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WarOnDriving.com 2014 is here! Alas, another year has gone by where drivers in 33 states were having their wallets drained by flashing boxes in intersections and creepy vans parked along the side of the road. 2013 also marked the largest and most widespread scandals the industry has ever been exposed for and it only promises to get worse for Redflex, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), Affiliated Computer Services (ACS – Xerox) and others in the new year. In light of that good news, we bring you: TOP 10 TRENDING SCAMERA STORIES OF 2013 10. License Plate Scanners Being Used in Red Light Cameras to track every driver Although this little nugget of info has been known for years, the ACLU uncovered the widespread use of license plate scanners which were set to data mine every driver passing by, regardless of any suspicion that they were violating the law. In a year where blanket surveillance came under major fire, this was more ammo for motorists’ rights advocates to heavily criticize the dubious nature of red light cameras. Read more – [link] 9. Judge in Ohio Orders Refunds, Camera Seizures A Cincinnati area Judge really put the hammer down hard on red light cameras in a nearby village. He ruled Elmwood Place and Optotraffic in contempt of court for continuing to issue photo tickets for months after he initially ruled them illegal. Refunds were also ruled by Judge Ruelman and the cameras were to be seized. [read more] 8. $4.2 Million in Camera Ticket Refunds for New Jersey Drivers American Traffic Solutions (ATS) were caught up in yet another multimillion dollar lawsuit, this time in the Garden State, where drivers were awarded over $4 Million in refunds. Why? So glad you asked. It’s because they were issuing red light camera tickets in 18 municipalities where they were actually illegal. Minor detail, of course. Read more – [link] 7. Michigan Kills Red Light Cameras Before They Go Up We are proud to say that this website actually sounded the alarm in Michigan when a camera shill of a legislator was trying to sneak through a Red Light Camera bill back in May. Michigan Campaign for Liberty’s Tony DeMott lead the rally cry to successfully defeat the cameras before a single one could be installed. Thanks Tony! 6. Protestor Arrested in Florida Wayne Schmidter, a man who has had to defend himself from violations of his free speech in the past, was handing out flyers at an intersection with Red Light Cameras in Apopka, FL. An overzealous police officer demanded to see both his permit to hand out flyers and his ID, neither of which are required under any law in that jurisdiction. Schmidter answered he did not have either, nor did he need them and was then arrested. Amazingly, the Judge who heard Schmidter’s previous civil rights suit was eating at an establishment near by and ran out to tell the officer he’d better back down! Read more – [link] 5. Multiple States Move to Ban Photo Ticketing State Legislatures in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio all advanced bills in their 2013 sessions to make red light cameras and photo radar completely illegal. Citizen backlash against the unconstitutional camera systems has demanded legislators file these bills – in some cases under major duress! Expect these states as well as others to take the issue up again in 2014. After all, the Cameras Are Coming Down! 4. Redflex Faces Massive Financial Troubles Fallout from the bribery scandal in Chicago (don’t worry, that one’s coming too) crushed any expectations of staying above water that Redflex may have had. Shortly after it was announced that they were losing their contract in Chicago, Redflex put out a press release that detailed their grim fortunes to come – [link] Later on in the year, the camera vendor announced that their profit had dropped a whopping 50 percent! Look out below! [read more] 3. Missouri Court System Condemns Red Light Cameras Missouri courts spend the last 4 months of 2013 absolutely obliterating the state’s red light camera scheme. In September, they deemed that it violated due process. In November, the 2nd highest Court in Missouri ruled that red light camera programs are unenforceable and thus void. Later that month, the MO Appeals Court agreed and upheld that ruling. And in December, the MO Appeals Court ruled that red light cameras are unconstitutional! 2014 should be the end of red light cameras in Missouri and the court system, not legislature, will be the ones to thank for that. 2. Florida Caught Up in Yellow Light Time Shortening Scandal And they say Journalism is dead in this country. One News Affiliate in Tampa Florida proved that it’s still alive in 2013 when they blew the doors wide open on a $50 Million dollar yellow light shortening scheme being carried out by American Traffic Solutions and several municipalities. They estimate that $50M figure is what’s been stolen by ATS by lowering yellow light duration to illegal and very dangerously short durations. Thanks to WTSP (Tampa) for doing this great public service and the fallout continues to be felt across the state [read more] 1. Chicago-Redflex Bribery Scandal And now the Granddaddy of them all and the scandal which rocked the entire mafia of photo ticketing, the Chicago Bribery Scandal. To prop up their $80M per year photo ticketing racket, a few palms need to be greased, right? Chicago is no stranger to this form of corruption, but the city never seen a scandal with bribery that tallied as much money as Redflex was dishing out, under the table. [read more] from Chicago Tribune’s David Kidwell In true Chicago style, the contract with Redflex, which was announced to be dead and gone in 2013, by Mayor Emanuel, has been quietly extended to January of 2014. When the Redflex cameras are finally shut off, and they will be, that company will plunge into multimillion dollar deficits from which it will be nearly impossible to dig out of. 2013 brought more citizen, lawmaker and court backlash against red light cameras and photo radar than ever before. It will only continue to grow and crescendo in 2014! Happy New Year and keep motoring!
Active celiac disease can cause severe health problems, from stunting and osteoporosis to miscarriage. It strikes a relatively small number of people — just around 1 percent of the population. Yet given the significant costs to fitness, you’d anticipate that the genes associated with celiac would be gradually removed from the gene pool of those eating wheat. A few years ago, Dr. Jabri and the population geneticist Luis B. Barreiro tested that assumption and discovered precisely the opposite. Not only were celiac-associated genes abundant in the Middle Eastern populations whose ancestors first domesticated wheat; some celiac-linked variants showed evidence of having spread in recent millenniums. People who had them, in other words, had some advantage compared with those who didn’t. Dr. Barreiro, who’s at the University of Montreal, has observed this pattern in many genes associated with autoimmune disorders. They’ve become more common in recent millenniums, not less. As population density increased with farming, and as settled living and animal domestication intensified exposure to pathogens, these genes, which amp up aspects of the immune response, helped people survive, he thinks. In essence, humanity’s growing filth selected for genes that increase the risk of autoimmune disease, because those genes helped defend against deadly pathogens. Our own pestilence has shaped our genome. The benefits of having these genes (survival) may have outweighed their costs (autoimmune disease). So it is with the sickle cell trait: Having one copy protects against cerebral malaria, another plague of settled living; having two leads to congenital anemia. But there’s another possibility: Maybe these genes don’t always cause quite as much autoimmune disease. Perhaps the best support for this idea comes from a place called Karelia. It’s bisected by the Finno-Russian border. Celiac-associated genes are similarly prevalent on both sides of the border; both populations eat similar amounts of wheat. But celiac disease is almost five times as common on the Finnish side compared with the Russian. The same holds for other immune-mediated diseases, including Type 1 diabetes, allergies and asthma. All occur more frequently in Finland than in Russia.
The Government is sending an ambassador to Mauritius to make an official complaint after photographs of Michaela McAreavey's body were published in a Sunday newspaper there. A press spokesman for the Mauritian police told RTÉ News that the offices of the Sunday Times in Port Louis were raided by police officers this morning. Der Maragen said the raid was carried out to trace the photographs of Mrs McAreavey's body published yesterday, but no photographs were found. Mr Maragen said no one has been questioned by police about the photographs and no one has been arrested. He added that they are continuing to gather information about the use of the crime scene photographs. Earlier today, the McAreavey family lawyer in Mauritius called for the arrest of whoever is responsible for the leaking of the crime scene photos to the newspaper. Dick Ng Sui Wa said the publication of the pictures, which included images of Mrs McAreavey's body, could hinder any future police inquiry into the killing. He said that it would give possible suspects a glimpse of the crime scene. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Ng Sui Wa asked the Commission of Police in Mauritius to hold a full inquiry into the issue. The lawyer said there was revolt and outrage among the public in Mauritius over the publication just like in Ireland. He said the newspaper involved is a new publication first published a few months ago. On the issue of a new investigation into the murder, Mr Ng Sui Wa said police were likely to seek external independent advice from England and France on how to solve the crime. But he said, having studied the case closely himself, he believes it would be difficult to pin down another person for the crime. The lawyer pointed out that the two men acquitted cannot be tried for a second time. Among the images published was a front page photograph of Mrs McAreavey after she had been strangled while on honeymoon with her husband John. The publication has been condemned by her relatives in Ireland and by Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore met Irish Ambassador to Mauritius Brendan McMahon in Dublin today. The Tánaiste said the ambassador will convey in person to the Foreign Minister of Mauritius a strongly driven message about the upset of the Government over what has happened. Mr Gilmore said it will be a formal government to government protest and will be expressed in the strongest terms. Mr McMahon will also ask about what steps the Mauritian authorities will take to investigate the murder. Mr Gilmore said he was shocked at the publication of the photos, which he said he has not seen and does not desire to see. He labelled the publication disgraceful, and said that he believed what happened to Mrs McAreavey will have considerable consequences for the tourist industry in Mauritius. It has been reported tonight that the government of Mauritius has strongly condemned the publication of the images. A Mauritian news website quotes from a government press communiqué in which the publication of the images is described as a "reckless infliction of further hardship on the bereaved families." Mr Gilmore said he has spoken to Mr McAreavey about the Government's protest and that Mr McAreavey is satisfied with its action. Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will travel to London this week to meet the Mauritian Ambassador.
Hiya guys! Where has the day gone?! It's like the hours are racing by but I suppose that's a good thing when it comes to work. For once, I'm actually ahead of the game and have my posts all scheduled this week. Got to give myself a little less stress during a high time in the year. I really can't wait until September and taking part of the everyday nail art challenge. Finally, going back to my roots aka nail art. I miss those simpler days sometimes. Anyway speaking of nail art, it's time for another challenge from the Freehand Nail Art Facebook group. Today's prompt is the last one for the month and it's Back to School.Here's my look:I thought I would show you guys what it would like look without the doodles too. I was almost tempted to stop here and just seal it, however, I wanted to finish up my 'vision'. I kind of wish I would have used striping tape or nail vinyls for my lines, but at the same time I wanted some freehand practice. Strong lines are fundamental for art and as I always say it's my weakest point. I'm really digging this design without the doodles as much as I am with them. I'm not original and it's been done a million times, but I'm still pretty proud of myself.But notebooks only stay empty for so long before they are filled up with school work, right? Well I don't know about you guys but my notebooks had doodles everywhere. They actually ended up having more drawings than actual work haha. So here's my finished look:Polishes used: my ultimate go to white polish Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On and the topcoat is also from Sally Hansen. I wanted a matte finish without it being too overwhelming so I chose the one from Sally's I Heart Nailart line. Everything else in this was completed using acrylic paints.I hope you guys like my simple, but cute back to school nails. Would you like to see a couple of more looks for the occasion? Or a detailed tutorial on this look? If so, let me know down in the comments.
Democratic strategist and longtime Clinton surrogate James Carville took no prisoners during a testy exchange with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell over Hillary’s private e-mails, lashing out repeatedly at the press and accusing Mitchell of taking “cockamamie . . . right-wing talking points.” “Good morning!” Mitchell began. “Well, first of all, isn’t it time for Hillary Clinton to speak out? If you were advising her, should she address these issues?” Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And Carville was off. “It was legal, it wasn’t against regulations, Colin Powell and Jeb Bush did the same thing, but ‘Oh my God!’ Do you remember Whitewater, do you remember Foulgate, do you remember Travelgate, do you remember Pardongate, do you remember Benghazi? All of this is just the same cockamamie stuff that we go through.” “The Times gets something from some right-wing talking points, they print the story, they gotta walk the story back,” he continued. “And everybody, the chin-scratchers go ‘Oh my God, the story’s not right but it says something larger about the Clintons.’ This is never gonna end. We’ve lived with this for 20 year. We’ll live with it the rest of the campaign. It’s all. About. Nothing. That’s my view of the whole thing.” Carville went on to compare the Times use of “right-wing talking points” to the media’s use of Bush administration intelligence suggesting Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had weapons of mass destruction — causing Mitchell to try, in vain, to steer the Democratic strategist back on track. Advertisement “If I were a member of the press, and I realized right-wing talking points helped get us into a war, I would probably rethink the way I get my information,” he said. He also dismissed Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (D, C.A.) request that Hillary address the e-mail controversy. “You can find a Democrat that says anything,” he snapped, again comparing the move to former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. It wasn’t until the end of the interview that Mitchell was able to make a salient point. “Why should she be the person deciding, or her circle, decide which e-mails to turn over?” she asked. “Isn’t that the problem with a private e-mail system that isn’t government archived?” Advertisement “Are you saying that she’s a crook?” Carville asked. “Because if she does not turn over relevant stuff, that’s against the law. So is that what we’re really gonna say here? I don’t think we really want to say that.” Advertisement “All of the out-of-breath, all of the coverage, all of the ‘worried Democrats,’ all of the other stuff that we’re hearing, every one of these things – it is always the same, Andrea,” he said. “It’s never gonna change. We go through the same stuff 20 times.”
Jon Stewart had some advice for CNN Thursday on how the network can use its advanced and obsessive reporting on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight to talk about anything other than the missing Malaysian Airlines flight. Stewart noted that while CNN is focusing almost entirely on the search for Flight 370, there is other important and "meaningful" news happening in the world that they could be covering -- like, perhaps, "the UN report that stated that we're all gonna die." "CNN, don't you think this is kind of actual meaningful news and could fit very well into your unnecessary over-dramatic hologram rooms, virtual reality rides and random street yelling?" Stewart asked. "You can't use your hologram green screen room to talk about global warming?" Stewart has been ripping CNN for more than a month for its nonstop coverage of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight, once declaring that the only place the network hasn't looked for the plane is "up their own assholes." "I guess CNN's only interested in the fate of what's floating in the world's ocean," Stewart said Thursday. But at least other cable news networks are doing a better job of shining a light on climate change, right? "Fox and MSNBC devoted around 22 minutes of coverage to [the report]," Stewart said. "Fox mostly to debunk it, and MSNBC to see how it affected Hillary's chance of becoming president."
Melania Trump has won a “substantial” amount of money in a settlement with a Maryland blogger who published claims that Melania once worked as an escort, the New York Post reported. “The first lady of the United States has settled her lawsuit against Webster Griffin Tarpley of Maryland,” said Matthew Blackett, one of Melania’s attorneys. “Mr. Tarpley has issued the attached retraction and apology to Mrs. Trump and her family, and agreed to pay her a substantial sum as a settlement,” Blackett said in a statement. In his statement obtained by the Post, Tarpley said he posted an article “replete with false and defamatory statements” about Melania without any “legitimate factual basis” and apologized to the first lady. The settlement comes less than two weeks after Montgomery County Circuit Judge Sharon Burrell rejected arguments by Tarpley’s lawyers that the suit should be dismissed, the Wrap reported. Lawyers for Tarpley argued that the lawsuit failed to meet the standard for “actual malice” regarding public figures. “The court finds the plaintiff has stated a claim for defamation,” Burrell said. “The court believes most people, when they hear the words ‘high-end escort’ that describes a prostitute. There could be no more defamatory statement than to call a woman a prostitute.” Melania sued Tarpley and the Daily Mail in two different jurisdictions in September over a story that claimed Melania worked for a modeling agency where the models also worked as escorts, inaccurately painting her as a prostitute. Melania re-filed one of her suits against the Daily Mail in New York on Monday after a judge dismissed the Maryland suit on jurisdictional grounds, the Hill reported. The other lawsuit is pending in the United Kingdom over the article published in the publication’s print version.
Hillary Clinton has another reason not to run for mayor of New York – longtime nemesis Rudy Giuliani is hinting that her reentry into the political arena would cause the resumption of investigations against her. Giuliani got asked about Clinton's future prospects after Newsmax reported on aides and donors floating the failed presidential candidate as a potential candidate for his old job. 'Youv'e gotta be kidding,' Giuliani told 'Fox and Friends' on Tuesday. 'No – not again not that story again,' he added. Then, playing out the scenario, Giuliani said: 'I don't' know – I guess all of the investigations get revived again,' laughing. Hillary Clinton is expected at the State Department for the unveiling of an exhibition hall named after her ©JEWEL SAMAD (AFP/File) President-elect Donald Trump said during the campaign that he would name a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton, and his crowds regularly chanted 'lock her up.' After the election, Trump backed off, saying Clinton had 'suffered greatly,' and adding that prosecuting Clinton is 'just not something I feel very strongly about.' Any run for the high profile mayoral job was already considered unlikely. The post is currently occupied by former Clinton aide Bill de Blasio, who took his time but ultimately campaigned for Clinton. If Clinton runs for mayor of New York, ''I don't' know – I guess all of the investigations get revived again,' Rudy Giuliani said on 'Fox and Friends' Speaking to Jake Tapper today on CNN's State of the Union, Neera Tanden, the head of the progressive Washington think tank, the Center for American Progress, said she thought Clinton would continue her work helping children and families. 'But I don't expect her to ever run for any elected office again,' said Tanden, asked to give her take on whether Clinton might entertain New York City Democrats asking their party's former nominee to enter the city's mayoral race. 'I think she's going to figure out ways to help kids and families,' Tanden said. 'That's been what she's been focused on her whole life, and a lot of issues that are affecting them, over the next couple of years.' 'But I don't expect her to ever run for any elected office again,' she added. Tanden was reacting to a New York Times article speculating about whether Clinton would run for New York mayor against the incumbent Bill de Blasio, her former campaign chief. 'I don't expect her to run for this and I don't expect her to run for other office,' Tanden said, without giving more specifics about the 69-year-old former secretary of state's plans. 'I think her job is to -- what she's thinking about right now is how to help those kids and families as she has her whole life.' However, Clinton hasn't completely withdrawn from the public life since her defeat on November 8. She has taken part in two public events and fired off a few tweets. She's expected at the State Department on Tuesday for the unveiling of an exhibition hall named after her.
Before the drugs that were to kill her were administered, Kelly Gissendaner asked her lawyer to be sure her children knew that she left this world singing "Amazing Grace." She cried and sang with joy until the powerful sedative took over and she closed her eyes. Then she drifted off and minutes later died, punishment for her part in the murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner, in 1997. For the next few minutes, the only sounds were sobs from one of her attorneys. Two doctors checked her for signs of life and nodded to the warden that she was dead. And it was then that warden Bruce Chatman announced to witnesses that it was done. “The court-ordered execution of Kelly Rene Gissendaner was carried out,” he said before the curtains on the window to the death chamber were drawn. More of the story is available here.
SEATTLE – Landon Donovan returned from being snubbed from the U.S. National Team in May with a fury that resulted in him breaking the league’s all-time goal scoring record, but since that banner afternoon in late May, the 32-year-old’s form took a dip. And he knew it. With his poor spell of play fresh in mind, it was vital for Donovan to return to his dangerous self in Monday’s clash with Seattle Sounders FC, and that he did as he had a hand in all three Galaxy goals, netting once and adding two assists in LA’s convincing 3-0 victory over the Sounders. Stationed at left midfield in LA’s flat 4-4-2 formation for the first time in July, Donovan’s movement and interchange overwhelmed Seattle right back DeAndre Yedlin as LA put the home side on the back heel. From that position, Donovan found the freedom to push forward, grabbing his two assists as well as his goal in the 18th minute of play. Although the correlation between his resurgence and the positional change was there, Donovan dismissed this thinking as too simplistic. “It was more about my demeanor and my attitude than anything. I had a good week in training. I felt like I hadn’t played well lately and that bothered me,” said Donovan. “I got myself to the point in early May where I was playing very well, and I was at the top of my game, and then the last month or so has been difficult for a lot of reasons and I think my performance dropped off, so I wanted to get back to getting to the top of my game and I felt that way tonight.” Donovan may not have been willing to attribute his success to his presence in the midfield, Galaxy captain Robbie Keane was happy to oblige the claim. “Everyone has a spell where they’re not doing too well, but it all it takes is one game to change things around. This was certainly the game for him. He’s played on left wing his entire career and he knows it like the back of his hand,” Keane said. “We tried a different system at the start of the season. Did it work? I’m not too sure. But I certainly feel like the system that we used tonight suited everybody and got the best out of everyone not just a few players.” Throughout LA’s victory over the Sounders, Donovan was back to his traditionally rambunctious self as he blitzed defenders to force turnovers, tracked back to aid left back Robbie Rogers, made speedy runs behind the defense, and was opportunistic in front of goal. From start to finish, it was a Donovan performance that has not been seen since the Philadelphia Union match fresh off his World Cup omission and it was that snub that Donovan admits played a role in his lackluster summer form. “That’s not an easy thing for any player to handle, but mentally it’s my job to do what’s right for this team and to be at my best. I felt really good this week and I feel like I’m starting to play well again,” he said. “I really pushed myself to be playing well in April and May of this year, and I was, and then I just dropped off a little bit. It’s important for me to get back to that. Again, this is only one night and it’s got to continue. That’s what’s expected of me, and that’s what I expect of myself.” And if LA is to return to the summit then Donovan’s Galaxy teammates expect him to be at his best. “If we want to win a championship, we need Landon to be performing well and enjoy himself,” said Rogers. “He’s such a big part of what we do that when he plays the way that he does today then were unstoppable.” Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
× Huntsville to gain 400 new jobs from Boeing’s consolidation of defense and space sites ST. LOUIS – Five cities that are home to Boeing facilities stand to gain jobs following an announcement by the company today. Huntsville is one of them. Huntsville stands to gain 400 jobs. El Segundo, Long Beach, Seal Beach and St. Louis will also benefit. In a company announcement, Boeing said it is taking steps to operate its Defense, Space & Security business more efficiently through facilities consolidations and work movements that will increase employment in Los Angeles County, St. Louis, and Huntsville, Ala. Huntsville’s positions will be in the areas of missile defense engineering, advanced manufacturing and administrative support. “This Boeing announcement today of 400 additional jobs in Madison County, Alabama once again highlights Boeing’s 100-year history to our nation’s defense and intelligence sectors,” said Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong. “These 400 jobs will take Boeing’s footprint to just over 3,100 jobs in Alabama. This only furthers their commitment to our region and once again shows that Madison County is perfectly positioned in every aspect related to missile defense, space and national security.” “Boeing’s announcement reinforces our strategic pivot back to research and development after achieving much success in advanced manufacturing,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Huntsville is a knowledge based economy and Boeing continues to invest here because our talent pool matches the needs of their workforce requirements. Boeing has been a tremendous corporate partner, and we are thrilled to play an important role in the company’s ability to create greater efficiencies. It is Huntsville’s talent that will help Boeing meet the needs of the warfighter and, in turn, help secure our nation and that of our allies.” “Boeing’s expansion in Huntsville is great news for our state and a true testament to Alabama’s world class workforce. The company’s commitment to Alabama has not only made a lasting impact on our nation’s aerospace and defense capabilities, but also on our state’s economy. I look forward to the progress that will come from the additional jobs and investment in our state, and I am confident that Boeing will continue to build on its history of success in Alabama.” says Senator Richard Shelby (R.) By the end of 2020 Boeing will reduce facilities space by approximately 4.5 million square feet. Along with that, many positions in Huntington Beach will move to El Segundo, Long Beach, and Seal Beach in Southern California, with others moving to St. Louis and Huntsville, Ala. Similarly, many positions in Kent, Wash., will move to nearby Tukwila. Boeing also will close its El Paso, Texas, and Newington, Va., sites. “In order to push ourselves farther and win more business, we need to make the most of our resources and talent,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO, Defense, Space & Security. “These steps will help us be a stronger partner for our customers worldwide.” WHNT News 19 is working to get more specifics on today’s announcement and the timeline for the additional jobs for Huntsville. We’ll update WHNT.com with more information as this develops.
Share it HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Boxing trainer Freddie Roach has cornered world champion boxers throughout his career. Being in his position, Roach has dissected what many call “the sweet science” with a watchful eye, and been able to point out advantages and flaws by fighters for years. As much experience as he has, Roach’s opinion on technique is widely respected by many of the sport’s aficionados. Roach has also worked with MMA fighters, such as UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. St-Pierre defends his title against Nick Diaz this Saturday at UFC 158, and Roach told GracieMag.com that he and GSP have devised a game plan to counter whatever Diaz throws. “For the hands, we’ve already set a good game plan and we know how we’re going to fight with Diaz’s so-called best [boxing] in UFC,” Roach recently said at his gym, Wild Card Boxing. “To make an adjustment to fight Diaz is not hard.” Diaz, a Cesar Gracie black belt, is known not only for his Jiu-Jitsu, but also his stand-up game. His boxing is regarded by many in the MMA community as being some of the best in the UFC. However, when asked of what he thinks of Diaz’s boxing prowess, Roach was quick to shoot down any notion that he has the best hands in the UFC. “Bullst. I know it’s bullst,” Roach said. “He fires arm punches … walks forward and crosses his legs, his balance is off. I’m not impressed.” Diaz is durable and tough, he added, but the thought that Diaz has the best boxing in MMA is something Roach doesn’t believe. He was equally as critical, however, about Rua and St-Pierre when the MMA fighters first arrived at Wild Card. “When Georges St-Pierre first came here his technique wasn’t that good, but it’s getting better and better now,” he explained. “The thing is that most of the guys in MMA or the UFC have history in the ground game and so on, so it’s more new to them. A lot of times they’ve never been taught on how to do it correctly.” Now Roach says GSP is more than ready to counter Diaz’s striking when the two face off Saturday in Montreal. Also, Roach said Rua is already getting wowed by his coaching, saying that the fighter is pivoting the right way and punching off the correct foot. But as far as Diaz goes, Roach has no impression that the fighter’s boxing is world-class. “He’s very durable, got a lot of balls,” he said of Diaz. “But the thing is his boxing ability — It’s okay.”
Curious item out of Hollywood—Valve is licensing its intellectual property to a science-fiction film, but it has nothing to do with Portal, Half-Life or any other title familiar to the publisher. Instead, its Source engine is being used to help animate Deep, a movie about mankind's struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. At the bottom of the ocean. After World War III. Because Deep has a budget only of about $19 million, it needs some tools that allow real-time rendering, and editing, simplified character animation and economical lighting, writes Variety. Enter Valve, who has had a working relationship with Brown Bag Films, the studio working with animated feature director Shane Acker on Deep. Valve's Source engine povides the solutions the filmmaker needs, and so off they've gone together. Still no word on a Half-Life movie, though. Or Half-Life 3. Acker, Brown Bag team with Valve on 'Deep': '9' helmer enlists vidgame technology for toonpic [Variety via Chicago Tribune]
I cannt think why Ive not posted this one before,Its been on file long enough. The lads thought it would be a laugh to bring me back a surprise from one of our landscape jobs. they handed me a sandwich box making angry buzzing sounds, peek under one corner of the lid reveiled one upset queen hornet, apparently they found her under ground trying to hibernate where they wanted to make a pond.Half an hour in the fridge quietened her down a bit enough to take a couple of pictures before placing her into a dense hedgerow to find some where else to settle down for winter. I am glad they didnt hurt her as they are becoming very uncommon in the UK about 3 times the size of our other native wasp at about 1 inch / 25cm long and while not as agressive as the ones found in Japan (Ive only seen them on TV)she can stilll pack a punch with her sting. Like the wasp hornets hunt insects and caterpillars so I hope she got though the winter OK, though Ive havent seen a hornet since. Adjustments open in PS7 and check levels and set black and white point. saturation +16 lightness -5 brightness -2 Contrast +7 USM 131% X 2.4px radius X threshold 1 Brightness again -41 the flash had over brightened it at such a close range. Crop 50% ish to 28.22 X 21 @ 720 dpi and save to print file. Resize to 72 dpi which brings the picture down to 800px X 595px just the right size to post to TE. save picture using save to web at as close to 200K (193.7K)
Mark Steyn brought up the body count while complaining about the liberal reaction to the investigation. "Insofar as they know anything about Fast and Furious, it's something to do with the government tracking the guns of fellows like those Alabama 'Segregation Forever' nuts, rather than a means by which hundreds of innocent Rigoberta Menchús south of the border were gunned down with weapons sold to their killers by liberal policymakers of the Obama administration," he wrote. There has been enough commentary of that kind that political satirists are starting to notice. Said Bill Maher on his HBO show, "First of all, let me just say, Republicans don't care about dead Mexicans." His comments spurred outraged posts in the conservative blogosphere. But the problem isn't that he was wrong, so much as that his biting remark ought to have been broader. Democrats don't care about dead Mexicans either assuming a reasonable definition of "care." Abstractly, do they regret it when foreigners die? Sure. So do Republicans. Does either party put forth any effort to change the American policy that results in more dead Mexicans than any other? Nope. They talk about how tragic it is that 300 Mexican nationals were killed by Fast and Furious. But they keep right on supporting the war on drugs. President Bush and President Obama both insisted that our southern neighbor to keep fighting it, and our Latin American allies too, though they're despairing. Since the 2006 crackdown on cartels that the United States urged on, between 35,000 and 40,000 people have been killed by drug violence in Mexico alone. The drug cartels are powerful enough to cause that kind of carnage only because Americans keep buying their drugs, even as U.S. politicians and voters back domestic policies such that all narcotics transactions take place on a black market that inevitably empowers murderous criminals. It's an unintended consequence, to be sure, but after all these decades is that really an excuse anymore? We all know that prohibition fuels violence. When the prohibitionist worries that legalizing drugs would increase drug use and addiction, that U.S. productivity might fall, and that it would send a bad moral signal, their argument is effectively, "The harm legalization might do is worse than tens of thousands of foreigners dying, worse than decades-long wars with cartels, worse than whole regions being destabilized." It's a very easy calculation to make when the dead people are mostly far away, in foreign countries or in bad neighborhoods you don't pass through. Everyone seems to agree, for purposes of arguing on cable news, that Fast and Furious was indefensible -- that it was illegitimate to risk the lives of Mexicans in an effort to bring down the cartels. I certainly concur. I also think the policy that killed tens of thousands of Mexicans over the last few years is illegitimate. But both political parties are inextricably implicated in that policy, so no one cares about those dead foreigners. (They don't think much about the Americans prohibition kills either.) Our drug policies do far more to cause violence in Mexico than Fast and Furious ever did. That doesn't mean gun-walking wasn't scandalous. It just means the bigger scandal has yet to be addressed.
