscale was a key member of Trump’s campaign, which he joined after running the Trump Organization’s digital operations. He oversaw online advertising and voter targeting for the campaign. The committee’s investigation has ramped up in recent weeks by issuing subpoenas to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and one of his companies, as well as to longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The news also comes as the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffTech takes heat as anti-vaxers go viral Demands grow for a public Mueller report Bharara: It would seem 'odd and unusual' if Mueller report isn't made public MORE (D-Calif.) is pushing for the committee to include obstruction of justice a possible charge in its investigation. Schiff pushed for its inclusion in his committee after the Senate Intelligence Committee announced it would leave investigating obstruction of justice to special counsel Robert Mueller.
RICHARDSON, Texas - Police discovered the remains of a child while searching for 3-year-old Sherin Mathews on Sunday. The Richardson Police Department announced Sunday afternoon they found the body in a tunnel beneath a road and said it is "most likely" Mathews. Police are waiting to positively identify the remains before confirming that the body is that of the 3-year-old girl who was reported missing earlier this month. The body was reportedly discovered a half mile from Sherin's home. The Medical Examiner is working to determine a cause of death. Area where body was found is about half a mile from Mathews' home. — Allison Harris (@AllisonFox4News) October 22, 2017 Authorities have not made an arrest, pending a positive identification of the body. Police informed Sherin's parents of the discovery. An AMBER Alert was issued for Mathews on Oct. 7, but was discontinued after authorities failed to find any leads in the investigation. Sherin Mathews was last seen Oct. 7 wearing a pink top and black pajama bottoms. Her father, Wesley Mathews, was arrested the day of her disappearance and charged with abandoning or endangering a child. According to the ABC affiliate in Dallas, WFAA, Mathews left his daughter in a backyard alley around 3 a.m. as a form of punishment for not drinking milk and when he returned 15 minutes later, the girl was gone. Copyright 2017 by KSAT - All rights reserved.
The Houston fried chicken boom of 2014 will take another step forward Sunday when The Chicken Ranch opens its doors for a one day only soft-opening preview. Named for the famous central Texas brothel Marvin Zindler exposed (and later the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), the restaurant will display most of its menu for the first time: Fried chicken, chicken wings, biscuits and sides. Since previewing the chicken for CultureMap and Houston hip hop legend Bun B back in August, co-owner Joshua Martinez has been tweaking his recipe. "I'm happy with it," he tells CultureMap. It's a classic brined Southern fried chicken that should feature a crispy crust and juicy meat. Although the promised spicy version is still under development, the restaurant will open with three varieties of wings. Instead of naming them after dead rappers as Martinez did with his food truck The Modular, the wings at The Chicken Ranch will be named for deceased country music legends Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Opening day sides will include mashed potatoes, dirty rice, creamed corn, mac & cheese and okra and tomatoes with andouille sausage from Fifth Ward staple Burt's Meat Market. The wings at The Chicken Ranch will be named for deceased country music legends Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Martinez expects a crowd based on the number of inquiries he's been fielding daily via social media about the restaurant's opening, but he'll have help in the form of co-owner Paul Sedillo. "Paul and I are going to be on the line together," co-owner Martinez confirms. Although Sedillo hasn't worked in a restaurant since he was a college student, Martinez is confident the talented home cook can help keep the chicken coming. The restaurant will likely close for a few days after the preview to assess diners' feedback, before opening full-time around Nov. 1. Inside, the space is pretty bare bones, but it does feature Martinez's trademark flair for whimsical kitsch. A taxidermy chicken greets diners as they enter. Best of all, a custom painting of Marvin Zindler holding his beloved bichon frisé Magic adorns one of the walls. Sadly, the restaurant still hasn't received its liquor license, so the promised craft beer and sparking wine beverage program will have to wait. In the meantime, the restaurant is BYOB; Martinez recommends neighboring convenience store Joe's as a source of craft beer for anyone coming on Sunday. How The Chicken Ranch compares to other nearby options like Funky Chicken, The Bird House and Barbecue Inn remains to be seen, but more fried chicken is always a good thing. The Chicken Ranch will be open Sunday Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"Israeli diaspora" redirects here. For the exiled Israelites of Antiquity, see Assyrian captivity Yerida (Hebrew: ירידה yerida, "descent") is a Hebrew term referring to emigration by Israeli Jews from the State of Israel (or in religious texts, Land of Israel). Yerida is the opposite of Aliyah ( עליה, lit. "ascent"), which is immigration to Israel. Zionists are generally critical of the act of yerida and the term is somewhat derogatory.[1] Common reasons for emigration given are the high cost of living, a desire to escape from the instability of ongoing Palestinian political violence and the Arab–Israeli conflict, academic or professional ambitions, and disillusion with Israeli society.[2] Etymology [ edit ] Emigrants from Israel are known as yordim ("those who go down [from Israel]"). Immigrants to Israel are known as olim ("those who go up [to Israel]"). The use of the Hebrew word "Yored" (which means "descending") is a modern renewal of a term taken from the Torah: " אנכי ארד עמך מצרימה ואנכי אעלך גם עלו" ("I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again" Genesis 46:4), " ויהי רעב בארץ; וירד אברם מצרימה לגור שם כי-כבד הרעב בארץ" ("Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there because the famine was severe." Genesis 12:10), and from the Mishnah: " הכל מעלין לארץ ישראל ואין הכל מוציאין", and from the Talmud " ארץ ישראל גבוה מכל הארצות" (The Land of Israel is higher than all the [other] lands). Jewish law [ edit ] Jewish Law or Halakha defines certain restrictions on emigration from Israel. According to Moses Maimonides, it is only permitted to emigrate and resettle abroad in cases of severe hunger. Joseph Trani determined that it is permissible to emigrate from Israel for marriage, to study Torah or to support oneself, including in cases where famine is not present. In any case, emigration from Israel and even temporary departure is not thought of in Orthodox or traditional Judaism as a worthy act for a man.[3] History [ edit ] It is difficult to estimate the number of people who emigrated from Israel between the start of the Zionist movement and the establishment of the state of Israel, or the proportion of emigrants compared with the number of immigrants into the country. Estimates of the extent of emigration during the period of the initial Zionist settlement in Palestine with the First Aliyah, as well as the Second Aliyah, range between approximately 40% (an estimation made by Joshua Kaniel) of all immigrants and up to 80–90%. Although the precise number is unknown, it is known that many of the European Jewish immigrants during this period gave up after a few months and left, often suffering from hunger and disease.[4] In the latter part of the Fourth Aliyah, during 1926–1928, the mandatory authorities recorded 17,972 Jewish immigrants, and the Jewish Agency counted about 1,100 more who were not registered with the authorities. During the same period, the authorities recorded 14,607 Jewish emigrants.[5] Overall, it is estimated that about 60,000 Jews emigrated from Mandatory Palestine between 1923 and 1948, and that the total number of Jews who emigrated from the start of the Zionist project to the establishment of the state was around 90,000.[6] After Israel was established in 1948, the country experienced a wave of mass immigration lasting from 1948 to 1951, primarily from post-Holocaust Europe and Arab and Muslim countries, absorbing 688,000 immigrants during this period. However, some 10% of these immigrants would leave the country in the following years, primarily to Canada, Australia, and South America. A small number went to the United States, and it was thought that the US would be the primary destination had immigration restrictions set out by the Immigration Act of 1924 had not still been in place. By 1953, the wave of immigration had leveled off, and emigration was increasing.[7][8] Initially, emigration from Israel was composed largely of immigrants who were unsatisfied with life there, but in the mid-1970s, number of native Israelis leaving the country grew.[9] From 1948 until 1961, Israeli citizens required an exit visa as well as a passport to travel overseas even temporarily.[10] Initially the intention was to prevent the departure of Jews who ought to be fighting, but also due to a perception that those leaving harmed national solidarity.[10] After the war the restrictions were eased somewhat but still many administrative hurdles were put in front of those wishing to leave.[11] To prevent the outflow of foreign currency, tickets could only be purchased with money sent from abroad.[10] The general need for an exit visa was finally abolished in 1961 after several court cases and Knesset decisions.[10] In 1980 deputy Prime Minister Simha Erlich and the Director of the Jewish Agency Shmuel Lahis studied emigration to the United States. The Lahis Report estimated that there were 300,000 to 500,000 Israelis living in the United States, mainly in New York and Los Angeles.[12] In 1982, Dov Shilansky, a Deputy Minister who was tasked with heading efforts to prevent Yerida, noted that some 300,000 Israelis had emigrated since 1948, and attributed a housing shortage and high unemployment as the primary reasons for Israeli emigration at the time.[13] Yerida skyrocketed in the mid-1980s, due to a combination of the effects of the 1982 Lebanon War, exposure of Israeli tourists to other cultures and new opportunities in other Western countries, and an economic crisis brought on by the 1983 Israel bank stock crisis. In 1984 and 1985, more Jews emigrated from than immigrated to Israel.[14] At the time, the Israeli government became alarmed over the large amount of emigration, and politicians and government entities often cited statistics claiming that hundreds of thousands of Israelis were living abroad. However, these statistics may not have been accurate; around this time, Pini Herman, a demographer, interviewed an Israeli government statistician in charge of compiling data on yordim. According to Herman, the data showed that since 1948, fewer than 400,000 Israelis had moved abroad and never returned. When he asked him how other government entities regularly claimed much higher figures, the statistician said that his bureau was never actually consulted.[15] In November 2003, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption estimated that 750,000 Israelis were living abroad, primarily in the United States and Canada—about 12.5 percent of the Jewish population of Israel.[16] In April 2008, the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption estimated that 700,000 Israelis were living abroad, of those, 450,000 were living in the U.S. and Canada, and 50,000-70,000 in Britain.[17] In 2012, a new Global Religion and Migration Database constructed by the Pew Research Center showed that there were a total of 330,000 native-born Israelis, including 230,000 Jews, living abroad, approximately 4% of Israel's native-born Jewish population. Immigrants to Israel who later left were not counted. Danny Gadot of the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles claimed that although some 600,000-750,000 Israelis were estimated to living in the United States, many were not native-born and in fact the children of Israeli expatriates, as the children of Israelis born abroad are counted as Israeli citizens.[15] That year, it was reported that yerida had hit a 40-year low, while the number of Israelis returning from abroad had increased.[18] Demography [ edit ] Reasons for emigration phenomenon [ edit ] The main motives for leaving Israel are usually connected with the emigrants' desire for improved living standards, or to search for work opportunities and professional advancement, for higher education. Polls amongst emigrants have shown that the political situation and security threats in Israel are not among the main factors in emigration. Emigration is also common amongst new immigrants who failed to successfully integrate into Israeli society especially if they were unable to master the Hebrew language, failed to integrate into the labor market, or who already made one major residence change in their lives and therefore found an additional change easier to make. Some of the immigrants move to a third country, almost always in the West, and some of them return to the country of their origin, a phenomenon which increases when the conditions in the country of origin improve, as occurred in the former USSR in the first decade of the 21st century. Since the founding of the State of Israel, polls have shown that those leaving the country were on average more educated than the ones who remained in Israel. This phenomenon is even more extreme amongst new immigrants who leave Israel than amongst native-born Israelis who leave Israel. Therefore, the emigration from Israel has occasionally been referred to as a Brain drain. An OECD estimate put the highly educated emigrant rate at 5.3 per thousand highly educated Israelis, actually placing Israel in the lower third compared to OECD countries where the overall average was 14 per thousand highly educated emigrants. Israel, with its well developed technical and educational infrastructure and larger base of highly educated citizens, is retaining a greater percentage of its highly educated persons than developed countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and New Zealand.[50] Circular migration [ edit ] The migration of Israeli Jews was often thought to be unidirectional and described as yerida, but there is reason to believe that a significant pattern of return, hazara (חזרה hazara, "return"), has been described as returning to Israel after relatively long periods, of at least a year or more, where homes and livelihoods have to be established or re-established. Most Israelis who emigrate do not leave permanently, and eventually return home after an extended period abroad.[51] This circular migration may be especially pronounced for highly skilled[52] and highly educated Israeli migrants and their families. In 2007 a special program by the Immigrant Absorption Minister of Israel was announced, intended to encourage Israeli emigrants to return to Israel. It was further decided that by 2008 the Ministry would invest 19 million shekels to establish lucrative absorption plans for the returning emigrants. (see: Taxation in Israel). Until then, 4,000 Israeli expatriates returned each year. In 2008, these numbers began growing. Since the start of this campaign, the number of Israelis returning home has doubled. Return reached a peak of 11,000 in 2010. From 2010 to October 2012, a record 22,470 Israelis returned, including 4,837 academics and researchers, 2,720 technical professionals, and 681 business managers.[53] Israel has granted the legal status of Toshav Hozer (תושב חוזר toshav hozer, "returning resident") to Israeli citizens having resided abroad for at least two years (1.5 years for students); during his/her time abroad, has not visited Israel for 120 days or more per year (365 days); has not used his/her rights as a returning resident in the past.[54] According to demographer Pini Herman, this circular migration has been an economic boon to Israel. Israel does not have the technological, academic, and other infrastructural resources to absorb its disproportionate number of highly trained and skilled population, second only to the United States. As a result, many Israelis have worked overseas for extended periods of time. Upon their return, they have often attracted or repatriated with them to Israel new infrastructure, such as that provided by companies like as Intel, Google, Microsoft, and IBM.[51] Emigration and Zionist ideology [ edit ] The rejection of emigration from Israel is a central assumption in all forms of Zionism as a corollary of the "Negation of the Diaspora" in Zionism which according to Eliezer Schweid was a central tenet of Israeli Zionist education until the 1970s when there was a need for Israel to reconcile itself with the Jewish diaspora and its massive support of Israel following the Six-Day War.[55] Attitudes in Israeli society [ edit ] During the first immigration waves the emigration from Israel was a great cause for pessimism in regards to the success of the Zionist enterprise. In a 1976 interview, Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin identified the Israeli emigrants as "fall-outs of weaklings" (נפולת של נמושות). Nowadays there is much less antagonism among Israelis regarding emigrants. The main problem for the Zionist leadership of the State of Israel in the past was the idea that people born in Israel could choose to emigrate, despite the fact that they did not face the same difficulties as new immigrants who decided to leave after failing to integrate. In an interview in 2008 Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister and former prime minister said that "Jews know that they can land on their feet in any corner of the world. The real test for us is to make Israel such an attractive place—cutting edge in science, education, culture, quality of life— that even American Jewish young people want to come here. If we cannot do this, even those who were born here will consciously decide to go to other places. This is a real problem." [56] Territorial Therapy, [57] the ideation of migration or yerida, is often a psychological outlet or mechanism utilized by many Israelis to counter the stress of living in a dangerous political situation in the Middle East. A variety of polls over the years have shown that it is common for Israelis to actively and seriously consider that they or their children might leave Israel to live in other parts of the world, primarily the United States and Canada. the ideation of migration or yerida, is often a psychological outlet or mechanism utilized by many Israelis to counter the stress of living in a dangerous political situation in the Middle East. A variety of polls over the years have shown that it is common for Israelis to actively and seriously consider that they or their children might leave Israel to live in other parts of the world, primarily the United States and Canada. Another way in which the ideation of migration is demonstrated is in the relatively high numbers of Israelis who seek citizenship of European Union countries, [58] (where in 2007 an estimated 42 percent of Israelis are eligible for citizenship based on their parents' and grandparents' nationalities). [59] More than 4,000 Israelis received German citizenship in 2007, a 50 percent increase over 2005. [60] A recent survey by the Jerusalem-based Menachem Begin Heritage Center found that 59% of Israelis had approached or intended to approach a foreign embassy to ask for citizenship and a passport [61] and North American countries, possibly to use as a safe haven, but actually continue living in Israel. [59] The seeking, attainment and possession of multiple nationalities by a Jewish individual is allowed by Israeli law, whereas other nations, require a renouncement of foreign citizenship and the voluntary attainment of a foreign citizenship can result in the loss of citizenship in that country. For example, 220 Israeli diplomats to the U.S. have received 'Green card' or Permanent Resident Alien status between 1966 and 1979 [62] but the likelihood is low that these career Israeli government officials permanently emigrated from Israel, but rather they gained a passport of convenience to travel to countries that may be less welcoming of Israeli passports. (where in 2007 an estimated 42 percent of Israelis are eligible for citizenship based on their parents' and grandparents' nationalities). More than 4,000 Israelis received German citizenship in 2007, a 50 percent increase over 2005. A recent survey by the Jerusalem-based Menachem Begin Heritage Center found that 59% of Israelis had approached or intended to approach a foreign embassy to ask for citizenship and a passport and North American countries, possibly to use as a safe haven, but actually continue living in Israel. The seeking, attainment and possession of multiple nationalities by a Jewish individual is allowed by Israeli law, whereas other nations, require a renouncement of foreign citizenship and the voluntary attainment of a foreign citizenship can result in the loss of citizenship in that country. For example, 220 Israeli diplomats to the U.S. have received 'Green card' or Permanent Resident Alien status between 1966 and 1979 but the likelihood is low that these career Israeli government officials permanently emigrated from Israel, but rather they gained a passport of convenience to travel to countries that may be less welcoming of Israeli passports. Some polls, such as the Gallup World Poll in 2007 revealed that significant numbers of Israelis, 20 percent, would ideally, if they had the opportunity, move permanently to another country. This was in the mid-range of desire to migrate and less than, for example, the residents of Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, Poland, Hungary, South Korea and Chile. [63] The 'push factor' bringing about migration is often reflected in quality of life perceptions. In terms of self ranked quality of life Israelis rate their own lives on a scale numbered from zero at the bottom to ten at the top, Israelis' average rating in 2007 was 6.84, [64] which is far higher than the 4 average for the world and compares with Denmark's 8, [65] among the world's top. The 'push factor' bringing about migration is often reflected in quality of life perceptions. In terms of self ranked quality of life Israelis rate their own lives on a scale numbered from zero at the bottom to ten at the top, Israelis' average rating in 2007 was 6.84, which is far higher than the 4 average for the world and compares with Denmark's 8, among the world's top. Younger Israeli age groups, such as teens, express a much higher desire to live abroad than the general Israeli population. Almost half of Israeli teens aged 14–18 years old expressed a desire to live outside of Israel in 2007. 