Split (1)

train · 801k rows

text stringlengths 316 100k
Author's Note: hi everyone! I'm blown away by all the attention this has received in such a short amount of time. Thank you all for your support! Just a heads up, there's a verrrrrry long reply to the fantastic The Chronicle at the end of this chapter (we're talking around 1,000 words). You're welcome to skip it, of course, but if you want to see me get nerdy about Pride and Prejudice and talk about how I am making it work with Frozen, or just want to see some in depth character analysis of the past few chapters, you're in for a treat! 'Well, you've really gone and done it this time.' Anna groaned into her pillow. 'I do not need this right now, especially coming from you!' 'I'm not saying "I told you so", but I'm not not saying it.' '...Joaaaaaaaaan.' 'My dear sister, only you could agree to sleep with a man you'd only just met. If I didn't know you better, Anna, I'd think you had loose morals. No doubt that's what the rest of the town will think when this news spreads like fire.' 'I loved him,' Anna whispered. 'And then he just left me…' Joan softened. 'He is a very wicked man,' she said, rubbing Anna's shoulder. 'Many people will talk about how you are now no longer a virgin, yet still unmarried, but he did us good when he fled. A lifetime stuck with him is no life at all.' 'I don't think it would have been a lifetime,' Anna said miserably. 'Even if Kai had forced him to marry me, he'd leave the second he thought he could tempt a richer woman.' 'All the better that he did run like a coward, then. Oh, cheer up a little, Anna. It's not all bad. You're finally free of the respectable society you hated so much!' 'I wanted to shun respectable society, not have it shun me.' Anna sat up, and looked at Joan. 'How can you be so flippant about this? What man will want me now! My life is over before it ever really began!' 'The right man will want you. I personally have an inkling about Mr. Bjorgman.' Anna snorted, despite herself. 'Mr. Bjorgman and I would make quite a pair, I agree. Husband and wife both pining over other people!' 'You will have forgotten about Mr. Bösewicht-Kerl three months from now,' Joan told her. 'There are plenty more fish in the sea.' Joan glanced up at the sound of hooves. 'Speaking of which… is that a handsome man pulling up outside right now?' 'No. No it is not,' Anna said, as they watched a man who looked to be around two-and-sixty step out of the carriage. From his big round glasses to his comical moustache to his protruding ears, he was many things, but handsome was not one of them. Joan was silent. 'Who is he?' Anna asked. 'I regret to inform you, Miss Smith, that he is your second cousin, the clergyman Mr. Weaselton,' Kai murmured beside her. Anna never seemed to hear Kai approach. 'What's he doing here?' 'He wishes to discuss your inheritance. His letter arrived yesterday, whilst you were…' Anna had run back and told Kai everything that had happened between her and Hans, and Kai had responded perfectly. No words, just a big, warm, respectable-society-be-damned hug, and he held her until the tears stopped, because no one else could. '...Whilst I was out,' Anna finished, heat rising to her cheeks. 'Did he not ask if he could visit first?' 'Yes. But it appears he simply could not wait.' Kai sighed. 'I'm sure he's a charming gentleman...' They watched Anna's cousin wave his walking stick at a servant for offering to lift his belongings out of the carriage. 'Or perhaps not.' 'Hello, Mr. Weaselton,' Anna said, in her politest manner. The man paused, coat half off his body, and raised an eyebrow at her. His features contorted into something that could be described as a smile, if the individual giving the description was an optimist with poor eyesight. '...Sir?' Mr. Weaselton twitched. 'It's Weselton,' he snapped. 'Why can no one say my name correctly!' He tore off his coat and threw it at the maid, who yelped and ran to hang it up. Behind her cousin, Kai's shoulders were shaking, and Anna just knew it was with laughter. Thanks a lot, Kai. 'Mr. Weselton,' Anna said, even throwing in a curtsy for good measure, 'my deepest apologies. It is so good to finally meet you!' Mr. Weselton was mollified. He gave Anna a small bow. 'A shame that it has not occurred due to better circumstances, my dear. Had your parents invited me, I could have seen your beautiful face many times before.' Ew. So now that Mother and Father are gone, you believe you can just waltz in here without permission? Conceal the resentment, conceal the resentment… 'Shall we sit down?' Anna asked through gritted teeth. 'Kai can make us some tea.' It became apparent that the inheritance talk was going to come later. What Mr. Weselton seemingly wanted to discuss was how much Anna really needed to tie the knot. Well, I thought I was happily engaged yesterday… He got right to the point, in a long-winded, rambling way. There was no exchange of niceties, and Anna had barely got a word in before he'd launched into a long speech about his parish and how marriage brought one closer to God, because in matrimony there were actually three, not two… Anna had read a couple of stories in which two women and a man (or two men and a woman, but that was rarer) all loved and slept together as three, but it didn't seem appropriate to bring that up, so she just nodded in the right places. 'You are fond of Church weddings, I take it?' he asked. 'I'm not really religious anymore,' Anna admitted. Mr. Weselton nearly dropped the teacup in his lap. 'Whatever for? Such blasphemy!' She looked him straight in the eye. 'My parents are dead, Mr. Weselton.' Mr. Weselton nodded, stroking his mustache. 'Yes, I see. It is very common- I dare say normal- for faith to waver after such loss. I see it all the time in my parish. But God will find you again, Miss Smith, do not be afraid.' Anna was silent. Not that that phased her cousin, for he just continued to list the many benefits of marriage... Anna felt her eyes droop. How much time had passed before Kai came over and collected her empty teacup, Anna did not know. She only knew that there was a strong chance she had died yesterday, and was now in purgatory. Kai gave Anna a Look. It said: I have hidden the parasol where you will never find it, because though I completely understand your urge to bash his brains out and just take your rightful inheritance without the fanfare, you will lose all your money in prison, and it will not be worth it. Additionally, following your incarceration, Mr. Weaselton may very well move into Arendelle, and it wouldn't surprise me if he came across your book collection and either set them aflame, or himself became aflame. Yes, I know you read those. I would tell you not to be embarrassed about it, but they are an abomination. Afterwards, once we pretend this eye conversation never happened, you may find a few more… well written ones under the crack in the floorboards. It's not the content I disapprove of, but the execution. Write well, or don't write at all! How do I know about them? You left the floorboard ajar one evening and the maid nearly twisted an ankle, so don't blame her. Also, the Cook also knows. We all find this hilarious. 'Stop staring at Miss Smith like a gormless idiot!' Mr. Weaselton- sorry, Weselton- roared. 'I could have you fired for such incompetence!' 'Don't talk to Kai like that! He's my friend!' Mr Weselton stared at her. Kai slunk off, smiling. Mr Weselton kept staring. Why does everyone keep looking at me like I'm an idiot? 'You cannot possibly go through life believing everyone is your friend,' Mr, Weselton declared. 'That is a foolish, naive position. There will always be ungodly men and women acting for evil, and to be ignorant of this is to invite pain and hurt.' He paused. 'I suppose this lesson has come too late to be of use. No sooner had I set foot in this town than I heard the most dreadful stories about you.' Kai is my friend, Anna thought bitterly, but she couldn't deny the wisdom in her cousin's words. 'What if someone appears to offer the hand of friendship?' Anna asked, 'what if they deceive you? How can one see through such a disguise?' Mr. Weselton did not reply straight away. Then he said carefully, 'The snakes are forever offering many delicious apples, Miss Smith. Whether it be what you desire, or what you do not even know you want, they will offer it to lure you in.' He fixed his beady eyes on her. 'Someone who is pure of heart will not offer such things, because friendship and love are not business transactions.' 'But if my friend was sad, or- or even a lady I did not know whom I saw in town- I would offer comfort and support. Does that make me a snake?' 'No, because you expect nothing in return, beyond a word of thanks, and perhaps that they do the same to you if you find yourself in the same situation. For better or for worse, you are selfless. 'Many snakes will play the long game, Miss Smith, only revealing their true selves and hidden goals when they have coiled themselves tight around your body, or because they realise you are not the prey they desire, and have no reason to keep up the act. That is why first impressions are so dangerous. You often can only tell a good soul from a snake after you really get to know the person.' Anna thought of Hans, and sighed. 'Let us move on to cheerier topics,' Mr. Weselton said, putting down his cup of tea. 'Largely, my proposal.' He said it so casually that Anna didn't react at first. By the time she did, Mr. Weselton was in full-on speech mode again, and she feared it was too late to stop him. '...I decided in that split second of waiting for your servant to open the door, that I must do this out of respect for your parents. You are a fallen woman, Miss Smith, but I offer you a life-line: in return for your hand in marriage, I will give you your full inheritance the day we become one in the eyes of the Lord.' Anna was frozen. 'How do I know you're not a snake?' He laughed. 'I'm family, of course. Now, do you accept the terms of the agreement?' 'You just said that love wasn't a business transaction!' she cried. 'Foolish girl,' Mr. Weselton spat, 'Only the fortunate can afford to marry for love! Your luck ran dry when you gave yourself up to a man you had not even know a week, let alone married. You cannot afford to decline my offer!' 'I cannot marry you!' Anna said. 'I will be miserable if I do not marry for love.' Her cousin sat up straighter. 'Listen very carefully. Your parents would have been shocked and appalled at your conduct, and would no doubt have thrown you out onto the street-' 'They would have done no such thing,' Anna hissed, but her chest was tight with shame and guilt. 'I am giving you the opportunity to save the family name from disgrace. Manners aside, I find you an enticing young woman, and I feel that once you become more mature, you will be a pleasure to be with. Surely you can see that this is your best option?' Anna stared at him, trembling. A life with Mr. Weselton? She would rather starve. 'I must reject your proposal, kind Sir,' she said stiffly. 'I hope you are not too offended by this.' His eyes flashed. 'Perhaps I have not made myself clear. Either you marry me, and get your inheritance, or you get nothing at all!' 'I will return in six months,' he said, after Anna made no reply. 'Women often say "no" when they mean "yes".' The door slammed shut. Anna buried her head in her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder. 'Your parents had nothing but unconditional love for you, Anna,' Kai said. 'Do not listen to that weasel.' Anna sniffed. 'I made some enquiries whilst you were sleeping this morning. Take this. We can discuss it at lunch, if you wish, or at dinner, if you feel you need more time.' Anna lifted her head up, and stared at the leaflet. 'Smiling Oaken's Finest Hotel And Gardens,' she read. 'All of this will blow over in 6 months or so. I think it might do you good to get away from this place.' 6 months… a chance to clear her head, and decide how she was going to survive without her full inheritance. 'Okay.' 'You could make a friend,' Kai said, so earnest it made Anna's heart ache. 'When was the last time you had a friend?' 'You're my friend, Kai,' she said weakly. 'You need a friend your own age… it would bring the smile back to your face, I am sure. Oaken's is a very small hotel, so there will be two other guests there at most. Who knows who you might meet?' Author's Note: Hi, The Chronicle! I hope this is going to clear a few things up for you. I'll work through your concerns in a kind of linear order- some elements make more sense if I address them later on. Firstly, in this fic Anna and Elsa are not sisters. That's not down to any disgust or prejudice on my part, as I have enjoyed many stories where the two are related, but it's how this story came to me. Were they sisters, the series of events would be completely different to how I have planned. I wouldn't class this fic as an 'adaption' as such, or a 'retelling'. To Austen purists, I suppose what I am doing is best described as 'butchering' Pride and Prejudice. I'll go into more depth about which Austen character inspired which Frozen character throughout this reply, but I just want to make it clear that this is not going to follow the classic narrative in any full, linear sense. There will be elements you may recognise, like Anna's parents discussing Hans in the first chapter as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet do with Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Weselton proposing to Anna as Mr. Collins does to Lizzy, but that is as far as it will go. Hopefully this makes you more curious and excited then disappointed! Secondly, my choice of Pride and Prejudice over other of Jane Austen's works comes largely down to confidence. I have not read Sense and Sensibility, so I cannot say much about your comment, only that it sounds like a very interesting novel. I have read Emma, however, and I absolutely adored it. So much so that I would be loathe to change any aspect of it, and I fear that that would result in a very poor imitation. I am nowhere near the skill level of Jane Austen, so twisting Pride and Prejudice hopefully gives me a chance to shine in my own way. I studied Pride and Prejudice in English Literature, and so am quite confident that I know the characters and plot enough to twist the rules of its universe. If this fic really takes off, who knows, I might attempt to do the same for another Austen novel, but let's see. As for the pacing, I am partly torn as well. I will, however, say two things: the pacing slows down a looooot in the next few chapters, so much so that you might be complaining about it being too slow ;) additionally, Hans Being A Dick™ is the inciting incident that causes us to learn more about Kristoff, and meet Elsa. I could have kind of info-dumped it in, but I reckon it's worth the wait. We're working from Anna's limited perspective, and as such are at her mercy as to when we learn new information, and how in-depth that information is. Now, the extremely fast pace of these chapters is the result of my (internal) conflict between Frozen and Pride and Prejudice, or Hans VS Wickham. In Frozen, Hans mirrors Anna's impulsive, almost reckless behavior, in order to entice her. He proposes after they've only spoken for an evening. I believe that Hans, as his true self, plans things with great care. He isn't always so hasty and careless. You mention that Hans in this fic is already being villainous and 'having his way with Anna and abandoning her.' I did this for two reasons. The abandonment is largely down to the elements of Wickham in his character- Wickham lost interest in Lizzy when he realised her small fortune. Hans has no reason to play Mr. Nice Guy anymore- he has to find some other richer woman to pay his debts for him. As Mr. Weselton wisely says, (how can a man be both so wise and so stupid?) a snake will only drop the act when the time comes to either make the kill, or abandon the prey. Secondly, the premarital sex may seem a bit shocking and unrealistic, but at the end of P&P Wickham elopes with Lydia and they sleep together. He must be forced to marry her. Hans has scarpered before he can be made to do the same, and a good thing too. How miserable Anna would have been! Now's a good time to discuss who Anna 'is', as such. I see a few parallels between her and Lizzy, namely that they are both kind and passionate. At this stage, however, I very much agree with you about Lydia. Now, no one really wants to be Lydia (sorry Lydia), so what you will slowly start to see (I hope) is Anna's progression from Lydia to Lizzy, as she grows and matures. Anna will not be Lizzy, though. You may see veins of Lizzy in her, like marble through a rock, but she is very much Anna at heart. I hope that isn't too confusing. My final comment on Hans is that, whilst we as readers know that Hans is a really terrible guy, unless Anna spreads the word far and wide other characters are at his deceptive mercy. What does that mean? Well, let's just say that abandoning Anna was not his only act of villainy... All I will say about the Joan thing is that it made me laugh, in a 'mwah-ha-ha my plan is working perfectly!' evil writer way. The questions you asked and the feelings you've shown are exactly the ones I wanted to provoke. By the way, you have a brilliant eye for detail, so trust your gut on Joan. All will be made clear. Just as Hans has stolen some elements from Mr. Bingley (okay, just Netherfield), so has Kristoff. The woman at the ball was indeed Kristoff's sister, and she is an allusion to Caroline Bingley. We both know what that means (i.e. big trouble). No wonder Anna doesn't like her... Elsa… Elsa is gonna annoy you for quite a while I think. Where Hans vomits up his life story if merely you look him in the eye, she is gonna take time, but that's all part of the fun. I like to think she's going to be woven in nicely, despite being one of the few characters not inspired by an Austen character. I hope that didn't come across as defensive, I was going for explanatory! Please feel free to ask any further questions you have, The Chronicle. Maybe we can even get a discussion going, though I feel your knowledge of Austen definitely trumps mine. Finally, your review really brightened my day, so thank you so much for being so in-depth!
Peter Yang Common & Mahalia Hines A Hip Hop Artist and His Mother, An Educator https://www.wired.com/2015/10/serena-williams-guest-editor-race-gender-equality/#common-mahalia-hines copied Common is a Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist and activist. My mother has been a true example of the diligence, commitment, and passion it takes to drive kids to excellence. That will be her legacy—bringing that to Chicago. At home, education was something that was celebrated, something that was valuable. All of my friends knew that if I didnt do well, then I wouldnt be able to hang out. She had me in a computer class at the Museum of Science and Industry, and I would have to read books that she gave me to read—all in addition to school. Whether you know it or not at the time, all of that is feeding you: Its giving you not only a foundation of education but also discipline. We established the Common Ground Foundation in 1998 to help better equip kids when theres no support system. I was inspired by seeing what shes done as an educator, going beyond just teaching kids to truly caring for the community. I had a great support system and family at home, and I always felt like I saw people who didnt have that, and I wanted them to have it. That was the seed. Dr. Hines is Commons mother and a member of the Chicago Board of Education. Mine was the first generation in my family to go to college, and education was always first and foremost in my life. Common always did extremely well, but I also treated my students as my own. I had the same expectations for them that I had for my own. I gave the best of me and expected the very best of them back. I taught for 12 years in Chicago public schools, and I was a principal for 17, mostly at John Hope in Englewood. Its always been a tough neighborhood. Many of the opportunities that are afforded to different parts of Chicago are not afforded to those kids. I felt that if the children at John Hope were given the same opportunity that other children were given—and if they knew that you loved them—then they would thrive. Things are getting better. Im excited that we have people who went to our schools now running our schools. In addition, math and science are big priorities—we have the most comprehensive K-12 computer science program of any major school district in the nation. To bridge the divide between the haves and have-nots, we need technology.—As told to Peter Rubin
I have submitted this to ABC Fact Checkers. Yesterday on the ABC Drum John Hewson said 97% of Climate scientists are in agreement. We continuously hear politicians, journalists and activists refer to this 97% consensus among variously either scientists or climate scientists. In the telling it changes from the consensus being that they agree that humans are causing global warming or climate change, or that they are causing dangerous climate change, or that they agree we need to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. Now of course it can't be all of those things and I think it is about time someone set the record straight. Even President Obama is said to have tweeted “Ninety-seven percent of scientists agree: #climate change is real, man-made and dangerous.” He tweeted that after the publication of this paper: Cook, J., Nuccitelli, D., Green, S. A., Richardson, M., Winkler, B., Painting, R., et al. (2013). ‘Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scienti?c literature.’ Environmental Research Letters, 8, 024024. However this appears to have been totally refuted with the following peer-reviewed paper by reputable people published in a reputable peer reviewed journal: The 97.1 % consensus claimed by Cook et al. (2013) turns out upon inspection to be not 97.1 % but 0.3 %. Their claim of 97.1 % consensus, therefore, is arguably one of the greatest items of misinformation that has been circulated on either side of the climate debate. Here is an abbreviated version of the press release summarising the above paper. Reader James on a deceptive meme that's repeated by warmists with little seeming interest in the truth:The truth about the "97 per cent" claimed by Cook:Any time you here someone babble on about "97 per cent of climate scientists" you should conclude the speaker has no idea what they are talking about.
Hullabaloo Saturday, October 23, 2010 Don't Be Evil? by digby Is Eric Schmidt CEO of Google being evil? You be the judge: PARKER: One last question, what government spending would you cut? SCHMIDT: I have always felt that since one half of the world's defense spending is in America, we could do just fine with a little bit less there. The real -- that's a comment. Yay! Not evil. Oh wait ... here it comes: The real issues around costs are all in the entitlements and the fact of the matter is we have had an economic change that people are now living much longer and that the entitlements are unaffordable. So, the only solution to think of is delay the onset, increase the number of years people have to work, delay the onset of the entitlement programs and address health care costs. The president's proposal does, in fact, that was passed, does have a health care cost containment part. Could have gone further. Of course, increases retirement age and so forth are needed no matter what. And by the way, every country in the western world is facing this and by the way China will, as well. Uhm. No. Health care costs are a problem. Social Security is fine. But we are not living in a world where facts are important. We are living in a world where billionaires love to lecture average folks about how they have to sacrifice for the good of the country while they piss and moan about having to pay another percentage point in taxes on their millions and threaten to blow the world up if anyone even asks them too. Evil. You can't expect important billionaires to care about such triviality, but here are the facts about the retirement age (which, compared to the rest of the industrialized world is already much higher for full benefits.) One way to cut benefits in Social Security is to the raise the retirement age. Adjustments to Social Security's "Retirement Age" sound to non-experts like a work incentive or an appropriate adjustment for much longer, healthier lives, when it is simply an across-the board benefit cut, albeit disguised, which falls heaviest on those who are in physically demanding jobs or who find themselves laid off and unable to find new employment. Also, because of age discrimination in the workplace, older workers are often forced out of the workforce and can’t find work even if they do not want to retire. 1) Raising the retirement age will place a greater burden on older workers in physically demanding occupations, like nurses, auto workers and teachers, who may not be able to continue to work in their jobs into their mid-to-late 60s. 2) Males in the top half of the earnings distribution who retired at 65 in 2006 could expect to live 21.5 more years, an increase of 5.0 years compared to their counterparts in 1982. Meanwhile, a male in the bottom half of the earnings distribution who retired in 2006 would have a life expectancy of 16.1 years, just 1.1 year more than his counterpart in 1982. For women, overall life expectancy has stagnated, with lower-income women seeing declines in life expectancy, and upper-income and more educated women seeing modest improvements. 3) Numerous studies have documented that increases in life expectancy in retirement have been skewed in favor of those with higher incomes and more education. 4) Indexing the normal retirement age to life expectancy in retirement is inappropriate because it not only means work years would continue to increase while retirement years were fixed, but it also assumes workers are healthy enough to continue working well into old age, punishing those who are not. 5) With a fertility rate close to the replacement rate, any positive net immigration will contribute to labor force growth, which can in turn offset increases in life expectancy and stabilize the beneficiary-to-worker ratio. Thus, though the beneficiary-to-worker ratio is expected to rise with the Baby Boomer retirement, it will level off after 2035 despite projected increases in life expectancy at retirement. 6) Workers currently qualify for full Social Security retirement benefits at the age of 66. If they retire early, their benefits are reduced by a fraction of a percent for each month before the full retirement age -- which currently means a 25% reduction in benefits for a worker who retires at 62. 7) There has been a 17% increase in age discrimination cases since 2007, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), suggesting struggles for older Americans in securing and maintaining good jobs. 8) Often older workers can’t work longer. An analysis of the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data revealed that during April 2010, the job market for Americans 55 and older had never been worse. 9) The decrease in the relative value of benefits is not due to a too-low retirement age or baby boomers retiring, but was caused by other factors, including rising inequality, reduced personal savings and health care costs, and could be addressed by eliminating the cap on taxable income. 10) Additionally, many mid-life individuals are “structurally unemployed” meaning that demand for their now increasingly obsolete skills will not suddenly increase in demand after the recession ends. Many of them are underwater on mortgages and faced with family caregiving responsibilities for aging parents, young children or adult children who cannot find work. You can also read this post to learn why the people who designed social security in the 1930s weren't primitive morons living in caves and built greater life expectancy into the system. . digby 10/23/2010 04:30:00 PM
Wael Ghonim, Egypt’s face of the revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, announced over the weekend that he was leaving Google in order to form an NGO to fight poverty and foster education in the country. On Saturday, he wrote on his Twitter page that he would take a “long-term sabbatical” to form “a technology-focused NGO to help fight poverty & foster education” in Egypt. His move comes as TIME magazine listed him as one of the most influential people in the world after his role in the Egyptian revolution on February 11. Although Ghonim helped establish a Facebook page that assisted in the initial mobilization of the masses to the streets on January 25, he was not a direct player in the protest movement, but his 12 days of imprisonment during the revolution helped re-ignite what had become stalled action against the government. Most western media outlets have given him credit as the “mastermind” behind the revolution. Israah Abdel Fataah, an activist and leading protester during the movement, told the Wall Street Journal that she was surprised by his move. “I wouldn’t imagine that he would leave this career for a small NGO in Egypt. It’s Google, it’s not like any Egyptian company,” said Abdel Fataah. “So it’s hard to believe, but if he wants to do this for Egypt, it’s great.” Mr. Ghonim has, for the most part, avoided media appearances since his release in early February, preferring instead of post his opinions and whereabouts on Facebook and Twitter. He has not responded to requests for an interview and remains largely out of the public’s eye. By Desmond Shephard Comments comments « Tunisia in top 50 ICT countries Uganda IT to focus on infrastructure »
Bluetooth vs WiFi Comparison For the IoT Soultions Jan 29, 2019 \| 5 min read IoT BLE WiFI Mikołaj Skawiński IoT grew tremendously in previous years and as of now, it’s one of the top trend in the technology world. Even more than that, it’s still growing by the day and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. With the need for the new IoT solutions come questions about wireless communication. Read more Implementing Extension-Free Screen Sharing App with React and Twilio Jan 23, 2019 \| 5 min read Twilio WebRTC React Frontend Kamil Socha The current state of real-time communication and screen sharing Over the past few years, real-time communication via the internet has grown in popularity. Text chats and video conversations are important parts of modern web applications. One of the most interesting and useful features that can help with presentations, team meetings or other similar use cases is screen sharing. Read more Handling Cross-Platform Frameworks in Native Applications Jan 23, 2019 \| 6 min read Android Kotlin ndk Cross-Platform Marcin Oziemski In this article, I will cover how we connected to our Android project, shared (between iOS and Android) library written in C++. If you don't know anything about Android NDK (native development kit) or C++, you can still learn from this article the overall method. That could help your team write logic once and share it. So let’s begin from the library file structure. In the image below we can see that we have three subfolders in our library. Read more Gatsby.js – a Better Way to Create Static Websites Jan 22, 2019 \| 8 min read Gatsby.js JavaScript Adam Romański If you're in the front-end business for a couple of years now, you probably remember what was it like to create websites using plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (with a pinch of jQuery I assume). If you do, you also remember the pains of being front-end developer – handling the complexity of web typography, struggling with image optimization, preparing proper image sizes for various screen resolutions on your own. Imagine how much time did you waste on tasks. Read more Entrance to the World of ARKit Jan 14, 2019 \| 7 min read Swift iOS ARKit ARWorld Michał Warchał ARKit is a pretty fresh API that was released by Apple in June 2017. It has opened a wide range of possibilities for developers to create iOS applications with a completely new approach. For people that are not very familiar with that technology, it may seem a little bit overwhelming to dive into augmented reality world and start developing all of the new features that are available right now. Fortunately, things are not that bad at all and in this short blogpost I will try to present it to you. Read more Python Basics: List Comprehensions, Dictionary Comprehensions and Generator Expressions Jan 14, 2019 \| 11 min read Python Daniel Tomaszuk One of the major advantages of Python over other programming languages is its concise, readable code. Even within the Python language itself, though, there are ways to write code that is more elegant and achieves the same end result more efficiently. List comprehensions, dictionary comprehensions, and generator expressions are three powerful examples of such elegant expressions. In this post, we will take a look at for-loops, list comprehensions, dictionary comprehensions, and generator expressions to demonstrate how each of them can save you time and make development easier. Read more
× Target says sales are down; stores to add single-stall bathrooms MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Target says sales are down and it is lowering expectations for investors. The Minneapolis-based discounter’s second-quarter net income fell nearly 10 percent, though that was better than what most had expected. Customer traffic fell for the first time in a year and a half. The company did not point out one particular issue, but critics wonder if it has to do with the company’s transgender bathroom stance. In April, the company said customers could choose which bathroom they used depending on the gender with which they identify. Chief financial officer Cathy Smith said the backlash hasn’t had a “material” impact on sales, but some customers are still upset. “We are listening to our guests,” she said. Target is investing $20 million in building single-stall bathrooms in stores. The company is planning to spend $20 million to build single-stall bathrooms. Target says 1,400 of its 1,800 stores already have such an option and the rest will by early 2017. Boycott leaders, who have collected 1.4 million signatures online, have claimed their efforts to pressure Target is taking a bite out of sales. “We’re confident that our boycott has played a significant role in Target’s financial results that came out today,” said Walker Wildmon, assistant to the president of the American Family Association, which says it promotes traditional moral values. Wildmon says Target’s policy poses a risk to children and women using women’s rooms, a charge denied by LGBT advocates. Boycott leaders had urged Target to install the private restrooms at all locations, but they advocated that the store’s policy be changed so that transgender customers and employees no longer be allowed into the bathroom and dressing rooms of their choice. “This doesn’t completely answer our concerns,” said Wildmon. In July, a transgender woman was accused of videotaping an 18-year-old in a Target fitting room admitted to detectives that she had made videos in the past of women undressing. To boost sales and traffic, Target plans to increase marketing for its essentials and work with key vendors like Apple to push more innovation and to also improve presentations. Apple product sales were down 20 percent and the electronics department was a “significant drag,” Chief Executive Brian Cornell said.
As someone who each week watches about a dozen NBA games for a living, I have my fair share of pet peeves. Like many fans, I lose my patience with the glitchy League Pass whenever I’m forced to stream a game on my laptop. By the ends of close games, I’ve often lost interest during the 15-minute span it takes to play the final two minutes. I have a special place reserved, though, for players who fail to get back on defense. In particular, nothing drives me up the wall like seeing a complaint from a player about a no-call lead to a 5-on-4 advantage on the other end of the floor and a basket by the opposing club. Now, instead of losing out on just 2 points from the no-call, a 4- or 5-point swing has taken place in mere seconds. With that in mind, I wanted to find a fun way to estimate which players most frequently take the longest to get back on defense, because of complaints or other reasons. Even with all the fancy new player-tracking systems, there’s no “lagging” stat. So we tried to approximate it. Brittni Donaldson, a data analyst from SportVU, the NBA’s camera-based tracking system, sent me how many times each player had trailed the ball across the half-court line this season (as of March 21) after a failed offensive possession. But a player might be slow across the line for lots of reasons, some more legitimate than arguing with the refs — battling under the boards, for example. So to get a better sense of who’s taking their sweet time instead of getting back on D, we baked another layer of data into our analysis, looking at how many times each player took more than 3 seconds to reach half court once the ball had already crossed that point. From there, we divided the second number by the first one to find how often a player was lagging way behind. And voila — that’s what we’re calling “Lag Rate.” Players who rank highly don’t always trail the ball across half court — but when they do, they’re behind it by seconds and seconds. One huge caveat here: No power forwards or centers rank highly in this metric because they’re generally bigger and slower than other players. They also camp near the rim for offensive boards — something that makes it more difficult for them to get back on D as quickly. So, in effect, we’re seeing a list of the wing players who lag behind most often. With that said, here are the leaders in “Lag Rate”: NUMBER OF TIMES PLAYER CROSSED HALF COURT BEHIND BALL … PLAYER TEAM TOTAL 3+ SECONDS LATER LAG RATE Draymond Green GS 90 18 20% Russell Westbrook OKC 213 41 19 LeBron James CLE 129 24 19 John Wall WAS 124 23 19 James Harden HOU 119 19 16 Trevor Ariza HOU 110 17 15 DeMar DeRozan TOR 101 15 15 Kyle Lowry TOR 114 16 14 Kyrie Irving CLE 123 17 14 Bradley Beal WAS 134 18 13 Which NBA players lag behind on defense? Only players who lagged more than 3 seconds behind the ball at half court at least 15 times included. Through March 21. Source: SportVU Of course, it’s one thing to lag and another to complain. You’ll notice, for example, that the list is filled with stars, who can be forgiven for not running quite as hard on defense sometimes since they’re doing so much on offense for their clubs each night. So I dove into the film, watching hundreds of these lag instances. I found that someone like Houston’s Trevor Ariza, a player whose role is to spot up for corner 3s, owes his Lag Rate to his positioning on the court. Look where he is at the end of this Rockets possession, for example, in the top-left portion of the screen. But the top five, I discovered, aren’t really victims of positioning — they’re victims of their own play styles. Play styles that, yes, sometimes include complaints. Draymond Green: Some of Green’s delays in getting back down the court appear to happen because he’s disappointed with himself after an overly fancy pass he’s made is intercepted. But the Warriors’ fiery fifth-year forward makes his fair share of complaints and often stays behind to air them. No one can dispute Green’s value, given his superb passing ability and his immense defensive skill, which makes him a deserving candidate for defensive player of the year. But he’s prone to joining plays late when he feels he’s been bumped off course while en route to the basket. (He sometimes argues when he feels teammates are fouled, too.) There are times when Green’s lateness burns Golden State. But based on the film I watched, the Warriors’ defense — one of the league’s best — was able to hold off opponents until Green made it back down the court more often than not. Russell Westbrook: Through March 21, Westbrook had 41 instances of lags of more than 3 seconds, 17 more than LeBron James, the next-closest wing player. Studying video of each example, I found a wide variety of reasons why he took so long to get back on defense. Every now and then, Westbrook seems to fall this far behind as a way to catch a quick breather — understandable given how much he’s asked to do for OKC’s offense. Other times, the hyper-athletic Westbrook takes an ugly spill or appears to get hit in the face, sending him into a momentary daze. But, yes, he absolutely complains, and occasionally does it by continuing to sit on the floor long after he’s fallen to the ground. LeBron James: The King’s inclusion on this list is not a surprise. But it was surprising to see why he made the list. Yes, James complains plenty about no-calls. But the primary reason that James is in this group is simple: After missed shots and turnovers, he often cherrypicks when it looks like the opposing team may speed the ball down the court for a quick shot. That makes for awkward instances when Cleveland’s opponents pull the ball back out to actually run their offense, as it forces him to try to rejoin the action up to 10 seconds after the fact. Cleveland’s struggles on defense have been a head-scratcher to many. James’s choice to often stay on one end of the floor is likely part of the reason why the Cavs ranked last in transition defense during the regular season. John Wall: Wall — every bit as explosive as Westbrook, if not more — encounters many of the same issues as the Oklahoma City star. When Wall is bumped in the air while moving at a high speed, he goes flying. As such, his delays in getting back are seemingly split: About half the time, the Wizards guard appears to genuinely fall down; the other half, he is beside himself over a no-call. One thing that sets Wall apart from many of the others on this list: He’s fast enough to be completely out of a play and then recover in time to force a turnover. James Harden: Harden is the player whose lag seems most often to be the result of complaining. Unlike Wall and Westbrook, who race around the court, Harden is more deliberate and generally doesn’t fall over when bumped. His displeasure with the calls is generally what’s slowing him down. Harden, the slowest-moving defensive wing in the NBA, sometimes argues for too long, putting the Rockets in a tough spot when he does. Houston’s been fantastic when it can set its defense; the club ranked seventh in efficiency on that end after a make, according to Inpredictable, which specializes in win probabilities and advanced stats. But the club falls to 24th after it misses a shot and has less opportunity to align itself properly. While the playoffs figure to stop players from lagging behind, don’t expect the shot at a title to quiet the arguments. Over the weekend, ESPN commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were taken aback by all the complaining. “I understand why referees just put their hands up at a certain point and say, ‘Just stop,’” Van Gundy said during Game 1 of the Pacers-Cavs series. “Because on every call or non-call, everybody is complaining.” “To me, it’s at an all-time high,” Jackson responded.
If you were looking forward to seeing Drew, the Nancy Drew-inspired crime drama, on CBS in the fall, then I am sorry to tell you that Drew has not been picked up. While lots of pilots are passed over by the networks every single pilot season for any number of reasons, Drew was not picked up because it was "too female," according to Deadline. Let that sink in for a moment. The series will not be on air next season, not because there were problems with the script or because audiences didn't like it — Deadline noted it "tested well" — but because it was just too girly for a major network. Update: On Wednesday, May 18, CBS President Glenn Geller responded to the report that its femininity was the reason the Nancy Drew pilot wasn't picked up with a firm, "Well that’s just not true. We have a number of pilots to choose from, and we chose the best pilot." Earlier: The reaction to CBS deciding Drew was too female for the network has been swift and furious in the world of Twitter, as it should be. Having not been given the chance to see Drew, no one can speak to its quality, but it is not quality that needs to be discussed right now — it is the politics of network television. First, let's look at some numbers: women make up 51 percent of the population in America, and according to a 2014 report by Ad Week, "women control or influence 73 percent of all household purchases" — meaning that they have some serious power. Even more, in 2015, USA Today reported that roughly 54 percent of network TV viewers were women. Yet despite the fact that women are the ones watching network TV and controlling the money, a show can apparently be deemed "too female" to succeed on network TV. This is so disappointing, especially considering what Drew could've been. Loosely based on the best selling book series Nancy Drew, which has sold roughly 80 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1930, Drew was set to star Sarah Shahi as the adult version of the titular hero. The new Nancy was going to work for the NYPD solving cases and navigating modern life. The premise may not have been groundbreaking for network TV — it was a procedural that fits right in with the many CSI-esque crime dramas out there— but the fact that Drew would've had a female lead at its center would've made all the difference. But instead of giving Drew a chance and providing a rare female-centric show, CBS didn't pick it up. It did manage, however, to find room on its schedule for a Training Day reboot, a MacGyver reboot, a show about a young Dr. Phil, and three male-centric sitcoms, so I guess being "too male" is not a thing. It should be noted that CBS also shipped Supergirl over to The CW and cancelled the Patricia Arquette-led CSI: Cyber. Add that to the fact that The Good Wife was also cancelled in the 2015-2016 season, leaving Madam Secretary, Mom, and 2 Broke Girls as the only returning CBS shows that focus on female leads, this is hugely frustrating. The fear of being "too female" is not exclusive to CBS, though.The past few months have not been kind to women on traditional network TV. While women-centric stories are flourishing on streaming services like Netflix and cable networks like Starz, network TV has fired Stana Katic from ABC's now-cancelled Castle, killed off the female lead of Fox's Sleepy Hollow, and dumped ABC's Agent Carter. If female leads and women-led shows with passionate fanbases are being disregarded by network TV, then the message begins to feel like women should take their "too female" tastes somewhere they might matter — or just not expect TV to represent them whatsoever. Even more, calling a show "too female" is that it suggests men will not watch a show about women, that it's too much of a stretch to ask them to relate to a female character. Meanwhile, as said, there is no such thing as a show that is "too male." Women are simply expected to watch a show based on the radical idea of whether or not it is good. As long as network executives have so little faith in their male viewers, or that their female viewers matter, then most of those shows that air on network TV will continue to feature men — likely those who are white and straight — in the leading role. If only the networks would take a look at Twitter's reaction to Drew being dubbed "too female" for a pickup, or the amazing, diverse shows their competitors are producing, like Orange Is the New Black, Grace and Frankie, Broad City, Outlander, Pretty Little Liars, and Jessica Jones, then perhaps they would see women and men watch shows based on what is good or fun, not on the gender of the lead. At least something positive has come out of CBS' mistake: people are talking about the harmful politics of network TV, and Drew is currently being shopped to other networks. Hopefully, this show will find a home where TV is allowed to be as female as it wants to be and everyone is welcome to watch.
The Spelling Bee When Snap Judgment producer Davey Kim was in eighth grade, he went to the regional level spelling bee with his best friend...and took REVENGE. GLYNN WASHINGTON, HOST: Welcome back to SNAP JUDGMENT the "All in your Head" episode. Now there's this thing that some people do more than others, it's called, is it me? Go to a place and everyone's acting a little bit off. There's a clown balancing three infants on spinning plates and no one says a word about it. And you're like, is it me or has this place got an odd child care policy. SNAP JUDGMENT's Davey Kim wonders if it's him all the time. DAVEY KIM, BYLINE: It's eighth grade and I arrive at school. I've been dreading this day all year long 'cause today's the day that each class has its spelling bee. My best friend, John, shares my pain because - well, let me put it this way, I'm not trying to say that we're cool or anything, but we're both part of the skinny jean skaters crew. John and I even just started a screamo emo band called A Dream Deferred. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) KIM: Yep, that's us. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) KIM: But secretly, we're also really good spellers. And it's not cool to be a good speller, but you know what? We can't resist a good competition, so we're going to do this. John heads to his class and I go to mine. We have our spelling bee and guess what? We come out on top. And we're going to regionals. After school, we're high-fiving each other and it just so happened that we were the only Asian kids in our grade, so we joked between ourselves that our Asian power helped us win. A few weeks later, John and I carpooled to the regional level spelling bee. And we're pretty confident that this year, one of us is going to take home the first place trophy. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) KIM: We scope out the competition. In front of us there are four older judges, they look grave and serious. I notice that John and I are the only Asian kids here, again, which doesn't really matter, whatever. JUDGE: Welcome everyone. KIM: The spelling bee begins. (SOUNDBITE OF SPELLING BEE) KIM: And students are getting eliminated left and right until there's only a handful of us left. Some of the kids who got cut are waiting in the back with their parents crying. The judges look at the word sheet and then they look at each other. Then they take a look at John and start chuckling to themselves. One of the judges then says... JUDGE: Don't worry son, you'll get this word. KIM: The entire room is confused, especially John. JUDGE: Oriental. Your word is oriental. KIM: The judges start laughing to themselves some more and soon the rest of the room starts snickering. JUDGE: What are the odds? KIM: But I'm not. You know what? I get it. How can this Asian kid mess up the word oriental? But still, this is embarrassing for John. John's about to start spelling. He's nervous from all the attention, his knees are shaking and he's fidgeting with his hands. He begins. JOHN: Oriental. O-R-E? (SOUNDBITE OF BUZZER) KIM: And he stops. He messed up and he knows it. He just turns around and heads over to the back of the room. Man, I'm furious now but the only way to get back at everyone is to win this thing. Soon it's my turn again, I wonder what word I'll get. Asiatic, Confucius? I walk up to the front of the room. I'm a little nervous. JUDGE: Raconteur. Your word is raconteur. KIM: I have no clue what this word means but I've seen it around so I'm pretty sure I know how to spell it. I rehearse it in my head - raconteur - R-A-C-O-N-T - I got it. I ask for the word in a sentence, I ask for a definition just to make sure. I'm ready to spell it out, but right before I do, I look back and see John. He's not crying like some of the other kids, but, you know, he just looks really sad. I look at the judges right in the eye and begin spelling my word. Raconteur. R-A-C-I-S-T. Raconteur. I don't turn around. The judges, the parents and all the students have their eyes locked on me. I just stand there facing the judges for four very uncomfortable seconds and no one's laughing now. I leave the stage. I go over to my best friend and we walk out of the spelling bee, medal-less, but victorious. WASHINGTON: All right, snappers, in case you are wondering, a raconteur is someone who tells great stories. Thank you, Davey for telling us that tale of sweet R-E-V-E-N-G-E. Check out our website, snapjudgment.org for other great raconteurs. That story was produced by Davey Kim with sound design by Davey Kim. Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
Apprentices owed massive back pay windfall after court rules in their favour Posted Apprentice tradespeople across Queensland could be in line for a windfall after a court ruled an industrial loophole left them underpaid for almost four years. The Federal Court in Brisbane ended a long-running wages dispute on Monday by finding more than 4,000 trainee electricians were short-changed under an expired state award that paid them less than $9 an hour. The ruling means thousands more apprentices, from trainee hairdressers to plumbers and butchers, can now mount lost wage claims because they should have been paid under federal awards. The Electrical Trades Union told the ABC this could amount to backpay claims totalling between $100 and $200 million. Apprentice electrician Reuben Weston said he stood to gain more than $7,000 in backpay after being underpaid for two years. "It's absolutely great because as we know now that we were underpaid for that amount of years, it'll help me very much financially," he told the ABC. "From what I've been told [the repayment] could be as early as January. "They're just going to try and pump it as quick as they can because there are thousands of us who were underpaid." ETU Queensland apprentice officer Scott Reichman said the ruling made clear that payments under an outdated state award were "always illegal, and means we can seek wage justice for these young people". Mr Reichman said trainees who had fallen victim to "broken workplace laws" from the start of 2014 would in the electrical sector alone press for more than $70 million in underpayments. Master Builders 'concerned for employers' The wages battle began in 2015 when the Fair Work Commission found an apprentice agreement by All Trades Queensland should reflect a modern federal award of $13.07 an hour rather than an expired state award of $8.75. That ruling set the federal award as the minimum standard for apprentice pay. However, All Trades Queensland — which bills itself as Australia's largest commercial supplier of apprentices and uses rugby league star Cameron Smith in its advertisements — appealed before the full bench of the commission. The commission upheld the ruling. All Trades Queensland, the Housing Industry Association and Master Builders Queensland then applied to have the Federal Court strike down the ruling. Master Builders Queensland deputy CEO Paul Bidwell said the decision affected "carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, painters", but went far beyond the building industry. "Our concern is what will the impact be on the individual businesses and the group training schemes who employ the lion's share of apprentices," Mr Bidwell told the ABC. "What's it going to mean for them for the future?" Mr Bidwell said Master Builders had "no real sense" of the total cost to employers from backpay claims. "It's more from our perspective about what's going to happen into the future and to make sure that those businesses … are in a position to keep on employing apprentices," he said. Mr Bidwell said it was too early to know whether the ruling would trigger an apprentice hiring freeze, with the transition to higher wages yet to be settled with a state election just gone. "It's premature to say anything really, until we've got a government in Queensland, and we can have conversation with them, as well as the Federal Government." Mr Bidwell rejected any suggestion some employers had rorted their apprentices, saying the ruling on the higher wages by the commission in 2016 "came as a complete surprise" to businesses advised by governments and workplace authorities they had been doing the right thing. Topics: courts-and-trials, apprenticeships, work, community-and-society, brisbane-4000
Image caption Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou hopes his cabinet changes will restore stability The leaders of Germany and France have said that they want a new rescue package for debt-laden Greece to be agreed as soon as possible. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy were speaking after Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou announced a cabinet reshuffle. The changes include a new finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos. Mr Papandreou wants to impose political stability as Greece awaits approval for the next tranche of bail-out money. "We are facing the greatest threat our country has experienced in recent decades," he told his new cabinet. Also on Friday, Moody's ratings agency placed Italy's credit rating under review for possible downgrade. The agency raised questions over Italy's economic growth and policies to reduce government debt. 'Voluntary involvement' Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy met in Berlin after a public disagreement between their governments over whether private investors should be forced to assume a greater burden to resolve Greece's debt crisis. There had been calls in Germany that investors should allow Greece extra time to pay off debts and should be made to participate in future fundraising by the Athens government. After the meeting, the two leaders said they agreed that any private sector involvement should be "voluntary", not compulsory. It was unclear under what terms private investors might voluntarily take part in a Greek bail-out. But the comments by Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy were seen as a signal to banks and bondholders that they will not be made to incur losses on Greek debt. Mrs Merkel is facing a backlash domestically over Germany's huge financial contribution to European bail-outs. France's big three banks - Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale - are heavily exposed to the Greek economy. This week, ratings agency Moody's warned it may downgrade the three French banks because of their exposure to Greece. No 'credit event' Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy stressed that a "voluntary" extension of maturities of Greek government bonds held by private investors should be part of that solution in order to ensure market stability. "There are worries that we want to cause a credit event," Mrs Merkel said. "We do not want that. This is about a voluntary participation." Rating agencies and the European Central Bank had warned that imposing a rescheduling of Greek debt on bondholders would count as a "credit event" - a partial default by Greece - sending panic through financial markets and intensifying problems in Portugal, the Irish Republic and Spain. The announcement from France and Germany eased tensions in financial markets. After initially extending their week-long falls, Europe's main bourses recovered on Friday, with France's Cac 40 and Germany's Dax indexes both closing up about 0.8%. The UK's FTSE 100 was up 0.3%. In New York, the Dow Jones index climbed 0.7% in morning trading. A Spanish bond auction underlined the fears of contagion from the Greek crisis, with investors demanding a higher rate of return. Although appetite for the issue was strong, the average rate demanded for the 15-year bonds was a euro-era high for Spain of just over 6%. The yield on Spanish 10-year bonds is near an 11-year high, trading on the secondary market on Friday at 5.64%, just off the rate's peak of 5.70% on Thursday. Financial lifeline The new Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, will take over from George Papaconstantinou, and the move sparked a jump in Greek bank shares. "I am here by patriotic duty to carry out a real war," said Mr Venizelos, a former defence minister. However, analysts were divided over whether the cabinet reshuffle would restore confidence. The European Union's top financial official, Olli Rehn, has indicated that Greece is likely to get its next round of funds in July if Mr Papandreou's government can pass new budget cuts and privatisations before the end of the month. Greece needs a 12bn-euro loan to avoid defaulting on its debts due for repayment over the next few months.