One of the most persistent claims about Donald Trump’s rise is that it’s a response to economic anxiety and struggles among white working-class Americans. This is a comforting notion, particularly for those on the left. It suggests that large numbers of Americans are not being drawn to a racist demagogue because he’s a racist demagogue, but because of the failures of modern capitalism. It also implies that these voters could be won over by a robust left-wing economic agenda that addressed their plight. But there’s also plenty of data suggesting that this isn’t a satisfying explanation. Trump’s rise has always seemed more closely related to prejudice than economics. Analysis of surveys has shown consistently that racial resentment correlates more strongly with Trump support than one’s income or degree or pessimism about the economy. Now, Gallup’s Jonathan Rothwell (via the Washington Post) has offered a particularly detailed argument that there’s a lot more than pure economic anxiety at work here. Gallup's regular surveys offered Rothwell a large dataset of 87,428 Americans who told pollsters whether they held a favorable or unfavorable view of Donald Trump. That sample size let him drill down geographically, analyzing support for Trump at the regional and local level — even, on some questions, down to individual zip codes. He then linked that geographic information to data about the decline in manufacturing, about how affected each area was by the rise of Chinese imports, about intergenerational mobility, about racial segregation, and about white mortality rates. That let him test each of those factors as explanations for Trump. Is Trump support correlated with areas affected by globalization, as many commentators have suggested? Check the Chinese import data. Does Trump support coincide with increased death rates for white middle-aged women, an increase chronicled by Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton? Check the health data. Trump's base is not poor whites — it's way more complicated than that What Rothwell found was revelatory, to say the least. He finds that individuals who are struggling economically are not more likely to support Trump, nor are people living in areas that have suffered a loss of manufacturing jobs, an influx of immigration, or competition from China. By contrast, people in areas where whites are struggling health-wise, and in terms of intergenerational mobility (and in areas that are very racially segregated), do seem more likely to back Trump. Trump supporters are richer, not poorer, than average: For one thing, Rothwell found that both across the overall population and among whites, support for Trump is correlated with higher income, not lower. That’s not surprising; low-income people have always preferred Democrats. But it definitely contradicts the image of Trump as spokesman for the economically struggling. Rothwell also found that Trump supporters are no likelier to be unemployed or to have left the workforce. The problem of men dropping out of the labor force doesn’t seem to be a factor behind Trump’s rise. "The individual data do not suggest that those who view Trump favorably are confronting abnormally high economic distress, by conventional measures of employment and income," he concludes. Nonetheless, Trump supporters tend to be blue-collar and less educated: On the other hand, Rothwell also finds that Trump supporters are more likely to work in blue-collar fields and to have less education. This fact, however, sits uneasily with Trump’s greater support among the wealthy and lower support among the poor, and suggests that his sweet spot is less-educated people in blue-collar fields who are nonetheless doing pretty well economically. Trump does well in racially segregated areas: Turning to the geographic data, Rothwell finds that segregated, homogenous white areas are Trump's base of support. "People living in zip codes with disproportionately high shares of white residents are significantly and robustly more likely to view Trump favorably," he writes. "Those living in zip codes with overall diversity that is low relative to their commuting zone are also far more likely to view Trump favorably." Put another way: If you're in the whitest suburb in your area, you're likelier to back Trump. Trump doesn’t do well in areas affected by trade or immigration: This is perhaps the most surprising finding. Contact with immigrants seems to reduce one's likelihood of supporting Trump, as areas that are farther from Mexico and with smaller Hispanic populations saw more Trump support. Areas with more manufacturing are significantly less likely to support Trump. An increase in the level of manufacturing employment from 2000 to 2007 predicted higher Trump support — which is the opposite of what you'd expect, given the narrative around this campaign. While the finding isn't statistically significant, greater exposure to Chinese imports predicts lower support for Trump, despite his agitation for higher tariffs on the country. Trump-friendly areas are struggling in other ways: While individual Trump supporters appear to be doing pretty solid economically, they tend to live in areas that are struggling on two important dimensions. Rothwell finds that Trump support increases mildly in areas with lower intergenerational mobility, as measured by data from economist Raj Chetty and his team. "This is not meant to suggest that with undue certainty that growing up in a place that causes lower social mobility causes Trump support," Rothwell clarifies. "This analysis only identifies the correlation." Much stronger is the relationship between Trump support and higher regional white mortality. Overall mortality is also predictive, but nowhere near as much as white mortality, and particularly middle-aged white mortality. The findings on mobility and white middle-aged mortality are commuting zone level, connected to the wider region in which the respondent lived rather than their specific municipality or neighborhood. That makes it hard to draw too many fine conclusions about how well that regional data reflects the circumstances of the respondent’s own life. Some commentators have speculated that this result implies parents are worried for their children based on how their area as a whole is doing (even if they personally are doing fine). There’s nothing in the study suggesting this is the mechanism, but it’s potentially plausible. 4. Parents worried about their unemployed kids. Grandparents raising their grandkids bc the nuclear family fell part. Etc. — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) August 12, 2016 Also plausible is basically the opposite conclusion: These are relatively well-off less-educated blue collar workers who see poorer blue collar whites who are suffering (as indicated by low mobility and poor health in the region) and view them as undeserving recipients of government aid. That’s less a story about personal anxiety and more one about class politics between the petit bourgeois and the proletariat. But the basic point is the straightforward story of Trump supporters as poor whites abandoned by the loss of manufacturing to China is not the case. The story is, at least, much more complicated. "I find only limited support that the political views of US nationalists—as manifest in a favorable view towards Donald Trump—are related to economic self-interest," Rothwell concludes. "If so, the self-interest calculation must go beyond conventional economic measures to include one’s physical health and inter-generational concerns." The bad map we see every presidential election
A woman died after she lit 17 candles for a romantic evening with her imaginary boyfriend - and accidentally set her flat on fire, an inquest heard today. Jane Ellis, 46, believed she was in a relationship with a man called 'Ian' and she would light candles to summon him, a coroner's court was told. She lit 17 of them for a meeting last year but inadvertently set her house on fire. A woman set her flat on fire after lighting candles for a romantic evening with her imaginary boyfriend, an inquest at Reading Coroner's Court has heard Neighbours in the flats rushed round to tell her the building was on fire but she slammed the door shut and ignored their warnings. She was later found lying face-down on the bathroom floor. The 46-year-old was airlifted to hospital in an induced coma but died on February 8 last year. She died of brain injuries from smoke inhalation and burns. Her brother-in-law, Andrew Manley, told the coroner: 'In my opinion this was an entirely preventable incident had Jane been put in a safe place and adequately monitored until she became well. 'We were pleading to speak to the assessor to give further information about her and we were refused point blank from doing so. 'If the candles were being used to contact an imaginary boyfriend you can at least appreciate that there is some risk there.' On the first day of a three-day inquest in Reading, the court heard how she was due to meet her friend, Susan Arnett, on February 6 before driving to Bristol for a Christian conference with her sister Elizabeth Manley. Ms Arnett told police she had known Ms Ellis for 20 years and she had a history of mental illness. She recalled how she was due to pick her up from her mother's house the day before the fire. She told the court: 'Jane texted back saying "we are just getting ready". I presumed she meant her and her mother but in hindsight she probably meant her and Ian.' Neighbours in the flats rushed round to tell her the building on Oxford Road, Sandhurst, in Berkshire (pictured) was on fire but she slammed the door shut and ignored their warnings She arrived to find Ms Ellis was not at her mother's home and the two drove round to her flat where they found her sitting on the pavement with a plastic carrier bag. 'Jane said she was just waiting for Ian and then we could go', she said. Ms Arnett said she had never heard of Ian but her friend told her they were planning to get married and go on a honeymoon to Egypt. 'He was never a boyfriend...they had known a man called Ian when they lived in Gloucester,' she added. Ms Arnett called her friend's GP surgery - which had been responsible for her care after she was discharged from a mental health service team in July 2014. Dr Deepak Goyal, from Sandhurst Group Practice, came up with a ruse for Ms Arnett to tell Ms Ellis 'Ian' was waiting at his practice, the inquest heard. The pair went to the surgery and when Ms Ellis saw Dr Goyal she 'almost ran towards him with arms open as if she was going to hug him.' Ms Arnett, who was still speaking to Mrs Manley over the phone, rang police after Ms Ellis later came out of the surgery. Three police officers arrived and Ms Ellis went back to the surgery after one spoke to her, the coroner was told. She added: 'Dr Goyal said Jane appeared to need sectioning. 'I heard the police say that they would have difficulties sectioning Jane because she did not appear to be in danger of immediate harm to herself.'
President Donald Trump advised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to “go nuclear” if Democrats try to block his nomination of federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. “I think there’s a certain dishonesty if they go against their vote from not very long ago and he did get a unanimous endorsement and he’s somebody that should get,” Trump told reporters during a pool spray as he met with Supreme Court advocacy groups. He said Gorsuch is a “great judge” and will be a “great justice.” “I mean, you can’t do better,” Trump said. “So, no, I feel that it’s very dishonest if they go about doing that.” He went on to condemn political “gridlock” in Washington. “If we end up with the same gridlock that they’ve had in Washington for the last longer than eight years, in all fairness to President Obama, a lot longer than eight years, but if we end up with that gridlock I would say, if you can, Mitch, go nuclear,” Trump said. “Because that would be an absolute shame if a man of this quality was caught up in the web. So I would say, it’s up to Mitch, but I would say, go for it.” The gridlock Trump referred to doubtless included Senate Republicans’ refusal to consider Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Before Trump’s election victory, Republicans suggested that they would continue to block future Supreme Court nominees if Hillary Clinton won the presidency. Watch the exchange below:
If you’re a regular reader of DudeFoods you might find this hard to believe, but out of all the things I’ve tried deep frying — mashed potatoes, nacho cheese, deviled eggs, lasagna and a ton more — I’ve still never made deep fried bacon. Pretty crazy huh? Seeing as how I just got an entire gift basket full of it from WisconsinMade.com though I figured that now was as good a time as any to finally make some! I also decided that when it came to the batter that I was going to use I had to go all out, so I mixed some beer and flour and then threw in some diced pieces of bacon for good measure. Yep, I battered my bacon strips with a beer batter that had even more bacon in it! It was actually the same batter I used when I made my deep fried White Castle sliders. In the end my deep fried bacon turned out to be one of my favorite things that I’ve ever used my deep fryer for. When it came to the taste, the crispy bacon matched up absolutely perfectly with the crunchy beer and bacon breading. After trying it I really have no idea why I’ve never seen this item on the menu at any restaurants. You know, aside from the fact that it’s probably one of the most unhealthy things ever….
Story highlights A video contrasts first world complaints with developing world ones Impoverished Haitians read the Twitter "complaints" Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere WATERisLIFE promotes clean drinking water Do you hate it when your mint gum makes your ice water taste too cold? Or your phone charger won't reach your bed? A group fighting for access to clean water in developing nations has created a fundraising video that takes such first world gripes and casts them in the stark light of poverty. In the 60-second video , the group WATERisLife has impoverished residents in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, recite tweets from the popular hashtag #FirstWorldProblems The hashtag, a perpetual presence on Twitter, pokes fun at people who have more than the basics of life covered, and yet grumble when, say, their neighbor blocks off his wi-fi access. In the video, "First World Problems Anthem," a man outside a dilapidated tin-roof house says "I hate it when my house is so big, I need two wireless routers." A young girl near a stream where women are washing clothes adds: "When I leave my clothes in the washer so long they start to smell." Another scene shows a boy sitting on the concrete steps of an unfinished cinder block house. His "gripe"? "When I have to write my maid a check, but I forget her last name. "#FirstWorldProblems Are Not Problems," the text at the end of the video reads. "Donate to help bring clean water to those in need." The lack of safe drinking water is the world's single largest cause of illness , according to UNICEF. And WATERisLIFE says that waterborne disease around the world this year will kill 6,500 people a day "We're not setting out to humiliate people who have used the #FirstWorldProblems hashtag," said Matt Eastwood, the chief creative officer of the ad agency DDB New York, which created the video. "Rather, the project encourages people to think before they tweet. There are much more important problems in the world than not getting a hot-enough latte in the morning." The video has racked up more than 1.7 million hits in less than month. And the campaign may be having the desired impact. "I used to think that first world problems were hilarious, but now I just feel bad." says a comment posted under the video on YouTube. Another person laments: "Okay (it's) true i am a self centered stubborn brat. I have no idea how good i have it." Ultimately, the clean water group is trying to benefit from a Twitter-inspired guilt trip. "People are becoming desensitized to suffering and we needed to enter the social space with a provocative approach to get those who are lucky enough to have simple things such as water, food, and shelter to reflect on their 140 characters and support causes like WATERisLIFE," said Kristine Bender, the executive director of the nonprofit.
The Top 10 Coolest Cars in Music Video History Cars and music videos go together like peanut butter and banana sandwiches – they may not thrill everyone, but those who love them are die-hard aficionados. Presented below, for your auto-erotic enjoyment, are just a handful of the memorable cars (and the videos that immortalized them) that have graced television screens over the years. It may not have been the first time a hot car appeared on MTV, but the image of Tawny Kitaen writhing on the hoods of a pair of Jaguar XJs remains an iconic moment in pop culture history. This scene epitomized the relationship between exotic vehicles (not to mention hot girls) and music videos for years to come. Keanu Reeves’ classic ride sets the mood for this video from the moment his white-rimmed tires are slashed. He may be the rebel without a clue in this story, but his car is clearly a threat to the competition. The ending is twice as tragic when we don’t just lose a life, we lose two gorgeous vintage automobiles. The Ford Mustang Convertible in this video basically acts as a third accomplice–the fact that very few teenagers could own one implies that they “borrowed” it for their joyride. And really, would Liv Tyler have caught as many eyes pumping gas into a Volvo? The paint job is polished to a perfect shine while the Mustang’s reputation for speed leaves no doubt in the viewer’s mind that this pair could race their way out of any sticky situation. Remember when hydraulics were more common than bulletproof glass in a rap stars’ ride? This hip-hop classic takes us back to a day when no one was driving the latest thing to come off of the assembly line. These custom classic cars represent a respect for the past that has been lost behind the tinted windows of today’s stretch Hummers. Sure, this dude may be trying a little too hard, but you’ve got to give the kid credit for choosing a 1962 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. Homey’s surely not the most fly guy to ever grace its black leather interior, but he gets an “A” for effort. While this video may be shot in the style of a parody, the Lamborghini Murciélago “rapmobile” is no joke. This high performance sports car became the new face of Lamborghini in the twenty-first century. With its slick aerodynamic body design, this Italian masterpiece is ideal for whisking our masked avengers off to their destination just in time to save the day. One would expect any video from the soundtrack to Cars to showcase some impressive wheels and these guys don’t disappoint. From a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette and 1952 Buick Special to a 1937 Ford V8 DeLuxe, you can only imagine what the insurance budget was on this set. Most impressive of all is the cameo from a well maintained beauty that was tearing up roads long before any member of this band was born–the coveted 1930 Ford Model A! The opening car chase between 50 Cent in an Aston Martin DB9 and his object of affection in a Lotus Elise is dripping with sex and sophistication. The sleek lines and smooth handling of both cars let the drivers and viewers ignore the road and focus on the fantasy feature…a different kind of seat warmer. Okay, so maybe “cool” isn’t exactly the right word for a Toyota Prius, but in this economy shouldn’t Weird Al get at least a few extra points for name dropping a vehicle with an EPA estimated 50 MPG? A Dodge Charger that transforms into a Bugati Veyron, a custom designed motorcycle or a helicopter? That would save both parking spaces and time spent sitting in traffic (because yes, real life problems could exist even in fantasy land). Obviously, this list isn’t complete. A comprehensive list of cool cars that stole the show from the music video stars they transported would fill a stack of Kelly Blue Books. Let us know in the comments which of your favorites are missing from the list?
President Barack Obama arrives with Father John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, to deliver the university's commencement speech in South Bend, Ind., on May 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Biden Their Time: Notre Dame Honors Another Prominent Pro-Abortion Politician UPDATE: Notre Dame's bishop, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, on March 14 criticized the Catholic university's decision to honor Biden, seven years after generating national controversy by bestowing commencement honors on President Barack Obama. BRIAN FRAGA (Editor's note: This story was updated on March 14 to include the news of Bishop Kevin Rhoades' statement disagreeing with Notre Dame's decision). SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Seven years after President Barack Obama received an honorary degree and delivered a commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame that sparked pro-life protests and objections from dozens of bishops, Vice President Joe Biden will be awarded the university’s prestigious Laetare Medal. Notre Dame will also present former House Speaker John Boehner with the Laetare Medal during commencement ceremonies on May 15. Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, the university president, said the two are being honored against the backdrop of a toxic political environment, where poisonous invective and partisan gamesmanship pass for political leadership. But as they did in 2009, pro-life leaders and Catholic observers are blowing the whistle because Biden, a Democrat and a lifelong, outspoken Catholic, supports policies that are at odds with the Church’s moral teachings on life and the sanctity of marriage. “Apparently, some at Notre Dame still don’t get it. And this time, matters are made worse, because the pro-abortion public official being honored claims to be Catholic,” said Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. Biden said the Catholic faith “defines who I am” during the 2012 vice-presidential debate, but he has also said that he supports Roe v. Wade, arguing that he cannot force his personal acceptance that life begins at conception on other people. He has embraced homosexual rights and praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last summer that legalized same-sex “marriage.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was also compelled to correct the vice president’s statements during the 2012 debate that the federal government’s contraceptive mandate did not force religious institutions to provide birth control in employee health-insurance plans. And at least two bishops, Bishop John Ricard of the Diocese of Tallahassee-Pensacola, Fla., in 2008, and Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2012, have indicated that they do not believe Biden should present himself to receive Communion in light of his support for policies that conflict with fundamental Church teachings. Father Jenkins: Not a Policy Endorsement “Public confidence in government is at historic lows, and cynicism is high,” Father Jenkins said in his prepared statement about the decision to honor the two prominent politicians. “It is a good time to remind ourselves what lives dedicated to genuine public service in politics look like. We find it in the lives of Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner.” Father Jenkins said that by recognizing Biden and Boehner, the university “is not endorsing the policy positions of either,” but celebrating the lives of two men “dedicated to keeping our democratic institutions working for the common good through dialogue focused on the issues and responsible compromise.” Boehner, a Republican, also drew objections from several Catholic scholars when he delivered the 2011 commencement address at The Catholic University of America. The scholars wrote a letter to the former House speaker accusing his legislative agenda of ignoring Catholic social teaching’s preferential option for the poor by gutting government social programs. Charles Camosy, a moral theologian at Fordham University and board member at Democrats for Life, told the Register that Boehner and Biden are both “flawed and have deeply problematic positions on issues which are central to Catholicism.” Said Camosy, “Still, yes, both have a ridiculously impressive record of public service — a record which demonstrates, especially in light of our current politics, a willingness to engage seriously with those who disagree. Notre Dame decided to honor two men who did politics in a time where bridge-building was honorable.” The Register requested an interview with Father Jenkins, but Dennis Brown, a Notre Dame spokesman, said the press release provides the university’s perspective. Alumni Criticism By awarding Biden and Boehner, William Dempsey, chairman of the Sycamore Trust, a group of Notre Dame alumni concerned with the university’s Catholic identity, told the Register that the university has turned the Laetare Medal into an instrument of contentious political commentary. “In reciting the political achievements of Speaker Boehner and Vice President Biden, Notre Dame in effect takes their side against their critics,” said Dempsey, adding that the university’s officers have drafted the Laetare Medal “into the service of Father Jenkins’ intense interest in the character of political dialogue.” Dempsey also accused the university of turning the Laetare Medal into “an instrument of scandal.” “Vice President Biden supports Roe v. Wade, federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, same-sex ‘marriage’ and the abortifacient/contraception mandate. That is, it should be noted, he opposes Notre Dame’s claims of religious liberty,” Dempsey said. “On all these crucial issues, the vice president’s service has been not ‘to the Church,’ but against the Church.” Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a nonprofit with the stated mission to “promote and defend faithful Catholic education,” told the Register that awarding the Laetare Medal to Biden “is one of the most deceptive things that Father Jenkins has done since becoming president.” Reilly noted that, according to Notre Dame’s website, the Laetare Medal is awarded annually to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.” “It is not an award for political cooperation on Capitol Hill,” Reilly said, adding that the polarization and gridlock in Washington coincides with the congressional tenures of both Biden and Boehner. “It is a deceptive way of giving an award to a very pro-abortion Catholic, in the wake of the disastrous honor to President Obama in 2009,” Reilly said. The 2009 Controversy More than 367,000 people signed an online petition voicing their objection to Obama’s commencement speech in 2009, and 83 Catholic bishops in the United States also opposed the president’s appearance at Notre Dame. On the day of Obama’s visit, hundreds of pro-life activists and Notre Dame students protested, some carrying signs that said, “Shame on Notre Dame.” More than 20 people were arrested on trespassing charges. “We had an alternate commencement ceremony, in which the students’ commitment to defending the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, was highlighted and honored,” Father Pavone said. Bishop John D’Arcy, former bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, boycotted the commencement. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who was to receive the Laetare Medal that year, declined to accept the award and did not attend the ceremony. Bishop Kevin Rhoades, the current bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, said on March 14, "I believe it is wrong for Notre Dame to honor any 'pro-choice' public official with the Laetare Medal, even if he/she has other positive accomplishments in public service, since direct abortion is gravely contrary to the natural law and violates a very fundamental principle of Catholic moral and social teaching." In the 2004 document “Catholics in Political Life,” the U.S. bishops said that “failing to protect the lives of innocent and defenseless members of the human race is to sin against justice.” The document also prohibited Catholic institutions from honoring those “who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” with “awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” Calling the university’s decision to award Biden a “clear violation” of the bishops’ directive, Dempsey said that “one does not need episcopal guidance to see that students and the public will reasonably regard Notre Dame’s action as a wink and a nod toward dissent from Church teaching on this wide range of vital issues.” Catholic Identity The Notre Dame announcement follows closely on the news that a student group at Georgetown University is inviting Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, to speak on campus next month. Richards’ upcoming speech on a Catholic university campus has also sparked protests, including a statement from Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington. Cardinal Wuerl will receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame during the May 15 commencement ceremony where Biden and Boehner will receive their Laetare Medals from the university. His office told the Register that he would not comment about the situation at Notre Dame. But Cardinal Wuerl wrote this week on his blog about the identity of Catholic universities, saying that those institutions should provide a “unique forum” where the Gospel can be explored, more deeply understood and lived. Wrote the cardinal, “If the moral climate and ethical texture of a Catholic university is no different than any secular institution of higher education, it loses its claim to distinctiveness and the label ‘Catholic’ becomes simply a reference to an earlier era.” Brian Fraga writes from Fall River, Massachusetts.
A gunman has killed two people at a concert in western Austria before turning the weapon on himself. Police said the 27-year-old gunman fired shots into a crowd of about 150 peole attending an open air concert in the early hours of Sunday morning. The incident happened near the town of Nenzing in the Voralberg province, about 24 miles east of Austria's border with Liechtenstein. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Eleven people were also wounded in the shooting and are understood to be in a serious condition in hospital. According to the police, the 1am (GMT) shooting followed a loud argument between the man and a woman in the car park at the open air venue. He is then thought to have returned to his car, retrieved a gun reported to be a rifle, and opened fire at the concert. Witneses said many of the terrified concert-goers fled into the surrounding woodland and even onto the nearby motorway to escape the shooting. Police spokeswoman Susanne Dilp said:"The exact course of events is still unclear" but she added the victims' wounds were "very diverse". The event was being hosted at a property believed to be used by a motorcycle club called "The Lords". We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads. Subscribe now
If you're not sure features like gesture controls and perfume diffusers are really features at all, you may have an ally in Albert Biermann, Genesis' head of performance and former head of BMW's M division. Speaking to reporters at the launch of the new Genesis G70 sports sedan, Biermann took aim at his former employer and other German automakers, claiming they're wasting money on technology that is only marginally useful. Australia's Drive reports that Biermann dismissed a lot of the new features in luxury cars, calling it "all marketing." He then added, "Much of this exists for media, to give a hype, to show the technology level. But how many people really buy it later on? If the tech will fail, you're just adding the burden to the buyer, right?" According to Biermann, Genesis has decided to focus on simpler, more useful features that can be trusted to work for years to come. That's partly because Hyundai chairman Chung Mong-koo wants the automaker's cars to still drive like new after 10 years on the road. To achieve that goal, the cars undergo a lot of testing during development. View 15 Photos "We have 30,000 km (18,641 miles) test driving in [Hyundai's research and development headquarters] Namyang, with all the bad cobblestones and potholes you cannot imagine. We run our cars there for 30,000 km, and then on top of that, we do 10,000 km (6,214 miles) at the N rburgring," said Biermann. "I don't think anyone else is doing that anymore—maybe Porsche or Ferrari. But all the other guys, they've stepped down from 10,000 km to 8,000 km (4,971 miles) or 5,000 km (3,107 miles). And some, they do nothing anymore." Biermann also thinks that at a certain point, cars get big enough that automakers should stop pretending they can be corner carvers. "If I want to sell a G90 to a U.S. customer, there are other OEMs that show their flagship car on the racetrack," he said. "The car in the luxury car segment, they show all the racetrack talent, but which 2.2-ton (4,850-pound) luxury segment car will ever see the racetrack?"
Some time ago, a team of employees at Nike was given a special project: Cataloging the 75,000-some items found in the company's vast materials library and giving them each a score based on their environmental impact and long-term sustainability. No one had really done anything like it before, and it ultimately took the team six years to complete. Now, you can flick through their findings on your iPhone. The fruit of all that labor was something called the Materials Sustainability Index, or MSI, a "cradle-to-gate index" of everything and anything that could conceivably go into making a windbreaker or a pair of shoes. Making, as the new app is called, wraps the apparel-related entries of that massive dataset up in a simple, finger-friendly package. Open it up and you're greeted with a colorful column of options. In a nice UI flourish, the whole thing wobbles gelatinously as you scroll through. Each color lets you view the materials ranked by different criteria. You can see how they stack up based on energy use, water consumption, and recyclability, to name a few. Down, silk, and cotton are score well, generally speaking. Spandex, if the app is to be trusted, should be avoided at all costs. Image:Nike Nike has been pushing sustainability within its own product lines for years, introducing waste-reducing technologies like Flyknit and working towards a "closed-loop" business model in which all of its offerings are made with 100 percent recyclable materials. But realizing that its own products can only have so great an impact, the company's also been exploring how it might affect change throughout the industry. Part of that comes with projects like the MSI, which Nike submitted to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, an international group of apparel and footwear companies, for industry-wide use. After bringing in an independent committee to review the Nike team's methodology and analysis, the coalition made the index available online. It offers a nice web tool for digging through the data, which you can find here. But the new app represents a slightly different approach to solving the problem–basically, trying to instill a concern for sustainability directly in the next generation of designers. As Hannah Jones, Nike's VP of Sustainable Business and Innovation points out, many environmentally oriented efforts end up concerning themselves with production and manufacturing. With Making, Jones says, "we decided to go back upstream and really try to impact the designer." The company worked with a group of students from the London College of Fashion to prototype the app, trying to figure out how to most effectively present the invaluable but admittedly granular data. "What you want to do is put tools in the hands of designers that are bespoke to their means at the moment of truth, which is the moment of design," Jones explains. "The app is really tailored to help them make real-time predictive choices around the materials they use." Of course, young designers don't have Nike's vast reserves of textiles at their fingertips, and it can be hard to see how useful it will actually be for them to know that ramie uses slightly less water than lyocell. Still, it's hard to fault the project's premise. Even if it's more useful as a reminder than an actual reference, any tool that encourages designers to think of sustainability not just as a fashionable approach or icing on a concept's cake but rather as a fundamental aspect of their job is probably a good thing. Jones hopes that Making will prompt designers to dive deeper into the MSI on the web, and to think about how that data, which is available with an open source license, might be mixed, mashed-up or put to use in other ways. But ultimately, she says, the app's about "helping the designer understand that every choice they make–every moment they're picking up their pen to design a product–can actually have a massive ripple effect on the downstream side of things." Every product carves its own path to market, but they all start at a delta.