68 percent of teens believed that Israel's general situation is "not good." [66] Common Israeli attitudes toward migration to Israel and Jews living in the Diaspora may have shifted polarities in terms of Zionism. In 2009 Hebrew University sociologist Vered Vinitzky-Seroussi said the fact that it has become commonplace for Israelis to move abroad, either permanently or for a stint, makes it contradictory for their families to look down on Diaspora Jews. Haifa University sociologist Oz Almog said in a recent interview: "Ask Israelis now what they think about Jews coming from countries where they aren't persecuted, like the U.S. and Britain, to live in Israel, and they'll say, 'Those who do are nuts.'"[67] Emigration and Israeli politics [ edit ] The topic of yerida is often brought up during political campaigns in Israel with various political parties and candidates arguing that one or another's policies will increase or lessen emigration from Israel. Occasionally a political party will have a 'yerida' plank in its election manifesto and winning sides have on occasion appointed persons holding the Yerida portfolio at the ministerial or vice ministerial rank. Various bills in the Israeli Knesset are often argued on the grounds that they will prevent or engender emigration. [12] Popular protest movements, particularly after wars and around economic and ethnic equity issues have often been accompanied by their activists' threats of voting with their feet by emigrating from Israel, and at times the burning of Israeli identity cards by Israeli protesters threatening that their next move would be emigration if their demands weren't met has been featured in the Israeli media. On one occasion in the 1970s an Israeli Black Panther ethnic equity protester with a great fanfare and media coverage did emigrate to Morocco and remigrated to Israel after a period. [ citation needed ] [68] In 1998 Janet Aviad, a leader of the Israeli group Peace Now, noted, "As soon as our people hear Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], they turn off the radio. They have gone on 'inner yerida'." [69] Avraham Burg, former Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and former Speaker of the Knesset, questioned in 2007 the centrality of Israel in Jewish life and states his view that it is legitimate to live outside of Israel: "We were raised on the Zionism of Ben-Gurion, that there is only one place for Jews and that's Israel. I say no, there have always been multiple centers of Jewish life." [70] In 2008 in the context of an ideological crisis in Israel caused by record-low and shrinking aliya figures, Israel's Immigration Absorption Ministry embarked on a new mission targeting Israeli emigrants, the 'Israeli' Diaspora, in addition to the Jewish diaspora under the title of "Returning Home on Israel's 60th." [71] The question of whether the focus on bringing Israelis back to Israel is off target for a ministry that is meant to be working with immigrants once they arrive Israel has been raised. The Immigration Absorption Ministry spokesperson explained that no other government body is responsible for Israel's former residents and it is about time that someone tapped into these resources to help them. [72] The question of whether the focus on bringing Israelis back to Israel is off target for a ministry that is meant to be working with immigrants once they arrive Israel has been raised. The Immigration Absorption Ministry spokesperson explained that no other government body is responsible for Israel's former residents and it is about time that someone tapped into these resources to help them. In 2009 a Knesset bill was introduced with Binyamin Natanyahu's support to enable Israelis residing abroad (estimated in the bill to be 800,000 to a million) be able to vote in Israel's next general elections. The bill did not pass. [73] In 2014, following the Protective Edge Gaza War a song, "Berlin", dealing with emigration from Israel by the Israeli band Shmemel gained notice as a protest song whose lyrics and video content highlight the alternatives to living in Israel. Reaction of Jewish diaspora communities [ edit ] Rabbi Joseph Telushkin notes the American Jewish community's ambivalent response to yordim continues to write: "generally secular yordim shun involvement in Jewish communal life, and maintain social ties only with each other." [74] Rob Eshman notes that Israeli emigrants have been treated by local Jews "as something less than full members of the Tribe" and that this "cold shoulder" reception happened with the full blessing of the government of the State of Israel itself. [75] [76] Welcome of emigrants by diaspora Jewish community is seen as a possible betrayal of the Zionist ideal—immigration to Israel—and endangerment of Israel's success in retaining and growing its Jewish population. Israel encouraged organized Jewish Diaspora communities not to offer Israeli emigrant services as this might be perceived as a welcome or assistance which would encourage the Israeli emigrants to stay. [75] Israeli emigrants buttress the local Jewish diaspora community [75] [77] Israeli emigrants are perceived as an economic bellwether during the 2009 recession; the return to Israel of perceived large numbers of Israeli emigrants was given attention in the American Jewish Media. [78] Local ambivalence and controversy in a New Jersey Jewish community caused by yerida: People in the community seem to take pride in Teaneck's high rate of Aliyah to Israel. It's certainly something to be proud of. But we make no mention of the equally high rates (maybe even higher rates) of "yerida" from Israel to Teaneck. My feeling is these 'yordim' should not be accorded honors in our synagogues or schools. These people are the antithesis of what we want to teach our children, of how we want to live. For most religious Zionists, of which Teaneck has more than a few, the goal is to end up in Israel. Having "yordim" as community leaders here is bad public policy. Recently, one of the largest synagogues in town installed a "yored" as its president. Our schools honor "yordim" on a regular basis at their dinners. "Yordim" make up a large percentage of our school's Hebrew teachers.[79] Perception of Israeli emigrants by diaspora community organizations Low rates of Israeli emigrant participation in Jewish organizations [74] Low rates of financial support of local Jewish organizations and synagogues Israeli emigrants working in low status immigrant occupations that the diaspora Jewish population tends not to engage in or has long-ago abandoned such as taxi driving, auto repair, security guards, mall cart sales and other tasks. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir told of a waiter who once came over to her at a New York luncheon and whispered in Hebrew that there was ham in the dish she had been served. When she asked him how he knew Hebrew, he told her he was an Israeli. And what work had he done in Israel, she asked. He had been a waiter, he responded. [74] Israeli emigrants in the Diaspora [ edit ] United States [ edit ] In 2009 Steven M. Cohen and Judith Veinstein found that in New York, Jewish Israeli emigrants are highly affiliated with the Jewish community even though community affiliation is low in Israel. Israelis were found to be more connected to Judaism than their American counterparts in terms of synagogue membership and attendance, kashrut observance, participation in Jewish charity events and membership in Jewish community centers, among other indicators used by the study. [26] In 1982, Pini Herman and David LaFontaine, in a study of Israeli emigrants in Los Angeles, found high levels of Jewish affiliation, Jewish organizational participation and concentration in Jewish neighborhoods by Israeli emigrants. Israeli emigrants who behaved in a comparatively secular manner in Israel tended to behave in a more devoutly Jewish manner in Los Angeles and Israeli emigrants who reported greater Jewish behaviors in Israel tended to engage in Jewish behaviors to a lesser degree in Los Angeles, thus both becoming more 'Americanized' in their Jewish behaviors.[62] Israelis tend to be disproportionately Jewishly active in their diaspora communities, creating and participating formal and informal organizations, participating in diaspora Jewish religious institutions and sending their children to Jewish education providers at a greater rate than local diaspora Jews.[77] In Los Angeles a Council of Israeli Community was founded in 2001.[80] In Los Angeles an Israel Leadership Club was organized and has been active in support activities for Israel, most recently in 2008, it sponsored with the local Jewish Federation and Israeli consulate a concert in support for the embattled population suffering rocket attacks of Sderot, Israel where the three frontrunners for the U.S. president, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain greeted the attendees by video and expressed their support for the residents of Sderot. An Israeli Business Network of Beverly Hills has existed since 1996.[81] The Israeli-American Study Initiative (IASI), a start-up project based at the UCLA International Institute, is set out to document the lives and times of Israeli Americans—initially focusing on those in Los Angeles and eventually throughout the United States.[82] A variety of Hebrew language websites,[83] newspapers and magazines are published in South Florida, New York,[84][85][86][87] Los Angeles[88][89] and other U.S. regions.[90] The Israeli Channel along with two other Hebrew-language channels are available via satellite broadcast nationally in the United States.[91] Hebrew language Israeli programming on local television was broadcast in New York and Los Angeles during the 1990s, prior to Hebrew language satellite broadcast. Live performances by Israeli artists are a regular occurrence in centers of Israeli emigrants in the U.S. and Canada with audience attendance often in the hundreds.[92] An Israeli Independence Day Festival has taken place yearly in Los Angeles since 1990 with thousands of Israeli emigrants and American Jews.[93] In popular culture [ edit ] Comedian-writer Robert Smigel came up with a Saturday Night Live sketch in 1990 called the "Sabra Shopping Network". Two years later, Smigel followed it up with "Sabra Price Is Right", starring Tom Hanks as a pushy Israeli game show host, Sandler and Rob Schneider as its presenters and Smigel as a cigarette-smoking announcer, all pushing shoddy electronics on hapless clientele. [94] sketch in 1990 called the "Sabra Shopping Network". Two years later, Smigel followed it up with "Sabra Price Is Right", starring Tom Hanks as a pushy Israeli game show host, Sandler and Rob Schneider as its presenters and Smigel as a cigarette-smoking announcer, all pushing shoddy electronics on hapless clientele. The concept for the 2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan movie, which was based on the skits "Sabra Shopping Network" and "Sabra Price Is Right", focused on Zohan Dvir, an IDF commando soldier, who stages his own death to fulfill his deepest dream—moving to New York to become a hairdresser. movie, which was based on the skits "Sabra Shopping Network" and "Sabra Price Is Right", focused on Zohan Dvir, an IDF commando soldier, who stages his own death to fulfill his deepest dream—moving to New York to become a hairdresser. At the end of the 2005 film Munich, the main character Avner (played by Eric Bana), who is an Israeli Mossad agent, decides to move from Israel to Brooklyn, New York, to reunite with his wife and their child. Russia [ edit ] Moscow has the largest single Israeli expatriate community in the world, with 80,000 Israeli citizenship holders living in the city as of 2014, almost all of them native Russian-speakers.[95][96] Many Israeli cultural events are hosted for the community, and many live part of the year in Israel. (To cater to the Israeli community, Israeli cultural centres are located in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg.)[97] There are 60 flights a week between Tel Aviv and Moscow.[95] Canada [ edit ] Germany [ edit ] Both the Jewish and Israeli community in Germany are growing. Named Olim L'Berlin (Hebrew: עולים לברלין, progress towards Berlin) 2014 a Facebook website coined a snowclone and the so-called 'pudding or milky protest' in Israel, as the prices for comparable household items in Germany are rather low in comparison.[98] Israeli Band Shmemels' song parodying Jerusalem of Gold with the notion, 'Jacob went down to Egypt, because the rent was a third and salaries double - Reichstag of Peace, Euro and Light' grew as well famous in the context.[98] According to Haaretz, the conflict is less about pudding prices but about the now shattered taboo of Yerida, emigrating from Israel.[99] The fact that Germany was chosen as the destination struck a raw nerve across the social and political spectrum, considering Israel's founding in 1948 in the wake of the Holocaust,[100] its large population of Holocaust survivors, and the many citizens who still refuse to buy products made in Germany.[101] Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir stated, "I pity the Israelis who no longer remember the Holocaust and abandoned Israel for a pudding".[102] Australia [ edit ] See also [ edit ]
As the conference finals wrap up this week and the Stanley Cup Final starting early next week – with the Nashville Predators clinching the first of two spots – the NHL’s off-season is getting that much closer. From the Expansion Draft to the Entry Draft and free agency frenzy, GMs around the league, including Don Sweeney, are starting to plan ahead for the upcoming season. First things first for Sweeney, however, are a few housekeeping items that include decisions on pending restricted and unrestricted free agents. The top pending free agent is David Pastrnak, who will be looking for a nice raise following a career season during the final year of his entry-level contract. Though negotiations will take place, it’s clear that Pastrnak wants to stay in Boston and that Sweeney wants to have the 2014 first round pick as a core member of the Bruins for years to come. In this instance, both Pastrnak and Sweeney are in a good position to get a deal done. At the age of 20, Pastrnak is in a good spot for a raise. The question is whether or not he’ll get a bridge deal, or sign a longer-term contract similar to Brad Marchand’s eight-year extension that he inked in the fall. With that in mind, let’s break down the bridge deal vs. long-term contract argument for Pastrnak’s inevitable payday. A bridge contract that would keep his RFA status before his next contract Bridge contracts are sometimes tricky and don’t necessarily pan out in the end. From P.K. Subban (during his time in Montreal) to Erik Karlsson, the bridge deal is not out of the ordinary in today’s National Hockey League. Per the CBA, a player can declare himself an unrestricted free agent if he is over the age of 27 or has played a minimum of seven years in the National Hockey League. Having completed his third season with the Bruins, the soon to be 21-year-old Pastrnak can become a UFA in the 2020-21 season if Sweeney were to sign him to a shorter-term deal. That would be a pretty big risk if he were to go less than four years in and of itself – similar to what Lightning GM Steve Yzerman did when signing Nikita Kucherov to a three-year bridge deal worth $4.7 million in the offseason. Kucherov’s production has gone up every year he’s been in the NHL. This year, he posted career highs in every major statistical offensive category: goals (40), assists (45), points (85), power play goals (17), power play points (32), game winning goals (7), shots (246) and shooting percentage (16.7 percent). Pastrnak has a similar trajectory in terms of increased scoring production, but tallied four more points in the final year of his entry-level contract with 70 points (34 goals, 36 assists), compared to Kucherov’s 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) in 2015-16. Even with a bridge deal, Pastrnak would probably be looking for more in dollars in cents than Kucherov’s salary, which is north of $4.7 million. Anywhere between $5 and $6 million is a good starting point for a shorter-term contract. Which takes us to the next argument. A longer-term deal solidifies his spot as a core Bruin for years to come In the case of the aforementioned argument, a bridge deal can do some good if GMs think they still need some time to evaluate a player’s full potential after his entry-level contract expires. In Pastrnak’s case, however, a contract beyond 3-4 years may be the route to go for Sweeney. It seems that both Pastrnak and Sweeney would prefer to get a long-term deal done as reported by DJ Bean of CSNNE.com back in March. In the next few weeks, the salary cap for the 2017-18 season will be set. This year’s salary cap was north of $73 million. It’s projected that there won’t be much of a raise to the cap from this year. There’s good news for Pastrnak in this regard as well as teams are tending more towards locking up players for longer terms after their entry level contracts expire. From Vladimir Tarasenko (8-year, $60 million) to Filip Forsberg (6-year, $36 million) and the dynamic Flames duo of Johnny Gaudreau (6-year, $40 million) and Sean Monahan (7-year, $44.625 million), the Bruins and Pastrnak know that some GM’s are trending towards lengthier deals over the bridge contracts. Sure, there’s still some areas that Pastrnak can improve on, especially when it comes to playoff performance and being a good three-zone player. As he matures, his game should become more well-rounded. The Bruins are on their way up after returning to the playoffs in 2016-17. Locking up Pastrnak to a lengthy deal can only improve their long-term outlook.