For whatever reason, baseballs flew out of the ballpark at a near record pace this past season. An average of 1.155 homers per game were hit in 2016, up from 1.010 last year and 0.861 just two years ago. In fact, 2016 was the second most homer happy season on record. Only in 2000 were more homers hit per game (1.171). My guess is the ball is juiced, but who knows. Anyway, the Yankees certainly benefited from the home run spike as a team. They hit 183 home runs in 2016, which is down from last year (212), but way up from both 2014 (147) and 2013 (144). Also, the Yankees hit the ball farther on average this season too. Every team did, which lends some credence to the juiced ball theory. Giancarlo Stanton hit a 504-foot home run this summer, for example. It was the longest in baseball since 2009. As we do every year, it’s time to look back at the five longest home runs hit by the Yankees this season. There are some meaningful and milestone blasts in here too. These aren’t five garbage time shots against random Triple-A arms. Pretty nice mix this season. Shout out to Baseball Savant for making this post possible. Let’s get to it. 5. Castro vs. Jason Motte New York’s fifth longest home run of the season was a walk-off. How about that? I told you there were some meaningful dingers in this post. The Yankees and Rockies played a wild back-and-forth game at Yankee Stadium on June 22nd. Look at the win probability graph: Source: FanGraphs The Yankees scored four runs in the second inning on a Chase Headley grand slam of all things. The Rockies then rallied to score two in the third, three in the fourth, and three more in the fifth. CC Sabathia and Anthony Swarzak were responsible for that. So, after falling behind 8-4, the Yankees then put up another four-spot in the seventh inning to tie the game. Carlos Beltran’s three-run dinger was the big blow, but a run-scoring single by Didi Gregorius is what tied the game. The score remained 8-8 until the bottom of the ninth inning, when Starlin Castro waited all of two pitches to win the game. He clobbered a walk-off home run into the second deck in left field against Jason Motte. To the action footage: Your browser does not support iframes. 4. Teixeira vs. Kevin Quackenbush The Yankees had lost two straight and six of their previous nine games, so they were reeling. Taking a 4-0 lead early in the game and then blowing it really stunk. Castro sent everyone home happy and helped spark a three-game winning streak. I thought this was Mark Teixeira’s 400th career home run. Alas, it was No. 401. Teixeira hit his 400th home run earlier in the game, against Padres righty Carlos Villanueva. Unfortunately, No. 401 wasn’t all that dramatic. It was a tack-on blast in the ninth inning of a game the Yankees were already leading 4-1. Here is Teixeira’s long two-run blast (0:54 mark): Your browser does not support iframes. 3. Judge vs. Matt Andriese On the bright side, I did get to say Quackenbush, so it’s not a total loss. Teixeira’s home run was the Yankees’ fourth longest of the 2016 season. Now this is what I’m talking about. August 13th was one of the most important days of the season. The Yankees officially released Alex Rodriguez that day, after his farewell ceremony the night before, and the move helped clear a spot for Aaron Judge. The club’s top prospect drove all night from Rochester to the Bronx and was in the starting lineup for the 1pm ET game. Judge wasted little time showing fans why he is so highly regarded. Two pitches after Tyler Austin, who was also called up that day, poked a line drive home run into the short porch in his first career at-bat, Judge launched a missile to dead center field for a solo home run in his first big league at-bat. Here’s the video: Your browser does not support iframes. Good gravy that was hammered. Austin and Judge became the first teammates in history to hit home runs in their MLB debuts in the same game, and they did it back-to-back. Incredible. What a fun afternoon. Judge’s home run cleared the windows of the restaurant in center field entirely. He hit it over the damn windows. I mean, look: That was so fun, wasn’t it? The A-Rod farewell game the night before was pretty awesome, then the Yankees quickly turned the page and we all got a glimpse of the future. Alex was gone but Judge (and Austin) had arrived. Definitely a fun afternoon. One of the best of the season. Distance: 446 feet. 2. Hicks vs. Rick Porcello Judge’s home run is actually tied for the second longest hit by a Yankee this season. Don’t ask my why I listed it first. I guess because it’s chronological. Or reverse chronological. Whatever. Anyway, the Yankees were absolutely reeling on May 6th. They went into that night’s game against the Red Sox having lost 15 of their previous 20 games (!), and the day before they were walked off by the Orioles. Morale was low. The Yankees looked like one of the worst teams in baseball. Naturally, the Yankees fell behind quickly in this May 6th game. Michael Pineda allowed a two-run home run to David Ortiz in the first inning. Of course he did. The Yankees rallied though, scoring one run in the bottom of the first on Brian McCann’s double, and another in the bottom of the second on Dustin Ackley’s single. Dustin Ackley! Good for him. The game did not devolve into a slugfest, oddly. Both Pineda and Porcello settled down and the score remained 2-2 into the seventh inning. Heading into that seventh inning Porcello had retired seven straight and 12 of the last 13 batters he faced, so he was cruising. Then he left a changeup up to Aaron Hicks, and this happened: Your browser does not support iframes. 1. McCann vs. Brandon Kintzler Hicks had done absolutely nothing as a Yankee up to that point. He’d gone 0-for-1 in the game prior to the home run and was hitting .091/.143/.091 on the season. It was bad. Bad bad bad. Hicks came through big in that spot with his long home run over the bullpen and into the right field bleachers. The Yankees won the game and seven of their next ten. How about this for a buzzkill: the Yankees’ longest home run of the season came in a loss! To a Twins team that lost 103 total games in 2016! No other team lost more than 94 games this year, you know. Bummer. The Yankees won the other four games featured in this post. Just not this one. The Yankees did lead this June 19th game early. A McCann home run — not the one we’re going to focus on — and an A-Rod single built a 2-0 lead through four innings. Then Nathan Eovaldi and the bullpen puked all over it. The Twins scored one run in the fifth, four in the sixth, one in the seventh, and then one in the eighth for good measure. Blargh. When McCann came to the plate against Kintzler to lead off the ninth inning, the Yankees trailed 7-3 and their chances of winning were down to 1.4%. His job was to get on base and maybe start a rally. He did one better. McCann laid into a 2-1 fastball and hit the team’s longest home run of the season. Look at this damn thing. It almost left Target Field (0:23 mark): Your browser does not support iframes. The Yankees did nothing after that home run, so the distance didn’t exactly inspire them to make a ninth inning comeback. That’s a shame. It was still an impressively long home run. No one in pinstripes hit a ball farther in 2016. * * * So, among those five home runs, we had one walk-off, one game-winner, and one career first. Pretty, pretty good. Only two other Yankees hit a baseball 440+ feet this season, by the way. Austin Romine launched a 442-foot dinger against someone named Chad Girodo on May 25th (video), and A-Rod clocked a 440-foot bomb off Chris Archer two days later (video). Austin Romine, eh? Didn’t see that coming.
Here are the top five best-selling phones during Q2, via NPD’s Mobile Phone Track service: 1. Apple iPhone 4 2. Apple iPhone 3GS 3. HTC EVO 4G 4. HTC Inspire 4G 5. Samsung INTENSITYII Research firm NPD today announced the release of its new Mobile Phone Track report for the second quarter of 2011, showing Android continuing to lead the U.S. smartphone market with 52% of new sales during the quarter. Apple's iPhone checked in with 29% of the market while Research in Motion's BlackBerry devices continued their free fall and garnered only 11% of the market. pulls out one key detail from the full report, noting that not only is Apple's 14-month-old iPhone 4 continuing to lead the market in sales, but that the 8 GB iPhone 3GS takes the second spot in the rankings. The iPhone 3GS was introduced 26 months ago, and Apple kept the device around following last year's iPhone 4 introduction by dropping the capacity to 8 GB and offering it at a $99 price point for entry-level users. Pricing has since dropped to $49, with occasional deals bringing the price as low as free Apple has attempted to keep sales momentum for the iPhone 4 moving forward with the introduction of a CDMA version on Verizon and the much-delayed launch of a white version of the device earlier this year. But even as Apple has diverged from its usual annual cycle of iPhone releases by pushing the iPhone 5 out to September or October this year, the iPhone 4 and even the iPhone 3GS continue to top the charts in U.S. sales.
Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT DISTURBING.THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE ADIFFERENCE.>> IT'S ONE OF THE MOSTDIFFICULT CALLS I HAVE BEEN ON.COURTIS: MIDDLETIOWN POLICERESPONDED TO A CALL AT THISHOUSE ON YANKEE ROAD.LITTLE DID THEY KNOW WHAT THEYWOULD DISCOVER.A 31-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, DIED, ANDNINE VERY CONFUSED ANDFRIGHTENED CHILDREN.JIMETA SANDERS WAS FOUNDUNRESPONSIVE ON THE KITCHENFLOOR.POLICE SUSPECT DRUGS PLAYED AFACTOR IN HER DEATH.THEY SAID MOMMY WAS DOWN.THEY SAID THERE WERE TWO PEOPLETHERE AND THEY WERE TRYING TOGET HER MONEY.IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING HEARINGTHEM SAY THAT.COURTIS: THE CHIEF POSTEDINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA ANDTHE COMMUNITY RESPONDEDIMMEDIATELY, BRINGING IN FOOD,CLOTHING, CASH AND OTHER ITEMS.>> THEY DO NOT HAVE MUCH.ACTUALLY, THEY DO NOT HAVEANYTHING.WE REACHED OUT TO THE MIDDLETOWNAND IT WENT FROM THERE TO ASKFOR HELP FOR THESE KIDS.THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT HASBEEN PHENOMENAL.>> IT IS EVIDENT THAT OTHERS GOTTHE MESSAGE.COURTIS: A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT THEMESSAGE, IN FACT POLICE TOLD METHEY RECEIVED A CHECK FOR$9,000.$1000 FOR EACH CHILD.I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT POLICESAY THE TWO PEOPLE THEY BELIEVEWERE WITH SANDERS NOT ONLY LEFTHER TO DIE, THEY TOOK HER MONEYAND TOLD THE KIDS THEY WERE JUSTGOING TO GET SOME SODA.THEY NEVER CAME BACK.IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THISOR YOU WANT TO HELP POLICE, JUST Advertisement Police rally aid for 9 children of woman who died of heroin overdose Share Shares Copy Link Copy A Middletown, Ohio mother of nine died of a heroin overdose, and police want to give her young children a better Christmas.Police were called to a house on Yankee Road on Wednesday and found Jimeta Sanders, 31, unresponsive on the kitchen floor.Authorities said she was shooting heroin with her “supposed ‘friends,’ who then in turn left her to die in front of her nine kids.”Police said the “friends” – described as two males -- then stole her money and left the home, telling the children they were leaving to buy a 2-liter of soda. Police believe they were a father-son duo. “The father had gray hair and gray facial hair with a red and black coat on,” police wrote on their Facebook page. “The son had on a brown jacket and was of thin build.”Authorities are actively searching for the pair. But the case has also inspired police to take action beyond working hours. They want to help the children’s father buy his nine children a Christmas to remember. “Their father is a hard worker, he has tried to make ends meet but it's a vicious cycle,” police wrote.“They don't have much, but nine kids at Christmas time, to lose their mother like that is just horrible,” Middletown police Chief Rodney said.Two veteran detectives have stepped up to help and are taking donations for the family. They said they will accept any donations. "We need clothing desperately, we need coats, blankets, food, a stove, a refrigerator, we even need ornaments for the Christmas tree we just took to them and -- of course – toys,” police wrote. The community responded immediately by bringing in food, clothing, cash and other items.Janeen Thompson, a Middletown resident, said she saw the story on Facebook and was immediately moved by it. She jumped into action and donated several bags of items.Police say they are overwhelmed by the response.“We reached out to the world. Middletown started and it went from there to ask for help for these kids. Man, the outpouring of support has been phenomenal,” Muterspaw said.The children range in age from 1 to 14. Their ages are 14 (girl), 13 (boy), 11 (boy), 10 (boy), 6 (boy), 5 (girl), 3 (girl), 2 (boy) and 1 (girl).Police ask that donations be brought to the Police Department, located at 1 Donham Plaza.People who want to make a monetary donation can do so at the Butler Heritage Federal Credit Union located at 660 N. University Blvd. under the account name "Kindness for Sanders Family."The checks can be made out the Middletown Police Department or the City of Middletown.
PARIS — The White House could hardly have embarrassed itself more. Over the weekend it sent out word that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman would be attending a summit of Arab Gulf leaders with President Barack Obama at Camp David this week. Then the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, head of the al-Arab news channel, reported that, no, the king would not be going to the wilds of Maryland for the Gulf Cooperation Council gab-fest. The White House staff hesitated, denied, clarified, and then, yes, admitted they’d heard that, too. The king wasn’t coming. Amid the confusion, the headline word “snub” appeared widely, as if the petulant Saudis, fed up with Washington’s dithering in the Middle East, suspicious of its new coziness with Iran, in the middle of a covert operation in Syria that embraces elements of the al-Qaeda-allied Nusra Front, and up to their eyeballs in the deepening mess that is the new Yemen war, just couldn’t be bothered with Obama’s blathering at Camp David. And there may be something to that. But my old friend Khashoggi, who has been an adviser to powerful Saudi royals and remains close to the upper echelons of power, presents a rather more nuanced view of what’s happening. “I don’t go with some of my fellow Saudis, who are saying the king is sending a message to Obama or this is a snub to Obama,” Khashoggi told me when I got him on the phone. “No, I think the king sent his two most senior deputies, MBN and NBS, as we call them in Saudi Arabia.” That is, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the king’s nephew, who is the interior minister and guiding light of counter-terrorism operations, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king’s 29-year-old son, who is minister of defense and considered the architect (some would say the hot-blooded driving force) of the Saudi-led war in Yemen. I asked Khashoggi to elaborate, and so he did: “Some of my fellow Saudis are afflicted with Operation Yemen hubris—‘The king wants to send a message to Obama that we no longer need you,’ they say. But I think Saudi Arabia still appreciates the importance of America, and the fact that the king sent his deputy and his second deputy shows that he means business. Bin Nayef is very well known in Washington and he is the one who is orchestrating the relationship with America, and this is also a chance for the United States to check out the rising star, MBS.” But isn’t Saudi Arabia furious about Washington’s apparent rapprochement with Iran? “We are all against Iranian adventurism,” said Khashoggi. “I think Saudi Arabia is worried about the Iranians warming to the West at the same time their expansionism is left unchecked in the region. … An Iran that is expanding, that is bad news for Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia needs to put an end to it.” When the Obama administration talks to Iran about the nuclear issue, said Khashoggi, it talks about centrifuges and kilograms of uranium. “But the issues of expansion? Nothing.” So, what is BHO likely to hear from MBN and MBS at Camp David? “I am sure that a Saudi would say to Mr. Obama, ‘Your interpretation of sectarianism in the region as something that the U.S. does not want to get involved with, we understand that. But that is not the problem. It is the problem of Iran breaking international law to intervene and expand,’” said Khashoggi. “It is not something that goes back 1,000 years. It all started when Iran started creating satellites in the world outside its borders. It is intervention.” And the list of those interventions is long, as the Saudis see it, with Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq all falling under the Iranian shadow to a greater or lesser extent. “Maybe the south of Iraq is permanently lost to Iran,” says Khashoggi, “but Syria and Lebanon and Yemen, no, that is not going to happen.” And because these countries are all at various stages of national disintegration, “Saudi Arabia is in the reconstruction business,” he says. Yemen is the war in which Saudi Arabia is most openly and heavily and, for the moment, destructively involved as it fights to keep the Houthis, a Shia sect it identifies with Iranian incursions, from taking over the country in an alliance with the forces of deposed dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. “Finally we are doing something useful,” said Khashoggi. “I just hope and pray it will work out.” But what would success look like? “Success for Saudi Arabia in Yemen is to bring peace and stability to Yemen,” he said. “If we do not bring stability to Yemen, Saudi Arabia will be blamed for starting a civil war just like George Bush, the son, is blamed for Iraq. So success is to bring the Houthis to a negotiating table with their enemies, and work out an arrangement where they are not a dominant force but at the same time they have a seat or two or three in the government.” And of course not allow the Iranians to expand their influence with militias and other intrusive projects. “They could build a hospital here and there,” says Khashoggi. Sounds fine, but the fighting seems to be going on and on. So I asked Khashoggi how he’d evaluate the results in Yemen so far. Is it a success? “If the aim was to stop the Houthis from taking over all of Yemen, yes,” said Khashoggi. “But if it is to free all of Yemen from the dominance of Houthis, then it is not. Saudi Arabia was hoping for a crack to happen in the ranks of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s army, and that has not happened yet. I think the priority is to support Yemen troops on the ground using Saudi and other nations’ special forces. That started a week ago. If that does not bring results, I think we have to do anything necessary. … Saudi Arabia cannot afford to leave Yemen in a stalemate. It has to win. And if that takes ground troops we must make the sacrifice.” This possibility makes the Saudis all the more aware of their need for a continuing close relationship with Washington. “America is important not just to rearm our army—it could run short,” says Khashoggi, noting Riyadh’s heavy dependence on U.S. weapons systems. “We also need America to be at our side at the Security Council, for example. The Russians are coming,” and Moscow may well want to throw a wrench into the Saudi offensive in Yemen. In Syria, the Saudis had to face the basic contradiction of their two policy priorities in the region, the first of which was to block Iranian expansion (and the Assad regime is Iran’s most important Arab client), while also doing anything and everything it could to undermine and defeat the Muslim Brotherhood, an international Sunni political organization that was the traditional opposition to the Assad dictatorship, but that the Saudis consider a long-term threat to their own monarchy. (Riyadh was a major backer of the coup in Egypt that brought down the Muslim Brotherhood government there in 2013.) The situation in Syria was further complicated by the fact that Turkey, on Syria’s border, and Qatar, another of the richest Gulf emirates, are devoted supporters of the Brotherhood, known in Arabic as the Ikhwan. “Saudi Arabia is not at war with the Ikhwan any more, but at the same time it is not favoring the Ikwhan,” says Khashoggi. “When it finds them useful it will work with them. That is what happened in Yemen.” Many members of the Yemeni branch of the Brotherhood, known as Islah, can now be found in Riyadh, he points out. “The problem in the region is the collapse of states and that leads to Iranian intervention and the rise of ISIS,” says Khashoggi, “and that leads to Saudi willingness to cooperate with whoever is able to help in that task, like Qatar, like Turkey. “There is no veto anymore on the Ikwhan,” says Khashoggi, “and that led to real cooperation with Turkey. If the Ikhwan was an obstacle before, that is no longer there.” As a result, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar have all been able to throw their weight behind a new Syrian rebel alliance called Jaish al Fata, the Army of Conquest, which has won a series of surprising victories in northern Syria. Commanders of that agglomeration of militias insist they are getting little or no outside aid, but that may well be because the Saudis, Qataris, and Turks are uncomfortable with the fact that elements of Jabhat al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate, are part of the group, and want to keep their support as secret as possible. All of these issues are likely to be discussed at length at Camp David with precisely those Saudis who are running these new, aggressive operations: Crown Prince MBN and Deputy Crown Prince MBS. As for King Salman, he’s pushing 80 and he’s not exactly a hands-on monarch, even if reports that he suffers from dementia appear to have been greatly exaggerated. “Whoever meets him did not sense any loss of memory as is claimed,” said Khashoggi. “But obviously he is not entertaining details of political matters. He is leaving them to the two deputies, his son and the nephew.” The White House, having screwed up the announcement of who would [not] attend the summit, had better focus now on who will.
The modern medical view of depression focuses on neurochemicals in the brain. We have all heard of this under the generalization of, “an imbalance of brain chemicals.” Taking this as gospel puts us in the situation of treating depression by trying to restore a more appropriate “balance.” However, for milder forms of depression, medications aren’t the only option. Let me pause here and state plainly that serious depression is a medical condition and deserves a firm diagnosis and treatment plan from a professional. Medication may be the best answer in any particular case. Unfortunately, not everyone finds the experience satisfactory and, for less severe depression, other options exist. Exercise -- there is good evidence that exercise, either with or without pharmaceutical support, has benefits. Studies have been with aerobic exercise – the “gets your heart pumping” type, but even moderate increases in physical activity have some advantages. From the folk wisdom side, we have the simple comment that exercise makes you feel better. Arguably, the more healthy you are generally, the better your mood will be. The most obvious difference between medications and exercise for mood disorders is how quickly they help. A medication can work within a few hours whereas exercise can take weeks to show a marked improvement. However, the benefits of regular exercise go far beyond what can be accomplished by medications alone. For chronic depression, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists one of the criteria as lasting “more than two years.” In this context, a few weeks to see improvement isn’t unreasonable. An excellent article from the Mayo Clinic discusses exercise in more depth. Illness -- Physical well-being is associated with mental well-being. This is most obvious when we see that long term illness is associated with depression. While chronic pain was the most obvious linked factor, one study found this: ”Specifically, the direct link between pain and depression was found to be non-significant, however, measures of perceived life interference and self-control were found to be significant intervening variables between pain and depression.” That’s huge. When an illness causes us to lose our sense of having control over what happens to us, we essentially become slaves to the disease. The alternative then makes a great deal of sense – treat, control and overcome the limitations an illness places upon us. Nutrition -- This is perhaps one of the most abused items on the list. Specific nutrients sold as cure-alls for depression are the realm of the huckster and an easy way to separate cash from the suffering. But even so, we would expect a poor diet and malnourishment to adversely affect health in general and exacerbate depression. The question then becomes, “What is a good diet?” This is well studied and information can be found at the FDA on eating healthy. Environment -- Our daily environment and our relationships have a strong association with depression. One example is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which can be treated with bright lights. The DSM doesn’t list this as a separate category of depression, but labels it one aspect of major depression. The idea that light levels can alter our moods is surprising, but changing other aspects of our environment are less so. Relationships have an obvious impact. Anyone who has fallen in or out of love has felt the major mood upheavals. One very helpful idea is to help others. The ability to meet another person’s needs by helping them not only shifts focus away from the toxic introspection of depression, but it provides a sense of accomplishment and control. It shouldn’t be a surprise that doing good feels good.
Dutasteride 0.5 mg per day Significantly Superior to Finasteride 1 mg per day at Regrowing Hair A new study from India shows that Dutasteride 0.5 mg once a day increased hair count in 45 men from 223 at baseline to 246 at 24 weeks (i.e. in 5.5 months of treatment). Full highly detailed study here. This represents just over a 10 percent increase. It should be noted that without any treatment, most people would continue to lose hair, so the real benefit is greater than 10 percent. In the same study, 45 men were also treated with Finasteride 1 mg once a day and saw about a 2 percent increase in hair count at 24 weeks. Still a good results when considering that virtually all of these balding men would have seen a decline in hair count at 24 weeks without treatment. Before and after photo of best case result of Indian patient taking Dutasteride 0.5mg daily for 24 weeks (Source) This is yet one more study among numerous others over the past decade that has concluded Dutasteride to be significantly superior to Finasteride in regrowing hair. The majority of such studies seem to come from the western world (with Japan and South Korea also disproportionately represented) so I am glad that this one comes from India. It seems like Dutasteride is effective at growing hair irrespective of one’s ethnicity and genetics. I liked the below finding (although it should be noted that Dutasteride is still too recent a drug to make any conclusions about long-term side effects; and most other studies show at least slightly higher side effects from Dutasteride compared to Finasteride): Both the groups showed a similar side effect profile with sexual dysfunction being the most common and reversible side effect. Dutasteride Regrows Some Miniaturized Hair One of the more interesting aspects of this particular study is that the authors also measured how many miniaturized/miniaturizing hairs (i.e., “thin hair count”) became thick once again. This is important because it shows that 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors such as Finasteride and Dutasteride can bring back hair from the dead/almost dead/slowly dying. It is unclear how many if any of the thin hair that became thicker were vellus hair (i.e., barely noticeable and almost transparent) that had shrunk many years or even decades earlier. In this particular study, Dutasteride 0.5 mg led to a reduction in the “thin hair count” by 12 percent at 24 weeks, while Finasteride 1 mg led to a reduction in the thin hair count by 1.5 percent at 24 weeks (just a 1 unit reduction in actual thin hair count so not too meaningful a percentage figure interpretation here). Over the years, I have read many online anecdotal reports (see links at end of this post) of older men who were taking Dutasteride to treat enlarged prostates and saw hair growth in areas of the scalp that were totally bald (i.e., covered in vellus hair) for decades. Dutasteride likely helps bring back long-lost hair in many patients, although usually just some of it. ***If you ever do decide to take Dutasteride, I would highly recommend consulting an experienced dermatologist first and being aware of the worst case potential side effects.
Hybrid and multicloud on the rise: An interview with George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer at SoftLayer Share Short URL There has been a lot of turmoil in the Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) market the past months, with companies slashing costs and heavily investing in infrastructure and marketplaces. In order to get a glimpse of what is in store for the feature, we have been interviewing some key people from the industry. We kicked off the series with John Edgar, DigitalOcean’s Chief Technology Evangelist, Telemachus Luu, the CTO of Nephoscale and Jonathan Siegel from Rackspace. Today, we are posting an interview with George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer in SoftLayer. Mr. Karidis oversees several programs at SoftLayer, including product management, labs, and the Catalyst start up incubator. Prior to joining SoftLayer, Mr. Karidis spent seven years with Devonshire Investors where he drove the strategic planning efforts of portfolio companies focused on the telecom, hosting, and software markets. His background and current position allows for a unique perspective on the future of cloud computing. Businesses have been feverishly moving their infrasture to public clouds. What should they pay attention to? What to move and when. Not all workloads have the same requirements or are currently built to run in public clouds. That’s why many of the early adopters of IaaS are internet-centric applications: mobile apps, gaming, SaaS properties, etc. They have been designed to be hosted on bare metal or virtual infrastructure and in a distributed architecture. Shifting legacy applications can at times be problematic. There are several IaaS providers out there. What is unique in what SoftLayer offers? We believe that delivering bare metal cloud (servers without a hypervisor) in an automated, scalable, consumption based model is a huge differentiator and advantage. This helps to maximize application performance while delivering all the benefits of a multi-tenant cloud. The network infrastructure is also a key value proposition. We focused on building a global network that is free for our customers to use. This combined with our private network (server to server communication) helps optimize performance for all customers across all of our data centre environments. What setups are currently popular and what do you think will gain popularity in the future? (eg hybrid, multicloud, bare metal + cloud machines) Bare metal cloud is hugely popular with our customers. Nothing beats the performance of bare metal infrastructure for production workloads at the application and database layers. This will be more true as applications evolve and make better use of GPU servers and big data applications, especially analytics. We do see growing demand for hybrid (public-private mixes) as well as multi-cloud for varying parts of the stack (e.g. production in one cloud and dev/test in a lower performance environment). What do you think about the growing popularity of PaaS solutions? Do they constitute a threat or a boost to IaaS? Everything that lives on a server will benefit IaaS in the future. That includes SaaS, PaaS, and the variety of other _aaS specialist platforms. The shift to cloud based infrastructure is still in early stages, but reversing the current course is not possible. What are SoftLayer’s plans for the future? What features and enhancements should we expect to see? Our roadmap for new products and capabilities is always overflowing with projects and ideas. We expect to continue our global expansion and add new network services. We will be making all of our services available by the hour. We see a lot of value in enhancing our current storage offerings, expanding our marketplace for applications/tools and driving innovation through our eco-system of partners as well. What’s your favorite OS and text editor? My favourite o/s? I guess that is whatever my ipad runs! I’ve learned that you can leverage a lot of tools (many are our customers…) and be very productive while on the road. Not sure I could survive without it anymore. Are you using SoftLayer? Mist.io can help you manage and monitor your virtual machines from anywhere. Try it for free.
In the summer of 2011, the NFL was just back from a player lockout, and the Philadelphia Eagles attacked free agency unlike any other team in the league. Though they’d made the playoffs two straight years, the Eagles viewed having cap room—while so many other teams were snug up against the league’s $120-million cap—as a chance to acquire top talent at Walmart prices. Michael Vick was re-signed to a back-loaded five-year, $80 million deal to be the quarterback of the future—and Vince Young was imported to back him up. Ronnie Brown was signed to buttress the running game, and Steve Smith (the younger) got signed away from the rival Giants to be another receiving target for Vick. Pass-rusher Jason Babin was signed, as were Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, forming what was seen as one of the best pass-coverage units in the league. “The cap for the rest of us is $120 million,” one GM said to me on my trip to NFL training camps that summer. “It feels like it’s $220 million for them.” As we all know, the spree was part of the Eagles’ downfall that led to Andy Reid’s firing and Chip Kelly’s hiring. More significantly for football, it showed that even the smart teams sometimes get seduced by the siren song of free agency. That’s what free agency is: a drug. It looks like a legitimate quick fix, but there are very few quick fixes in football. Who’d have thought Asomugha would tank, Vick would backslide significantly, and the Dream Team class (Vince Young’s words) would fail? “As our experience shows,” former Eagles president Joe Banner said Monday, “there are lots of unknowns in free agency. They’re not your own players, and you don’t really know them the way you know your own guys. My advice now is, Proceed with caution. It’s a total crapshoot.” Joe Banner on Chip Kelly Former Browns and Eagles president Joe Banner assesses the flurry of roster-overhauling moves made by Philadephia coach Chip Kelly, points out the importance of Kelly's sports science work and addresses his own NFL future. FULL STORY Former Browns and Eagles president Joe Banner assesses the flurry of roster-overhauling moves made by Philadephia coach Chip Kelly, points out the importance of Kelly's sports science work and addresses his own NFL future. Which bodes ill for this year’s wild spenders—the Jets, Eagles (again), Dolphins, Jaguars and Titans—as we reach the end of free agency’s first week. Hold onto your calculators. Each of those five teams, according to published contract figures, has committed more than $100 million to free agents. On average, those five teams have spent $134 million on new contracts for unrestricted players on the market. It’s an annual rite of spring—or of late winter: NFL teams trip all over themselves spending money on free agents. They do it even though, year after year, mounting evidence suggests (no, proves) that the free spending doesn’t result in more wins. It’s indisputable. With the exception of the occasional legitimate star player with good years left—Julius Peppers to Chicago in 2010, Peyton Manning to Denver in 2012, Mario Williams to Buffalo in 2012—going nuts in free agency has proved to be a negative in recent years. This is not going to be a survey of every free-agent signing in the 22-year history of the system, since Reggie White took $17 million from Green Bay to leave Philadelphia in 1993. It’s more anecdotal. But the anecdotes shout. Let’s look at seven teams, between 2010 and 2014, that invested the heaviest in free-agency in a given off-season, and see the results. Year Team Announced Contract Value W-L Prev. 2 Years W-L Next 2 Years Key Signings 2011 Philadelphia $177 million 21-11 12-20 Nnamdi Asomugha, Michael Vick Result: minus-9 wins. Got Andy Reid fired. Vick, Nnamdi failed big. 2012 Denver $139 million 12-20 26-6 Peyton Manning Result: plus-14 wins. Manning was the secret sauce for everything. 2012 Washington $81 million 11-21 13-19 Pierre Garçon, Brandon Meriweather Result: plus-2 wins, but much of that was due to the arrival of rookie QB Robert Griffin III. 2012 Tampa Bay $141 million 14-18 11-21 Carl Nicks, Vincent Jackson Result: minus-3 wins. Nicks retired with MRSA illness. Jackson has been worth the money. 2013 Miami $124 million 13-19 16-16 Mike Wallace, Dannell Ellerbe Result: plus-3 wins. Wallace, Ellerbe dumped over the weekend to Vikes, Saints. 2013 Tennessee $97 million 15-17 9-23 Andy Levitre, Delanie Walker Result: minus-6 wins. Dismal return on investment. Titans worse than before. 2014 Tampa Bay $124 million 11-21 2-14* Anthony Collins, Michael Johnson Result: Bucs took huge bath on Collins, Johnson and Josh McCown, cutting all after one year. 2014 Oakland $91 million 8-24 3-13* Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley Result: Started 0-10 in 2014. Woodley has been released. Spending a ton again this year. * Only one season post-spending The most damning bit of evidence about these eight cases: In the combined 14 seasons after the teams' spending sprees (two apiece for the first six teams, and one season each for the 2014 teams), there were only three playoff seasons—Washington made it in Griffin’s rookie year, 2012, and Denver made it in both of Manning’s first two seasons as a Bronco. But neither Washington nor Denver made the playoffs because of brilliant free-agency spending. They made it because they had quarterbacks. You can easily make the argument that the common thread in these instances is the lack of established, successful quarterback. You don’t solve your problem at quarterback by paying Carl Nicks $9.5 million a year. How exactly do you solve the problem? Two ways: You get a quarterback. And you learn to say no. * * * The MMQB Roundtable The NFL is still reverberating from the frantic series of signings, trades and retirements that marked the official opening of the league year. Our staffers debate the reasons, look at who’s done well (Raiders!) and project what’s still to come FULL STORY The NFL is still reverberating from the frantic series of signings, trades and retirements that marked the official opening of the league year. Our staffers debate the reasons, look at who’s done well (Raiders!) and project what’s still to come The Ravens took a social-media beating from some of their fans last week for, again, sitting out the early days of free agency and letting some significant players—wideout Torrey Smith (San Francisco) and pass-rusher Pernell McPhee (Chicago)—walk away. When Haloti Ngata balked at doing a new contract with a year left on his rich deal, Baltimore dealt him to Detroit for two mid-round picks. Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome and his staff have gotten used to criticism for letting big names go at this time of year. They don’t seem to mind. Newsome declined to speak about Baltimore’s free-agent strategy on Monday, or to make anyone else available to discuss it. I think there’s a good chance he stayed mum because it’s a competitive issue to them. The Ravens just do free agency smarter than almost everyone else. They do it by mostly sitting out the early days and allowing bottom-feeding teams to spend the silly money. Occasionally they’ll “splurge” (well, their version of “splurging”) by signing a player like Justin Forsett for reasonable money. Forsett, who walked off the street to gain 1,266 rushing yards for Baltimore last fall, earned a three-year, $9-million deal from the Ravens last week. But mostly, Baltimore has a history of letting players strike it rich somewhere else and relying on their farm system to replenish what they’ve lost. Maybe this is why Newsome isn’t speaking about the Ravens’ philosophy: It’s a competitive advantage to have teams throwing big money at free-agents, because sooner or later some of that money is going to be spent on Ravens free agents… and that’s going to lead to Baltimore piling up more of what they value highly: compensatory draft picks. The compensatory-pick system was born in 1994, with the advent of free agency. If a team loses a player for big money, the losing team will—depending on its standing in a byzantine formula—get a mid- to late-round draft choice back the following year to compensate for the loss of the player. The formula for compensatory picks isn’t publicized, but basically it’s this: At the end of each season, the league figures out the free-agency quotient for each team. On one side of the ledger is number of players lost plus total value of contracts signed by those free agents plus playing time by lost free agents in their first year gone. On the other side of the ledger is number of free agents signed plus contract value plus playing time of signed players. The Ravens had a league-high four compensatory picks—the league’s annual limit—in both the 2013 and the 2014 drafts. They expect to get compensatory picks for the departed Arthur Jones, Corey Graham, Michael Oher and Ed Dickson in this year’s draft. Overall, Baltimore has been awarded more of the extra picks, 41, than any other team in the league. Dallas and Green Bay are next with 33. “Relying on compensatory picks is a bad strategy,” said Banner, “unless you prove you can draft pretty well in rounds four through seven. Ozzie surely has proven that. But there are some teams out there that struggle to pick well in rounds one and two. Baltimore’s proven the worth of it because when they lose guys, they have players ready to step in—and some of these, obviously, come from compensatory picks.” The Wizardry of Ozzie After the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, Greg Bedard examined the secrets to Ozzie Newsome’s team-building strategy, as related by the men who know him best. FULL STORY After the Ravens’ Super Bowl win, Greg Bedard examined the secrets to Ozzie Newsome’s team-building strategy, as related by the men who know him best. There is strength in numbers. As Jimmy Johnson used to say, having more draft picks is insurance against mistakes—because no matter how good a personnel man you are, you’re going to blow some picks. Having consistent depth of draft choices has helped Baltimore win two Super Bowls this century. Their 82 wins (including playoffs) since 2008 are the second-most in the NFL over the last seven seasons. In free agency three years ago, the Ravens let defensive tackle Cory Redding—a good contributor, not a star—go to Indianapolis. Redding played for the Ravens for two years. When he left, the league gave Baltimore a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft. That pick turned out to be the 168th overall choice, and Baltimore selected Wisconsin tackle Rick Wagner. At the end of the 2013 season, Baltimore decided to let starting right tackle Michael Oher leave in free agency; he signed with Tennessee. Wagner stepped in to play right tackle, and the moral of the story is a very instructive one. Wagner is a better right tackle than Oher was—last season, Pro Football Focus rated Wagner the No. 2 right tackle in the league. And with the compensatory pick the Ravens will get for Oher—I’m projecting it to be a fifth-rounder—Baltimore will further replenish their farm system. Now, not all picks work out. Baltimore has its clunkers. But it works enough that Newsome aggressively seeks out the extra picks, and he has built substantially with them. I’ve attempted to show what I believe the Ravens will have in compensatory picks and regular picks this year. Again: This is not gospel, just my best guess based on the history of the compensatory-pick system and what Baltimore lost in free agency in 2014. Compensatory picks noted in italic: Round 1: own Round 2: own Round 3: own Round 4: own Round 4: Acquired in trade for Haloti Ngata, 2015 Round 4: Compensatory pick for Arthur Jones to Colts (2014 UFA) Round 5: Acquired in trade for Ngata Round 5: Compensatory pick for Corey Graham to Bills (2014 UFA) Round 5: Compensatory pick for Michael Oher to Titans (2014 UFA) Round 6: own Round 6: Acquired from Dallas in Rolando McClain trade Round 7: Compensatory pick for Ed Dickson to Panthers (2014 UFA) Seven rounds, 12 picks. You’ve got to like your odds to hit on four or five of the picks between rounds four and seven, based on Baltimore’s history. Of course, the Ravens will have to replace the stalwart Ngata, much more of a core player than the others they’ve lost in recent years, and they need to do it with some depth behind big-bodied Timmy Jernigan, who will get the first chance to win the defensive tackle job left by Ngata. * * * The Dwan Edwards pick in 2004 is the gift that keeps on giving for Baltimore. (Larry French/Getty Images) The Dwan Edwards pick in 2004 is the gift that keeps on giving for Baltimore. (Larry French/Getty Images) Compensatory picks can have long tributaries. But to see the impact of them, I wanted to trace one that seemed particularly impactful to the modern-day Ravens. For that we need to go back to the 2004 draft. Here’s how the Ravens have made the compensatory pick the gift that keeps on giving. Round 2, overall pick 51, 2004. Ravens select defensive tackle Dwan Edwards from Oregon State. He was a part-time starter for Baltimore until leaving in free agency for Buffalo in 2010, signing a four-year, $18 million contract with the Bills. Baltimore had a surplus of young defensive linemen in 2010—Ngata, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones—along with veteran Kelly Gregg. Round 5, overall pick 165, 2011. With the compensatory pick awarded for the loss of Edwards to Buffalo a year earlier, the Ravens took defensive end Pernell McPhee from Mississippi. After recording 17 sacks in four seasons mostly coming off the bench for Baltimore, McPhee last week signed a five-year, $39 million deal with Chicago. Round 3 or 4, overall pick TBA, 2016. The Ravens will use a compensatory pick acquired for the loss of McPhee to fill some roster hole or other—as they did with 2013 fourth-round compensatory pick Kyle Juszczyk, the Harvard fullback, or 2008 third-round compensatory pick Oniel Cousins, the offensive lineman from Texas-El Paso. Not stars, most likely, but contributing players for a while. That’s what builds football teams down to the 53rd man. Summing up: For the 51st pick in the 2004 draft, Baltimore got a combined nine seasons and 116 games of front-seven contributions from Edwards and McPhee—and next year they will select another player in the middle of the draft who, if he makes it, the team can control for four years at a reasonable salary (say, four years and $2.5 million). It’s a smart system, even if it doesn’t look like it when your own free agents are flying out the window in March. But if you have patience, the thick skin to take criticism from fans and media for doing nothing, a good quarterback and a smart front office, you can profit from the system. Beyond Baltimore, there aren’t many teams trying. Photo credits for top picture: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images (Asomugha); Lynne Sladky/AP (Wallace); Gary Bogdon/SI/The MMQB (Johnson); Robb Carr/Getty Images (Meriweather) Follow The MMQB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. [widget widget_name="SI Newsletter Widget”]
HOUSTON – Playing for four teams in four years in both England and Denmark, Euan Holden has logged some serious mileage while learning first-hand the peaks and pitfalls of professional soccer. His last stop on a trek through Europe was with English League Two side Bury and ended with his release last month. Now the defender is training with the Houston Dynamo and looking for the next step in his career, which could mean heading back to Europe or a permanent stay Stateside. “At this point in my career, the standard of the MLS has come very far. It’s been very good the last four or five years and is only getting better,” Holden told MLSsoccer.com. “Playing at the level of MLS would be a great step for me. But if I’m going to go back or stay here in MLS, I’m not sure. I don’t want to commit to this or that. … Either way it’d be great, and playing in MLS would be great for me.” Holden, the brother of former Dynamo standout Stuart Holden, could have started the MLS portion of his career when the Dynamo drafted him in 2010. Instead, the defender out of the University of New Mexico chose to sign with Danish first-division side Vejle BK. He wasn't able to stake down a starting place with his new team, and though he bounced around Europe for the next few years, he got a hands-on education on the inner workings of high-level soccer. “It was great for me going to England and seeing how cutthroat it is over there, and that’s been great for me as well,” Holden said. “You’ve got to know what to expect. You’ve got to know going into it that there’s always kids coming up that are just waiting for that chance to get in. “I think it’s helped me sort of grow up and be ruthless on both sides of it, and I think the MLS is a good place for me to be at the moment.” Getting out on his own was a chance for Holden to grow up. Now the more mature Holden is preparing for his next step while trying to stay sharp in Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear’s high-paced camp. Get the latest Dynamo news at HoustonDynamo.com According to Holden, he and the club have not discussed a contract and there’s no sign he will stay in Houston. However, playing in scrimmages and preseason games with the Dynamo is a way to showcase his talents to other teams. He featured at left back and put in an effective shift against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday. He will now head to Tucson, Ariz., for two preseason games, against Portland and San Jose, this week. “When I left England I spoke to Dom, and I’ve always been an admirer, since my brother was a Dynamo, of the training and business in general,” Holden said. “I’m enjoying it. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.” Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.