I want to expand on the following Twitter conversation and our forum seems like a great place for writing > 140 characters. How Bitcoin got a non-traditional start: I feel that the Bitcoin/blockchain industry had a rather strange beginning where the technology didn’t come from the tech industry or research labs but was started by anonymous hackers. This beginning is very different from typical life cycles where you see research grants from the NSF, DARPA, etc., research communities coming together under IEEE, ACM, or USENIX, leading to research labs working on early prototypes before we start seeing startups or products from large companies. Think about DARPA providing the initial funding for the Internet, the original TCP/IP paper getting published at IEEE Transactions on Communications (1974) or DARPA’s 2004 self-driving car challenge and advancements in machine learning / AI regularly getting peer-reviewed and published at well-established conferences. Bitcoin/blockchains came out of nowhere i.e., from a non-traditional channel. Academia is beginning to adapt to it and (after years!) has started accepting blockchains as a valid/interesting technical area. For example, our Blockstack paper got published at USENIX’16, and Gun Sirer’s Bitcoin-NG paper got published at NSDI’16 (the top systems/networking conferences). Concerns engineers bring up about working on Bitcoin/blockchains: When I talk to traditional distributed systems engineers, people who’d go and build the next-gen systems at Google, for example, they’re reluctant to give this technology serious thought; some don’t want to touch Bitcoin with a 10-foot pole. Some of the concerns people have brought up are: (a) there is a lot of drug money involved in that space (b) it’s built on technically shaky grounds © the community this space attracts is just weird and strange, and “normal” engineers don’t want to interact and associate with this community (d) there is a lot of political drama, public fights, and personal attacks Most of all, engineers have basic questions and concerns about the technology, and you need to walk them through all the concerns before they start to feel that there might be something interesting here. Concerns I’ve seen include: (a) Can the governments just shut it down? (b) Are we wasting too much electric power on a “stupid” use case? © Can a public/global network ever scale? (d) How are all the federated/private blockchain use cases different from systems we’ve been using for decades? Steps we can take to get more engineers interested in the space: I do feel that once engineers get answers to their questions and poke around the technology, they genuinely get interested. So to get more engineers involved in the space, we should:
A Huntington Beach-based drone company has filed a police report against a local man after he used his T-shirt to swat a $1,350 drone to the ground. Mike Luzansky of Lucky7drones said the man destroyed the copter while the company was filming an instructional video. An online video of the incident that Luzansky put up has since racked up more than 100,000 views on YouTube and LiveLeak. Lucky 7 Drones moved from Las Vegas to Huntington Beach six weeks ago with the hopes of opening an Orange County storefront sometime this summer. Company employee Jordin Schmitt was flying his pricy DJI Phantom 3 drone Wednesday near Pacific Coast Highway and 13th Street, hovering the vehicle three feet above the street, when a shirtless man approached. The video shows the man yelling that he’ll be angry if “you put that over my house.” He then smacks the drone out of the air, letting it shatter on the ground. “I don’t even think that’s legal.” Drone flying is unregulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Some cities have regulated or banned it, but Huntington Beach has done neither. The Lucky7drones folks called the police and said they wanted to press vandalism charges against the man. They also said they may take the man to small claims court. “People are like, why are you flying in the middle of the street, but we weren’t flying high or up and down the street or over people’s homes,” said Luzansky. “We were just showing off the (drone’s) sensitivity control.” Huntington Beach Police Lt. John Domingo said the man who swatted the drone told police he was scared that the drone operators would use the device to spy on him in his home. Domingo said when it comes to drone flying, he would like to see respect and common sense exercised by both drone operators and the general public. “But the most important thing is that (drone operators) understand they pose an extreme danger to (police) air operations,” Domingo said. Police investigated the incident, but the man, whose name was not released, has not been arrested. The District Attorney’s office will decide whether to file charges, police said. Luzansky said there is nothing good about losing a $1,350 drone, but admitted that traffic to the company’s website, lucky7drones.com, had jumped since video of the incident hit the web.
Miley Cyrus wants people to know that what they hear from the pop superstar is what she really feels. In an interview with Ross King on ITV’s U.K. show Lorraine, Cyrus explains how she doesn’t allow herself to have boundaries, and how no one category or label can define who she truly is as a person. “I think I’m weird because I feel like everything and nothing all at once. I think I feel genderless, I feel ageless,” she said. “I’m just a spirit soul — not even divided by human being or I treat the animals the same or hopefully treat the planet with as much respect as possible.” “There’s no us and them. There’s no me and you. I feel like I want to be everything and I want to be also kind of nothing,” she explained. The 24-year-old “Wrecking Ball” singer — who described herself as “pansexual” in a prior interview — said last month that she has matured beyond her “Dead Petz phase,” a reference to her 2015 album, Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz, for which Cyrus toured and sang on stage while wearing a unicorn outfit and a fake penis. Cyrus also recently told Billboard that she quit smoking marijuana in preparation for the release of her latest album, which is currently untitled and is due out later this year. The child star-turned-global celebrity went door-to-door for Democrat Hillary Clinton during the election, but congratulated Donald Trump on his unprecedented victory an a viral Facebook video. “Donald Trump, I accept you,” she said, “and this hurts to say, but I even accept you as the president of the United States, and that’s fine … because I think now I want to be hopeful.” Cyrus recently got into a public spat with iconic Italian fashion designer Stefano Gabbana, slamming his decision to dress First Lady Melania Trump. “PS D&G, I STRONGLY disagree with your politics,” Cyrus wrote on Instagram in a post congratulating her brother, who had just modeled in Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2018 Menswear runway show. Gabbana fired back at the “Malibu” singer, writing, “We are Italian and we don’t care about politics and mostly neither about the American one! We make dresses and if you think about doing politics with a post it’s simply ignorant. We don’t need your posts or comments so next time please ignore us!!” Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson
Graeme Harper (born 11 March 1945[1] in London) has directed several Doctor Who television stories, being the first (and only) director of stories in both the classic 1963-1989 series of Doctor Who and the 2005 revived series. Before becoming a director, he was assistant floor manager for Colony in Space, Planet of the Daleks (with John Cook and Sue Hedden) and Planet of the Spiders. He was also production assistant for The Seeds of Doom and Warriors' Gate. His directorial credits include episodes of the spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures. The first Doctor Who story that he directed was The Caves of Androzani, although he also performed uncredited directorial work on Warriors' Gate during the short period where credited director Paul Joyce was fired from production. [2] His work on The Caves of Androzani was quite notable for his highly innovative directorial style at the time. Unlike his predecessors, who would observe filming from a booth and relay their instructions via the production assistant on the floor, Harper would work from the actual set, giving instructions to the actors in person. Additionally, Harper utilised more diverse and cinematic shots, offering freer and more dynamic camera control in filming. His energetic, personal style of directing was widely praised by the show's staff and audience, with Peter Davison himself stating that he would've stayed on the show longer had Harper's methods been more prevalent throughout his tenure (DCOM: The Caves of Androzani). He had an uncredited on-screen appearance during the mindbending contest in The Brain of Morbius as a past incarnation of the Doctor.[3] John Nathan-Turner originally wanted Harper to direct Yellow Fever and How to Cure It, an episode penned by Robert Holmes to be part of season 23. However, the episode was abandoned when the show was put on hiatus. (INFO: The Mysterious Planet) In 1993, he had begun work to direct the planned 30th Anniversary film Lost in the Dark Dimension, written by Adrian Rigelsford. The film was eventually cancelled, much to Harper's dismay. Gary Russell named Harper as his preferred director for an imagined scenario in which his 1995 Virgin Missing Adventures novel, Invasion of the Cat-People, had been a televised story. Harper has written about his experiences in directing Doctor Who in his book, Calling the Shots, co-written with Rigelsford. Contents show] The "Harper treatment" Edit Graeme Harper has a penchant for including a distorted image of a main character in most of the stories he has directed. It has occurred often enough for it to be considered something of a directorial "signature". Characters are seen through magnifying glasses in Rise of the Cybermen, Army of Ghosts, The Unicorn and the Wasp and Utopia, seen in reflections in The Caves of Androzani and Turn Left and through a curved window that gives a fish-eye effect in Journey's End. Credits Edit Doctor Who Edit The Sarah Jane Adventures Edit Unproduced stories Edit Documentary appearances Edit
The death of a 21-year-old intern working at the London office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch is focusing attention on working conditions for interns in the U.K. Moritz Erhardt, 21, a German-born intern who was studying business at the University of Michigan, was found dead on the floor of his apartment after working three days straight without sleep, colleagues say. The bank has called Erhardt a "highly diligent intern at our company with a promising future" but refused to confirm how long he had worked before his death. It said it tries to offer interns "a positive experience" and uses internships as a way of getting to know graduates who are prospective employees. But U.K. chat rooms were filling up with stories about the culture of long hours and brutal workloads in London’s financial district, including quotes from friends who said Erhardt "worked himself to death." He was in the midst of a 10-week internship. Since the financial crisis, there are fewer jobs available and the most ambitious students are willing to accept long hours in return for the chance at a well-paid job, human resource experts say. The coroner's office in East London said the cause of Erhardt's death would be released in four to five weeks, but police said it is not being treated as suspicious. Erhardt was paid for his work and provided with housing, but across the Atlantic, the issue is not merely workload, but the fact that many U.S. interns are not paid. White House interns campaign to be paid The latest group to raise complaints over working long hours for free is White House interns, who have launched an online petition calling on President Barack Obama to pay interns. The Fair Pay Campaign is appealing directly to the president, who this summer has been leaning on state governments to raise minimum wages. "We have a minimum wage law in this country, and just because you call someone an intern doesn't mean you get out of it," said Mikey Franklin, the leader of the Fair Pay campaign. An internship at the White House exposes students to influential people and should open doors for a career. But Franklin says only the privileged few can afford to take them on, because students from middle- and lower-income families are struggling with student loans and feeding and housing themselves. Dozens of U.S. lawsuits Unpaid internships have been an issue all summer in the U.S., with hundreds of interns filing lawsuits or launching complaints over working for free. In June, a federal court ruled that Fox Searchlight Pictures violated wage laws by not paying interns who worked on the production of the 2010 movie Black Swan. Under terms overseen by a New York judge, PBS talk show host Charlie Rose and his production company paid $110,000 US to settle a lawsuit brought by 189 former unpaid interns. The Lean In organization was caught in a storm of controversy last week for advertising an unpaid internship position, with dozens of comments posted on its website and an online petition against unpaid positions. There are dozens of lawsuits yet to be resolved, including ones against Elite Model Management, Hearst Magazine, Atlantic Records, the website Gawker and Warner Music Group.
Larry King Is Confused By Anna Paquin's 'Non-Practicing' Bisexuality Larry King has interviewed a lot of people, but the renowned talk show host doesn’t understand Anna Paquin’s bisexuality. While discussing True Blood and her marriage, Paquin had to explain her sexual orientation to King. The awkward exchange between Paquin and King went as follows: King: "Are you a non-practicing bisexual?" Paquin: "Well, I am married to my husband and we are happily monogamously married." King: "But you were bisexual?" Paquin: "Well, I don’t think it’s a past-tense thing." Larry King: "No?" Paquin: "No. Are you still straight if you are with somebody — if you were to break up with them or if they were to die, it doesn’t prevent your sexuality from existing. It doesn’t really work like that." Paquin has been making the media rounds discussing True Blood and her tweets from Pride in which she said she was a “proud married bisexual mother.” "There's people that are going to go to their grave thinking what they think about the LGBT community," Paquin told HuffPost Live. "That's their problem, not mine. And there's people that think that monogamy and bisexuality are mutually exclusive. Again, their problem not mine. The reason I feel like it's important to talk about this stuff is that the more normal and, frankly, mundane and boring this stuff becomes the better it's going to be for everybody who is part of our community." (Watch the complete interview, with the exchange starting at about the 11-minute mark)
Photo published on the Facebook group Arabian Gulf for ever. Should one call the strip of water separating Iran from the Arabian peninsula the "Persian Gulf" or the "Arabian Gulf"? 307,000 people have already voted in favour of the former on an Internet site. But this hasn't stopped a politically sensitive and highly contentious war of words. The website started an online poll on the two names a few weeks ago and has already gathered more than 434,000 votes. The result right now is overwhelmingly in favour of "Persian Gulf" (more than 307,000 votes against approximately 127,000 for the Arabian Gulf). Screengrab from www.persianorarabiangulf.com, the site organising the poll. This tiff over terminology isn't new. In June 2004, National Geographic magazine provoked Iranian anger when, in the 8th edition of its prestigious world atlas it printed under "Persian Gulf" the second name "Arabian Gulf", in parentheses and in small letters. The Iranian authorities then banned the magazine and its journalists from the country. In June 2006, it was The Economist's turn. The magazine was banned in Iran because it left out "Persian" labelling it just "The Gulf". The other side is equally vindictive. In January 2010, The Riyadh-based Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation had to cancel a planned event in April in Iran because the medals to be distributed by the Iranian organisers would have carried the name "Persian Gulf". The Iranians reacted rapidly to this affront. Last February, the Iranian authorities announced that all airlines not using the term "Persian Gulf" would not have the right to enter their airspace. Then in the beginning of May they closed the Egyptian pavilion of the International book fair in Tehran because one of the books mentioned the "Arabian Gulf". The dispute reached a crescendo when in the same month, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council declared that calling this body of water "Persian Gulf" "mocked history", because "Arab presence in this region goes back 3,000 years, while Persian presence dates only to the Safavid empire (1501–1736 AD)".
Our recent paper “Chemistry supports the identification of gender-specific reproductive tissue in Tyrannosaurus rex” (Mary Higby Schweitzer Wenxia Zheng, Lindsay Zanno, Sarah Werning & Toshie Sugiyama), sparked a little bit of controversy when a co-author was asked in a press interview if there was a possibility that these tissues might contain DNA, a question she rightly answered with a “Yes”. A scientist knows that, until something is eliminated with data, usually from multiple lines of evidence, it remains a possibility, however small. Regardless, in our paper, there is no mention of DNA. It is not mentioned because looking for DNA was not a goal of this study, nor did we conduct any tests to identify its presence in these tissues. Unfortunately, the untested possibility of DNA remaining in these tissues became confused with evidence in the mind of the interviewer, and misleading headlines followed. Because of the importance of DNA in the study of living organisms, and the role of DNA in scientific studies as diverse as human health, drug design, environmental responses to changing climate, and evolutionary relationships, ancient DNA is portrayed as the “holy grail” of molecular studies on fossils. Thus, DNA from dinosaurs would be the ultimate “cool science story”, the most exciting journalistic scoop, and every time a study is published on molecular analyses of dinosaur fossils, the question inevitably arises: “So do we have DNA, and how close are we to Jurassic Park?” The first question, “Do we have DNA?’ (or any variant, such as ‘is it possible now to obtain DNA’), is simply the wrong question. The majority of bone is made up of hydroxyapatite mineral, which gives bone its hardness. This mineral has such a strong affinity for DNA and many proteins that it is used in modern labs sometimes to purify DNA. Therefore, ANY DNA, from any source, is likely to adhere to the mineral in fossil bone. This bone has been sitting in the ground for 65 million years, in a complex chemical relationship with the surrounding environment and related microbiome. The likelihood is high that if DNA were actively sought, it could be found. However, the real question (which reporters never ask), is how can we tell if DNA recovered from fossils is dinosaur DNA? And that, of course, is a lot more difficult to answer. DNA most likely WILL be found in dinosaur bone (we do not do such work here at NCSU, currently), but whether or not we could confidently say it is from the once-living dinosaur would depend upon whether or not it meets myriad criteria set in advance to rule out different potential sources of contamination. No “dinosaur-derived” DNA has yet measured up to these criteria. Is it possible that we may someday recover authentic DNA from dinosaur bone? The scientific answer is ‘yes’; all things are possible until disproven. Have we disproven this possibility? No. Have we recovered ‘authentic’ dinosaur DNA? No. The second question—“How close are we to Jurassic Park”? Or, “will we ever be able to clone a dinosaur”? is equally nuanced. The genetic cloning that is usually done in labs involves taking a known fragment of DNA, inserting it into a bacterial plasmid, and letting that fragment of DNA replicate over and over each time the cell divides. This results in many, many copies of identical DNA from the insert–clones. Cloning an entire vertebrate animal, on the other hand, involves taking the whole complement of DNA from cells within a tissue, and inserting it into viable cells from which the native nuclear material has been removed. This cell is then inserted into a host, and the donor DNA dictates the formation and development of the offspring, which are genetically identical to the donor—i.e., clones. Dolly the sheep is an example of this process. When people refer to cloning a dinosaur, they usually mean something along these lines. However, this is an incredibly complex process, and despite the unscientific nature of this opinion, the likelihood that we would ever be able to overcome all of the obstacles between fragments of DNA in a dinosaur bone and producing a living offspring is so incredibly small it would rank a ‘not possible’ in our book. A third possibility exists, and has been proposed as a means to ‘clone’ a mammoth. Frozen subfossils of mammoth have been found in places like Siberia, that still retain soft parts, including reproductive organs. Scientists are analyzing this material in the hopes that some sperm will be retained in these tissues intact, and might be used to impregnate an elephant. The resulting offspring, should they be able to actually pull this off, would be half mammoth and half elephant. The idea then is to back-breed, hoping to get closer to “authentic” mammoth with each reproduction. But, that would still not result in a ‘clone’ (or identical copy) of a mammoth. (For other virtually insurmountable obstacles, see Palaeontologia Electronica, vol. 5, issue 2). However, just because the likelihood of visiting a “real” Jurassic Park is so miniscule does not mean that it is impossible to recover original fragments of DNA or other molecules from ancient remains, nor does it mean that it is not worth the effort and expense to try to recover molecular fragments from fossils, for these ancient molecules have much to tell us. Because all evolutionary change must first occur in genes (and the proteins they encode), molecules can directly inform us of evolutionary processes. In their sequences reside information about how fast evolutionary changes occur in the genome, which bases/sequences/genes/proteins are more likely to change and which are more stable, which organisms are more closely related to others, and potentially, patterns showing co-evolution of diseases and how long pathogens have plagued certain organisms. During times of global change, many organisms go extinct. Other groups are threatened because they have been greatly compromised by “bottleneck” events, where living representatives contain a mere fraction of the genetic diversity the species once held. By studying molecules from fossils of groups before and after such events, we may learn about the degree of diversity that once existed in natural populations, and learn ways to increase diversity in compromised descendants. We can also learn about the durability of molecules under naturally occurring conditions more directly than using lab proxies, such as heat, to estimate rates of molecular degradation. Knowing which bases of DNA, or which residues of proteins are more likely to persist for long periods may aid in directed drug design. We might not want to design drugs that target a molecular region that lasts for tens of millions of years! And, tangentially, understanding the molecular make-up of materials that can last for millions of years and still retain their original flexibility, transparency, or other components might help us in designing biomaterials used for organo-electronics. Finally, recovering molecules from fossils, including dinosaurs, yields important information on the origin and distribution of evolutionary novelties. For example, take feathers. These are the most complex epidermal appendage (i.e., structures that arise from the skin, including hair, nails, claws, etc) to evolve. Their function in flight is obvious, and is what we most associate with the rise of feathers, since they were observed in the first “true” bird, the Jurassic Archaeopteryx. But, because we have found feathers in many dinosaurs that obviously did not, and could not fly, they clearly did not evolve “for” flight. Obtaining molecular sequence data from fossil feathers would let us ask questions like: what structures were the likely precursors to feathers? Did dinosaur feathers differ, at the molecular level, from those of birds? When in the dinosaur-bird lineage did the particular modifications to keratin proteins that comprise feathers first occur? But, even if we can’t get sequence data from fossils except rarely, there might be just enough molecular fragments remaining to allow us to ask deeper questions anyway, and that was the point of our recent paper. Although we have obtained and published protein sequence data from this particular dinosaur, now we show that by understanding the molecular make up of tissues in modern animals, especially those with unique and novel structures, we can apply these data (and methods) to fossils. We reported the presence of this reproductive bone tissue, medullary bone, ten years ago (Schweitzer et al., 2005)! At the time, the identification of this tissue as reproductive medullary bone was based on morphological similarities. But, in the intervening years, we have learned a lot about what technology can tell us, and how to best use that technology to get at important questions in extinct groups. We also learned that there are a few other things that, superficially, might resemble some aspects of medullary bone—the random and disorganized “woven” nature of medullary bone, for example, might also resemble fracture callus or some diseases. So to rule out these alternatives, we capitalized on the molecules that were originally produced by the dinosaur and which still remain in her bones. By using chemistry, microscopic structure, location and CT imaging, we can show that, not only is this reproductive medullary bone, it is composed of the same unique chemical signatures as medullary bone found in birds. And from that, we can say that this chemistry was acquired in the ancestor of T.rex and all living birds, and that the physiology of reproduction, and how they shelled and laid their eggs, was the same as modern birds, but very different from crocodiles, their other closest living relatives. Multiple tests ruled out the possibility that what we were seeing was either disease or a bony response to fracture. In light of all these data, it is pretty hard to argue that this dinosaur is NOT a reproducing female. Although medullary bone is very short lived, and it might be a long time before we can find another T.rex (or other dinosaur) that retains it, we can now go back to the rest of this dinosaur skeleton, and see if there are features present that we might find in other T.rex specimens. Then, maybe we can tell if there are specific traits that are linked to “female-ness” in dinosaurs. And from that, we can, perhaps, get a better idea of questions like population structure, individual variation, and other questions about the evolution and function of this dinosaur group. But…what about the DNA question? How long can DNA last in the fossil record, and how can we tell for certain that it is dinosaurian, and not a modern lab contaminant, or DNA that has leached in from the environment? Scientists have proposed that DNA has a pretty short shelf-life, most saying that it is unlikely to persist as long as a million years, and surely not more than 5 or 6 million years at the most. That sort of leaves out the possibility that we will ever obtain it from dinosaurs that last walked the earth over 65 million years ago! How do they arrive at this number though? By carefully trying to recover it from progressively older fossils? Well, not really. Some have studied DNA degradation by placing molecules of known length and composition into hot acid, and monitoring how long it takes to fall apart. They use heat and acidity as proxies for time, and declare that DNA falls apart quite rapidly. One study set out to recover DNA from progressively older fossils—from a few hundred years old, to about 8000 years. They found that the amount of recoverable DNA declined with age, and they used this to model a ‘rate of decay’. They also showed that DNA degradation only loosely correlated to age of the fossil! They then predicted, but did not test, that DNA as small as 175 base pairs (about the minimum length that could possibly yield phylogenetic information) was extremely unlikely to persist in Cretaceous bone. On the other hand, in our labs, we have used 4 different lines of evidence to suggest that a molecule chemically similar to DNA that is localized to the center of what remains of bone-forming cells in a duck-billed dinosaur called Brachylophosaurus, which is consistent with what we might expect to find, if it were dinosaurian DNA. So, how do we tell if DNA recovered from bone is truly dinosaurian, and not contaminant? The idea that DNA can persist that long is a long shot at best, so anyone claiming to find or recover dinosaur DNA has to meet the most stringent of criteria. We suggest the following: DNA sequences recovered from bone should match what we would expect from other data. For example, there are over 300 characters that link dinosaurs to birds, and strongly suggest that the origin of birds lies within theropod (meat eating) dinosaurs. So, DNA sequences obtained from dinosaurs should also follow that pattern, being more similar to bird DNA than to crocodile DNA, but clearly different from both. Because we did not attempt to sequence the material that gave a positive response, we cannot claim it is dinosaurian, and we will not make that statement. If DNA is original, it is likely to be highly fragmented, and difficult to analyze by our current methods, which were developed to sequence happy healthy DNA. If “rex DNA” comes in long pieces that are relatively easy to sequence, it is likely to be a contaminant. DNA is proposed to be fragile, relative to other molecules. So, if DNA is present, other, more durable molecules should also be present. DNA sequence from dinosaur bone should always be accompanied by the sequences of other molecules that are known to be more decay resistant while in bone. Collagen I protein, for example, is a major constituent of bone that has been shown to be more resistant to degradation than DNA . Therefore, if one can show DNA that is similar in sequence to avian and crocodilian DNA, and can also produce, from the same bone, collagen sequences showing a similar evolutionary relationship, the case for “real” dinosaur DNA goes up. Similarly, one should also be able to demonstrate the persistence of lipids. Lipids are more resistant overall than either protein or DNA, and make up the membranes of cells that would have been originally present. IF DNA, proteins, and lipids are shown to persist, other methods in addition to sequencing should also support this conclusion. For example, binding of proteins to specific antibodies can be used to show that protein signal is localized to the tissues, and not present in surrounding sediments. In previous studies, we were able to localize a substance similar to DNA inside the bone cells recovered from this rex, using both DNA specific stains, and antibodies to proteins associated with vertebrate DNA. Finally, and probably most importantly, for all steps of any test, adequate controls should be employed. Samples that yield DNA should be co-extracted with the sediments that surrounded the fossil, and also, all buffers and chemicals used in the lab should also be treated to the exact same conditions as the fossil bone. If these non-fossil samples also contain the same sequences found in the fossil, then they are most likely from a contaminant. We still have a lot to learn in the molecular analysis of fossils, and we should proceed with the utmost caution, never overstating the data we obtain. But there is so much we can learn from molecules preserved in fossils that we believe it is worth the effort. For example, by many standards we are undergoing potentially severe and long-term climate change. But so far, this is minimal compared to the global change the dinosaurs experienced from their origins in the Triassic to their demise at the end of the Cretaceous. If we could recover DNA and/or proteins across this time period and compare the molecules in animals before and after these events, perhaps we could gain insight into how they responded, at the molecular level, to these changes. And this may help us deal with our own environmental changes. -Mary Schweitzer
In a sport where money is everything, the price of a ticket to a Formula One race is one of the most visible indicators of how costs are passed on to its fans. Over the past 20 years, the price of attending some races has risen well above the rate of inflation. The British Grand Prix is typical of this. A three-day general admission ticket to the 1993 race would have set you back ?�?�52. Had that risen in line with inflation a corresponding 2014 ticket would cost just under ?�?�90. However the ordinary price of a general admission ticket to this year’s race is ?�?�170 – over three times what it cost two decades ago. This is typical of the price increase seen at tracks which were also on the calendar in 1993. Other tracks which have tripled the prices of their cheapest weekend tickets in that time include the Circuit de Catalunya, Hungaroring and Monza. Prices are twice what they were at Spa-Francorchamps, the Hockenheimring and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Perhaps unsurprisingly Monaco has seen the steepest rise in this time, increasing its general admission pass price almost six-fold in that time. But even so it is only slightly dearer to buy the equivalent ticket for that race as it is for this year’s British Grand Prix. Prices at Silverstone have risen particularly steeply in recent years. The cheapest three-day ticket prices has gone up by ?�?�10 per year on average since 2010, and the top-price grandstand seats have gone up even more. F1 fans may have the chance to see the cars in action this season without spending so much. Up to four two-day tests may take place at tracks following race meetings. However it remains to be seen which venues will hold these tests, and whether they will be open to the public. 2014 ticket prices so far NB. All cheapest tickets are general admission except Bahrain. Albert Park is a four-day ticket. Are you going to an F1 race in 2014? Do you have a regular race you go to every year? Are you going to one of the new additions to the 2014 F1 calendar? Find other fans who are heading to the same race via the discussion forums below. 2014 F1 season Image ?�?� Ebrey
An old style 2D platform game where you have to rescue your girlfriend Lucy from a nasty bird. Keys used in the game Arrow left : left Arrow right : right Arrow up : up Arrow down : down Spacebar : jump +/- : increase/decrease sound volume ESC : quit to the main screen A nasty bird has kidnapped your girlfriend Lucy. It is your duty to rescue her. Move in a 2D platform world and turn off the switch to stop the chainsaw before she is killed. Touching any enemy or falling from too high results in death and loss of one life. When all lives are gone you can continue the game but the score resets. You have to collect all the 11 keys to gain access to final level and face the nasty bird. The game has been designed using the software Stencyl (http://www.stencyl.com/). It is a flash game that can be embedded in web sites. Please, feel free to download the SWF file and add the game to your web site. If you want to contact me use the following form
Last time on the developer blog, we gave a broad overview of what we are planning to achieve with the Sequel to GeneRally. We gave you some good insights into our broad plans, but now we’re going to delve deeper. After the first developer blog was published, one of the most frequently asked questions was, “I saw the new object, is the Sequel still going to look/feel like GeneRally?” And so, for this post, we’ll be covering the Sequel’s artistic style, and some technical points surrounding that. Clarification: The objects shown in the screenshots below are not necessarily one-to-one replacements. In the Sequel, every wall type can have catch-fencing enabled or disabled and there are multiple models for most objects (such as the lamp posts). Don’t worry, we’re focussing on ensuring existing GeneRally tracks remain as compatible as possible! The GeneRally Style So, what makes GeneRally what it is? Out of thousands of arcade racers developed over many years, GeneRally is fairly unique – it pushes no artistic or computational boundaries, and it offers nothing that can inherently be described as ‘ground breaking’. What GeneRally does do, and what we feel it does superbly, is master the art of simplicity. From the outset of this project, one of our core mandates was that the Sequel should retain the artistic style that GeneRally mastered – and so, one of our first steps was to try and decide what features created that visual style. We came up with three major things: simple colours, low-poly models and clean, distinctive environments. It is these three tenets of GeneRally’s visual style that we made non-negotiable: if the Sequel didn’t have those three principles at the core of its visual style, it just wouldn’t be a fitting sequel to the game we’ve come to know and love over the past decade. Of course, whilst we’d tied down what we knew we needed to allow the Sequel to be a thoroughbred successor to GeneRally, there were (and still are) the possibilities for adding to and improving upon that tried-and-tested formula. Obviously, with a decade’s worth of progression in technology, there are a great many new possibilities, and we hope to cover a few of them over the course of this post. What We’re Keeping The first question most people want to know the answer to when anyone talks about a sequel to anything (be it a game, movie or anything else) is “what’s different?” – however, we’re going to save that for later, and first of all tell you what’s going to be the same and why. We’ve already talked about our three major tenets of GeneRally’s artistic style, but now we want to get into some particulars and give you a little bit more detail. First off, tracks. We’ll be retaining the tried-and-tested land-map & height-map pairing – we feel that this gives a huge number of opportunities to track-makers, without a big barrier to entry. At present, anyone can open the track editor, create a track, and have something that looks fairly good in-game in next to no time. The various ‘painted’ surfaces are easy to work with, easy to improve upon and, most importantly of all, small in file-size. Whilst we’ll be adding a few extra surfaces (e.g. blue tarmac, to increase those land-map creation options) and increasing the size of the maps a little, all the basics you’ve come to expect will remain. Objects. Over the years, there have been numerous requests to allow custom objects for tracks, but in reality, that’s just not something that fits with the style we’re going for. We want people to make the most of the resources they have, and come up with superb creations (think back to the first time you saw someone make something interesting out of boats or office blocks, for example). To that end, the objects in the Sequel will remain limited and hard-coded and old objects will retain their dimensions. Furthermore, whilst the object model poly-counts will be increased (see some of the screenshots in this post), we will be ensuring that they remain simplistic in style and mimic a similar level of detail on today’s machinery, as GeneRally did back in 2002. Cars. In a similar way to objects, we’ll be increasing the poly-count on cars. We haven’t yet tied down a number, but car-makers can expect to be able to model a few extra details on their cars in the future. We’re hoping to increase the poly-count here in line with the objects, to maintain a similar style/feel, and we’ll be adding extra features to cars themselves (lights, etc.). Whilst we’ve not yet made a decision on the classic GeneRally-style spherical wheels, that’s something we’re very keen to preserve if we can! What We’re Changing Of course, there’s no point in creating a Sequel only to make everything a 1:1 representation of how it was before. We’re enthusiastic about the possibilities for new features that don’t detract from the essence of the Sequel, but serve to make it a far superior game to its predecessor. Whilst we can’t go into a great amount of detail at this stage (we’d rather not promise, then fail to deliver), we can tell you about a few visual features that will definitely make their way into the Sequel. One of the biggest features we’re going to be bringing to the Sequel is dynamic lighting and shadowing. Instead of the static, modelled shadows in GeneRally, we’ll be generating shadows on-the-fly based upon the position of dynamic lights in the game world. What this will allow for is a huge wealth of options for drivers, competition organisers and screenshot/video aficionados. At the moment, we’re working on day/night transitions, to allow for full round-the-clock racing. To go with our dynamic lighting, we’ll also be bringing a simple weather system to the game. Rain, clouds and baking hot sun will all combine to have an effect on both the visuals and the car’s handling. This has been one of the frequently-requested features over the years, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it will be received by the community at large. We’re hoping to have some preliminary screenshots of this system making their way to the blog over the next few months. We’re also going to be adding a few new objects (and possibly more post-launch in patches), and giving all of the older objects a visual re-work. Whilst, as we said above, we’ll keep their dimensions the same, we want to make sure that even older tracks (imported/converted to the new track format) will look impressive in-game. Hopefully, the hundreds of thousands of tracks created by the community over the past decade will still be favourites in the Sequel! There’ll be more on these and other features in a future developer blog. So there you have it – we hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into the development of the Sequel. We hope that by the end of Spring 2013, we’ll have details on project funding for you – so stay tuned (and don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS feed and follow us on Twitter) Our next developer blog will feature a short interview with our new team member, and a look into the work he’s been focussing on these past few months! – James
The Worlds of Power... "Come with me children! Into literature!" ...are not a series of novels about fighting Time Barons by somebody named K. Alexander Lexington-Pierce!No, they are a series of books produced in the early 1990s by a man named Seth Godin who wanted to lure children away from video games and into literature by turning some of the Nintendo Entertainment System's best cartridges into stirring epic narrative.Sure, you've played "Bases Loaded" and "Blaster Master." But have you read the novels?For each book, Godin would first play the corresponding game and would then arrange a 40-page story bible about the game, cobbling together game vocabulary, story logic, and noting down key narrative events. Then he would turn around and farm out this work to his stable of writers, the most prolific of whom was a man named Peter Lerangis who would only take about four weeks to put together a working draft.There were 10 Worlds of Power novels:1. Blaster Master2. Metal Gear3. Ninja Gaiden4. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest5. Wizards & Warriors6. Bionic Commando7. Infiltrator8. Before Shadowgate9. Bases Loaded10. Mega Man 2The books were all published by Scholastic (book clubs! Harry Potter!) under the pseudonym "F.X. Nine," so that they would be next to "Nintendo" on the shelves.I've only ever read "Metal Gear." All I remember about it is that Solid Snake doesn't smoke or use guns. He collects weapons mainly so that nobody else can use them, like a teacher taking toys away from bad children. The climax is him beating up 60 guys one by one in a dark room.Here's a bunch of videos of guy reading the entirety of Mega Man 2 (the novel) beside an enchanted fireside. And here's the audio track of this performance in case you'd rather listen "on the go." From a pretty good article about the "Worlds of Power" books over at "1up.com":"Adapting these games from the TV screen to the printed page provided several narrative and logistical challenges. These challenges ranged from explaining exactly how an energy capsule replenished the hero's health to dealing with death and violence in games where characters blasted, zapped, or blew up their foes.""The most challenging title for Lerangis to write was also the first in the series: Blaster Master. Citing the game's lack of a strong middle plot, he had to invent many details to flesh out the story and connect the game's beginning and ending. His work did not pass unnoticed. In the PlayStation sequel Blaster Master: Blasting Again, Lerangis' novel is used for backstory. The character Eve was a creation of the novel and did not appear in the original NES game. This makes Blaster Master the only title in the Worlds of Power series that has been accepted as official canon. (Lerangis only discovered the "canonization" of his work upon being contacted for this feature, but found it to be "quite an honor!")"The Worlds of Power books were immodestly successful, selling into the millions. Which provokes the question: how come there aren't more novelizations of video games, or novelizations of other aspects of daily life in general? Why are adaptations only vertical, terminating at "film"? Adaptations should be a circle, where everyone has a chance to profit off of some damn idea that people like for no discernible reason.Novels are much cheaper and easier to produce than films and video games: you would think the market would be flooded with knock-off novelizations of everything from "Mario Party" to "Half-Life" to "a good Snickers bar."Things to novelize:1). American Idol and other reality games. There are many opportunities here for narrative structure. People's entire lives could become Horatio Alger stories. Or, instead, the final episode could be turned into a Ulysses-style stream of consciousness jaunt through television, fame, and song. Worlds of Idols?2). Famous YouTube Videos. Do people own the rights to their own public shame and misfortune? If not, then there are some lucky novelists out there who ought to cash in. You've already got your climax: the three minute clip of whatever-the-fuck. The trick is to build to that climax, and then build PAST it.3). Coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. Just start writing the shit down that people say! And then sell it, later, to the people in that same bar or coffee shop. People want their own lives to be dramatic and important. Add motivation. Add torrid secrets and strange love affairs. Starbucks would love to carry "Starbucks" the novel. The last ten pages could be a job application.4). The news. People have been adapting this one for years, but not EVERY FOUR WEEKS. That's a really fast fucking turnaround. Wouldn't you want to buy the novel of last month's news -- this month? Isn't that how you would prefer to consume your information about how the world is changing and why?5). Clothing, hammers, and other dry goods. The best way to sell something is to make it real. The only way to make something real is to give it a story. Do you want to buy the granola that you know literally nothing about, or do you want to buy the granola with its own novel? Don't you want to buy the granola that has suffered and triumphed?Really, the Worlds of Power books only worked because back then kids weren't allowed to have video games in school, so reading some cheap novel about them was as close as you could get.Then there were those kids who did their book reports about Worlds of Power books and who then grew up to run companies and draft domestic policy while the rest of us were weeping about poor Charlotte and trying to figure out why God is such an asshole.Although, if you think about it, "Infinite Jest" is kind of like "Tetris" the novel. And "Charlotte's Web" is very similar to "Metroid." Maybe Charlotte's Web just needs a new cover and a new title. Rebranding, is what they call it.