BOEHNER…. In the first weekly Republican radio address under the new administration, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) touted the GOP’s vision for an economic recovery. “Our plan is rooted in the philosophy that we cannot borrow and spend our way back to prosperity,” Boehner stated. The minority leader said the package authored by congressional Democrats was “chock-full of government programs and projects,” noting a Congressional Budget Office report that projected less than half of the $355 billion that House Democrats would spend to create jobs through infrastructure programs and other efforts is likely to be used before the end of fiscal 2010. Let’s see, where to start. First, the CBO report Boehner is so fond of doesn’t really exist. Second, Boehner has supported nothing but “borrow and spend” policies since the moment he arrived in Congress, which helps explain his votes in support of budgets that produced the largest deficits in American history. Third, if the administration and the congressional majority listened to Boehner and relied on weak-stimulus tax cuts to improve the economy, isn’t that necessarily a “borrow and spend” policy? And if tax cuts were the magic bullet, and Bush and Boehner cut taxes over the last eight years, shouldn’t the economy be in great shape? (Indeed, it’s this thinking that led the National Republican Congressional Committee to argue, as recently as yesterday, “Thanks to Republican economic policies, the U.S. economy is robust and job creation is strong.”) And fourth, of course the Democratic plan is “chock-full of government programs and projects.” That’s the point.
On "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight, Ann Coulter said that Donald Trump will continue to do well in the polls as long as he keeps talking about immigration. "The voters keep saying, 'We don't want any more immigration,'" Coulter said. "That's why Trump is so popular. So pick it up, Republicans." She explained that halting illegal immigration would help solve other key issues such as the economy and national security. "Don't make terrorists citizens through immigration, and we'll have a lot less of a national security problem," Coulter said, pointing to the attacks at the Boston Marathon and in Chattanooga. "This is a Republican Party being run for the business interests in America, not for the people," Coulter said. "This is why people are voting for Trump, and it doesn't matter what he says other than that." "He has an army behind him." Watch more from Coulter above. Carson: Trump Will 'Give Election to Progressives' If He Runs As Independent A Body Language Expert Gave Us a Riveting Breakdown of the GOP Debate Fox News GOP Debate Becomes Highest-Rated Primary Debate in History
Share. Only on PC. Only on PC. Ubisoft Massive will start permanently banning cheaters in The Division on PC when the newest patch goes live. Discussing the issue on the latest State of the Game episode, via PC Gamer, Massive's Yanncik Banchereau said patch 1.1 adds a feature for players to easily report cheating. To use the feature, players will use the "/report [username]" command, which will flag a user for Ubisoft to review manually. The manual process helps to weed out false reports, which come about when players assume someone is cheating because of high-level equipment or skill. Exit Theatre Mode Cheaters will face a three-day suspension when caught the first time around. If the cheating continues after that, the player will be permanently banned. Flagging, along with server tracking, will help catch more and more cheaters until "a better solution" comes in the future. The cheating "doesn't seem to be a console problem," according to community developer Hamish Bode, which is why the issue is only being addressed on PC. The Division's 1.1 patch isn't just targeting cheaters, it will also fix the game breaking backpack bug and add a plethora of new features, like the Falcon Lost incursion, item trading, gear score, and much more. Michael Passalacqua is a freelance writer for IGN. Chat with him about the New York Giants' offseason spending spree on Twitter @mikepass20.
Get the biggest daily news 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 Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Gift wrapping that featured the adopted symbol of Adolf Hitler's political party has sparked a furious response from a shocked customer. Hot on the heels of Nazi Christmas baubles being sold online, Cheryl Shapiro spotted rolls of present paper strewn with a swastika design as she shopped in Walgreens in Northridge, California. The former interior design told ABC News: "It blew me away. What the hell was that doing on there? "I said, 'I want it out of the store, but I wanted this to go national. I want this out of the stores nationally'. How could the paper go through quality control and not be seen?" The swastika is considered to be a sacred and positive image in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism but is commonly associated with Adolf Hitler and the murderous regime of the Nazi Party. The shop immediately removed the wrapping from its shelves and contacted the Walgreens HQ. And now bosses at the company, the largest chain of pharmacies in the US with 8,217 stores, say the rest of their shops will follow suit. "We're in the process of removing the product from our stores," Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso told ABC News. Last week, a giant swastika was spotted in the swimming pool of a luxury mansion by a police helicopter flying overhead in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Police said the unnamed homeowner would not be charged as the swastika is on private land and was not on display to promote Nazism. (Image: Getty) The symbol has reportedly been in the pool for more than a decade. In August, McDonald's sacked a worker and issued an apology after a customer found a swastika sign drawn into her snack. Charleigh Matice ordered a chicken sandwich at a McDonald's drive-thru in Morehead City, North Carolina, and was gobsmacked to see the symbol etched into the bun with melted butter.
Ed Szczepanski / USA TODAY Sports Stanford OLB Trent Murphy (left) and DE Ben Gardner (right) have made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. College football has been overtaken by the spread offense. This has led to many fans around the country believing that "physical football" is a thing of the past. That is a false conclusion. While the pace, formations and play diagrams have changed over the years, college football is still a physical game, played by physical players. I've spent some time identifying the five most physical players in college football. Before you ask, no, I didn't forget about Jadeveon Clowney. I can assure you he will be at the top of my list of the five most explosive players in college football. Stay tuned for that one. In the meantime, here are the five most physical players in college football today: Florida OG Jon Halapio Halapio is a nasty football player, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. He has outstanding upper and lower strength and he is a violent finisher. In the run game, he locks on with his powerful hands and uses his leg-drive to wash defenders down the line of scrimmage before depositing them on the ground. In the pass game, he loves to utilize the snatch move. He sets wide, grabs the defender's chest and pulls them face first into the ground. He has the ideal temperament for an interior offensive lineman. Georgia RB Todd Gurley Gurley has enormous size and is an extremely violent running back. His size, combined with his excellent speed, pad level and leg drive allow him to plow through tacklers on a consistent basis. The scary thing is, he was only a freshman in 2012 and figures to get much stronger and even more physical in 2013. Notre Dame DT Louis Nix III Nix is an ideal 3-4 nose tackle because of his body type and power base. His physicality is best displayed when he utilizes his bull rush in the passing game. He shoots his hands quickly and puts his opponent on skates, consistently pushing them right into the lap of the quarterback. He's also a very physical run defender. He's capable of dominating a single defender or holding his ground vs. a double-team. Top senior guards/centers SEE PHOTOS Gil Brandt rates Baylor's Cyril Richardson among the top senior interior offensive linemen in college football. Baylor OG Cyril Richardson Richardson plays a very physical brand of football in a Baylor offense that is often identified as a "finesse" system. He weighs more than 340 pounds and uses that size and power to maul defenders in the run game. He has unbelievably strong hands to torque and turn defenders at the point of attack. He also does a nice job of running his feet after his initial contact, which allows him to create a lot of movement at the line of scrimmage. He has a very firm, powerful base in pass protection. Stanford DE Ben Gardner and OLB Trent Murphy Gardner and Murphy lead one of the most physical defensive squads in all of college football. They are both violent and powerful defenders. Gardner plays much bigger than his listed weight of 275 pounds. He uses a nasty punch to jolt offensive linemen before aggressively shedding and getting to the football. Murphy uses a multitude of physical moves to consistently annihilate tight ends in both the run and pass game. A few of his favorites: grab/pull, chop or pure bull rush. Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
Arthur Brisbane a newspaper editor was quoted with this expression “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words” in a 1911 article. (“Speakers Give Sound Advice”. Syracuse Post Standard (page 18). March 28, 1911) and that is definitely true when it comes to logo design. A well thought logo design idea can use a simple icon leaving a deep impression for the public. Most logos acts as “communication medium”, for example telling about quality services a company can provide for its customers. While there is no golden rule as to what kind of logo design would be most effective, designers tend to follow the six step approach of keeping logo design Simple, Memorable, Versatile, Timeless, Appropriate and Unique. When you look at logo designs of successful or well-known brands around the globe you can find the logo designs mostly adhering to these guidelines. Even if these brands or companies happen to be number in the world, they will never relax. Any business needs to market itself constantly and revamp them every few years. This helps them in looking fresh and maintains their great stature. In this article we checked out how some of today’s most prominent brands have evolved and revamped over time. Some of the original logos are certainly not recognizable. Apple Coca Cola Ford IBM Pepsi Shell Starbucks Volkswagen Walmart Warner Brothers
Earlier this week, we started getting a few tips about an incident down in Texas alleging some pretty interesting police misconduct. In a nutshell, a motorcyclist says he was pulled over for no reason, then ordered by a Dallas Sheriff’s officer to give up his helmet camera as “evidence” for crimes committed by other motorcyclists on the road. When the man refused, the cop allegedly decided to arrest him on false pretenses. Normally, this kind of thing would quickly devolve into an endless case of he said-she said. The situation here is different because — whoops — the helmet cam recorded the whole exchange. Keep reading to see the video, as well as coverage of the situation from local Texas news. From where we sit, it doesn’t look too good for the officer…. WFAA has a little bit of background: It was Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and Chris Moore — riding southbound on Stemmons Freeway in Dallas in a pack of 50 to 100 sport bikes — was pulled over while traveling below the speed limit. “I didn’t expect that at all,” Moore said. Officers were out in force that weekend, working to prevent another shutdown of a Dallas freeway like the one on Memorial Day weekend 2011 that ultimately led to three arrests. As with any situation like this, you never can tell if the video we see tells the whole story. Viewers can never know what’s happening outside the frame of the camera. For what it’s worth, though, it appears this 11-minute clip is all one continuous shot, which doesn’t conclude until the officer turns off the camera the end. For those of you at work, here is a transcript of the crucial part of the video (starting at about 3:28), courtesy of WFAA. The exchange is between Chris Moore, the man on the motorcycle, and Dallas Deputy Sheriff James Westbrook: MOORE: “Was I doing something wrong? What am I being pulled over for?” WESTBROOK: “The whole group of you guys.” MOORE: “No. I was not, individually. How can you pull me over?” WESTBROOK: “The reason you’re being pulled over is because I’m gonna take your camera and we’re gonna use it as evidence of the crimes that have been committed by other bikers.” MOORE: “I have not committed any crimes, and you cannot take my personal property from me, sir.” WESTBOOK: “That’s fine. Need to see your license and registration. Then the officer walks back to his car, where he sits for a moment. And then, when he comes back out: WESTBROOK: “You’re under arrest for your license plate being obstructed. Place your hands.” MOORE: “Are you kidding me, dude?” WESTBROOK: “Place your hands behind your back.” As Moore continued to protest, the deputy lost his patience. MOORE: “Why’d you pull me over in the first place?” WESTBROOK: “Have a seat, okay?” MOORE: “Sir. Sir. What you did to me was not right. You know it.” WESTBROOK: “I’m going to ask you one more time to have a seat.” MOORE: “That’s f’ed up. Where’s my bike going?” WESTBROOK: “Sit down. I’m telling you to chill out.” Westbrook is then seen on the video shoving Moore into his squad car and slamming the door forcefully. To me, the most unsettling part of the video is when the police officer emerges from the car, and with no warning, says the motorcyclist is under arrest for an obscured license plate. That whole thing really does seem to come out of nowhere. The other shocker is when Officer Westbrook suddenly loses his temper and shoves Moore in the car. The way he slams the door repeatedly appears to reveal a guy with some serious anger issues. To be fair, other motorcyclists had been hassling and taunting police officers on the freeway earlier in the day. But neither Westbrook nor Moore were apparently involved in that. It looks like the Dallas Sheriff’s office is launching an internal affairs investigation in response to the arrest. The only proper way to conclude this post is by stating the obvious. It probably applies this fiasco somehow, even though I’m not exactly sure how. So, yeah: don’t mess with Texas. Sheriff launches internal affairs investigation in response to biker arrest [WFAA] Deputy’s arrest of Dallas biker under review [WFAA] Motorcyclist says Dallas crackdown went too far [WFAA]
Last month I wrote a post about the madness of the Hoof Hearted Dragonsaddle Triple IPA can release party. To recap I showed up a little too late to ride the dragon, as hundreds upon hundreds of hopheads descended on an otherwise nondescript farm field in Morrow county. In response to my post several readers were kind enough to offer me some Dragonsaddle so I could write a review of this highly sought after beer. In the end, Tom O’Brien gifted me a couple of cans when we ran into each other at the Actual Sourpuss release party. So a big shout out to Tom, this review is made possible by his generosity. Vitals Brewery: Hoof Hearted (Marengo, OH) Hoof Hearted (Marengo, OH) Style: Triple IPA Triple IPA ABV : 11.5% : 11.5% IBUs: 128 Dragonsaddle comes in a 12 ounce can wrapped in a thin rubbery forest green label sporting one of the Thom Lessner’s best Hoof Hearted illustrations in my opinion. The description of this beer, as given on the Hoof Hearted website is as follows: The strong “herbal” aroma sends you back to freshman year catching a ride to school in your weird burnout neighbor’s Firebird whilst being bombarded by the sounds of Van Halen (DLR era, none of that Sammy Hagar synthy love song bullshit). DANKSOME! The flavor profile is full-on drippingly ripe tropical fruits: mango, guava, papaya, and citrus. Juicy, refreshing, and deceptive. We would highly recommend wearing a helmet and supportive cup when mounting the Dragonsaddle. My Review Dragonsaddle pours a translucent golden color topped with two fingers of a creamy, snow white head. As the head slowly recedes it leaves behind an intricate lacing pattern on the walls of the glass. The nose is as advertised, with big time scents of overripe tropical fruits and more dank, “herbal” aroma than a reggae festival. I take my time with the nose, just smelling the beer and taking notes for what must have been ten minutes as my wife gives me looks that are equal parts quizzical and pitying. A deep dive brings out mangos, grapefruit zest, coniferous forest, and leaves no doubt that hops and cannibis are both members of the Cannabinaceae family. Finally my resolve breaks down and I go in for my first taste. For the briefest instant I get sweet golden malts, but the power of the hops cannot be masked for long. The dank, piney, herbaeceous notes are even more prominent than they are in the nose, while the tropical fruits recede to the background. The bitterness creeps in from the outer reaches of my tongue and lingers long after the finish. The bitterness, appropriate for a Triple IPA, is unusual for a Hoof Hearted beer. There’s a subtle alcohol note at the end, but for beer that is not overly malty the 11.5% the alcohol is well hidden. The mouthfeel is oily and piney. Summary My reviews of Hoof Hearted beers are normally filled with effusive praise, but if I’m honest with you I’d have to say this beer was a challenge for my palate. Dragonsaddle is easy on the eye, has a beguiling nose, and the alcohol is surprisingly restrained, but I would prefer more fruit and a less dank in the taste. The bitterness from the hops keeps the sweetness of the malts in check, but is a bit much for my liking. It may be a bridge too far, even for a hop sorcerer like Hoof Hearted brewmaster Trevor Williams, to make a beer with 11.5% abv and 128 IBUs taste like a mango smoothie. Maybe I’m harboring unrealistic expectations for a triple IPA (a look through the archives shows that I gave Green Flash’s Green Bullet Triple IPA a paltry rating of 5), but I’m of the opinion that when it comes to IPAs bigger is not always better. Of course given the throngs of people who showed up for the can release I could be in the minority on this one. Rating: 7 Rating scale: 10 = perfection, 9 = excellent, one of the top beers in the world, 8 = very good, one of the top beers in its style category, 7 = good, a solid beer I’m happy to be drinking, 6 = average, not bad but not something I’m likely to buy again, 5 = below average, 3-4 = poor, should be avoided, 1-2 drainpour.