The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against Ze'ev Brauda, a settler from Kiryat Arba suspected of firing at Palestinians after the eviction of the disputed house in the West Bank city of Hebron last week. The State decided to charge Brauda with assault with malicious intent. Earlier Wednesday, the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court remanded Brauda to house arrest , but the prosecution appealed the decision, demanding he be remanded to police custody pending the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him. Reprimand PM: Hebron violence a pogrom Roni Sofer (Video) Olmert opens cabinet meeting with attack on settlers' actions in West Bank city following evacuation of disputed house: 'As a Jew, I'm ashamed of the sights of Jews firing at Arabs in Hebron.' Cabinet approves NIS 695 milion increase to southern communities' fortification budget PM: Hebron violence a pogrom According to the indictment, during the tumultuous events surrounding the eviction of the Hebron house, Brauda pulled out his gun and demanded several Palestinians living adjacently to the disputed house go back inside their house. Brauda, who was reportedly accompanied by an unidentified young man, went into the house as well. When the family patriarch demanded he leave, Brauda proceeded to hit him and then aimed his gun at him. Other family members tried to remove Brauda from their home, at which point he fired at them. One of the shots hit the family patriarch in the chest. Another family member was able to knock Brauda to the ground, at which point he fired two more shots – one hitting a third family member in the arm. Other members of the Palestinian family lunged at Brauda, who was eventually extracted from the premises by other Kiryat Arba settlers. Justice Malka Aviv, who presided over the bail hearing, criticized the police actions in the case: "The police are radically making light of the behavior demonstrated by the Palestinians involved in the incident, she said, noting that no Palestinians were arrested in the case, despite the severity of the events and the obvious near-lynching of Brauda. fear for his life. Once the court decided to remand Brauda to house arrest, the State told the court it would be appealing the decision, as asked his release to be postponed, pending a hearing in a higher instance.
West Coast hero Luke Shuey has brushed off accusations of ducking. After kicking the extra-time, post-siren, match-winning goal to send Eagles fans into delirium, Shuey wasn't prepared to enter the debate. The controversial free kick that ultimately decided the match has split the AFL world. Shuey said the whole experience was intense. "That's for you blokes to decide. It's irrelevant to us, we are worried about moving on GWS this week," he told Channel 9. Camera Icon Luke Shuey was awarded a free-kick after this tackle from Port Adelaide’s Jared Polec. Picture: Getty Images, AFL Media/Getty Images "It was obviously pretty intense going into over-time. First time for my career and most of the boys I think. And certainly one we won't forget. "To be honest, the actual circumstances and the outcome of the whole thing probably didn't hit me until after I kicked the goal and it all felt pretty normal up until then. "I have watched on over the last few years and seen guys kick goals after the siren, or missed goals, and always wondered what it would be like to be in that situation, so it was nice to experience that." Speaking on Channel 7, Richmond captain Trent Cotchin said Shuey had done well to force the umpire to make a decision. "I think Shuey has played it well. He's made the umpire make a decision, they made a decision," he said. West Coast ball magnet Andrew Gaff has conceded the free-kick that was awarded to Shuey may not have been there. "It’s all a bit of a blur really," Gaff said on Fox Sports News’ Gameday Live on Sunday morning. "That free kick -- whether or not it was there -- we probably got a bit unlucky with some other ones earlier on. It all evened itself up in the end." - The Herald Sun
Our Monochrome Raphael Sai Prop Replica Convention Exclusive pays homage to the original black and white Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics that started it all. Raphael is a hothead, the most opinionated, impulsive and restless Ninja Turtle. Raph’s weapon of choice is a pair of sai, short swords which are traditional martial arts weapons. Growing up as fans of the ‘80s TMNT show, the artisans at Factory Entertainment wanted to create a museum quality realization of Raphael's signature weapons suitable for "mature" collectors who still want to celebrate their Turtle Power! Working closely with the team at Nickelodeon and with extensive study of the classic animated series, we were able to create an accurate real world replica of the sai wielded so expertly by Raphael. Each sai is cast from solid metal that has been chrome-plated and features a leather wrapped handle and brass-alloy pommel. To display the Sai we could think of no more fitting ‘stand’ than facsimiles of Raphael’s hands, cast in polyresin with integral magnetic latches which safely secure them to the metalized resin sewer lid base, that includes a cast metal plaque bearing the edition number. The exclusive is limited to 100 pieces, each of which has been hand-signed by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman. Single Payment & Payment Plan Details If you selected the " Single Payment " option when adding an in stock item to your cart, your account will be authorized and charged after your order is placed for that item. If you selected the " Single Payment " option when adding a pre-order item to your cart, you will not be charged until the item(s) arrive in stock; your credit card will not be charged at this time. You will be charged and will receive a separate email with tracking information for your shipment once the item(s) ships. Availability status is located on each product page beneath the price and above the Product Code. If you selected the " " option when adding an in stock item to your cart, your account will be authorized and charged after your order is placed for that item. If you selected the " " option when adding a pre-order item to your cart, you will not be charged until the item(s) arrive in stock; your credit card will not be charged at this time. You will be charged and will receive a separate email with tracking information for your shipment once the item(s) ships. Availability status is located on each product page beneath the price and above the Product Code. If you selected " Payment Plan " when adding an in stock or pre-order item to your cart, you will be charged the initial payment/deposit and any applicable shipping and taxes during checkout. This will serve as your first payment within the agreed upon installment. All remaining payments in the installment amount listed will be charged every 30 days until the balance is paid. In stock items on a payment plan will ship once the full balance for the item has been paid in full. Pre-order items on a payment plan will ship once the full balance for the item has been paid in full and once the product arrives in stock. " when adding an in stock or pre-order item to your cart, you will be charged the initial payment/deposit and any applicable shipping and taxes during checkout. This will serve as your first payment within the agreed upon installment. All remaining payments in the installment amount listed will be charged every 30 days until the balance is paid. In stock items on a payment plan will ship once the full balance for the item has been paid in full. Pre-order items on a payment plan will ship once the full balance for the item has been paid in full and once the product arrives in stock. If your order contains both in stock and pre-order items, we will ship the in stock items when the balance is paid in full and the pre-order items will follow in as a separate shipment when they arrive in stock and once the balance is paid in full. The status for the order in your factoryent.com account screens will show as shipped, this only refers to the in stock items. Payment plans are subject to our terms and conditions, as defined in the following link: http://www.factoryent.com/terms.asp Any date given for pre-order availability is a forecast and may be subject to change. If there are any issues with your order we will contact you directly.
Walk n Talk sun 25 mar 2018 Geo Godley London UK* fcpx qt 720 from GEO GODLEY WORLD RECORD VLOG.COM on Vimeo. ↑ archive.org: another lousy digital stone age video hosting site; slow load time, low res blurry image quality, blurry thumbnails, broken inaccurate viewcounters, no pagination, no monetization, no “open link in new tab/window”, no drag n drop, but better terms.. Self hosting nightmare from hell looms large… Transcript [don’t miss a word! For the hearing &/or mentally impaired, literature, subtitles.. disclaimer: factual thoughts & feelings not always to be taken tooo seriously, some comedy parody satire but also some serious shit, I decide, not you] 0:00 [Vlog.com jacket big back sticker Elvis/ Andrew Dice Clay back twitch & personal twist], backlit huh, a little warmup before I start, shall I just step intro it, ok, crib sheet, skonaki, more on that later.. ok, shall i just go forit, start a new clip fresh or just, roll into it, just roll into it.. okay so its Sunday.. cellphonitis everyones on their damn stinkin phones serious pandemic huh? It’s gotta be a disease, there’s no way.. certainly obsessive compulsive, just like this, just like anything I guess, well it’s just like anything, no but that’s worse come on like ugh..[stares at hand] & carcinogenic waves on your head, we’ll see what happens.. ok so Sunday 25 march 2018 2:21 pm Geo Godley London England Cambridge circus, new style today huh, little bit different, it’s a bit warm, the clocks went front, went forward, whoever decided that winter should have more darkness instead of less is just sick in the head also.. the whole world is sick.. but anyway so uh.. what am I dong? I let my hair down, people told me, people.. women hate long hair on men, they get really jealous, they don’t like it, they get ageist, sexist, can’t enjoy your hair while you have it you gotta wait till its gone,, then they’re happy then they want it whatever you cant get but.. so im gonna go eat something, I’ve decided no chinese [food] today.. either Iranian or healthy I might go to the health food shit.. [billboard posters on wall advertising concerts & albums] the amount of promotion, everyone’s promoting their garbage, its unbelievable, except me right.. so just a recap, I’m always gonna have this as an opener, this is gonna be like my theme tune, um.. shit, see I’m avoiding loud streets like this.. by the way, my sister said to let my hair down, so if she says it’s okay, what’s your problem.. anyway she recommends it.. mmmm myamyum gotta do some interaction.. look, Konig books closed down, all these old bookstores are biting the dust, especially the ones that rejected my book, my photo comic, my photographic book.. I took it to those assholes and they closed! I love it when people who treat me like shit, get treated lke shit. And with Facebook scandal Cambridge Analytica happening this week youtube can’t be far away, youtube must be next, hopefully, hopefully youtube will get, because they stole 13,000 videos from me.. broke many laws, with their above the law terms and conditons, [drunk tramp screams from across the street behind loud bus] 3:00 I stick out too much like this, I should tie my hair back, oh it’s him, it’s a drunk fcuker, drunks don’t count do they.. anyway got a lttle crib sheet here was gonna say this is what the greeks this is how they cheat skonaki its called little piece of dust, women put it up their wazoo because its abusive to look there so you know that’s how they cheat I had.. yea guys get caught.. basically well I guess you could stick it in your dick, try it.. it’s gotta be pretty big to take that.. anyway so uh.. what am I doing? yea I haven’t eaten yet, Friday night I went out, why am I doing this, first of all let me explain what’s gong on, we’re n Leicester square now, this is the center, this is the times square of England, it’s gonna be pedestrianized, bit less traffic, um.. God this thing weighs a ton change hands anyway.. so uh [reading crib sheet gorilla taped to left hand] I shoulda started with the theme song youtube breach of contract, wrongful termination, I’m seeng a lawyer ths week I’m gonna see a whole bunch of attorneys and see if there’s a case there, or if terms and conditions [afro gal waves] heeey! Street lanterns] what is this chinese new year still? Above the law, you know if they’re above the law lets all be above the law, break every rule, every law, make our own laws, it’s just chaos, anarchy, all these assholes that run the world are just criminals.. look at all the dictakers dictators we can’t even say what country otherwise they’ll kick us, you know we’ll get locked up or killed like Ai WeiWei that chinese artst.. or anybody who criticizes, I don’t even wanna say the countries because I wanna go there and enjoy myself, I don’t wanna be blackballed black listed.. or whatever, but anyway they’re all corrupt murderers, even.. don’t wanna call Trump that but he killed a bunch of people in Syria a bunch of women and children but anyway lets not go there no politics religion or Sinatra, Sinatra should be fair game, just ‘cause he’s a mobster we can’t joke about him? [joke] I didn’t say that I was kidding it was a joke you see now it’s like oh shit ok no I didn’t say t I read it.. his chauffeur said he got blow jobs, chauffeur knows he took the blows.. I need to interact n stop dong ths but no I had a few points to make.. breach of contract, wrongful termnaton, employment lawyers can fnd out if you can make up your own laws as far as wrongful termination goes, we’ll see about that, and oh shit I’m gonna be noticed.. & [reads crib sheet skonaki] libel defamation, they libeled & defamed me, um.. 5:37 you know saying violated a guideline, community guidelnes they they violate..so that’s illegal too, libel defamation, what else.. fullscreen network yea all that shit.. sorry I gotta make sure I cover this, I’m unprepared, which is more spontaneous anyway.. uh.. terms hypestat.. yea yea. So why am I doing this? Because hypestat shows I have a much larger number of unique visitors, that’s why I’m dong this, not for viewcounts, or the subscribers followers that don’t count, my unique visitors on georgegodley.com are way up so.. [loud ass amplified show- annoying amplification should be banned like in new york city times square & central park].. [looks like we might eat chinese after all! but not food lol] 8:49[chinese social flirt] h, hello.. [both wave] -korea! -yea?! -North korea! -I’m chinese (x2) we are chinese hello -mainland li shin ping, shi jin ping, -shi jin ping -we can’t, it’s not allowed to talk about ch..shh! right? -no I can talk -better not.. I saw the.. uh.. I know.. u can speak? -yea we can -you go back to china? Maybe 3 months.. -oh you do.. -wahts your tv show? -vlog.com -oh ah we know now thank you bye -hey wait here’s a card -it’s vlog.com but I didn’t have time to put it there.. it’s the same thng -ok thank you bye good luck -no you’re not allowed to criticize the dictator [dick taker] I mean the “president for life” so you know I don’t wanna get them in trouble cause if they’re going back there..i’d like to go there too you know without any problems you know. If I criticize then I’ll be lke an Ai Wei Wei guy so.. I mean you can’t say anything, gotta watch out.. no politics religion or Sinatra right? I might have to redo my monolog cause I think it was distorted I might put it up distorted anyway.. 8:55 bulgarian social flirt hi how u doin.. ooh water? Whats that? Soda water.. slovakis? Where you form? Bulgaria.. oh Bulgaria, riiight! If I show you some Bulgarian handwriting can you tell me what it is? -yea of course -I have some old photos, I don’t know what they are.. -photos? -old photos, old ones, I bought them a few years ago just for fun, & now I’m looking I’m like what does it say, you know.. -where are you from? -Greece -ok my mom was married in Greece -im American too half.. whats your name desislava? -no -haha I know it’s a common name there -japanese -ae you sure? -im a vlogger, just half, many a little piece coz I already ate.. -just take 1 & throw it away -I hope its not gelatin -healthy -thank you -mochi.. whats your name -Eugenia -oh ok George.. -you said half American other half is? -greek -sorry haha -didi you have along night last nght -no I didn’t sleep -studying here? -no work -as what -bar tender -around here? -yea battersea -I have a friend here giving flyers dong that job all hs lfe 20 30 years hes been standing here & he only gets paid if he brings people to the bar.. 13:00 they made casinos do you live in sofia? No but my city’s the 2nd largest,, -aum..Plovdiv -yea, you’re good! -& what about sunny beach & golden sands -never been -never went why not -other side -other side yea -just wanna see what it says -nice to mme you -are all Bulgarians so friendly -no im dfferent -why are you different what happened -I came here by myself start reading books became vegetarian..
CLOSE Fred Hoiberg excelled at the college level? Can he do the same in the NBA, where he was a highly-accurate long-range shooter? Iowa State Cyclones head coach Fred Hoiberg reacts during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Ferrell Center. (Photo11: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports) The Chicago Bulls have reached a deal with Fred Hoiberg to be their next coach, and Hoiberg, who has been the coach at Iowa State since 2010, will be introduced officially at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, a person familiar with the development told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the hire until it was announced by the team. Hoiberg took a private plane from Ames, Iowa to Chicago on Monday and told reporters at the Iowa airport that a deal had not been finalized. But finalizing it was a mere formality. "This is one of my life goals is to coach in that league," Hoiberg said. The Bulls have long had their eyes on Hoiberg, who played for them from 1999-2003 and is close with Bulls general manager Gar Forman. Forman was an Iowa State assistant when Hoiberg played there, and he bought Hoiberg's Chicago area home a few years ago. It's no secret the Bulls planned to pursue Hoiberg once they dismissed Tom Thibodeau. The Bulls fired Thibodeau last Thursday. Forman said the Bulls were looking for a coach "who's a leader, who's got great communication skills, who's got excellent knowledge of the game of basketball, someone that's an open and creative learner." CLOSE Recapping the biggest topics from the NBA. COLLEGE HOOPS COACHING CAROUSEL
- Ash Hat Pikachu have been confirmed to be the distribution for the upcoming Pokemon movie if you prebook your tickets - you will receive one Serial Code that comes with the special Pikashumium Z Crystal - this activates its special Z-Move, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt - Original Cap can be obtained from April 15th to May 1st and then July 19th to July 31st - Hoenn Cap from May 3rd through May 15th then again August 2nd through August 14th - Sinnoh Cap from May 17th to May 29th with a repeat on August 16th through August 28th - From May 31st through June 12th you can get the Unova Cap, repeated on August 30th through September 11th - From June 14th through June 26th you can get the Kalos Cap, repeated September 13th through 25th. - Finally, from June 28th to July 17th you can get the Alola Cap Pikachu, repeated from September 27th through October 9th. - You can only redeem a pre-booking ticket serial code once. We'll bring more as it comes
* Continental expects closing of deal in Q3 * Continental gains 1,900 software engineers * Elektrobit partners with VW, GM and Ford (Adds comment from Continental, detail and background) BERLIN, May 19 (Reuters) - Continental AG has bought Elektrobit Oyj’s automotive division for 600 million euros ($677.5 million) to meet growing demand for electronics and safety technology. The greater use of electronics and software in vehicles, and the ability of cars to connect to smartphones and other devices, is providing automakers, suppliers and technology firms with new business opportunities. The purchase of Elektrobit Automotive GmbH, which Continental said was unanimously backed by the Finland-based parent’s board of directors and may be closed in the third quarter, will add 1,900 software engineers to the Hanover-based group’s software development team, Continental said. Goldman Sachs will advise Continental on the transaction, a source familiar with the matter said. Elektrobit Automotive supplies embedded software solutions and services for carmakers including BMW, Daimler , Ford, GM and Volkswagen, according to the company’s website. “With this acquisition, Continental is strengthening its development capacity for current projects while boosting its technology development of systems for automated driving,” Continental said. Purchases have been in the making at Continental which, buoyed by 6.7 billion euros of liquidity reserves cash, reaffirmed earlier this month it remains on the lookout for acquisitions after concluding the purchase of U.S. rubber company Veyance Technologies this year.
by Previously we explored some meteorites that have been found on Earth that are very likely from Mars (Finding Mars on Earth). Only a small percentage of the meteorites found on Earth are from Mars with a few more (over 100) originating from the moon. The remainder presumably come from the far reaches of the solar system. Like the martian meteorites these other meteorites have been prized by scientists because they allow them to characterize other places in the solar system without leaving the earth. Envisioning the circumstances that brought Mars rocks to Earth may be difficult but below I want to show you some pictures of meteorites that should be a bit less surprising even if you have never considered their existence. I’m talking now about meteorites on the surface of Mars. Lets take a look…. The Opportunity rover on Mars has survived an amazing 8 years on the surface of Mars and has traveled many miles exploring three large craters and traversing long stretches of land between its main targets. Above we see a typical landscape that Opportunity has views along the way. This rover has taken literally 10s of thousands of images that look just like this. Well, except for one important detail. That rock in the foreground is way out of place! The flat plains of rock covered by small sand dunes is almost mind-numbingly constant so when a rock like this appears it screams out for an explanation. Although you might be able to propose several explanations for its presence the most obvious one is that this rock dropped from the heavens sometime after the formation of the bedrock material was laid down here. Lets look at a few more… This is my favorite one because it is the first meteorite discovered on another planet and I hypothesized that it was it prior to the press release announcing its discovery. During the first year of its mission I followed the Opportunity rover very closely which included looking at the raw images downloaded to Earth each day. One morning this picture came up and I said “hey, there is a meteorite right there on Mars.” How did I know? Partly because I had looked as a lot of pictures and knew that this was a flat boring area with no rocks in sight and so a rock like this had a high likelihood of being a meteorite. More importantly, the shape and obvious texture of the rock screamed out that it has passed through an atmosphere and experienced some melting. But I also had sitting on my desk a piece of meteorite found in Russian that has many of the same characteristics (see picture below). I figured this was probably an iron meteorite and sure enough about two days later there was a press release from NASA announcing the discovery of an iron meteorite on Mars. Or course they guess the same as I had based on similar experience with meteorites here on Earth and knowing the landscape on Mars. They took that initial hypothesis and then tested it with the tools they had at their disposal. They used the rovers arm to touch the rock and determine that it was made of a high percentage of iron element. Such high concentrations of iron do not occur naturally on earth nor are expected to occur on Mars and so a rock of such composition is almost certainly an extraterrestrial rock or in this case and extra-maritan rock. Yep, another iron meteorite on Mars. I think you are getting the idea now. This one is a bit tougher. This is an image from the Spirit rover which was traversing the inside of a huge crater on the other side of Mars and has been seeing a lot more diverse landscapes with rocky outcrops. But check out those two large lighter colored blocks in the foreground of this scene. Yes, two more meteorites or maybe one that broke into two pieces. There is the Opportunity rover again for scale and you guessed it, yet another probable meteorite. I don’t think that Opportunity even bothered to do any measurements on this one. Once you have seen a couple they aren’t so special anymore. These meteorites may have been sitting here for 10 days, 10 years, 10,000 years or a million years. It is hard to know but these iron meteorites wouldn’t last a 100 years on the surface of Earth because they would simply rust away. We have water and O2 in the atmosphere. Mars has neither and because they are so hard they experience extremely slow erosion rates. It would take millions of years for wind to erode these away. As a result these meteorites build up in concentration on Mars while on Earth iron meteorites are very rare to find. The rovers have been seeing iron meteorites every couple hundred meters and there are probably 100 very small meteorites that go unnoticed for every larger one that they find. What is more interesting is that other places on Mars where the surface has had less change (here the dunes could be covering up many meteorites as they shift over time) there appear to be a higher concentration of similar rocks. In a way the relative age of a landscape can be roughly determined by the difference in number from one location to another since we can assume that the chances of a meteorite fall at all locations near the equator of Mars are the same. In the picture above you can’t see a meteorite but you can see evidence that a micrometeorite has landed here. In fact, a bit further away it appears there might be a second, probably older, micro-crater (I say older because it appears to have eroded some). In the past I have used a similar picture in one of my non-majors science classes and asked them to suggest hypotheses for the origins of what they are observing. Some suggest that the rover touched its arm down here, others suggest that wind has caused this, sometimes I get the suggestion that a crack int he rock below is caused sand to fall down creating this tiny sinkhole. Usually a few people will suggest a meteorite. I always point out that if they lived in the western US they might be temped to blame ant lions which dig holes in the sand that look just like this and wait for an ant to slide down the scope into their open jaws at the bottom. Hypotheses are educated explanations for something we observe. There are always many possible explanations but further testing will sort out which hypotheses is most likely. To test the micrometeorite hypothesis we could dig up the sand and see if we can find the culprit. We could also test the other hypothesis by examining predictions from them. Is there a crack in the bedrock under this sand dune? I point out to the students that the arm of the Opportunity rover can only extend a couple feet from the edge of the rover and this little crater is at least 6 feet away so I would predict that if the rover were responsible we should see wheel tracks very close to it. How old are these small craters? The meteorites lying on the surface or mars and the impact craters that some produce can tell us quite a bit about the history of the planet. While it is very difficult to say exactly how long ago these meteorites landed on Mars they do tell us about the relative history of events. For example the two “micro” craters in the picture above can be inferred to be of different ages based on how much each one has been filled wish Mars sand. The closer one seems very fresh as it happened yesterday but the Opportunity rover has been roving for 8 years and has not observed any wind during that time that has caused any shifting of sands in this area. When was the last time there was enough wind to move any significant sand is not known but it could have been 10 years or 10,000 years ago or much much longer? I would point out for those that known Martian climate studies that Mars is known to have a severe wobble over 5 million years and so the climate is expected to have been very different at a maximum of that long ago. I have noticed many similar micrometeorite impact craters on the rovers travels suggesting that either the rate of meteorite impacts on Mars is very very high compared to Earth or these craters are being preserved for much much longer on Mars. If these sands were constantly shifting even over thousand year periods I would not expect the number of meteorite impacts such as these should not be as evident as they are. My prediction would be that if the Curiosity rover finds more active dunes in Gale crater that it won’t find as many micrometeorite impacts there. By quantifying the number of these small impacts and meteorites on the surface at different locations the relative ages of these sites can be determined. Above we see the result of a larger meteorite impact on the surface of Mars. If you look at this image in full size you will see that there are a couple of black rocks mixed in which could possibly represent the remains of the meteorite that caused this little crater. This crate is rather “fresh” in appearance compared to the one in the background which has been eroded down to smooth sides and a flat top. Eventually wind will erode the rocks that were excavated from this crater until they just become more sand on the surface. That will probably take several million years unless there is some new erosive force available in the future (lots of water would definitely speed things up). How old is this crater, probably very old but young compared to the other features in this picture. The crater in the distance if far older (maybe a billion years older!) and has experienced massive amounts of erosion. The plains in the foreground had to be eroded down to the flat bedrock that we see now (image that at on time there were mounds of material that were ejected from the crater in the distance that have since all worn away by the wind) before this new crater was formed. The rocks thrown our are still a bit jagged but clearly have experienced some erosion and so are likely to be thousands or 10s of thousands of years old at least. So meteorites have played and continued to play a big role in shaping the surface of Mars. The time scales are difficult to comprehend staring at these pictures but the appearance of very different amounts of erosion paint a clear picture of large time differences between events. I have explored these time differences and their implications in more depth in other articles. For those discussions please see: Kamil Meteorite Crater: A “Young” Impact on Earth Compared to Craters on Mars Apparent Age: Craters on Mars Perceptions of Age: Craters on Mars Meteorite Impact Craters and Apparent Age – An Addendum
When 17-year-old Lafeyette High School junior Tom Niday passed away in a car accident two years ago, an entire community was devastated. Universally beloved by peers and teachers, Tom touched the lives of everyone around him. Now, in a powerful tribute, his school is honoring his memory by establishing the Tom Niday Memorial Scholarship Fund for students who look like Tom. Simply incredible. It breaks the hearts of LHS students and faculty that Tom will never go to college, but through this fund, dozens of kids who look like him can. Thanks to his community’s efforts, Tom’s spirit lives on in the form of a generous memorial fund that gives high school students resembling Tom a whopping $2,000 in financial aid. The scholarship is renewable, which means that recipients get $2,000 every year for four years as long as they continue to look kind of like Tom. Advertisement Tom’s death was a tragedy, but for Tom’s near-doppelgängers across the country, it wasn’t in vain. Hundreds of applicants have flooded the scholarship board with photos and personal statements on why they think they look like Tom. Below are some of the college seniors who will soon be pursuing their bachelor’s degrees thanks to this wonderful commemoration of Tom: Advertisement What a beautiful gesture. It’s nice to know that Tom’s legacy won’t soon be forgotten. He may be gone, but his likenesses will be roaming college campuses nationwide for years to come.
Choosing the right type of anchor for a boat is arguably one of the least understood parts of seamanship. Most people think, “How difficult can it be to choose an anchor for my boat? After all, it just holds the boat in place, right?” They couldn’t be more wrong. Anyone who has spent time boating knows that proper boat anchoring requires the right equipment, local seabed knowledge, and careful selection, all of which can lead to confusion when trying to make a decision. If you choose the wrong anchor, there is a solid chance that your boat will drift into maritime channels, collide with other boats, or drift ashore while you sleep. While some anchors can be expensive, instead of taking the risk it’s a far better idea to invest in the right anchor for your boat right away. How to Choose It is easy to be confused when looking just at all the different types, but the easiest way to choose an anchor is to combine the type of seabed you will primarily be anchoring in, your boat size/weight and stowage. The primary factor should be the seabed as an anchor that stows well but doesn’t hold the seabed is useless for anything other than a private artificial reef or paperweight. Types and Categories of Anchors There are several different types of anchors available to choose from and most boating specialists will recommend you choose two varieties to ensure anchorage for your boat should one not hold in a particular seabed, to reduce swing in a crowded harbor or in adverse weather conditions to hold down the boat and keep it put. Generally, as wind speed doubles the force on the boat increases by four ―two anchors will be required to stabilize the boat. Fluke / Danforth / Lightweight Anchor The most popular type of anchor is the fluke anchor. This anchor is also referred to as the Lightweight or the Danforth. The fluke anchor is lightweight, and easy to stow. It holds small boats well in mud and sand and it is the most common anchor used on small boats. They tend to be some of the cheapest anchors, so this may also contribute to their popularity with recreational boaters. Not all fluke style anchors are created equal though. The angle of the flukes to the shaft and size of the flukes (both width and length) vary and should be considered depending on the seabed. For example, wider flukes and larger shaft angle can perform better in mud bottoms than longer flukes with a smaller angle as this allows for more suction to be created by the mud and less chance of the anchor pulling out. >> Click Here to see Fluke / Danforth Anchors Plow / CQR / Wing / Delta These anchor style are mostly variations of an older plow style of anchor. They offer good weed penetrating capabilities due to the sharp entry point and holding power in various conditions. In general, these anchors reset themselves quite well in wind or rapid tide conditions. These anchors are also preferred in grass, mud, and sand bottoms. However, these anchors are very big and stowing them is quite difficult for smaller boats so these anchors are preferred on larger boats due to the stability they offer. While some, such as the CQR are still quite popular they have been shown to not hold as well as others such as the Delta so care should be used if selecting from this style of anchor to ensure you are selecting the best performing option. >> Click Here to see Plow / CQR / Delta Anchors Claw / Bruce Anchor The claw or Bruce anchor is a popular anchor due to its holding ability in varied seabed conditions but generally requires a larger anchor than a claw or plow style for the same application. One of its weaknesses is holding in a weedy seabed, which tends to allow the anchor to slide rather than penetrate the surface. Due to their reduced holding power compared to other anchors, the claw definitely requires proper size selection along with the right amount of chain or will lead to frustration when the anchor doesn’t hold. With the proper setup for a claw anchor, it will hold well, reset itself quickly should it become loose during swings from tidal changes and allow for use in many seabed conditions. >> Click Here to see Claw / Bruce Anchors Grapnel Anchor Grapnel anchors are a good choice for small boats that don’t require a lot of holding power in situations where the bottom is rocky and gives the points something to hook onto. Unfortunately, the hooking function can sometimes make grapnel anchors incredibly difficult to retrieve. Some grapnel style anchors such as the one pictured here are folding which can be a big benefit on small craft, not only to minimize the storage space required, but to remove the hazard of stepping or falling onto one of the sharp points. >> Click Here to see Grapnel Anchors Mushroom Anchor The mushroom anchor works primarily based on weight and suction and is not very popular in recreational boating, although has been used by some on very small and light craft such as jon boats and kayaks in an environment where current and wind are not major factors although a grapnel style anchor would be a better choice. Mushroom anchors are also very popular in holding buoys or in mooring situations where over time the seabed can build up over the anchor and drastically increase the holding power. But for recreational boating, who has the time to wait this long for their anchor to set? Skip this style unless you have a very specific application you know it will work for. >> Click Here to see Mushroom Anchors Kedge / Navy Anchor When you hear the word “anchor” isn’t the picture of the Kedge / Navy anchor what you first imagine? Whether that is due to seeing it on the side of old ships in movies or cartoons still remains a mystery to modern man. While this style is still used in large ships, it is of nearly no use for the common recreational boater for anything other than decorative purposes (which is why if you look close, you’ll see our chosen image is a wooden decorative one) on a boat house or tiki hut wall. >> Click Here to see Kedge / Navy Anchors Scoop / Rocna / Supreme Anchor The Rocna or Supreme anchor is a modified scoop or plow style anchor, generally with a roll bar that helps to facilitate the anchor rolling over to reset itself should it become loose. In multiple tests, the Rocna or Supreme style anchors were the best all-around performers in varied seabed conditions and these style of anchors tend to be popular with cruisers due to the various seabed conditions they may encounter while on their travels. >> Click Here to see Scoop / Rocna / Supreme Anchors Sea Anchor / Drift Anchor / Drift Sock What about sea anchors? You may have heard or seen the term “sea anchor” and might be wondering what one is. A sea anchor is not an anchor at all but rather a “sock” or funnel that is primarily used to slow down your drift in relation to the current or stabilize your boat at drift in rough conditions. As far as holding your boat at rest, it is useless and should not be considered. >> Click Here to see Sea / Drift Anchors & Drift Socks Boat Size & Anchor Weight When the anchor is dropped, it penetrates the surface of the seabed and creates suction. The weight of the anchor and the suction creates holding power that prevents boat movement. Holding power of modern anchors can vary between 10 times to 200 times the anchor’s weight depending on the style of anchor and seabed conditions. Anchor weight is an important factor that should not be ignored. Boat manufacturers may recommend a weight range and anchor size for your boat and anchor manufacturers may recommend a length and / or displacement rating for their anchors. Make sure you stick to the values recommended to ensure holding. Bottom Conditions Anchors need to create adequate resistance in the sea bottom. As a result, they have to impact and penetrate the sea bottom or snag protrusions on the sea bottom. Before choosing an anchor, you have to consider sea bottom conditions and then make a choice. Here are some general rules of thumb: Sand bottom: Fluke anchors and non-hinged scoop or plow anchors are a good choice Mud bottom: Broader shank fluke anchors help create additional suction. Rock or coral bottom: High-strength plow or grapnel anchors hold better here. Clay bottom: Sharp entry point plow or scoop anchors. Grassy bottom: Sharp entry point plow anchors. Special anchors may be required for special situations or if a particular type of anchor doesn’t hold in your primary seabed type. If in doubt, ask those who are experienced in the area. Online boating forums can be of particular help if you are planning a trip to a location you are unfamiliar with. Anchor Materials Most anchors are made from galvanized steel, lightweight magnesium/aluminum combinations or Grade 316 stainless steel. Most boat owners choose galvanized steel as it is affordable, corrosion-resistant, and lightweight but you can choose any variety you want depending on your boating needs and budget. Anchor Rode: Chain or Line The anchor shackle connects the anchor to the rode or chain. You can attach the anchor to the boat with a rope, chain, or a combination of both. Rope lines are commonly used and they can be made from nylon, polyester, or other synthetic materials. However, nylon rope is strong, lightweight, and easy to use. It is also incredibly elastic and affordable. Some materials will degrade over time in the sun due to UV exposure so be sure to choose a material that is durable for your environment. Chains are also commonly used and they have the advantage of being abrasion resistant and environmentally stable. If your boat is in coral-infested areas, chains are a far better option than ropes this is because coral is sharp and can cut the rope. If the chain is long enough, it also adds to the weight of the anchor and ensures better stability. You can choose from BBB, high-test, stainless steel, and proof coil for your anchor chains. Each version has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, steel-proof coil is the most affordable and the easiest to use. BBB chains have shorter links but the entire chain is heavier and difficult to handle. High-test is not as strong as BBB and proof coil but it is lighter and easier to handle. Some boaters like stainless-steel as it is corrosion-resistant but it can be expensive. You can find corrosion-resistant or vinyl-coated chains available as well. Combining Chains & Rope Most boaters now use a combination of chains and ropes to manage the anchor weight. Combination rodes are used since they combine the strengths of both ropes and chains. A shorter length of chain is combined with a long length of three-strand nylon to prevent abrasion. You may have to choose a long scope (7:1) to compensate for the low weight of the rode. Spliced rodes are also available as they are long lasting and stable. You can buy readymade spliced rodes but some boaters prefer to make their own. This process produces a sleek rode that is easy to handle, lightweight, and abrasion-resistant. How much chain? Rules of thumb vary depending who you ask but generally are from 1/2 to a full boat length of chain and depends on your usage. For example, a 20ft boat could have anywhere from 10-20 feet of chain. More is always better, but in some scenarios you may not need as much. If, for example you were to only boat in calm condition, not be subject to much wind or current and not anchoring overnight then you may be fine with 10 ft of chain. Size of chain also plays a factor – thicker or heavier chain will require less than a smaller diameter chain. Each situation will be different so consider yours carefully and err on the side of caution. Now that you know how to choose anchors, make sure you choose the best anchor possible according to your budget. Cheap anchors are available but they are often made from low-quality castings and have suspect hinge designs. They may not be able to withstand pressure and tides and you could end up in some serious trouble at sea. Invest in the best and you’ll have one less thing to worry about on the water.