Fluoridation of public water supplies as well as the abundance of fluoride in food and dental products have become more controversial in recent years as more and more people realize that the consumption of fluoride does much, much more harm than good. The issue made headlines three years ago when a Harvard University study found that children living in areas with highly fluoridated water had “significantly lower” IQ scores than children living in low fluoride areas. Though the Harvard study had a lot of clout due to the university’s prestige, more than 50 human studies and 100 animal studies have linked fluoride consumption to brain damage. Some of these studies date back to the 1940s, when mass public fluoridation was just beginning. Now a new study has added to growing scientific consensus that fluoride is toxic and has no place in our water or food. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health included the largest sample population ever analyzed regarding fluoride consumption. The results showed that people drinking fluoridated water were 30% more likely to have high levels of hypothyroidism compared to areas with low, natural levels of fluoride in their water. The study’s findings suggest that as many as 15,000 in England, where the study was conducted, could be suffering adverse health effects including depression, weight gain, fatigue, and aching muscles as a direct result of fluoride consumption. Ending the fluoridation of the water of these communities, however, would easily solve this problem. If there is so much evidence against fluoridating water, why does it continue? Part of the answer can be found by looking at the aluminum and industrial fertilizer industries. The production of aluminum as well as industrial fertilizers produce sodium silicofluoride and hydrofluorosilicic acid, which are then sold to the government to be added to public water supplies. These waste products, incidentally, are classified as hazardous wastes until they are in public water, where they are then classified as helping to “prevent” cavities. However, added fluoride to water does not actually reduce the incidence of cavities at all as it actually causes a form of tooth decay known as dental fluorosis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 41% of US children between the ages of 12 and 15 suffer from dental fluorosis. These industries benefit handsomely as the fluoridation of water allows them to receive vast sums of money by selling their toxic waste at a premium price to the government. Fluoridation of the public water supply was once called “public murder” by Dr. Dean Burk, co-founder of the US National Cancer Institute and head of its cytochemistry department for over 30 years. Burk backed up this claim after government-funded studies in the 1930s also showed that fluoride consumption led to abrupt increases in the incidence of cancer. However, these government studies were classified and suppressed as corrupt government agencies plotted with the aluminum and fertilizer industries to generate profit by poisoning the citizens of the United States, as well as the other countries that also fluoridate. If you are living in an area that fluoridates water, consider buying a water filter that removes fluoride. However, buying a filter is not enough as people must work to inform themselves and others of the dangers fluoride presents to public health so that the public can demand an end to this dangerous, criminal, and corrupt practice. What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news! This article (New Study Links Fluoride Consumption to Hypothyroidism, Weight Gain, And Worse) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com
eSports are growing, and they are growing fast. For a sport with fans all over the world, we can do better than big screens in arenas and folding-chair spectator seating. Enter the eSports Colosseum. Populous, Turner Sports and former eSports pro Stan Press plan to jointly explore this topic at South by Southwest 2017. All you need to do to bring this panel to Austin next March is register and vote through the link below. Here’s a step by step guide on how to vote: Follow this link to log in or create an account Confirm your sign up via email Find our panel here Cast your vote with a “thumbs up” at the top left, and click “recommend” in the comments section Voting closes Friday, Sept 2 BONUS – share this post across your social media channels! Speakers: Brian Mirakian, Principal, Director of Brand Activation at Populous – Brian Mirakian serves as director of brand activation in the Americas. Brand activation uses the power of design to link fans, brands, teams and properties by enhancing and extending the in-stadium experience. Mirakian is a master of bringing brands to life by identifying strategic opportunities for immersive fan engagement on all levels, locations and media formats. His award winning work has been recognized internationally and has helped create transformative social experiences in such places as CitiField in New York, CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mirakian has also developed brand engagement platforms for the PepsiMax Field of Dreams, Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games, and Worldwide Olympic Partner experiential activation for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Craig Barry, EVP Production, Chief Content Officer – Craig Barry is executive vice president of production and chief content officer for Turner Sports. In this role, Barry oversees Turner Sports’ remote and studio productions, operations, technology and talent services for sports content airing on TNT, TBS and truTV including all productions in conjunction with the NBA, NCAA, MLB and PGA, along with all digital extensions. A 26-year Turner Sports veteran, Barry also leads the creative direction of Turner Sports’ portfolio of sports properties, ensuring collaboration and integration of content and promotion across all platforms. Stan Press, Managing Director, Digital and Gaming – Stan Press, Managing Director, Digital and Gaming, is based in San Francisco, CA and recently joined the Magid team to further the game group’s industry consulting and eSports efforts. About SXSW: The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.
Microsoft's Xbox Live, the network that powers the company's console and PC gaming platforms, has had something of a tough start to 2016. Issues with the service cropped up in January and then again in February. In some cases, the issues blocked players from downloading and even playing their games. Even Snoop Dogg wasn't happy, saying in a video, "What the **** is you doin', Bill Gates?!" Now, a Reddit thread titled "Has Microsoft Even Thought About Compensation for the Last 2 Weeks?" has popped up, generating much discussion and more than 500 comments so far. The author of the thread is rallying for Microsoft to offer some kind of compensation package, possibly a free week of Xbox Live Gold, as a make-good effort for the struggles. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has now responded to the thread. He said he's shared some of the "more thoughtful" suggestions raised in the thread to the right parties at Microsoft. He made no promises about a compensation package, but went on to say that, when he returns from travelling, he plans to have one-on-one meetings with the Xbox team to determine what might be possible. "I've taken some of the more thoughtful comments and shared them with a few folks on the Xbox team to make them aware of this request," he said (via GamingBolt). "That's about all I've got right now--but when I am back in the office I am going to stop by and chat 1:1 with some folks about this as well." If Microsoft does indeed offer some form of compensation, it wouldn't be the first time the company had done so for issues related to Xbox Live. In 2014, Microsoft gave out a free week of Xbox Live Gold as a make-up effort for problems that affected Xbox One on Titanfall's launch day. For its part, Sony has also been known to compensate users with membership extensions when PlayStation Network goes down.
Joshua Goldberg Australian national security and citizenship laws were strengthened last year to create a new offence of advocating terrorism, partly to stop online recruitment of jihadists, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott earlier this year allocated significant funding to security agencies because "too many Australians are being brainwashed online by this death cult". The device appears to resemble a "pressure cooker bomb", similar to the type of explosive used in the Boston Marathon attack. However, one of those apparent representatives of Islamic State has now been revealed as an America-based, non-Muslim online hoaxer. The Australian Federal Police do not intend to apply for Goldberg's extradition, but said in a statement that he faced a 20-year prison term if convicted. "Investigations by the AFP in June 2015 established no initial threat to the Australian community. When investigations determined it was likely the person responsible for these threats was based in the United States, the investigation became the jurisdiction of the FBI, with the AFP in a support role." Joshua Goldberg is not Muslim or Australian. Credit:Facebook AFP Acting Deputy Commissioner National Security Neil Gaughan alleged Goldberg had "relied on the internet providing a cloak of anonymity". "This operation again highlights how law enforcement can investigate people in the online space and use our long-established partnerships to work with overseas agencies to bring people to account for their actions". An affidavit sworn at the time of the arrest says that, between August 19 and August 28, Mr Goldberg "distributed information pertaining to the manufacturing of explosives, destructive devices, or weapons of mass destruction in furtherance of an activity that constitutes a Federal crime of violence". US Attorney Lee Bentley III, said Goldberg instructed a confidential source how to make a bomb similar to two used in the Boston Marathon bombings two years ago that killed three people and injured more than 260 others. He allegedly instructed someone how to fill the bomb with nails, metal and other items dipped in rat poison. Police base the charge on his communication of five web links to sites that provided instructions that could be used to make explosives as part of a plot to explode a bomb on September 13 at a memorial ceremony in Kansas City, commemorating the 9/11 the terrorist attacks. The affidavit, released by Special agent William Berry of US Customs and Border Protection, says that Goldberg had initially denied to officers that he had any involvement with distributing information on how to make a bomb, but then later admitted it. "Goldberg further admitted that he believed the information would create a genuine bomb," Agent Berry alleged. However, Goldberg also claimed that he meant for the person he was communicating with to either kill himself creating the bomb or, that Goldberg intended to warn police in time so that he would receive "credit for stopping the attack". In conversations with Fairfax Media, which were also cited in the affidavit, Mr Goldberg had said he did not expect any jihadist to actually carry out an attack because: "These guys are pussy keyboard warriors". Fairfax media can also reveal that Goldberg, as Australi Witness, is suspected of a number of other online hoaxes, including posing online as prominent Australian lawyer, Josh Bornstein. Australi Witness's online actions might have had fatal real-world consequences in May. In the leadup to an exhibition in Garland, Texas, at which pictures of the Prophet Mohammed were to be displayed, "Australi Witness" tweeted the event's address and reposted a tweet urging people to go there with "weapons, bombs or with knifes". Two Muslim men attempted an attack at the exhibition, and were killed by police. Australi Witness then praised them online as martyrs. A tweet from Australi Witness. Credit:Twitter Australi Witness also urged followers to target Australian cartoonist Larry Pickering, who has previously depicted the Prophet Mohammed. The Australi Witness persona fooled members of the international intelligence community as well as journalists, with well-known analyst Rita Katz of SITE Intelligence Group saying the "IS supporter" held a "prestige" position in online jihadi circles and was "part of the hard core of a group of individuals who constantly look for targets for other people to attack". Ms Katz has previously acted as a consultant for US and foreign governments and testified before Congress on online terrorist activities. The Australian Federal Police were unaware of Australi Witness's real identity as Goldberg until contacted by journalists working on behalf of Fairfax Media. In the Bornstein hoax, Goldberg established a blog on the Times of Israel in the lawyer's name before posting an inflammatory article calling for the "extermination" of Palestinians. The Times retracted the article and apologised, and Bornstein went public with the story saying "I deplore racism…I've fought racism since I was four years old". When confronted, Goldberg boasted he had avoided detection, saying, "That guy has no idea. He thinks [online radical right wing website] Daily Stormer did it." He also said he wanted to obtain Bornstein's real life address, in order to "freak him out even more". In conversations and in articles written under his real name, Goldberg repeatedly professed to be an advocate for free speech, and showed disdain for organisations and individuals who call for limits on hate speech or hate speech laws. As Australi Witness, he publicly linked himself to Amnesty International, saying that he used to work there. The fake jihadi also claimed a friendship with anti-Islamophobia campaigner Mariam Veiszadeh, but only to smear her reputation. In online conversations, Goldberg said: "I wanna smear Amnesty and Mariam Veiszadeh…Amnesty is already in hot water over their links to CAGE, I wanna cement their jihadist connections and ruin their reputation. And Mariam is a Muslim whore, so smearing her as a jihadist should be easy." Ms Veiszadeh said she was not suprised at Goldberg's arrest, saying she had "fallen within his radar" because of the campaign by an anti-Muslim hate group, the Australian Defence League, who campaigned to "incite hatred and violence towards me from across the globe." Mr Bornstein declined to comment. Elise Potaka is a journalist for SBS
Privacy rights advocates say Sarasota County has gone too far in its zeal to close down pill mills. Doctors who prescribe pain medications sometimes find themselves in a tough spot: they may want to report suspicious or clearly illegal behavior by patients, but they are prevented from doing so by the sweeping federal medical privacy law known as HIPPA. Administrators with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, which is fighting a prescription drug epidemic that led to 113 overdose deaths in Sarasota and Manatee counties during 2010, thought they had found an easy way to learn more about medical patients who might be breaking the law to get pills. Their solution? Provide doctors with a form patients could sign that would waive their privacy rights and allow detectives to examine an individual's records without getting permission from a judge, an approach that other jurisdictions in Florida are now considering. The medical information waivers — which did not carry any indication that they were written by a law enforcement agency — were handed out last year to about 30 local pain doctors, who were asked to have patients sign them. But the measure never gained traction with doctors, and, so far, none has submitted a form signed by a patient. Moreover, the move has drawn sharp criticism from some in the Sarasota County medical community and from defense lawyers who call it a sly way to violate a patient's constitutional privacy rights and protections under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the so-called HIPPA law. Normally, police would have to apply for a search warrant or obtain a subpoena for the records, said Assistant Public Defender Mark Adams. “The waivers are a blatant violation of the Constitution, and they're doing an end-run around the search warrant requirements and HIPPA,” Adams said. “Some of the most confidential records we have are our medical records. The waivers serve no medical purpose. Shame on any doctor who's having patients sign them.” Patrick Duggan, assistant general counsel for the sheriff's office, points out that the waivers — titled “Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information” — would only be signed voluntarily. Duggan and Sgt. Debra Kaspar, who runs the sheriff's Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit, said they came up with the idea for the waivers because doctors were “constantly” calling to report illegal activity such as doctor shopping. They became concerned that by talking to the doctors about specific patients, the doctors were violating their patient's privacy rights and could open themselves up to legal problems. “We want to make good cases. We don't want anyone's rights violated,” Duggan said. “We drafted the form to give the doctors a mechanism to contact us. It was really designed more as a safeguard to protect people's rights than anything else.” Kaspar and Duggan have no explanation for why doctors are not turning in any waivers. But Dr. William Cole, of Sarasota's Orthomed Pain and Sports Medicine clinic, says he already is in “survival mode” because of strict regulations imposed by the county and the sheriff's office that hamper filling legitimate pain pill prescriptions. Cole, who said he has refused to ask any patients to sign the form, questioned the sheriff's office use of “voluntary” to describe the waivers. “They have to protect themselves from undue scrutiny,” Cole said. “My patients are sick, generally with multiple disorders. Would you ask a cancer patient to sign the form? It's not acceptable.” Sheriff's office spokeswoman Wendy Rose said that when the waivers were delivered to the physicians, informational meetings were held in advance. “We also explained the nature of the meeting will be to educate them on the ordinance,” Rose said in an email. “The meetings were not just law enforcement personnel but included Health Department staff as well. The insinuation that we applied pressure is a complete mischaracterization.” But Cole maintains that the county has gone too far in its zeal to close down pill mills. “They don't understand long-term chronic pain,” he said. “They think all pain clinics are pill mills.” Sarasota County, Cole said, already has some of the strictest rules in the state. Anyone writing more than 20 prescriptions per day has to register as a pain clinic. “They are focusing on people who are just trying to make a difference in people's lives,” he said. Dr. Susan Aull, who runs a physical medicine and rehabilitation practice in Sarasota, does not include the word “pain” in any of her advertisements or imply that she will assist a patient with their pain. If Aull did, she says she would fall under the county's pain clinic regulations. “That's how stringent Sarasota County is,” Aull said. “You can't even try to educate a patient without using the word pain. It's ridiculous.” Like Cole, Aull said she has never asked a patient to sign a privacy waiver. Paul Sloan, who is not a doctor and has owned two pain clinics in Sarasota County since 2007, wrote much of the county's pain clinic ordinance. Sloan is blunt about what he will do to a patient suspected of breaking the law. “All my patients sign a contract — and they have since day one — the most comprehensive contract ever seen,” Sloan said. “It does state they are waiving their rights if we are approached by an investigator, that we'll turn over information to the sheriff's office.” So far, 17 of Sloan's patients have been taken out of his clinics in handcuffs. “I understand HIPPA and am a firm believer in their rights, but if they're doing something illegal, they're jeopardizing my license,” he said. But even with his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement, there are documents that Sloan is unwilling to turn over, such as a patient's actual medical records. “I would never turn over medical records — never,” he said. Rose, the sheriff's spokeswoman, says that no medical records would be turned over to detectives just because a waiver is signed. “If doctor contacted us, the consent would cover the doctor giving us the patient name and maybe a brief synopsis of their concerns over the phone.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement does not use a rights waiver during its drug investigations, said FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger, but Pinellas County's Strategic Diversion Task Force is creating a form similar to Sarasota County's, says Sgt. Dan Zsido. Like his Sarasota County colleagues, Zsido said he believes physicians could violate HIPPA or their patients' rights by reporting misconduct without a signed waiver. “It's ludicrous they can't report a crime to us,” said Zsido, adding that his unit also does not intend to seek actual medical records.
In the die-cast hobby, you can generally split collectors into two groups: those who open most of their cars and those who leave them packaged. The former group, often collectively identifying themselves as the Die-Cast Liberation Movement- DLM for short-, generate a lot more trash than the other group, which isn’t really cool enough to have its own name (sorry! how about Wardens? Because they keep their cars in prisons, get it? Ok, I’ll show myself out...). Anyway, I’m definitely in the former group. I will keep certain cars packaged for various reasons, but 95%+ of my collection has been opened at some point. But us DLMers can run into a bit of a problem. A lot of die-cast comes with various bits and bobs that are least mildly interesting. Coincidentally, a lot of this stuff is made out of the Wardens’ favorite material to collect- cardboard. Now there are a lot of DLMers that will toss any and everything that is not the car into the trash. Alas, it does not have to be so! One thing a lot of cars will come with is a little trading card, not unlike a baseball card. They are usually the same size or a bit smaller. Lucky for us DLMers who do not have original packaging to store these in, baseball and sports card collecting is a well established hobby with plenty of support. I recently picked up a binder and set of sports card pages to get my collection of die-cast cards organized. So without further ado, here are my cards, in no particular order. First up, Johnny Lightnings. The Goldeneye poster came with a Z3 from one of the James Bond or Hollywood sets. Advertisement Next up, Kyosho. These have both the front and back printed. Advertisement Next, I’ve managed to snag some Hot Wheels cards over the years. Also the backs of some Kyosho Bentley cards. Advertisement Now, a few Greenlight cards. These are from older releases. Advertisement Finally, Muscle Machines Import Tuners, Jada DUB City, and some very early M2 cards. Advertisement And that’s it for the cards! I do have a part two in mind, but it may be a while before I get to that...
Following the end of their Triple-A affiliate’s championship season in the Pacific Coast League, the San Diego Padres promoted a small collection of players to their major-league club on Tuesday. Below are forecasts for the three most notable prospects of that group — Carlos Asuaje, Hunter Renfroe, and Manuel Margot — according to my KATOH system and presented in order of projected WAR. Note that KATOH represents the WAR projection for the relevant player’s first six years in the majors; KATOH+ is that same thing, except with the player’s Baseball America ranking included as a variable. *** Manny Margot, CF (Profile) KATOH: 13.0 WAR KATOH+: 13.6 WAR Margot’s game centers around speed and contact. The 21-year-old struck out in just 12% of his plate appearances in Triple-A this year on his way to a .307/.355/.442 slash line. He also racked up an exciting 32 steals, while playing elite center field defense by Clay Davenport’s numbers. Margot also isn’t a zero in the power department, as he managed a respectable 46 extra-base hits in the minors this year, including seven homers. He’s one of the very best prospects in baseball by my math, and he’s big-league ready. To help you visualize what his KATOH projection entails, here is a probability density function showing KATOH+’s projected distribution of outcomes for Margot’s first six seasons in the major leagues. To put some faces to Margot’s statistical profile, let’s generate some statistical comps for the speedy outfielder. I calculated a weighted Mahalanobis distance between Margot’s performance this year and every Triple-A season since 1991 in which a center fielder recorded at least 400 plate appearances. In the table below, you’ll find the 10 most similar seasons, ranked from most to least similar. The WAR totals refer to each player’s first six seasons in the major leagues. A lower “Mah Dist” reading indicates a closer comp. Please note that the Mahalanobis analysis is separate from KATOH. KATOH relies on macro-level trends, rather than comps. The fates of a few statistically similar players shouldn’t be used to draw sweeping conclusions about a prospect’s future. For this reason, I recommend using a player’s KATOH forecast to assess his future potential. The comps give us some interesting names that sometimes feel spot-on, but they’re mostly just there for fun. * Hunter Renfroe, RF (Profile) KATOH: 1.8 WAR KATOH+: 2.4 WAR Renfroe crushed 31 homers in the PCL this year, although he did so while also recording alarming strikeout and walk rates. Renfroe’s power makes him interesting, but his approach needs some work. Renfroe appears to have a future in the big leagues, but as a non-elite corner outfielder, he’ll need to do more than hit the occasional homer to be an impact player. *** Carlos Asuaje, 2B (Profile) KATOH: 1.8 WAR KATOH+: 1.9 WAR Though he stands at just 5-foot-9, Asuaje hit a stellar .318/.376/.467 in Triple-A this year on the strength of a 15% strikeout rate. He doesn’t have a ton of power or speed but still managed to post double-digit homers and steals last year. Slap-hitting middle infielders who have mastered Triple-A often stick in the big leagues, though they rarely accumulate more than a few WAR.
He’ll chase you down: Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker (Picture: Action Images) Arsene Wenger has revealed the reasoning behind appointing Per Mertesacker the chief fine collector at Arsenal – because Germans are considered to be good with money. The Gunners boss has entrusted towering centre back Mertesacker to collect fines from misbehaving players who break any of the club rules, which are posted on the walls of their London Colney base in black and white. And speaking at his latest press conference, Wenger revealed the simple reasoning behind appointing the defender as the debt collector. ‘The Germans do well economically and we respect that,’ said Wenger. ‘They are the only ones who make money in Europe!’ The list was leaked after a fan, who was treated to a behind-the-scenes look at Arsenal’s state of the art training facility by club doctor Gary O’Driscoll, posted a series of images from his visit, including the Gunners’ fine sheet. Advertisement Advertisement The list of misdemeanours which result in a penalty being dished out range from being late to training to taking a phone call anywhere in the building. Gunners stars are also forbidden to bring newspapers into the dressing room or medical areas, and non-attendance of unused players on match days result in the maximum fine of £1000. Clamping down: Arsene Wenger (Picture: Reuters) OFFENCE and FINE Non-attendance of unused players at Home matches without permission of manager: £1000 Late for training: < 15 mins £250 , > 15 mins £500 , > 15 mins Late for treatment/massage: < 15 mins £250 , > 15 mins £500 , > 15 mins Late for travel: £500 Late for match day meetings / meals: £250 Wrong kit on match days: £100 Inappropriate clothing outside of the dressing room: £100 Outdoor shoes in the dressing room: £100 Newspapers, laptops and phones in the medical room: £100 Newspapers in dressing room: £100 Non production of urine sample for two consecutive weeks: £200 Phone calls in the building (texting allowed): £500 Not participating in commercial activities (including Club Day): £500 All fines are payable to Mertesacker, and anyone not coughing up within seven days has their bill doubled. The pictures also revealed a shot of Wenger’s tactics board, which showed Lukas Podolski would not feature for the Gunners’ game at Chelsea. An Arsenal spokesman told The Sun: ‘The pictures are genuine. We understand that they were taken by a friend of a member of staff during a private visit to the training ground. ‘The manager was made aware of the picture being published and we are very disappointed. We will review our procedures.’