Washington Post media blogger Erik Wemple isn’t subtle in describing an exodus of top staffers from Politico. His headline is “Politico Implodes.” It sounds like an internal battle with the boss, Robert Allbritton, as Politico seeks to expand its reach. In what can be described only as a cataclysm in Beltway media, CEO Jim VandeHei is leaving Politico, the eight-year-old politics website that shook up Washington journalism, according to sources and reports by Huffington Post and CNNMoney. And in what can be described only as a mega-cataclysm, Politico Chief White House correspondent Mike Allen is joining VandeHei in rushing toward the exits of Politico’s Rosslyn headquarters. Allen writes the daily franchise newsletter “Politico Playbook.” A bearer of occasional scoops, Allen is the driver of very frequent revenue. Weekly sponsorships for “Playbook” run in the $50,000 to $60,000 range this year, depending on the news cycle. And that’s not even rolling in the big money that comes from “Politico Playbook” conferences/interviews anchored by Allen. His work alone — complete with ethical issues — subsidized a platoon of Politico reporters. It doesn’t end there: Kim Kingsley, the Chief Operating Officer is leaving as well. Kingsley has provided the glue that bridged Politico’s newsroom and its business side as the site sprinted to revenues approaching $20 million just years after launching. She headed the colonization of radio and cable-news airwaves that helped establish Politico as a preferred Washington source both for readers and advertisers. The company’s successful events business was also an obsession of Kingsley’s. Other departures are Danielle Jones and Chief Revenue Officer Roy Schwartz. If this is a “mega-cataclysm,” it’s going to unfold slowly. "Rushing for the exits" isn't quite right: VandeHei, Allen, and Schwartz are all staying through the end of the election in November. It sounds like VandeHei is taking a chunk of his team to another venture. NewsBusters staff best remember VandeHei for selecting this odd hardball question for Mitt Romney in a 2007 debate: "What do you dislike most about America?" Romney failed to say "The liberal media, for asking stupid, pointless hardballs like this." VandeHei, a founding editor of Politico in 2007 as he departed The Washington Post, issued a memo/eulogy: “We created one of the most respected and feared brands in journalism -- and one of the few with a business model based on real results, not mythology or hope. Our editorial and business formulas, culture and management approach work and scale exceptionally well.” Wemple called it “depressing news for journalism.”
This article is about the scientist. For the agriculturalist, see Isaac Newton (agriculturalist) Influential British physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton FRS PRS (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27[1]) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author (described in his own day as a "natural philosopher") who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time, and a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica ("Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy"), first published in 1687, laid the foundations of classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing the infinitesimal calculus. In Principia, Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the dominant scientific viewpoint until it was superseded by the theory of relativity. Newton used his mathematical description of gravity to prove Kepler's laws of planetary motion, account for tides, the trajectories of comets, the precession of the equinoxes and other phenomena, eradicating doubt about the Solar System's heliocentricity. He demonstrated that the motion of objects on Earth and celestial bodies could be accounted for by the same principles. Newton's inference that the Earth is an oblate spheroid was later confirmed by the geodetic measurements of Maupertuis, La Condamine, and others, convincing most European scientists of the superiority of Newtonian mechanics over earlier systems. Newton built the first practical reflecting telescope and developed a sophisticated theory of colour based on the observation that a prism separates white light into the colours of the visible spectrum. His work on light was collected in his highly influential book Opticks, published in 1704. He also formulated an empirical law of cooling, made the first theoretical calculation of the speed of sound, and introduced the notion of a Newtonian fluid. In addition to his work on calculus, as a mathematician Newton contributed to the study of power series, generalised the binomial theorem to non-integer exponents, developed a method for approximating the roots of a function, and classified most of the cubic plane curves. Newton was a fellow of Trinity College and the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. He was a devout but unorthodox Christian who privately rejected the doctrine of the Trinity. Unusually for a member of the Cambridge faculty of the day, he refused to take holy orders in the Church of England. Beyond his work on the mathematical sciences, Newton dedicated much of his time to the study of alchemy and biblical chronology, but most of his work in those areas remained unpublished until long after his death. Politically and personally tied to the Whig party, Newton served two brief terms as Member of Parliament for the University of Cambridge, in 1689–90 and 1701–02. He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and spent the last three decades of his life in London, serving as Warden (1696–1700) and Master (1700–1727) of the Royal Mint, as well as president of the Royal Society (1703–1727). Life Early life Isaac Newton was born (according to the Julian calendar, in use in England at the time) on Christmas Day, 25 December 1642 (NS 4 January 1643[1]) "an hour or two after midnight",[6] at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, a hamlet in the county of Lincolnshire. His father, also named Isaac Newton, had died three months before. Born prematurely, Newton was a small child; his mother Hannah Ayscough reportedly said that he could have fit inside a quart mug.[7] When Newton was three, his mother remarried and went to live with her new husband, the Reverend Barnabas Smith, leaving her son in the care of his maternal grandmother, Margery Ayscough. Newton disliked his stepfather and maintained some enmity towards his mother for marrying him, as revealed by this entry in a list of sins committed up to the age of 19: "Threatening my father and mother Smith to burn them and the house over them."[8] Newton's mother had three children from her second marriage. From the age of about twelve until he was seventeen, Newton was educated at The King's School, Grantham, which taught Latin and Greek and probably imparted a significant foundation of mathematics.[10] He was removed from school, and returned to Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth by October 1659. His mother, widowed for the second time, attempted to make him a farmer, an occupation he hated. Henry Stokes, master at The King's School, persuaded his mother to send him back to school. Motivated partly by a desire for revenge against a schoolyard bully, he became the top-ranked student, distinguishing himself mainly by building sundials and models of windmills. In June 1661, he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, on the recommendation of his uncle Rev William Ayscough, who had studied there. He started as a subsizar—paying his way by performing valet's duties—until he was awarded a scholarship in 1664, guaranteeing him four more years until he could get his MA. At that time, the college's teachings were based on those of Aristotle, whom Newton supplemented with modern philosophers such as Descartes, and astronomers such as Galileo and Thomas Street, through whom he learned of Kepler's work. He set down in his notebook a series of "Quaestiones" about mechanical philosophy as he found it. In 1665, he discovered the generalised binomial theorem and began to develop a mathematical theory that later became calculus. Soon after Newton had obtained his BA degree in August 1665, the university temporarily closed as a precaution against the Great Plague. Although he had been undistinguished as a Cambridge student,[15] Newton's private studies at his home in Woolsthorpe over the subsequent two years saw the development of his theories on calculus,[16] optics, and the law of gravitation. In April 1667, he returned to Cambridge and in October was elected as a fellow of Trinity.[17] Fellows were required to become ordained priests, although this was not enforced in the restoration years and an assertion of conformity to the Church of England was sufficient. However, by 1675 the issue could not be avoided and by then his unconventional views stood in the way. Nevertheless, Newton managed to avoid it by means of a special permission from Charles II. His studies had impressed the Lucasian professor Isaac Barrow, who was more anxious to develop his own religious and administrative potential (he became master of Trinity two years later); in 1669 Newton succeeded him, only one year after receiving his MA. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1672.[2] Middle years Mathematics Newton's work has been said "to distinctly advance every branch of mathematics then studied." His work on the subject usually referred to as fluxions or calculus, seen in a manuscript of October 1666, is now published among Newton's mathematical papers.[22] The author of the manuscript De analysi per aequationes numero terminorum infinitas, sent by Isaac Barrow to John Collins in June 1669, was identified by Barrow in a letter sent to Collins in August of that year as "[...] of an extraordinary genius and proficiency in these things." Newton later became involved in a dispute with Leibniz over priority in the development of calculus (the Leibniz–Newton calculus controversy). Most modern historians believe that Newton and Leibniz developed calculus independently, although with very different mathematical notations. Occasionally it has been suggested that Newton published almost nothing about it until 1693, and did not give a full account until 1704, while Leibniz began publishing a full account of his methods in 1684. Leibniz's notation and "differential Method", nowadays recognised as much more convenient notations, were adopted by continental European mathematicians, and after 1820 or so, also by British mathematicians.[citation needed] Such a suggestion fails to account for the calculus in Book 1 of Newton's Principia itself and in its forerunner manuscripts, such as De motu corporum in gyrum of 1684; this content has been pointed out by critics[Like whom?] of both Newton's time and modern times.[citation needed] His work extensively uses calculus in geometric form based on limiting values of the ratios of vanishingly small quantities: in the Principia itself, Newton gave demonstration of this under the name of "the method of first and last ratios"[24] and explained why he put his expositions in this form,[25] remarking also that "hereby the same thing is performed as by the method of indivisibles."[This quote needs a citation] Because of this, the Principia has been called "a book dense with the theory and application of the infinitesimal calculus" in modern times[26] and in Newton's time "nearly all of it is of this calculus."[27] His use of methods involving "one or more orders of the infinitesimally small" is present in his De motu corporum in gyrum of 1684[28] and in his papers on motion "during the two decades preceding 1684".[29] Newton had been reluctant to publish his calculus because he feared controversy and criticism. He was close to the Swiss mathematician Nicolas Fatio de Duillier. In 1691, Duillier started to write a new version of Newton's Principia, and corresponded with Leibniz. In 1693, the relationship between Duillier and Newton deteriorated and the book was never completed.[citation needed] Starting in 1699, other members[who?] of the Royal Society accused Leibniz of plagiarism.[32] The dispute then broke out in full force in 1711 when the Royal Society proclaimed in a study that it was Newton who was the true discoverer and labelled Leibniz a fraud; it was later found that Newton wrote the study's concluding remarks on Leibniz. Thus began the bitter controversy which marred the lives of both Newton and Leibniz until the latter's death in 1716. Newton is generally credited with the generalised binomial theorem, valid for any exponent. He discovered Newton's identities, Newton's method, classified cubic plane curves (polynomials of degree three in two variables), made substantial contributions to the theory of finite differences, and was the first to use fractional indices and to employ coordinate geometry to derive solutions to Diophantine equations. He approximated partial sums of the harmonic series by logarithms (a precursor to Euler's summation formula) and was the first to use power series with confidence and to revert power series. Newton's work on infinite series was inspired by Simon Stevin's decimals.[34] When Newton received his MA and became a Fellow of the "College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity" in 1667, he made the commitment that "I will either set Theology as the object of my studies and will take holy orders when the time prescribed by these statutes [7 years] arrives, or I will resign from the college." Up until this point he had not thought much about religion and had twice signed his agreement to the thirty-nine articles, the basis of Church of England doctrine. He was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in 1669, on Barrow's recommendation. During that time, any Fellow of a college at Cambridge or Oxford was required to take holy orders and become an ordained Anglican priest. However, the terms of the Lucasian professorship required that the holder not be active in the church – presumably[weasel words] so as to have more time for science. Newton argued that this should exempt him from the ordination requirement, and Charles II, whose permission was needed, accepted this argument. Thus a conflict between Newton's religious views and Anglican orthodoxy was averted. Optics In 1666, Newton observed that the spectrum of colours exiting a prism in the position of minimum deviation is oblong, even when the light ray entering the prism is circular, which is to say, the prism refracts different colours by different angles.[38][39] This led him to conclude that colour is a property intrinsic to light—a point which had been debated in prior years. From 1670 to 1672, Newton lectured on optics.[40] During this period he investigated the refraction of light, demonstrating that the multicoloured spectrum produced by a prism could be recomposed into white light by a lens and a second prism. Modern scholarship has revealed that Newton's analysis and resynthesis of white light owes a debt to corpuscular alchemy.[42] He showed that coloured light does not change its properties by separating out a coloured beam and shining it on various objects, and that regardless of whether reflected, scattered, or transmitted, the light remains the same colour. Thus, he observed that colour is the result of objects interacting with already-coloured light rather than objects generating the colour themselves. This is known as Newton's theory of colour. Illustration of a dispersive prism separating white light into the colours of the spectrum, as discovered by Newton From this work, he concluded that the lens of any refracting telescope would suffer from the dispersion of light into colours (chromatic aberration). As a proof of the concept, he constructed a telescope using reflective mirrors instead of lenses as the objective to bypass that problem.[44][45] Building the design, the first known functional reflecting telescope, today known as a Newtonian telescope,[45] involved solving the problem of a suitable mirror material and shaping technique. Newton ground his own mirrors out of a custom composition of highly reflective speculum metal, using Newton's rings to judge the quality of the optics for his telescopes. In late 1668,[46] he was able to produce this first reflecting telescope. It was about eight inches long and it gave a clearer and larger image. In 1671, the Royal Society asked for a demonstration of his reflecting telescope. Their interest encouraged him to publish his notes, Of Colours,[48] which he later expanded into the work Opticks. When Robert Hooke criticised some of Newton's ideas, Newton was so offended that he withdrew from public debate. Newton and Hooke had brief exchanges in 1679–80, when Hooke, appointed to manage the Royal Society's correspondence, opened up a correspondence intended to elicit contributions from Newton to Royal Society transactions,[49] which had the effect of stimulating Newton to work out a proof that the elliptical form of planetary orbits would result from a centripetal force inversely proportional to the square of the radius vector. But the two men remained generally on poor terms until Hooke's death.[50] A New Theory of Vision. Facsimile of a 1682 letter from Isaac Newton to Dr William Briggs , commenting on Briggs' Newton argued that light is composed of particles or corpuscles, which were refracted by accelerating into a denser medium. He verged on soundlike waves to explain the repeated pattern of reflection and transmission by thin films (Opticks Bk.II, Props. 12), but still retained his theory of 'fits' that disposed corpuscles to be reflected or transmitted (Props.13). However, later physicists favoured a purely wavelike explanation of light to account for the interference patterns and the general phenomenon of diffraction. Today's quantum mechanics, photons, and the idea of wave–particle duality bear only a minor resemblance to Newton's understanding of light. In his Hypothesis of Light of 1675, Newton posited the existence of the ether to transmit forces between particles. The contact with the Cambridge Platonist philosopher Henry More revived his interest in alchemy.[51] He replaced the ether with occult forces based on Hermetic ideas of attraction and repulsion between particles. John Maynard Keynes, who acquired many of Newton's writings on alchemy, stated that "Newton was not the first of the age of reason: He was the last of the magicians."[52] Newton's interest in alchemy cannot be isolated from his contributions to science.[51] This was at a time when there was no clear distinction between alchemy and science. Had he not relied on the occult idea of action at a distance, across a vacuum, he might not have developed his theory of gravity. In 1704, Newton published Opticks, in which he expounded his corpuscular theory of light. He considered light to be made up of extremely subtle corpuscles, that ordinary matter was made of grosser corpuscles and speculated that through a kind of alchemical transmutation "Are not gross Bodies and Light convertible into one another, ... and may not Bodies receive much of their Activity from the Particles of Light which enter their Composition?"[53] Newton also constructed a primitive form of a frictional electrostatic generator, using a glass globe.[54] In an article entitled "Newton, prisms, and the 'opticks' of tunable lasers"[55] it is indicated that Newton in his book Opticks was the first to show a diagram using a prism as a beam expander. In the same book he describes, via diagrams, the use of multiple-prism arrays. Some 278 years after Newton's discussion, multiple-prism beam expanders became central to the development of narrow-linewidth tunable lasers. Also, the use of these prismatic beam expanders led to the multiple-prism dispersion theory.