Was Dem challenger in NY-23 against the SAFE Act before she was for it? NY-23, my home district, is a focus for both parties for 2014 because it is one of only a few competitive districts. The district is geographically enormous, a mostly rural area running along the Southern Tier of upstate New York. Once you leave Ithaca, it’s a whole other country. Which is why incumbent Republican Tom Reed should be okay by a few percentage points. 2nd Amendment rights, and opposition to the NY SAFE Act, are big issues. Tompkins County, which includes Ithaca, is the exception. Tompkins County is one of only two upstate counties which has not passed a Resolution opposing the SAFE Act. Guess who was the Democratic Chair of the Tompkins County legislature: Martha Robertson, the Emily’s List-backed challenger to Reed. The SAFE Act is in play in the race because of Robertson’s confusing voting record, where she appears to have both voted for and against the SAFE Act. WETM 18 reports: Local lawmakers are calling on congressional candidate Martha Robertson to state her position on the New York SAFE Act and 2nd Amendment rights. Of the 11 counties in the 23rd Congressional District, 10 of them have passed resolutions calling for the repeal of the SAFE Act. Tompkins County, where Robertson serves on the legislature and was Chair of the Legislature until the beginning of this year, has not. Robertson voted against a resolution in support of the SAFE Act in April of 2013, but some local Republicans say that isn’t good enough. An open letter has been circulating around Republican committees throughout the 23rd Congressional District calling on Robertson to explain her position on the SAFE Act and 2nd Amendment rights. “It’s very important for sports enthusiasts, gun owners, and defenders of the 2nd Amendment to know where their candidates stand on the issues and we’re asking Martha Robertson to take a stand on the issue and oppose the SAFE Act,” said Rodney Strange, a Republican legislator in the Chemung County Legislature. “She’s still not making a full statement stating that this is not legal, it’s not good legislation, and I’m fully against it,” said Edward Fairbrother, Town Supervisor in Big Flats. WETM-TV reached out to Martha Robertson’s campaign Wednesday, and they responded, releasing a statement that said, “ …. Martha opposes the SAFE ACT and voted against it – period.” Again, Robertson voted against a resolution in support of the SAFE Act in April of 2013. But according to the Tompkins County Meeting Minutes, Robertson voted against an amendment that opposed the SAFE Act. The minutes also show that Robertson “yes” on a motion to refer the resolution in support of the SAFE Act to committee, but then voted against it on final vote…. My own inquiry to the campaign on Robertson’s SAFE Act position has not been returned. That’s becoming an unfortunate pattern. I also inquired for the 3rd or 4th time about whether Robertson had hired a forensic computer expert to back up her claim that GOP operatives tried to take down her fundraising website, something she promised to do. But still no response. Update: Although this report focuses on upstate areas outside the district, it is a good indication how deep the opposition runs upstate. That even an Ithaca-area liberal like Robertson now is running away from the SAFE Act tell you everything: Related posts:
Techno-libertarian VC king Peter Thiel just promised $2,000,000 to kids in love with software. For scholarships? Nah—they get they ditch their education and form startups instead. The billionaire dropout is Silicon Valley's golden archetype—the image of software Christ toward which all youngs should march. It worked for Mark Zuckerberg (although let's remember, he only left Harvard after Facebook was picking up steam), so it could work for you, right? Right? Peter Thiel's "20 Under 20" grant is sort of an anti-scholarship, promising young winners with a startup idea $100,000 paid out over two years, and a chance to stop going to silly classes and work on that idea instead. It's not really a chance—you must stop going to college in order to get the money. The no school part is serious business: certain exceptions can be made for audited classes not for credit, but actual, formalized learning is verboten—unless you want to give up that cash, which you'll need to live in San Francisco (where the fellowship strongly urges winners to relocate). Let's meet this year's dropouts (and their ideas worth dropping out for) Andrew Brackin (18, London) — Bunchy, a funding platform that allows organizations to raise money from their audience on their social platforms and websites. Austin Russell (18, Newport Beach, Calif.) — Austin will be focusing on 3D depth mapping and projection of interactive holograms through a compact laser-based module. Christopher Walker (20, Chevy Chase, Md.) — Chris will focus on developing interactive software to teach technical skills like programming, music and mathematics. Daniel Zulla (19, Regensburg, Germany) — A secure computing architecture used for servers and desktop computers alike. Darren Lim (19, Singapore) — He is currently working on a startup to improve how we interact with technology. Delian Asparaouhov (19, Salt Lake City) — Technology to help manage disease and improve patient outcomes. Diwank Singh Tomer (19, Palo Alto, Calif.) — A collaborative learning platform. Gary Le (19, East Brunswick, N.H.) — A real-time online identity verification system for various applications in e-commerce, online communities and collaborative consumption businesses. James Schuler (19, Armonk, N.Y.) — As a Thiel Fellow, James will work to improve crowd funding in order to revolutionize the campaign finance market. Kevin Wang (18, Vernon Hills, Ill.) — As a Thiel Fellow, he aims to simplify the world of law and open source software to end the wasteful litigation epidemic. Laura Ball (19, Wauwatosa, Wis.) — She would like to determine how information becomes important, and how important information maintains dominance over other information in order to define our conscious mind-states and behavioral responses. Maddy Maxey (18, San Diego) Maddy will focus on optimizing the clothing patterns and the enterprise software that make our current garment industry inefficient. Mark Daniel (19, Nashville) Since then, he has been building StatusHawk, a workplace accountability tool that changes the way that companies handle status reports. As a Thiel Fellow, Mark will focus on building this early stage company into a profitable and sustainable business. Nelson Zhang (19, Toronto) He is currently working on a desktop fabricator for electronics, aimed at lowering iteration time and costs for hardware companies. Nick Liow (18, Vancouver) — He’s challenging copyright by building ways for creators to get paid for giving their work to the public domain. Riley Drake (18, Baltimore) — During her fellowship she intends to apply physical principles to virology: using biophysics to create broad-spectrum viral therapies. Riley Ennis (19, McLean, Va.) — Immudicon, an early-stage biotechnology company that has developed a novel cancer vaccine platform and telemetric sweat-monitoring device in order to improve diagnosis and treatment. Ritesh Agarwal (19, New Delhi) — As a Thiel Fellow, Ritesh will use technology to bring affordable and standardized accommodations to emerging economies across the world, starting in India. Thomas Sohmers (17, Hudson, Mass.) — Currently, Thomas is working on developing a new computing platform that uses very low powered processors in a cluster to transform the server, cloud and research computing industries. William LeGate (18, Marietta, Ga.) — During his fellowship, he plans to change the way that we discover apps for things around us. Xinyi Chen (19, Beijing) — She participated in the Tigerlabs accelerator last summer and developed prototypes for her project Helios, which attempts to make telepresence devices accessible to average families. Zach Hamed (20, Holbrook, N,Y.) — As a Thiel Fellow, Zach wants to develop a suite of beautifully-designed tools for K-12 teachers, saving them time, providing them supplemental income and helping them do what they do best—teach. All of this probably beats the hell out of whatever you were thinking about when you were 18, sure—and it's terrific that they want to do something new, interesting, and on their own. But there's no guarantee any of these ideas will work, or work better than they would've with a degree in hand. Thiel touts the $34 million that the previous two classes of 40 fellows have raised since dropping out, but that's no indicator of success or longevity. If these startups fizzle, for whatever reason, they'll be on their own, at the mercy of a college that may or may not have granted them a two year deferral. Thiel would say it's worth it—and for a man like him, it probably is. The more our new economy becomes one that rewards dropouts and hazard, the more horses investors have at the track. For VC firms, years spent in college and not hacking and disrupting are years potentially squandered. Years these kids could have been making the next... something. If they do, great for them. But if they don't, they might wish they'd stayed in the dorm. [via Forbes]
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.: Bruce Campbell is used to being treated like a conquering hero when he appears at fan conventions. As Ash Williams in the "Evil Dead" movies, Campbell has won a passionately loyal fan base, who adore Ash's demon-killing skills, and Campbell's flamboyant persona, which is equal parts larger-than-life swagger and Looney Tunes humor. Campbell is currently riding the wave of a fresh burst of fan enthusiasm, pegged to "Ash vs Evil Dead." The new horror series, which debuts on Starz on Oct. 31, features Campbell again playing the role he made famous in "The Evil Dead," "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness." Before taking the stage here at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, where he joined his costar Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess") and old friend and fellow Michigan native Sam Raimi (director of the "Evil Dead" movies), Campbell sat down for an interview. As an Oregon resident, Campbell was quick to give Oregon a shout-out: "I miss it bad," he said, though he certainly looked chipper, resplendent in a white jacket, with his dark brown hair neatly combed. Campbell and his family bought property in Southern Oregon in 1998. "We have a little place in Ashland," he said, "and a place out in the boonies in the Applegate (valley.)" It didn't take long for Campbell to fasten on something else he really likes about Oregon, namely, the recent vote legalizing recreational marijuana use. "It about (bleeping) time," Campbell said. "Oregon now treats you like an adult. If you can buy alcohol, you should be able to buy marijuana. I have not seen a recorded overdose yet of marijuana, yet college kids are dying by the dozens every single weekend with alcohol. So give me a break." Warming to the topic, Campbell continued, "So finally, Oregon got it together. And what's up with California? C'mon, it should be leading the charge. Colorado did it before. What they did is they made it like beer. You can't have it in your car, it can't be an open container, you've got to be 21. It has to have rules. And you have to tax the living crap out of it. The taxes the state is going to get from that are going to be ridiculous, because it's not on the black market anymore. You've got to buy it, in a transaction, and here's my tax. It's like wine or beer or liquor. Hit it with the sin tax, and then it'll never go away." Campbell is so high on legal marijuana that he's got a cover photo shoot with High Times magazine coming. "I wanted to do it on my property," he says," but the timing didn't work." Living in Southern Oregon, which has a long history as an illegal marijuana-growing locale, has given Campbell some additional insights. "My valley is where they train federal officers to identify grow operations from the air," he says, "because there are so many." A few years back, Campbell had some first-hand experience with overhead surveillance. "Sheriffs' helicopters hovered over my property and counted my plants," he says. "But my paperwork was in order. I wasn't about to dance around with that. The thing turned and went away, and never came back. I'm like, God bless America." Before recreational marijuana was legal in Oregon, Campbell used it for medicinal purposes. He doesn't grow it on his property anymore, though. "You've got to jump through hoops" to get medical marijuana approval, Campbell says. "Thankfully, I've been injured in movies so many times I have a long litany of things I can say I need it for. It's medicinal, 100 percent. It's actually the only medicine in my cabinet. I'm 57, and I take no prescription medications whatsoever." The medical benefits of marijuana are real, says Campbell. "You don't think about the pain. The pain goes away because you're thinking about other stuff. My brain gets engaged. I don't want the zombie weed. I'm a functional stoner. I have stuff to do. And I don't do it when I work. I don't drink when I work, I don't smoke when I work. I work very level-headed. On a TV show like this, it's the only way to get through." But when he's off the clock, "that's my time. People have this image of stoners being non-productive. I directed this movie a couple of years ago called 'My Name is Bruce.' I shot it on my property." He was stumped for a while, he recalls, over how to shoot a complicated sequence. "I thought, there's got to be a better way. Sitting on my back deck, I rolled one up, and smoked it up and I got the answer: I'm going to do it in one shot. I don't know if I would've thought of that if I hadn't been stoned." Marijuana is still misunderstood in some quarters, Campbell says. "You don't hear about guys smoking weed and getting in bar fights." The worst that might happen when you smoke weed, he says, is "you wake up in the morning and your Oreos are gone. And your lungs hurt a little bit." But marijuana is "not for everybody," Campbell says. "I've had the drug talk with my two kids. I told them, stay away from pharmaceuticals. You talk about 'E,' or this or that, and you don't know where that comes from, or what it's been cut with. If you see something God put on this planet, that's what you choose." Campbell's kids are adults now, he adds. His 31-year-old-year-old daughter just gave birth to a daughter, making Campbell a grandfather. And his son is 28. "I got that done early," he says of having kids. "I'm glad. I'm so busy now, I don't want to be chasing rug rats around. We're done shooting 'Ash vs Evil Dead,' which was its own four months of intensity. Now, it's sales time. I'm going to five conventions in five cities, and shouting from the highest hill." Campbell has been happy at the enthusiastic reception the trailer for "Ash vs Evil Dead" has received from fans after it was released online. Starz is the right home for "Ash vs Evil Dead," Campbell adds. "You can do anything. Look, it's not like our goal is to wake up in the morning, and figure out how to gross people out. Horror is horror. These demons are very nasty, very vicious, very bloodthirsty. So bad things are going to happen." "Ash vs Evil Dead" premieres on Starz on Oct. 31. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
Ever fished with someone who took silence to another level? Who would look at you like they’d beat you up when you’d try to make conversation, or believed any little noise would scare the fish? Maybe you’re like that? I don’t know that I am, but I do believe that stealthiness on the water is important. I don’t know that a little conversation will scare fish, but I do believe that a paddle not being put down gently enough will. Like some other species of fish, redfish are known for being easy to spook. The task of catching one becomes more difficult the shallower the water is. You can take many measures to insure that you’re not making any extra noise, but sometimes they seem to spook off anyway. I’m hoping to touch on a few of the different tactics that I’ve used in order to target and catch some of the most easily spooked fish on the Gulf Coast. One thing that I’ve learned while in the kayak is that if something can move or become loose, somehow it will. This can sometimes create a thumping on the hull as loose items rock with the boat. A solution for this problem, quite popular already, is to add silencing foam strategically throughout the boat. Anywhere your paddle or rods make regular contact are also good places to stealth up! I have silencing foam added onto my Jackson Kayak “Cuda 14” on the rod-tip protector, rod stagers, and paddle-stagers. Silencing foam can be purchased in sheets from many kayak dealers. This would allow you to cut pieces to specifically fit your boat. If you’re the type of person who would prefer purchasing a complete kit of silencing foam pre-cut to your kayak’s specifications, some brands offer it as an add-on. Jackson Kayak has just starting selling deck pads for their kayaks through their online store. Another brand that does full kits for many kayaks, but is slightly more expensive, is Seadek. Seadek offers kits to fit Native, Hobie, Jackson, and Wilderness System fishing kayaks. As a sight-fisherman, I spend a lot of time in my kayak standing up. While standing, I like to use my paddle as a poling device similar to what you’d see on a flats boat. However, when using your paddle in this way and you see a tailing redfish, you have to put down the paddle and pick up the right rod and quickly enough that you don’t lose sight of the fish. It sounds easier than it is! In order to make this whole process a bit easier, I sometimes use a belt with a taco paddle clip on it. This allows me to be able to pop the paddle into the belt and then reach down for the rod quickly. Not only does this speed up the entire process, but you also don’t have to worry about how gently you’re putting the paddle down to keep it from making noise. This project is very much a DIY as there is no product made by any company at the current time. My local shop, Pack & Paddle, does sell a version of the design that is made locally and they are happy to ship anywhere. Finally, maybe the easiest and trickiest fish scaring remedy that I have to mention: Sometimes, no matter what I’m doing, the fish still are just too spooky for me to even just make a cast to. Sometimes they spook while I’m still trying to get close enough to make a cast. In situations like this, I’ll stop and evaluate my paddling. Am I causing a lot of commotion in the water while trying to push myself forward? A key thing to remember is that it doesn’t take much effort to move most kayaks forward, so if you’re exerting a lot of force into your paddle stroke and churning up a lot of water each time you paddle, that could be putting shallow water fish on high alert. If you find that this is happening to you, just slow down and gently move your paddle through the water. The solution is that simple! Of course, we all have days when the fish won’t cooperate. On days like that we can scout, or just take in the beauty of the locations that kayak fishing can take us. However, I hope this article does help you catch more skinny-water spooky fish!
Administration and military officials said the strategy would include other elements, like accelerated training of Afghan troops, expanded economic development and reconciliation with less radical members of the Taliban. But such a strategy would be open to complaints that American and allied forces were in effect giving insurgents free rein across large parts of the nation, allowing the Taliban to establish ministates with training camps that could be used by Al Qaeda . “We are not talking about surrendering the rest of the country to the Taliban,” a senior administration official said. Military officers said that they would maintain pressure on insurgents in remote regions by using surveillance drones and reports from people in the field to find pockets of Taliban fighters and to guide attacks, in particular by Special Operations forces. But a range of officials made the case that many insurgents fighting Americans in distant locations are motivated not by jihadist ideology, but by local grievances, and are not much of a threat to the United States or to the government in Kabul. At the heart of this strategy is the conclusion that the United States cannot completely eradicate the insurgency in a nation where the Taliban is an indigenous force — nor does it need to in order to protect American national security. Instead, the focus would be on preventing Al Qaeda from returning in force while containing and weakening the Taliban long enough to build Afghan security forces that would eventually take over the mission. Photo In effect, the approach blends ideas advanced by General McChrystal and by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. , seen as opposite poles in the internal debate. Advertisement Continue reading the main story General McChrystal has sought at least 40,000 more troops for a counterinsurgency strategy to protect Afghan civilians so they will support the central government. Mr. Biden has opposed a buildup, contending that a bigger military footprint could be counterproductive and that fighting Al Qaeda in Pakistan should be the top priority. A strategy of protecting major Afghan population centers would be “McChrystal for the city, Biden for the country,” as one administration official put it. Officials said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was playing a crucial role, balancing the case made by commanders with the skepticism of some civilians on Mr. Obama’s war council as the debate entered its final days. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content , updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. A senior military officer said the developing strategy adopted General McChrystal’s central tenet. “We are no longer thinking about just destroying the enemy in a conventional way,” the officer said. “We must remove the main pressure that civilians live under, which is the constant intimidation and corruption and direct threat from the insurgency.” The officer said General McChrystal wanted the most expansive definition of population centers to include fertile valleys, economic belts and major roadways, in particular the national ring road central for commerce, as well as four or five roadways linking Afghanistan eastward to Pakistan and westward to Iran . Officials said no exact statistics were available for the percentage of the Afghan population that would fall under a new population-centered policy. Elements of the strategy are already being carried out. Over the past month, General McChrystal has closed half a dozen isolated military outposts in towns like Wanat, where nine Americans were killed in a vicious firefight in July 2008. The decision to close these bases has allowed the general to shift nearly 1,000 troops to other missions. Historical analogies are imperfect, but the strategy being put in place can be viewed as a rejection of arguments that individual villages have a strategic importance — a Vietnam -era mistake — instead building on the lessons of the Iraq troop increase, when large population areas received the most reinforcements. Senator John F. Kerry , Democrat of Massachusetts , the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee who has been working closely with the administration on Afghanistan, signaled the current thinking in a speech on Monday: “We don’t have to control every hamlet and village, particularly when non-Pashtun sections of the country are already hostile to the Taliban.” One possible focus in the administration debate centers on Helmand, a lightly populated farming area and Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. For years, insurgents controlled much of the province, but Marines arrived in force this year to reinforce British troops. Some administration officials ask whether it makes sense for 20 percent of the foreign forces to be protecting 3 percent of the country’s population. But others point out that Helmand’s fertile valley is important to Afghanistan’s economy and that it has become a major source of opium used to finance the insurgency. Advertisement Continue reading the main story
From June 13-19, C&K Online Editor Dave Costello volunteered as a camp photographer at a First Descents program in Hood River, Ore. The nonprofit organization helps young adult cancer survivors learn how to defy their cancer diagnoses, reclaim their lives, and connect with others doing the same. Below is the first of five lessons learned from the weeklong camp. Click HERE to read the second lesson, HERE for the third, HERE for the fourth, and HERE for the fifth. By Dave Costello Balanced with my camera on a partially submerged rock in the middle of a Class II rapid on Washington's Klickitat River, I'm not sure what to think of the scene in front of me. Everyone's swimming—next to the kayaks they're supposed to be paddling. One after another, I watch as nearly every one of the 11 First Descents participants on this week's introduction to whitewater kayaking course takes their turn catching an edge, flipping over, wet-exiting, and bumping feet first down their first, shallow rapid. It's Day 2, and they look absolutely terrified. "Feet up!" I yell, still snapping photos while watching Wet Planet's volunteer instructors cheerily corral the swimmers into the large, calm eddy. 'My God,' I think. 'We're torturing cancer patients.' Then I start to wonder if this whole ‘using whitewater as a tool for personal growth and empowerment’ thing is really such a good idea. I mean, scaring people is how you're supposed to cure the hiccups. Not cancer. Out the corner of my eye I see "Down Town," a 28-year-old handyman, mountain biker and snowboarder from Whitefish, Mont., who has a cancerous tumor, walk back upriver with his boat on his shoulder. Everyone at camp gets a nickname. (Mine, rather predictably, is "Elvis.”) I watch for the second time as he launches from the top of the rapid, catches an edge and flips over. He doesn't swim this time, though. He waits for the T-rescue from the instructor behind him, just as he and the rest of the group had practiced the day before on the lake. He's grinning from ear to ear when he pops up. Everybody cheers. "Way to hold out for that rescue," I tell him when I get back in my boat and catch up with the group downstream, impressed at the newbie kayaker’s calm under pressure. "It was easier than I expected," He tells me. "I was actually pretty afraid of swimming before I did, but then it wasn't all that bad. I figured, 'What's the worst that's going to happen? I'll just swim again,' so I was able to hold out a little longer, and it worked out." His words remind me of something I had been told by a paddling mentor of mine years ago when I was just learning how to paddle, and swimming every other time I sat in a boat. "We're all just in between swims anyway," I tell him. He nods knowingly, and I realize swimming down this small rapid in southern Washington on this sunny day might not have been such a bad idea after all. — Elvis Visit FirstDescents.org for more information about the program, and stay tuned for the next four river lessons. First Descents is one of five philanthropic paddling programs nominated for the Paddle With Purpose category in the inaugural Canoe & Kayak Awards. Click HERE to read the second, HERE for the third, HERE for the fourth, and HERE for the fifth.
I have, on several occasions, gotten into discussions about randomness in character generation. I have, just as often, gotten into big arguments about the same subject because I feel extremely strongly about it and don’t particularly feel like backing down when confronted. And my feeling on it boils down to “I loathe it with every fiber of my being, as much as I hate anything in gaming”. I know there are a lot of you out there who love rolling for your stats in a game and I expect that you feel like I’m going to be taking a lot of potshots at you and your preference on this subject. Don’t, because it’s nothing personal. So, why do I hate it so much? There’s a few reasons for it. The first one is simple. When I’m playing a game, I want to play the kind of character that I want to play and a roll of the dice (or multiple rolls) won’t necessarily allow that. I want to choose the things my character is good at and bad it, not let random chance do it for me. For example, the last Call of Cthulhu game I was in, I went into it wanting to play a professor/academic. My rolls told me that I would have been a pretty shitty professor/academic and that I should probably consider some other character instead. My GM knew what I wanted to play, so he let me have a re-roll as well as let me switch one stat around with another, but strictly by the numbers I was left with playing a character who wasn’t going to be good at what I wanted to be good at or playing something that wasn’t what I wanted to play at all. You find this sort of house rule all the time where you have random character generation. The obvious goal of these patches is to give players more control about how their character comes out, so IMO why not just give them complete control in the first place (i.e. point-buy) instead of shoehorning it in at the very end? One argument I see all the time in favor of random rolling is that it forces you to be creative and make a bad character fun. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be ~forced~ into anything when I’m creating a character that I’m going to be playing for hours, days, weeks, or maybe even years. If I want my fighter to be dumb as a stump, but remarkably charming, that should be my choice, not that of the dice. If I want my brilliant and strong-willed professor to be weaker than a 3 week old kitten and easily tired, I should have the ability to make that decision for myself. Sometimes there’s this feeling in the community that playing a character that is mechanically shitty (either accidentally or purposefully) is the sign of a “real RPG player”, which I really hate. What in the world is wrong with playing a character that is both effective and interesting? It’s certainly possible to make a character who is flawed, but still effective, without having the dice tell you to do it. Another reason I hate it is because, without house rules, rolling stats often leads to inequity between the different PCs. Someone who rolls poorly might as well just be the kid sidekick for the group without some sort of GM intervention. Or they might be an outright liability in some (or all) situations. There are people and groups out there who would be okay with this sort of thing but I’d personally hate it, both as a player and as a GM. As a player, I hate feeling like I can’t meaningfully contribute or that everything I can do, someone else can do better. As a GM I hate having to go out of my way to constantly balance things around or accommodate a character that is so much weaker or less useful or more unskilled than the others. I hate systems which even make these situations possible because not every GM is going to make sure that a sub-par character gets the spotlight as much as someone who rolled amazingly. Yes, that may also be a problem with the GM, but random rolls during character generation enables it to be a potential problem in the first place. So, is rolling dice for stats or other important things in chargen inherently evil? Yep. Oh, you don’t have to agree with me. I don’t expect everybody will. Everybody is free to enjoy the sorts of things in gaming that they prefer. For me, however, rolling dice when making character is a sacred cow which would be much better off made into hamburgers and barbeque than remaining where it is in the tabletop gaming community.
Ready to deliver ... the Australian Reptile Park is down to just 30 male funnel webs. Ideally, it would have ten times that number. Credit:Ben Rushton While the park, on the central coast, will accept donations of any live funnel web spiders, only the males are milked because they are six times more venomous than the female spider. ''We'd like to have a few hundred in stock,'' says the park's spider keeper, Julie Mendezona. ''Even though everyone sees them as ferocious creatures, we could milk the same one every single day. But that's not fair to the animal. So to lower the stress level, we milk each spider once a week.'' That's humane treatment for the world's deadliest spider. After a quiet summer, funnel webs were everywhere in the moist conditions in late March and April. It may be winter, but the mild, wet conditions mean they're still around, Mendezona says. Trouble is, if people are spotting them, they are not catching them. Stocks of funnel web anti-venom have fallen to three years' worth, compared with the preferred level of six years. ''You can never really estimate accurately how much anti-venom you'll need in future,'' says Tate, who adds that storing anti-venom is difficult. If you see a funnel web spider, and want to donate it to the park's milking program, Tate says you should avoid asking men or boys to catch it. They are statistically more likely to get bitten or to jump on it and kill it. He recommends calling a mature woman, who is the least likely to get bitten, and ask her to bring an empty jar and follow the instructions in the video.
I love going to events. I love hosting them too. But whenever I went to make a page for people to say they were attending, I’d always come across the same problems. Why are event page websites so clunky? Why do they have all these features that I don't need? And sometimes, why don't they let me see the email addresses of the people I've gathered together? So I built the simplest, easiest-to-say-I’m-attending app I could think of to solve those problems. Attending is the result — a simple tool to make an attractive mini website for your event with a focus on experience and design. It helps you build a network for what you’re doing, and it plays well with others. Your community can attend through whatever social profile they prefer, so you’re building your audience in your own way. Stef Maker of Attending.io
Trump’s Coming Confrontation with Yellen and the Federal Reserve Okay, so the Federal Reserve, coincidentally, now that Trump has been elected, has decided that the economy is at full employment and they’ve raised rates. The funny thing is, it’s true. Sort of. The unemployment rate (u-1) is low enough to be considered “full employment.” What that means is that the labor market is tight enough that, for the first time in Obama’s reign, workers actually got raises in 2015. According to the economic policy regime which has run the Federal Reserve, and the US, since Greenspan, that can’t be allowed. The moment employment starts causing “wage push inflation” (wage increases faster than the general rate of inflation) it must be stopped. Of course, out of Obama’s era, there has been only one good year so far (though 2016 will probably come in as decent), and the only reason the unemployment rate has improved is because millions of Americans gave up on finding a job. As a percentage of the population, there are about as many jobs as there were at the bottom of the last recession. There was quite a bit of growth, but it didn’t make it into wages. The only way it will do so is if the labor market stays tight for years, because there are years (decades, really) to make up for almost all the gains going to the top few percent. So, Yellen probably “should” have raised rates six months or so ago. She didn’t, probably because she’s Obama’s appointee–the same way that Bernanke didn’t when he “should” have because he was Bush’s appointee, and wanted a Republican to replace Bush. Under Barack Obama, the deficit (how much the US pays on its debt) dropped, but the debt increased by $7.917 trillion (not including the first year, which he didn’t control). The deficit dropped because the Federal Reserve kept interests rates extremely low for years and years and bought up a pile of debt as well. But the debt is higher than it has been, in relative terms, since the WWII debt splurge. And if Yellen raises rates, debt service charges will start to increase (not immediately, much of it is in longer term instruments). More to the point, higher interest rates are meant to make sure that wages increases stop, the unemployment rate increases, and that (in effect) the economy never actually recovers from the financial crisis. So Trump has a problem. He needs cheap money if he’s to have a good economy, and Yellen is ending the cheap money era–just as he’s been elected. It’s not completely a coincidence, but it’s not entirely not a coincidence, and if I were Trump or his team, I’d be livid, and it looks like they are. Worse, Trump has a big stimulus plan. It’s a bad plan, but it’ll still create some jobs, and Yellen has said: “I would say at this point that fiscal policy is not obviously needed to provide stimulus to help us get back to full employment,” Yellen said. That’s Fed speak for “spend the money if you want, but we’ll neutralize every dollar you spend.” Which, by the way, has been orthodox Fed policy since Greenspan and arguably Volcker–almost 40 years. So, Trump (and Bannon) if they want a good economy and their stimulus to work, have a problem: Yellen and the Federal Reserve Board. And Yellen has stated she won’t step down till her term ends, in 2024. They can do two things. The first is to wait, not for Yellen, but for the terms of other Federal Reserve members, to expire. Two slots of the six (seven with Yellen) are currently empty, he can fill those. That gives him two. One, Powell, is a Republican and may be amenable; and Fischer’s term expires June 2018. So by late 2018, Trump might have a Fed willing to cooperate with him–or at least not sandbag him. BUT that’s quite a while, and assumes that Powell is amenable. It gives Trump only two years to make the economy work how he needs it to work, and means his first two years will be sandbagged by the Fed. Trump’s followers are not going to care what the reason is, they expect results. The other option is hardball. Governors can be removed for cause. Trump can say they have performed badly (it’s not a hard case, and people who voted Trump and many others will agree) and remove them. This can then go to the Supreme Court, which, if Trump is smart, will then be firmly in Republican hands. I will be frank: I would absolutely do this. I would have done it as Obama to Bernanke (if Obama had actually wanted a good economy, or to have banks go under) and I would do it as Trump. For four decades, the Federal Reserve has sandbagged wages and made sure the rich got richer. This is not even in question, and the financial crisis was only the largest proof of it, not nearly the only one. I think this is coming. The Federal Reserve bows (and Yellen has been very clear she won’t) or the resisting Governors get booted. There will be screams from Democrats and “liberals” and I will ignore most of them. As with ending the Trans-Pacific Partnership, this is the right thing to do, and it’s something that should have been done decades ago. Appointed technocrats sandbagging Congress’s fiscal policy and deliberately crushing wages was always evil. Get out your popcorn, folks. Oh, and these sort of stakes are why there is such a huge effort, abetted by the CIA (and opposed by the FBI) to make sure that Trump doesn’t take office. Like it or hate it, he’s going to have to destroy much of how DC has done business for the last 40 years, and many people in power really, really don’t want this. Don’t defend the Federal Reserve if you claim to care about workers, the middle class, or anyone under the top 10 percent or so. They have acted unutterably evil for decades, and if it takes another evil person to destroy their power, I’m fine with it. Frankly, the Federal Reserve should be placed under direct control of Congress with four year terms at most, and every central bank in the world should lose its “independence.” They have misused that independence to do little more than make the rich richer for decades and they are profoundly anti-democratic. It’s a pity so much that has to be done will likely be done by someone like Trump, and that he’ll do much of it the wrong way to support terrible policies like tax cuts, but that’s what happens when the Left allows the Right to be the populist party, and chooses to be the party of bailouts and technocrats. The results of the work I do, like this article, are free, but food isn’t, so if you value my work, please DONATE or SUBSCRIBE.
After cracking down on “extremist” clothing and beards, China is now reportedly banning certain religious names for newborns in the far-western Xinjiang region that is home to about half of the country’s Muslim population. Saddam, Hajj and Jihad are among the 29 names that are now allegedly banned under China’s recently-introduced “Naming Rules For Ethnic Minorities.” The purported list of names was given last week to Taiwan’s Central News Agency by the exiled World Uyghur Congress. “You’re not allowed to give names with a strong religious flavor, such as Jihad or names like that,’ the official said. “The most important thing here is the connotations of the name … [it mustn’t have] connotations of holy war or of splittism [Xinjiang independence].” Asked if names of Islamic scholars were acceptable, the employee replied: “Get him to change it; it’s the sort of thing that [could be regarded as] promoting terror and evil cults.” Asked if Yultuzay, a reference to the star and moon symbol of the Islamic faith, was acceptable, he said: “Actually the star and moon are a pagan symbol.” “[Mecca] would be a bit over-the-top … I don’t think you could call someone Saddam, either,” he said in response to queries on those names. “Just stick to the party line, and you’ll be fine,” he said. “[People with banned names] won’t be able to get a household registration, so they will find out from the hukou office when the time comes.” “They have received training in this sort of thing over here [in Xinjiang] so they’re the experts [on what is allowed],” he said. The US-funded Radio Free Asia phoned a police station in Urumqi where an officer confirmed the ban on “overly religious” names, adding that babies with such names would face being blocked from the country’s all-important hukou system, which provides access to education and healthcare. The police official went on to give more details regarding the rule: The purported ban comes as Xinjiang authorities are launching a renewed crackdown on “religious extremism” in the restive region. Last month, a new regulation was passed by the region’s top legislature which bans 15 types of behavior allegedly linked with “religious extremism,” including: wearing veils, having “abnormal” beards, refusing to watch state television and preventing children from having a national education. Meanwhile, the regional government demonstrated what would happen to officials who failed to adequately push back against “extreme religious thought,” demoting one village chief for refusing to smoke in front of religious elders last month. [Images via RFA]
next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Israel's internal security service says it has arrested two residents of southern Israel suspected of stabbing to death an Israeli soldier for nationalistic reasons. The Shin Bet would not identify them Monday, but Israeli media reported they were likely Arab Bedouins from the southern Negev desert. Ron Yitzhak Kokia, a 20-year-old soldier, was stabbed to death late Thursday in the southern city of Arad and his weapon was stolen. His assailants fled the scene. Since September 2015, Palestinians have killed more than 50 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces have killed more than 260 Palestinians in that time. Israel says most of them were attackers and that others died in clashes with Israeli troops.
“There aren’t enough bikes here to justify a bike lane…” I hear some variation of that line with almost every bike project, no matter where it’s located. Especially for people that rarely ride bicycles, it can be a pretty convincing argument! But it’s not that simple. Bicycling is deeply connected to street design, and (as Kevin Costner’s ghost father once said) “if you build it, they will come.” The latest Saint Paul bike/ped traffic counts are out this week, and (via the Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition’s twitter) biking and walking are at a five-year high. And that goes more-than-double for streets with new bike lanes. Check out the before-and-after counts for the city’s new bike projects: Of particular note are the big increases on the new Cleveland Avenue bike lane. Diligent readers of this website might recall that the Cleveland lane was a bit controversial, and there was much wringing of hands about whether the lane would be safe or well-trafficked. Well, the new lane turns out to be popular, and (in my opinion) bike traffic there will only grow as more people discover and experience it. The report has this to say about the count changes at these locations: To measure changes in bicycle traffic following the implementation of bicycle facilities, five screenlines were counted before and after the implementation of new bicycle lanes in 2015 and 2016. The counts reflect observed 4 PM – 6 PM peak hour bicycle traffic. The screenlines on Cleveland Avenue, Como Avenue, and Front Avenue were counted multiple times. All locations recorded an increase in bicycle traffic following the installation of bike lanes. Public Works will continue to collect bicycle and pedestrian traffic data at these locations to monitor changes over time, and will explore additional data collection methods to extend the duration of future count periods. That’s a very city-engineer-speak way of saying that, if you build it, they will come. It’s nice to have data that confirms one’s vague hopes and intuition. Check out the rest of the bike count report here. Share this: Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr Related Streets.mn is a non-profit and is volunteer run. We rely on your support to keep the servers running. If you value what you read, please consider becoming a member.
Teak furniture can be a superb asset to any outdoor space, especially in the summer months. However, when the warmer weather starts to change, our customers often ask us how they should protect their furniture during the winter months, so below is some information to help answer this question. Teak is a very hardy wood, which can be left outside all year round with very little maintenance required, so it is perfect for outdoor furniture. If left outside, the teak will naturally weather from a honey-gold colour, to a silver-grey patina over time. Teak is rich in naturally occurring oils, so it is resistant to the effects of the weather, rot, and insects, without the need for treatment. Should you wish to treat the wood, we do not recommend the use of teak oil, because as teak is rich in naturally occurring oils, using teak oil can in fact have a negative affect, as it can encourage the growth of mildew and cause black marks to appear. The grade-A teak that we use for our furniture is from the heartwood of the tree, where the naturally occurring oils are richest, and so should not need replenishing. Also, if you start using teak oil, you will usually then need to continue using it during the lifetime of your furniture. We have a selection of water-based products that can be applied once or twice a year, as required. There are 2 products that are designed to help maintain either the honey-gold colour of new teak (Protector) or the silver-grey patina as the wood weathers (Patinizer) when thinly applied. There is also a Sealer Shield product for protecting furniture from food and drink stains, dirt etc. (very useful on tables, for example). Finally we have a teak Cleaner, which is intended for use if the furniture hasn’t been washed for a long time. Always ensure that your furniture is clean and dry before applying any products. As the teak is happy to be left outside, you do not need to cover the furniture, but you should give it a clean at least once a year (or if you spot any marks or bird droppings) with warm, soapy water (a little washing-up liquid works well) and a sponge or cloth. If soapy water is not quite strong enough, you may wish to try our Cleaner product. If you do want to cover your furniture, we would suggest using a good quality cover that allows for air circulation to avoid mildew growth, bowing or cracks appearing. It is very common and natural for teak furniture to develop small cracks due to the wood ‘breathing’, expanding and contracting, which is usually caused by various weather conditions and the moisture content in the air. This is called CHECKING. The wood absorbs moisture, which makes it swell a little. The hairline cracks usually happen on the end grain sections, which are the thick rounded corners as in the arm on a chair, usually where you can see the rings of growth. These cracks come and go depending on the season and they don’t affect the strength, performance, or life expectancy of the teak. Occasionally, the cracks get larger, but these often take little effort and only a few supplies to repair. Therefore, your teak furniture can be left outside during the winter months untreated, and all year round, but we hope that the above serves as a useful guide to the options available to you. To take a further look at our Teak Care products or if you would like additional information, please take a look at our website: or give us a call in the office on 0208 655 6242 if you have any questions.
Izvor: E-stock/Darja Balsic Prvo osnovno javno tužilaštvo je, nakon analize dokaza, odbacilo krivične prijave novinara napadnutih ispred Doma Narodne Skupštine na dan inauguracije predsednika Republike Srbije Aleksandra Vučića, saopšteno je iz tog tužilaštva. Kako se navodi na sajtu, tužilaštvo je zaključilo da ne postoje osnovi sumnje da je bilo koje lice izvršilo krivična dela "ugrožavanje sigurnosti" ili "nasilničko ponašanje", niti bilo koje drugo krivično delo za koje se gonjenje preduzima po službenoj dužnosti, pa je naložilo policiji da pokrene prekršajne postupke. Iz tužilaštva navode da su 2.i 6. juna 2017. godine u prostorijama Prvog osnovnog javnog tužilaštva ispitana sva lica koja su smatrala da su oštećena. Sve njihove izjave tužilaštvo je tretiralo kao krivičnu prijavu protiv NN lica, te je sproveden jedinstveni postupak. Nakon sprovedene istrage Ministarstva unutrašnjih poslova, tužilaštvu su dostavljena dva izveštaja u kojima se, između ostalog, navodi da je utvrđen identitet lica koja su učestvovala u opisanim događajima, da su uzete izjave od svih lica koja su smatrala da su oštećena, kao i od svedoka, te da o opisanim događajima postoji fotodokumentacija, koja je uz izveštaj dostavljena tom tužilaštvu. "Iz izjava građana svedoka koji su 31.05.2017. godine bili ispred Doma Narodne Skupštine kako bi prisustvovali svečanom polaganju zakletve novog predsednika Republike Aleksandra Vučića, proizilazi da su tom prilikom videli događaje koji su se desili, te su svi izjavili da bi došlo do mnogo većih incidenata i 'linča', samim tim i težeg povređivanja učesnika skupa, da ovi novinari, kao i neki građani nisu izvedeni iz mase, a da su se pritom lica koja su učestovala u tome, ponašala pristojno, da nikome nisu pretili, da su upućivali molbe da se prestane sa provokacijama i slično", navodi se u saopštenju tužilaštva. Shodno tome, tužilaštvo je našlo da ne postoje osnovi sumnje da je bilo koje lice izvršilo krivično delo ugrožavanje sigurnosti ili nasilničko ponašanje, niti bilo koje drugo krivično delo za koje se gonjenje preduzima po službenoj dužnosti, te su krivične prijave novinara odbačene. Iz tužilaštva dodaju da, "kako je na osnovu svih izvedenih dokaza tužilaštvo utvrdilo da se u konkretnom slučaju eventualno radi o prekršaju iz oblasti javnog reda i mira, Ministarstvu unutrašnjih poslova je naloženo da se protiv učesnika skupa podnesu prekršajne prijave Prekršajnom sudu u Beogradu, a zbog prekršaja predviđenih Zakonom o javnom redu i miru". Ispred Skupštine Srbije 31. maja napadnuta je novinarka Danas-a Lidija Valtner, saradnik agencije Tanjug, novinarka Radija Beograd, kao i novinari Insajdera i Vajsa, i učesnik protesta "Protiv diktature". Kako piše list "Danas", četiri meseca se čekalo na podatke iz MUP-a, jer napadi na novinare Insajdera i Vajsa nisu snimljeni. Predstavnici vlasti su govorili da su za napade odgovorni "provokatori", a po istraživanju KRIK-a, jedan od redara SNS-a koji je maltretirao i udaljavao građane i novinare sa protesta je Borko Aranitović, blizak grupi ljudi oko ubijenog vođe navijača Aleksandra Stankovića, zvanog "Sale Mutavi".
Founder Chris Park frankly admits that In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor ‘sold very poorly’ and release was planned ‘as a market survey of sorts’ A Valley Without Wind studio Arcen Games has halted development on its latest game and pulled the title from Steam after it failed to hit sales expectations. The decision came less than a week after In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor first hit the platform’s Early Access service. Revealing that he would refund all players of the game, which has since been re-launched as a free-to-play release, Arcen founder Chris Park bluntly stated in a blog announcement that: “The game is selling extremely poorly, even below what happened with Starward Rogue.” Park said that though the game would mean a loss for the studio, its launch on Early Access had been meant “partly as a market survey of sorts”. “I felt like that would be a way of determining how big this game could get,” he explained. “With Starward Rogue, and indeed some of our other past commercial failures, we put in everything and the kitchen sink and then there wasn't a market there.” Despite this, he continued: “I never expected that one option even on the table with this one would be ‘actually don't do it at all,’ because the premise is incredibly exciting to me and seemed like something other people would also be very interested in. But just from the concept alone, we have a lot of pushback from press; and despite some quite positive coverage from some reasonably biggish YouTubers, that isn't moving the needle at all. “We don't need Release Raptor to be our sole source of income, or even our largest one. However, if it's going to be our largest expense it also has to vaguely earn its keep or at least show the promise that it will someday do so. That's what is missing here.” Park lamented that his experience with Release Raptor was symbolic of the challenging PC games market, and expressed his desire to “make games where you shoot things, and games where you're a raptor, and all sorts of other things”. “I have varied interests and tastes, and I don't want to do one thing for the rest of my life,” he added. “That said, given the choice between leaving the industry and making strategy games, the choice there is freaking obvious. I absolutely love making games, despite the many negative sides to it. So that's what we'll do: we'll make you another strategy game.”
In a 2011 speech to a conservative think tank, Donald Trump's choice to head the Labor Department, fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder, said the electoral balance in the country was tilted because a large segment of the population would always "vote benefits to themselves." Speaking to the Heritage Foundation about his 2011 book, "Job Creation: How It Really Works and Why Government Doesn't Understand It," Puzder suggested the Democratic Party was benefitting from more than half the country receiving benefits. "Last year, 52% of the people in the country got more from government than they gave to government," Puzder said. "We do have a segment of the population that's going to continue to vote benefits to themselves. You have to make a decision for yourself which party actually supports that and would therefore want to continue to have those people vote for them by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, as they like to say, which tilts the electoral balance in favor of those who get the benefits. If they are more than 50% of the population, we've got a problem." "In California, I think the last election showed that. I think we have higher than 52% of the people," he continued. "I think 49% of the people in California don't even pay taxes. You can see what kind of political problems that's creating for those of us who'd like to get the state back on track." It's unclear where Puzder got his 52% statistic. A 2011 Wall Street Journal report cited census data from early 2010 that showed 48.5%, of the population lived in a household where a member was receiving some form of government assistance. He is scheduled to appear for his confirmation in Feb. 2. Democrats have criticized Puzder for his opposition to many of their top labor priorities, including Obamacare and a federal minimum wage increase. If confirmed, Puzder would oversee issues related to wage earners and unemployment benefits. Trump administration spokesperson Ninio Fetalvo told CNN's KFile: "Mr. Puzder has always expressed deep concern for many Americans who have lost hope and have given up on seeking employment. Ensuring the American people will have more and better job opportunities will be Andy's top priority should he be confirmed as our next Secretary of Labor." Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate HELP committee, told CNN's KFile in a statement that Puzder's comments add to her concerns about his nomination. "His recently discovered comments not only add to my serious concerns about his qualifications for this role, but send a clear signal that President Trump has no intention of standing up for the workers he promised to help on the campaign trail," Murray said. Puzder made similar comments in an October 2014 symposium at the Chapman University School of Law, arguing that one of the two political parties appeals to people who "don't want a choice" in life. "Let's say there's two political parties," Puzder said. "One of them says you should lift yourself up by your bootstraps. One of them says that, you know, the easy decision in life isn't always the right decision. One of them says sometimes, you're proud of what you've done, what you've accomplished, you're proud that you've faced failure and you succeeded against it. You know, you can't succeed if you can't fail." "And then there's another party that says, 'Screw all of that, we'll just give you money,'" the restaurant chain CEO continued. "Now if you're a person who buys into the 'I'm gonna be dependent' philosophy, who are you gonna vote for? That's all that's about. It's about getting votes, retaining power, gaining control over people's lives. Are you're going to make your future, or are you going to let somebody else make those decisions? That's the way things were before capitalism, before the industrial revolution, where you didn't have a choice. Some people don't want a choice. Those people should vote for the party that's in power. If you want to stand up for your rights and your life and your children and your happiness and your satisfaction, you should vote differently." In another 2014 speech in March at an event in Orange County, California, Puzder used a similar argument against Obamacare, saying that while the health care law might make health insurance cheaper for some people, it caused them to lose "the dignity and the self-respect that comes with a job." "Just as importantly, we need to consider what this law is really doing to the people it's encouraging to give up their jobs and reduce their hours," Puzder said. "With those who Obamacare encourages not to work, they may well be better off with respect to health insurance expense. But are they really better off without the independence, the dignity and the self-respect that come with a job? Is it better to take from them the opportunity to raise their incomes, and join the middle class and succeed? Is it better to put them in a position where they can only improve their lives by voting for those who will continue to increase their government benefits funded by the efforts of others?" A 2014 report from the Congressional Budget Office did predict that some people would choose to work less when faced with new, affordable health insurance options not tied to employment. Supporters of Obamacare have argued that the new options would allow those workers to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.
If you are just managed to get an Nintendo Switch for the upcoming holiday, or you are looking to get some accessories for your device, a carrying case could be one of the items on your shopping list. There are abundance of options in the internet marketplace like Amazon, either game-themed or not. But you may agree that the most commonly seen types of carrying case include hard-shell case, silicone case, fibre zipper pouch, as well as leather pouch. The Nintendo Switch is my third game console in life after PlayStation 1 and the earliest monochrome Game Boy, and I love the Switch a lot. As it is a fairly expensive toy for me, in order to better protect it when I carry it around, I have been using a hard-shell carrying case since day one I got my Nintendo Switch in April. It has been performing very well especially when I take it with me during travels aboard. The case gets my Switch covered with full protection. I do sometimes also swap the case with the official Zelda-themed Zipper Pouch (as shown above) when I do not feel like carrying other accessories with me, such as the USB-C charging cable and the earphone, as the pouch itself does not have any storage slots for this purpose. Recently, I look into getting a leather pouch as I think it is aesthetically more classic and matches with my usual outfit and leather accessories, such as Apple Watch straps. This is how I come up with an idea to write this post to share with you my opinions on using both leather pouch and hard-shell case that I picked and purchased from the ocean of choices, putting them for a side-by-side comparison. If you are undecided on which one to pick up, I hope your will find the following details informative and useful. What I purchased from Taobao: Design and dimensions Certainly the overall design for a hard-shell carrying case is very different from a leather pouch. Despite that the compartments are sealed by zippers surrounded by fabric, how you open the case is a completely different story. You will need to flip over hard-shell cases while you can simply unzip the leather pouch and take out your Switch. It can be somehow easier and more handy than hard-shell cases that you need to flip the cover over. And this may be a more secure way to take out the console if you are on mobile rather than sitting down near a desk. Basic hard-shell carrying cases generally look minimal, or boring in most cases. Unless your get some special editions for certain games or from designers, the outer shell designs are pretty homogenous across affordable options. However, you can easily get a more stylish look, classy colors, beautiful stitching work on a leather pouch. Aesthetically, in my personal opinion, a leather pouch definitely stands out as a beautiful contrast to the common hard-shell ones. In terms of dimension, it quite depends on the design of each type of cases and pouches and how the brands design on their product. Generally speaking, it may not deviate a lot between the two as the size of the Nintendo Switch is there and manufacturers can simply design around it. Usually leather pouch measures smaller in size but mine is an exception. And the only major difference I can guess for most of the case will be the thickness and it depends on the material being used and the internal structure of the case or pouch. Material, internal structure and protection As I mentioned earlier, the major build material for a carrying case would be plastic hard-shell, silicone, fabric cloth, leather, carbon fibre or even metal, such as HORI AlumiCase. Undoubtedly, the hard-shell ones offer highest level of protection against scratches and most general circumstances that you will not feel guilty when you throw it into the bottom of your backpack right away. It is true that leather surface is more vulnerable to scratches and damage by shape edges comparing with hard-shell cases. For genuine leather, it will grow over time with all the histories engraved on the surface on how you used and experienced with it, which is not something for everyone. However, leather wins over flexibility as it is more elastic. In addition, it may come to your surprise that a leather pouch, at least the one I owned and showed right now, provides excellent protection against accidental drop at a reasonable handheld height, thanks to the thickness and elasticity of the leather itself and the cushion inside the pouch. Internally, the hard-shell case is very different from a leather pouch. In my case, I have the very early generation of hard-shell case. On one side two short elastic nylon straps to hold the two corners of the console, which is incredibly insecure when opening up the case. In the middle, there are only 5 cartridge slots. Lastly a pocket on the other side for minimal amount of essential accessories. The major issue for using this kind of nylon rubber straps or velcro straps is that it will age quickly over time as it is being used pretty frequently in case of a Nintendo Switch. Users will not just put it away but rather taking it in and out from time to time. However, from manufacturing cost and user-friendliness perspectives, they are the best options that we have to deal with it when they ever age. On another hand, the leather pouch I have is just like a traveller wallet. There is no nylon or velcro straps to hold the console but instead just slide it in the pocket and it is pretty secure thanks to the friction against the fluffy inner surface, which also serves as a very good cushion against drops. On the next compartment, I can put away some accessories. However, it turns out to be a bit too tight that I need to take the headphone out from its pouch to release some space. On the outer surface, there is a zipped pocket that I can put 5 cartridges inside but there is no way to expand, unlike the hard-shell case that manufacturers can stitch more slots on the flip side of the middle flap. And again, it is quite tight when the console is insider which I can hardly put in or take out any cartridge. For minimal cases or pouches like the above, the size is just about right fit for a Switch console and a few small accessories, such as headphone, charging cable, micro-fibre cleaning cloth or maximum one more joy-con. Do not expect that you can put a good amount of stuffs such as two more joy-cons, powerbanks or having your Switch covered with additional protective sleeve. Stuffing any of these too much will result in pressing on joy-con analog sticks, buttons or the screen that may potential damage the parts or console, or if the device is on, consume excessive battery while the device is not in use. Most likely this will happen on a hard-shell case as it is moulded with fixed dimensions, but I have the same experience with my leather pouch as well. One more important point to note is that despite the fact leather is more elastic and you can stretch it and put more stuff inside the pocket, beware with the nylon around the zipper that the stitching may break or things along may come off if it is being stretched too much. Buying options As a disclaimer, this review is not sponsored by any sellers. I purchased both hard-shell case (~US$3) and leather pouch (~US$15) from Taobao, the major e-marketplace in China, at my own cost. For hard-shell cases, there are tons of options you can find on Amazon. I researched some top-rated similar ones without breaking the bank: For leather pouch, as there is no one-to-one design, I could only find a few similar alternatives on Amazon simply by looking at the promotional pictures. As usual and as a smart customer, you may wish to check the reviews under each product before you purchase, and at your own risk that I will not be responsible for any unsatisfactory buying experience: I am no affiliate to the sellers below but there are a few more premium options you may wish to check out if you have some extra cash to splash during the holidays: Conclusions Overall speaking, in terms of value for money, if you have ever come across any hard-shell carrying case that offers basics such as accessories and cartridge slots for around US$10, and you are not looking for something extremely fancy but just get the job done, it is definitely worth the money. Certainly there are more expensive options for Nintendo Switch hard-shell cases that offer better specifications, such as better case material, quality velcro straps and more slots for game cartridges. And if you love a game so much, you may either opt for game-theme silicone or fibre cases, there are quite a few good options with Mario and Zelda signatures. However, if you are neither the above and looking to get something more stylish on top of practicality, provided that you do not mind spending a bit more for fancier case for your beloved Nintendo Switch console, a leather pouch a pretty good options that comes with a fashion-ascent. One thing to note will be the dimensions of the pouch, number and types of compartments the pouch has. If it is too small, it may have the possibility that the joy-con analog sticks will be pressed when the pouch is sealed, or you simply cannot stuff other accessories in the pouch. Again, I do hope this little guide will help you out when making a buying decision on this particular accessory. For those who have already got one of the carrying cases for your Nintendo Switch, what is your pick so far and which one is the best? I would love hearing your experience down in the comments section. If you have any questions that you may think I can help on, please feel free to drop me a message and I am happy to answer at best of my knowledge as a gadget reviewer, or simply a Nintendo Switch fan and leisure gamer. If you like the contents here, feel free to check out more posts around, subscribe to the blog, follow us on Instagram or consider being a Patreon for as little as $1 a month to support the future contents.