It’s one of your biggest fears. Its at once exhilarating and terrifying. Your app is performing well enough now, but will it handle the onslaught of hordes of new users? Beyond basic performance monitoring and analytics, New Relic lets you see long-term scalability trends and helps you optimize for the future. Optimize: Scalability Analysis Our scalability analysis graphs are a great way to quickly see how scalable your app is, given the load it has experienced in the last day or last week. Go ahead and spin up your favorite load generator if you’d like to see how your app responds with significantly higher loads than normal, keeping in mind that robots never quite behave like real users do. We’ll take a look at a long-time customer who’s team has done a great job optimizing their application for considerable throughput, which can grow exponentially on a regular basis. First, their response time scalability analysis: We’re seeing a throughput between 5k and 35k requests per minute, with a fairly consistent response time. As traffic grows 7X, the response time of this application grows only ~30% and stays within a very tolerable timeframe. If you’re wondering, the colored dots represent different times of day. Lighter colors for early morning, darker colors in the middle of the night. Both the Database and CPU scalability analysis graphs are similarly flat. This application not only responds quite quickly, it responds very consistently throughout a typical day with fairly significant traffic. Not every app is so lucky This application has a more problematic response curve. As traffic grows 4X from 2k to 16k requests per minute, response time increases nearly 7X from 2.6ms to ~18ms within the database tier. Time to optimize. After all, scalability graphs are one of the few exceptions where you really don’t want to see a clear line up and to the right! It’s never to early too scale! Scalability Analysis gives you the big picture of how your app is scaling, and the best part is that it’s available 24/7 without any effort on your part. It’s just another great feature of New Relic available in our Gold plan. Enjoy!
The infamous Wikileaks truck that has been a presence at Occupy Wall Street since last fall has now been put up for sale on eBay . The “Wikileaks Mobile Information Collection Unit” — actually a repainted U-Haul truck that has no official connection with Wikileaks — is instantly recognizable for its Wikileaks emblem and appeal to “release Bradley Manning” on the back. It has been seen in both New York and Washington, DC and briefly became a cause celebre in November when the New York police hauled it off to an undisclosed location and appeared to have lost it. “Do you wish more people noticed you driving? Including the CIA and FBI?” the eBay come-on asks. “Are you an art collector specializing in Occupy Wall Street masterpieces? Do you need a place to live or to store file boxes full classified documents? If so, then we have the perfect vehicle for you. Come on down to WikiLeaks Pre-Owned Auto Sales and take it for a spin.” It goes on to explain, “This is the world’s first WikiLeaks Truck, created by artist Clark Stoeckley. Clark’s New Year’s resolution is to expand the WikiLeaks Truck project and make a fleet around the world. To afford to do so, he must sell the original truck. This is not the end of this conceptual art piece, rather it is merely just the beginning.” The description admits to a few problems with the vehicle, such as non-working air conditioning, but it boats of such extras as a “Satellite Dish – 4 Dummy Security Cameras – Patriotic Bunting – Couch – Toy Piano – and possibly tracking bugs installed by the government.” The truck even has its own Twitter account, which is currently devoted largely to attempting to drum up bids. So far, there have been only two potential buyers, and the current price to top is $7600. Bidding ends at midnight on Monday. Photo by pameladrew212 from Flickr
With a tour name like Plumpty Dumpty, you know you are in for some fun. Twiddle delivered a great show last night, Thursday April 14th, in Madison, WI at the Majestic Theatre to a very welcoming crowd. The resulting concert was one in which delivered on every level. Steez, pillars of the Madison scene, opened the show. Self-described as creep-funk, this motley crew played music laced with infectious guitar riffs and fun synth lines for their hour long set. They opened with a new song that was very catchy. With the audience still coming in, there was the awkward moment when nobody filled up the space in front of the stage, and nobody was moving. That didn’t take long for Steez to remedy. Their second song was also a new tune that sounded excellent and got the crowd moving. Fans can look forward to their next release which apparently will contain both of these two new songs. “Tonight there’s a show gonna get you through the day, Gonna play your favorite songs make your troubles fade away…” A good line for any weekday show; it especially seemed a good choice to open the set. It was a very straightforward version of “Syncopated Healing” that is quintessential Twiddle. “White Light” had some great shredding, and the “Carter Candlestick” really got out there. It seemed that they were not going to play the ending part of “Carter” as they took it in some real different directions. It slowly morphed into a good bass solo from Zdenek Gubb with drummer Brook Jordan laying a down a solid beat.At that point one couldn’t be sure what song they were playing, but they wrapped it up with the end of “Carter Candlestick.” This tune was probably the highlight of the night. Fan favorite “Doinkinbonk!!!” followed. It also had some good improvisation with guitarist Mihali Savoulidis getting a good speed metal riff going at one point. A solid “Hattibagen McRat” and “Cabbage Face” ended the set. They encored with the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon,” and called it a night. Twiddle continues their Plumpty Dumpty tour tonight in Milwaukee with Steez. Don’t miss Twiddle when they make their debut at the Capitol Theatre on May 7th, with opening support from TAUK. More information about that show can be found here. Check out the full setlist and gallery below: Setlist: Twiddle at Majestic Theatre, Madison, WI – 4/14/16 Set: Syncopated Healing, White Light, Carter Candlestick, Doinkinbonk!!!, Hattibagen McRat, Cabbage Face Encore: Rocky Raccoon [Setlist via uTwiddle.net] A full gallery of images appears below via Daniel Ojeda:
I'm the purebred with aristocratic pedigree Group: VIP Posts: 9,624 Joined: Jan 2003 From: Mongrel Isle QUOTE(eugene90 @ Sep 18 2012, 07:18 PM) My photo ---> Avatar --- I'm going home end of this year, and there'll be a mass gathering among children of my generation in my family. All my cousins have found their love ones. I need 1 or 2 ad-hoc gf to accompany me. Benefit: I will sponsor airticket (2-way) + accommodation + food and drinks in Tawau, Sabah for 7 days. Most likely we will eat at the finest seafood restaurant in town. We will also go Pulau Mabul and maybe to the nearby Pulau Sipadan also. I will pay the RM450 visiting fee for you. Attire: elegant, no make up needed. Wear bikini in Island. Bikini will be sponsored if you don't have one. Budget is Rm250. Will reimburse you the $ when you show me the receipt when we meet. ---- please send in your resume. Consideration will be given to those who meet the following criteria. 1. Good Qualification 2. Good Body figure 3. being conversant in teochew dialect will have an advantage. See title.My photo ---> Avatar---I'm going home end of this year, and there'll be a mass gathering among children of my generation in my family. All my cousins have found their love ones. I need 1 or 2 ad-hoc gf to accompany me.Benefit: I will sponsor airticket (2-way) + accommodation + food and drinks in Tawau, Sabah fordays. Most likely we will eat at the finest seafood restaurant in town. We will also go Pulau Mabul and maybe to the nearby Pulau Sipadan also. I will pay the RM450 visiting fee for you.Attire: elegant, no make up needed. Wear bikini in Island. Bikini will be sponsored if you don't have one. Budget is Rm250. Will reimburse you the $ when you show me the receipt when we meet.----please send in your resume.Consideration will be given to those who meet the following criteria.1. Good Qualification2. Good Body figure3. being conversant indialect will have an advantage. 2-way air ticket? MYR250 bikini? Food? Accommodation? Those are cheap offers. This kind of offer is for 1". Can you offer something like 1 million USD cash + other benefirs? So that you can get good qualification, good body figure, able to speak in teochew girl. Good qualification, good body figure, can speak in teochew.... but your offer is not attractive at all.2-way air ticket? MYR250 bikini? Food? Accommodation?Those are cheap offers.This kind of offer is for 1".Can you offer something like 1 million USD cash + other benefirs? So that you can get good qualification, good body figure, able to speak in teochew girl.
He’s volatile, savvy and, some say, scary. But who is the real Donald Trump? In a series of interviews with dozens of friends, foes, and the Republican presidential candidate himself, a PEOPLE special report examines the truth about the man behind the bluster. Forget the gym. Donald Trump says he has a much better way to stay in shape on the campaign trail – while also connecting with voters. When asked whether he works out to keep up his stamina on the campaign trail, the Republican frontrunner answers with characteristic frankness. “Don’t have to,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “When you’re making speeches for 25,000 people and shouting and screaming and having fun with everybody and making America great again, you get a lot of exercise.” Donald Trump in New York in September Joe Pugliese The 69-year-old real estate mogul, who would replace Ronald Reagan as the oldest man to become president if he’s sworn in next January at 70, says he thrives on just four hours of sleep a night. However, the candidate knows he is not impervious to illness, which is why he’s an admitted germaphobe and only grudgingly shakes hands with constituents. “Yes. And I’m right, because you do catch problems from shaking hands. But you have no choice if you are running for office or a politician,” he explains. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Donald Trump on the cover of PEOPLE Despite the inconveniences associated with campaigning, Trump undoubtedly gathers strength on the belief that he is genetically special, according to Michael D’Antonio, who logged eight hours with the candidate for his 2015 Trump biography, Never Enough. “Donald told me he believes far more in natural ability, genetic ability, than in anything someone can learn,” D’Antonio says. It’s a theory seemingly bolstered by Trump’s father Fred, also a builder, who told journalist Harry Hunt III that he instilled in Donald as a child the notion that the boy was a king, D’Antonio explains. That idea has seemingly carried over into the next generation of Trumps, with Donald Jr. explaining his “racehorse theory” to D’Antonio in his interview for Never Enough. “I’d like to believe genetically I’m predisposed to better-than-average,” Donald Jr. said, per D’Antonio.
One of the common complaints about Marvel writer Dan Slott is that he fundamentally misunderstands the character Peter Parker. While there is plenty of evidence from his run on The Amazing Spider-Man to make such a case, I have found the best way to illustrate this is to simply quote the man. An incredibly telling moment from Florida Supercon went under the radar roughly eight months ago. Mr. Slott said Dr. Octopus is actually better at appreciating real beauty than Peter Parker — and that Parker’s love for Mary Jane is “anti-Marvel.” “Ann is beautiful. When you think of Peter Parker, I wanted to have this big change in the life of what makes Otto different from Peter. And when you read all the Otto Octavius stories of his background, of his growing up, of who he was — and even as Dock Ock — all the women he falls in love with, he sees them for who they are inside. Look at Stunner. Look at all these, like, nerdy girls he was dating as Otto. I think that’s something Otto does something better than Peter. He sees people who are truly beautiful and loves them for that. And you look at everyone Peter has fallen in love with, and every single one of them is superficially beautiful on the outside. And the reason for that is they’re all created by John Romita Sr., who drew everyone woman beautiful. What guy wouldn’t fall for Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane? Or even if he falls in love with like a Deb Whitman, yeah, she’s the girl with glasses, but she’s the girl with glasses who can suddenly take off her glasses and whip out the hair. Everyone Peter falls in love with is so classically beautiful, and to me that is anti-Marvel. To me, the Marvel Universe is not about perfect people. To me the Marvel Universe — the thing that makes it so much better than any other superhero universe — is the Marvel Universe is the book about people with feet of clay. When I read DC Comics, my favorite DC characters that I love the most are the most f*ed-up ones. In Dan Slott’s world, there is something unacceptable with Peter Parker falling in love with a beautiful woman — but it’s perfectly okay if he falls into lust with Silk (Cindy Moon), due to Slott-created spider-pheromones. Why is Anna Maria Marconi considered “truly” beautiful by Dan Slott, but Mary Jane is not? It has been established that MJ’s beauty is not just skin-deep, so what is the problem? Only if Peter Parker was a shallow man who married an equally-shallow party-girl would there be an issue — but that is not the case. Here is Mr. Slott’s problem with Peter Parker: When I read DC Comics, my favorite DC characters that I love the most are the most fed-up ones. Peter Parker is a well-adjusted character, despite all of his trials and tribulations. He has guilt issues due to Uncle Ben’s and Gwen Stacy’s death, but in general he has always handled the challenges life throws at him with grace and dignity. He is not “f**ed-up,” which Mr. Slott indicates is a prerequisite for becoming one of his favorites. As a result, he must make up weird personality deficits for Peter Parker like Doctor Octopus being better at appreciating “true” beauty. Dan Slott’s Peter Parker is now “very close” to Lian Tang. Is she not beautiful? Or is Peter just falling in lust again with a new Asian flavor-of-the-month? Is it “anti-Marvel” for the character to fall in love with Gwen Stacy and MJ, but Marvel-certified to fall in lust with women of Japanese and Chinese heritage? We thought we were getting diversity, but perhaps we’re just getting the objectification of Asian women… Sad. If you feel like Mr. Slott does not understand Peter Parker, then I suggest watching the Dan Slott Q&A Spotlight from Florida Supercon. The whole thing runs for an hour, but it will take less than five minutes to understand why The Amazing Spider-Man has been creatively spotty for years. Update: Dan Slott is playing the old “I was taken out of context” card. Classic. Ask yourself how he is taken out of context. He isn’t. Should I have transcribed the entire hour’s worth of dialogue — in addition to posting and linking to the YouTube video? Mr. Slott’s definition of “out of context” is, “Someone accurately highlighted my words and now I look bad.” Here is Dan, via Tweet longer: The frustration of being in the public eye (even in a small pond) is everything you do or say gets scrutinized, pulled out of context, and twisted by those with an agenda. Oy. In a video from a convention in January I talked about two or three different characters from the Spider-Man supporting cast being designed/drawn as being “superficially beautiful on the outside”. That was talking about the characters’ external appearance ONLY — and NOT about them being superficial on the inside as well. Thanks for reading, Dan. If by “agenda” you mean, “honoring Peter Parker’s integrity,” then guilty as charged. Even if you were only talking about external features, what proof is there that Peter Parker could not appreciate Anna’s beauty? Answer: There is none. As always, I wish you the best. UpdateII: Thanks to Hellz Yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man for sharing my blog post. Thanks as well to Mary Jane Watson Tumblr. Good stuff. Related: Zendaya as Mary Jane? Ask about red hair for the next year and you’ll be called a ‘racist’
This was confirmed this yAccording to sources at the United Soccer Leagues’ annual general meeting in Tampa, Fla., the Premier Development League will have 16 entries into the 2013 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second consecutive year. Last year the US Soccer Federation expanded the Open Cup field to include all US-based Major League Soccer teams and increased the number of amateur teams to a Modern Pro Era-record 32. The upcoming tournament, the 100th consecutive running of the Open Cup, appears to be following a similar format, but the official announcement is yet to be made. With the date of the 2013 tournament expected to be earlier for the second year in a row, the PDL has decided to base their entries on the previous season’s results once again. The official announcement came nearly a year ago exactly with two berths, with one exception, going to each division. A dozen clubs are making a return appearance in the event, including 10 that were in the tournament this past year. Four sides will be making their US Open Cup debuts in 2013. The foursome is comprised of the River City Rovers, Ocala Stampede, FC Tucson and Seattle Sounders U-23s. According to sources, here are the teams that will be taking part in the 2013 US Open Cup (we will be updating with brief summaries of each team’s tournament history): Central Conference Michigan Bucks 1st place in Great Lakes Division (13-1-2) Record 10th appearance, 2nd straight appearance All-time Open Cup record: 12-8-1 (0-1 in PKs) Last appearance: 2012 The Bucks will make their record 10th appearance in the US Open Cup and are the league’s most successful team in the tournament. With a record 12 Open Cup wins, 9 of them against professional opponents, they bring the strongest resume of any amateur team in the country. Last year, they bolstered their reputation as giant killers with their second win in franchise history over a Major League Soccer team, defeating the Chicago Fire 3-2 in extra time. Combined with their 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution in 2000, they are the only amateur team to defeat multiple MLS teams. Last year, they crushed Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) 6-0, before upsetting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road in Round 2. In the Third Round they defeated the Chicago Fire at home in just the fourth Open Cup game in history to be played indoors. In Round 4, their Cinderella story came to an end in front of their home fans (this time outdoors at Oakland University) by another unlikely team, the USL Pro’s Dayton Dutch Lions who converted a penalty kick in extra time to win the game 2-1. River City Rovers 3rd place in the Great Lakes Division (7-7-2) 1st appearance in the US Open Cup The Louisville, Kentucky-based River City Rovers have qualified for the tournament for the first time, benefiting from the fact that Forest City London, the team who finished in second place in the division, are Canadian and are not eligible for the Open Cup. Forest City finished with a 7-5-4 record, two points ahead of River City, and made an improbably run through the PDL playoffs to win the championship. River City had a chance to overtake Forest City for the last playoff spot, but they lost their season finale to the Michigan Bucks 4-0. River City becomes the first Kentucky-based club since 1993 to qualify for the Open Cup. That year, the Louisville Alliance reached the Regional Semifinals before falling to Milwaukee’s Bavarian SC, 2-0. Real Colorado Foxes 2nd place in the Heartland Division (8-4-4) 3rd appearance in the US Open Cup, 3rd straight appearance All-time Open Cup record: 1-2-0 Last appearance: 2012 The Real Colorado Foxes (no relationship with the Colorado Foxes who took part in the 1995 US Open Cup), have qualified for the third year in a row as the second place team in the Heartland Division (Division champion Thunder Bay Chill are from Canada). The Foxes won their first-ever tournament game in 2011 when they defeated USASA’s DV8 Defenders from San Jose, Calif. 5-0. Then after being eliminated by fellow PDL side Kitsap Pumas the next round, they suffered another defeat at the hands of an amateur team, losing 3-1 to the KC Athletics (USASA) at home. Des Moines Menace 3rd place in the Heartland Division (8-5-3) 7th appearance in the US Open Cup , 2nd straight appearance All-time Open Cup record: 7-6-1 (1-0 in PKs) Last appearance: 2012The Des Moines Menace are back in the competition for the second year in a row, making their seventh all-time appearance. Only the Michigan Bucks (10) have qualified for the Open Cup more times among PDL teams. They enter the tournament as a 3rd place team because the Heartland Division champion, Thunder Bay Chill, are based in Canada. Aside from their consistent success in the league, the Menace are best known for their back-to-back cup runs in 2005 and 2006 when they four professional teams in two years, only to fall to the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting Kansas City) both years on the road. Last year, they picked up their first Open Cup victory since 2006 with a 3-1 extra time road win over the NPSL’s Milwaukee Bavarians, only to fall to the NASL’s (2nd Division) Minnesota Stars 2-0 in Round 2. The Menace are tied with the Ocean City Nor’easters for second place among PDL teams with 4 professional team upsets (Michigan Bucks have 9). According to TheCup.us records, the Menace are the only Iowa-based team (aside from the Iowa Menace who qualified out of the USASA in 2011) to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Professional Era, and even before that, there are no records of any Iowa team qualifying (records incomplete). Eastern Conference Ocean City Nor’easters 1st place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (13-3-0) 6th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL) All-time Open Cup record: 7-5-0 (6-4-0 as PDL) Last appearance: 2009 The Nor’easters are back in the tournament as another PDL team with a giant killer reputation. This is their first appearance since 2009, when they defeated two Division 3 professional teams to reach the Third Round where they lost a close 2-0 decision to Major League Soccer’s DC United on the road. Only the Michigan Bucks (12) and the Des Moines Menace (7) have more Open Cup wins as a PDL team than the Nor’easters (6), who were known as the Barons the last time they entered the competition. The Bucks are also the only team with more professional team upsets in the tournament (9) than the Nor’easters (4). Ocean City ranks right near the top along with the Menace and the Bucks as one of the best teams in the PDL, and are back in the Open Cup thanks to last season’s division title, their first since 2004. Despite only winning two division titles since they joined the league back in 2003, they are 87-40-37, which is the sixth best record during that span. The Nor’easters qualified as the team in the Eastern Conference with the best record (13-3-0). Reading United AC 2nd place in the Mid-Atlantic Division (11-2-3) 7th appearance in the US Open Cup (5th as PDL), record 5th straight appearance All-time Open Cup record: 1-6-0 (1-4-0 as PDL) Last appearance: 2012 For the first time in the Modern Professional Era, an amateur team will be making their fifth straight appearance in the US Open Cup. Reading United will attempt to put the past behind them, as the tournament has not been kind to United. Last year’s 2-1 home win over four-time Open Cup champion New York Greek American Atlas, was their first tournament win in franchise history. They would lose in the next round, 2-1 to the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium. Reading has their friendly rivals, Ocean City, to thank for keeping their streak alive. The Nor’easters, by virtue of finishing with the Eastern Conference’s best record, earned a berth, leaving the second place team, Reading, as the Mid-Atlantic’s representative.
COMPARTIDOS: 0 "Necesitamos ir hacia una Argentina menos violenta. Todos tenemos derecho a protestar y manifestarnos, pero no a andar encapuchados y enfierrados ." Así dice el enunciado de la petición a través de la página Change.org que ya firmaron más de 35.000 argentinos de todo el país. Desde Mar del Plata, una de las ciudades más afectadas a la violencia en clima de manifestación, motorizan una propuesta de cambio que pretende prohibir a los "encapuchados" en marchas. A través de una carta publicada el martes en la pagina mencionada y dirigida tanto a Mauricio Macri como al Congreso Nacional, miles de ciudadanos con identidad certificada, le solicitaron al poder Ejecutivo y al Legislativo Nacional, que modifique el código de faltas que regula las libertad de expresión en Argentina con el fin de "proteger a la libertad de expresión de los violentos". Puntualmente, lo que se pide es que se detenga a todo aquel que asista a una manifestación con el rostro cubierto. "No tiene nada de malo protestar, yo he ido a muchas marchas contra la injusticia y la inseguridad. Pero siempre fui con la cara descubierta. No Tengo nada que ocultar" dijo Lautaro, el principal "viralizador" de la iniciativa que a 48 horas de su publicación ya obtuvo el visto bueno de 36.200 personas. "A primera vista suena un tanto descabellado pedirle a las fuerzas públicas que detengan a aquellos que se presenten en una marcha con la cara tapada. Sin embargo puede que el gobierno se haga eco y el legislativo también al menos desde lo testimonial. No quiere decir que llevar pasamontaña pase a ser delito, de ninguna manera. Pero cómo abogado pienso que de agregar el apartado que prohiba los rostros descubiertos específicamente en marchas, puede servir para cuidar a las protestas como herramientas de expresión social. Últimamente están tapadas de violencia y eso criminaliza cualquier tipo de resistencia" comentó Ariel Prados, abogado constitucionalista que también firmó la iniciativa. En el último mes, la desaparición de Santiago Maldonado, motivó más de 200 manifestaciones legítimas en todo el país y muchas terminaron opacadas por los enmascarados violentos. Inclusive, en la ciudad rionegrina de El Bolsón, dónde se llevó a cabo una de las marchas más numerosas del país, (fueron más de 10.000 personas entre vecinos y conocidos de Santiago) los asistentes que fueron pacificamente a pedir la aparición con vida del jóven desaparecido, echaron de la Plaza Pagagno a un puñado de 15 encapuchados que minutos antes habían tirado bombas molotov en una sede de la gendarmería. La propuesta intenta que 15 personas no dañen el reclamo de miles... ¿Estás de acuerdo? Si querés apoyar esta iniciativa, ingresa en la siguiente nota: http://bit.ly/2x9NS7I
Image copyright Google Image caption The bus stopped on Eastern Road in Portsmouth A bus company has apologised after a school complained about a coach driver stopping to pray on a main road. Parents of about 50 pupils from Meon Junior School told the Portsmouth News they were "furious" the Vision Travel bus had stopped on Eastern Road. The pupils and staff were returning from a school trip to London when the Muslim driver began using a prayer mat on the roadside. A spokesman for the Cosham-based firm said it was investigating. Parents said the bus was left parked in a dangerous position as other vehicles had to swerve to avoid the parked bus as children and staff remained on board. A spokesman for Vision Travel said it had issued an apology to the school and declined to comment on the driver's position with the company until it had concluded an investigation. Portsmouth City Council said the school had received an apology after raising concerns with the bus company. Salat is the obligatory Muslim prayer ritual, performed five times each day by Muslims but exact times can be flexible if an individual is not able to visit a mosque. Arshad Sharif of the Muslim Council of Southampton said the incident was "unfortunate". "Islam accommodates individuals who are travelling and there is a clear dispensation for them to combine prayers. "On the face of it it seems that someone well-meaning may have been over-zealous but he should certainly not have threatened the safety of his passengers." Portsmouth councillor Yahiya Chowdhry, who is a Muslim, said he believed the driver had misunderstood what was required of him. He said: "His intentions are good but he did not need to put the coach in that position - it is a risk to himself as well."