[55] Subsequent to Newton, much has been amended. Young and Fresnel combined Newton's particle theory with Huygens' wave theory to show that colour is the visible manifestation of light's wavelength. Science also slowly came to realise the difference between perception of colour and mathematisable optics. The German poet and scientist, Goethe, could not shake the Newtonian foundation but "one hole Goethe did find in Newton's armour, ... Newton had committed himself to the doctrine that refraction without colour was impossible. He therefore thought that the object-glasses of telescopes must for ever remain imperfect, achromatism and refraction being incompatible. This inference was proved by Dollond to be wrong."[56] Engraving of a Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton by John Vanderbank Mechanics and gravitation In 1679, Newton returned to his work on celestial mechanics by considering gravitation and its effect on the orbits of planets with reference to Kepler's laws of planetary motion. This followed stimulation by a brief exchange of letters in 1679–80 with Hooke, who had been appointed to manage the Royal Society's correspondence, and who opened a correspondence intended to elicit contributions from Newton to Royal Society transactions.[49] Newton's reawakening interest in astronomical matters received further stimulus by the appearance of a comet in the winter of 1680–1681, on which he corresponded with John Flamsteed. After the exchanges with Hooke, Newton worked out proof that the elliptical form of planetary orbits would result from a centripetal force inversely proportional to the square of the radius vector. Newton communicated his results to Edmond Halley and to the Royal Society in De motu corporum in gyrum, a tract written on about nine sheets which was copied into the Royal Society's Register Book in December 1684.[58] This tract contained the nucleus that Newton developed and expanded to form the Principia. The Principia was published on 5 July 1687 with encouragement and financial help from Edmond Halley. In this work, Newton stated the three universal laws of motion. Together, these laws describe the relationship between any object, the forces acting upon it and the resulting motion, laying the foundation for classical mechanics. They contributed to many advances during the Industrial Revolution which soon followed and were not improved upon for more than 200 years. Many of these advancements continue to be the underpinnings of non-relativistic technologies in the modern world. He used the Latin word gravitas (weight) for the effect that would become known as gravity, and defined the law of universal gravitation.[citation needed] In the same work, Newton presented a calculus-like method of geometrical analysis using 'first and last ratios', gave the first analytical determination (based on Boyle's law) of the speed of sound in air, inferred the oblateness of Earth's spheroidal figure, accounted for the precession of the equinoxes as a result of the Moon's gravitational attraction on the Earth's oblateness, initiated the gravitational study of the irregularities in the motion of the Moon, provided a theory for the determination of the orbits of comets, and much more.[citation needed] Newton made clear his heliocentric view of the Solar System—developed in a somewhat modern way, because already in the mid-1680s he recognised the "deviation of the Sun" from the centre of gravity of the Solar System.[59] For Newton, it was not precisely the centre of the Sun or any other body that could be considered at rest, but rather "the common centre of gravity of the Earth, the Sun and all the Planets is to be esteem'd the Centre of the World", and this centre of gravity "either is at rest or moves uniformly forward in a right line" (Newton adopted the "at rest" alternative in view of common consent that the centre, wherever it was, was at rest).[60] Newton's postulate of an invisible force able to act over vast distances led to him being criticised for introducing "occult agencies" into science.[61] Later, in the second edition of the Principia (1713), Newton firmly rejected such criticisms in a concluding General Scholium, writing that it was enough that the phenomena implied a gravitational attraction, as they did; but they did not so far indicate its cause, and it was both unnecessary and improper to frame hypotheses of things that were not implied by the phenomena. (Here Newton used what became his famous expression "hypotheses non-fingo"[62]). With the Principia, Newton became internationally recognised. He acquired a circle of admirers, including the Swiss-born mathematician Nicolas Fatio de Duillier.[64] Classification of cubics Newton found 72 of the 78 "species" of cubic curves and categorized them into four types.[when?] In 1717, and probably with Newton's help, James Stirling proved that every cubic was one of these four types. Newton also claimed that the four types could be obtained by plane projection from one of them, and this was proved in 1731, four years after his death.[65] Later life In the 1690s, Newton wrote a number of religious tracts dealing with the literal and symbolic interpretation of the Bible. A manuscript Newton sent to John Locke in which he disputed the fidelity of 1 John 5:7—the Johannine Comma—and its fidelity to the original manuscripts of the New Testament, remained unpublished until 1785.[66] Scholars long debated whether Newton disputed the doctrine of the Trinity. His first biographer, Sir David Brewster, who compiled his manuscripts, interpreted Newton as questioning the veracity of some passages used to support the Trinity, but never denying the doctrine of the Trinity as such.[67] In the twentieth century, encrypted manuscripts written by Newton and bought by John Maynard Keynes (among others) were deciphered[52] and it became known that Newton did indeed reject Trinitarianism.[68] Later works—The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended (1728) and Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John (1733)—were published after his death. He also devoted a great deal of time to alchemy. Newton was also a member of the Parliament of England for Cambridge University in 1689 and 1701, but according to some accounts his only comments were to complain about a cold draught in the chamber and request that the window be closed. He was, however, noted by Cambridge diarist Abraham de la Pryme to have rebuked students who were frightening locals by claiming that a house was haunted.[70] Newton moved to London to take up the post of warden of the Royal Mint in 1696, a position that he had obtained through the patronage of Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. He took charge of England's great recoining, trodden on the toes of Lord Lucas, Governor of the Tower, and secured the job of deputy comptroller of the temporary Chester branch for Edmond Halley. Newton became perhaps the best-known Master of the Mint upon the death of Thomas Neale in 1699, a position Newton held for the last 30 years of his life.[71][72] These appointments were intended as sinecures, but Newton took them seriously. He retired from his Cambridge duties in 1701, and exercised his authority to reform the currency and punish clippers and counterfeiters. As Warden, and afterwards as Master, of the Royal Mint, Newton estimated that 20 per cent of the coins taken in during the Great Recoinage of 1696 were counterfeit. Counterfeiting was high treason, punishable by the felon being hanged, drawn and quartered. Despite this, convicting even the most flagrant criminals could be extremely difficult, however, Newton proved equal to the task. Disguised as a habitué of bars and taverns, he gathered much of that evidence himself. For all the barriers placed to prosecution, and separating the branches of government, English law still had ancient and formidable customs of authority. Newton had himself made a justice of the peace in all the home counties. A draft letter regarding the matter is included in Newton's personal first edition of Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, which he must have been amending at the time.[75] Then he conducted more than 100 cross-examinations of witnesses, informers, and suspects between June 1698 and Christmas 1699. Newton successfully prosecuted 28 coiners. [77] Coat of arms of the Newton family of Great Gonerby , Lincolnshire, afterwards used by Sir Isaac. As a result of a report written by Newton on 21 September 1717 to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, the bimetallic relationship between gold coins and silver coins was changed by Royal proclamation on 22 December 1717, forbidding the exchange of gold guineas for more than 21 silver shillings.[78] This inadvertently resulted in a silver shortage as silver coins were used to pay for imports, while exports were paid for in gold, effectively moving Britain from the silver standard to its first gold standard. It is a matter of debate as to whether he intended to do this or not.[79] It has been argued that Newton conceived of his work at the Mint as a continuation of his alchemical work.[80] Newton was made President of the Royal Society in 1703 and an associate of the French Académie des Sciences. In his position at the Royal Society, Newton made an enemy of John Flamsteed, the Astronomer Royal, by prematurely publishing Flamsteed's Historia Coelestis Britannica, which Newton had used in his studies. In April 1705, Queen Anne knighted Newton during a royal visit to Trinity College, Cambridge. The knighthood is likely to have been motivated by political considerations connected with the Parliamentary election in May 1705, rather than any recognition of Newton's scientific work or services as Master of the Mint.[82] Newton was the second scientist to be knighted, after Sir Francis Bacon.[83] Newton was one of many people who lost heavily when the South Sea Company collapsed. Their most significant trade was slaves, and according to his niece, he lost around £20,000.[84] Toward the end of his life, Newton took up residence at Cranbury Park, near Winchester with his niece and her husband, until his death in 1727.[85] His half-niece, Catherine Barton Conduitt, served as his hostess in social affairs at his house on Jermyn Street in London; he was her "very loving Uncle", according to his letter to her when she was recovering from smallpox. Death Newton died in his sleep in London on 20 March 1727 (OS 20 March 1726; NS 31 March 1727).[1] His body was buried in Westminster Abbey.[88] Voltaire may have been present at his funeral.[89] A bachelor, he had divested much of his estate to relatives during his last years, and died intestate.[90] His papers went to John Conduitt and Catherine Barton.[91] After his death, Newton's hair was examined and found to contain mercury, probably resulting from his alchemical pursuits. Mercury poisoning could explain Newton's eccentricity in late life.[90] Personal relations Although it was claimed that he was once engaged,[92] Newton never married. The French writer and philosopher Voltaire, who was in London at the time of Newton's funeral, said that he "was never sensible to any passion, was not subject to the common frailties of mankind, nor had any commerce with women—a circumstance which was assured me by the physician and surgeon who attended him in his last moments".[93] The widespread belief that he died a virgin has been commented on by writers such as mathematician Charles Hutton,[94] economist John Maynard Keynes,[95] and physicist Carl Sagan.[96] Newton had a close friendship with the Swiss mathematician Nicolas Fatio de Duillier, whom he met in London around 1689[64]—some of their correspondence has survived.[97][98] Their relationship came to an abrupt and unexplained end in 1693, and at the same time Newton suffered a nervous breakdown[99] which included sending wild accusatory letters to his friends Samuel Pepys and John Locke—his note to the latter included the charge that Locke "endeavoured to embroil me with woemen". After death Fame The mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange said that Newton was the greatest genius who ever lived, and once added that Newton was also "the most fortunate, for we cannot find more than once a system of the world to establish."[101] English poet Alexander Pope wrote the famous epitaph: Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night; God said "Let Newton be" and all was light. Newton was relatively modest about his achievements, writing in a letter to Robert Hooke in February 1676: If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.[102] Two writers think that the above quotation, written at a time when Newton and Hooke were in dispute over optical discoveries, was an oblique attack on Hooke (said to have been short and hunchbacked), rather than—or in addition to—a statement of modesty.[103] On the other hand, the widely known proverb about standing on the shoulders of giants, published among others by seventeenth-century poet George Herbert (a former orator of the University of Cambridge and fellow of Trinity College) in his Jacula Prudentum (1651), had as its main point that "a dwarf on a giant's shoulders sees farther of the two", and so its effect as an analogy would place Newton himself rather than Hooke as the 'dwarf'. In a later memoir, Newton wrote: I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.[105] In 1816, a tooth said to have belonged to Newton was sold for £730[106] (us$3,633) in London to an aristocrat who had it set in a ring.[107] The Guinness World Records 2002 classified it as the most valuable tooth, which would value approximately £25,000 ( us$35,700) in late 2001.[107] Who bought it and who currently has it has not been disclosed. Albert Einstein kept a picture of Newton on his study wall alongside ones of Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell.[108] Newton remains influential to today's scientists, as demonstrated by a 2005 survey of members of Britain's Royal Society (formerly headed by Newton) asking who had the greater effect on the history of science, Newton or Einstein. Royal Society scientists deemed Newton to have made the greater overall contribution.[109] In 1999, an opinion poll of 100 of today's leading physicists voted Einstein the "greatest physicist ever;" with Newton the runner-up, while a parallel survey of rank-and-file physicists by the site PhysicsWeb gave the top spot to Newton.[110] Commemorations Newton's monument (1731) can be seen in Westminster Abbey, at the north of the entrance to the choir against the choir screen, near his tomb. It was executed by the sculptor Michael Rysbrack (1694–1770) in white and grey marble with design by the architect William Kent. The monument features a figure of Newton reclining on top of a sarcophagus, his right elbow resting on several of his great books and his left hand pointing to a scroll with a mathematical design. Above him is a pyramid and a celestial globe showing the signs of the Zodiac and the path of the comet of 1680. A relief panel depicts putti using instruments such as a telescope and prism.[111] The Latin inscription on the base translates as: Here is buried Isaac Newton, Knight, who by a strength of mind almost divine, and mathematical principles peculiarly his own, explored the course and figures of the planets, the paths of comets, the tides of the sea, the dissimilarities in rays of light, and, what no other scholar has previously imagined, the properties of the colours thus produced. Diligent, sagacious and faithful, in his expositions of nature, antiquity and the holy Scriptures, he vindicated by his philosophy the majesty of God mighty and good, and expressed the simplicity of the Gospel in his manners. Mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so great an ornament of the human race! He was born on 25 December 1642, and died on 20 March 1726/7.—Translation from G.L. Smyth, The Monuments and Genii of St. Paul's Cathedral, and of Westminster Abbey (1826), ii, 703–704.[111] From 1978 until 1988, an image of Newton designed by Harry Ecclestone appeared on Series D £1 banknotes issued by the Bank of England (the last £1 notes to be issued by the Bank of England). Newton was shown on the reverse of the notes holding a book and accompanied by a telescope, a prism and a map of the Solar System.[112] A statue of Isaac Newton, looking at an apple at his feet, can be seen at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. A large bronze statue, Newton, after William Blake, by Eduardo Paolozzi, dated 1995 and inspired by Blake's etching, dominates the piazza of the British Library in London. Religious views Although born into an Anglican family, by his thirties Newton held a Christian faith that, had it been made public, would not have been considered orthodox by mainstream Christianity;[113] in recent times he has been described as a heretic.[68] By 1672 he had started to record his theological researches in notebooks which he showed to no one and which have only recently been examined. They demonstrate an extensive knowledge of early church writings and show that in the conflict between Athanasius and Arius which defined the Creed, he took the side of Arius, the loser, who rejected the conventional view of the Trinity. Newton "recognized Christ as a divine mediator between God and man, who was subordinate to the Father who created him." He was especially interested in prophecy, but for him, "the great apostasy was trinitarianism." Newton tried unsuccessfully to obtain one of the two fellowships that exempted the holder from the ordination requirement. At the last moment in 1675 he received a dispensation from the government that excused him and all future holders of the Lucasian chair. In Newton's eyes, worshipping Christ as God was idolatry, to him the fundamental sin. Historian Stephen D. Snobelen says, "Isaac Newton was a heretic. But ... he never made a public declaration of his private faith—which the orthodox would have deemed extremely radical. He hid his faith so well that scholars are still unravelling his personal beliefs."[68] Snobelen concludes that Newton was at least a Socinian sympathiser (he owned and had thoroughly read at least eight Socinian books), possibly an Arian and almost certainly an anti-trinitarian.[68] In a minority view, T.C. Pfizenmaier argues that Newton held the Eastern Orthodox view on the Trinity.[118] However, this type of view 'has lost support of late with the availability of Newton's theological papers',[119] and now most scholars identify Newton as an Antitrinitarian monotheist.[68][120] Although the laws of motion and universal gravitation became Newton's best-known discoveries, he warned against using them to view the Universe as a mere machine, as if akin to a great clock. He said, "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."[121] Along with his scientific fame, Newton's studies of the Bible and of the early Church Fathers were also noteworthy. Newton wrote works on textual criticism, most notably An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture and Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John.[122] He placed the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at 3 April, AD 33, which agrees with one traditionally accepted date.[123] He believed in a rationally immanent world, but he rejected the hylozoism implicit in Leibniz and Baruch Spinoza. The ordered and dynamically informed Universe could be understood, and must be understood, by an active reason. In his correspondence, Newton claimed that in writing the Principia "I had an eye upon such Principles as might work with considering men for the belief of a Deity".[124] He saw evidence of design in the system of the world: "Such a wonderful uniformity in the planetary system must be allowed the effect of choice". But Newton insisted that divine intervention would eventually be required to reform the system, due to the slow growth of instabilities.[125] For this, Leibniz lampooned him: "God Almighty wants to wind up his watch from time to time: otherwise it would cease to move. He had not, it seems, sufficient foresight to make it a perpetual motion."