Leave some for the rest of us! Hey, you can only buy 15 of these. Dust Jacket To Dust Jacket Joining a club is a great way to experience existential despair. "All right, everybody, this is very exciting. Welcome to the first meeting of the 'Contemplate Your Own Death For A Few Moments' club. Thanks for coming!" "Thank you, Cheryl." "Let's get right down to it. Did everybody do this week's assignment? Did you all stare directly into the face of your own mortality?" "Yes." "Yup!" "And what did ya'll think?" "I didn't like it." "Me either?" "That's OK, that's part of this. What part of it didn't appeal to you?" "For me it was the numbing chill that seemed to run to the very core of who I consider myself to be as a person, dissolving any sense of 'meaning' that I have built over the course of my short life." "Good points. Alice?" "For me it was the part where I had the sickening realization that children are the only way we are able to perpetuate ourselves and I'm now too old to have children so the rest of my life will effectively involve slowly breaking down until 'I' simply cease to exist that didn't really appeal to me. I found it a little...I donno...sad." "All right. Well, personally I thought it was really good." "Did you actually do it? Did you spend a few moments contemplating your death?" "Yes." "Really?" "No." "Do it now." "OK… nnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggghooooo. No no no no no no no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no no no there is nothing. There is nothing at all to hold onto. I'm sliding into a deep dark pit and I can't grab anything to slow my fall." "Good meeting, ladies. Again next week?" Back to top
Fernando Alonso says he received some “tempting” offers over the past 12 months before committing to rejoin McLaren in 2015. “I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me,” he said. “Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest. But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership – a partnership that dominated the Formula 1 scene for so long. “McLaren-Honda’s repeated and open desire, perseverance and determination in making it possible for me to join their exciting renewed partnership, have been some of the main factors that made me take this decision, not forgetting the most important factor of all: we share a common objective and expectations, and there is a very solid future, with confidence, ahead.” Alonso is happy with what he’s seen of the new partnership, and confirmed that he has been to visit Honda in Japan. “I have had in-depth discussions with all the senior people at both McLaren and Honda, I have viewed their fantastic facilities in both the UK and Japan, and it is clear to me that, together, McLaren and Honda are in the process of beginning what is sure to be a long and successful partnership. And I intend to give 100% effort to help make it exactly that. “I want to thank the persistence of those who have fought so hard for this to come true. I will do everything in my power to deliver for everyone and for our team, based on a formula that has always worked for me: effort, sacrifice, perseverance and faith. “We have time, we have hopes and we have the necessary resources. Let the legend return: that is our challenge.” He also made it clear that the return of the McLaren-Honda name brings with it a little magic: “I have never hidden my deep admiration for Ayrton Senna, my favourite driver, my idol on track, my reference. “I still remember, as a kid, the posters in my wardrobe, my toy cars in which I dreamed I would one day emulate Ayrton, and the kart that my father built for my older sister, and that I ended up falling in love with. That kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of Formula 1, McLaren-Honda, the car that Ayrton drove, the same partnership to which I am now honoured to join, to take part in the next Formula 1 world championship.”
EDISON -- For the second time, the chief law enforcement officer in Middlesex County has written a letter declaring that an Edison cop will not be considered a credible witness, according to the officer's lawyer, posing a new dilemma for a department that is trying to fire him. Anthony Sarni, a patrolman in the Edison Police Department, was accused of returning to the scene of a 911 call and pressing a woman for sexual contact while he was still in uniform in 2012, law enforcement sources have told NJ Advance Media. And a letter from Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey's office -- which has oversight of Edison's Internal Affairs bureau -- could play prominently in the debate over whether Sarni should keep his job. The existence of the prosecutor's letter was confirmed by Sarni himself, in a threat of a lawsuit over leaks to the press about his case. Sarni's lawyer sent a notice of claim to the township in April, signaling the possibility of suing over stories in The Star-Ledger. His lawyers took issue not just with revelations about his alleged misconduct -- a "reprehensible breach" of state and local guidelines about Internal Affairs investigations, he said -- but also with the decision by the county prosecutor to reject his credibility without a judicial finding that he wasn't honest. The letter from the prosecutor goes on to say that the office would dismiss any criminal case relying on Sarni's testimony, according to documents. Mayor Thomas Lankey moved to fire Sarni after administrative charges of misconduct and lying to IA investigators about the incident, a decision that remains in limbo as the town awaits the results of an internal hearing -- but one that could be hamstrung by a judge's dismissal of several of the town's charges. Judge Douglas K. Wolfson dismissed several of the charges against Sarni after he filed suit last year, including those stemming from his alleged actions after the 911 call. Sarni is suspended with pay while he awaits a decision on his job. The county prosecutor's office, the township and one of Sarni's lawyers, Robert Varady, declined to comment about the prosecutor's letter or provide it in full. It is similar to another letter that an Edison cop will have to deal with -- one that led to criticism over the decision to let the officer keep his job. David Pedana, 36, sent racist texts on his personal cellphone. But a hearing officer determined this year that firing was too harsh, despite the prosecutor's letter saying the office would drop any criminal or quasi-criminal case that would rely on Pedana's testimony. Pedana will return to work after a 95-day unpaid suspension on Sept. 26. He's been a police officer since 2009, and was a dispatcher for 10 years before that, according to township records. The Township Council has convened an investigative committee to probe the Pedana decision, particularly in light of the prosecutor's letter. But Sarni's threat of a lawsuit could help chill such rigorous and public discourse about police misconduct at a time when national debate over the issue is at a fever pitch, fostering secrecy and impunity when the exact opposite is needed, critics say. "Maybe the cop is right, but the rules underscore the bigger problem: There is no information available about how this system works," said John Paff, an open government advocate. A departmental hearing was held earlier this year in the Sarni case, but a decision hasn't yet been made. Few other details about the hearing are public. Disciplinary files for other workers -- from lawyers to electricians to teachers -- are much more public, Paff noted. That's despite the fact that police officers have many more rights and responsibilities, such as carrying guns, using force and making arrests. "Why is it that the system is so opaque?" Paff said. "That is the problem." Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PRESS RELEASE 41 PLAYERS NOW CONFIRMED FOR BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP $1 Million BUY-iN POKER EVENT RETURNS JUNE 29 - JULY 1st DURING 2014 WSOP Las Vegas, June 17, 2014 - With a 56 player cap, players are moving fast to ensure they get a seat at the biggest poker game in the world. Just 15 seats remain open less than two weeks before cards officially hit the felt with organizers optimistic the event will be a sellout. Several businessmen and poker players have anted the $1,000,000 buy-in to participate in the second installment of the The BIG ONE for ONE DROP which returns to the famed Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP will take place over three days, from June 29 to July 1, 2014 , with play beginning at 1:00 p.m. on the Sunday starting day. As part of the 45th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, The BIG ONE for ONE DROP is a $1,000,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em charity poker tournament limited to 56 players willing to put up the highest entry fee ever offered. Later this month, a seat will be up for grabs for anyone interested for as little as $200. On June 28th at 6pm, the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will hold a $25,300 satellite. Players will have no fewer than seven mega-satellite "step" opportunities, ranging from $200 to $3,750 on June 26th and June 27th to generate entry into the culminating $25,300 tournament with a Big One entry on the line. The new participants are: Daniel Cates - This Maryland poker pro has never cashed at the World Series of Poker, but earlier this year won nearly $1.8 million in a poker tournament in Monte Carlo. Known for his online poker prowess, the 25-year-old Cates enters this event for the first time. - This Maryland poker pro has never cashed at the World Series of Poker, but earlier this year won nearly $1.8 million in a poker tournament in Monte Carlo. Known for his online poker prowess, the 25-year-old Cates enters this event for the first time. Daniel Colman - This young poker pro from Massachusetts with four previous WSOP cashes also looks to take a $2 million score from a recent tournament in Monte Carlo and turn it into a possible $20 million payday in the Big One. It will be Colman's first appearance in this event. - This young poker pro from Massachusetts with four previous WSOP cashes also looks to take a $2 million score from a recent tournament in Monte Carlo and turn it into a possible $20 million payday in the Big One. It will be Colman's first appearance in this event. Tom Hall - This businessman is no stranger to the game of poker, but for the first time has added his name to this event. "Hong Kong Tom" got his taste of the WSOP with his lone cash in a high roller event at WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013. Often found playing in the cash games of Macau, Hall will make his WSOP Las Vegas debut in this event. - This businessman is no stranger to the game of poker, but for the first time has added his name to this event. "Hong Kong Tom" got his taste of the WSOP with his lone cash in a high roller event at WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013. Often found playing in the cash games of Macau, Hall will make his WSOP Las Vegas debut in this event. Isaac Haxton - This Las Vegas poker pro is a former Brown University student who pursued a computer science degree. He has won nearly $1.8 million at the WSOP in 24 previous cashes, but hopes to score his first bracelet by taking down the Big One. - This Las Vegas poker pro is a former Brown University student who pursued a computer science degree. He has won nearly $1.8 million at the WSOP in 24 previous cashes, but hopes to score his first bracelet by taking down the Big One. Anonymous Businessman - This businessman has been known to play in some of the high stakes games in Macau, but will be coming to the WSOP for the first time to play in this event. - This businessman has been known to play in some of the high stakes games in Macau, but will be coming to the WSOP for the first time to play in this event. John Morgan - The CEO of Winmark Corporation in Minnesota, returns to the event after participating in 2012. Morgan is best remembered for getting his opponent to fold pocket eights in the inaugural Big One. Whether Morgan had a straight flush or not is still a mystery. Morgan is a successful businessman and philanthropist who only occasionally has time to dabble in poker tournaments. - The CEO of Winmark Corporation in Minnesota, returns to the event after participating in 2012. Morgan is best remembered for getting his opponent to fold pocket eights in the inaugural Big One. Whether Morgan had a straight flush or not is still a mystery. Morgan is a successful businessman and philanthropist who only occasionally has time to dabble in poker tournaments. Greg Merson - The 2012 WSOP Player of the Year and world champion was an accomplished online player who broke through on the live circuit in 2012, picking up two WSOP gold bracelets, both seven-figure scores, including a win in the biggest tournament in the world, the WSOP Main Event where he walked away with $8,531,853. Merson is just shy of $10 million in WSOP earnings and will play the Big One for the first time. - The 2012 WSOP Player of the Year and world champion was an accomplished online player who broke through on the live circuit in 2012, picking up two WSOP gold bracelets, both seven-figure scores, including a win in the biggest tournament in the world, the WSOP Main Event where he walked away with $8,531,853. Merson is just shy of $10 million in WSOP earnings and will play the Big One for the first time. Daniel Negreanu - The only two-time WSOP Player of the Year, Negreanu had an incredible 2013, capturing two WSOP gold bracelets and cementing his legacy in the game. "Kid Poker" is poker's all-time leading money earner, has cashed 72 times at the WSOP, won 6 WSOP gold bracelets and earned more than $7 million in WSOP events. This Canadian poker pro now living in Las Vegas could nearly double his $21 million in lifetime earnings with a victory in the Big One. - The only two-time WSOP Player of the Year, Negreanu had an incredible 2013, capturing two WSOP gold bracelets and cementing his legacy in the game. "Kid Poker" is poker's all-time leading money earner, has cashed 72 times at the WSOP, won 6 WSOP gold bracelets and earned more than $7 million in WSOP events. This Canadian poker pro now living in Las Vegas could nearly double his $21 million in lifetime earnings with a victory in the Big One. Doug Polk - Another new entrant to this game is 25-year-old Las Vegas poker pro Doug Polk. Polk has been a regular in the high stakes online games and has six previous WSOP cashes, three this year already including winning his first WSOP gold bracelet earlier this month in the Turbo event. - Another new entrant to this game is 25-year-old Las Vegas poker pro Doug Polk. Polk has been a regular in the high stakes online games and has six previous WSOP cashes, three this year already including winning his first WSOP gold bracelet earlier this month in the Turbo event. Scott Seiver - Another new edition to the event, is 29-year old Las Vegas poker pro and WSOP gold bracelet champion Scott Seiver. The former Brown University student has won more than $10 million in his poker career, including a high roller victory in 2013 good for more than $2 million. - Another new edition to the event, is 29-year old Las Vegas poker pro and WSOP gold bracelet champion Scott Seiver. The former Brown University student has won more than $10 million in his poker career, including a high roller victory in 2013 good for more than $2 million. Talal Shakerchi - No stranger to big games around the world, this successful businessman from Great Britain likes to match his wits with the best players in the game. He has cashed five times previously at the WSOP and has nearly $1.8 million in live tournament earnings despite his minimal participation. Shakerchi played this event in 2012. ESPN cameras will be on hand throughout the three-day event to document the drama over three consecutive weeks on ESPN beginning July 29. ESPN will air two-hour blocks as follows: TUESDAY, JULY 29 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 1 and Day 2 action - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 1 and Day 2 action TUESDAY, AUGUST 5 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 2 action, and final table bubble - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 2 action, and final table bubble TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Final table action through to winner The entire list of names in the field can be found here: http://www.wsop.com/2014/bigone/ The event seats are reserved on a first-come first-serve basis, with those providing a deposit guaranteeing their seat. The winner will also receive a special edition WSOP platinum bracelet by famed jeweler Richard Mille. The event is open to anyone 21 years or older. With the new 56 player cap, the first place prize has the potential to reach in excess of $20,000,000 if every seat is filled. Any interested player who can verify funds is urged to contact Alex Meunier at One Drop (Alexandre.Meunier@onedrop.org). The buy-in for The BIG ONE for ONE DROP at $1 million, remains the largest ever for a poker event. There will be no rake or house fees to operate the event, and $111,111 of each buy-in will be taken out as a charitable donation to ONE DROP. Thus, $888,889 goes directly into the prize pool. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP is an unprecedented effort to raise awareness of water-related issues amongst the poker community and beyond to raise funds to allow ONE DROP to continue to deliver on its important mandate. Funds will be directed to ONE DROP projects around the world, where the team is hard at work at providing sustainable water access and helping communities flourish. PRESS RELEASE BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP ADDS ADDITIONAL TABLE OF PLAYERS, EXPANDS TELEVISION COVERAGE $1 MILLION BUY-IN POKER EVENT RETURNS JUNE 29 - JULY 1ST DURING 2014 WSOP SELBST BECOMES FIRST FEMALE; POTENTIAL $20 MILLION+ 1ST PLACE PRIZE Las Vegas, May 12, 2014 - The second installment of the The BIG ONE for ONE DROP will return to the famed Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, as ESPN committed to producing multi-day coverage from the event comprising three consecutive weeks of prime-time coverage. Ten new players have committed as well, including the first female, Vanessa Selbst. "I'm so excited to be taking part in The BIG ONE for ONE DROP this year," said Selbst. "I didn't get to play in 2012, but after seeing how much fun everyone had with the event as well as how profound an impact it had on ONE DROP, I knew I had to be a part of it this time around." Perhaps the most unlikely player to register early is former Survivor contestant Jean-Robert Bellande, known to poker fans as 'BrokeLivingJRB.' Bellande recently turned heads sending an Instagram photo of a new Bentley, and was reported to post his buy-in deposit with bricks of cash from a gym bag. As part of the 45th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, The BIG ONE for ONE DROP is a $1,000,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em charity poker tournament limited to 56 players willing to put up the highest entry fee ever offered. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP will take place over three days, from June 29 to July 1, 2014 , with play beginning at 1:00 p.m. on the Sunday starting day. ESPN cameras will be on hand throughout the three-day event to document the drama over three consecutive weeks on ESPN beginning July 15. ESPN will air two-hour blocks as follows: TUESDAY, JULY 29 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 1 and Day 2 action - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 1 and Day 2 action TUESDAY, AUGUST 5 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 2 action, and final table bubble - 8-10 P.M. ET - Day 2 action, and final table bubble TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 - 8-10 P.M. ET - Final table action through to winner "With the unthinkable stakes of The BIG ONE for ONE DROP and its colorful mix of early committees, we are thrilled ESPN has embraced the opportunity to truly showcase a seminal moment for poker that just may yield the biggest first prize in sports television history," said WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart. Another way into the field will be via a comprehensive live satellite system. On June 28th at 6pm, the Rio will hold a $25,300 satellite. Players will have no fewer than seven mega-satellite "step" opportunities, ranging from $200 to $3,750 on June 26th and June 27th to generate entry into the culminating $25,300 tournament with potentially the final Big One entry on the line. Since the WSOP and ONE DROP previously announced commitments from 23 to participate, a flood of new reservations have come in. An additional ten players have confirmed their entry, bringing our current total to 33 entrants. This means less than three tables -- only 23 seats remain. Of the ten new participants, nine are first-time entrants in this event. They are: Vanessa Selbst - Largely considered the best female player in the game today, Selbst breaks new ground again, becoming the first female to confirm her participation in the event. She's a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and a Yale University graduate. The Brooklyn-born Selbst ranks second all-time in WSOP earnings by a female. - Largely considered the best female player in the game today, Selbst breaks new ground again, becoming the first female to confirm her participation in the event. She's a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner and a Yale University graduate. The Brooklyn-born Selbst ranks second all-time in WSOP earnings by a female. Jean-Robert Bellande - He once was featured on the reality TV hit show Survivor: China trying to win a million dollar first place prize. Now he will put up a million dollars to try and win potentially $20 million. We will see if one of the most colorful players in the game has what it takes to outlast, outwit and outplay the competition. - He once was featured on the reality TV hit show Survivor: China trying to win a million dollar first place prize. Now he will put up a million dollars to try and win potentially $20 million. We will see if one of the most colorful players in the game has what it takes to outlast, outwit and outplay the competition. Anthony Gregg - The Maryland poker pro won last year's One Drop High Rollers event at the WSOP, turning his $100,000 entry fee into a $4.8 million payday and captured his first WSOP gold bracelet. - The Maryland poker pro won last year's One Drop High Rollers event at the WSOP, turning his $100,000 entry fee into a $4.8 million payday and captured his first WSOP gold bracelet. Fabian Quoss - The German poker pro has only two cashes to his name at the WSOP, his biggest a second place finish in 2009 good for $427,912. But Quoss is no stranger to high buy-in events, and he should feel right at home in this high stakes game despite being a first-timer. - The German poker pro has only two cashes to his name at the WSOP, his biggest a second place finish in 2009 good for $427,912. But Quoss is no stranger to high buy-in events, and he should feel right at home in this high stakes game despite being a first-timer. Max Altergott - This young German pro has never cashed in a WSOP event before, or anywhere in North America. Altergott won nearly $2.3 million in a poker tournament in Monte Carlo one year ago and looks to translate his recent success into the biggest game in the world. - This young German pro has never cashed in a WSOP event before, or anywhere in North America. Altergott won nearly $2.3 million in a poker tournament in Monte Carlo one year ago and looks to translate his recent success into the biggest game in the world. Tobias Reinkemeier - Reinkemeier played in the inaugural Big One event and is the only one of the new confirmed names to have played the event previously. Sitting third on the all-time German player poker money list, Reinkemeier has three previous WSOP cashes to his credit. - Reinkemeier played in the inaugural Big One event and is the only one of the new confirmed names to have played the event previously. Sitting third on the all-time German player poker money list, Reinkemeier has three previous WSOP cashes to his credit. Igor Kurganov - This Russian poker pro sits atop the all-time Russian money list, and has final tabled high roller events in Macau, Melbourne and Monte Carlo. The first-time Big One entrant hopes to make his first WSOP final table. Kurganov cashed for the first time at last year's WSOP, finishing 11 th in the $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold'em event. - This Russian poker pro sits atop the all-time Russian money list, and has final tabled high roller events in Macau, Melbourne and Monte Carlo. The first-time Big One entrant hopes to make his first WSOP final table. Kurganov cashed for the first time at last year's WSOP, finishing 11 in the $25,000 buy-in 6-handed No-Limit Hold'em event. Christoph Vogelsang - Another German player, Vogelsang has only two previously recorded cashes in major poker tournaments and both have come in the last year. He has never played in a WSOP event before and will make his debut in the largest buy-in event on the schedule. - Another German player, Vogelsang has only two previously recorded cashes in major poker tournaments and both have come in the last year. He has never played in a WSOP event before and will make his debut in the largest buy-in event on the schedule. Niklas Heinecker - Perhaps it is the Pius Heinz effect. As the winner of the 2011 WSOP Main Event, Heinz from Germany, has really helped push the game of poker to new heights in his home country. Heinecker becomes the sixth German poker pro to enter this event. Heinecker comes in as the winningest player in online poker in 2013, amassing $6,190,599 in earnings - more than twice as much as the next highest finisher. Heinecker has three previous WSOP cashes, including an 80 th place showing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event for $106,382. - Perhaps it is the Pius Heinz effect. As the winner of the 2011 WSOP Main Event, Heinz from Germany, has really helped push the game of poker to new heights in his home country. Heinecker becomes the sixth German poker pro to enter this event. Heinecker comes in as the winningest player in online poker in 2013, amassing $6,190,599 in earnings - more than twice as much as the next highest finisher. Heinecker has three previous WSOP cashes, including an 80 place showing in the 2007 WSOP Main Event for $106,382. Anonymous Asian Businessman - The last of the newcomers, will be a first-time Big One for One Drop participant looking for his first-ever WSOP cash. While he asked that his identity be kept confidential for now, he's sure to be one of the most intriguing additions to the event this year. The entire list of names in the field can be found here: http://www.wsop.com/2014/bigone/ The event seats are reserved on a first-come first-serve basis, with those providing a deposit guaranteeing their seat. The winner will also receive a special edition WSOP platinum bracelet by famed jeweler Richard Mille. The event is open to anyone 21 years or older. With the new 56 player cap, the first place prize has the potential to reach in excess of $20,000,000 if every seat is filled. Any interested player who can verify funds is urged to contact Alex Meunier at One Drop (Alexandre.Meunier@onedrop.org). The buy-in for The BIG ONE for ONE DROP at $1 million, remains the largest ever for a poker event. There will be no rake or house fees to operate the event, and $111,111 of each buy-in will be taken out as a charitable donation to ONE DROP. Thus, $888,889 goes directly into the prize pool. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP is an unprecedented effort to raise awareness of water-related issues amongst the poker community and beyond to raise funds to allow ONE DROP to continue to deliver on its important mandate. Funds will be directed to ONE DROP projects around the world, where the team is hard at work at providing sustainable water access and helping communities flourish. PRESS RELEASE WORLD SERIES OF POKER & ONE DROPTM ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF THE BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP $1 MILLION BUY-IN POKER EVENT RETURNS JUNE 29 - JULY 1ST DURING 2014 WSOP POTENTIAL $20 MILLION+ 1ST PLACE PRIZE UP FOR GRABS Las Vegas, October 18, 2013 - As part of the 45th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, the ONE DROP organization and the WSOP are proud to announce the return of the $1,000,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em charity poker tournament - the BIG ONE for ONE DROP - to the 2014 schedule. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP will take place over three days, from June 29 to July 1, 2014, with all play until the televised final table being hosted at Caesars Palace. After the inaugural event sold out, organizers have added one additional table to the 2014 event, allowing for up to 56 philanthropists, business executives and poker sharps to take to the felt. (All tables are played 8-handed). With the new 56 player cap, the first place prize has the potential to reach in excess of $20,000,000 if every seat is filled. Additionally, the odds of cashing are better than a typical poker tournament, with 16-20% of entrants receiving a portion of the prize pool, depending on the final number of entrants. The event will be reserved on a first-come first-serve basis, with those providing a deposit guaranteeing their seat. The winner will also receive a special edition WSOP platinum bracelet by famed jeweler Richard Mille. The event is open to anyone 21 years or older. There are only 55 seats left up for grabs, as ONE DROP founder Guy Laliberté has already declared his intent to play. (He finished 5th in 2012, cashing for $1,834,666, after being knocked out by Antonio Esfandiari when his pair of Queens lost to Antonio's Ace-King when a King came on the turn). "It was a terrific inaugural event in 2012 with ONE DROP raising nearly $5.7 million from the BIG ONE event," said Laliberté. "There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure access to water for all. I have no doubt that the poker community will once again live up to its reputation for generosity by helping to transform lives sustainably." The buy-in for the BIG ONE for ONE DROP at $1 million, remains the largest ever for a poker event. There will be no rake or house fees to operate the event, and $111,111 of each buy-in will be taken out as a charitable donation to ONE DROP. Thus, $888,889 goes directly into the prize pool. In total, nearly $10 million from the inaugural $42.6 million prize pool ended up in the hands of charities. Here is a video of players making a ONE DROP charitable visit after the inaugural event: "This event quickly established itself as special and unique and for that reason we chose to make it an every other year affair," said Mitch Garber, Caesars Interactive Entertainment's chief executive officer. "But we can't wait to host it again in 2014 and continue to use this vehicle to impact the planet through ONE DROP's platform." The tournament brings together individuals in an unusual way for the cause of water for all. It is the belief of the organizers that this event will again attract high-net-worth individuals from all over the globe and across a wide range of businesses and occupations. The BIG ONE for ONE DROP is an unprecedented effort to raise awareness of water-related issues amongst the poker community and beyond to raise funds to allow ONE DROP to continue to deliver on its important mandate. Funds will be directed to ONE DROP projects around the world, where the team is hard at work dealing with water access. Poker players, with a long, consistent and successful track record of supporting charitable causes via poker tournaments, will still have an opportunity to join the cause, as all 2014 WSOP tournaments will include the chance to compete for huge prize pools with money earners in the events being encouraged to donate 1% or more of their winnings to ONE DROP. The schedule for the 45th annual World Series of Poker is currently being developed, with an expectation for a "Save the Dates" announcement in November. Since 2007, ONE DROP projects have changed the lives of more than 300,000 people in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Haiti, India and West Africa. In the next five years, with great fundraising activities, ONE DROP hopes to significantly increase its reach. About ONE DROP ONE DROP - a non-profit organization created in 2007 by Guy Laliberté - strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever. ONE DROP significantly and sustainably improves living conditions through innovative projects which promote self-reliance in communities worldwide. In the U.S., ONE DROP is a public charity that undertakes innovative activities in which water plays a central role as a creative force to generate positive, sustainable change worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ONEDROP.org About the World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport's top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker's longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2013, the event attracted 79,471 entrants from 107 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and awarded over $197 million in prize money. To learn more about the World Series of Poker, visit WSOP.com. A Thrilling Big One For ONE DROP in 2012 Antonio Esfandiari (USA) It was so audacious that many people didn't think one table of poker players would show up. When the World Series of Poker along with renowned showman and philanthropist Guy Laliberte announced plans to host a $1,000,000 buy-in poker tournament as part of the 43rd Annual WSOP in 2012, it was met with plenty of skepticism. After all, the biggest previous buy-in record for a poker tournament was $250,000 and only 14 people participated. But betting against Laliberte is never a smart bet. With a cap of 48 players and an $18 million first place prize, the BIG ONE for ONE DROP from July 1-3, 2012 was a huge success. Antonio Esfandiari captured the victory and the first-ever platinum bracelet, while ESPN cameras captured the action live to households across America. To relive or review the event, we offer you the following options: PHOTOS OFFICIAL REPORT RESULTS
Russia is using propaganda and cyberattacks in a bid to interfere with next year's elections, the country's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, has warned. "The indicators that there will be attempts to influence the federal elections next year are intensifying," said Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the BfV, citing "increasingly aggressive cyber espionage" against officials, politicians, and party employees. The warning is the starkest yet on alleged Russian attempts to subvert political processes in Europe's largest economy. In the wake of the US Presidential election, when Russia was accused of leaking hacked information to discredit Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the Kremlin could next target Germany. Maassen said that the Kremlin had deployed "enormous" financial resources to carry out "disinformation" campaigns targeting Germany's Russian speaking community and political movements. He said the end goal was "to weaken or destabilise the Federal Republic of Germany", strengthen extremist movements and parties, complicate the work of federal government, and influence political dialogue. Maassen warned that voters' reliance on social media for news made them vulnerable to being duped by fake news and disinformation. "The altered relationship to information by users of online social media networks is an ideal gateway for targeted disinformation," said Maassen. "We are worried that echo chambers are being created there," Maassen said, adding that "automated opinion-forming" with bots could be used to spread fake news. A date for the German elections has not been set yet, but they are expected to take place in September next year. In January, Russian state media spread fake reports that a 13-year-old girl had been raped by Middle Eastern refugees in Berlin, in an alleged effort to whip up opposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel's open door refugee policy. Merkel is also a key backer of sanctions imposed against Russia by the West in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. In August, Kremlin linked hackers were accused of being behind an attempted cyberattack on the German parliament. The comments echo those made by MI6 chief Alex Younger, who said that Russian-style 'hybrid warfare' posed a threat to British sovereignty and democracies.
American Ninja Warrior - Red Nose Day: Stephen Amell's Run Watch Stephen Amell put his superhero abilites to the test on Celebrity Ninja Warrior! Posted by American Ninja Warrior Nation on Thursday, May 18, 2017 Stephen Amell, star of the CW show “Arrow” has been eyeing the American Ninja Warrior course for years. He’d expressed his interest publicly and the fans had demanded that it happen. Dreams came true when it was announced Stephen would join Celebrity Ninja Warrior, a special for Red Nose Day, which is a huge day of fundraising for children in need around the world. Now, we get to see some of the action in the above teaser clip! Stephen worked with American Ninja Warrior star Kacy Catanzaro to get ready for his run. He handled the Floating Steps with ease. Before the second obstacle, where he’d need to endure a hard drop, Kacy gave him some strategy advice. It worked! Again, Stephen had no trouble getting through it. He then moved on to the Fly Wheels, a daunting obstacle in regular competition. Look at that little grin of confidence after he bests it. But now he would face a balance obstacle. These types of obstacles are often dreaded by Ninja Warriors. After taking a deep breath, Stephen started his run across the blocks. The video ends there, so we’ll have to wait until Red Nose Day to find out the conclusion. Luckily, that’s not far away! Watch Celebrity Ninja Warrior on Red Nose Day, May 25, at 8 pm on NBC!
Earth-force meets money-force at Standing Rock. I’m so relieved I’m here. It scares me to think that I might have missed this. We get up at dawn. Four hundred people walk slowly in a light snow to the river by the camp. A teacher is talking. His headdress is a crisscrossing of long, narrow feathers. He is of the Havasupai, the people who live by the blue-green waterfalls at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He calls out across the river. “Water is life! Take me! My heart beats with you!” It’s cold at 7am. The children don’t seem cold though. They run around in the mud and ice. There are 80 tribes here. Some say many more. As we stand on the shore with a slow drum beating, the people shout “water” in many languages. The Earth-force is represented by this river and these eagles and these water protectors. We see the Money-force, standing over there on the bridge, just a couple hundred feet from the edge of long meadow of white tipis along the Cannonball River. The police look like a long row of Darth Vaders. In the environmental movement, we have yearned for the success of the Civil Rights and the Gender Rights movements. Few of us, though, face the police like the freedom-fighters of old. Arrests and trials are only one indicator of a movement’s power, but an important one. As environmentalists we fall back on soft confrontation dominated by data. Data is bloodless. Lobbying, position papers, endless graphics and electronic petitions might as well be abandoned in the age of Trump. Evidence points to the need for a quasi-religious transformation of cultural values. —Dr. Anne Ehrlich and Dr. Paul Ehrlich Who has undergone this “quasi religious transformation” the Ehrlichs call for now in the time of the Earth’s crisis? I think of Wangari Maathai and her billion trees, Edward Abbey and Earth First and the dreams of freeing western rivers of their dams, Judi Bonds and Larry Gibson in their danger-filled opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining. 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 The transformation of Standing Rock needs to be carried to many towns and cities. The Earth’s response to its own fever is everywhere all the time, and our activism must this as our map. We need to press up against militarized and consumerized citizens at all points, and then convert them to life. Can we pull them across the border between death and life? Suddenly there is clarity for Earth activists. With extinction accelerating and climate changing, we must transform with the intensity that one associates with religion. If some of us wouldn’t be able to convert an actual faith, at least a new Earth politics must be strong enough to break up the over-scheduling, the debt, the traditional careerism - the things that make it impossible to freely act. We have the time if we take the time. Three movements in recent years galvanize us. In these citizen movements we did take the time, took the risk, and made a difference. Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock. The lesson in all of them, the thing they have in common is that so many changed their own individual lives in order that they could then change the rest of us. In all three, the spiritual element is carried by the act of living together, literally living together, without the supervision of the corporations or government. Zuccotti Park and the stretch of sidewalk in front of the Ferguson police department and the meadow near the sacred stone… these three places are lived in. Here is where activists cared for each other and shared food, clothing and medicine. The force that upsets entrenched power the most is this compassionate living, this community in plain sight. Standing Rock offers us our moment of clarity. We can physically commit now. We must face the Devil. It is life and death. And living actively in a time of life and death must be a spiritual act. It should be you and I in service getting something done, in our daily life. Public caring and going through the quasi-religious transformation must go hand in hand. It was always so, from Pettis Bridge to Stonewall. When we are at peace with the Earth, we are able to hold our ground. The ground is the point. We hold our ground and the Earth holds us. In prison and in pain and in loss the Earth holds us. And then in the time of forgiveness after the struggle - the Earth still holds us. We must fearlessly love until there is no hate! Earthalujah!
Getting it rightâ€¦engine testing key to long term success Last week, we discussed the meticulous detail it takes to machine the individual components for the engine prototype. This week, engine development partner IAV began the process of putting all those components together into one working prototype so that we can continue with the testing phase. Entering the testing phase is one of the most crucial portions of the entire engine development process. To this point, we have used sophisticated simulations to model how the engine will perform in a variety of driving conditions. While we use the most advanced simulation tools available in the auto industry today, there is still nothing quite like having a physical prototype and putting it through a battery of tests on the dynamometer. Figure 1: Elio Block assembly and head assembly Why is this phase so important? Quality and customer satisfaction are essential to winning todayâ€™s highly discerning customers. There is no margin for error for any new vehicle â€“ whether itâ€™s a new launch from an existing manufacturer or a start-up like Elio Motors. Customers, rightfully so, demand excellence right out of the gate. The testing phase allows the engine development team to determine the mechanical integrity of the prototype and conduct calibration activity to gather data. This information is compared to the data from the simulation phase to ensure that everything is working as it should, and to correlate real world to previous simulations. Figure 2: Dry fit of the Elio engine â€œFront Viewâ€ Here are some of the important elements that IAV will test: Burn Rate/combustion characteristics of the combustion chamber â€“ Fuel efficiency of up to 84 MPG is one of Elio Motorsâ€™ four â€œMust Haves.â€ But, Elio Motors also wants to ensure that the vehicle will have performance characteristics that meet customer demand for speed and power. Testing on the dynamometer will verify if the burn rates, knock resistance and combustion efficiency is conducive to achieving the level of efficiency for which the engine is designed. Timing of the valve train â€“ Another important factor in determining overall engine performance and efficiency is the timing of the valve train. If this system is not in sync, it will cause a detrimental impact on overall fuel efficiency. Friction â€“ Long-term durability also is important to overall customer satisfaction. Too much friction in the engine can cause wear and tear and impact engine life. First-level emissions testing â€“ Obviously, it is impossible to build a zero-emission internal combustion engine, but our goal is to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Testing emissions at this phase will allow the engineering team to make adjustments if needed. Figure 3: Dry fit of the Elio engine â€œBack Right Viewâ€
Layoffs have hit Perfect World Entertainment. It was first rumored in a tweet by Ben PerLee, who had previously worked as PR for the company; the tweet has since been deleted, but a response calling it “a slaughter” remains [Nope, that one’s been deleted too now]. Matt Miller also tweeted today confirming that he had been laid off, having previously been working on Star Trek Online. Captain Smirk, community manager for Star Trek Online, also appears to have removed references to his job with the game from his Twitter account . No official word has yet been put out regarding these layoffs or whether they extend beyond the one game into Neverwinter or non-Cryptic properties, and the threads discussing them on the official Star Trek Online message boards have been locked quickly by moderators . We are reaching out to PWE for confirmation and will have more on this story as it becomes available; until then, our sympathies extend to those affected by this staff reduction.
Defining legacies has been a relatively unexplored topic in the realm of Melee. During Ken Hoang's retirement, he earned the title "King of Smash" for his years of dominance from 2003 to 2007. Since Ken, other players have made their case as the best overall player, but no one has done it as long as Joseph "Mango" Marquez and Adam "Armada" Lindgren. Editor's Picks Champions Civil War: SPOTV vs. OGN How does SPOTV intend to fill the esports legacy that OGN has created? Vive la France: Stunfest preview Stunfest kicks off on Friday in France, and the lineup of competitors is stacked from multiple regions. Timothy Lee breaks down the who's who of the Premier Event. Longzhu switches to seven man roster, Flame and Frozen benched Longzhu had everything going for it, including big-money investors and talented players. But after a disappointing split, it's looking to make changes to its starting lineup. 2 Related Both Armada and Mango have dominated the competition for years, winning the lion's share of majors. If competitive Melee were to end today, it becomes incredibly tough to determine who had the better overall career. Both have an interesting case and similar parallels to two NBA players who may have stepped on the basketball court for the last time this season: Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Bryant and Duncan Pundits debate between the two for who's the greatest player of this current generation. They both are proven winners who stand above their contemporaries, with Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers and Duncan's San Antonio Spurs having won five championships each during their careers. Bryant's career was encapsulated by his retirement tour, as fans flocked to see him play one last time. They didn't come to watch the Lakers; they came to watch Kobe. His strong individual performances will always be the popular topic among fans, whether it's his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors or the numerous times he single-handedly carried the Lakers in a crucial playoff moment. In certain games, Bryant was completely unstoppable as he continued to make shot after shot. Throw multiple defenders at him and he would find a way to the basket or shoot over them with his patented turn-around jumper. In many games, the plan was simple: Give Kobe the ball and watch him work his magic. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan faced off for the last time after two decades of memorable clashes. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images In contrast, people flock toward the San Antonio Spurs for its teamwork and fundamental play. Duncan preferred to work within the dynamics of his team, and while his bank-shot and arsenal of moves in the post were unstoppable during his prime, he was more concerned with making the right play. But he'd take over a playoff series if the opportunity presented itself. Take his performances against the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals and the New Jersey Nets in 2003, for example. Instead of relishing in the spotlight, Duncan knew when to hand over the mantle of leadership to teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Duncan's game has never been flashy, but it was fundamental and consistent, two traits that don't really make the highlight reels. You could easily make a compilation of Kobe's impossible shots, but Duncan's elite skills were not always visible in the box score. Despite that, Duncan's game will always be respected. As a player, he'll be heralded for his accomplishments, which includes two season MVPs and 10 All-NBA first team appearances, in addition to his five championship rings. Mango Mango is the Smash equivalent of Kobe Bryant. They both garner a large amount of attention and have created many iconic moments. Worldwide, basketball players will continue to scream "KO-BE!" when someone makes a difficult jump shot. Crowds yell out "MAN-GLE!" when someone makes a difficult recovery with Fox. Undoubtedly, Kobe's time on the court has inspired countless young players to mimic his style and Mango's exciting play-style has encouraged numerous players at home to dust off their controllers and practice. Mango grew many aspects of his game to prove critics wrong. Many said he won only because he played Jigglypuff, a gimmicky character choice. So he decided to pick up Fox and Falco to prove he could win with more standard characters. Just as we praise Kobe for making difficult shots, he has also lost his team games. Likewise, fans highlight Mango's difficult combos or edge-guards, but he has thrown away leads because of his risky decisions. Joseph "Mango" Marquez and Adam "Armada" Lindgren at Genesis 3. Robert Paul When Mango wins, it's a delight to watch creativity combine with intricate movement. The possibility that Mango can play at such a high level is what brings large audiences to flock to Twitch streams and to fill the venue when he's in the top eight. Mango challenges viewer expectations because of his unpredictable yet incredibly intelligent options; he has a nearly unmatched ability to see multiple steps ahead of his opponent. Mango might not always win, but there has always been an aura of invincibility that loomed around him. Although it did seem unrealistic that Mango could, at any given moment, destroy his opponent, it always fit into the realm of possibility. Armada Armada's no-nonsense demeanor earns him comparisons to Tim Duncan, since both are well known for their robotic levels of consistency. Tim Duncan's Spurs finished with at least 50 wins in every year aside from the 1999 NBA Lockout season. In the past decade, Armada has never placed below fifth place at any tournament he has entered (save for a forfeit at EGLX). Duncan rarely will take over a game offensively, but his impact is always felt. His skills were not as flashy, but he always seemed to be in the right position to make a decision and control the pace of the game. That seems to be the tough part about appreciating them both. Armada's game, in many aspects, seems boring until you examine how he plays and sees the game. Duncan's Spurs has always predicated itself on finding small advantages on back-screens, intricate passing, and movement until it can find the easy bucket. Armada's game play predicates itself on taking stage control and eliminating options until his opponent is forced into a tough decision. Provided by DreamHack, USA TODAY Sports He finds openings methodically among a sea of well-thought decision trees. While it seems robotic, there is beauty to uncovering the depths of his preparation to the plethora of options that Melee presents. Top players can recite Armada's game plans, but Armada will still win with his solid execution and mechanical consistency. Often, consistent excellence is ignored because it's what people eventually come to expect. Duncan makes another good defensive play to seal the game? Armada nails yet another Peach combo to clinch the major? These are to be expected from them. When they make a bad play, that's when the surprise hits. These expectations, after all, are a form of respect. The lasting impact While that may be the case, the question of legacy remains nebulous. Armada may continue to outperform Mango, but people are more likely to remember Mango in the history books. Armada's consistency will always be a hallmark of Melee, but the fan bases will clamor over Mango's highlight reel of classic moments. Likewise, while Duncan has performed more consistently at a high level, people will more likely remember Kobe for the excitement and buzz he has generated in games. Still, Mango and Armada both leave iconic marks on the community. Mango has had his fair share of win streaks and exciting moments that people will talk about for decades. Armada's defense and punish game will always be the highlight for analysts. The fortunate part on our end is that their tales haven't come to an end and we'll see them continue to add to their long list of accomplishments. For them, history is still being written.