A few weeks back, a news went viral that Google is quitting the satellite business. Google sold its satellite imaging business to Planet, which triggered a news that Google is quitting the satellite business. However, Google cannot quit the satellite communication business. In fact, they are planning the biggest satellite launch project ever along with SpaceX. The truth is that Google has just quit the satellite imaging business and not the satellite communication business. These are two totally different technologies with totally different applications. In fact, Google cannot quit the satellite communication business. Google is an Internet company and it is essential for its growth (if not survival) to provide faster Internet connections to more people around the world. That is one sure shot way, they can provide services to more people. So, Google continues to be very aggressive on this front. They continue to improve their Loon project, where the Internet is beamed using balloons. You can see a video explaining how Project Loon works – it is really awesome, you may check it below: Recently, PatentYogi team discovered a patent application from Google, that discloses Google’s plans to create a satellite constellation to envelope entire globe. The satellite constellation will include over 4000 satellites. This is not a crazy, moonshot project that would be dropped. In fact, Google is implementing the project as we speak. Google does not have launch capability. Earlier last year, Google invested $1 billion in SpaceX for a 10% stake in the company. This makes sense as SpaceX has the capability to launch these 4000 satellites into orbit. Soon afterward, the inventor marked on the patent, Mark Krebs moved from Google to SpaceX. Then in November 2016, SpaceX filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 4,425 satellites. The patent application reveals some interesting details about the satellite constellation. The constellation includes a first group of satellites orbiting at a first inclination angle. Further, the satellite includes a second group of satellites orbiting at a second inclination angle different from the first inclination angle. The first group of satellites orbits at an altitude higher than the second group of satellites. Therefore, the first group of satellites provides a larger coverage area. On the other hand, the second group of satellites provides a bigger system bandwidth and supporting an increased number of users. Another cool feature is that satellites provide overlapping ground coverage to avoid communication downtime when a satellite is experiencing problems. The satellites are arranged to provide at least 75% coverage of the earth at any given time. Any communication from a source ground station to a destination ground station is routed via one or more satellites. Now, we can ask how will ground stations provide internet connections to users. Well, Google has already figured out the answer. After investing in SpaceX, Google acquired a company called WebPass. WebPass specializes in providing point-to-point wireless high-speed Internet to customers. So the ground stations can directly beam the Internet to customers using WebPass. We are excited about this technology. Google has figured out the full process to deliver high speed, high availability and low-cost Internet to people across the world. Patent Information Publication number: US20170005719 A1 Patent Title: Satellite Constellation Application number: US 15/268,121 Publication date: Jan 5, 2017 Filing date: Sep 16, 2016 Inventors: Mark Krebs Original Assignee: Google Inc. Source: PatentYogi
Australian businesses say they are not sold on the government's proposed mandatory data breach notification scheme, with some even going so far as to call for it to be abandoned. Late last year the government released an exposure draft of its long-awaited bill for the scheme, outlining what it considers a serious breach and the steps an organisation must take in response to one. It defines a serious breach as unauthorised access to, disclosure or loss of customer information which generates a real risk of serious harm to individuals. After an entity is aware or "ought to have been aware" a serious breach has occured, it must notify customers, the Privacy Commissioner, and potentially the media "as soon as practicable". In cases where an entity suspects a breach has occured, it will have 30 days to assess whether it needs to make notification. However, Australia's biggest industry groups are calling for changes to be made to avoid "notification fatigue" and to make their obligations clearer. The Australian Industry Group - which represents 60,000 business across a range of sectors - said it couldn't understand why such a scheme was required at all. "Ai Group understands the reasons why the bill has been drafted but we are not convinced of the need for the bill," it said. It argued [pdf] there were already privacy protections in place to deal with data breaches, and businesses would face an "unreasonable compliance burden" and difficult implementation of the scheme should it go ahead. The Australian Retail Credit Association (ARCA) similarly argued the bill needed to be heavily edited if it was to progress any further. It outlined [pdf] a laundry list of issues, covering the 30-day assessment period, the ability for the Privacy Commissioner to direct an entity to make notification of a breach, and the inclusion of "psychological and emotional" in the definition of what constitutes "harm", among others. Should have known Ai Group stood on its own in outright questioning the need for the bill, but echoed the calls of many others in calling for the removal of the concept that an entity would still be subject to disclosure obligations if it 'ought to reasonably be aware' that a serious breach had occured. The argument was similarly made by Telstra, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the ABC, the Law Council of Australia, the Insurance Council of Australia [pdf], and the Australian Retail Credit Association. Telstra said while it assumed the language had been included to address situations where an entity was "wilfully blind" to a serious data breach, it could result in organisations being unfairly targeted for not notifying early enough. "Security incidents and complaints are generally raised within a large organisation such as ours through a number of channels," Telstra said [pdf]. "It may not be apparent that there is a serious data breach requiring notification until issues are ventilated either by multiple persons or via multiple channels." PwC said [pdf] its research had found that it takes an average of 243 days between when an entity is hacked and when it discovered the breach, and called on the OAIC to make clearer the circumstances under which it would consider an organisation should have been aware of a breach. "... an entity may not become aware of a serious data breach until after the hacked information has been unlawfully used or disclosed... This may be a significant time after the serious data breach occurred," the ABC [pdf] agreed, calling for the removal of the 'ought to have been aware' phrase. The Law Council argued [pdf] the language was too broad and uncertain and pushed for its removal from the bill, as did ARCA, which questioned how an entity can be required to notify of a breach if it is not aware one has occured. What is harm? Issues were also raised with how an organisation would be expected to assess the harm to an individual in a data breach. According to PayPal, the legislation's current scope of "harm" - which includes physical, psychological, economic and reputational - is "overly broad" and requires entities to assess characteristics of individuals without the requisite expertise to do so. "While PayPal understands the intention of the government is to require organisations to give consideration to the widest possible harm that may result from a data breach, PayPal is concerned that such a breadth of harm imposes an unmanageable risk upon entities such that most if not all data breaches will require notification," it said [pdf] The Communications Alliance [pdf] "strongly objects" to this "incredibly large scope of harm" and called for the removal of the terms 'emotional' and 'psychological'. The ABC similarly argued the definition of "harm" should be limited to physical and financial harm. According to PwC, entities will struggle to assess the "seriousness" of harm given individuals have varying thresholds for what they consider harmful - an argument backed by ARCA. They will also find it difficult to capture and measure what constitues "psychological, emotional or reputational harm", the firm said. It suggested introducing a "reasonable person" test to remove the subjectivity from the obligations. The Insurance Council agreed it would be "preferable" to establish an objective standard of assessment, but nonetheless argued for the removal of the "subjective" terminology. The role of service providers Under the draft bill, the entity obliged to notify authorities of a breach is that which holds the data that has been breached. However, the likes of Telstra, Microsoft, PwC, the AIIA and ARCA raised concerns about the scenario of a breach where more than one entity could be considered to "hold" the relevant information. "In a practical sense if a data breach is caused by a contractor in the possession of an entity’s data but that data is in the control of the entity there may be conflicting requirements to notify," Telstra said, arguing this could result in multiple notifications from separate sources and therefore confusion for customers. "It is likely that affected individuals ... would not be aware that the notifications that they receive relate to the same data breach," Comms Alliance said. Microsoft - which lent its support to the bill - said [pdf] a cloud service provider like itself would be unlikely to have the ability to communicate with individuals. "Many cloud contracts (including Microsoft’s) specifically limit the ability of the cloud service provider to access customer data; and therefore also limit the ability of the provider to make an accurate determination of whether or not serious harm has occurred," it said. The Department of Social Services [pdf] echoed similar concerns within government, in instances where core systems and databases are managed by other government agencies. Microsoft, Telstra, the Comms Alliance, PwC and the AIIA said the responsibility for notification should be on the entity that owns the customer relationship. Does the OAIC even need to be involved? While many of those submitting their views on the proposed bill called on the government to increase its funding to the severely under-resourced OAIC to ensure proper administration of the scheme, the federal Finance department questioned whether the office even needed to be immediately notified of a breach. The department said [pdf] while it agreed there was a "strong rationale" to notify individuals in cases of a breach, it didn't see the need for the requirement to notify the OAIC straight away in all cases of a serious data breach. It gave the example of a payslip for an individual being sent to the wrong person, which would likely be considered a serious breach under the bill, but argued that notifying the OAIC in this instance would lead to "notification fatigue". "It is not clear what purpose the notification to the OAIC is in these cases. Very little information has been provided on why the OAIC wants this information and what the OAIC will do with the information once it is received," Finance said. It suggested a two-tier system where notification to the OAIC is only required in cases where a breach affects more than 500 individuals, as seen in California in the US.
Google is celebrating Hedy Lamarr’s 101th birthday today, by crediting her with inventing frequency-hopping communications technology that led to today’s wireless communication networks. But did Lamarr really invent frequency-hopping? Frequency-hopping is a way of sending electronic communications that involves switching between multiple sub-frequencies in a pre-determined order. If I send a message that says ‘attack at 7 PM’ on a single frequency, and someone interrupts or eavesdrops on that frequency, obviously, they get the whole message. But if I break up each individual letter in that message, and send each letter on a different frequency, it’s much harder to interrupt or capture. The person receiving the message knows which frequencies I will use, so they can assemble the message quite easily, but if you don’t know which frequencies to access, it’s all just a mess and jumble of seemingly random numbers and letters. Most of the code being used during WWII involved elaborate substitutions of numbers and letters. Codes looked like this: The whole message was transmitted on a single frequency, but you needed to know the code to decipher the message. Messages were broken into parts, but still all sent on the same frequency. The codes were devilishly clever, but breakable . Frequency hopping added a new level of complexity. According to the patent issued to Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil , they were involved in creating a system to control torpedoes using modulated radio frequencies. “ This invention relates broadly to secret communication systems involving the use of carrier waves of different frequencies, and is especially useful in the remote control of dirigible craft, such as torpedoes. An object of the invention is to provide a method of secret communication which is relatively simple and reliable in operation, but at the same time is difficult to discover or decipher. Briefly, our system as adapted for radio control of a remote craft, employs a pair of synchronous records, one at the transmitting station and one at the receiving station, which change the tuning of the transmitting and receiving apparatus from time to time, so that without knowledge of the records an enemy would be unable to determine at what frequency a controlling impulse would be sent. Furthermore, we contemplate employing records of the type used for many years in player pianos, and which consist, of long rolls of paper having perforations variously positioned in a plurality of longitudinal rows along the records. In a conventional player piano record there may be 88 rows of perforations, and in our system such a record would permit the use of 88 different carrier frequencies, from one to another of which both the transmitting and receiving station would be changed at intervals. Furthermore, records of the type described can be made of substantial length and may be driven slow or fast. This makes it possible for a. pair of records, one at the transmitting station and one at the receiving station, to run for a length of time ample for the remote control of a device such as a torpedo. There are a few interesting things to dig out of Lamarr and Antheil’s patent, filed on June 10th, 1941. First up, let’s deal with the frequency-hopping issue. Nowhere do either Lamarr or Antheil claim they invented frequency-hopping, so let’s dig into the patent database a bit. “ In certain systems for transmitting intelligible messages or governing the movements and operations of distant automata electrical impulses or disturbances produced by suitable apparatus are conveyed through the natural media to a receiving-circuit capable of responding to the impulses, and thereby effecting the control of other appliances. Generally a special device, highly sensitive, is connected to the receiving-circuit, which in order to render it still more susceptible and to reduce the liability of its being affected by extraneous disturbances is carefully adjusted so as to be in tune with the transmitter. By a scientific design of the sending and receiving circuits and other apparatus and skilful adjustment of the same these objects may be in a measure attained; but in long experience I have found that notwithstanding all constructive advantages and experimental resources this method is in many cases inadequate. Thus while I have succeeded in so operating selectively under certain favorable conditions more than one hundred receivers in most cases it is practicable to work successfully but a few,- the number rapidly diminishing as, either owing to great distance or other causes, the energy available in the tuned circuits becomes smaller and the receivers necessarily more delicate. Evidently a circuit however well constructed and adjusted to respond exclusively to vibrations of one period is apt to be affected by higher harmonics and still more so by lower ones. When the oscillations are of a very high frequency, the number of the effective harmonics may be large and the receiver consequently easily disturbed by extraneous influences to such an extent that when very short waves, such as those produced by I’Iertzian spark apparatus. Sure sounds like frequency-hopping to me! That patent was filed on June 14th, 1903 ! By none other than Nikola Tesla, working alone. “ The essential feature of the invention resides in the fact that messages are transmitted by means of a group of frequencies (working frequencies) known to the sender and receiver alone, and alternated at will during transmission of the messages. For example, five frequencies may be used, care being taken at the transmitting station that the signals, i.e. the dots and dashes of the Morse or any other alphabet are transmitted by these frequencies alternately. The alternation may take place, both during the transmission’ of the signals and between the signals, and be effected either mechanically or in any convenient manner by hand. Gosh, that sounds like frequency-hopping, too! Looks like German physicist and electrical engineer Jonathan Zenneck wrote the book on wireless telegraphy back in 1908, specifically addressing frequency-hopping, well before Lamarr and Antheil submitted their patent. Lamarr invented frequency-hopping? Bullshit. did ‘invent’ was a way to use frequency-hopping to control torpedoes. Hey, that’s cool, but it’s a far cry from inventing frequency-hopping. This is precisely the issue No, she did not. She missed that boat by decades. Case closed. The claim is garbage. What Lamarr and Antheil‘invent’ was a way to use frequency-hopping to control torpedoes. Hey, that’s cool, but it’s a far cry fromfrequency-hopping. This is precisely the issue Richard Dawkins took with ‘clock-boy’ Ahmed . He took apart a clock, re-assembled it to resemble a bomb, and then claimed to have invented a clock. You didn’t invent jack shit, Ahmed, and neither did Hedy Lamarr. Let’s look at Lamarr and Atheils’s patent a little more closely, specifically this: “ Furthermore, we contemplate employing records of the type used for many years in player pianos, and which consist, of long rolls of paper having perforations variously positioned in a plurality of longitudinal rows along the records. In a conventional player piano record there may be 88 rows of perforations, and in our system such a record would permit the use of 88 different carrier frequencies, from one to another of which both the transmitting and receiving station would be changed at intervals. I’ll give you three guesses as to which member of the patent team was a musician. George? Hedy? From his Wikipedia page: ‘George Antheil was an American avant-garde composer , pianist, author and inventor whose modernist musical compositions explored the modern sounds – musical, industrial, mechanical – of the early 20th century.’ Well, I am shocked! Shocked, I tell you! Now, Lamarr’s mother was also a pianist, but according to her heavily edited Wikepedia page , Lamarr’s training was in the theatre, not the conservatory. invented frequency-hopping is absurd, and on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely avant-garde musician and pianist George Antheil who noted that frequency-hopping had an analogy in player pianos. No doubt, Lamarr was a clever woman, able to grasp the mathematics and implications of telegraphy, but to claim that shefrequency-hopping is absurd, and on the balance of probabilities, it was more likely avant-garde musician and pianist George Antheil who noted that frequency-hopping had an analogy in player pianos. Occam’s Razor says Lamarr piggy-backed on her smart male friends. I honestly wouldn’t be the tiniest bit surprised to discover that Lamarr was really good at drawing and her contributions amount to pretty charts and graphs. I’ll bet she had a lovely hand. Let’s Google ‘Hedy Lamarr autograph’, just for fun. Hmmmm…..I wonder what George’s writing looks like? Oh dear. Clearly, I’m poking fun at both George and Hedy, and at all the revisionist historians who would so dearly love to believe Hedy Lamarr invented some vital technology we can’t live without. See? Women can science good, too! Of course women can science, but the reality is that women who are brilliant at science ( or anything, really ) are few and far between. Holding up Lamarr as the sine qua non of women’s technical achievement is kind of pathetic, given that she didn’t invent frequency-hopping, and given that the male-cosigner to the patent was the one who had the technical expertise to notice and decipher the analogous technology cited (player pianos). after she raised the three children she had with her beloved husband. She preferred to be called Mrs. Brill, and made a mean beef stroganoff. Ladies, seriously, if you want to argue that women are as good at science as men, you might want to pick a heroine who actually invented stuff. Try Yvonne Brill . She invented the hydrazine resistojet , and proposed the use of single a single propellant for rocket ships, deployed to launch TIROS, Nova, Explorer 2 and the Mars Observer. And she did all thatshe raised the three children she had with her beloved husband. She preferred to be called Mrs. Brill, and made a mean beef stroganoff. Now there’s a woman to celebrate. The six times married Hedy Lamarr, hitching her wagon to a legion of men who invented frequency-hopping? Not so much. Lots of love, JB
Is the Racism of Foreigners As Bad As the Racism of Americans? Five Alive Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 29, 2017 I’m tired of these foreigners — especially these European and African soccer supremacists— constantly reminding me of how arrogant Americans are for calling Major League Baseball’s national championship the “World Series.” “What, the world only consists of America and Toronto?” they say with a stupid, sly smile, as if they came up with this witty retort to American exceptionalism. The MLB championship is, in fact, the World Series, because America has the money, the level of play, and all the P1 athlete visas needed to attract the world’s best players. Of the four major American professional sports, baseball has the most foreign athletes, comprising over 25% of active players. And so, perhaps it is only in baseball that we could see the fascinating spectacle of a Cuban player, Yuli Gurriel, making an in-game racist gesture at a Japanese player, Yu Darvish, on live American television (Gurriel made chinky eyes and called Darvish a chinito after homering off of him in Game 4). It was like the UN of racism. The Gurriel incident raises an important question: is the racism of foreigners, particularly non-white foreigners, as bad as the racism of Americans? Both Gurriel (who played in Japan) and Darvish seemed to minimize the incident, but American reactions on social media were far more intense than what went down between the two players. The question perfectly suited Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, a biracial American with a Salvadoran father and a Japanese mother. In his opinion piece following the incident, he said that having grown up playing soccer with Spanish-speaking kids and being called a chinito himself, the American reaction to Gurriel’s slur (and his subsequent punishment) was inappropriately harsh because Latinos use racial slurs in a playful manner: Really, it’s the context. This might be a hard concept to grasp for anyone who is monocultural or monolingual, but believe me when I tell you racial terms aren’t said with the same level of maliciousness in Spanish as they are in English. Even racist-looking gestures, like the one Guerriel made, aren’t made with the same level of vitriol. Not close. As an Asian, I can see Hernandez’s point. I was raised by Chinese immigrant parents, and we regularly used racial jargon — it’s not quite accurate to call them “slurs”— to casually refer to people of other races, with or without an intent to insult. White people were laowai (ironically, foreigners), Latinos were amigos, and black people were heigui (black devils… yikes). It’s nowhere near innocent, but the difference between Chinese and American racism is such a complex topic that, as with Hernandez’s observation of Latino racism, the best one can do is to either “take our word” for it, or not. Put another way, it’s simply too complicated to explain why heigui is not the Chinese n-word. It just isn’t. That’s not to say all Chinese agree on whether China has a racism problem or not. As with America, China also has an internal debate about racism and a constant re-examination of inter-ethnic relations. But while Americans will focus on something directly comparable to our own experiences, like the Chinese reaction to a racist soap commercial in which a black man is magically “cleaned” into a light-skinned Han Chinese man, the Chinese debate centers around a completely separate history of minority groups within China that the great majority of Americans aren’t familiar with. If you’re curious, the Sixth Tone blog has an excellent three-part series about this. But the Gurriel incident can’t be so easily waved away as just a Cuban doing as Cubans do, because the incident happened here in America, where we have our own rules and standards about racism. After the league handed down a five-game no-pay suspension (to be served next season rather than during the World Series), both players acceded to the necessity of the punishment while maintaining that neither of them subjectively experienced the incident in the way that the Americans were insisting they had, or should have had. This gap between American perception and foreigner intent illustrates the way in which the politics of American racism keeps going off the rails. It seems our current assumptions about racism is that it is a moral crime that requires both an intent and an action. In criminal law, it is assumed (with very limited, controversial exception) that all crimes require a criminal intent, a “guilty mind” without which a defendant must be considered innocent. And therefore it is assumed that either the league was right in punishing the incident, or that Hernandez was right and there was insufficient “guilt” to hand down a suspension. But there is a way in which both the league and Hernandez can both be right, and that is to accept that racism is not just a moral crime — it certainly can be, there is no question in that — but also, in its lesser forms as with Gurriel, a social transgression that we all must avoid, regardless of our intentions. And so even if Gurriel meant no ill will towards either Darvish or Asians generally, he should be held to account for violating a basic social rule of American society that we seem to be forgetting: racial slurs are just not acceptable, full stop. This is my biggest complaint as an Asian American: casual racism is strictly prohibited when it targets blacks, frowned upon when it targets Latinos, and almost universally accepted when it targets Asians. And this doesn’t even go towards what is and is not acceptable speech by Asians about other races. There is a deep body of work analyzing the complex history and social power relationships that cause this uneven state of affairs, but whatever its conclusions are, it is in this context besides the point. America needs to re-affirm consistent objective social rules around the use of racist language, by anyone, towards anyone, and it is the consistency of the rule itself which is its most important aspect. This does not in any way solve our problems of racism, or diminish in any way the importance of subjective experiences of racism. Such a rule always runs the danger of shoving racism back under the rug, where it turns insidious and encoded. But it is a social rule that we need nonetheless, simply for civic society to continue. And we can see the need for this all around us. The Latino American blog Latino Rebels tweeted at Hernandez objecting to his minimization of insidious racism in Latino culture, which is a self-criticism that Asian Americans are increasingly making about our own minimization of Asian racism. While these are important processes within our own communities, they also seem irrelevant to the immediate need to enforce basic social standards of public decency. Whether heigui is as bad as the n-word, or el chino evidences a Latin American history of brutal anti-Asian racism, the fact remains that we need to re-establish order first. It’s never acceptable to make a racist slur in America, regardless of intent, regardless of who says it and to whom it is said. And if it happens — of course it will —everybody needs to take some pride in calling it out, same as we call out litterers. This rule should apply to everyone, and nobody gets a pass, not black people, not Asian people, and certainly not white people (who, let’s face it, are the main reason this rule needs to be enforced again). We are conflating public decency with the deeper issues of racism, and they are not the same thing. Public decency must come first, unless the goal here isn’t to right this ship. If it’s not, then we have issues even deeper than racism to contend with.
I’m generally not a big believe in “October surprises,” which seem to be more numerous in folklore than fact. But this guest post by Michael Tesler made me stop and think. ***** John Kerry believed he would have been the 44th president of the United States had it not been for the surprise surfacing of a new Osama bin Laden videotape the Friday before the 2004 election (October 29). This was one of the few points of agreement between Kerry and George W. Bush, who also acknowledged that the bin Laden video helped him win reelection. Osama’s October Surprise could have bolstered Bush by making his popular war on terror performance (60 percent issue approval ratings in fall 2004 Gallup polls) more prominent in Americans’ vote choices. Indeed, research on priming suggests that renewed attention to a particular issue like terrorism can make related considerations more important in subsequent political evaluations (though see here for an alternative account). Kerry Campaign strategist, Bob Shrum, suggested that the bin Laden tape had such an effect. Or as he put it in his 2007 autobiography, “We had fought for months to keep the contest from simply being a 9/11 election. [After the OBL video] that’s what it would become.” Shrum’s 2004 Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman, concurred, stating, “It reinforced an issue on which Bush had a big lead over Kerry.” There is some empirical evidence to support those contentions too. The figure below draws on data from the National Annenberg Election Study to examine the relationship between Bush’s war on terror approval and Americans’ vote intentions immediately before and after the bin Laden tape was released. After controlling for respondents’ evaluations of Bush’s performance on Iraq and the economy—two issues where the president was underwater leading up to his reelection—the display indicates that Americans’ assessments of the president’s war on terror performance were significantly stronger predictors of vote choices in the final three days of the campaign than they had been right before the video broke. Meanwhile, the public’s more negative opinions about Bush’s Iraq and economic performance decreased in importance during that time period. (Note: Points are OLS coefficients with Bush’s Iraq and economic approval ratings included in the model. Each point represents the change in probability of voting for Bush associated with moving from disapproving to approving of his handling of the war on terrorism; dashed lines show the 95 percent confidence intervals for those estimates. Source: 2004 NAES To be sure, changing opinions about how Bush was handling the war on terror in the aftermath of the video’s release could be responsible for some of the enhanced relationship shown above. There are a couple of reasons to suspect that this was not the case, though. First, Bush’s war on terror approval rating was virtually unchanged among Democrats and Republicans before and after the video. Second, Gabriel Lenz’s outstanding new book convincingly shows that performance evaluations are typically primed, rather than changed, by presidential campaigns. If October surprises can, in fact, activate relevant performance evaluations in the final week of a presidential campaign then Hurricane Sandy may well be a boon to Obama’s reelection prospects. After all, one of the presidents’ biggest issue advantage (52 to 40 percent) over Romney in an October 10-13, 2012 ABC/Washington Post Poll was on the question of “who do you trust to do a better job handling an unsuspected major crisis.”
CLOSE IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel talks New England fans during the "Dwayne Allen Show" at George's. (Clark Wade / The Star) Buy Photo Will Tom Brady and Andrew Luck meet like this after Sunday's game? (Photo: Matt Kryger / The Star)Buy Photo Remember when the Patriots were going to be compromised this week? Yeah, those were the days. New England quarterback Tom Brady, fingered by the Wells Report as the mastermind behind Deflategate, was suspended four games to open this season. New England's fifth game? This one. Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brady's season-opener. He'd be rusty, and the Patriots offense would have to get re-acclimated to him after four games with Jimmy Garoppolo. Wouldn't be a major issue, but perhaps enough to swing the balance of power toward the Colts. That was the theory. Cute, right? Brady had his suspension overturned in September for the legal gobbledygookiest of reasons. A U.S. District Court didn't find Brady innocent. It found NFL commissioner Roger Goodell guilty of overplaying his hand. And the Patriots are rolling. Four games, four wins, the last two by blowout margins. Brady has been immaculate: 11 touchdowns, no interceptions. His 346.8 yards per game, 72.5-percent accuracy and 121.5 passer rating are on pace to be single-season bests in this, the 16th season of a Hall of Fame career. Brady and the Patriots? They're better than ever. The Colts are the ones compromised. Quarterback Andrew Luck might play this week. Might not. The Colts don't have much going for them in this matchup — they don't play, coach or cheat as well as the Patriots — but they do have surprise. So they're probably going to play this lame card close to the vest, with news of their starting quarterback not coming until Sunday morning, when a Colts employee hoping to get in good with the power brokers at ESPN betrays his team and leaks the news to Chris Mortensen or Adam Schefter. Just saying. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) gets rid of a pass in the heat of a defensive rush from New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones (95) during last year's AFC Championship game. (Photo: Matt_Detrich/The_Star) If Luck plays, he won't be at his best. Couldn't possibly be. He wasn't at his best before being injured in the third game of the season — assuming that's when he was injured. Anyone else wondering if his subpar play in the first three games (five touchdowns, seven interceptions) was the result of the same injury that kept him out of Games 4 and 5? Whatever the case, if he plays on Sunday he won't be midseason Andrew Luck or 2014 season Andrew Luck. He's more likely to be the Luck who was not very good in the opener against Buffalo or the second game again the Jets. The alternative? Matt Hasselbeck, who has looked pretty darned good in relief these last two weeks — but who doesn't throw it well enough downfield to scare the Patriots like Luck would. Bottom line, the Colts are about to play their most important game of the season — if you told them in August they would go 1-15 in 2015, this is the one they'd want to win — and they will play it at something decidedly less than 100 percent. The Patriots, meanwhile, look to be as good as ever — and this is a franchise with four Super Bowl titles since 2001. Sickening, isn't it? If this is me playing the lame homer card, fine. The Patriots cheated the team in my city. Residents of Indianapolis and the surrounding areas, you give the Colts the best you've got: money, emotion, more. The Patriots rigged the AFC title game. Cheated the Colts. Cheated you. Sickening. New England Patriots running back Dion Lewis (33) during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. (Photo: Kevin Hoffman / USA Today Sports) To all this, let's add something really nauseating. This might be a straw-man argument, one where I'm (possibly) inventing something just to rail against it. Most of the times, a straw-man argument is something to be avoided. It's an ethical affront. It's dishonest. So it's perfect for the Patriots. And it might not even be a straw-man (which is to say, fictitious) argument. The argument? The Patriots are rampaging this season, scoring a combined 68 points against the Steelers and Bills in the first two games and then hitting another gear — blowing out the Jaguars and Cowboys by a combined 81-23 — because they're angry. They're angry about Deflategate making them look bad, the NFL siding with the Wells Report, the Colts for ratting them out after that 45-7 blowout in January. That's what Patriots fans believe. Check the cesspool they call #PatriotsTwitter, or — because that cesspool spills onto the Indianapolis media, and onto me more than most — take my word for it: Those people truly believe the Patriots are blowing out teams because they're mad at the world, and maddest most of all at the Colts. As if the Patriots have any right to their anger. NEWSLETTERS Get the IndyStar Motor Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong The latest news in IndyCar and the world of motor sports. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-888-357-7827. Delivery: Sun - Fri Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for IndyStar Motor Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters Do we have a right to our anger here in Central Indiana? Sure we do, but there is a more pressing issue to consider: Andrew Luck, his health, his future, and how all of that intersects this week. Luck has returned to practice at something approaching full speed — well, according to Luck and coach Chuck Pagano — but clearly the quarterback's shoulder is an issue to consider, and his worth to the franchise is far more important than any one game, even this one. And so it must be asked: With the Patriots rampaging and the Colts already a touchdown underdog at home, should Indianapolis play it safe with Luck and sit him for a third week in a row? Should the Colts concede a likely defeat, in other words, and lean on Luck's unavailability as a crutch? In a word: No. In two words: (Expletive) no. The Colts should give this game the best they've got, not because it's the Patriots but because it's the next game on the schedule, and the next game is always the most important game. Besides, only a scared team would sit a healthy quarterback. Only a scared team would cheat, too. Let's not be scared around here, OK? Let's not be anything like the franchise coming to town on Sunday. Find Star columnist Gregg Doyel on Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar or at www.facebook.com/gregg.doyel.
Attention Silver Lake scenesters and Echo Park dance heads: there's a new club venue in town. Except, it's not really new, it's actually very old. Despite its vibrant, multicolored sign, you may have driven past Los Globos countless times without noticing it on your way to the Satellite or The Echo, or even parked in front of it when hitting Silver Lake Lounge or Thirsty Crow. The spot has been a Latin music-only club since the 1930s, but a plan to make it a trendy new dance club has been in the works since seasoned club impresario Steve Edelson bought it this past June. He's putting in new sound systems, new Nicaraguan tiling throughout, and soon, "new epicurial delights and signature cocktails." But before Eastside naysayers start spewing anti-swankification rants (as were directed towards Stinkers and, more recently, Mohawk Bend up the street) a few things should be noted. Edelson is not getting rid of the Latin music there. Globos has hosted Spanish music three nights a week upstairs and these will remain. Most of the new events -- which will be booked by Echo Park Records -- will happen in the spacious downstairs part of the venue, which the previous owners, shockingly, never used. He's also keeping the name (which means "the balloons" in Spanish) and has maintained all the original staff, many of whom have worked there for decades.
The last few weeks have seen a flurry of excitement on our Facebook Group about 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties. One of our group members, Laura, came up with this fantastic recipe! For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb 👍 These 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties use your Healthy Extra B (for the wrap). Wow! At just one Syn per pasty, which is a whopping Syn saving when compared to a shop bought pasty – and they taste just as good, if not better. It is important to egg wash and crimp the edges of these pasties properly before putting them in the oven as it keeps the filling contained. An egg wash over the top gives them a fantastic golden colour. If you have any left over veg, such as carrot, parsnip or swede, you could always add it to the filling for these 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties. It’s a really easy way of sneaking some extra speed onto your plate…or concealing it from the kids! You could even dip these 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties in some Slimming World Syn free Gravy. Oh yes!! These 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties are perfect for a picnic too as can be eaten cold. Or a great treat to liven up a packed lunch at work without using loads of precious Syns! How many Syns are in these 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties? We’ve calculated these to use your Healthy Extra B choice for the wrap. It’s fab, that there is a low cost wrap to use as your HEB! You have a few choices. The best ones to use for this Recipe are the Weight Watchers White Wraps. Please note, the Syn value of Weight Watchers Wraps has changed, but they are still an HEB option. However, if you do not use them as an HEB you should now Syn them at 6 Syns each. You can use BFree Wraps, but please bear in mind the edges will not crimp as well due to the lack of gluten (which helps the edges stick together) The 200g tin of reduced fat corned beef is 3 syns, and as this recipe makes 3 1 syn corned beef pasties – it works out at 1 Syn each. If you choose not to use the wrap as your Healthy Extra B, they’ll be 5.5 Syns each (using a Bfree wrap). Or 7 Syns using a Weight Watchers wrap. Whenever we need to replace oil in cooking we use Frylight. Perfect for everyday frying and cooking, it delivers exactly one calorie per spray, which makes it Syn free! The Sunflower or Rapeseed flavours are ideal for this 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties recipe. Some of you love this 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties recipe! If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #pinchofnom — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter! What could I have these 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties with? Why not try these today with some homemade Syn Free Slimming World chips and veg…the whole family will love them! Like these 1 Syn Corned Beef Pasties? Maybe you’ll like these too! Check out our Slimming World Low Syn Samosas! If you love pizza and pasties (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?!) then you should try our Beef & Onion Pasties !! All the flavour of the bakery favourite, but without the Syns, Calories and Points! Need some extra help & motivation on your Slimming World journey? Come join our Facebook group! We have over 200,000 members, who want to help you! You wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun would you? You might just find the inspiration you need from our awesome members. If you’ve joined already why not invite any friends that may find it helpful? Pre-Order Our Cookbook Now! We’ve been squirrelling away doing squirelly things behind the scenes and can finally announce that our very first cookbook is available for pre-order!! The book will feature 100 recipes – around 80 of them BRAND NEW and not available anywhere else. Full colour photographs, hardback, a quality book that will stand up to frequent use! Each recipe has been taste tested by twenty members of the Pinch of Nom community to ensure that they are amazing. The book will be released on the 21st March 2019, and if you pre order now you won’t be charged until it’s released. Check out our cookbook page for more information!