[126] Newton's position was vigorously defended by his follower Samuel Clarke in a famous correspondence. A century later, Pierre-Simon Laplace's work "Celestial Mechanics" had a natural explanation for why the planet orbits do not require periodic divine intervention.[127] Effect on religious thought Newton and Robert Boyle's approach to the mechanical philosophy was promoted by rationalist pamphleteers as a viable alternative to the pantheists and enthusiasts, and was accepted hesitantly by orthodox preachers as well as dissident preachers like the latitudinarians.[129] The clarity and simplicity of science was seen as a way to combat the emotional and metaphysical superlatives of both superstitious enthusiasm and the threat of atheism,[130] and at the same time, the second wave of English deists used Newton's discoveries to demonstrate the possibility of a "Natural Religion". The attacks made against pre-Enlightenment "magical thinking", and the mystical elements of Christianity, were given their foundation with Boyle's mechanical conception of the Universe. Newton gave Boyle's ideas their completion through mathematical proofs and, perhaps more importantly, was very successful in popularising them.[131] Occult In a manuscript he wrote in 1704 (never intended to be published) he mentions the date of 2060, but it is not given as a date for the end of days. It has been falsely reported as a prediction.[132] The passage is clear, when the date is read in context. He was against date setting for the end of days, concerned that this would put Christianity into disrepute. "So then the time times & half a time [sic] are 42 months or 1260 days or three years & an half, recconing twelve months to a year & 30 days to a month as was done in the Calender [sic] of the primitive year. And the days of short lived Beasts being put for the years of [long-]lived kingdoms the period of 1260 days, if dated from the complete conquest of the three kings A.C. 800, will end 2060. It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner."[133] "This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail. Christ comes as a thief in the night, and it is not for us to know the times and seasons which God hath put into his own breast."[132] Alchemy In the character of Morton Opperly in "Poor Superman" (1951), speculative fiction author Fritz Leiber says of Newton, "Everyone knows Newton as the great scientist. Few remember that he spent half his life muddling with alchemy, looking for the philosopher's stone. That was the pebble by the seashore he really wanted to find."[135] Of an estimated ten million words of writing in Newton's papers, about one million deal with alchemy. Many of Newton's writings on alchemy are copies of other manuscripts, with his own annotations.[91] Alchemical texts mix artisanal knowledge with philosophical speculation, often hidden behind layers of wordplay, allegory, and imagery to protect craft secrets.[136] Some of the content contained in Newton's papers could have been considered heretical by the church.[91] In 1888, after spending sixteen years cataloging Newton's papers, Cambridge University kept a small number and returned the rest to the Earl of Portsmouth. In 1936, a descendant offered the papers for sale at Sotheby's.[137] The collection was broken up and sold for a total of about £9,000.[138] John Maynard Keynes was one of about three dozen bidders who obtained part of the collection at auction. Keynes went on to reassemble an estimated half of Newton's collection of papers on alchemy before donating his collection to Cambridge University in 1946.[91][137][139] All of Newton's known writings on alchemy are currently being put online in a project undertaken by Indiana University: "The Chymistry of Isaac Newton".[140] Newton's fundamental contributions to science include the quantification of gravitational attraction, the discovery that white light is actually a mixture of immutable spectral colors, and the formulation of the calculus. Yet there is another, more mysterious side to Newton that is imperfectly known, a realm of activity that spanned some thirty years of his life, although he kept it largely hidden from his contemporaries and colleagues. We refer to Newton's involvement in the discipline of alchemy, or as it was often called in seventeenth-century England, "chymistry."[140] Enlightenment philosophers Enlightenment philosophers chose a short history of scientific predecessors – Galileo, Boyle, and Newton principally – as the guides and guarantors of their applications of the singular concept of nature and natural law to every physical and social field of the day. In this respect, the lessons of history and the social structures built upon it could be discarded.[141] It was Newton's conception of the universe based upon natural and rationally understandable laws that became one of the seeds for Enlightenment ideology.[142] Locke and Voltaire applied concepts of natural law to political systems advocating intrinsic rights; the physiocrats and Adam Smith applied natural conceptions of psychology and self-interest to economic systems; and sociologists criticised the current social order for trying to fit history into natural models of progress. Monboddo and Samuel Clarke resisted elements of Newton's work, but eventually rationalised it to conform with their strong religious views of nature. Apple incident Newton himself often told the story that he was inspired to formulate his theory of gravitation by watching the fall of an apple from a tree. Although it has been said that the apple story is a myth and that he did not arrive at his theory of gravity in any single moment,[145] acquaintances of Newton (such as William Stukeley, whose manuscript account of 1752 has been made available by the Royal Society) do in fact confirm the incident, though not the apocryphal version that the apple actually hit Newton's head. Stukeley recorded in his Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton's Life a conversation with Newton in Kensington on 15 April 1726:[146][147][148] we went into the garden, & drank thea under the shade of some appletrees, only he, & myself. amidst other discourse, he told me, he was just in the same situation, as when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. "why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground," thought he to him self: occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in a comtemplative mood: "why should it not go sideways, or upwards? but constantly to the earths centre? assuredly, the reason is, that the earth draws it. there must be a drawing power in matter. & the sum of the drawing power in the matter of the earth must be in the earths center, not in any side of the earth. therefore dos this apple fall perpendicularly, or toward the center. if matter thus draws matter; it must be in proportion of its quantity. therefore the apple draws the earth, as well as the earth draws the apple." John Conduitt, Newton's assistant at the Royal Mint and husband of Newton's niece, also described the event when he wrote about Newton's life:[149] In the year 1666 he retired again from Cambridge to his mother in Lincolnshire. Whilst he was pensively meandering in a garden it came into his thought that the power of gravity (which brought an apple from a tree to the ground) was not limited to a certain distance from earth, but that this power must extend much further than was usually thought. Why not as high as the Moon said he to himself & if so, that must influence her motion & perhaps retain her in her orbit, whereupon he fell a calculating what would be the effect of that supposition. In similar terms, Voltaire wrote in his Essay on Epic Poetry (1727), "Sir Isaac Newton walking in his gardens, had the first thought of his system of gravitation, upon seeing an apple falling from a tree." It is known from his notebooks that Newton was grappling in the late 1660s with the idea that terrestrial gravity extends, in an inverse-square proportion, to the Moon; however it took him two decades to develop the full-fledged theory.[150] The question was not whether gravity existed, but whether it extended so far from Earth that it could also be the force holding the Moon to its orbit. Newton showed that if the force decreased as the inverse square of the distance, one could indeed calculate the Moon's orbital period, and get good agreement. He guessed the same force was responsible for other orbital motions, and hence named it "universal gravitation". Various trees are claimed to be "the" apple tree which Newton describes. The King's School, Grantham claims that the tree was purchased by the school, uprooted and transported to the headmaster's garden some years later. The staff of the (now) National Trust-owned Woolsthorpe Manor dispute this, and claim that a tree present in their gardens is the one described by Newton. A descendant of the original tree[151] can be seen growing outside the main gate of Trinity College, Cambridge, below the room Newton lived in when he studied there. The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale in Kent[152] can supply grafts from their tree, which appears identical to Flower of Kent, a coarse-fleshed cooking variety.[153] Works Published in his lifetime Published posthumously Primary sources Newton, Isaac. The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. University of California Press, (1999) Brackenridge, J. Bruce. The Key to Newton's Dynamics: The Kepler Problem and the Principia: Containing an English Translation of Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Book One from the First (1687) Edition of Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy , University of California Press (1996) University of California Press, (1999) Newton, Isaac. The Optical Papers of Isaac Newton. Vol. 1: The Optical Lectures, 1670–1672 , Cambridge University Press (1984) Newton, Isaac. Opticks (4th ed. 1730) online edition Newton, I. (1952). Opticks, or A Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections & Colours of Light. New York: Dover Publications. , Cambridge University Press (1984) Newton, I. Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy and His System of the World , tr. A. Motte, rev. Florian Cajori. Berkeley: University of California Press (1934) , tr. A. Motte, rev. Florian Cajori. Berkeley: University of California Press (1934) Whiteside, D.T., ed. (1967–1982). The Mathematical Papers of Isaac Newton . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-07740-8. – 8 volumes. – 8 volumes. Newton, Isaac. The correspondence of Isaac Newton, ed. H.W. Turnbull and others, 7 vols (1959–77) ed. H.W. Turnbull and others, 7 vols (1959–77) Newton's Philosophy of Nature: Selections from His Writings edited by H.S. Thayer (1953; online edition) edited by H.S. Thayer (1953; online edition) Isaac Newton, Sir; J Edleston; Roger Cotes, Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Cotes, including letters of other eminent men , London, John W. Parker, West Strand; Cambridge, John Deighton (1850, Google Books) , London, John W. Parker, West Strand; Cambridge, John Deighton (1850, Google Books) Maclaurin, C. (1748). An Account of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophical Discoveries, in Four Books. London: A. Millar and J. Nourse Newton, I. (1958). Isaac Newton's Papers and Letters on Natural Philosophy and Related Documents, eds. I.B. Cohen and R.E. Schofield. Cambridge: Harvard University Press Newton, I. (1962). The Unpublished Scientific Papers of Isaac Newton: A Selection from the Portsmouth Collection in the University Library, Cambridge, ed. A.R. Hall and M.B. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Newton, I. (1975). Isaac Newton's 'Theory of the Moon's Motion' (1702). London: Dawson See also References Bibliography Further reading Religion Dobbs, Betty Jo Tetter. The Janus Faces of Genius: The Role of Alchemy in Newton's Thought. (1991), links the alchemy to Arianism (1991), links the alchemy to Arianism Force, James E., and Richard H. Popkin, eds. Newton and Religion: Context, Nature, and Influence. (1999), pp. xvii, 325.; 13 papers by scholars using newly opened manuscripts (1999), pp. xvii, 325.; 13 papers by scholars using newly opened manuscripts Pfizenmaier, Thomas C. (January 1997). "Was Isaac Newton an Arian?". Journal of the History of Ideas . 58 (1): 57–80. Bibcode:1961JHI....22..215C. doi:10.1353/jhi.1997.0001. JSTOR 3653988. Ramati, Ayval. "The Hidden Truth of Creation: Newton's Method of Fluxions" British Journal for the History of Science 34: 417–438. in JSTOR, argues that his calculus had a theological basis 34: 417–438. in JSTOR, argues that his calculus had a theological basis Snobelen, Stephen "'God of Gods, and Lord of Lords': The Theology of Isaac Newton's General Scholium to the Principia", Osiris 2nd series, Vol. 16, (2001), pp. 169–208. in JSTOR 2nd series, Vol. 16, (2001), pp. 169–208. in JSTOR Snobelen, Stephen D. (1999). "Isaac Newton, Heretic: The Strategies of a Nicodemite". British Journal for the History of Science . 32 (4): 381–419. doi:10.1017/S0007087499003751. JSTOR 4027945. Wiles, Maurice. Archetypal Heresy. Arianism through the Centuries. (1996) 214 pages, with chapter 4 on eighteenth century England; pp. 77–93. on Newton, excerpt and text search. Writings by Newton
From Bloomberg: If there is any doubt that President Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul U.S. health care is the hottest topic in Congress, just ask the 3,300 lobbyists who have lined up to work on the issue. That’s six lobbyists for each of the 535 members of the House and Senate, according to Senate records, and three times the number of people registered to lobby on defense. More than 1,500 organizations have health-care lobbyists, and about three more are signing up each day. Every one of the 10 biggest lobbying firms by revenue is involved in an effort that could affect 17 percent of the U.S. economy. These groups spent $263.4 million on lobbying during the first six months of 2009, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group, more than any other industry. They spent $241.4 million during the same period of 2008. Drugmakers alone spent $134.5 million, 64 percent more than the next biggest spenders, oil and gas companies.
By Corrie Pikul New research has shattered some of our most closely held beliefs. The Myth: Every woman's fertility plummets after age 35 The facts: Women have been led to believe that our eggs are stamped with an expiration date: midnight on our 35th birthday. But a recent study headed by Anne Steiner, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, found that among 38- and 39-year-olds who had been pregnant before, 80 percent got pregnant naturally within six months. This doesn't mean that the quality and quantity of eggs doesn't decline with age (experts still maintain that by age 40, a woman's chance of getting pregnant is less than 5 percent per cycle). But the decline happens at such variable rates that many healthy women will still have a stockpile of viable eggs late into their 30s. So investigate (by talking to your gynecologist), before dismissing your chances. The Myth: With no family history of breast cancer, you're pretty much in the clear. The facts: About 10 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a mother or sister who also had it, or some other strong family connection. Another 10 percent have a family member a little further down the family tree. But about 80 percent have no family history at all. The reason your doctor is so interested in your relatives is because we still don't have a better way to identify which women are at the highest risk for the disease, says Debbie Saslow, PhD, the director of breast and gynecologic cancer for the American Cancer Society. The only other risk factor that even comes close is age, she says, which is why it's important to keep up with those mammograms. The Myth: If you've got hot flashes, you've got menopause The facts: Hot flashes, as you've no doubt heard, plague 85 percent of women going through menopause. But these sudden drench-your-blouse sessions can also be triggered by anxiety and stress. Other, less common causes include hormone imbalances, thyroid disorders and infections. So if you're under 40 (less than 1 percent of women hit menopause before this age) and are experiencing symptoms of menopause but don't have any reason to think you're going through "the change," it may be due to something else. Either way, talk to your doctor to figure out what's going on. The Myth: Cranberry juice cures your urinary tract infection The facts: The strategy isn't totally (sorry!) fruity. Cranberries contain substances -- such as quinic acid, malic acid and citric acid—that can prevent infection-causing bacteria such as E. coli from sticking to the walls of the bladder. But if you already have symptoms (e.g., burning and itching), that means there's too much bacteria in your bladder and kidneys for the berries alone to wash out, remove or destroy. As for protecting you from future UTIs: A recent review of 24 studies and 4,473 participants concluded that the benefits of cranberries have been overstated and that drinking the juice or taking supplements hasn't been shown to make a significant difference in prevention. Instead, think about...chicken: A high percentage of packaged raw chicken has been found to be contaminated with the kind of E.coli that can cause UTIs in humans. The Myth: Women have more subtle heart attacks than men The facts: Let's say you've done some late-night (possibly paranoid) Web surfing and have read up on heart attack symptoms. For women, you think the signs to look for are: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and pain in the back, neck or jaw. For men: a classic elephant-on-the-chest feeling. But in one recent study of nearly 2,500 women and men who were being evaluated for a possible heart attack, European researchers asked patients to describe their symptoms and then carefully analyzed the responses. Surprisingly, they found little statistical difference in the answers: Chest pain was fairly standard among all patients -- and the other symptoms were relatively common, too. Too much has been made about gender differences, they concluded in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Save for one: Women are more likely to die from a heart attack. So if you're really not feeling right, or if the thought of a heart attack even crosses your mind (doctors say female patients will often consider that they're having one and then do nothing more than take an aspirin), call your doctor or 911, stat. The Myth: You won't get pregnant if you have sex in a hot tub.
Google today announced its advancements in deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence, for key processes like image recognition and speech recognition. When it comes to accurately recognizing words in speech, Google now has just an 8 percent error rate. Compare that to 23 percent in 2013, Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome, and Apps at Google, said at the company’s annual I/O developer conference in San Francisco. Pichai boasted, “We have the best investments in machine learning over the past many years.” Indeed, Google has acquired several deep learning companies over the years, including DeepMind, DNNresearch, and Jetpac. Deep learning involves ingesting lots of data to train systems called neural networks, and then feeding new data to those systems and receiving predictions in response. The company’s current neural networks are now more than 30 layers deep, Pichai said. Google uses deep learning across many types of services, including object recognition in YouTube videos and even optimization of its vast data centers. Meanwhile, Baidu, Facebook, and Microsoft are also beefing up their deep learning capabilities. Earlier-stage companies like Flipboard, Pinterest, and Snapchat have also been doing research in the area — but none have the computing power that Google does. So Google’s achievements in real production apps are a pretty big deal. To view all of VentureBeat’s Google I/O coverage, click here.