Trump Wants to ‘Zero Out’ EPA Programs The Trump administration wants to “zero out” many climate-related programs and grants that help state and local governments enforce environmental laws, according to a memo sent this week to state governments by the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. It’s part of a proposal to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s $8.2 billion budget by 25 percent. The proposal recommends that the EPA cut its staff by 20 percent and slash grants to states by 30 percent. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February. Credit: Gage Skidmore/flickr The proposal was sent from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget to the EPA this week, and it requires the agency to immediately appeal any of its recommendations, according to the memo. State grants and EPA programs proposed to be fully shuttered include those addressing climate change, energy efficiency, diesel emissions, environmental justice and a variety of other issues, said Bill Becker, the association’s executive director, who said he obtained the proposal from the EPA. “These cuts, if enacted by Congress, would rip the heart and soul out of the national air pollution control program and jeopardize the health and welfare of tens of millions of people throughout the country,” Becker said. The EPA has been a focal point of the Trump administration because it sees the agency’s use of environmental laws to regulate polluting industries as overly intrusive and burdensome to businesses. If the EPA’s budget is cut as deeply as the administration is proposing, it would cut off a stream of funding to local governments that helps them comply with federal environmental laws and could hobble the EPA’s efforts to enforce them. State and tribal assistance grants accounted for 40 percent of the EPA’s total budget. Those grants fund state, local and tribal programs that address air quality management, water pollution, hazardous waste, brownfields, pesticides and other environmental challenges. Cuts to state grant programs “will have profound impacts on states’ ability to implement the core environmental programs as expected by our citizens,” the Environmental Council to the States, a group of state environmental regulators, wrote in a letter to EPA administrator Scott Pruitt on Wednesday. If EPA funding to states dries up, states may lose the ability to monitor air and water quality, build clean water infrastructure and provide environmental information to the public, the council wrote. An EPA spokesman declined to comment, saying he’d respond to questions when further information is available. Steve Cohen, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, said the EPA is already working with a tight budget. The EPA staff has shrunk to 15,000 from more than 17,700 in 2000 — mostly occurring in the Obama administration. The cuts forced the agency to delegate some enforcement of environmental laws to the states, he said. “The EPA is already a very lean agency and if these cuts are enacted, the impact would be large, but would probably not be the reason for lax enforcement by the federal government,” Cohen said. “That would be a policy issue, not a financial issue.” EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Credit: EPA/flickr Jack Lienke, an attorney at the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU School of Law, said it’s unrealistic to expect states to pick up the slack in enforcing environmental laws if the EPA steps away from those responsibilities. “Even when states have the political will to take on large polluters, they often lack the resources to do so. Indeed, many state enforcement offices are funded in significant part by EPA grants,” Lienke said. “A 25 percent budget cut would likely decimate EPA’s ability to enforce core environmental programs that protect the public from harmful air and water pollution.” Some programs Trump has proposed to cut were already targeted for elimination by the Obama administration, according to the EPA’s FY 2017 budget. Those include $84 million in EPA programs and grants addressing beach protection, radon and water quality research and support. But many programs targeted by Trump were funded by the Obama administration, including climate research and energy efficiency programs as part of the EPA’s $8.1 million climate protection program. The budget proposal would end funding for state efforts to comply with the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, a 2005 law signed by President George W. Bush to help reduce pollution from diesel engines. EPA diesel emissions grants totaled $10 million in 2017. Trump is also targeting grants that help Alaska Native communities adapt to climate change. Those communities, facing melting permafrost, rising seas and more frequent wildfires, were set to receive $2.9 million in 2017 from the EPA for climate resiliency planning and $17 million for infrastructure assistance. Also targeted are $90 million in grants to local governments to clean up brownfields, contaminated industrial sites contaminated with hazardous pollutants. Prior to proposing EPA budget cuts, Trump began to limit the EPA’s reach. Earlier this week, he signed an executive order requiring the EPA to review and possibly rescind a regulation designating many streams and rivers as being under federal jurisdiction, the so-called “Waters of the U.S.” rule. Trump, who has expressed doubts about established climate science, has promised to reverse the Obama administration’s most sweeping climate regulation, the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which would slash emissions from existing coal-fired power plants to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Mike Williams By Mike WilliamsReviews Editor Got a news tip? Is there something you think we should be reporting on? Email news@usgamer.net. Square Enix Japan has detailed an upcoming patch for Final Fantasy XV, scheduled for release on January 24. The patch notes, translated by Gematsu, mention the addition of more Holiday Pack content and an all-new "Self-Photographing Feature". Players who have the Season Pass or Digital Premium Edition receive the Holiday Pack+ items, while every player receives the rest of the Holiday Pack. More photos for Prompto. The patch notes: "Holiday Pack+" Updates Moogle Chocobo Carnival opened "Festive Ensemble (Noctis-only)" costume added "Holiday Pack+ Exclusive" photo frames added "Holiday Pack (Free Version)" Updates Moogle Chocobo Carnival opened "Choco-Mog Tee (Noctis-only)"" costume added "Holiday Pack (Free Version) Exclusive" photo frames added "Self-Photographing Feature" Implemented The full details of the Holiday Packs can be found here. The new selfie feature will allow players to take Prompto photographs anytime outside of combat. There's no word on if this new feature will come with an expansion of the 150 photograph limit that's already built into the game. If not, I'm pretty sure a number of players are already butting against 150. Fans are wondering where other promised patches and fixes are. The PlayStation 4 Pro patch was scheduled for release in December, targeting 60 fps at 1080p resolution, but that has yet to launch. Final Fantasy XV on PlayStation 4 Pro also has a frame-pacing issue, meaning even when the frame rate is consistent, the game doesn't look smooth. Some are reporting the issue was alleviated with patch 1.03, while others say it remains. Square Enix does have an Active Time Report New Year Special in the works, so it's possible we'll hear more about those patches then.
Tweten said, “I’ll do it!” That Instagram account became Bye Felipe, Tweten’s crowdsourced menagerie of mankind’s worst specimens. The name is a play on “Bye Felicia,” a meme used to signify that someone has left a party, and they won’t be missed. Since creating it Monday of last week, Tweten has received more than two dozen submissions. Tweten, who is 27 and works for an entertainment company in Los Angeles, has been on and off OkCupid since 2010. She acknowledges that these types of messages come from a relatively small number of users. She’s had mostly good experiences with online dating, and she met her last serious boyfriend on OkCupid. Still, the crude, unsolicited messages are a kind of a bitter aftertaste to what is usually a fun, if sometimes fatiguing, process. “What in society makes them think that it's okay to message someone like that?” she said. “At the same time, it's funny. You can see the desperation.” Tweten is part of an growing contingent of women who are dedicated to exposing the shady, hostile, and crass entreaties they get from their digital suitors. There’s Straight White Boys Texting, which is exactly what it sounds like: (“You should come eat this dick for desert.” [sic]) Minority women seem to have it especially rough; there are a number of sites devoted to exposing the uniquely disgusting bile that seems to spew forth when certain white men attempt to woo Asian women. Or, for more run-of-the-mill indignities, check out Dudes of Tinder, a Tumblr collecting a combination of outlandish profile photos and gross messages (“Wanna meet up for some chicken? Maybe some sex?”). In the words of Elizabeth Bennet, "You are too hasty, sir." * * * Online dating is just like regular dating—if it had been sprinkled with radioactive dust and left out in the sun to get bigger, louder, and warped. Traditional courting norms, in which men usually do the asking and women usually do the selecting, are escalated online. Rather than ask out the one cute girl laying out on the quad, however, the man can ask 50. And why bother to ask them out in all different ways? One “hey cutie what you doin?” fits all. Bombarded by all these "admirers," many women feel overwhelmed and leave scores of messages unreturned. One blogger recently ran an OkCupid experiment for which he set up five fake male and five fake female profiles. After a week, all of the women had received at least one message, the most attractive women had received hundreds, but several of the men remained un-contacted. This kind of rejection, day after day, can foment a kind of deep resentment among the male daters. “They're trying to make us feel bad about making them feel bad,” Tweten said. “They're just trying to strike at whatever our insecurities are. You were just interested a second ago, and now you're saying, ‘you have a fat ugly nose.’”
SANTA CRUZ >> Citing a purported escalation of homeless use and aggression, Santa Cruz administrators have converted the public spaces around City Hall from an open-access “park” to more restrictive office grounds, officials said Tuesday. The courtyard, grassy areas, public walkways, sidewalks and decorative walls surrounding the 809 Center St. building not far from downtown are now “closed” to the public after 6 p.m. weekdays, and altogether on weekends, Santa Cruz City Manager Martín Bernal said. The site, including a rose garden area, was previously open on weekends until 10 p.m. Exceptions to the public access will be by special permit or until a half hour after evening public meetings on site conclude. “You can’t really live on the sidewalks here, reasonably. Obviously, it’s not really meant for that,” Bernal said, citing complaints about aggressive interactions between city workers and the public. “And then, in the mornings, when people want to park at the parking meters, they can’t.” New signs posted around City Hall on Friday state the new hours and ban unpermitted amplified sound, personal property on public walkways and walls and lying or sitting in the area. At Bernal’s direction, the move came within less than a week of the Santa Cruz City Council approving a comprehensive new 20-item plan to address the impacts of homelessness on the community. Calling the change “administrative,” Bernal said on Tuesday that the city needed to establish clear standards and rules for visitors, to keep City Hall a “safe and welcoming environment” for all. Bernal said the change in use of the city grounds is a separate issue from the City Council’s efforts. Bernal said he and city employees are very “tolerant and understanding and compassionate about the issue of homelessness.” In the last year, the city has escalated security for the area, from paid First Alarm contractors to city park Rrangers to more regular police patrols, Bernal said. The increased enforcement has moved many who sleep in the area overnight to the property’s perimeter, Bernal said. “People have made this sort of their residence, actually. They’re here at night, but that’s not when they’re interacting,” Bernal said. “The impacts are felt the next morning. We pretty much have to sanitize City Hall every day.” Prior to posting the new rules, Bernal said he reached out to Santa Cruz County’s Human Services Agency two weeks ago for additional once-a-week mental health worker outreach around City Hall and the downtown. He had not yet heard back on results of that effort, he said Tuesday. Bernal said he also sat down to discuss the coming changes with Food Not Bombs organizers, who participate in weekly protests at City Hall against the city’s camping laws, which ban public sleeping. Food Not Bombs founder Keith McHenry issued an “emergency Freedom Sleepers Sleep-Out” email blast on Friday in response to the new signs. Local activist Sherry Conable responded to the McHenry’s email, asking why the city thinks “more and more restrictions, that will be enforced selectively by intention, will work anything out.” Bernal said clamping down on people sleeping around City Hall will not solve the city’s homelessness issue, but rather force it to move to a different location for the immediate future. Bernal said he hopes once some of the council’s recommended projects, such as the Downtown Streets Team, get up and running, homelessness will decrease locally.
With Raquel Pennington currently sidelined with an injury, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes is now eyeing a fight with former champ Holly Holm for her next title defense. “I’m ready to go,” the bantamweight champ said on the latest stacked episode of BJ Penn Radio. “I kind of don’t want to step in front of Cris Cyborg right now, because I know she wants to fight Holly Holm. But I don’t think this fight’s going to happen, and if Holly Holm comes down again, to 135 [pounds], we can do this. I want to defend my belt. I want to defend the 135 belt. Holly Holm is one of the only girls in this division [riding] a win, so I think she’s the one. I think if she’s not going to fight Cyborg, she has to come down and make this happen.” “I think this fight makes perfect sense,” Nunes continued. “She’s the one in the division that makes the most sense. She has a lot of fans, and a lot of people want to see her [fight]. This matchup’s going to be awesome.” Nunes then broke down this potential matchup with Holm: “I’m going to try to take her head off – you know that. And of course, everybody knows that Holly Holm doesn’t have a very good ground, everybody knows her takedown defense is not that amazing,” she said. “I feel I can do anything, I can strike with her, I can take her down, I can move forward.” The champ then reiterated that, despite Holm’s world-class striking and possible deficit in the grappling department, she’s content to stand with her. It’ll just come down to being careful. “I will strike [with] her,” she said. “She has a dangerous kick, everybody knows that. I need to avoid that kick. It comes from nowhere. You have to really expect it; it comes from nowhere. You have to be ready for that. When I start my camp, I will have a breakdown of Holly Holm’s video. We’ll discuss strategy.” Having made her interest in this fight abundantly clear, Nunes then gave a potential timeframe for it. She’s hoping for sometime in the first month or two of 2018. “I’m ready for next year, for sure,” she said. “January or February. We’ll see.” Do you want to see Amanda Nunes and Holly Holm fight? This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 16/11/2017.
The Home Office has rejected European Court of Human Rights demands that innocent people should not have their DNA stored on the national database. Instead samples from people arrested for, but not convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes, will be removed after 12 years. The DNA profiles of those arrested but not convicted for minor offences will be kept for six years. The law will be changed to retrospectively add all prisoners serving time for serious violent or sexual offences to the database. Police will also get the right to take samples from people convicted of serious crimes while abroad. The changes have been made in response to a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The judges said they were struck by "the blanket and indiscriminate nature of the power of retention in England and Wales". In Scotland different rules are followed - only those convicted of serious offences get put on the database. The Home Office agreed in December to remove profiles taken from children under the age of ten. The police will additionally be asked to trawl through innocent DNA profiles, 850,000 of them, to try and link them to existing records on the Police National Computer, The Guardian reports. Jacqui Smith said: "These new proposals will ensure that the right people are on it, as well as considering where people should come off. We will ensure that the most serious offenders are added to the database no matter when or where they were convicted." The case was brought by two men from Sheffield who wanted their profiles removed. Actual DNA samples will now be destroyed as soon as they are converted into profiles. Children arrested but not convicted for minor offences will have their profiles destroyed when they turn 18. All those convicted of an offence recorded on the Police National Computer, from prostitution to taking a pedal cycle without consent, will have their DNA profile and fingerprints stored forever. The big question is if Jacqui's tweaks to the database will be enough to satisfy the European courts. ®
Civic's $1 Million Identity Fraud Protection A new blockchain-based identity platform called Civic wants to be a second-factor authentication for people who want to be insured for digital ID theft protection. The app, which just launched, notifies its users when their social security is used by a Civic affiliate allowing people to make sure the use of this information is legitimate. Also read: Coinbase Helps FBI Shut Down KickAssTorrents Vinny Lingham’s Civic Creates 2FA Against Social Security Fraud Civic is a new project created by Vinny Lingham, a South African entrepreneur and the founder of Gyft. In 2014, Gyft was sold for over $50 million and Lingham has since moved on to his new digital identity protection service. Civic insures its customers from identity fraud for up to $1 million per user, free for life. The platform is still in beta but will charge banks and traditional finance institutions a small fee to take part in the second-factor layer of identification. Lingham told Forbes this week: The Social Security number system was not built for identifying people uniquely, but as an account for retirement savings. It has now become the de facto means of identity, but the system was never built for what it is used for today. The startup has backers as well with the Palo Alto company raising $2.75 million back in January. This includes capital from Social Leverage, Block Chain Space, Digital Currency Group, Blockchain Capital, Pantera Capital, Sound Ventures, and more. Venture capital firms are interested in this company’s system because it lets users know when personal information is used. Civic believes it gives users more control over their identity while at the same time saving financial services significant costs from fraud, which these businesses typically eat. Most banks, credit card services, and financial institutions take on the cost of fraud protection which is passed on to the customers in the end. According to Javelin Strategy & Research, $16 billion was stolen from 12.7 million identity fraud victims in 2014 and in 2015 the costs have continued to increase. A lot of this is due to the rise of data breaches and social security fraud along with personal information that can be sold on the black market. With Civic’s app, if someone attempts to make a purchase with your credentials and you don’t authorize the transaction, your bank will then block the purchase. Additionally, Civic has collaborated with TransUnion giving its customers real-time alerts when their credit report is accessed. If any fraudulent activity occurs with the identity of Civic, users will be sent an email or a text to their smartphone. Civic has also partnered with GoodHire and Onfido, which handles background check verification.The company plans on making more partnerships as the platform scales.Civic’s co-founder Jonathan Smith also adds security to the mix with a background within financial security in the banking industry. It is a desktop application at the moment but the company says in a month or so, iOS and Android apps will follow. What do you think about the Civic concept? Let us know in the comments below. Images courtesy of Pixabay, and Civic’s Website
By AFP Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya's fourth president on Tuesday to thunderous cheers from tens of thousands of supporters, despite facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity. "I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Kenya," said Kenyatta, the son of the country's first president, clutching a bible as he took the oath of office. Wearing a dark suit and red tie, he also pledged to "protect and uphold, the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the people of Kenya". Officials had to appeal for quiet as 60,000 people packed into Kenya's national football stadium chanted Kenyatta's name and roared in support as they danced. William Ruto, who like Kenyatta faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity related to post-election violence five years ago, took the oath of office as vice-president. "I will always truly and diligently serve the people and the Republic of Kenya in the office of the deputy president," Ruto said. "I will do justice to all without fear, favour, affection and ill will," he added. Kenyatta, one of Africa's richest men, won the March 4 polls by more than 800,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival, outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The 51-year-old is Kenya's youngest president. Security was heavy as Kenyatta loyalists, dressed in the red colours of the winning Jubilee Coalition party, waved and military bands played tunes to welcome the new leader and bid farewell to outgoing President Mwai Kibaki, 81, retiring after more than a decade in power. Kibaki handed over Kenya's symbols of power -- a sword and the constitution -- to Kenyatta, with both smiling broadly and shaking hands. The handover was followed by a booming 21-gun salute. Regional leaders and foreign diplomats watched as the full to capacity stadium danced and sang along to music and a military parade. Among the heads of state attending the ceremony were Ethiopia's Hailemariam Desalegn, Somalia's Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudan's Salva Kiir, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni. Odinga, who failed in his court bid to overturn Kenyatta's victory, did not attend. Western nations, many of which have a policy of only "essential contact" with ICC indictees, sent ambassadors to the ceremony. Many supporters packed in buses arrived long before dawn from central Kenya and the Rift Valley, strong support bases of Kenyatta and Ruho. "This is a great day," 23-year-old student Martin Munyua told AFP. "People thought Uhuru could not be president but we showed them that we believe in him. This is our day to celebrate." "We have come to welcome our new sons to the State House," said 35-year old high school teacher Jairus Koech, who travelled all night from the Rift Valley town of Eldoret to attend the celebrations. Odinga and civil society groups filed legal challenges alleging the March polls were marred by a series of irregularities that skewed the results. However, Kenya's Supreme Court last month unanimously ruled the election had been fair and credible and Odinga said he would respect the ruling. The polls were peaceful apart from isolated incidents, avoiding a repeat of the ethnic killings and widespread violence that followed the 2007 election, when more than 1,100 people were murdered and several hundred thousand forced to flee their homes. Local media on Tuesday warned that Kenyatta faced a tough task in uniting the country. "Fortunately the country remained peaceful during the elections, but unfortunately many still feel disenfranchised," The Star newspaper said in an editorial. "A sense of national unity, patriotism, belonging and pride will only come about with a very deliberate programme to heal the septic ethnic wounds that so pollute our politics," the Daily Nation said. "We hope that magnanimity in victory will be reciprocated by grace in defeat." Both Kenyatta and Ruto, who are due to appear at the ICC later this year for their trial in The Hague, said they will cooperate fully with the court. They deny the charges against them.
The corporate chieftains who’ve relentlessly pushed American factories and middle-class jobs offshore rationalize this globalization of production by declaring that it’s all about efficiency, as though that’s the highest value to which a civilization can aspire. Values aside, however, the problem with corporate efficiencies is that too often they are simply not efficient. The corporate scheme of moving stuff from A to B to G to Y to achieve the narrow goal of maximizing profits can look so simple, sensible, and even slick in a boardroom Power Point presentation. This is largely because it ignores inconvenient realities, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear meltdowns. For example, Shreveport, Louisiana has been jolted by the horrific one-two-three blow that has pummeled Japan. What hit Shreveport was not a seismic aftershock, a tsunami, or a radioactive nuclear plume–but the inherent fragility of the distant supplier networks built by profiteering globalizers. A GM truck plant in this city has shut down because one truck part, made at a factory in a devastated area of Japan, isn’t presently available. One part. Amazing. Cars and trucks have about 20,000 parts, but the inability to get even a single one delivered from abroad can bring an entire assembly line to a halt. GM’s bean counters had decided at some point that they could have this gizmo made in and shipped from Japan a bit cheaper than making it here. So GM and other globalizers have made themselves–and all of us–dependent on an unreliable, far-flung network of foreign factories. Moreover, these scattered suppliers also are at their suppliers’ mercy–a plastic gadget-maker in Japan, for example, might rely on a Chinese factory for the chemical to make the plastic. Globalization’s “efficiency” is nothing but a cross-your-fingers fantasy.
Just over a year ago, Ezell Ford, a 25-year-old mentally ill black man, was shot and killed by two LAPD officers in South Los Angeles. Ford was unarmed, though the officers involved insist that a struggle had occurred between one of the officers and Ford prior to the shooting. After a lengthy investigation, the Los Angeles Police Commission—a five-member civilian review board that oversees the LAPD—determined in June of this year that one of the officers was wrong to draw his weapon and open fire. But because LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has final say over disciplinary matters, it is possible that he could refrain from meting out any punishment to the officers involved—something that has happened multiple times before. These situations have led to heated disagreements between Beck and the Commission about his lack of punitive action in cases where the board has determined wrongdoing by an officer. Newark’s review board will also comprise 11 members voted in from local and civil rights organizations—a rare characteristic ... The LA Police Commission isn’t alone in its lack of muscle in disciplinary cases. Civilian review boards the nation over are limited to making recommendations only. But with the full glare of the nation’s media still very much pointed towards police use of aggressive and often deadly tactics, support for civilian review boards’ increased authority is gaining traction in states across the nation. Presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley has promised that stronger police review panels would be one of his priorities should he gain office. This is why many eyes are turned towards Newark, New Jersey, where Mayor Ras Baraka in April unveiled plans to institute a new Civilian Complaint Review Board with real bite to oversee a department long characterized by systemic racism and abusive police policies. And proponents of the review board suggest that in the absence of any legal challenges, the panel could be up and running within six months. What is a civilian review panel? Widely seen as watchdogs of the police, civilian review boards are charged with investigating complaints of police misconduct made by members of the public. There are more than 200 different civilian review panels around the nation, but they differ in their overall jurisdiction. Some have subpoena powers and the authority to demand police testimony. Some conduct their investigations alongside that of an internal affairs bureau, while others have sole investigatory powers. But few, if any, have the final say when it comes to imposing disciplinary measures—something that makes Newark unique. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Photo courtesy of the City of Newark. “Newark’s recommendations are slated to have a degree of binding authority,” Baraka promised in April, at the board’s unveiling. If a complaint against an officer is substantiated, senior police officers will impose discipline determined by guidelines established by the panel. The panel’s recommendations could be overruled only if Newark’s police director establishes error in the board's decision. Alongside similarly rigorous investigative powers, Newark’s 11-member review board will also comprise nine members voted in from local and civil rights organizations—a rare characteristic among other civilian review boards. Brian Buchner, president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement—a nonprofit organization seeking to combine the efforts of individuals and agencies pushing for greater civilian oversight of the police—said other communities are “watching closely” how the board integrates organizations like the ACLU. “Because of the history of police oversight, and the history of the intersection between race and policing, there are a lot of groups who are interested in having a prominent and permanent role in actually conducting oversight of law enforcement and not just getting it set up,” Buchner said. That the program doesn’t currently have a permanent funding stream is a point of contention for some, however. The original proposal tied the budget of the review board to a percentage of the police department’s non-capital budget, so that the board grew and shrank in relation to the size of the police department. This would have taken the review board out of the political arena by ensuring that future administrations in opposition to the board are unable to cut the program’s funding, said Udi Ofer, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. Nevertheless, if Newark’s civilian review panel proves successful, many believe that it could act as a model for the rest of the nation. But the board is only one of a number of community-based initiatives that Baraka has proposed to reform a city plagued with soaring levels of poverty, crime, and unemployment. In the thick of it Son of noted poet and activist Amiri Baraka, Ras Baraka’s political career has been built from the community level up. He was a high school principal before terms as both Newark Deputy Mayor and South Ward council member prefaced his second run for mayor last year. (He first ran for office in 1994.) “Ultimately, I’ve always been a grassroots organizer,” Baraka told Politico Magazine earlier this year. “When you’re the principal of a school, you’ve got to be right in the thick of it, or it isn’t going to work.” [Baraka] launched a free, 13-week program that gives [residents] firsthand experience of the police department's day-to-day operations ... But reform of Newark’s police force has delivered Baraka a formidable challenge: His successful run for office arrived at a critical juncture for the department. One year on after being placed under federal oversight for rampant misconduct, the NPD is still under federal scrutiny. A three-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed critical “deficiencies” in the department, “including its systems for reviewing force and investigating complaints regarding officer conduct.” The findings of the 49–page report, released in July, are as lengthy as they are damning. Investigators found widespread violations of the Fourth Amendment. For example, up to 75 percent of stop-and-frisks in Newark were unconstitutional. The report also found a pattern of excessive use of force by police officers, as well as vast racial disparities in policing practices, with black Newarkers “bearing the brunt of the police department’s enforcement activities.” While black residents comprise 54 percent of Newark’s population, they made up nearly 85 percent of police stop-and frisks. The report paints a picture of a community deeply mistrustful of its police force. Baraka has tried to repair the ties between the two camps. The civilian review board, for example, was designed to have “broad transparency” by giving the public increased access to police records. To provide greater local authority over officer training, Baraka’s pushing for a city-operated Newark Police Academy. In March, he launched a free, 13-week program that gives business owners, managers, and employees firsthand experience of the police department’s day-to-day operations in another attempt to “break down the barriers between the Police Department and all sectors of [the] community.” Other cities are indeed watching developments there closely. Jubilee Shine, head of the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police in Los Angeles, believes that, in light of the friction generated by Beck’s unilateral decision-making authority in disciplinary matters, Newark’s review panel model should be replicated in LA. “The most critical aspect of their review board surrounds their ability to have binding disciplinary power over police officers who act out of policy,” said Shine. As specific details concerning Newark’s civilian review board continue to be thrashed out, there has been pushback in some quarters. Police unions have questioned whether the board falls beyond existing state statutes and labor contracts that govern police disciplinary reviews, and have threatened to take the issue to the courts, if necessary. Additionally, a recent uptick in street violence in Newark has added more heat to the issue. Still, says Ofer, “saying it doesn’t have the legal authority does not, in my mind, provide a substantive argument as to why the board should not exist.” The review board was created through careful legal analysis with much thought put to the exact breadth and nature of authority the review board could wield under state law, he said. “If people want to engage in substantive conversations about why having a professional civilian review board is a bad thing for Newark, then I’m very happy to engage in that conversation,” Ofer said. “We’re very confident that it will survive legal challenges.” Correction: An earlier version of this story reported that 11 members of the review board would be civil rights workers. The correct number is nine out of 11 total members.
Dylan Sprouse (@dylansprouse) calls in to chat about Force Grey: Lost City of Omu. Set within the new Tomb of Annihilation storyline, this ultimate game of D&D finds our intrepid adventurers—Dylan Sprouse, as well as Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll, Brian Posehn, and Utkarsh Ambudkar—traveling deep into the jungles of Chult. And of course Matt Mercer returns as Dungeon Master, lending his voice to leading the game! In Lore You Should Know – Chris Perkins and Matthew Sernett talk Acererak from Tomb of Annihilation. Watch Dragon Talk recordings live on twitch.tv/dnd Mondays at 2pm PT—and then watch Force Grey immediately after at 5pm! Here’s a guide to when each segment on the podcast begins: 00:00 – Intro with Greg Tito (@gregtito) 06:06 – Lore You Should Know – Tomb of Annihilation 38:18 – Interview with Dylan Sprouse (@dylansprouse) 01:23:40 – Outro with Greg Subscribe to the Official D&D Podcast on iTunes, on Google Play, or wherever you get podcasts. Watch Dragon Talk recordings live on twitch.tv/dnd Mondays at 2pm PT! Dylan Sprouse is an actor and brewer currently living in NYC. After graduating from NYU Dylan decided to open his own Meadery called All-Wise in Brooklyn where he plays D&D with his buddies between shifts. Dylan also runs homebrew D&D campaigns on a twitch stream called PUGcrawl. He likes long walks on the beach and circle of the moon druids. IMDB: Dylan Sprouse Twitter: @dylansprouse Instagram: @dylansprouse Host Bios Greg Tito Greg Tito has had weird and long career as an Off Broadway stage manager, a playwright, a theater carpenter, a secretary, an RPG designer, a games journalist, and now a PR/Marketing person. He has loved Dungeons & Dragons ever since 1985 when he found an old copy of the AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide on his brother’s bookshelf and he honed that love of fantasy storytelling in the dark streets of Sasserine by way of the Upper West Side gaming group he joined in 2004. He moved his family (wife + two young kids) to Seattle in 2015 to work on D&D and he’s never looked back. You can find Greg on Twitter.
While Nolan North is arguably most famous for lending his voice to Uncharted hero Nathan Drake, his gaming CV now includes well over a 100 titles. Name almost any AAA game released in the last five years and there's a pretty good chance he worked on it. Resistance, Shadow Complex, Saints Row, Red Faction, Fable, Lost Planet, Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham City, Black Ops, Portal 2... the man's voice is everywhere. With his latest role - as Captain Martin Walker in 2K shooter Spec Ops: The Line - nearing release date, North offered Eurogamer a little insight into exactly why he's become the go-to guy for video game voice overs. First off, he speculated that it might have something to do with the unique quality of his voice. "I once had an engineer tell me... we were doing this big battle scene and I was just playing 'Soldier 3' or something and he went, 'You know why you get picked for those roles? Your voice, when it's compressed for the game, it just stands out.'" he recalled "'There's something about where your voice lives in your throat, in your voicebox, that when you do that yell it kind of pierces through everything else.'" However, North isn't entirely convinced by that theory. He suspects his success might have more to do with good old fashioned networking. "I think it's a much simpler thing," he said. "Ultimately you always like to work with your friends and I always take it as my responsibility in a session to not only do the best job I can, but also have a few laughs with everybody, have a good time and get it done early. "You build those relationships... and these people hire you again. 'Hey, I want to work with Nolan - he's not right for this role but let's have him do these roles instead'. "The voiceover industry is a small group of people with a unique skillset. I don't really mind if I'm the lead character or 'Soldier number 5'. I just like to work, I enjoy what I do. I laugh in the booth thinking, 'Gosh, they're paying me for this. This is great, this is what I got attention for in high school." But doesn't he worry about over-exposure? That gamers will tire of his sturdy, distinctive, everyman tones? Once perhaps, but not any more, North insisted. "I did at a certain point, but then what happened was a role like The Penguin in Arkham City came along. I got to do something so far away from my normal voice that people were shocked that it was me. "Developers know the range of different voices that I can do, and I think it's just a matter of broadening the range a bit and letting me do different characters like that. Y'know, Dr Richtofen from Black Ops isn't anything like Nathan Drake, or Penguin, or Desmond Miles." North went on to suggest that as the video game medium continues to evolve, recognisable voice talent will increasingly become an additional selling point for a title. "I think there's slowly been a shift away from 'Oh, he's in too many games' to 'Oh, I like him, I'm going to get that game because he's in that'. Why not? That's what happens in the movies, right? I think there's going to be a shift and more and more voice actors are going to get recognised like that." On the face of it, unlike The Penguin or Richtofen, North's latest role in Spec Ops: The Line isn't too far out of his comfort zone. However, North insisted there's hidden depth beneath the game's traditional third person shooter veneer. "I sat down and they told me all about the story and what they're trying to do and it didn't seem like the same old shoot 'em up military action game. It was much deeper than that," he said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how it comes out and what people's perception of it is. It's not just this first person shooter type game. It really goes into the psyche of the soldier in combat and how it can effect them. The gameplay gives players real choices to make - difficult choices at times. Just like a real soldier in the field might have to face. "I think it's one of the most psychologically thrilling games I've ever been part of." Find out for yourself when the game launches on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 29th June.
A chemical weapons expert and longtime jihadist who joined ISIS was killed last week in a targeted U.S. strike near Mosul, U.S. Central Command announced Friday, dealing a significant blow to what several intelligence sources described as a dangerous program by ISIS to acquire unconventional and illicit weapons. But it was unclear exactly what roles Abu Malik, also known as Salih Jasim Muhammed Falah al-Sabawi, was playing within ISIS—liaison to former Saddam regime elements, WMD specialist, or both. Nor was it apparent precisely how far along his—and therefore, ISIS’s—chemical weapons plans were. “He was gathering a lot of equipment—we’re not really sure for what—before we killed him,” a U.S. intelligence official told The Daily Beast. “But it’s concerning that someone who was fairly seriously high up in the [chemical weapons] infrastructure linked up with [ISIS]. This wasn’t some enlisted guy.” Al-Sabawi was well-known to both American and international intelligence analysts. Pentagon officials told The Daily Beast that he was a mid-level ISIS fighter who provided a means for the Islamic State to develop chemical weapons. Al-Sabawi had worked at Saddam Hussein’s notorious Muthana chemical weapon production facility before he linked up with al Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, CENTCOM said. A U.S. intelligence source separately confirmed that al-Sabawi had worked at the Muthanna, one of the most significant sites in Iraq’s chemical weapons program, where sarin was produced. But the “big operation”—the “vast majority of agent” produced there—was mustard gas, the source said. Several U.S. Intelligence sources referred to the prospect of former Saddam regime chemical specialists joining ISIS as a “nightmare” scenario. Last year, Sunni militants occupied the Muthanna facility, which still contained a stockpile of remnants from Saddam's old chemical warfare programs. The New York Times reported that last summer, the Iraqi government informed the United Nations that some 2,500 corroded chemical rockets were still on the grounds of the Muthanna facility, and that intruders had looted equipment there. A lingering chemical weapons expert roaming “in a place riven with conflict—that’s a real concern,” one American intelligence official told The Daily Beast, referring to the broader Middle East. A former U.S. official said ISIS’ ambitions to acquire chemical weapons were more than just notional, and while the group had not fully developed a weapon, that possibility was something U.S. intelligence agencies tracked closely for some time. The announcement of al-Sabawi’s death was the first time that CENTCOM has named one of the 6,000 Islamic State fighters it has killed since U.S. and coalition air strikes began August 8 and suggested that U.S. officials believed they had fended off ISIS’s best resource to develop chemical weapons. “His death is expected to temporarily degrade and disrupt the terrorist network and diminish ISIL’s ability to potentially produce and use chemical weapons against innocent people,” CENTCOM said in a press release, using an alternate acronym for the group. Both Iraq and U.S. officials appear to have been pursuing al-Sabawi for weeks. Earlier this month, Iraqi police rounded up several of his close associates. Al-Sabawi was killed on January 24 in a strike that deliberately targeted him, officials said. The source noted that al-Sabawi’s service in Al Qaeda in Iraq prior to joining ISIS was “a pretty serious situation. He knew a lot about chemical weapons.” A defense official explained that while there was no evidence al-Sabawi had acquired chemical weapons, “our fear was that he would develop them.” “His past training and experience provided the terrorist group with expertise to pursue a chemical weapons capability,” CENTCOM said. After the invasion, the U.S. and its allies promised tens of millions of dollars to redirect Iraqi WMD specialists into peaceful activities beyond they linked up with insurgent or terror outfits. But for five years, those funds failed to materialize. And “five years is a very long time for WMD experts to wait for a program to assist them,” the Arms Control Association noted. In either case, it wouldn¹t have helped in al-Sabawi’s case. He quickly went underground after U.S. forces rolled into Iraq.
Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Thousands of Merseyside’s poorest children are starting school without vital skills such as using the toilet and recognising their own name. The shock news comes in a special Ofsted report which found many of Merseyside’s poorest children are not ready to learn when they start school. Figures from the Department of Education show a massive 3,376 children in the region receiving free school meals failed to develop the skills expected of them when they start school. Some of the skills children lack by the time they join the reception year include: Being able to sit still and listen Being potty trained and able to go to the toilet Being able to talk in sentences Understanding the word ‘no’ and the borders it sets for behaviour Recognising their own name In Liverpool, 980 children (65% of those on free school meals) had not developed to the basic standard expected. In Wirral the figure was 601 children, 76% of those on free school meals. Meanwhile 403 children on free school meals in Sefton (71%) did not meet the target, 341 (62%) in St Helens and 391 (59%) in Knowsley. Lewisham in London had the smallest percentage of children on free school meals failing to meet the criteria at 43%. While teachers agree more needs to be done to teach children the skills they need to learn at school, there is some disagreement among experts about how this should be done. Susan Poole, who has run Monkton Nursery in Mossley Hill for 34 years, employs qualified teachers to help children progress. But Janette Cook-Hannah, headteacher of Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Cronton, Knowsley, said care needs to be taken to ensure pre-school education does nor result in children effectively starting school as toddlers. She said: “Often, early years is seen in some way as just preparation for school and not a crucial stage of development in its own right, and this is extremely concerning.” She added: “Formal learning, if children are not ready, is damaging for our children. For the first time in their lives some of our children experience failure, a failure from which some may never recover. “They become alienated from learning and start to believe it is something that isn’t for them. “We need to provide a curriculum that supports the development of the crucial skills that children need in order to be active learners. “Maybe then, we can start to reduce the gap in attainment between the highest-performing children and the lowest.” Councils across Merseyside say they are working hard to improve the skills of pre-school children. Last month children’s centres in Kirkby, which are run by Knowsley council, became the first in the country to be rated as outstanding under a new Ofsted inspection system. The Pride, The Eden, The Ark and Northwood were praised in their first assessment by the education inspectorate since it introduced tougher criteria around children's centres. Ofsted said that children who had used services at the centres were better prepared for starting school than their peers. More Liverpool news Click here to see about the new breed of mutant super rat coming to Merseyside. We've also spoken to Merseyside's top anti-gun cop about the battle against firearms and looked into the drug gangs turning chioldren as young as 11 into dealers
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Barack Obama visited one of the world's most heavily fortified frontiers US President Barack Obama has visited the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, amid rising tensions over the North's planned rocket launch. At an observation post on the volatile border, he told US troops they were "at freedom's frontier". The US has voiced concern that the rocket launch due in April is a pretext for a missile test. Pyongyang says it wants to put a satellite into orbit. On Monday, Mr Obama will attend a nuclear security summit in Seoul. He told a news conference with his South Korean counterpart that North Korea would achieve nothing with "threats and provocations". A two-day conference in the South Korean capital will be attended by leaders from more than 50 nations. Its main focus will be preventing criminal or militant groups from acquiring nuclear weapons. Pyongyang's nuclear programme is not officially on the agenda and North Korea is not taking part in the summit. But American officials have made it clear that Mr Obama will be discussing the programmes of both North Korea and Iran in bilateral meetings with the Chinese and Russian presidents, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul reports. China's state media said the North Korea rocket launch had "stolen some of the limelight" but said the summit was "not an appropriate platform" to discuss it and urged the world leaders not to be distracted. 'Stark difference' The DMZ, a 4km (2.5-mile) wide strip of heavily mined land, has bisected the peninsula since the end of the Korean War in 1953. It is considered one of the world's most heavily-guarded border areas. Making his first visit to the DMZ, Mr Obama told US troops serving at Camp Bonifas: "I could not be prouder of what you're doing... You guys are at freedom's frontier." The president said the contrast between the two sides of the border "could not be starker" and paid tribute to the military personnel who had been "willing to create the space and the opportunity for freedom and prosperity". Mr Obama then spent about 10 minutes at an observation post, looking towards North Korea through binoculars from behind bullet-proof glass. Earlier this week, Japan said it was readying its anti-missile defences ahead of North Korea's launch, expected between 12 and 16 April. Pyongyang says the long-range rocket - which would mark the 100th birthday of its late Great Leader Kim Il-sung - would take a new southern trajectory instead of a previous route east over Japan. Image copyright AFP Image caption North Korea's last rocket launch in 2009 triggered UN sanctions US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has said an area between Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines could be affected by the flight path. On Sunday, South Korean defence officials said the North had moved the main body of the rocket to a launch site in north-west of the country in preparation. North Korea has shown a growing mastery of ballistic technology during its three previous long-range tests. However, experts say none has succeeded in reaching orbit, and debris has fallen to earth at various stages during the launches. Last month North Korea offered a deal involving the freezing of its nuclear and long-rang missile programmes in return for US food aid, which was seen as a signal that Pyongyang was moving towards exploring a diplomatic resolution to the stand-off. But Washington has accused Pyongyang of acting in bad faith following the rocket launch announcement, which could put jeopardise the promised aid delivery. Pyongyang has threatened that if South Korea discusses its nuclear programme at the Seoul summit it will retaliate with the "strongest counter-measures which no one can imagine". Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people in North Korea have marked the official end of 100 days of mourning for late leader Kim Jong-il, who died of a heart attack in December. Crowds gathered in the capital, Pyongyang, to pay their respects to Mr Kim and pledge loyalty to his son and successor, Kim Jong-un.