CLOSE U.S. Speedskater Emily Scott says she wasn't expecting the support she got after telling her story to USA TODAY. She had to apply for food stamps after her stipend was cut and now donations are pouring in from all over. VPC Short track speedskater Emily Scott trains at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah, on June 27. Scott hopes to make her Olympic debut in Sochi next February. (Photo: Douglas C. Pizac for USA TODAY Sports) Story Highlights Lolo Jones brought attention to issue of athlete funding with a Vine video USOC CEO says there's no way to support every aspiring Olympian U.S. Speedskating has been hit by a coaching scandal that has divided national team SALT LAKE CITY -- Emily Scott filed for food stamps two weeks ago. This month, the Olympic short-track speedskating hopeful's monthly stipend was cut from $1,950 to $600. Though she shares an apartment with a roommate and has a part-time job at a surgical supply factory, Scott's expenses come in way above her stipend. Scott, 24, has no idea how she is going to make ends meet. She trains six days a week, about eight hours a day. The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, are seven months away. Scott grew tearful as she discussed her food stamps application. "The last thing you want to be worried about in a year like this is being able to pay your rent and eat, and you want to eat healthy," she said at lunch as she twirled a spoon in a bowl of soup. "That was pretty hard. ... But I'm not the only one suffering." The story of an aspiring Olympian barely scraping by is not a new one. Outside of a handful of skiers and snowboarders flush with corporate sponsors, other winter athletes — speedskaters, bobsledders, skeleton racers — shared their financial difficulties. RELATED: Funding based on results, medal potential Heading into the Sochi Games, some of the USA's elite athletes live below the poverty line. Scott, who finished second in the U.S. championships in December, saw her direct athlete support stipend cut nearly 70%. At the same time Scott learned about her funding, by happenstance Lolo Jones brought attention to the larger issue. The Olympic hurdler and perhaps future Olympic bobsledder, who doesn't lack for corporate sponsors, posted a tongue-in-cheek Vine video about her $741.84 check from the bobsled season. MORE: NHL inches toward deal to send players to Olympics "I wish we could support everybody," U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. "But the truth is, our job is to put as many Americans that we can on the podium so we try to prioritize our support. … With our limited resources, there's no way we could support every athlete who aspires to be an Olympian." The USOC took a step toward improving athlete support Monday with details of a newly created foundation. Unlike most Olympic organizations around the world, the USOC receives no direct government support. It raises money and distributes it to national governing bodies based on performance. According to a recent USOC report supported by its tax filings, revenue and spending are up, but so is direct support for athletes. OLYMPICS: Where is Sochi anyways? For the past year, no governing body, and no group of athletes, has struggled more than speedskating. The USA's most successful Winter Olympic sport also has been the nation's most dysfunctional Winter Olympic sport, mired in a divisive scandal that has fractured the sport at the highest levels. There has been a skate tampering incident as well as allegations of physical and emotional abuse by Jae Su Chun, former head coach of the short-track team. Mike Plant recently took over as president of the board. Plant is an Atlanta Braves vice president and member of the 1980 Olympic speedskating team. Under his leadership, the board has changed its governance structure, developed a strategic plan and focused on fundraising. Plant is pragmatic about performance-based funding. "The guys who have a chance to be on podium receive the most funding," Plant said. "No one is going to get rich off of it, but they can take care of a decent standard of living. And it's probably the guys that are aspiring to be on the podium that's a little bit tougher. … I'm not trying to justify it. It's just the Olympic world where we're at because of the limited resources we have to deal with." Still, some of short track's top athletes saw their stipends slashed. Aly Dudek and J.R. Celski, who set a world record in the 500 meters last season, saw their monthly checks go from about $2,100 to $1,700. Travis Jayner, a 2010 Olympic medalist, is coming off one of his best seasons but saw his funding go from $1,500 to $1,000. The money U.S. Speedskating received from the USOC for direct athlete support is down about $15,000 from last year to $385,000, Plant said. Scott has to figure out how to pay her $500 rent and $350 car payment and eat. Her job, earning $14 an hour at the surgical factory will help. She never quite imagined she'd be picking up this skill set when she moved to Salt Lake City to pursue her Olympic dream. Three nights a week she puts buttons over screws on medical devices and labels in bags to send the equipment to other countries. Even with the job, Scott is worried about this week and the coming season. The surgical factory is closed for the Fourth of July holiday. "No income," she said. If Scott makes the World Cup team she'll be gone for two weeks at a time. "Again no income," she said. Scott played with her untouched bowl of soup as she described the food stamp application. "They ask you your hours aand why you're not working more hours," she said. Somehow training, eating, training, eating, sleeping may not sound like the best explanation. Nor do trips to Seoul, Torino, Italy, and Moscow for World Cup events. "It was just kinda low," Scott said, clearing her throat. " A low point." When she found out she had to get by on a $600 monthly stipend, she cried, panicked and called her father, Craig, in Springfield, Mo. Craig Scott raised his two daughters after they were removed from their mother's home when Emily was in third grade. Their mother, Carol, is serving a 12-year prison sentence on drug-related charges. Until recently, Scott would send her mother $20 every now and then, but when the cash stopped coming, Scott stopped hearing from her. After calling her father, Scott reached out to Olympic gold medalist Derek Parra, who helped her put together a sponsorship packet. She, like other Olympic hopefuls, has a page on the crowdfunding site gofundme.com. She has raised $190 in two months. Craig Scott has seen his daughter skate three times since she started the sport in 2008, after competing in in-line. But he plans to come watch her try to make the Olympic team at trials in January. The turmoil had an impact on the team's performance last season, which also is a factor in why funding was cut for skaters like Scott. The team has been divided by those who support Chun and those who sought the removal of the coaching staff. Chun and his assistant were suspended from the national governing body through the 2014 Games after admitting to being aware that U.S. skater Simon Cho tampered with a rival's skates at a competition. The rift between the two factions has continued, with a group of skaters still training under Chun, who is a private coach, and another group under new national team coach Guy Thibault. Scott was a member of the relay team that won a silver medal in the 2012 world championships. This year at worlds, the relay team of Scott and Dudek, who train together, and Jessica Smith and Lana Gehring, who train under Chun, failed to finish in the top eight. "They are on the ice right after us," Scott said. "Sometimes they say hi, sometimes they don't." Communication is central to a short-track relay as there are about a dozen bodies on the ice at once with teammates tagging and pushing off. The women's relay team barely spoke to each other in last season's first three World Cup events. As other countries watched the tense team practices, the Americans were quickly discounted as contenders. The hope is the team will somehow manage to co-exist. "You don't have to like me but you have to push me hard in a relay," Scott said. "This is our job."
The Elder Scrolls 6: It has been five years since Skyrim came out worldwide in 2011, and fans of the critically acclaimed The Elder Scrolls series are waiting impatiently for the release of the next title. While there still is no news confirming the commencement of the development of The Elder Scrolls 6, fans have the assurance from creators that the series will not come to a stop with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. But while that makes the wait that much sweeter, it certainly does not mean that the game will be coming anytime soon. However, despite officials from Bethesda pointing otherwise, speculation is rife that The Elder Scrolls 6 is indeed in development and the publisher is presently hard at work experimenting with several ideas. This probably derives from the fact that Bethesda usually pushes out new titles in the Elder Scrolls series every four to five years. This, according to many, automatically points towards the next game in the series landing some time by 2019. Those keen enough even spotted job listings pertaining to the next Elder Scrolls title posted on the internet earlier this year, giving rise to hopes that perhaps an announcement will be made at this year’s E3. But E3 2016 came and went, and so did every other major game shows in the world, and there were no announcements from the developer about the upcoming title. But Peter Hines’s comment about making The Elder Scrolls 6 “eventually” is not being taken lightly by fans. Bethesda’s last major project, Fallout 4, released during the last quarter of 2015. If the developers are assumed to have delved into the making of The Elder Scrolls 6 immediately after that, then the game may well be underway. The job listing that appeared earlier this year also falls in line with this assumption. Finally, many feel that The Elder Scrolls 6 will actually be a continuation of Skyrim itself. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was one of the highest grossing games of 2011, and the developers have since released a number of additional content to keep fans satisfied. Bethesda built the open world game on a new engine created specifically for Skyrim, and despite some initial technical issues, Skyrim was extremely well received by fans and critics. This gives rise to theories that we may be looking at the possibility of The Elder Scrolls 6 being located in Skyrim itself and be a follow up to the last game. However, we are sure the TES world has a lot of locations that Bethesda could set the upcoming title in. UPDATE: One of the most speculated games till date The Elder Scrolls is in the midst of developments where its creators/developers Bethesda Softworks are asking for more time for the final release. Todd Howard made revelations regarding The Elders Scrolls 6 as it would be something grand in terms of quality. The dedication put into the game by the whole team is worth each penny. Set in the map of Argonia, the latest game will possess an advanced artificial intelligence eventually having an ability to speak. Perhaps the new technology is yet to come to an existence. However, in TES 5, the Argonians were not given much attention which will fill the gap appropriately in the upcoming game of The Elder Scrolls 6.
By then it was too late. In 2006, Nikki White died at age 32. “Nikki didn’t die from lupus,” her doctor, Amylyn Crawford, told Mr. Reid. “Nikki died from complications of the failing American health care system.” “She fell through the cracks,” Nikki’s mother, Gail Deal, told me grimly. “When you bury a child, it’s the worst thing in the world. You never recover.” We now have a chance to reform this cruel and capricious system. If we let that chance slip away, there will be another Nikki dying every half-hour. That’s how often someone dies in America because of a lack of insurance, according to a study by a branch of the National Academy of Sciences. Over a year, that amounts to 18,000 American deaths. After Al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans, eight years ago on Friday, we went to war and spent hundreds of billions of dollars ensuring that this would not happen again. Yet every two months, that many people die because of our failure to provide universal insurance — and yet many members of Congress want us to do nothing? Photo Mr. Reid’s book is a rich tour of health care around the world. Because he has a bum shoulder, he asked doctors in many countries to examine it and make recommendations. His American orthopedist recommended a titanium shoulder replacement that would cost tens of thousands of dollars and might or might not help. Specialists in other countries warned that a sore shoulder didn’t justify the risks of such major surgery, although some said it would be available free if Mr. Reid insisted. Instead, they offered physical therapy, acupuncture and other cheap and noninvasive alternatives, some of which worked pretty well. Advertisement Continue reading the main story That’s a window into the flaws in our health care system: we offer titanium shoulder replacements for those who don’t really need them, but we let 32-year-old women die if they lose their health insurance. No wonder we spend so much on medical care, and yet have some health care statistics that are worse than Slovenia’s. My suggestion for anyone in Nikki’s situation: commit a crime and get locked up. In Washington State, a 20-year-old inmate named Melissa Matthews chose to turn down parole and stay in prison because that was the only way she could get treatment for her cervical cancer. “If I’m out, I’m going to die from this cancer,” she told a television station. 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. Mr. and Mrs. Deal say they are speaking out because Nikki wouldn’t want anyone to endure what she did. “Nikki was a college-educated, middle-class woman, and if it could happen to her, it can happen to anyone,” Mr. Deal said. “This should not be happening in our country.” Struggling to get out the words, Mrs. Deal added: “The loss of a child is the greatest hurt anyone will ever suffer. Because of the circumstances she endured with the health care system, I lost my daughter.” Complex arguments are being batted around in this health care debate, but the central issue isn’t technical but moral. The first question is simply this: Do we wish to be the only rich nation in the world that lets a 32-year-old woman die because she can’t get health insurance? Is that really us?
The 22-year-old armoured car security guard who killed three of his colleagues was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 40 years, the harshest penalty issued by a Canadian court since the abolition of the death penalty. Travis Baumgartner is the first to be sentenced under a new provision of the criminal code passed by Parliament in 2011 that allows consecutive parole terms in cases involving multiple murders. Previously, these would be concurrent, meaning a criminal facing a life sentence — even one who had committed multiple murders — could apply for parole after only 25 years. “The message that this sends out to the families is that things have changed,” said Crown prosecutor Steve Bilodeau. “It does matter that more than one person died, and a sentence will reflect that.” These are absolutely some of the most horrendous crimes Calling Baumgartner a “pariah of human life,” Associate Chief Justice John Rooke accepted the sentence recommedation reached by the Crown and defence. Under the new rules, Baumgartner was facing a maximum sentence of life with no chance of parole for 75 years. However, Judge Rooke said several mitigating factors made the case unsuited to be the “vanguard of life imprisonment” with no hope for parole. Among them were Baumgartner’s age, his lack of a criminal record, and his willingness to plead guilty, sparing the victims’ families from a prolonged trial. From last year:{“content”:”
Our Customizable Draft Finder lets you slice and dice the draft in more ways than you can imagine. Supplemental Draft Regular Picks Above Supplemental Draft Table Misc Passing Rushing Receiving Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 1984 1 Vaughan Johnson 15 LB 1994 0 4 7 60 124 4 12.0 North Carolina St. 1984 2 Mel Gray 42 RB 1997 3 4 0 11 169 19 99 1 13 164 0 Purdue 1984 3 Steve Bearden 69 LB 0 0 0 Vanderbilt Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 1981 1 Dave Wilson 1 QB 1988 0 0 2 16 53 551 1039 6987 36 55 45 23 2 Illinois
The Rams Head Group has announced the sale of their popular Rams Head Live! venue in Baltimore to AEG Live, headquartered in Los Angeles. The closing of the sale is scheduled to take place on August 17th. Rams Head will continue to operate the Pier Six Pavilion, but the General Manager of the venue will shift to manage the AEG venue after the 2015 Pier Six season ends. It is unknown if AEG Live will maintain the Rams Head branding. AEG Live is the entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance: touring, one-offs, broadcasts, sponsorship, festivals, special events with seventeen regional offices and thirty-seven state-of the-art venues. Related Category: Businesses, LIFE IN THE AREA, Local News, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT, NEWS, Post To FB
World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Bhutan : Nepali-speakers Publisher Minority Rights Group International Publication Date 2008 Cite as Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Bhutan : Nepali-speakers, 2008, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49749d522d.html [accessed 27 February 2019] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Profile An estimated 650,000 Nepali-speaking people live mainly in the southern belt of Bhutan and are relatively recent immigrants to the area. They comprise a combination of caste and ethnic groups, including Bahun, Chhetri, Gurung, Limbu, Newar, Rai and Tamang. Effectively, however, they form a single community bound together by the common Nepali tongue and the Hindu religion. It is this distinctiveness which makes them a target of discrimination and exclusion by the Bhutanese government. Historical context Nepali-speaking people began migrating into Bhutan in significant numbers in the mid-nineteenth century, eventually accounting for at least a third of the country's population. However, in early 1996 nearly 100,000 people from Bhutan - nearly one-sixth of the total population of Bhutan and the large majority of them Nepali-speakers, were residing in refugee camps in Nepal. This forcible exclusion took place as a result of a series of discriminatory measures pursued by the Bhutanese Government beginning in the 1980s. A number of efforts, principally the 1958 and 1977 legislation to regularize citizenship, culminated in the 1985 Citizenship Act. The act contained provisions to the detriment of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese people and was applied in an arbitrary manner. It was used to exclude from citizenship many people who were not members of the dominant ethnic group, as well as those who opposed government policy by peaceful means. A census operation to identify illegal immigrants and Bhutanese nationals, which started in 1988, gave rise to fears that those not recognized as Bhutanese nationals would be forced to leave the country. These fears were borne out by the arbitrary fashion in which the census was conducted, and by the way opposition to government policy among sections of the southern Bhutanese population was suppressed by government forces. After 1988 a process of systematic discrimination began, with people being required to provide written proof of residency in Bhutan in 1958. In 1992 'illegal' families were forced to sign 'voluntary leaving certificates' and evicted from land with little or no compensation, while those identified as 'anti-nationals' and their families were harassed, imprisoned and tortured. Forced eviction has been the main form of discrimination against, and repression and exclusion of, Nepali-speakers. Other more subtle mechanisms have also been adopted, for example the policy of national integration on the basis of northern Bhutanese traditions and culture, decreed by King Jigme Singye in January 1989. This policy has aroused fears that the government intends to erase Nepali culture in Bhutan by requiring the whole population to adopt distinctive northern Bhutanese practices. The cultural code imposed a form of dress - the traditional gho (for males) and kira (for women) - that was to be worn during such activities as schooling and visiting government and local administrative offices and monasteries. The integration policy also involves a code of conduct stipulating how people should behave on certain occasions. Failure to comply with the code has been declared punishable with imprisonment or a fine. The royal decree also included a halt to the teaching of the Nepali language. As a result of the discriminatory stance of the government, the arbitrary implementation of the citizenship legislation, and the intimidation and harassment of Nepali-speakers, a large outflow of refugees to Nepal began in mid-1991. Previously, only about 10,000 people had left Bhutan, but in June 1991 a campaign of forced eviction began. By December 1991 a mass exodus had built up, continuing until late 1992. Although the flow of refugees diminished thereafter, Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees in Nepal numbered at least 85,000 by mid-1993. Health-related problems emerged in the refugee camps, stemming from malnutrition, poor sanitation and disease. In June 2003 - by which time the refugee population had excelled the 100,000 mark - the governments of Bhutan and Nepal announced the outcome of a pilot screening process in order to decide upon the refugee status in one of the several camps. According to this screening process, less than 3 per cent of the residents were to be recognised as genuine refugee and allowed the right to repatriate within Bhutan with full citizenship rights. The enforcement of such an agreement was not only hugely unfair, it was unacceptable to the refugees as it would render the vast majority as Stateless persons. Current issues There has no resolution to the 106,000 Bhutanese Nepali-speaking refugees currently languishing in Nepal. The physical situation of these refugees became more precarious during 2005-2006, with the uncertainty of any continued support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Furthermore there have also been growing numbers of reports of sexual exploitation of Refugee women currently based in Nepal. During the political violence and insurrection in Nepal during 2005, there are reports of substantial violations and abuses conducted both by the Nepali security services as well as the Maoists rebels. Copyright notice: © Minority Rights Group International. All rights reserved.
FSU Fans watch the opening game of the season as the Seminoles take on Texas State at Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday. (Photo: Joe Rondone) Karl Hicks is focused on the opportunity – not necessarily the financial dilemma. South Florida’s return of 8,595 tickets for Saturday’s non-conference football game at Florida State has allowed the athletics department an opportunity to extend the special Youth Day ticket offer for a second consecutive home game. But Hicks, Deputy Director of Athletics for External Operations at FSU, admitted that even with the promotion, the school doesn’t expect to sell the full allotment of returned tickets. Saturday’s kickoff is 11:30 a.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium. “We will move a good number of those tickets, but I don’t know that we will move all 9,000 of those tickets,” Hicks said Tuesday afternoon. “It’s not all bad. It’s a great opportunity for the youth of Tallahassee to have a chance to come to the game – and those who couldn’t make it last (Saturday) – at an amazing price.” The tickets, located in the upper south end-zone on the visitor’s side, are $12 for youth (18-and-under). With the purchase of a youth ticket, adults may also purchase tickets in these sections at a reduced rate of $35. USF was contracted to receive 10,500 tickets – and 500 comped tickets. According to FSU officials, USF informed FSU on Aug. 3 that it would not need 4,500 of its allotted tickets. The Bulls two weeks ago returned 3,000 tickets. The returned another 900 on Aug. 28 and 195 on Sept. 3. While road opponents are contractually obligated to pay for returned tickets in games between Atlantic Coast Conference members, Hicks said that agreement is not in place for non-conference games. USF sold 13,000 tickets for its last game at Florida State in 2009, when the Bulls upset the Seminoles 17-7 behind former Lincoln High quarterback B.J. Daniels. USF, a 51-3 winner over Florida A&M in its season opener last Saturday at Tampa Stadium, is 7-18 in three seasons under coach Willie Taggart. FSU’s season-opener against Texas State last Saturday attracted 80,917 fans, just shy of a sellout (82,300). Texas State sold nearly 500 of the 2,000 tickets (400 comped) it received. Following Saturday’s game, the Seminoles don’t play at home again until Oct. 10 against Miami. “Our fans have done amazingly well – we sold all the tickets that we had,” Hicks said of the Texas State and USF games. “Unfortunately, (USF) has returned around 9,000 tickets. Moving all those tickets in a short period of time as we have probably will be a challenge. Can we move three to four (thousand)? I think so, we probably can do that. I don’t know if we will move all 9,000.” Tickets for Saturday’s game are on sale on Seminoles.com or by calling the FSU athletic ticket office at 1-888-FSU-NOLE or 644-1830.
Buy Photo Chris Johnson chats with wide receiver Nate Washington during practice in 2012. (Photo: George Walker IV/The Tennessean )Buy Photo In his latter years with the Titans, running back Chris Johnson found it hard to escape whispers that he was a "me guy," at times more concerned with his own numbers than with the team's overall success. Those whispers seemed to grow louder as Johnson's production decreased and he became more vocal about wanting a more significant role in the offense. But in the hours after Johnson's release on Friday, a number of Titans defended the seventh-year pro's reputation, calling him a quality teammate who was well-respected in the locker room. DAVID CLIMER: Chris Johnson's run with Titans had to end "There's not many guys at the skilled positions — most running backs and receivers — that don't want the ball, that don't have some sort of me-guy," said cornerback and team co-captain Jason McCourty, a five-year teammate of Johnson's. "Everybody in the locker room isn't going to be the personality that you want him to be. You may want everybody to be a Ray Lewis, but that's not everybody's personality. What I can say for C.J. is that he practiced almost every day for six years and played every game. He was durable and he was there. … He was a good teammate and guys enjoyed his presence in the locker room and on the team." RELATED: Titans release Chris Johnson after six seasons Safety Michael Griffin was a first-round pick in 2007, one year before Johnson was a first-rounder. The two players, who both sported signature dreadlock hairstyles, soon became close friends. Griffin said he had no problems with Johnson, who was in the middle of a six-year, $53.5 million contract, wanting to get his hands on the football as often as possible. "If I'm getting paid 'X' amount of money, and I say I want the ball in my hands because I believe I can get the job done … I want that as a coach," Griffin said. "I want a player to be hungry and want the ball. "I don't find that being a 'me person.' I find that it's somebody doing everything they can to help the football team out. I can't do nothing but applaud somebody for saying, 'Hey, give me the ball, I think I can get the job done.' " RELATED: Chris Johnson's top 5 moments with Titans Griffin believes the offense faces a sizable challenge in replacing Johnson, who gained nearly 8,000 rushing yards in six seasons. "I don't know what our plan is on offense, but it's my personal opinion that those are some big shoes to fill, even though C.J. had little feet," Griffin said with a chuckle. "A guy of that caliber who can get out in the open field — whether it's running or catching the ball out of the backfield — can hit home runs, and that's something you just can't coach." Johnson's most productive season was 2009, when he ran for 2,006 yards, added 503 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. He ran for fewer than 1,100 yards in two of the last three seasons, but tight end Craig Stevens — a member of Johnson's draft class — said he never witnessed a change in Johnson's approach or effort, never felt like he was a "me" guy. JIM WYATT: On Chris Johnson and what's next for Titans "The truth is I have a lot of respect for someone who practices every day and doesn't miss a football game. He took a beating every single game he was out there and he still ran hard every game," Stevens said. "The running back position is probably the most physical position on the field. Every time you have the football, you're taking a hit. ... I think he's a tough dude." Quarterback Jake Locker knows he will no longer be able to rely on Johnson, who had 279 carries and 42 receptions last season. "He was obviously very productive over his career here and helped this football team become one of the best rushing attacks in the league," Locker said. "I hope nothing but the best for Chris wherever he ends up and was honored to compete with him the last three years." NEWSLETTERS Get the Sports newsletter delivered to your inbox We're sorry, but something went wrong Top and trending sports headlines you need to know for your busy day. Please try again soon, or contact Customer Service at 1-800-342-8237. Delivery: Daily Invalid email address Thank you! You're almost signed up for Sports Keep an eye out for an email to confirm your newsletter registration. More newsletters Reaction on Twitter from some current and former Titans: WR Marc Mariani: "Gonna miss my dude @ChrisJohnson28. Good luck out there brother!" T Michael Roos: "It's been a fun 6 years @ChrisJohnson28. Good luck next year bro! CB Alterraun Verner: So Tennessee let me guy @chrisjohnsontwo8 go. It's a sad day to see a man who plays the way he played. What he sacrificed for the team to be let go. He's been the backbone of that offense for years! I know he will do great things for a team who feels he can still go! Much luck and respect to my guy!" RB Eddie George: "@ChrisJohnson28 you had an amazing run here. Truly one of the Greatest Running Backs I've seen ... You will be missed. #stillGr8yearsahead Reach John Glennon at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @glennonsports.