Rahul Gandhi Unchallenged, Set To Be New Congress President Congress President Election: Rahul Gandhi, who has been the Congress' vice-president for almost five years, filed the nomination papers at the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters in Delhi. Share EMAIL PRINT Congress President Election: Rahul Gandhi has been the Congress' vice-president for almost five years New Delhi: Highlights 'Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress,' Dr Manmohan Singh said Rahul Gandhi signed nomination papers at Congress headquarters Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, other Congress leaders were proposers Mr Gandhi, who has been the Congress' vice-president for almost five years, filed nomination papers at the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters in Delhi in an elaborate process as the party sought to emphasise that he is being democratically elected amid allegations by the BJP of dynastic politics. Outgoing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was the first to nominate her son, though she signed the papers not at the party office but at her home next door. Sonia Gandhi has been the party's longest serving president, having led the Congress for 19 years since 1998. A total 89 nominations were filed for Mr Gandhi since Monday morning by various Congress leaders and workers from across the country. The 47-year-old first met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee, to seek their blessings, party sources said, and then went to the party office, where he was seen hugging veteran Congress leaders Sheila Dikshit and Mohsina Kidwai. Rahul Gandhi hugged veteran Congress leaders Sheila Dikshit and Mohsina Kidwai before signing the papers. Among those who signed papers to propose Mr Gandhi as party chief was Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, earlier seen as having been opposed to Rahul Gandhi taking his mother's place to lead the party. "Rahul Gandhi has shown his worth. He's been outstanding in his performance. He will make a good PM" Mr Singh said and also added, "This is my 50th year. Elections have always happened. Why are other parties interfering?" At an election rally in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at Mr Gandhi. " PM Modi said he was quoting Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. "Mani Shankar Aiyar asked 'did elections happen during Mughal rule? After Jehangir, Shahjahan came, was any election held? After Shahjahan it was understood Aurangzeb will be the leader'. So the Congress accepts its a family party? We don't want this Aurangzeb rule," said the Prime Minister who has pitched the Gujarat elections as a battle between "vikaswaad (development) and vanshwad (dynasty). Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination at the party's headquarters in the presence of Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders. PM Modi and other top leaders of the BJP have repeatedly attacked the Congress over the Nehru-Gandhi family's control of the party, contrasting it with the BJP, where, they point out, people from the most modest origins have risen to the top, like the Prime Minister himself, who sold tea as a young boy in Gujarat. Congress leaders say the party's election process allows any member to contest the election for the top post. They said members had a chance since Friday to come forward to challenge Mr Gandhi, but no one had done so. "This one false narrative that Lutyens liberals have cooked up is that you need the Parivaar (family) to fight the Sangh Parivaar. Why should there be a choice between secularism and dynasty? Can't I have non-dynastic secularism?" said Shehzad Poonawalla, He also wrote to Mr Gandhi demanding that he resign as party vice president, enter a televised debate and "be judged on merit" rather than on his surname. Rahul Gandhi is set to be Congress president in place of his mother Sonia Gandhi, elected unopposed after the last day for filing nominations passed today without any challenger emerging. An official announcement is expected tomorrow as the party is "completing all processes", sources said.Mr Gandhi, who has been the Congress' vice-president for almost five years, filed nomination papers at the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters in Delhi in an elaborate process as the party sought to emphasise that he is being democratically elected amid allegations by the BJP of dynastic politics. Outgoing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was the first to nominate her son, though she signed the papers not at the party office but at her home next door. Sonia Gandhi has been the party's longest serving president, having led the Congress for 19 years since 1998.A total 89 nominations were filed for Mr Gandhi since Monday morning by various Congress leaders and workers from across the country. The 47-year-old first met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former President Pranab Mukherjee, to seek their blessings, party sources said, and then went to the party office, where he was seen hugging veteran Congress leaders Sheila Dikshit and Mohsina Kidwai. Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party," said Dr Manmohan Singh.Among those who signed papers to propose Mr Gandhi as party chief was Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, earlier seen as having been opposed to Rahul Gandhi taking his mother's place to lead the party. "Rahul Gandhi has shown his worth. He's been outstanding in his performance. He will make a good PM" Mr Singh said and also added, "This is my 50th year. Elections have always happened. Why are other parties interfering?"At an election rally in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at Mr Gandhi. " I congratulate the Congress on their 'Aurangzeb Raj .' For us, the well-being of the people matters and 125 crore Indians are our high command," he said.PM Modi said he was quoting Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. "Mani Shankar Aiyar asked 'did elections happen during Mughal rule? After Jehangir, Shahjahan came, was any election held? After Shahjahan it was understood Aurangzeb will be the leader'. So the Congress accepts its a family party? We don't want this Aurangzeb rule," said the Prime Minister who has pitched the Gujarat elections as a battle between "vikaswaad (development) and vanshwad (dynasty).PM Modi and other top leaders of the BJP have repeatedly attacked the Congress over the Nehru-Gandhi family's control of the party, contrasting it with the BJP, where, they point out, people from the most modest origins have risen to the top, like the Prime Minister himself, who sold tea as a young boy in Gujarat.Mr Aiyar has said he has been misquoted and that he had meant to "contrast the dynastic succession under the Mughals" with the "totally democratic process" of electing the Congress chief.Congress leaders say the party's election process allows any member to contest the election for the top post. They said members had a chance since Friday to come forward to challenge Mr Gandhi, but no one had done so."This one false narrative that Lutyens liberals have cooked up is that you need the Parivaar (family) to fight the Sangh Parivaar. Why should there be a choice between secularism and dynasty? Can't I have non-dynastic secularism?" said Shehzad Poonawalla, a Congress leader from Maharashtra who last week alleged that the election to elect choose the party chief was "rigged." Mr Poonawalla had indicated he would have liked to contest the election, alleging that it is a sham since Rahul Gandhi enjoys an "unfair advantage". He also wrote to Mr Gandhi demanding that he resign as party vice president, enter a televised debate and "be judged on merit" rather than on his surname. NDTV Beeps - your daily newsletter
The court rejected Steele's arguments that, even if the initial stop wasn't racially motivated, the subsequent search was, consciously or unconsciously. Noting that the trial judge had found Stephens was credible, "steadfast and uncontradicted" — they concluded that "the officer acted in good faith." After an initial mistrial, Steele was convicted in 2010 of possession of the prohibited firearm, which was discovered underneath the front passenger seat where he was sitting. Stephens said she had observed him hunched over and doing something under the seat just before she searched the glove box, and noticed the gun. Steele was sentenced to the equivalent of six and a half years (which he has already served), and subsequently appealed his conviction, citing racial bias and an illegal search. Two years before the Hamilton traffic stop, Steele was a witness in the highly publicized shooting of 15-year-old Jane Creba, who was killed when she got caught in a Boxing Day gunfight on Yonge Street in Toronto in 2005. Steele was believed to have been the intended target of the initial gunfire. The 2007 traffic stop in Hamilton was "either conscious or subconscious racial stereotyping," one of his lawyers, Anthony Moustacalis told the Appeal Court back in January, and that violated Steele's Charter rights. That issue was raised by Steele's lawyer at the previous trial; the judge ruled against Steele and on Monday the Appeal Court panel agreed with that ruling. Pieters said Monday their appeal was hamstrung by the court record from the 2010 trial — at which neither Steele nor his mother testified. "He could have spoken about the interaction between the officer and him, (about) why he felt he was treated differently," Pieters said. "Racial profiling isn't solely fact-based — it's drawn from inferences from the evidence. (The Appeal Court) didn't have any evidence from Mr. Steele or the other three men of the officer's behaviour." At that trial there was no evidence indicating any history of racial bias on Stephens' part and the judge ruled that her conduct was helpful and professional throughout the stop and search. Steele's lawyers also argued the search was an unreasonable violation of his Charter protections against arbitrary search, as he never consented to it. But the Appeal Court rejected that, pointing out that he was never identified as the person in control of the car, nor as the son of the owner, which might have permitted an argument that he had a valid expectation of privacy. bdunphy@thespec.com 905-526-3262 \| @BillAtTheSpec
After a three week sit-in, pro-divestment student protesters at the University of Mary Washington were arrested last month for refusing to vacate a university building they had been occupying. Students conducted the sit-in as a protest to demand the school divest from fossil fuels. One student even reported that a teacher told a protester in an email, “Don’t come to class! Sit in, divest!” On April 15th, weeks into the sit-in, university officials sent a letter to the protestors informing them they needed to vacate the space they had been occupying for safety purposes pursuant to a clause in the school’s policy. Officials gave them until 6:30 PM, after which they noted the protesters would be considered trespassing on university property and subject to police action. State police entered the building and gave the protesters an opportunity to leave before arresting them for trespassing. Only three members of Divest UMW remained in the space and all three were arrested, taken to a regional jail, and processed for trespassing. Two of the arrested protesters were students while one was a community member. They were released on a $1,500 bond. The sit-in, which began on March 26, lasted for hundreds of hours and showed no signs of stopping until the arrests. After UMW’s Board of Visitor’s rejected a proposal to form an exploratory committee that would evaluate the feasibility of divestment, a handful of students from Divest UMW spent the three weeks sleeping on the floor of the university’s administration building. According to the group, 150 people joined the sit-in, “including students, faculty, politicians, religious leaders, and children[.]” Divest UMW’s Facebook declares that the group wants “the University of Mary Washington to withdraw its endowment from any companies that make a profit for themselves or their stockholders by exploiting fossil fuels that adversely impact individuals all over Virginia and all over the world.” When asked how much money UMW has invested in fossil fuels and what that money is used for, a representative from the university told Campus Reform that, “The University’s endowment is invested in a professionally managed portfolio of investments. The sole focus of our endowment is to generate returns which fund scholarships and other endowed programs critical to the University.” University President Rick Hurley and the school’s Student Senate have voiced support for divestment. Divest UMW claimed its divestment petition has been signed by 1,500 people including 1,000 students, 250 alumni, and two thirds of the UMW faculty. Jason Davidson, a professor of political science and international affairs, also wrote an editorial in support of the group. One student even reported that a teacher told a protester in an email, “Don’t come to class! Sit in, divest!” Zakaria Kronemer, co-founder of Divest UMW, told WVTF radio that his group was “prepared to stay in this space until [their] demands are met.” On April 6, over a week into the sit-in, the Student Government Association’s Executive Cabinet rejected a motion to issue a statement on behalf of the SGA in support of Divest UMW. The Blue and Gray Press, UMW’s student newspaper, reported some cabinet members “were not comfortable specifically mentioning Divest UMW and believed the endorsement would exclude students who have different opinions about the issue.” In an interview with Campus Reform, Nicole Tardif, chair of the UMW College Republicans, said she believes Divest UMW is hypocritical, citing their everyday activities as proof. “Every day members of Divest charge their cell phones, use lights, or take hot showers provided by Dominion Power,” she commented. Tardif continued, “If they truly believe in cutting off environmentally unfriendly industries, they should take a look into the small things they do every day using fossil fuels and ‘dirty’ energy.” Representatives from Divest UMW did not return Campus Reform’s requests to comment. Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @emilyjashinksy
Visakhapatnam: Now that it is officially announced that M. Venkaiah Naidu from NDA will take on Gopalakrishna Gandhi in the vice-presidential election, the discussion has now turned on why BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi were keen on selecting M. Venkaiah Naidu, particularly when Naidu was reportedly not interested in that post. Naidu, known to be the master in employing pun in his speeches and remarks, was quoted in the Telugu media as saying that he wanted to remain as Ushapathi (Usha his wife’s name) rather than Uparasthrapathi (Vice-president) in response to a query of journalists a few days ago. Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation in Modia��s Cabinet now, Venkaiah Naidu has reached a Zenith in his political career both within the party and the government now. His prominence, particularly in the party, has been on the constant rise bolstered by his firefighting skills, oratory abilities and friendly attitude with the party cadre. He is now seen as rising BJP leader in the South with all the abilities that a national leader should have. The ever increasing political image of Naidu may pose a threat to the growth of some prominent leaders, analyse political commentators. Thought to be a smart move by the duo of Modi and Shah, the decision was seen on the plane of conspiracy against Naidu. Another view is that the BJP would not grow in Andhra Pradesh so long as Venkaiah Naidu is in active politics considering his long cherished friendship with the Telugu Desam supremo and the AP Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The move by the BJP leadership to choose Venkaiah Naidu as the vice-presidential candidate from their party has reportedly been reasoned on this ground. Minus Venkaiah Naidu in the present political scenario in Andhra Pradesh, a significant swing towards YSRCP from BJP is more than likely according to this view. What Congress did to Pranab Mukherjee when he was considered the best choice for Prime Minister at that time by many, has been done in the case Venkaiah Naidu now said a political analyst.A� Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi went into oblivion in the era of Modi and Shah. Despite their extraordinary political abilities, both Pranab and Naidu faced with an unprecedented treatment from their high commands when parties needed their services.
• Odegaard expected to move to Spain in transfer window • Bernabéu club beats off interest from other big clubs • How will Martin Odegaard cope with limelight? The battle to sign up Norway’s 16-year-old footballing prodigy, Martin Odegaard, appears to have been won by Real Madrid. Odegaard, who made his international debut for Norway aged 15, had been expected to move from the Tippeligaen side Stromsgodset to Bayern Munich, but the Norwegian newspaper VG has reported that he will instead be heading for the Bernabéu, where he will become the first Norwegian to play for Real Madrid. VG suggests he will be signed in the January transfer window, although he may be allowed to stay with Stromsgodset for the time being. The attacking midfielder is thought to have attracted interest from Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City.
The world is embarking on its sixth mass extinction with animals disappearing about 100 times faster than they used to, scientists have warned, and humans could be among the first victims. Not since the age of the dinosaurs ended 66 million years ago has the planet been losing species at this rapid a rate, said a study led by experts at Stanford University, Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley. The study "shows without any significant doubt that we are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event," said co-author Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford University professor of biology. And humans are likely to be among the species lost, said the study -- which its authors described as "conservative" -- published in the journal Science Advances. "If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover and our species itself would likely disappear early on," said lead author Gerardo Ceballos of the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico. The analysis is based on documented extinctions of vertebrates, or animals with internal skeletons such as frogs, reptiles and tigers, from fossil records and other historical data. The modern rate of species loss was compared to the "natural rates of species disappearance before human activity dominated." It can be difficult to estimate this rate, also known as the background rate, since humans don't know exactly what happened throughout the course of Earth's 4.5 billion year history. For the study, researchers used a past extinction rate that was twice as high as widely used estimates. If the past rate was two mammal extinctions per 10,000 species per 100 years, then the "average rate of vertebrate species loss over the last century is up to 114 times higher than it would be without human activity, even when relying on the most conservative estimates of species extinction," said the study. "We emphasize that our calculations very likely underestimate the severity of the extinction crisis because our aim was to place a realistic lower bound on humanity's impact on biodiversity." The causes of species loss range from climate change to pollution to deforestation and more. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, about 41 percent of all amphibian species and 26 percent of all mammals are threatened with extinction. "There are examples of species all over the world that are essentially the walking dead," Ehrlich said. The study called for "rapid, greatly intensified efforts to conserve already threatened species, and to alleviate pressures on their populations -- notably habitat loss, over-exploitation for economic gain and climate change." © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019
Menendez's sharp remark was one of many made by Sen. Dems during a press conference Friday. Menendez compares GOP, terrorists Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on Friday compared the tax-cut fight with Republicans to negotiating with terrorists, while Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri suggested Americans might need to “take up pitchforks" if Congress renews tax breaks for the wealthy. “Do you allow yourself to be held hostage and get something done for the sake of getting something done, when in fact it might be perverse in its ultimate results?” Menendez said, when asked whether he and other Democrats would compromise with Republicans. “It’s almost like the question of do you negotiate with terrorists.” Story Continued Below The comment was one of several sharp remarks made by Senate Democrats during a news conference Friday ahead of two key test votes Saturday on tax cuts. A Menendez aide said the senator was talking about the Republicans' negotiating strategy and was not comparing Republicans to terrorists. "This shouldn’t be taken out of context from the full question and answer," Menendez spokesman Afshin Mohamadi wrote in an e-mail. "The critical point for middle-class Americans remains that Republicans have chosen to jeopardize tax cuts for every middle class family in order to guarantee an average tax cut of $104,000 for each millionaire." McCaskill called the Republican rhetoric of reducing the deficit “a joke,” given that they favor extending the tax cuts for upper-income Americans. “I’m trying to figure out how anyone can keep a straight face and say they are for deficit reduction when they insist on a permanent tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, completely unpaid for,” McCaskill said. “If they think it is OK to raise taxes for the embattled middle class because they are going to pout if we don’t give more money to millionaires, it really is time for the people of America to take up pitchforks.” She said the Republican Party isn’t looking after the interests of the tea party activists who proved so important to the midterm election victories. “All those people out there in the tea party who are angry about the economics of Washington, they really need to look at this, pull back the curtain and realize that you’ve got a Republican Party that is not worried about people in the tea party,” she said. “They’re worried about people who can’t decide which home to go to over the Christmas holidays. “They’re not worried about the people packing those town halls,” she added. “Those folks are the middle class.”