Three things Portugal must accomplish in its tournament warm-up matches The Seleção have five friendlies to find adequate solutions (if not total remedies) to some of their most vexing problems before the European Championship begins. Lots of young talent is available, but is Euro 2016 too soon for Portugal to take full advantage? Could this finally be our year? Can Ronaldo lead the Seleção to glory? Join Nathan Motz as he discusses some of the key decision making points that Fernando Santos will encounter in the run up to Euro 2016. 1. Make the right decision concerning the arrangement of our attacking trident The 2015/16 season is yet again a case of “same song different verse” for Portugal when considering the No9 role. Young strikers André Silva and Gonçalo Paciência are not ready. Not for a tournament of this magnitude. Thus Portugal and especially Fernando Santos will be required to make the crucial decision regarding where the team’s best player and captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, should play. This decision will consequently resolve other questions about which assortment of strikers/wingers to bring to the tournament and where they will fall in the pecking order. There are three possible variations of our 4-3-3 to be tested: A “fluid-front-three” in which the forwards change positions at random I like this particular arrangement because Ronaldo does indeed thrive when he is not restricted to one role or one side of the pitch. He would favour the left wing of course, since that is where he could work alongside Fábio Coentrão. Ronaldo shows a similar inclination to work on the left side of the pitch for Madrid where Marcelo’s overlapping runs pull the opposition’s defence out of shape, allowing him to exploit the space. Cutting Ronaldo loose to wander about creates confusion in the minds of defenders about who exactly is responsible for marking him. Ronaldo is as proficient as he is unmerciful in his ability to exploit any space negligently afforded to him. But what pair of attackers can we use to fill the other two positions in our forward trident? More importantly, which pair of forwards are versatile enough to alter between the wing and central striker positions? Based on club form and prior experience with the Seleção, Rafa Silva, Nani, and Bernardo Silva are the best forwards we have to play alongside Ronaldo, but I have doubts about how well they would execute the No9’s responsibilities, even periodiocally. Rafa Silva, Nani, and Bernardo Silva lack the strength and stature to duel with top-tier centrebacks, and none of them are consummate finishers. Their skillsets strongly favor their utilization as ancillary players, marauding counter-attackers that provide the killer pass, not apply the killer finish. Their respective clubs, Braga, Fenerbahçe, and Monaco, have never asked them to play with their backs to goal as a traditional striker often must, which seems to preclude the notion of asking them to perform this role for the Seleção. Likewise, consider one of our strikers attempting to excel as a winger. Portugal have a grand total of two natural strikers who might find themselves in Santos final squad for Euro 2016: Nélson Oliveira and Éder. Neither are great finishers, but they are both even worse candidates to play the role of a traditional winger, especially Éder. To his credit, the Guinea-Bisseau born striker has scored twice for Lille since his loan move from Swansea City in January, but his role for Portugal will not be the same in a fluid-front-three attacking schematic. He will be asked to rotate out onto the wing where speed and technical skill in 1-v-1 encounters are more important than brute strength and hold-up play. Suffice it to say, Éder is not tailor-made for that particular assignment. Hence, if we play a fluid front three, the only player who has the right blend of physical and technical skills to move about the attacking end of our 4-3-3 is Ronaldo. The others have appreciable limitations, so much so that it might be better to implement Ronaldo as our permanent No9. Ronaldo as a permanent No9 Fielding Ronaldo as a centre forward might then seem to be a decent option given the aforementioned disadvantages of using a fluid-front-three. In the not so distant past, Ronaldo has been employed as a striker for both Real Madrid and Portugal, so it is not an entirely foreign role for him either. The prospect of putting Ronaldo as close to the opposition goal as possible is tantalizing, I admit. Ronaldo has 40 goals and 13 assists with two more months left in the club season. Because of these reasons, it is my personal opinion that Santos will at least attempt to play Ronaldo as our lone striker at some point during the pre-tournament friendlies if not during the tournament proper. As I’ve written about in the past, isolating Ronaldo at the top of the formation introduces problems with our ability to creatively link midfield to our front three. This is especially true when playing against top-tier competition such as Germany or Spain. These teams simply (and rightly) determine that their best bet is to cut-off midfield support. Once the battle is won in midfield, Ronaldo’s influence is greatly diminished and has often (e.g. Portugal v Spain 2010 WC) forced our two wingers to retreat in aid of the defence, asphyxiating our offensive threat entirely. One crucial point that I will concede is that for this tournament our midfield will be stronger than in years past. So much so that it might allow us more flexibility in terms of where to play Ronaldo. We also have unknown qualities in Bernardo Silva and Rafa Silva. I say unknown because we cannot be certain how well these players will perform in a tournament of this magnitude. If one or both of them were to break out as a dynamic playmaker, this would give Santos much more freedom to utilize Ronaldo as a striker. I have fought against the notion of using Ronaldo as a No9 for many years now, but I am not simply fighting on principle. If our midfielders and supporting wingers are talented enough, Ronaldo could still be used to great effect as a centre forward for the Seleção. But I need to see strong evidence in these five friendlies that we can still creatively build attacks without as much influence from Ronaldo. Playing Éder/Nélson Oliveira as a static centre forward I do not wish to insult either of these two players, but it must be said that the fact either are even eligible for a call-up offers an indicting perspective on the state of Portugal’s striker situation. Of the two, I favor Éder and I think Santos will too, especially if he continues scoring for Lille. Having said that I have never been particularly enamored with Éder’s attacking instinct. What I mean by “attacking instinct” is that special sense that all good strikers have about being in the right place at the right time. The cliché often used is “having a nose for goal.” Luís Suarez has it. Ronaldo has it. I would argue that André Silva has it too. But Éder, as far as I can tell, does not have it. To be fair, injuries have plagued him this season, but even for Portugal Éder often plays with the appearance of one who is overwhelmed by the prospect of exploiting the weaknesses of a defence. In fact, when I compare his play to that of some of Portugal’s former strikers, say Hugo Almeida, I see a rather large disparity between him and Éder in terms of the number of chances they create. Almeida often found the right positions, made the right runs, held up the ball well, and was in position to score with relative frequency. Regrettably, Almeida was an absolutely dreadful finisher. Éder is by no means any better at hitting the target, and does not possess an intuition for finding goalscoring positions that Almeida did. He is clearly not a “troublemaker”, a rogue and unpredictable nuisance that opposing defences have to be constantly aware of at all times. Oliveira at this point is a back-up option that I hope we will not have to use. At 24, there is still hope for Oliveira’s career, but despite scoring 9 goals for Championship club Nottingham Forest, he is simply not up to the standard that Portugal requires at this time. There is still some value of fielding a true No9 such as Éder in a fixed role. It is the style with which Portugal are most familiar, there would not be as much of a physical mismatch with the opposition’s centrebacks, and Ronaldo can still be given plenty of freedom to roam. But can our strikers really do the job? Will Éder or Nélson be able to finish off that perfect cross from Ronaldo after he’s just stormed 50 yards up the pitch? Over the next five matches, we need to choose the correct attacking structure and the specific players to implement it. No single option stands out, but if Santos gets the formula right, Portugal will cause any defence problems. 2. Complement João Moutinho in midfield Usually my personal preferences regarding which players should make the starting eleven are based solely on merit, but in the case of Moutinho I will just say that we need him. His form at Monaco this season has not been bad by any means, but you could argue that there are several other players who might claim to be more deserving of the box-to-box role that he currently executes for Portugal. Renato Sanches, João Mário, and Adrien have all had excellent seasons. You might argue that Sanches is better suited for the holding midfield role, but then what to do with William Carvalho and Danilo Pereira? And how do you not play André Gomes? But at the end of the day there are only three midfield slots available and Moutinho has to get one of them. He is one of those few players who is so uniquely suited to Portugal’s style of play that his club form is nearly irrelevant. The question in midfield is about which two players must take the field alongside him. The simple answer is whichever two fit seamlessly into Portugal's defence-to-attack tempo and develop the best on-field chemistry with Moutinho. Each midfield position has a specific role. Moutinho is Portugal’s work-horse and possesses a distinctive counter-attacking intelligence. But against more physical opposition, he (and most of Portugal’s other midfielders) can be gradually worn down throughout the course of 90 minutes. For this reason, I will suggest that he needs a more physically imposing counterpart. Renato Sanches, William, Danilo, and André Gomes all fit this description, but at this point I favor Danilo. With all due respect to Sanches, Danilo is stronger and has more experience. What Renato Sanches has done at the age of 18 is sensational, and he is destined to become the cornerstone of our midfield. But as is the case with many talented Portuguese youngsters (Rúben Neves anyone?), this tournament has come just a few years too soon for him. As I have written before, what separates Danilo from William is overall intensity and the ability to rampage up the field, Yaya Toure-style. By comparison, William has not consistently demonstrated that kind of vigour or technical ability. The final midfield berth needs to be set aside for a player that can focus slightly more on supporting the attack. We need a maestro with a higher creative IQ to sit just behind our attacking trident. This player must be able to do more than just distribute. He needs to possess the ability to run with the ball at pace, drawing defenders in and creating space behind them in the process. Our best choices for this role are André Gomes, João Mário, and Adrien Silva. The reason why I choose André Gomes is not because he is statistically the best. It is partly because he plays against tougher opposition in La Liga, and partly because of his physical stature. But it is also because of his inclination to exploit that bit of space just outside the box. Portugal’s strength is on the wing (especially if Ronaldo is not our central striker) and Gomes is exactly the type of player who will become a target for a perfect square ball from one of our wingers. Adrien Silva is a close second because he has also demonstrated an ability and willingness to hit the target from that soft spot on the edge of the penalty area. 3. Build a formidable defence We have the opportunity in these friendlies to face different modes of attacking threats. In England and Belgium, our defence will encounter talented individuals such as Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard. Conversely, Norway and Bulgaria will remain compact and try to hit us on the counter, a strategy that has created plenty of complications for the Seleção in the past. Every statistical analysis currently available reveals that teams who defend well have the best odds of winning. While sorting out our issues in attack may seem to be most important, it is actually far more essential that we defend well. When fit, Pepe is still a top class defender provided that he can remain in control of his emotions. The real question is whether Santos is going to give José Fonte an opportunity, or stick with the age and experience of Carvalho or Bruno Alves. Portugal also has several decent fullbacks to choose from in Cedric and Vierinha, but it is Fábio Coentrão who will make the most difference to this squad, both in defence and attack. Eliseu, Raphael Guerreiro, and Ricardo Pereira may also factor into the equation, but for all six of these players there is a common liability: every one of them is prone to positional indiscipline. Many of them are dual-role players and have also featured for their clubs on the wing at times this season or in the past. Regardless, they will be required to tailor their offensive exploits to the demands of the occasion. Far more discernment (and restraint) will be needed against England than Bulgaria, for example. But a good defence does not rest on the back-four alone. It begins with a strong midfield, and fortunately we are blessed with an immensity of talent and depth in this sector of the pitch. One criticism I will make of Fernando Santos’ Portugal is that our midfielders need to leverage possession more effectively. Patience in possession not only supports the evolution of our attacking movements, but decreases reliance on our defence. In these friendlies, we have to grade our defenders and midfielders based on how well they control a match with intelligent ball movement, not simply by how well they tackle. There is good news for us defensively in that we have allowed only 8 goals in 11 matches dating back to November 2014. But we still need to be able to score goals too, and our fullbacks are essential in that regard. And in the end we must be reminded that football, though complicated by a myriad of trifling details, is really a simple game in concept. Put the ball in the net more than your opponent, and you win. The factors for Portugal that will decide their ability to effect that outcome will be researched and enhanced over the next five friendlies beginning 25 March against Bulgaria. Força Seleção. by Nathan Motz
I went to Disneyworld and Universal Studios last weekend, and the most memorable part wasn't any ride. It was a worker at the Harry Potter world. He saw my nWo shirt, pointed at me, and gave me the Wolfpac hand gesture. But we didn't talk about WWE. He immediately told me he was at NXT R Evolution the previous night and started raving about the show. I hadn't seen it, because I was traveling. I asked if Sami Zayn won. He told me he did. Earlier this week, I got around to watching the show, and it was darn near perfect. I agreed with the A+ rating here. It was better than anything I'd see from the main roster in a long, long time. -- Back in September. Triple H said he wanted NXT to become the next WCW. If you go back to the Attitude Era when there was WCW, and the WWE, and ECW was kind of that third brand that was kind of the alternative and the feeder system, I think that's where we're at right now. But where does it go? My goal is to turn NXT into not just the ECW, not just the alternative, but I would like to make it the WCW. Maybe not the eventually going out of business part but I would like to turn it into just as big a brand and really make it something special, which we're well on our way." At the time, I scoffed at the idea, if only because the top NXT guys are supposed to move up. It's developmental. But after this past weekend, Triple H's dream has become the reality. NXT is in competition with WWE. All you have to do is look at the main roster reaction to the show. There reportedly was a meeting of the main roster talent to put on a show even better at TLC. As we know, it didn't happen. Not necessarily because of the talent, but because of all the outside factors — factors NXT doesn't deal with. Main roster talent is reportedly upset about poor writing and booking holding them back. While I don't think it's the case with everyone, it's the case with a number of guys (Cesaro, Bray Wyatt). Main roster wrestlers could lose their spot down the road if they're not showcased in a way to let them excel to the highest degree, which feels like the case for darn near everyone. The main roster is extremely talented, but that talent is being wasted. In WWE, sports-entertainers are put in their place and forced to work within limited parameters (for much more money). In NXT, wrestlers are allowed to shine. Of course, WWE has much more to deal with. Three hours on Monday, three hours on Tuesday, the WWE App, Superstars, house shows and more. Filling all that time can bog down any organization or performer. It's much easier to fill one pre-taped show per week of NXT. But it's the basic elements that make NXT better. The simple-yet-realistic storytelling that gives us a true reason to care, the work in the ring, letting us take nearly everyone seriously and, importantly, the crowd. NXT is fun to watch. Raw and Smackdown haven't been fun to watch for some time. WCW didn't collapse because of talent. It happened because of backstage politics, an overconfidence and laziness from those in charge and an inability to gauge what fans wanted. Triple H runs a better wrestling promotion than Vince McMahon. -- The sign in the WWE Performance Center says, "You're not here to fill a spot. You're here to take a spot." While this has always been the purpose, this past weekend was when NXT truly made a statement to the rest of the company and the wrestling world. More and more casual fans are taking notice. Obviously, NXT can't replace Raw or put Vince McMahon out of business, but it can change how the main company runs by giving us a promotion that works. In part because of its WWE ties (and money), NXT is the No. 2 wrestling promotion. This isn't The Nexus destroying the Raw set. This weekend was the true beginning of the WWE Wars.
+1 18 33K Shares Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin, Moscow and all Russian citizens are the latest group to be threatened by ISIS. The terrorist organization released a nine-minute video in which they declare war on Russia and command their followers to carry out attacks against the country. The terrorists state they are targeting Putin and the Russians for their interference in the Syrian civil war. The video was posted through a messaging app popular among Islamic State fighters. The video was posted using an account that has been used by ISIS in the past but the group has not yet formally taken credit for the video. The threats were sprinkled throughout a video featuring ISIS fighters carry out random attacks and firing weapons in the desert. It ends with a man driving through the desert, screaming at the camera for his “brothers” to carry out Jihad against Russia. At one point the driver explicitly threatens Putin and Russian citizens directly, stating: “Listen Putin, we will come to Russia and will kill you at your homes… Oh Brothers, carry out jihad and kill and fight them.” This video comes on the heels of the terrorist group naming an official affiliate group in Russia’s North Caucasus region. The terrorist cell is known as Wilayat Qawqaz and has carried out some low level attacks but has not gained much traction or support. Many of Russia’s ISIS fighters hail from Caucasus states such as Dagestan and Chechneya. It is estimated that up to four thousand Chechens are fighting for ISIS in the Middle East at the moment, many of which emigrated to the area years ago during the Chechen wars. ISIS sympathizers blame Russia’s ruthless counter-terrorism policy for alienating Muslim youths and breeding contempt. They claim that the policies in place make it easier for ISIS recruiters to radicalize young Muslim men. The Russian government requires anyone that qualifies for a “high-risk” list to submit urine, blood, and voice samples. This information is entered into a registry that is monitored by the Russian government. They then follow up with these people by contacting their employers, limiting their travel to local areas, and even detain or arresting the potential terrorists with little to no warning. The threats may have some unintended consequences for the terrorist group. According to the BBC Russia and the U.S. are now increasing military and intelligence cooperation efforts against ISIS in Syria as a direct result of ISIS’ declaration of war. ADVERTISEMENT [revad2]
Friday night was a rematch of game three of the 2015 ALDS between the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros. Edinson Volquez and Dallas Keuchel, both Opening Day starters on their respective teams, faced off in what figured to be a low-scoring game. And then the first inning happened. Volquez turned in one of the worst performances by a starting pitcher in the history of major league baseball. The Astros hung nine runs off of him in the first inning, and with the game all but over at that point, he was run back out for a second frame of work. Houston proceeded to load the bases with none out before Volquez was finally yanked. All three runners came around to score, meaning that Volquez allowed 12 runs in 1.0 innings of work. Prior to Friday night, no pitcher in the history of major league baseball had allowed 12 runs while recording just three outs. Quite possibly, it was the absolute worst performance by a starting pitcher - ever. Here's what a nine-run first inning looks like: George Springer tripled. Marwin Gonzalez singled him home (1-0). Jose Altuve singled. Carlos Correa grounded into a fielder's choice. Colby Rasmus singled off the wall (2-0). Carlos Gomez singled (3-0). Luis Valbuena walked to load the bases. Evan Gattis reached on an error (4-0). Jason Castro singled (5-0). Springer hit a grand slam (9-0). Notes from that inning: the Escobar error was incredibly stupid. He ran all the way into left field and ignored Brett Eibner's call. The ball bounced out of his glove and slammed onto the Kauffman Stadium turf. It was one of three errors by the Royals on the night. Volquez was thrown back out for the second inning, but he walked Correa, yielded a single to Rasmus, and walked Gomez before being pulled. Dillon Gee was inserted in relief, but by the time he got three outs, the score was 12-0, Houston. Volquez' final, historic line: 1.0 inning, eight hits, 12 runs, three walks, and no strikeouts. He allowed one home run, and it was a grand slam. He dropped to 7-7 on the year. He needed 48 pitchers to face 14 batters. His ERA went from 4.12 to 5.15 in one evening. It was reminiscent of Jeremy Guthrie's Memorial Day disaster at Yankee Stadium last year, but worse. Guthrie's game score for that day was -11, and Volquez' today was a remarkable -18. Minus eighteen! The Royals scored four runs, three of which were driven in by Cheslor Cuthbert. He hit an RBI double in the second and picked up an RBI on a fourth-inning groundout. In the fifth, Escobar lined a solo home run into the left-field corner for his first homer of the year. And in the seventh, Cuthbert homered to the same spot, lining his sixth big fly of the season. Oh, and Rasmus added a solo homer later in the game to give the Astros their 13th run. Of course he did. It's pretty remarkable that the Astros scored nine more runs than Kansas City, yet only needed three more hits to accomplish the feat. The Royals had 11 hits, so it's not like the bats were silent or anything. And over the last seven innings of the game, the Royals out-scored Houston 3-1. Dallas Keuchel's line: 6.1 innings, 11 hits, four runs, and two strikeouts. He earned the win. He is 4-9. The Royals, with the loss, fell to 38-34. They have lost three straight games. Tomorrow: Alcides Escobar Bobblehead Day at Kauffman Stadium. Chris Young pitches against a home run hitting team that scored 13 runs tonight. Yikes.
Many empathic, or highly sensitive people feel that their ability to feel so many different emotional energies in their environments is a cu... http://humansarefree.com/2017/02/4-super-powers-of-highly-empathic-person.html Here are 4 super-powers of empathic people, that you too can develop: 1.) Read People’s Minds 2.) Become Your Own Emotion Superhero “Don’t you know this president is going to ruin the nation?” “Oh my God, he has no clue how every person is affecting this country, and this planet, and the people who are running the show aren’t presidents or politicians, they may not even be on this planet! What an idiot.” “Wow, hearing what my uncle just said alarms me, to the point of even feeling panicked because that statement doesn’t agree with the world I see, or how I believe this Universe is formed, and I’m scared of being at odds with my family member.” “Yes, we all ruin the world a little or make it closer to a paradise every day by the thoughts, deeds, and actions we engage in.” 3.) Transmute the Negative Only You Can Feel 4.) Turn Your Sensitivity Into a Highly Coveted Skill Many empathic, or highly sensitive people feel that their ability to feel so many different emotional energies in their environments is a curse, but with recent research suggesting that empaths are actually highly psychic , you may want to hone your empathic skills instead of hiding them away, or bemoaning their existence.Mind reading isn’t a parlor trick. We all do it to some degree, taking cues from people’s body language, and verbal discourse. A skilled non-verbal decoder can tell if someone is lying, someone is happy or sad (even if they claim to be the opposite), or if they are manipulating others with their speech and gestures.We can all be ‘mentalists’ picking up on inconsistencies in someone’s words and body language, but empaths take it a step further.Many empaths receive psychic images, statements, hues, or smells intuitively which indicate to them, a reality beyond which most are aware.If you pick up on these energies unwillingly, you could instead focus on them, and see if you can create an even stronger psychic experience, turning your empathic skills into full-blown ESP.Then you can literally walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, and know exactly what that would feel like. IMAGINE the possibilities.How many wrong turns, missteps, or arguments could you avoid? How much success could you experience learning from others’ mistakes?Knowing when someone is lying, or telling the truth? Priceless. Instead of shunning your empathic ability to feel everything – use it to become a true mind reader.If you have a crazy ability to empathize with others, why not turn this around, and use it to your own benefit? So many people today are completely disconnected from their own emotions. You aren’t.This may seem like a tremendous burden – feeling what they ought to feel, AND feeling what you feel, but if you were able to develop some discernment, and focus on your own emotional growth, this gift can become your greatest super power.The act of listening to your own feelings and thoughts is self-empathy- it’s compassion in action. It could completely and utterly change how you communicate with people.For instance, let’s say you are visiting family for the holidays or a long weekend and one of your uncles says:Your internal dialogue as an empath might be something like:This is what your emotional triggers might be around a simple statement that someone from your family makes. But what if you honored those feelings and learned how to communicate them lovingly?What if instead, you internally stated:Super power indeed.You could instead say to your Uncle from this emotionally aware place:This statement might go over his head, or open up a whole different type of dialogue that is more in alignment with who you are.So many people are affected by negative influences which are invisible in the world today. Empaths are acutely aware of this.An empath can even walk into a room where a negative conversation or act just transpired, and though it isn’t currently happening, they can sense the negative energy that lingers.Instead of being a victim of this sensitivity to energy – look for positive energy first, and TRANSMUTE that negative energy. Practice a quiet five-minute Tonglen meditation.Bring high-energy plants or flowers to a place with low energy, or simply utter encouraging words and thoughts to people around you who were also affected by the negativity.Even better? Find the humor in the situation and share it. Even the most vile circumstance has a funny side to it. Use laugher to literally create intimacy and openness where there was none.Do the wrong sheets make you break out in hives? Are certain smells absolutely revolting to you? Do non-organic foods cause you terrible gastro-intestinal distress?Do you need quiet in order to sleep, and alone time in order to off-load all the smells, sights, sounds, and emotions you’ve absorbed all day long? Instead of looking at this trait as if it were a burden, use it to your advantage.You could become a perfumer, and advise companies on removing chemicals and adding natural scents to their products. You could help others eat divinely prepared food by becoming an organic chef.You could develop quiet spaces like gardens, libraries, or meditation rooms that not only you need, but that others would revel in, without even realizing that they were desperate for your gift.Use those sensitivities to create a peaceful haven in the world, and your empathic skills are no longer a curse, but used to fulfill your life’s purpose.There are many more ways you can put your empathic super-powers to good use. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments section, or when you share this article to social media.
CHENNAI: The denial of entry to a dhoti-clad judge to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Club at Chepauk last week rocked the Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday, with opposition parties demanding that the government intervene and take appropriate legal action against the club for the "injustice".The 'Tamil pride' card was raised in the House with DMK , DMDK, Congress , Left parties and PMK lending their voice to the chorus for action against the club. Reacting to the demand, school education and Tamil development minister K C Veeramani said the government would consult legal experts and take action after getting necessary instructions from chief minister J Jayalalithaa . "The clubs come under the Societies Act and have separate bylaws for day-to-day functioning,” he said.When the question hour ended, leaders demanded that speaker P Dhanapal take up the 'call attention motion' to draw the government's attention to the issue.Former deputy chief minister M K Stalin said several clubs followed similar practices in the city and the government should immediately intervene and "uphold Tamil culture". "Dhoti-clad Tamils had made significant contributions in sending out colonial rulers 67 years ago. Today, not only TNCA club, even other clubs in Chennai, including Madras Gymkhana Club, MCC and Boat Club , do not allow dhoti-clad persons to enter," he said. The DMK leader reminded the House of the 'Veshti Day' observed by the state-run Co-optex every year to promote the traditional Tamil attire. Justice D Hariparanthaman of the Madras high court, along with senior advocates R Gandhi and G R Swaminathan, visited the cricket club as they were invited to participate in a function organised to release the book, 'Legal Fraternity Embraced Me', authored by former acting chief justice of Madras high court justice T S Arunachalam. But they were denied entry as they were wearing dhotis.CPM floor leader A Soundararajan said the incident was an onslaught on Tamil culture. The dress code was introduced in these clubs to differentiate between the then White Town and Black Town. "It is a shame that it is still in vogue. The state should bring in a new legislation if the club does not relax its rules," he said. CPI leader M Arumugam pointed out that dhoti was worn by leaders like E V Ramasamy, C N Annadurai and Jeeva even during their visits to foreign countriesCongress MLA C R Gopinath wondered how the club could deny entry to a person wearing dhoti when majority of the public representatives wore dhoti to the elected bodies. Leaders of DMDK, PMK, Kongu Ilaignar Peravai, Forward Bloc and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi also sought action. There was, however, a lighter moment when the House broke into peals of laughter as PMK MLA Ganesh Kumar, who came clad in black trousers, minced no words in accusing the club of degrading the Tamil culture and tradition.Reacting to the controversy, TNCA Club member Vijay Anand said: "It's a sports club and we look to instill a sense of discipline among the members. The dress code is part of that and rules have to be complied with." When asked whether the club would review the dress code, Anand, who is a member of the TNCA legal committee, said: "There is a possibility of an extra-ordinary general meeting to discuss the issue, but we haven't yet got any official intimation about it."In most city clubs, trousers, collared shirts and shoes are the norm for men. However, some of them don't turn away those who wear veshtis. "Our rules are simple," says Md Javeed Ghatala, a member of Madras Race Club management committee. "The attire must be decent and acceptable in society. We do not allow lungis though because they are too casual, just as we do not allow round-neck T shirts." The growing outrage against the incident has prompted a few city clubs to review their rules regarding attire.
Op-ed: We Must Protect Disabled LGBT Adults From Conversion Therapy When I heard earlier this month that Oregon is about to join California and New Jersey in passing a "Leelah's Law"* that bans so-called conversion therapy for LGBT minors, I was elated. Though I've never had such "therapy" myself, as trans woman uncomfortable with being out as trans until adulthood, I understand deeply how important it is for trans youth to be able to live authentically and to get needed support and health care in their formative years. But, here's the issue: as with all Leelah's Laws, this new one only covers the practice of conversion therapy for those under 18 years of age. Of course, it is very reasonable that young people would be enumerated in such legislation, as they are often uniquely vulnerable to mental or even physical coercion from adults, along with being protected by a general social consensus that the young must be kept from harmful influences. But are LGBT youth the only people who are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of conversion therapy? Not by a long shot. An invisible reality remains: LGBT disabled people of all ages are a second demographic that's at risk of receiving conversion therapy. I've come to realize this through being not only a transgender person but a person living with a disability. In my life, I have been discriminated against or marginalized because of both of these identities — sometimes separately and sometimes because of their intersection. Activism on both regards shares a general theme of respect of autonomy and self-determination. And in both arenas, our society falls short in too many ways. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, "People in the United States are profoundly uncomfortable with people who have disabilities, especially significant or visible disabilities." This has led, the ACLU says, to both conscious and unconscious segregation of disabled people within health care, housing, and employment. "Even when that segregation costs the government and taxpayers more money than integration would cost, the predisposition to keep people with disabilities away from public view has been a guiding force in the structure of society and government-funded programs," they conclude. What does this look like? For one, often times those with disabilities are unemployed. If we are lucky enough to have employment credits, we can receive Medicare, but if not, we receive Medicaid, which is often subject to the subpar reimbursement rates compared to the more "respectable" Medicare — an institutional bias that favors funding of institutionalization over home-based care and community integration for disabled people. Therefore, there are a limited number of providers that accept Medicaid. Yet, lo and behold, some conversion therapy "clinics" do accept Medicaid dollars, most notably one co-owned by ex-Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus. As the Washington Blade reported in 2011, the Bachmanns' clinic "has been collecting annual Medicaid payments totaling more than $137,000 for the treatment of patients since 2005. These payments are on top of the $24,000 in federal and state funds that Bachmann & Associates received in recent years under a state grant to train its employees." It's worth noting that Minnesota is a state that has banned coverage of gender-confirmation surgeries through Medicaid. So Minnesota, which like other states jointly administers the Medicaid program with the federal government, has basically said no to affirming and medically necessary surgeries for trans patients, but said yes to health care providers that practice "therapy" denying the existence of trans people altogether. And though it's difficult to analyze the status of funding of conversion therapy due to health insurance coding loopholes, this practice may be more common than one would think. What does this mean for disabled LGBT people? For one, being on disability benefits means we cannot afford any health care providers besides those that accept Medicaid, and we are therefore sometimes stuck with providers like this — ones that are willing to erase our very existence. It means at the very least that even if we would not consider using conversion therapy, we are still subtly exposed to its messages and messengers when we are present in their clinics. The danger becomes even more starkly clear when we consider transgender people with disabilities who are held in institutions. According to Lydia Brown on her blog Autistic Hoya: "When you live in an institution, you lose the right to control even the smallest aspects of your day-to-day life. ... You are not allowed to decide which staff provide you with your services and supports. ... You are not allowed to decide how you will look, what clothes you will wear. ... You are not allowed to decide what medications or therapies are right for you, or which are not. You are not allowed to make your own decisions about dating, romance, or sexuality. If you are queer or trans, you will most likely be denied the right to even express who you are." Pay attention to the word "therapies" here. Conversion therapy is a multimillion-dollar "therapeutic" industry that has financial incentive, at the very least, to find potential markets. With conversion therapy slowly but surely becoming banned for our LGBT youth, then the industry will have to find other susceptible targets over the age of 18. Are many targets better than the captive audience of LGBT disabled adults in institutions? Or even simply those who, due to inability to find alternative housing, are housed with unsupportive caregivers? There are no easy answers to these questions. However, I believe that a companion version of Leelah's Law preventing any public funding going to "ex-trans" or "ex-gay" conversion therapy for adults would help prevent the coercion of such especially defenseless individuals from being exposed to this harmful "therapy," while affirming therapy and medical services that assist transgender individuals should be funded by Medicaid programs. Though I've focused on trans people with disabilities because of my personal insights into this group's risk factors, groups with compounded vulnerabilities also include trans seniors and incarcerated individuals, who already are marginalized and are often denied choices by publicly funded systems, which often do not have their best interests in mind when it comes to gender self-determination. Ultimately, it is a major gain that LGBT youth are being protected by statewide Leelah's Laws. But in a system where those who cannot work are often thrown into restrictive, publicly funded programs, we must pay attention to the risk factors for LGBT individuals with disabilities, seniors, and prisoners, and to focus equally on their gender and sexual self-determination in the face of "conversion therapy." *Author's Note: I have chosen to refer to all trans-inclusive conversion therapy bans as "Leelah's Laws" in order to center the experience of transgender individuals and urge state legislators considering such bills to name their bill "Leelah's Law" when possible.
Scientists led by Ines Melendez from Curtin University have identified 70 intact steroidal compounds in a 380-million-year-old crustacean fossil from the Gogo Formation in the north of Western Australia. The results demonstrate steroids can be preserved for longer through an exceptional preservation process, providing the oldest and most extensive molecular relics of the Devonian age. “The exceptional preservation of the crab-like fossil, which has extended the occurrence of sterols by 250 million years, is a consequence of early microbial encapsulation preventing full decomposition in the Devonian seas,” explained Ines Melendez, who with colleagues reported the findings in Nature Scientific Reports. “The coexistence of more than 70 steroids in one sample confirmed a proposed scheme for the transformation of biomolecules into geomolecules, reported in Science and Nature in 1982.” “However, we now know this was a microbially induced process rather than thermally driven one as previously assumed.” Co-author Prof Kliti Grice added their research demonstrates concretions within rocks were able to preserve biomolecules and geomolecules at remarkable levels. “This opens up a novel window of opportunity to study such components in very ancient samples and improves our understanding of microbial evolution and past environmental conditions.” ______ Bibliographic information: Ines Melendez et al. 2013. Exceptional preservation of Palaeozoic steroids in a diagenetic continuum. Scientific Reports 3, article number: 2768; doi: 10.1038/srep02768
Washington: Bible or Quran – which one of the two has more violent content? An analysis into both the texts reveals that the description of destruction and killing was found more in the holy book of Christianity than in its Islamic counterpart. According to a report in The Independent, software engineer Tom Anderson processed the text of the Holy books to find which contained the most violence. Anderson had developed text analytics software named Odin Text which he used to analyse both the New International Version of both the Old and New Testaments as well as an English-language version of the Quran from 1957. "The project was inspired by the ongoing public debate around whether or not terrorism connected with Islamic fundamentalism reflects something inherently and distinctly violent about Islam compared to other major religions," The Independent quoted excerpts from Anderson's blog. What is astonishing is that it took only two minutes for his software to read and analyse the three books. The analysis found that the Bible scored higher on anger than the Quran. The analysis further states that the Old Testament was more violent than the New Testament, and more than twice as violent as the Quran, The Independent reports. "Killing and destruction are referenced slightly more often in the New Testament (2.8%) than in the Quran (2.1%), but the Old Testament clearly leads—more than twice that of the Quran—in mentions of destruction and killing (5.3%)," he said.
Every now and then there are those days when we have too much time on our hands. We do chores around the house, visit the bank, relatives, go for a jog, take out the trash and then we run out of things to do. After that we get into the “couch mode” for hours straight, eating junk food, watching the TV or surfing Youtube, as it is in my case. But isn’t there really anything better to do? Can’t we use that time for personal development, to be productive and to learn something new? I have decided to create a cheat sheet of 25 personal development things you can do when you are feelings lazy, bored or blue. By putting it into use, you will always have a task to occupy you. 1. Cook something new Looking to impress your date or make your family happy? Find a great new recipe and improve your cooking skills. Being able to create something beyond the complexity of an omelet and have it remain delicious, is a skill that so many of us lack. If you are one of those people, definitely do this. Moreover, you can even try challenging yourself by making one new meal every week. And remember ladies, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! 🙂 2. Read something you normally wouldn’t We all have our preferences regarding everything, and that includes the type of books we read as well. Have some time on your hands to spend for personal development? Then get a book you normally wouldn’t touch. You don’t have to go against your will, but pick something new. For example, if you think you don’t really like history, but you still want to educate yourself, then get a book on a historical event that interests you most. 3. Look for a business opportunity Today’s world is full of opportunities. Before I began selling online, I had no idea that it could be so easy. To be honest, I never researched the subject either. But after spending only about two hours googling the internet, I realized just how many options there are and how much I can do. Making the Decision to Start an Online Business This New Year – Part 1 Make Money Online – the Story of How I Made My First Cents Online 4. Drawing Drawing has many benefits to it. Just like reading, it activates certain parts of your brain, unleashes your creative potential and it’s also really fun! I remember how I spent a whole summer holiday learning how to draw basic things with a pencil. This is definitely something that I enjoyed and that I can recommend to everyone. 5. Put together a puzzle Being a kid, I used to love putting puzzles together. Not only it’s a fun thing to do, but it is said that putting puzzle games together boosts brain activity and improves motor skills. 6. Exercise If you don’t exercise a lot, it is about time to start doing so! You don’t need put on tight and sexy workout pants and follow some special routine. No, you can simply do sit-ups, pushups, abdominal curls and chair dips for your triceps. That’s enough to get started and can take easily an hour of your time. But even then, you will feel energized and good about yourself. Exercise and Sports – Life’s First Aid 7. Meditation This one is one of my favorite. Whenever I have a lot of free time, I meditate. I meditate daily, but I add more meditation time to it if I can. Why? Because meditation is one of the most powerful ways to make yourself aware, more calm and happy. If you don’t meditate yet, I highly encourage you to do so. You can read more about the benefits of meditation in many of my other posts, such as: How to Stop Worrying – 5 Everyday Things You Can Do to Make Life Easier Understanding Emotional Pain and How to Relieve Stress Effectively, Short and Long-Term Happiness, Inner Peace and Stress Relief – Stories of Schwarzenegger, Dalai Lama, Oprah, Jim Carrey and Others 8. Download a podcast or an audiobook Many people say that reading a book and listening to one are two different things. I agree – they are not the same. But just because you don’t have the time or will to read a book, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t listen to one. There is still so much value to it. Fortunately, today audiobooks are made for almost any print book. Take for example Amazon’s audible program. It has almost any audiobook you want! The same goes for podcasts. Whether it is business, marketing, philosophy or history, it doesn’t matter. You can find one for almost any topic. Try giving Youtube a search. Also, you don’t have to stop listening to audiobooks and podcasts when your free time is over. I listen to them on the way to work, after work, at lunch time and at the gym. Bear in mind, personal development is something you do all the time; it’s a lifestyle. 9. Join a group or a forum Want to learn how to meditate and get some real advice from people that have been doing it for years? Just find a group in Facebook or a forum and become an active participant of it. As with a podcast, any interest or hobby you can think of will have an online community talking about it. 10. Make a list of goals to achieve Sit down and take some time to think about your future. Often we live without even knowing where we are heading. Not only that causes our life to pass by in autopilot mode, but it also prevents us from real growth. How can we be into personal development and grow if we have no goals, milestones and destination points to grow towards? To fix this, make a list of goals that you want to achieve in the nearest future. It may be within a week, two weeks, a month, three months, six months, etc. 5 Powerful Goal Setting Tools to Spark Your Achievements 11. Learn a new language “Learn a new language and get a new soul” — Czech proverb 12. Update your CV In case you might want to look for a better job soon, update your work CV and start looking for new opportunities. 13. Join a Meetup group Go to meetup.com and find a group to join in your area. Meetup is a lot about developing yourself in some niche. You may want to find new people with interests regarding web development, knitting, movies, public speaking, dating or any other. I have personally joined quite a few groups through Meetup and have received so much value from them. This is one of those really good inventions/concepts of the modern internet world. 14. Educate yourself and make a workout plan You can work out without any plan, but it’s a fact that you will get more results if you first educate yourself on the topic, and then make a scheme/plan to follow when at the gym. 15. Take care of your paperwork I’ll be honest with you, I hate paperwork. There are many documents related to taxation and other everyday things that constantly need to be taken care of, but that are always avoided. It’s also complicated. Therefore, if you want to feel better, use your free time to get through that paperwork, and after that, you can empty your mind of stress related to that stuff. 16. Go for a walk to reunite with the forest Many will say that going for a walk to the forest is not about personal development, but I, of course, will disagree. I’ve been going for walks to the forest for the last ten years, and I can say that it is one of the most relaxing and pleasant things to do. Not only you pick your butt off the sofa and get some fresh air, but you are also, what I call, reuniting with nature. When I walk in the forest, I don’t just walk through it quickly for the sake of movement, but I try to meditate as I go. There is just something special about forests that I can’t find anywhere else. Trees, plants, the forest smell, birds chirping and other sounds – all magical. When I return home I feel that stress has left me and that I am in a peaceful state of mind. 17. Learn to play an instrument (exotic one) Maybe you don’t have so much time to learn how to play the guitar or a violin, but you can definitely take something a bit easier. For example, I have been playing both, the Jaw harp and the Didgeridoo. Both can be learned quite quickly and both are super fun to play! 🙂 18. Learn how to give first aid and CPR Being able to give help to someone in a critical situation is something that each one of us should know how to do. Sure, you don’t need this kind of knowledge every day, but in case you ever do, you may save someone’s life. Don’t underestimate the importance of being able to perform CPR. Additionally, you can study the human body and the way we work. By being educated on the subject, you can make better decisions in life and thus remain healthier. This is personal development as well. 19. Rearrange your apartment Many say that in order to have order in your mind, you must have order in the place you live in. Clean up your house and rearrange your belongings in such a way that would create for you the maximum comfort. Have everything lie in those places where they should be so that you wouldn’t spend too much time looking for them. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, owns multiple versions of the same t-shirt in order not to make too many decisions of what shirt to wear. He says that he has other big decisions to make in life, and doesn’t want to spend time making the more silly decisions, such as which shirt to wear. This is a good example of personal development and of how important it is to not waste mental energy on things that don’t require it. 20. Play a computer game If you love gaming, then this one is especially good. But don’t play just any game, it must be a strategy game or a puzzle-type game, such as Portal, which I highly recommend. Both of these genres can really make our brain hurt, which is exactly what we want. 😉 21. Improve your relationship with relatives Personal development is not only about making yourself better, but about improving relationships with the people around you. If your relationship with your brothers, sisters or parents is lacking, go and change that. I am convinced that some day you might feel very sorry that you never spent more time with the people that really cared about you. For this reason, go and change it now, before it is too late. You will be very thankful to yourself for this later on in life. 22. Find a charity to support As already mentioned, personal development is not only about making yourself better, but about helping others and making them happier. Look for a charity to support. It may be helping people or animals. Just pick what you are more comfortable with. If you don’t know where to start, you may want to check out the WWF website. There you can choose where exactly you want your money to go to. Let’s make the world a better place together! 23. Find a course to be a part of Do you have something that you would like to learn about? Luckily, today you can easily find an online course for almost any subject. This means that you can educate yourself without even leaving your house. For people that don’t have the time to attend real classes, this can be a great opportunity. 24. Start a journal or a blog As you can probably guess from reading this blog, I am a big believer in writing. When you write things down, thoughts, fears, goals or emotions, you become more accountable for them. By writing about them, you raise your awareness and thus can improve more quickly. 6 Real Reasons to Keep a Daily Journal – Living in Awareness 25. Do something that you love Finally, I am going to leave this one for you to decide on. I am sure there is something that you love doing that you haven’t done in a while. Now is the perfect moment to go and do it. Go on, become happy! P.S. If there is something you think should be a part of this list that I missed, let me know about it in the comments below. I would be more than happy to improve it with your help. 🙂 Thank you for being with us! Click here to follow us via E-mail! Click here to follow us on Facebook! Click here to follow us on YouTube! Click here to follow us on Instagram! Click here to follow us on Twitter! Sincerely, Victor Step 25 Personal Development Things to Do When Feeling Lazy, Bored or Blue 5 (100%) 1 vote (100%)vote
This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur. In the past two weeks, YouTube star and filmmaker Casey Neistat has not only stopped producing his nearly two-year-old daily vlog—he also sold his video-sharing app Beme to CNN in a deal reportedly valued at $25 million. Beme’s guiding principle was authenticity. Users would film videos lasting several seconds, but they weren’t able to edit or even see the footage before sharing it. The recipient of the message could then film themselves reacting to it. All of the videos in question would instantly disappear, a bit like those on Snapchat. The app, which launched in July 2015 and has been downloaded more than 1 million times, will officially shut down on Jan. 31, 2017. And while Beme itself will no longer be around, its team of 12 will staff a new company affiliated with CNN, with its exact mission around digital storytelling to be announced. Neistat, 35, is also the co-creator (along with his brother) of an HBO docuseries and was an independent film producer before launching his YouTube channel in 2010. After six years, during which he’s created well-received ads for brands such as Google and Mercedes and attracted more than 5.8 million subscribers, here are five lessons from his entrepreneurial hustle. 1. No job is too small. Neistat dropped out of high school as a teenager to take care of his son. Long before anyone knew about his films, he washed dishes in restaurants and took on an assortment of odd jobs to support his family and his moviemaking efforts. 2. Get out of your own way. The filmmaker urges entrepreneurs not to overanalyze each move or fight what their instincts are telling them. “Thinking is the thing that prevents people from acting,” Neistat has told Entrepreneur. “Thinking is the thing that gums up the process of productivity. Your instincts are there to keep you alive. You can trust them, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship.” For more on YouTube CEO, watch this Fortune video: 3. Consistency is key. Neistat made sure that his vlog subscribers had a new video to watch at 8 a.m. every day. If your audience or customers know that they can count on you, they will be more inclined to come back and to tell others about their positive experience. 4. When opportunity knocks, go big. Neistat points to the short film he made for Nike’s Make It Count campaign as a turning point in his career. He took a big leap, and instead of making a standard commercial, he took the budget allotted to make the FuelBand advertisement and spent it on a 10-day trip around the world. The filmed account of his adventure yielded more than 22 million views. More from Entrepreneur: • How YouTube Sensation Casey Neistat Succeeded in Making Ads for People Who Hate Ads • Entrepreneurs Should Stop Doing This, Say Casey Neistat and Gary Vaynerchuk • 6 Super Simple Tricks for Closing Way More Sales 5. Be true to yourself. Neistat has told Entrepreneur that taking on a partnership or project for brand is a balancing act. By taking on a side gig, he didn’t want to alienate his audience of fans who were excited to see his video pop up in their feeds every morning. “It’s a really frightening position to be in,” he said, “because you have this big fat check in front of you and oftentimes you can be asked to compromise your value or your integrity to pay the rent.” But he advised that as long as you hold onto your voice and your vision, you can’t go wrong.
A Graffiti Artist Painted A Road Runner Tunnel On A Wall And Somebody Tried To Drive Through It Photo: ranplett (Getty) And he suffered the same fate as Wile E. Coyote did every time he tried to drive through those damn things. According to Mirror, a man attempting to drive his Fiat through what he was thought was a tunnel instead crashed his car because it turned out to be a painting of a tunnel on a wall. A Graffiti Artist Painted A Road Runner Tunnel On A Wall And Somebody Tried To Drive Through It The accident happened a few months ago despite the fact that the graffiti artist also painted a large depiction of the Looney Tunes Road Runner next to the tunnel. Even funnier than somebody thinking that was actually a real tunnel? You guessed it: The comments left on Imgur after one “rburn” posted the photos. “Nice to see that Wile E. Coyote finally got his driver’s license,” said EvilGenomic. “This is why we can’t have nice things,” added CoalCuts. And of course our favorite: “He’s lucky, a train could’ve come out of there,” courtesy of Greub.
With Google I/O starting tomorrow, we're resurfacing our recent preview so you know what to expect. Google I/O is Google's annual launch party where the company shows off its biggest products and teaches developers how to be a part of the Google ecosystem. The event takes place from May 18 to 20 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. Google I/O this year is definitely weird. It's in an all-new location, and the big news that we would expect to happen at I/O—a new version of Android—has already been released. As a result, there is really nothing that we would put at a 100 percent lock for I/O—we just aren't sure what Google is going to do. The schedule gives us some vague idea of what we can expect to see, but since Google likes to avoid spoiling its announcements, the schedule isn't always a comprehensive list until after the opening-day keynote. While we aren't making guaranteed predictions, we can at least offer a list of possibilities based on projects we know are in the works at Google HQ. This is the first Google I/O since Google became a subsidiary under Alphabet, but we're going to assume most of the other Alphabet companies aren't going to join in on the fun. None of the divisions in Alphabet are really "new"—the groups have all been inside Google for some time. Even when they were part of Google, most groups didn't participate in Google I/O. Now that they're separated even further, we expect their non-participation in I/O to continue. The one exception is Google X (Now just "X"), which famously demoed Google Glass at the show in 2012. After the N Developer Preview, what's left for Android? The Android L Developer Preview was announced at Google I/O 2014, and it immediately became the biggest news of the show. The Android M Developer Preview was announced at Google I/O 2015, and stole the show there, too. The Android N Developer Preview was announced in early March with a surprise blog post. What does that leave for Google I/O 2016? It's a good bet a fresh version of the Android N Developer Preview will be released at the show, but that's usually not a huge deal—the second preview build introduced the Vulkan graphics API and a few other features, and we wouldn't expect the third build to be a much bigger deal. We've heard about new HTC-built Nexus devices in the works, but given that Android N has a Q3 2016 release date, I/O is too early to hear about those devices. We might hear about what sugary snack the "N" in "Android N" stands for. We're hoping for more important news, though. The great Chrome OS merger and desktop Android The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Business Insider, and Recode have all independently heard of a Chrome and Android merger that would result in Android becoming Google's flagship desktop and laptop operating system. The move would turn Android into Google's "everything" OS, allowing it to run on watches, phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, TVs, and cars. Android would need a brand new interface to work on a PC with a mouse and keyboard, just as it has a brand new interface for cars, TVs, and watches. We saw what seems like the beginnings of this with Android N's floating window mode, a feature that is hidden and unfinished in the current Android N Developer Preview. Perhaps Google I/O could be the coming out party for the multi-window feature or for the entire Android-on-PCs strategy. The original Wall Street Journal report mentioned a release date of 2017, with "an early version" arriving in 2016. Google's big demos usually happen at Google I/O, so could we see a demo of the desktop version? Google would certainly want to get developer feedback on a major new interface like this, and there would probably be lots of new APIs to talk about. It would also explain why we got a random March release for Android N—Google didn't want to overwhelm everyone by launching both Android N and announcing a new desktop interface at Google I/O. Google Play comes to other desktop platforms? Code inside Chrome OS suggests Google is planning to bring Google Play to its current desktop operating system. The Google Play Store was being brought to Chrome OS as a Chrome extension via Google's "App Runtime for Chrome (ARC)" project. Chrome extensions run not just on Chrome OS, but also on every desktop version of Chrome. If a Play Store on Chrome OS was released with this, it would also be possible to have the Google Play Store run on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Google Play on other platforms is pure speculation on our part, but it would be technically possible, and it would line up with Google's typical strategy. On mobile, Google takes a "horizontal" strategy with iOS. It has its Android operating system, which gets priority support for most Google apps, but it also makes 67 different apps for iOS. Wherever users are, they can jump into the Google ecosystem. Android moving to the desktop would necessitate Google building desktop apps, and getting those apps on rival desktop OSes would mirror Google's mobile strategy. The Google Play Store on rival platforms would be an even more intense platform invasion. It doesn't happen on iOS because the OS is strictly controlled by Apple, but those controls don't exist for Windows, OS X, and Linux. Google would have a good pitch for developers, saying that Android code could be used on watches, phones, tablets, cars, televisions, the new Android desktop OS, Chrome OS, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It could also bootstrap developer interest for its fledgling Android-based desktop OS by telling developers they also get access to Chrome OS, Windows, Mac, and Linux users. Users that bought games or apps on one platform could bring them to all the others without a lot of extra work. Google Play comes to China With a population of 1.35 billion people, China is the world's biggest market. It's also a market that Google Play doesn't really do business in, thanks to past disagreements with the Chinese government. Reports from several reliable outlets have said that Google is working with the Chinese government and plans to launch Google Play in China this year. According to Reuters, the plan involves a version of the Play Store "set up specifically for China, and not connected to overseas versions of Google Play." There's no telling if this will be announced at Google I/O, but being able to tell a room full of developers that they can now easily sell apps to an extra billion people seems like a win for Google. Android is open source and available to anyone without restrictions, but the Google Play Store, Google Play Services (Google's developer APIs), and other Google apps are not. To be a part of Google's ecosystem, device manufacturers must sign an MADA (Mobile Application Distribution Agreement) contract with Google. When we last saw one of these confidential contracts in 2011, Google "bundled" all the Google apps together—if you wanted one you needed to include all the others. It also included an anti-fragmentation clause that banned participants from taking "any actions that may cause or result in the fragmentation of Android," including creating or distributing "a software development kit (SDK) derived from Android or derived from Android Compatible Devices." This is widely interpreted as "you aren't allowed to use Android on any product without also including Google Play." Since Google has every major Android manufacturer under contract, in most countries Google Play acts as the "default" app store and has a huge market share of Android-based devices versus other app stores. China is the main exception. With no Google Play Store in China, there is no "default" app store, so it's a messy free-for-all. Chinese customers end up with an OEM-provided app store and maybe one from one of the major Chinese Internet companies, like Tencent, Baidu, or Qihoo 360. Every OEM in China is basically shipping "forked Android" without Google Play, which would seemingly run afoul of the anti-fragmentation wording. Remember we're working off of older MADA contracts from 2011, but back then the contracts contained an interesting loophole that allowed Chinese app stores to exist. The contract deals with distributing Google applications "in the territories specifically authorized by Google." China is not one of those countries, hence the app store free-for-all. Google notes that this list of territories "may be updated by Google from time to time." So our next question is "Then what?" What happens when Google Play moves into China? Does everyone's MADA contract kick in and Xiaomi, Huawei, and other top Chinese OEMs all immediately have to start shipping Google Play on everything? The transition will be something to keep a close eye on. Yet another reboot of Google's instant messaging strategy Many of the world's biggest tech companies consider instant messaging to be an important business worthy of their money and development resources. Snapchat and Facebook's WhatsApp are both valued at $16 billion. And that's nothing compared to China instant messaging app WeChat, which is valued at a whopping $83.6 billion. Judging by the products it has so far produced, it seems Google does not agree with this assessment of the messaging market. The company's only IM product is Google Hangouts, a neglected, barely developed product that has earned an awful reputation with Android users. About six months ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is planning a "new, smarter messaging app" that presumably would replace Hangouts. The new messaging app would integrate "chatbots" that would answer questions from "the Web and other sources." Microsoft is working on a similar concept inside Skype. At Build 2016, the company demoed the ability to do things like order pizza from Domino's via a chatbot with automatic escalation to a human. A "visual search" camera app Google Goggles is a little-known visual search app developed by Google. You snap a picture, it gets uploaded to Google's servers, and Google tries to figure out what's in the picture. It can identify artwork, QR codes, and landmarks. The app can also solve Sudoku puzzles and do other things that would be difficult to search for with purely text. The standalone app in the Play Store is pretty neglected, but a report from Slashgear says that Google is planning to revamp its visual search offering by integrating it directly into the Google Camera, the default camera app on Nexus devices. The report says users would be able to snap a picture and trace around the item they want more information on, and Google would return with results.
A spitball (aka spitter, wet one, or unsanitary pitch) is a pitch in which the pitcher applies saliva to the baseball, either to change its aerodynamic properties or to reduce friction between his fingers and the ball. The term is sometimes applied loosely to pitches in which the ball is treated with other foreign substance, such as vaseline, and occasionally to any type of pitch that involves doctoring the baseball. The spitball rose to prominence in the early 1900s and was widely used into the 1910s. It, and all other pitches involving doctoring the ball, was banned before the 1920 season, though some "bona fide" spitball pitchers were allowed to continue throwing the pitch for the remainder of their careers. Many pitchers since have been accused of throwing spitballs illegally, and a few were either caught or admitted to doing so after retiring. History [ edit ] It is unclear when pitchers first began experimenting with the spitball, but there is no evidence that any pitcher made it an important part of his pitching arsenal before 1902. The spitball has often been credited to Elmer Stricklett. Stricklett did not invent the spitter- he learned it from minor league teammate George Hildebrand, who had learned it from his minor league teammate Frank Corridon - but he had a key role in introducing it to the majors. While both Hildebrand and Corridon used it in the majors, Jack Chesbro and Ed Walsh were the first star pitchers who depended heavily on the spitball, first learning about it by watching Stricklett. The tremendous success of Chesbro and Walsh- the only American League pitchers ever to win 40 games in a season- led other pitchers to take up the pitch, and it quickly became common. The legality and ethics of the spitball were always questionable. Rules dating back to the 1890s forbid players from discoloring or "otherwise damaging" the ball, which might or might not cover applying spit. The situation became worse when Russ Ford discovered that he could create a devastating pitch by scuffing the ball with emery paper, and other pitchers quickly followed suit. The questionable spitball had opened the door for the clearly illegal emery ball and similar pitches. Even though defacing the ball was clearly illegal, pitchers continued to do so because the rule was weak- the only penalty for being caught was a $5 fine- and rarely enforced. In many cases the pitcher didn't need to scuff the ball because the rules allowed balls to remain in play after they had been damaged and discolored by ordinary use. For the 1920 season, the leagues finally decided to crack down. The spitball and other defaced ball pitches were banned. Any player caught defacing the ball would be expelled from the game, and any pitcher caught pitching a defaced ball was subject to a 10 game suspension. An exception was made for up to two pitchers on each team, who would be allowed to throw spitballs but no other kind of defaced ball pitch. While the exemption was originally intended to last for just one season, the leagues backed off slightly after the season. They identified 17 "bona fide" spitball pitchers who were allowed to continue throwing the spitball for the remainder of their careers. The last of these "grandfathered" pitchers (Burleigh Grimes) retired in 1934. The minor leagues had a similar list of "grandfathered" pitchers, but it applied only in the minors so that spitballers who were in the minors in 1920 were effectively trapped there. Frank Shellenback was probably the most notable "grandfathered" minor league pitcher. The spitball does not seem to have been outlawed in the Negro Leagues. Since Grimes's retirement the spitball has been completely illegal in the majors, but some pitchers have been suspected of throwing it. Notable pitchers who admitted throwing the spitter include Preacher Roe, Don Drysdale, and Gaylord Perry. A number of other pitchers, most notoriously Joe Niekro, were caught throwing the spitter or other defaced ball pitches. Even more have been accused of doing so. Mechanics [ edit ] Descriptions of how to throw the spitball vary enough that it seems likely that the term actually refers to at least two different pitches. Some pitchers described a pitch in which saliva was placed on one side of the ball, which was then thrown conventionally. Such pitches would tend to break sideways, with the direction of break controlled by which side of the ball was modified. The same general approach works with a ball that was defaced in any way, either by adding any kind of foreign substance or by scuffing the ball's surface. In a second approach, the pitcher would grip the ball so that his fingers didn't touch the seams, and use saliva or another slippery substance to lubricate the area where his finger tips touched the ball. He would then squeeze his fingers and thumb together as he threw so that the ball squirted out of his hand rather than rolling off the ends of his fingers. This negated most of the spin on the ball, causing it to drop more than expected, much like a modern splitter. Pitchers who threw this style of spitter often chewed a substance such as slippery elm when pitching in order to improve the lubricating properties of their saliva. Whichever approach a pitcher took in throwing the spitter, deception was a key part of his arsenal. With most pitches, the pitcher can select his pitch just by changing his grip on the ball. With the spitter, though, he must actually get spit onto his hand or the ball. Even pitchers who were legitimately allowed to throw the spitter needed a way of disguising their intent so that hitters never knew if they were getting the spitball or another pitch. Pitchers who threw the spitball after it had been made illegal had the added complication of needing to throw the pitch in complete secrecy. Grandfathered Spitballers [ edit ] The 17 spitball pitchers designated after the 1920 season were: National League: American League: Although Ray Fisher was designated as a legitimate spitballer, he was banned from baseball after the season, so he was unable to take advantage of the designation. Further Reading [ edit ]
AKRON, Ohio — The man who stomped a woman's head until she died will spend up to life in prison. Tyrone Benford, 42, of Akron, pleaded guilty on Monday to murder, felonious assault and breaking and entering. Benford's trial was scheduled to begin Monday. Summit County Judge Paul Gallagher sentenced Benford to life in prison with parole eligibility in 15 years for murder and an additional 10 months for the break-in. Benford admitted to killing Lori Patch, a 53-year-old homeless woman. Akron police found Patch nude and dead about 11:45 p.m., Oct. 4, 2013 behind a building in the 200 block of East South Street. At the same time officers were investigating the death, someone reported that a man was breaking into the Akron Masjid mosque in the 1100 block of Old Main Street. Police found Benford hiding inside the mosque after trying to steal a safe, according to police reports and court records. Benford's shoes and pants were covered in blood, according to court records. Blood found on Benford's clothing matched Patch's blood. Benford has a long criminal history, including a three-year prison stint for robbing a Dollar General on North Arlington Street in 2009. Other convictions include possessing cocaine in 2008, robbery in 2000, robbery in 1991 and drug abuse in 1990.
Researchers have found a floodplain near a small town in Australia's Northern Territory that contains a 'megacluster' of 25,000 venomous tarantulas. The diving tarantula - which gets its name from its ability to create air bubbles and survive underwater - usually lives in communities of 200 or 300 individuals. But the newly discovered group contains roughly 100 times that amount in a 10-km area. While that sounds like the stuff of nightmares, researchers believe it could actually be a win for the nearby community of Maningrada, which is 482 km (300 miles) to the east of Darwin, its closest city. Robert Raven, a senior curator at the Queensland Museum, believes the town's new arachnid neighbours may attract researchers from around the world and potential new income due to their potent venom, which can kill small animals and can cause nausea and vomiting in humans. "Pharmaceutical applications could apply across a broad spectrum," he told Jeremiah Ganicoche from The Sydney Morning Herald, suggesting that the venom could lead to the discovery of powerful new drugs. This huge population in such a small area also offers researchers a unique opportunity to better investigate and research the species, which was only discovered in 2006 and still doesn't have a scientific name. Relatively little is known about the diving tarantula, except that it lives in burrows and survives the Northern Territory's wet season by creating little air bubbles and breathing underwater during flood periods. "Because there are so many, it's not like we're hunting or picking for a [particular] animal. They're all around us," Raven told James Oaten over at ABC News. "The entire intellectual property concerning the spider - its young, its adults, and its venom - are all property of the community," he added. "This is a resource for the community in a number of ways... and this could flow back into the community eventually to help them manage the parks better." The cause of the tarantula population explosion still remains unknown. "Presumably, something is missing that would hammer them or there is something good [like a food source]," Raven told The Sydney Morning Herald. "It's one of the beauties of science, being able to say 'I don't know.'"
Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. CAIRO — Deep rifts opened in Muammar Gaddafi's regime Tuesday, with Libyan government officials at home and abroad resigning, air force pilots defecting and a bloody crackdown on protest in the capital of Tripoli, where cars and buildings were burned. Gaddafi went on state TV to attempt to show he was still in charge. World leaders expressed outrage Monday at the "vicious forms of repression" used against the demonstrators. RELATED: The longest serving Arab leader appeared briefly on TV to dispel rumors that he had fled. Sitting in a car in front of what appeared to be his residence and holding an umbrella out of the passenger side door, he told an interviewer that he had wanted to go to the capital's Green Square to talk to his supporters, but the rain stopped him."I am here to show that I am in Tripoli and not in Venezuela. Don't believe those misleading dog stations," Gaddafi said, referring to the media reports that he had left the country. The video clip and comments lasted less than a minute — unusual for the mercurial leader, who is known for rambling speeches that often last hours.Pro-Gaddafi militia drove through Tripoli with loudspeakers and told people not to leave their homes, witnesses said, as security forces sought to keep the unrest that swept eastern parts of the country — leaving the second-largest city of Benghazi in protesters' control — from overwhelming the capital of 2 million people.State TV said the military had "stormed the hideouts of saboteurs" and urged the public to back security forces. Protesters called for a demonstration in Tripoli's central Green Square and in front of Gaddafi's residence, but witnesses in various neighborhoods described a scene of intimidation: helicopters hovering above the main seaside boulevard and pro-Gaddafi gunmen firing from moving cars and even shooting at the facades of homes to terrify the population.Youths trying to gather in the streets scattered and ran for cover amid gunfire, according to several witnesses, who like many reached in Tripoli by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. They said people wept over bodies of the dead left in the street.Warplanes swooped low over Tripoli in the evening and snipers took up position on roofs, apparently to stop people outside the capital from joining protests, according to Mohammed Abdul-Malek, a London-based opposition activist in touch with residents.Gaddafi appeared to have lost the support of at least one major tribe, several military units and his own diplomats, including Libya's ambassador in Washington, Ali Adjali. Deputy UN Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi accused the longest-serving Arab leader of committing genocide against his own people in the current crisis.The eruption of turmoil in the capital after seven days of protests and bloody clashes in Libya's eastern cities sharply escalated the challenge to Gaddafi. His security forces have unleashed the bloodiest crackdown of any Arab country against the wave of protests sweeping the region, which toppled leaders of Egypt and Tunisia. At least 233 people have been killed so far, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. The difficulty in getting information from Libya made obtaining a precise death toll impossible.US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called on Gaddafi to "stop this unacceptable bloodshed" and said the world was watching the events "with alarm."British Prime Minister David Cameron, visiting neighboring Egypt, called the crackdown "appalling.""The regime is using the most vicious forms of repression against people who want to see that country — which is one of the most closed and one of the most autocratic — make progress," he said.Communications to Tripoli appeared to have been cut, and residents could not be reached by phone from outside the country. State TV showed video of hundreds of Gaddafi supporters rallying in Green Square, waving palm fronds and pictures of him.State TV quoted Gaddafi's son, Seif al-Islam, as saying the military conducted airstrikes on remote areas, away from residential neighborhoods, on munitions warehouses, denying reports that warplanes attacked Tripoli and Benghazi. Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>
When a pathogen is rare in a host population, there is a chance that it will die out because of stochastic effects instead of causing a major epidemic. Yet no criteria exist to determine when the pathogen increases to a risky level, from which it has a large chance of dying out, to when a major outbreak is almost certain. We introduce such an outbreak threshold (T 0 ), and find that for large and homogeneous host populations, in which the pathogen has a reproductive ratio R 0 , on the order of 1/Log(R 0 ) infected individuals are needed to prevent stochastic fade-out during the early stages of an epidemic. We also show how this threshold scales with higher heterogeneity and R 0 in the host population. These results have implications for controlling emerging and re-emerging pathogens. With the constant risk of pathogens emerging [1], such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) or avian influenza virus in humans, foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle in the United Kingdom [2], or various plant pathogens [3], it is imperative to understand how novel strains gain their initial foothold at the onset of an epidemic. Despite this importance, it has seldom been addressed how many infected individuals are needed to declare that an outbreak is occurring: that is, when the pathogen can go extinct due to stochastic effects, to when it infects a high enough number of hosts such that the outbreak size increases in a deterministic manner (Figure 1A). Generally, the presence of a single infected individual is not sufficient to be classified as an outbreak, so how many infected individuals need to be present to cause this deterministic increase? Understanding at what point this change arises is key in preventing and controlling nascent outbreaks as they are detected, as well as determining the best course of action for prevention or treatment. PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 1. The outbreak threshold in homogeneous and heterogeneous populations. (A) A schematic of pathogen emergence. This graph shows the early stages of several strains of an epidemic, where R 0 = 1.25. The black line denotes the outbreak threshold (T 0 = 1/Log(R 0 ) = 4.48). Blue thin lines show cases in which the pathogen goes extinct and does not exceed the threshold; the red thick line shows an epidemic that exceeds the threshold and persists for a long period of time. Simulations were based on the Gillespie algorithm [22]. (B) Outbreak threshold in a homogeneous (black thick line) or in a heterogeneous population, for increasing R 0 . The threshold was calculated following the method described by Lloyd-Smith et al. [11] and is shown for different values of k, the dispersion parameter of the offspring distribution, as obtained from data on previous epidemics [11]. If the threshold lies below one, this means that around only one infected individual is needed to give a high outbreak probability. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003277.g001 The classic prediction for pathogen outbreak is that the pathogen's reproductive ratio (R 0 ), the number of secondary infections caused by an infected host in a susceptible population, has to exceed one [4], [5]. This criterion only strictly holds in deterministic (infinite population) models; in finite populations, there is still a chance that the infection will go extinct by chance rather than sustain itself [4]–[6]. Existing studies usually consider random drift affecting outbreaks in the context of estimating how large a host population needs to be to sustain an epidemic (the “Critical Community Size” [4], [7], [8]), calculating the outbreak probability in general [9]–[12], or ascertaining whether a sustained increase in cases over an area has occurred [13]. Here we discuss the fundamental question of how many infected individuals are needed to almost guarantee that a pathogen will cause an outbreak, as opposed to the population size needed to maintain an epidemic once it has appeared (Critical Community Size; see also Box 1). We find that only a small number of infected individuals are often needed to ensure that an epidemic will spread. Box 1. Glossary of Key Terms The Basic Reproductive Ratio (R 0 ) is the number of secondary infections caused by a single infected individual, in a susceptible population. It is classically used to measure the rate of pathogen spread. In infinite-population models, a pathogen can emerge if R 0 >1. In a finite population, the pathogen can emerge from a single infection with probability 1-1/R 0 if R 0 >1, otherwise extinction is certain. (R ) is the number of secondary infections caused by a single infected individual, in a susceptible population. It is classically used to measure the rate of pathogen spread. In infinite-population models, a pathogen can emerge if R >1. In a finite population, the pathogen can emerge from a single infection with probability 1-1/R if R >1, otherwise extinction is certain. The Critical Community Size (CCS) is defined as the total population size (of susceptible and infected individuals, or others) needed to sustain an outbreak once it has appeared. This idea was classically applied to determining what towns were most likely to maintain measles epidemics [7], so that there would always be some infected individuals present, unless intervention measures were taken. (CCS) is defined as the total population size (of susceptible and infected individuals, or others) needed to sustain an outbreak once it has appeared. This idea was classically applied to determining what towns were most likely to maintain measles epidemics [7], so that there would always be some infected individuals present, unless intervention measures were taken. The Outbreak Threshold (T 0 ) has a similar definition to the CSS, but is instead for use at the onset of an outbreak, rather than once it has appeared. It measures how many infected individuals (not the total population size) are needed to ensure that an outbreak is very unlikely to go extinct by drift. Note that the outbreak can still go extinct in the long term, even if T 0 is exceeded, if there are not enough susceptible individuals present to carry the infection afterwards. We introduce the concept of the outbreak threshold (denoted T 0 ), which we define as the number of infected individuals needed for the disease to spread in an approximately deterministic manner. T 0 can be given by simple equations. Indeed, if the host population is homogeneous (that is, where there is no individual variability in reproductive rates) and large enough so that depletion of the pool of susceptible hosts is negligible, then the probability of pathogen extinction if I infected hosts are present is (1/R 0 )I ([6], details in Material S.1 in Text S1). By solving this equation in the limit of extinction probability going to zero, we find that on the order of 1/Log(R 0 ) infected hosts are needed for an outbreak to be likely (black thick curve in Figure 1B), a result that reflects similar theory from population genetics [14]–[16]. Note that this result only holds in a finite population, as an outbreak in a fully susceptible infinite population is certain if R 0 >1 ([4], see also Material S.1 in Text S1). This basic result can be modified to consider more realistic or precise cases, and T 0 can be scaled up if an exact outbreak risk is desired. For example, for the pathogen extinction probability to be less than 1%, there needs to be at least 5/Log(R 0 ) infected individuals. More generally, the pathogen extinction probability is lower than a given threshold c if there are at least −Log(c)/Log(R 0 ) infected individuals. Furthermore, if only a proportion p<1 of all infected individuals are detected, then the outbreak threshold order is p/Log(R 0 ). Also, if there exists a time-lag τ between an infection occurring and its report, then the order of T 0 is e−τ(β-δ)/Log(R 0 ), where β is the infection transmission rate and 1/δ the mean duration of the infectious period (Material S.1 in Text S1). Finally, we can estimate how long it would take, on average, for the threshold to be reached and find that, if the depletion in susceptible hosts is negligible, this duration is on the order of 1/(β-δ) (Material S.1 in Text S1). So far we have only considered homogenous outbreaks, where on average each individual has the same pathogen transmission rate. In reality, there will be a large variance among individual transmission rates, especially if “super-spreaders” are present [17]. This population heterogeneity can either be deterministic, due to differences in immune history among hosts or differences in host behavior, or stochastic, due to sudden environmental or social changes. Spatial structure can also act as a form of heterogeneity, if each region or infected individual is subject to different transmission rates, or degree of contact with other individuals [18]. In such heterogeneous host populations, the number of secondary cases an infected individual engenders is jointly captured by R 0 and a dispersion parameter k (see Box 2). This dispersion parameter controls the degree of variation in individual transmission rates, while fixing the average R 0 . The consequence of this model is that the majority of infected hosts tend to cause few secondary infections, while the minority behave as super-spreaders, causing many secondary infections. Host population heterogeneity (obtained with lower values of k) increases the probability that an outbreak will go extinct, as the pathogen can only really spread via one of the dwindling super-spreading individuals. In this heterogeneous case, we can find accurate values of T 0 numerically. As shown in Figure 1B, if R 0 is close to 1, host heterogeneity (k) does not really matter (T 0 tends to be high). However, if the pathogen has a high R 0 and thus spreads well, then host heterogeneity strongly affects T 0 . Additionally, we find that the heterogeneous threshold simply scales as a function of k and R 0 2 (see Box 2). As an example, if k = 0.16, as estimated for SARS infections [11], the number of infected individuals needed to guarantee an outbreak increases 4-fold compared to a homogeneous population (Material S.3 in Text S1). Box 2. Heterogeneous Outbreak Threshold In a heterogeneous host population (see the main text for the bases of this heterogeneity), it has been shown that the number of secondary infections generated per infected individual can be well described by a negative binomial distribution with mean R 0 and dispersion parameter k [11]. The dispersion parameter determines the level of variation in the number of secondary infections: if k = 1, we have a homogeneous outbreak, but heterogeneity increases as k drops below 1; that is, it enlarges the proportion of infected individuals that are either “super-spreaders” or “dead-ends” (those that do not transmit the pathogen). Lloyd-Smith et al. [11] showed how to estimate R 0 and k from previous epidemics through applying a maximum-likelihood model to individual transmission data. Although in this case it is not possible to find a strict analytical form for the outbreak threshold, progress can be made if we measure the ratio of the heterogeneous and homogeneous thresholds. This function yields values that are independent of a strict cutoff probability (Material S.3 in Text S1). By investigating this ratio, we first found that for a fixed R 0 , a function of order 1/k fitted the numerical solutions very well. By measuring these curves for different R 0 values, we further found that a function of order 1/R 0 2 provided a good fit to the coefficients. By fitting a function of order 1/kR 0 2 to the numerical data using least-squares regression in Mathematica 8.0 [19], we obtained the following adjusted form for the outbreak threshold T 0 in a heterogeneous population: (1)As in the homogeneous case, T 0 only provides us with an order of magnitude and it can be multiplied by −Log(c) to find the number of infected hosts required for there to be a probability of outbreak equal to 1-c. A sensitivity analysis shows that Equation 1 tends to be more strongly affected by changes in R 0 than in k (Material S.3 in Text S1). The outbreak threshold T 0 of an epidemic, which we define as the number of infected hosts above which there is very likely to be a major outbreak, can be estimated using simple formulae. Currently, to declare that an outbreak has occurred, studies choose an arbitrary low or high threshold depending, for instance, on whether they are monitoring disease outbreaks or modeling probabilities of emergence. We show that the outbreak threshold can be defined without resorting to an arbitrary cutoff. Of course, the generality of this definition has a cost, which is that the corresponding value of T 0 is only an order of magnitude. Modifications are needed to set a specific cutoff value or to capture host heterogeneity in transmission or incomplete sampling. These results are valid if there are enough susceptible individuals present to maintain an epidemic in the initial stages, as assumed in most studies on emergence [6], [11]–[13], otherwise the pathogen may die out before the outbreak threshold is reached (Box 3 and Material S.2 in Text S1). Yet the key message generally holds that while the number of infections lies below the threshold, there is a strong chance that the pathogen will vanish without causing a major outbreak. From a biological viewpoint, unless R 0 is close to one, these thresholds tend to be small (on the order of 5 to 20 individuals). This contrasts with estimates of the Critical Community Size, which tend to lie in the hundreds of thousands of susceptible individuals [3], [7], [8]. Therefore, while only a small infected population is needed to trigger a full-scale epidemic, a much larger pool of individuals are required to maintain an epidemic, once it appears, and prevent it from fading out. This makes sense, since there tends to be more susceptible hosts early on in the outbreak than late on. Box 3. Effect of Limiting Host Population Size The basic result for the homogeneous population, T 0 ∼1/Log(R 0 ), assumes that during the time to pathogen outbreak, there are always enough susceptible individuals available to transmit to, so R 0 remains approximately constant during emergence. This assumption can be violated if R 0 is close to 1, or if the population size is small. More precisely, if the maximum outbreak size in a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) epidemic, which is given by is less than 1/Log(R 0 ), then the threshold cannot be reached. Since this maximum is dependent on the population size, outbreaks in smaller populations are less likely to reach the outbreak threshold. For example, if N = 10,000 then R 0 needs to exceed 1.06 for 1/Log(R 0 ) to be reached; this increases to 1.34 if N decreases to 100. Further details are in Material S.2 in Text S1. Estimates of R 0 and k from previous outbreaks can be used to infer the approximate size of this threshold, to determine whether a handful or hundreds of infected individuals are needed for an outbreak to establish itself. Box 4 outlines two case studies (smallpox in England and SARS in Singapore), estimates of T 0 for these, and how knowledge of the threshold could have aided their control. These examples highlight how the simplicity and rigorousness of the definition of T 0 opens a wide range of applications, as it can be readily applied to specific situations in order to determine the most adequate policies to prevent pathogen outbreaks.
Show full PR text Barrett-Jackson Lot: 5011 - 1986 PORSCHE 959 PROTOTYPE Code V1KOM (EX: BB-PW481) testing car. One of two running prototypes and one of only four survivors. The Porsche 959 is one of the greatest sports cars ever to be assembled and touch the black asphalt which covers the roads on which the 959 is an undisputed champion. The 959 is one of if not the greatest Porsche ever assembled and is just as rare as its title as a world class sports car. In October of 1983, Porsche A.G. announced they will produce 200 Street Version 959s and will sell them to the lucky 200 new owners who are on the Porsche's VIP list. For three years Porsche engineers studied and worked on the 959s prototypes and designs. The street version of the 959 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1986 model, these were pre-production model carrying the Porsche 930 Turbo chassis numbers. In 1985, Helmut Bott, head of the 959 development, had taken 29 of 1986 model 930 Turbo chassis from the Porsche factory to turn them into the 959 pre-production prototypes and these were called Code F, N and V. These 29 prototypes were the latest prototypes and they were used for various final tests, media coverage, crush tests and road tests. This car is one of the 7 V-series prototypes and it was used as the chassis, ABS development car which was seen at the famous high speed testing facilities like Nardo, Italy and Minerva, France. Sadly most of the 29 prototype 959s were destroyed and scrapped by the Porsche factory after the 959 project had ended, this particular prototype became one of only four surviving and also one of only two running prototypes in existence still wearing its original pre-production Dunlops with its original prototype light weight wheels. All production 959s were delivered with Bridgestone RE71s with production type wheels. With Porsche factory no-longer releasing any prototype automobiles to the public, this is a very rare chance in owning a prototype Porsche. Not only is it a prototype Porsche, it doesn't get any better than owning the 959 prototype. SOLD ON BILL OF SALE ONLY BUYER EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS VEHICLE IS A PROTOTYPE AND IS NOT CERTIFIED TO COMPLY WITH ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS, RULES OR REGULATIONS OR FOR REGISTRATION FOR DRIVING ON PUBLIC ROADS.
Since the dawn of the original Xbox I have spent most of my gaming life buried in one triple A title or another, however when Minecraft exploded in popularity the indie game scene was suddenly thrust into my sphere of awareness, since then I have been looking more to this arena for cool things to play and this one up and comer that caught my eye. Environmental Station Alpha is made by two gentleman known as Arvi “Hempuli” Teikari and Roope “noby” Makinen and from the trailer seems right up my street. Set on a malfunctioning space station you play a robot sent to find out what hit the fan. Immediately what piqued my interest was the pixel art style, to some it may appear a little rough around the edges compared to some other bigger indie platformer’s, but the rugged variation in each level really gives the feel of a diverse range of environments that have all grown out of control, making that whole abandoned feel the creators are going for all the more authentic. When combined with the music this point is really hammered home, to me it accentuates the feel that the whole station is a world unexplored and perhaps it should be left that way. By the developers own admission the gameplay is heavily inspired by Metroid which is certainly a good thing, anything that emulates such a classic is fine in my book and makes me all the more eager to have a go when it is released. Anyway let me know what you think once you’ve had a look at the trailer below. Also go check out Hempuli’s blog and see what else he has been up to. Advertisements
The Centre has asked states and Union Territories to monitor the content aired by private FM and community radio stations through the existing committees set up to keep a watch on television broadcast. As of April this year, state and district level monitoring committees have been set up in 19 states, five UTs and 327 districts for monitoring the content telecast on private satellite channels. “It has been decided that these committees will be henceforth authorised to monitor the content broadcast on private FM, community radio stations in addition to private satellite TV channels,”additional secretary in the information and broadcasting ministry Jayashree Mukherjee said in a letter to all states and UTs. “I request you to constitute these state and district- level monitoring committees wherever these have not been set up so far and to effectively monitor all types of content,” she added. FM channels and community radio stations are required to follow the All India Radio Broadcast Code, which bars criticism of friendly countries, attack on religions and communities and anything obscene and defamatory etc. While pronouncing the judgement in a case, the Supreme Court had in January advised the government to formalise the existing complaint redressal mechanism for content monitoring of private satellite TV channels and to finalise a similar framework for private radio stations as well. Mukherjee said any violations would be acted upon by the authorised officers or brought to the notice of the ministry for taking necessary action. First Published: Aug 06, 2017 18:17 IST
Opposition argues there is ‘more than enough headroom’ within its savings measures to offset the cost of increasing public funding for degrees Labor reveals $14bn cost of university fee policy and says it can afford it Labor has revealed that its higher education policy would cost the budget nearly $14bn over the next decade, arguing there was “more than enough headroom” within its already announced savings measures to offset the spending. Labor plan for greater public funding for universities gets cautious welcome Read more The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, has been travelling around Australia this week promoting his plan to increase public funding for degrees and encourage universities to improve completion rates. The pitch is designed to contrast with the Coalition’s stalled plan to deregulate university fees and reduce public funding for bachelor degrees, a proposal the government has indicated it will now rethink following Malcolm Turnbull’s elevation to the prime ministership. “I truly believe Labor’s policies are the best way forward and we call upon Malcolm Turnbull to adopt the Labor policy of making it easier to go to university for smart kids not harder,” Shorten said during a visit to the Queensland University of Technology on Wednesday. The policy has been estimated by the parliamentary budget office as costing $2.5bn in net terms over four years, compared with the existing budget papers that take into account the Coalition’s stalled savings measures. Labor’s higher education spokesman, Kim Carr, revealed a longer term costing to Guardian Australia, saying the net amount between now and 2026 was $13.8bn compared with the budget papers. “We think this is a reasonable, sustainable investment in building the skills base we need to create and support the jobs of the future,” he said. “The additional expenditure will be offset, over the forward estimates and the medium term, by existing commitments to reform the taxation of multinational entities and superannuation tax concessions, and the abolition of the emissions reduction fund. “These savings measures will deliver more than $21bn to the budget bottom line over the medium term.” Carr said other measures previously funded from these savings measures included Shorten’s budget reply announcements on science, technology, engineering and mathematics; Labor’s response to domestic violence; the increase in humanitarian intake and additional funding for the UN refugee agency. “There is therefore more than enough headroom without our announced savings to cover the net cost of the higher education package,” he said. “But we should also recognise that the Liberals have so far completely failed to get any of their funding cuts through the Senate, so you can judge for yourself the reality of their budget position.” Labor argues that in 2018 its “student funding guarantee” would provide $11,805 per student, or 28% more than would be the case under the Coalition’s policy settings. By 2026 the gap between funding under the two policies would have risen to 45%. The opposition also argues that its funding commitments are based on the government’s own annual growth figures on commonwealth-supported places, indicating it is not budgeting for slower growth in student numbers. University leaders had raised concerns earlier this year when Labor hinted it could be looking to curb the demand-driven system introduced by the former Gillard government, which removed caps on bachelor degree places and allowed funding for as many students as institutions enrol. They have welcomed the declaration that Labor would retain the demand-driven system. Labor launches new higher education policy promising cheaper degrees Read more However, Labor is looking at measures to encourage universities to improve course quality, accountability and completion rates – a push that might prompt universities to enrol fewer students than they otherwise would have. “We want more students to succeed,” Carr said. The new education minister, Simon Birmingham, said on Monday he believed Labor’s scheme was “short on details”, and policy makers needed to be “very cautious” about incentives to increase completions because of the risk universities could adopt more discriminatory enrolment practices or engage in softer marking.
God has expressed the fact that he was ‘very shaky’ today when he met creative genius Terry Pratchett for the first time. Speaking via an Angel so as not to blow up our minds, God said “You can probably understand where I’m coming from.” “This man inspired me to create the Earth after I read the creative masterpiece that is the Discworld series. They are the best books ever written, and I include my own in that.” “I’m kind of nervous to ask him what he thought of the world I created – I realise it’s a bit dull compared to his.” “You’re probably wondering how I read Terry’s books millions of years before he was born. Well, I am God, don’t forget.” “I’ve seen everything that has come and everything that is to come. So I’ve read pretty much everything you people have written, and nothing beats Pratchett for sheer force of imagination.” “Incidentally, don’t bother reading Dan Brown’s next book. Or any of his other books, for that matter.” God meets Pratchett Terry Pratchett’s death has provoked sadness amongst authors, book-lovers, and anyone who has ever used their imagination to dream of a world more colourful and interesting than our own. Sci-Fi and fantasy author, Ruth Wheeler, said “It’s almost pointless writing fantasy at all these days, Pratchett made up almost all of the good stuff ages ago.” “We’ll give it a bash, but don’t expect us to even get close.” “We’re all very jealous of God right now.” God and Pratchett first met at the pearly gates, God having put on his best suit and taken the Grim Reaper along, who was dying to shake Pratchett’s hand. “HE MADE ME POPULAR AGAIN,” said Death personified, “HE MADE ME SEEM ALMOST HUMAN, A LIKEABLE CHARACTER.” “THAT BIT WHERE HE HAD ME DRESS AS FATHER CHRISTMAS FOR A CHILDREN’S PARTY? SUBLIME.” “HE’S A TRUE GENIUS AND I CAN’T WAIT TO THANK HIM FOR SOME TERRIFIC PR WORK ON MY PART.” Terry Pratchett received a standing ovation from heaven’s residents when he entered the gates of heaven, and applause so loud as to provoke an enormous thunderstorm back on earth.
This article is from the archive of our partner . Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich used to be the loudest opponent of giving away music for free online. But today he joined Napster founder and erstwhile enemy Sean Parker to announce that his band's entire catalog has gone up for streaming on Spotify. At a Spotify press conference this afternoon, Ulrich and Parker (now on Spotify's board of directors) shared a stage on the occassion of Metallica finally allowing their music to be streamed by Spotify's 20 million users. "When [Sean and I] saw each other a few months ago, we could see that we had been put as adversaries but we had much more in common and sitting down was long overdue," says Ulrich. "We were younger, maybe somewhat more ignorant," Ulrich says of Metallica's notorious showdown with Napster in 2000, when the band filed a lawsuit that ultimately spelled the file-sharing site's undoing. Ulrich said that the whole affair turned into a "streetfight," and that it was "never about money, it was always about control." Five million Spotify users pay for the service, which may have helped convince Ulrich to get on board. Metallica acquired all of its masters from Warner Music last week, launching their own Blackened Records label. Who knows exactly why Ulrich has had such a change of heart, but thrash metal fans looking for some heavy headphone music for the office probably don't care either way. Headbang away, Spotify users. This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.
Paul Volcker famously said the only financial innovation to improve society in recent memory was the ATM. Not everyone agrees. In an essay earlier this week on the evolution of money and finance, GigaOM founder and venture capitalist Om Malik argued that crowdfunding will be the new day trading, the latest financial innovation to “cut costs and [drive] wider participation in a previously closed and clubby market.” Advocates of crowdfunding had better hope not. To be clear, Malik isn’t talking about Kickstarter where funders make a donation that acts like a pre-order. He’s talking about the public buying stock in private companies, something that may soon be legal thanks to the JOBS Act, and which took a step forward this week with new rules from the SEC allowing private companies to advertise investment opportunities for accredited (read: rich) investors. Now startups and hedge funds alike can advertise the fact that they’re raising money, and some day soon you or I might join wealthier citizens in investing in them. There’s no doubt that this will drive broader participation in startup investing, but the comparison to day trading confirms crowdfunding skeptics’ greatest fear: that when the party’s over, the public will be left with substantially lighter wallets. That’s what happened in the case of day trading. A 2004 study of day traders in Taiwan concluded that, while a small group of traders made money consistently, “more than eight out of ten day traders lose money.” (Subsequent research determined that fewer than 1% of day traders consistently beat the market.) Two of the same researchers found something similar in a broader paper in 2000 on stock trading by U.S. households (not just day trading), which they provocatively titled “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth.” Once commission was taken into account, the researchers determined that households did substantially worse than they would have done investing in index funds. Notably, they found that the more households traded, the worse they did: Our most dramatic empirical evidence is provided by the 20 percent of households that trade most often. With average monthly turnover of in excess of 20 percent, these households turn their common stock portfolios over more than twice annually. The gross returns earned by these high-turnover households are unremarkable, and their net returns are anemic. The net returns lag a value-weighted market index by 46 basis points per month (or 5.5 percent annually). After a reasonable accounting for the fact that the average high-turnover household tilts its common stock investments toward small value stocks with high market risk, the underperformance averages 86 basis points per month (or 10.3 percent annually).
A demonstrator faces a line of police in front of the Chicago Police Department during protests in Chicago, November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young Chicago on Thursday released video footage of a fatal Chicago police shooting of a black teenager in 2013 after a court ruling, as protesters renewed criticism of Mayor Rahm Emanuel for the handling of police killings. Images from neighborhood surveillance cameras showing the killing of Cedrick Chatman, 17, in January 2013 had been sealed under a protective order. The city also released audio recordings. One 10-second segment of video shows two officers chasing Chatman, who then runs around a corner out of sight. It next shows an officer drawing his gun, followed by an image of Chatman on the ground. An officer stands with one foot on Chatman before emergency crews arrive. Another video appears to show Chatman hit while running. The decision allowing the videos’ release comes with Emanuel and the police department already under pressure over a fatal 2014 police shooting of another teenager. The video of that killing was not released until November. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said at a hearing on Thursday that releasing the Chatman videos would not interfere with finding impartial jurors for a civil lawsuit by the teenager’s family. The city had withdrawn its opposition to the videos’ release. Activists at the courthouse after Thursday’s hearing demanded reform of the police department. For weeks protesters have been demanding Emanuel step down over his handling of the 2014 police killing of Laquan McDonald, 17. Black pastors and community leaders said they would boycott Emanuel’s annual Martin Luther King prayer breakfast on Friday to protest the city’s handling of police shootings. Lawyers for Chatman’s mother, who is suing the city over her son’s death, say the videos contradict police statements that Chatman, a carjacking suspect, had a dark object that he pointed at them. The object turned out to be a cell phone box. An attorney for the officers said the videos support their story. Also on Thursday, the Cook County Medical Examiner released autopsy reports in the Dec. 26 police shooting of black college student Quintonio LeGrier, 19, and his neighbor Bettie Jones, 55. The reports showed LeGrier was shot six times, including twice in the back. Jones, who police say was shot accidentally, was hit once in the chest. Emanuel fired his police chief in December. He is seeking a new superintendent for the 12,000-strong force, which has a history of abuse allegations and is being investigated by the Justice Department. (Additional reporting by Fiona Ortiz and Justin Madden in Chicago; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Cynthia Osterman) Watch the video, as aired by ABC7 Chicago, here:

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.