tigerVPN and freedom of speech in China In April, Chinese state media reported that a blogger, Qin Zhihui, was sentenced to three years in jail for stirring up political dissent. The Beijing district court prosecutors claimed that Qin had “impacted society and seriously harmed social order” when he published a number of reports on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging website. China maintains that its recent crackdown on hundreds of bloggers was enacted in the name of public stability and social order, but rights groups have accused the regime of limiting online freedom of speech in order to shield the ruling Communist party from criticism. Another popular microblogger, Charles Xue, who had drawn 12 million followers on Weibo, was released on bail after apologizing on state television for promoting what the government calls “group licentiousness.” In recent years, Chinese microblogs have grown in popularity, and are now significant drivers of public opinion. Commentators have drawn attention to such pressing social issues as pollution, censorship, and official corruption. However, under new guidelines released this past September, internet users in China may be subject to up to three years in prison for posting defamatory messages that reposted 500 times or more. Since the campaign began, many hundreds of bloggers have been arrested. In China, as well as other countries around the world with authoritarian regimes, a VPN is a solid option for preserving a user’s anonymity, and avoiding punishment from the authorities. Especially in the increasingly harsh limitations on freedom of the the press and freedom of speech in China, a VPN has proven invaluable to political dissidents who need to get the word out without fear of reprisals from the government. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, works by creating what amounts to an encrypted tunnel between a host’s computer and the VPN provider. Once a user is connected to a VPN, their traffic is completely shielded from anyone who might wish to spy on their activities. Most VPNs work by providing what are known as “nodes” or different places around the world where a user’s signal “pops out” and accesses the internet. At tigerVPN, we offer 52 nodes in 38 countries. For example, users can select New York City as their node, and for all intents and purposes, their internet connection is effectively American. The only thing a hypothetical Chinese government official might see is that the user is on any encrypted connection. They would have no access to what sites the user visits, or what kind of activities they are conducting. In China, where authorities have ready access to Internet Service Providers, and where search terms that may be damaging to the Communist Party, such as “Tiananmen Square” are blocked, this capability has proven quite useful in the effort to circumvent limits on freedom of expression. It’s clear that in the fight against tyranny, VPNs will continue to be a potent weapon. At tigerVPN, we’re happy to help. Check out our full suite of VPN services today.
With Opening Day for the major league team and the full-season affiliates less than a month away, the FutureSox staff convened and reflected on our pre-season rankings, made some bold predictions, and noted what they are looking out for this season. I was joined by Matt Cassidy, Brian Bilek, Will Siskel, and our newest writer, Matt Lynch. The answers were deep enough that we had to split this into two articles. Here are the five of us, on the first two questions... Prediction time: Who will be moving up the rankings from the pre-season list to the mid-season list? Matt C: When people refer to sleepers or guys who could make the biggest jump, I think of players with the widest gaps between floor and ceiling. In other words, it means looking for raw, unrefined talent closest to seeing tools become skills. Looking at that list of players among the current Top 30 (or just outside of it), the guys who I think have the best shot at actualizing some substantial portion of their talents in 2016 are infielder Johan Cruz, pitcher Thad Lowry, and outfielders Micker Adolfo and Antonio Rodriguez. As the question technically wants one, I'll go with Johan Cruz to make the biggest jump in 2016. He's got very good defensive tools at a premium position (shortstop, where the club says he will play in 2016), speed that will play as-is, and not many prospects hit .312 in their first season state-side as a teenager. He didn't walk much, but he showed some patience in the DSL and a local report from Great Falls indicated he did work counts well. He even showed a little power for a player not originally seen as having much. Cruz should be in full season ball in 2016, and I think he's got a good shot at being very interesting. Brian: Since Matt took my intial choice in infielder Johan Cruz, I'll shed some light on another potential riser in Jordan Stephens. Coming in at #16 in our preseason list he doesn't have that much room to rise, but this is a guy who is a better pitcher than his 5th round draft position would lead you to believe. Stephens suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and had Tommy John Surgery early in his junior season in 2014. At that point, Stephens was the Friday night pitcher for a pitching factory in Rice University and the righty was considered a top 100 draft pick in 2014 by most outlets. Needless to say, his TJS came at an entirely inopportune time for a professional-to-be. Following the surgery, Stephens recovered quickly and even worked his way back into starting for Rice. Post-surgery he brought his velocity up to 94 and posted personal bests of 11.31 K/9 and 4.41 K/BB over 59.2 innings at Rice. His professional debut went swimmingly as the White Sox brought him along slowly. Stephens pitched 17.2 innings in the Arizona and Pioneer while only giving up one run and showing solid peripherals (21/3 K/BB). The former Rice ace impressed White Sox Scouting Director Nick Hostetler enough to put his talents right up there with first rounder Carson Fulmer. Stephens' injury and lack of size opened the door for the White Sox to add a discounted combination of track record and physical tools that could lead to big 2016 for the 23-year-old. Matt L: Though once a former top prospect in the White Sox system, I think Matt Davidson (FutureSox #30) will be a guy back on this rise this 2016 season. Acquired in 2013 for Addison Reed, Davidson came to the White Sox as the third-baseman of the future, but has failed to live up to expectations. During his two full seasons at Triple-A Charlotte, Davidson has shown major contact issues, along with lackluster (though improving) defense. One thing he has shown though is above average power. Still just 24 years old, I am not ready to count him out just yet. He showed some promise at the Major League level in 2013, where he had a cup of coffee with the Diamondbacks at just 22 years old. He mentioned that he focused on the mental side of things this offseason, as well as trying to move on from his disappointing two seasons with the Charlotte Knights. This may not be the sexiest pick, as many Sox fans know of Davidson already, but I still think he could be a major leaguer in due time. He is off to a very nice start in Spring Training, and I am hopeful that will carry into the upcoming season and potentially lead to more. Will: Yosmer Solorzano impressed many in his stateside debut in the AZL. I envision that trend to continue into 2016, with Solorzano (entering his age-19 season) likely headed for Kannapolis. According to first-person reports and video, the young righthander features an advanced ability to pitch despite his age. His arsenal, which generates a ton of grounders, should prove sustainable as he embarks on the low-level affiliates. With fluid mechanics and room for improvement – in terms of stuff, physical frame, and mechanics – I expect Solorzano to further climb up our list and establish himself as a legitimate SP prospect in his second season. Rob: As a byproduct of going last, I fear I'll have to echo one of my fellow writers and say Jordan Stephens. Jordan Guerrero jumped eight spots from #14 on our 2015 post-season list to #6 on our 2016 pre-season list and I am predicting that Stephens will see a similar rise from his current spot at #16. Stephens has good command of a four mix arsenal that is highlighted by a two-seam fastball and a potentially plus curve. Stephens has shown a propensity for missing bats in college and the pros, and his advanced repertoire will be too much for lower affiliate hitters to handle. I expect Stephens to rack up the stats in stops at Kannapolis and Winston-Salem and shoot up our list. Who is your favorite sleeper in the organization? Matt C: I'm going to go with a guy here who I didn't even put a Top 30 vote on in December - RHP Danny Dopico. He put up very good peripherals in relief work for Great Falls last season, and at 21 wasn't overly old for rookie ball. As an 11th round pick, that's usually a guy the club definitely wanted but couldn't sign for an under-slot amount to sneak into the back end of Top 10 rounds, so that's an indicator too. But the biggest reason is based on in-person reports I've received from multiple sources I trust. An MLB Pipeline writer and a blog scout we've worked with before both talked about a mid-90's fastball with some nice action, and a slider that showed plus characteristics. He's got a typical pitcher's frame, repeats well, and put up very nice numbers in college. He just reads to me like the kind of guy who suddenly breaks onto the list with most people saying "wait, how did we miss this guy?" He's a reliever so don't look for him in the top 10, but he could move up the ladder very quickly and add value. Brian: My favorite sleeper is catcher Carlos Perez, who comes in at #28 on our Top Prospects list. I ranked the catcher #20 overall and some of our writers even left him off of their top 30's. Signed out of Venezuela in 2014 for a negligible $50,000, Perez represents a potential diamond in the rough for Marco Paddy. Perez is the brother of two professional catchers, one with the Angels, and both named Carlos as well. Perez has shown incredible bat-to-ball skills with a utterly ridiculous 2.6 K% in 2015 while playing in the Domincan Summer League (DSL). Other than that, Perez slashed a .333/.424/.438 line over 191 PAs in 2015 following up a strong 2014 in the same league. Perez has caught the eye of at least one principal international evaluator, with Baseball America's Ben Badler singing his praises more than once. As a catcher, Badler has referred to Perez's receiving as a strong suit with his arm figuring to be around average. Perez's size leaves room to be desired but considering his position, it's not atypical. With two strong summers in the DSL, there's little left for the 19-year-old to show and it's likely he makes his way stateside in 2016. His assignment in 2016 will be a big factor in how much he can improve his rank, but the recipe is there. Matt L: For my sleeper, I am really going off the grid here, taking lefty first baseman Sikes Orvis as my pick. Orvis, 23, was selected by the White Sox in the 17th round in the 2015 First Year Player Draft out of Ole Miss. He is a big, strong kid, listed at 6’3” and 255 lbs.. He hit .231/.337/.354 in Great Falls last season, which was not promising by any means. But Orvis was a First Team All-SEC member in 2014 at Ole Miss, where he hit .294 with 14 home runs. He returned to school for his senior year, where he was .264 with 16 home runs. He may be a project right now, but I really like the power he displayed in the juggernaut SEC against some of the best college arms in the country. He has an issue with strikeouts though, as he struck out 44 times in 147 at bats at Great Falls. If he could cut those down and display the power he showed while at Ole Miss, the White Sox could have gotten a real steal drafting him in the 17th round. Will: As recently as last year, Andre Wheeler was our #19 pre-season prospect. His slip in our rankings has less to do with results (he had a fine 2015 season), and more to do with his future projection. Going into 2015, Wheeler was thought of as a starter. Now though, Wheeler is most likely to see his major league future depend on his ability to come out of the 'pen as a lefty reliever with a fastball/slider combo. Unless they display loud, high-leverage pitches, relief prospects don’t generate a ton of excitement. For Wheeler, however, it is his mound-presence, demeanor, and perspective that add to his above average stuff from the left side. I look forward to seeing the former collegiate outfielder advance in 2016, likely seeing time in AA Birmingham. Rob: This is an easy answer for me since I am shocked Jhoandro Alfaro didn't make our top 30 list. Alfaro was signed by the Sox for $750,000 in the 2014 July 2nd class as 16-year-old and was ranked as the 28th best prospect in the class. Overshadowed by his older brother Jorge, a top prospect in the Phillies organization, Alfaro is a switch-hitting catcher who is excellent defensively. Despite his age and relative rawness, the Sox felt so strongly about him that he debuted professionally state-side with the Arizona Rookie League squad. While he didn't put up big numbers, Alfaro showed enough that he was ranked as the 15th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com this off-season. Alfaro is just 18-years-old and will undoubtedly repeat rookie ball so he is a long way away, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on as he progresses through the system. *The round table will be continued in a following article, soon.* Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
April 25 (Reuters) - Heavy use of the world's most popular herbicide, Roundup, could be linked to a range of health problems and diseases, including Parkinson's, infertility and cancers, according to a new study. The peer-reviewed report, published last week in the scientific journal Entropy, said evidence indicates that residues of "glyphosate," the chief ingredient in Roundup weed killer, which is sprayed over millions of acres of crops, has been found in food. Those residues enhance the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment to disrupt normal body functions and induce disease, according to the report, authored by Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant from Arthur D. Little, Inc. Samsel is a former private environmental government contractor as well as a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body," the study says. We "have hit upon something very important that needs to be taken seriously and further investigated," Seneff said. Environmentalists, consumer groups and plant scientists from several countries have warned that heavy use of glyphosate is causing problems for plants, people and animals. The EPA is conducting a standard registration review of glyphosate and has set a deadline of 2015 for determining if glyphosate use should be limited. The study is among many comments submitted to the agency. Monsanto is the developer of both Roundup herbicide and a suite of crops that are genetically altered to withstand being sprayed with the Roundup weed killer. These biotech crops, including corn, soybeans, canola and sugarbeets, are planted on millions of acres in the United States annually. Farmers like them because they can spray Roundup weed killer directly on the crops to kill weeds in the fields without harming the crops. Roundup is also popularly used on lawns, gardens and golf courses. Monsanto and other leading industry experts have said for years that glyphosate is proven safe, and has a less damaging impact on the environment than other commonly used chemicals. Jerry Steiner, Monsanto's executive vice president of sustainability, reiterated that in a recent interview when questioned about the study. "We are very confident in the long track record that glyphosate has. It has been very, very extensively studied," he said.
8 years ago (CNN) - Saying "I'm ready to lead. I'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation," all-but-declared Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum did just that, officially jumping into the race for the White House. But the former two-term senator from Pennsylvania could face long odds and much better funded rivals in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Santorum made his comments Monday morning, at a campaign event in Somerset County in the western part of his home state, near where his grandfather worked in a coal mine after coming to America from Italy. Santorum said his grandfather came to Somerset County to escape fascist Italy, to "give his children, my dad, who seven years old when he came in 1930, the opportunity for freedom, to live your dreams, because he knew American believed in him, believed in people, gave people a shot, if they worked hard, they could succeed." A few hours earlier, in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America, Santorum said "we're ready to get into this race, and we're in it to win." The announcement kicks off a four-day campaign swing that will take Santorum to Iowa, the state which holds the first contest in the presidential primary and caucus calendar, and New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the race for the White House. And his appearance on "Good Morning America" is the first of nearly 20 interviews on television and radio, including appearances on Rush Limbaugh's and Glenn Beck's radio programs. The former Fox News contributor will also appear twice on that network during his campaign rollout. Santorum is arguably the most frequent flyer in the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Since 2009 he has made 14 trips to Iowa, 17 to New Hampshire and 15 to South Carolina, the state that holds the first southern primary. Late last year, Santorum started building up staff in these crucial early voting states. On May 3, he announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, filing papers with the Federal Election Commission. Two days later, he participated in the first GOP presidential debate, in Greenville, South Carolina. Santorum will appear next Monday at a CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader debate in the Granite State. But for all his travel and appearances, Santorum still has very low name recognition among most Americans, and according to just about every poll, he registers in the low single digits nationally among Republican voters when it comes to the choice for their party's next presidential nominee. But, due in part to his strong opposition to abortion rights and gay rights, Santorum remains popular with many socially conservative voters who have long had an influential role in the GOP primary process. Earlier this spring, Santorum made headlines by winning a much-watched straw poll at the Greenville County, South Carolina Republican convention. At the Faith and Freedom conference, a gathering of social conservatives, in Washington Saturday, Santorum touted his credentials saying "I had always been pro life, I had always been for traditional marriage, but I had always been like a lot of folks – a lot of folks who weren't here last year but are here this year who come and make the pledge, vow to social conservatives that they'll check the boxes, they'll be for the things social conservatives care about. Ladies and gentlemen I don't just take the pledge, I take the bullets." Santorum is also emphasizing his pro-Israel stance as well as his experience in the Senate when it comes to foreign policy, which could distinguish him from most of his rivals. And he is hyping his fiscal conservative credentials. In his interview on ABC, Santorum suggested that House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan's controversial budget is not strong enough, saying "not even Paul Ryan and his budget now has the temerity to go after Social Security," Santorum, who has seven children, was elected to the House in 1990, at age 32, and first elected to the Senate four years later. He lost his 2006 re-election bid by 18 points to Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and until last year was largely out of public view except for appearances on Fox News. - On Monday, June 13, CNN will host the first New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate, live from Manchester, NH at 8 p.m. ET. Follow all the issues and campaign news leading up to the debate on CNNPolitics.com and @cnnpolitics on Twitter.

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