Religion, folklore and film are riddled with stories of the dead trying to communicate with the living. Technology has solved this problem, too. "To communicate on your behalf many, many years after you're no longer here and make sure that your legacy is being presented to different people in different ways, as you choose," said Moran Zur, founder of SafeBeyond. How it works SafeBeyond is an app that allows people to record text, audio and video messages throughout their life and store them in a heavily encrypted "digital vault." From a final farewell to a corny joke or a grandmother's highly coveted chocolate chip cookie recipe, SafeBeyond will send messages on behalf of its clients for up to 25 years after they die. Moran Zur is the founder and CEO if SafeBeyond, an app that that allows users to send friends and family audio, video and text messages for up to 25 years after they die. (SafeBeyond) Users schedule the messages to be released to their loved ones. Zur says many choose to do so on birthdays or on the anniversary of their passing. But messages can also be sent for events that would have been unforeseen to the dead — like a wedding or the birth of a child. To make that happen, the departed must appoint a trustee who will let SafeBeyond know when those significant life events take place. After the user dies, their recipients are emailed a notification telling them to download the app so that they can, one day, receive a message from the grave. SafeBeyond charges $47.88 to $95.88 per year for its services. Advice from the afterlife Zur hatched the idea for SafeBeyond more than a decade ago, after his own father passed away. "He was a man of advice, and I couldn't hear his advice anymore," said Zur from his home in Tel Aviv, Israel. "I realized that I never discussed with my father ... what will be the key for a successful marriage or about raising the kids and all that stuff because it wasn't relevant at the time." 'He was a man of advice and I couldn't hear his advice anymore,' says Moran Zur about his late father, pictured here with a young Zur. (Moran Zur) But it wasn't until 2012, when his wife was diagnosed with brain cancer, that Zur began to seriously consider creating a company that could save and store memories — worried his son, then two years old, might "never get to know his mom." Though his wife has since recovered, the fear of losing her prompted him to quit his day job as the CEO of a brokerage firm and begin developing SafeBeyond. Have you thought about what farewell message you would like to leave your loved ones? Try it today with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SafeBeyond?src=hash">#SafeBeyond</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qx7ZKbxC3h">pic.twitter.com/Qx7ZKbxC3h</a> —@Safe_Beyond About 25,000 people have signed up for SafeBeyond since it launched in 2015 and are actively squirreling away content. Most users are from Canada and the U.S., with a handful of early adopters from Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil and Colombia. There are more women than men using the platform. Digital diary Julia Rivard Dexter, a former Canadian Olympic sprint kayaker and the co-founder of a company that develops video games to help children read, was an early adopter. When she heard Zur's personal story behind SafeBeyond, it moved her to tears. "Right away, I felt compelled to sign up and try it out so I could save some of my memories and thoughts for my children since I spent so much time away from home," she said. Rivard Dexter has already stowed many video messages away in her SafeBeyond vault. She says she's building a "digital diary" for her kids to look back on when she's gone. "And that doesn't have to be associated with death. I think it really can just be a digital record-keeping of your life. I think if people see it that way, it doesn't have to be a sad experience." Keep tweeting when your heart stops beating With clever names like GhostMemo, MyGoodbyeMessage and Dead Man's Switch, there are about 40 companies offering services to people who want to be active online after they die. These types of post-mortem digital communication websites have been popping up and disappearing for the past few years. "When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting" was the slogan of one such now-defunct service, LivesOn. <a href="https://twitter.com/charltonbrooker">@charltonbrooker</a> When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting: <a href="http://t.co/5z4A2p3X">http://t.co/5z4A2p3X</a> —@_Liveson Despite their ephemeral nature, these companies all have one thing in common — to make death a part of our daily interactions online. "In Western society we are accustomed to think about death as something that is only to be dealt with in very specific and confined times and place," said Paula Kiel, who has been researching this phenomenon for her PhD at the London School of Economics. "And what these websites are doing is to challenge that perception and try to bring everydayness to death." Essentially, they're banking on a belief that in the future, receiving a message from the dead will be as normal as replying to an email, commenting on a Facebook post or uploading a beach selfie to Instagram. But what if the living don't want to hear from the dead? Digital dilemma Kiel says it's possible that messages from beyond could interrupt the process of grieving and overcoming the death of a loved one. "Because then the control over when and how I remember that person is no longer in my hands. The deceased actually has some control over how I might remember them." Paula Kiel is a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics who is researching websites dedicated to post-mortem digital interaction. (Submitted) There's also a risk that people could use post-mortem digital communication to reveal secrets or send hurtful messages. Kiel has heard of a case where a user took her own life and "left emails for all of her friends and family blaming them for her suicide." Kiel said "unless it's something illegal," there are really no rules surrounding what type of content you can send to someone through one of these digital afterlife services. But Zur says SafeBeyond has already thought of that. "We don't push the message. You'll get notification that a new message has been released for you, but you have to log in and watch it," he said. "If they think that there is a nasty message left to them, they can just decide not to go and read it. At the end of the day, it's their decision."
artisteer/iStock/GettyImages You may have read about the rarity of gold, partly because gold is a highly coveted metal. It's attractive, valuable and doesn't corrode or tarnish like many other metals. Gold jewelry that is well cared for can stay in its original state for thousands of years. Gold is indeed considered to be a rare metal – 5,000 tons of the Earth provides only about 20 grams of gold – but many other metals are much rarer. TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) In terms of abundance in the Earth’s crust, the rarest metal is francium, as there's less than 1 ounce in the world at any given time. However, you could describe many man-made metals as being even rarer because they barely exist at all. What Is Metal Metals are all around you – the gold, silver or platinum jewelry you wear, the iron, steel and copper that make up your car, and the aluminum foil you use to cover your food. Most metals are malleable, deforming then returning to their original shape when small loads are applied to them, but remaining flawed under greater pressure. Almost one-quarter of the planet consists of metals, and metals make up about two-thirds of all elements. The strength, high melting point, and thermal and electrical conductivity of metals account for their wide range of applications. Rare Metals Two of the world's rarest metals are rhodium, which is estimated to be three parts per billion in the universe, and osmium, which is estimated to be about 0.6 parts per billion in the universe. By comparison, aluminum and iron make up 8.1 percent and 5 percent of the Earth's crust, respectively. Other natural metals are much rarer than rhodium and osmium because they are unstable, meaning they don't have a single stable, naturally occurring isotope. For example, less than 1 ounce of francium exists in the world at any given time. This is because it doesn’t last long. Its half-life is 22 minutes. After 22 minutes, half of it decays to another element, such as astatine or radium. Sciencing Video Vault Man-Made Metals
Kanagawa prefectural police said Monday that two male police officers from Yamato have been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a junior female officer in March last year. According to police, the two officers, identified as Yoshinobu Mori, 35, and Yoshikazu Arakawa, 38, went with two other male policemen and a female officer to a karaoke bar. Fuji TV reported that the two suspects are accused of abusing their position in the professional hierarchy to order the woman to commit lewd acts by ordering her to strip, wear the clothes of one of the male officers, and forcibly kissing her. Following the incident, the woman sought the advice of a superior at the police station to which she was posted, Fuji reported. Information about the case subsequently became public last July. According to police, Mori and Arakawa were quoted as saying they were off duty at the time and drunk, and apologized for their actions. © Japan Today
1 Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated Islands (hereinafter referred to as Diaoyu Dao) are an inseparable part of the Chinese territory. Diaoyu Dao is China’s inherent territory in all historical and legal terms, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over it. 2 China had exercised valid jurisdiction over Diaoyu Dao for several centuries long before Japan’s so-called “discovery." In 1895, the Japanese government secretly incorporated the islands into its territory by using the advantages gained by the Sino-Japanese War. Japan claimed soveignty over Diaoyu Dao by considering it “terra nullius” (“land belonging to no one”) based on the “occupation” principle on international law. Japan’s such unlawful act is severely against principles of territorial acquisition in international law, which has no legal effect. 3 In 1895, China was forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan, under which the entire island of Taiwan and all of its affiliated islands including Diaoyu Dao, were ceded to Japan. At the end of World War II, Diaoyu Dao was returned to China in accordance with legally recognized documents, including the Cairo Declaration, Potsdam Proclamation and Japanese Instrument of Surrender. In 1952, the United States arbitrarily expanded its jurisdiction of “trusteeship” to include China’s Diaoyu Dao and illegally “reverted” power of administration to Japan. China expressed strong opposition to the backroom deal between Japan and the United States for Diaoyu Dao, which lacked any basis for legality.
30 R Markdown workflow Earlier, we discussed a basic workflow for capturing your R code where you work interactively in the console, then capture what works in the script editor. R Markdown brings together the console and the script editor, blurring the lines between interactive exploration and long-term code capture. You can rapidly iterate within a chunk, editing and re-executing with Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Enter. When you’re happy, you move on and start a new chunk. R Markdown is also important because it so tightly integrates prose and code. This makes it a great analysis notebook because it lets you develop code and record your thoughts. An analysis notebook shares many of the same goals as a classic lab notebook in the physical sciences. It: Records what you did and why you did it. Regardless of how great your memory is, if you don’t record what you do, there will come a time when you have forgotten important details. Write them down so you don’t forget! Supports rigorous thinking. You are more likely to come up with a strong analysis if you record your thoughts as you go, and continue to reflect on them. This also saves you time when you eventually write up your analysis to share with others. Helps others understand your work. It is rare to do data analysis by yourself, and you’ll often be working as part of a team. A lab notebook helps you share not only what you’ve done, but why you did it with your colleagues or lab mates. Much of the good advice about using lab notebooks effectively can also be translated to analysis notebooks. I’ve drawn on my own experiences and Colin Purrington’s advice on lab notebooks (http://colinpurrington.com/tips/lab-notebooks) to come up with the following tips:
For longer than anyone could remember, the village of Yiwei had worn, in its orchards and under its eaves, clay-colored globes of paper that hissed and fizzed with wasps. The villagers maintained an uneasy peace with their neighbors for many years, exercising inimitable tact and circumspection. But it all ended the day a boy, digging in the riverbed, found a stone whose balance and weight pleased him. With this, he thought, he could hit a sparrow in flight. There were no sparrows to be seen, but a paper ball hung low and inviting nearby. He considered it for a moment, head cocked, then aimed and threw. Much later, after he had been plastered and soothed, his mother scalded the fallen nest until the wasps seething in the paper were dead. In this way it was discovered that the wasp nests of Yiwei, dipped in hot water, unfurled into beautifully accurate maps of provinces near and far, inked in vegetable pigments and labeled in careful Mandarin that could be distinguished beneath a microscope. The villagers' subsequent incursions with bee veils and kettles of boiling water soon diminished the prosperous population to a handful. Commanded by a single stubborn foundress, the survivors folded a new nest in the shape of a paper boat, provisioned it with fallen apricots and squash blossoms, and launched themselves onto the river. Browsing cows and children fled the riverbanks as they drifted downstream, piping sea chanteys. At last, forty miles south from where they had begun, their craft snagged on an upthrust stick and sank. Only one drowned in the evacuation, weighed down with the remains of an apricot. They reconvened upon a stump and looked about themselves. "It's a good place to land," the foundress said in her sweet soprano, examining the first rough maps that the scouts brought back. There were plenty of caterpillars, oaks for ink galls, fruiting brambles, and no signs of other wasps. A colony of bees had hived in a split oak two miles away. "Once we are established we will, of course, send a delegation to collect tribute. "We will not make the same mistakes as before. Ours is a race of explorers and scientists, cartographers and philosophers, and to rest and grow slothful is to die. Once we are established here, we will expand." It took two weeks to complete the nurseries with their paper mobiles, and then another month to reconstruct the Great Library and fill the pigeonholes with what the oldest cartographers could remember of their lost maps. Their comings and goings did not go unnoticed. An ambassador from the beehive arrived with an ultimatum and was promptly executed; her wings were made into stained-glass windows for the council chamber, and her stinger was returned to the hive in a paper envelope. The second ambassador came with altered attitude and a proposal to divide the bees' kingdom evenly between the two governments, retaining pollen and water rights for the bees—"as an acknowledgment of the preexisting claims of a free people to the natural resources of a common territory," she hummed. The wasps of the council were gracious and only divested the envoy of her sting. She survived just long enough to deliver her account to the hive. The third ambassador arrived with a ball of wax on the tip of her stinger and was better received. "You understand, we are not refugees applying for recognition of a token territorial sovereignty," the foundress said, as attendants served them nectars in paper horns, "nor are we negotiating with you as equal states. Those were the assumptions of your late predecessors. They were mistaken." "I trust I will do better," the diplomat said stiffly. She was older than the others, and the hairs of her thorax were sparse and faded. "I do hope so." "Unlike them, I have complete authority to speak for the hive. You have propositions for us; that is clear enough. We are prepared to listen." "Oh, good." The foundress drained her horn and took another. "Yours is an old and highly cultured society, despite the indolence of your ruler, which we understand to be a racial rather than personal proclivity. You have laws, and traditional dances, and mathematicians, and principles, which of course we do respect." "Your terms, please." She smiled. "Since there is a local population of tussah moths, which we prefer for incubation, there is no need for anything so unrepublican as slavery. If you refrain from insurrection, you may keep your self-rule. But we will take a fifth of your stores in an ordinary year, and a tenth in drought years, and one of every hundred larvae." "To eat?" Her antennae trembled with revulsion. "Only if food is scarce. No, they will be raised among us and learn our ways and our arts, and then they will serve as officials and bureaucrats among you. It will be to your advantage, you see." The diplomat paused for a moment, looking at nothing at all. Finally she said, "A tenth, in a good year—" "Our terms," the foundress said, "are not negotiable." The guards shifted among themselves, clinking the plates of their armor and shifting the gleaming points of their stings. "I don't have a choice, do I?" "The choice is enslavement or cooperation," the foundress said. "For your hive, I mean. You might choose something else, certainly, but they have tens of thousands to replace you with." The diplomat bent her head. "I am old," she said. "I have served the hive all my life, in every fashion. My loyalty is to my hive and I will do what is best for it." "I am so very glad." "I ask you—I beg you—to wait three or four days to impose your terms. I will be dead by then, and will not see my sisters become a servile people." The foundress clicked her claws together. "Is the delaying of business a custom of yours? We have no such practice. You will have the honor of watching us elevate your sisters to moral and technological heights you could never imagine." The diplomat shivered. "Go back to your queen, my dear. Tell them the good news." It was a crisis for the constitutional monarchy. A riot broke out in District 6, destroying the royal waxworks and toppling the mouse-bone monuments before it was brutally suppressed. The queen had to be calmed with large doses of jelly after she burst into tears on her ministers' shoulders. "Your Majesty," said one, "it's not a matter for your concern. Be at peace." "These are my children," she said, sniffling. "You would feel for them too, were you a mother." "Thankfully, I am not," the minister said briskly, "so to business." "War is out of the question," another said. "Their forces are vastly superior." "We outnumber them three hundred to one!" "They are experienced fighters. Sixty of us would die for each of theirs. We might drive them away, but it would cost us most of the hive and possibly our queen—" The queen began weeping noisily again and had to be cleaned and comforted. "Have we any alternatives?" There was a small silence. "Very well, then." The terms of the relationship were copied out, at the wasps' direction, on small paper plaques embedded in propolis and wax around the hive. As paper and ink were new substances to the bees, they jostled and touched and tasted the bills until the paper fell to pieces. The wasps sent to oversee the installation did not take this kindly. Several civilians died before it was established that the bees could not read the Yiwei dialect. Thereafter the hive's chemists were charged with compounding pheromones complex enough to encode the terms of the treaty. These were applied to the papers, so that both species could inspect them and comprehend the relationship between the two states. Whereas the hive before the wasp infestation had been busy but content, the bees now lived in desperation. The natural terms of their lives were cut short by the need to gather enough honey for both the hive and the wasp nest. As they traveled farther and farther afield in search of nectar, they stopped singing. They danced their findings grimly, without joy. The queen herself grew gaunt and thin from breeding replacements, and certain ministers who understood such matters began feeding royal jelly to the strongest larvae. Meanwhile, the wasps grew sleek and strong. Cadres of scholars, cartographers, botanists, and soldiers were dispatched on the river in small floating nests caulked with beeswax and loaded with rations of honeycomb to chart the unknown lands to the south. Those who returned bore beautiful maps with towns and farms and alien populations of wasps carefully noted in blue and purple ink, and these, once studied by the foundress and her generals, were carefully filed away in the depths of the Great Library for their southern advance in the new year. The bees adopted by the wasps were first trained to clerical tasks, but once it was determined that they could be taught to read and write, they were assigned to some of the reconnaissance missions. The brightest students, gifted at trigonometry and angles, were educated beside the cartographers themselves and proved valuable assistants. They learned not to see the thick green caterpillars led on silver chains, or the dead bees fed to the wasp brood. It was easier that way. When the old queen died, they did not mourn. By the sheerest of accidents, one of the bees trained as a cartographer's assistant was an anarchist. It might have been the stresses on the hive, or it might have been luck; wherever it came from, the mutation was viable. She tucked a number of her own eggs in beeswax and wasp paper among the pigeonholes of the library and fed the larvae their milk and bread in secret. To her sons in their capped silk cradles—and they were all sons—she whispered the precepts she had developed while calculating flight paths and azimuths, that there should be no queen and no state, and that, as in the wasp nest, the males should labor and profit equally with the females. In their sleep and slow transformation they heard her teachings and instructions, and when they chewed their way out of their cells and out of the wasp nest, they made their way to the hive. The damage to the nest was discovered, of course, but by then the anarchist was dead of old age. She had done impeccable work, her tutor sighed, looking over the filigree of her inscriptions, but the brilliant were subject to mental aberrations, were they not? He buried beneath grumblings and labors his fondness for her, which had become a grief to him and a political liability, and he never again took on any student from the hive who showed a glint of talent. Though they had the bitter smell of the wasp nest in their hair, the anarchist's twenty sons were permitted to wander freely through the hive, as it was assumed that they were either spies or on official business. When the new queen emerged from her chamber, they joined unnoticed the other drones in the nuptial flight. Two succeeded in mating with her. Those who failed and survived spoke afterward in hushed tones of what had been done for the sake of the ideal. Before they died they took propolis and oak-apple ink and inscribed upon the lintels of the hive, in a shorthand they had developed, the story of the first anarchist and her twenty sons. Anarchism being a heritable trait in bees, a number of the daughters of the new queen found themselves questioning the purpose of the monarchy. Two were taken by the wasps and taught to read and write. On one of their visits to the hive they spotted the history of their forefathers, and, being excellent scholars, soon figured out the translation. They found their sisters in the hive who were unquiet in soul and whispered to them the strange knowledge they had learned among the wasps: astronomy, military strategy, the state of the world beyond the farthest flights of the bees. Hitherto educated as dancers and architects, nurses and foragers, the bees were full of a new wonder, stranger even than the first day they flew from the hive and felt the sun on their backs. "Govern us," they said to the two wasp-taught anarchists, but they refused. "A perfect society needs no rulers," they said. "Knowledge and authority ought to be held in common. In order to imagine a new existence, we must free ourselves from the structures of both our failed government and the unjustifiable hegemony of the wasp nests. Hear what you can hear and learn what you can learn while we remain among them. But be ready." It was the first summer in Yiwei without the immemorial hum of the cartographer wasps. In the orchards, though their skins split with sweetness, fallen fruit lay unmolested, and children played barefoot with impunity. One of the villagers' daughters, in her third year at an agricultural college, came home in the back of a pickup truck at the end of July. She thumped her single suitcase against the gate before opening it, to scatter the chickens, then raised the latch and swung the iron aside, and was immediately wrapped in a flying hug. Once she disentangled herself from brother and parents and liberally distributed kisses, she listened to the news she'd missed: how the cows were dying from drinking stonecutters' dust in the streams; how grain prices were falling everywhere, despite the drought; and how her brother, little fool that he was, had torn down a wasp nest and received a faceful of red and white lumps for it. One of the most detailed wasp's maps had reached the capital, she was told, and a bureaucrat had arrived in a sleek black car. But because the wasps were all dead, he could report little more than a prank, a freak, or a miracle. There were no further inquiries. Her brother produced for her inspection the brittle, boiled bodies of several wasps in a glass jar, along with one of the smaller maps. She tickled him until he surrendered his trophies, promised him a basket of peaches in return, and let herself be fed to tautness. Then, to her family's dismay, she wrote an urgent letter to the Academy of Sciences and packed a satchel with clothes and cash. If she could find one more nest of wasps, she said, it would make their fortune and her name. But it had to be done quickly. In the morning, before the cockerels woke and while the sky was still purple, she hopped onto her old bicycle and rode down the dusty path. Bees do not fly at night or lie to each other, but the anarchists had learned both from the wasps. On a warm, clear evening they left the hive at last, flying west in a small tight cloud. Around them swelled the voices of summer insects, strange and disquieting. Several miles west of the old hive and the wasp nest, in a lightning-scarred elm, the anarchists had built up a small stock of stolen honey sealed in wax and paper. They rested there for the night, in cells of clean white wax, and in the morning they arose to the building of their city. The first business of the new colony was the laying of eggs, which a number of workers set to, and provisions for winter. One egg from the old queen, brought from the hive in an anarchist's jaws, was hatched and raised as a new mother. Uncrowned and unconcerned, she too laid mortar and wax, chewed wood to make paper, and fanned the storerooms with her wings. The anarchists labored secretly but rapidly, drones alongside workers, because the copper taste of autumn was in the air. None had seen a winter before, but the memory of the species is subtle and long, and in their hearts, despite the summer sun, they felt an imminent darkness. The flowers were fading in the fields. Every day the anarchists added to their coffers of warm gold and built their white walls higher. Every day the air grew a little crisper, the grass a little drier. They sang as they worked, sometimes ballads from the old hive, sometimes anthems of their own devising, and for a time they were happy. Too soon, the leaves turned flame colors and blew from the trees, and then there were no more flowers. The anarchists pressed down the lid on the last vat of honey and wondered what was coming. Four miles away, at the first touch of cold, the wasps licked shut their paper doors and slept in a tight knot around the foundress. In both beehives, the bees huddled together, awake and watchful, warming themselves with the thrumming of their wings. The anarchists murmured comfort to each other. "There will be more, after us. It will breed out again." "We are only the beginning." "There will be more." Snow fell silently outside. The snow was ankle-deep and the river iced over when the girl from Yiwei reached up into the empty branches of an oak tree and plucked down the paper castle of a nest. The wasps within, drowsy with cold, murmured but did not stir. In their barracks the soldiers dreamed of the unexplored south and battles in strange cities, among strange peoples, and scouts dreamed of the corpses of starved and frozen deer. The cartographers dreamed of the changes that winter would work on the landscape, the diverted creeks and dead trees they would have to note down. They did not feel the burlap bag that settled around them, nor the crunch of tires on the frozen road. She had spent weeks tramping through the countryside, questioning beekeepers and villagers' children, peering up into trees and into hives, before she found the last wasps from Yiwei. Then she had had to wait for winter and the anesthetizing cold. But now, back in the warmth of her own room, she broke open the soft pages of the nest and pushed aside the heaps of glistening wasps until she found the foundress herself, stumbling on uncertain legs. When it thawed, she would breed new foundresses among the village's apricot trees. The letters she received indicated a great demand for them in the capital, particularly from army generals and the captains of scientific explorations. In years to come, the village of Yiwei would be known for its delicately inscribed maps, the legends almost too small to see, and not for its barley and oats, its velvet apricots and glassy pears. In the spring, the old beehive awoke to find the wasps gone, like a nightmare that evaporates by day. It was difficult to believe, but when not the slightest scrap of wasp paper could be found, the whole hive sang with delight. Even the queen, who had been coached from the pupa on the details of her client state and the conditions by which she ruled, and who had felt, perhaps, more sympathy for the wasps than she should have, cleared her throat and trilled once or twice. If she did not sing so loudly or so joyously as the rest, only a few noticed, and the winter had been a hard one, anyhow. The maps had vanished with the wasps. No more would be made. Those who had studied among the wasps began to draft memoranda and the first independent decrees of queen and council. To defend against future invasions, it was decided that a detachment of bees would fly the borders of their land and carry home reports of what they found. It was on one of these patrols that a small hive was discovered in the fork of an elm tree. Bees lay dead and brittle around it, no identifiable queen among them. Not a trace of honey remained in the storehouse; the dark wax of its walls had been gnawed to rags. Even the brood cells had been scraped clean. But in the last intact hexagons they found, curled and capped in wax, scrawled on page after page, words of revolution. They read in silence. Then— "Write," one said to the other, and she did.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a career guide for doctoral students in accounting. It is divided into three main sections: Foundational Guidance, Research Guidance, and Publishing Guidance. Foundational Guidance includes the following subsections: Research areas and research methodology, Seminal contributions to the accounting literature, Time management, Collegiality, and Faculty research and research expectations. According to a prior study 49 percent of accounting research is related to financial accounting, 20 percent involves management accounting topics, 14 percent pertains to auditing, 10 percent is tax related, and 5 percent is in the area of information systems. Research methodologies used for accounting research include archival research (56 percent), behavioral research (23 percent), experimental research (12 percent) and analytical research (9 percent).1 The authors recommend seminal contributions to accounting literature as foundation reading for doctoral students and provide an appendix for those papers. In the time management section they emphasize self discipline indicating that freedom with time is not free time. They also emphasize the importance of collegiality, e.g., providing others with feedback on their research The last section under foundation and guidance includes a discussion of faculty teaching and research expectations. The following table summarizes that discussion. Note that the first 3 tiers only include about 90 schools, so there are a fairly large number of colleges in tiers 4 and 5.2 As noted in the table below, Hasselback's 2013-2014 Faculty Directory includes accounting faculty for over 1,000 four year schools. 3 Also note that teaching expectations vary from 2 classes per year for faculty at the top research schools to 8 classes per year for faculty at tier 5 schools. Research expectations are considerably higher at the tier 1 and tier 2 schools with lower expectations at tier 3, 4, and 5 tier schools. Teaching and Research Expectations of Faculty* Tiers** and Characteristics Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 Tier 5 Examples Chicago, Stanford, Rochester Most Big 10 conference schools Many Big 12 and SEC conference schools with a doctoral program Carnegie Research schools without a doctoral program in accounting Regional schools Teaching expectations per year Two classes Three classes Four classes - Usually two course preparations Four to six classes with two or three course preparations Six to eight classes with two to four course preparations Research expectations for tenure Demonstrate leading scholarship in your area of research. Multiple "A" level publications. Two to four "A" level publications. Publications in "B" level journals carry significantly less weight. At least one "A" level and multiple "B" level publications. "A" level publications receive greater weight, but "B" level pubs are also valued. "A" level publications are usually not required, but publications do count. Publications in refereed journals, research journals, and conference proceedings Accounting Doctoral Program Yes, students place at Tier 1 and Tier 2 schools. Yes, strong placement record in Tiers 1 and 3. Yes, but placement not as strong. No No "A" = Publication in the top accounting journals: The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Accounting, Organizations and Society, and Contemporary Accounting Research. "B" = Publication in a high-quality journal such as the AAA section journals. * Adapted from Table 1 in Beyer, B., D. Herrmann, G. K. Meek and E. T. Rapley. 2010. What it means to be an accounting professor: A concise career guide for doctoral students in accounting. Issues in Accounting Education (May): 227-244. ** The first 3 tiers include approximately 90 schools. Tiers 4 and 5 include many more schools. For example, Hasselback's Prentice-Hall Accounting Faculty Directory includes accounting faculty for over 1,000 four year schools. Research Guidance The authors begin this section by saying that research is the currency of academics. This is because of the scarcity of research talent in relation to teaching talent, and the fact that research is peer reviewed. In a subsection related to generating research ideas they mention the Social Sciences Research Network as a source of current research papers and recommend reading papers in related areas such as finance. Ideas for research come from many sources including reading research papers and the financial press, and talking with practitioners, colleagues and students. The difficult part is not generating ideas, but deciding which ideas to pursue, i.e., ones that will result in a productive research stream. The authors also recommend developing a considerable amount of depth in a particular research area noting that there are economies of scale when you focus on a single research area. They also argue that you should force yourself to write and make research a priority. Before seeking a academic position at a research university a new Ph.D. needs a research pipeline, i.e., perhaps three or four working papers, typically from his or her dissertation. Publishing Guidance This section includes comments related to selecting a Journal for your publications, formatting the papers, the review process, and celebrating your success.4 ____________________________________________ 1 The research methods mentioned in this paper are narrowly defined as archival, behavioral, experimental, and analytical. For an expanded discussion of research methodology see MAAW's research methods section, particularly the publication by Buckley, Buckley and Chiang. A sample graphic adapted from this publication appears below. 2 See the Directory of Accounting Ph.D. programs and AACSB schools accredited in accounting. 3 Hasselback, J. R. 2013. Accounting Faculty Directory 2013-2014. Prentice-Hall. (Link). 4 The MAAW web site is a very useful resource for both potential and current Ph.D. students. The main purpose of the site is to categorize accounting literature from the past 100 years. MAAW includes over 150 bibliographies, by Author, by Journal and by Topic including the journals mentioned in this paper. ___________________________________________________ Related Summaries: AACSB International. 2012-2013, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 Salary Survey Reports: Executive Summary. AACSB. (Note). Bennis, W. G. and J. O'Toole. 2005. How business schools lost their way: Too focused on "scientific" research, business schools are hiring professors with limited real-world experience and graduating students who are ill equipped to wrangle with complex, unquantifiable issues - in other words, the stuff of management.". Harvard Business Review (May): 96-104. (Summary). Bishop, C. C., D. M. Boyle, R. R. Clune and D. R. Hermanson. 2012. A different model for doctoral education in accounting and auditing: Student and faculty reflections. Current Issues in Auditing 6(1): A1-A16. (Note). Boyle, D. M., B. W. Carpenter, D. R. Hermanson and M. O. Mensah. 2013. The accounting doctorate shortage: Opportunities for practitioners. Strategic Finance (May): 30-36. (Note). Gary, R. F., C. A. Denison and M. L. Bouillon. 2011. Can obtaining an accounting Ph.D. provide a positive financial return? Issues in Accounting Education (February): 23-38. (Summary). Grasso, L. 2008. The accounting Ph.D. shortage: Crisis or opportunity? Cost Management (March/April): 15-25. (Note). Hopwood, A. G. 2008. Management accounting research in a changing world. Journal of Management Accounting Research (20): 3-13. (Summary). Kaplan, R. S. 1983. Measuring manufacturing performance: A new challenge for managerial accounting research. The Accounting Review (October): 686-705. (JSTOR link). (Summary). Kaplan, R. S. 1993. Research opportunities in management accounting. Journal of Management Accounting Research (5): 1-14. (Summary). Kaplan, R. S. 1998. Innovation action research: Creating new management theory and practice. Journal of Management Accounting Research (10): 89-118. (Summary). Martin, J. R. Not dated. The accounting doctoral shortage and opportunities to teach accounting. Management And Accounting Web. https://maaw.info /ArticleSummaries/ArtSumAccountingDoctoralShortage.htm Martin, J. R. 2016. AACSB International 2013 and 2016. 2012-2013 and 2015-2016 Salary Survey Reports: Executive Summary. AACSB. Management And Accounting Web. https://maaw.info /ArticleSummaries/ArtSumAACSB2013SalaryReports.htm McNair, C. J. and B. Richards. 2008. Unintended consequences: Death of the teacher-scholar. Cost Management (January/February): 21-28. (Summary). Meyer, M. J. and P. L. Titard. 2000. Those who can ... teach. Want to exchange your Palm Pilot for a blackboard, get a PhD and go back to college as a teacher? The time to do it is now. Journal of Accountancy. (July): 49-58. (Note). The Pathways Commission. 2012. The Pathways Commission on Higher Education: Charting a National Strategy for the Next Generation of Accountants. American Accounting Association and American Institute of CPAs. (Note). Trapnell, J. E., N. Mero, J. R. Williams and G. W. Krull, Jr. 2009. The accounting doctoral shortage: Time for a new model. Issues in Accounting Education (November): 427-432. (Note).
Robby Mook totally dodged a question about Bill Clinton’s recent Obamacare takedown during a Tuesday morning interview on CBS. WATCH: “Robby, how would Secretary Clinton, if she were elected president, change the Affordable Care Act?” asked “This Morning” host Charlie Rose. “As you know, former President Bill Clinton had something to say about it yesterday in terms of people that were not exactly coming in as well as they thought they might.” (VIDEO: Bill Clinton Trashes Obamacare, Calls It ‘Crazy System’) “Well, uh, I, uh, I’m sorry, I thought you were going to play a clip there,” Mook laughed while readjusting his earpiece. “I’m really glad you asked that question.” “It’s a really important question because this is an issue that affects a lot of voters. The important thing is that 20 million Americans have health insurance today because of the Affordable Care act,” he continued. “It’s made a tremendous difference in a lot of people’s lives, but we need to do more to lower premiums, and in particular the price of drugs is rising way too fast.” “Secretary Clinton and Sen. Kaine have a plan to get those drug prices down, make sure families can afford them and finally do something about these premium increases.” “But does Secretary Clinton agree with her husband that Obamacare is a ‘crazy system that hurts small businesses’?” chimed in host Norah O’Donnell. “Well, what he was referring to was the health care system, both as it used to be and then sometimes what happens in some of these markets you know where basically the marketplace skews the cost,” Mook responded in total disregard for the actual question. “This is exactly why we’ve got to do something about premium increases.” Follow Datoc on Twitter and Facebook
Mercedes-Benz is about to expand its lineup of all-electric vehicles under its new ‘EQ’ brand with an all-electric compact car to be unveiled at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) next month. The German automaker confirmed the news today in a press release with the list of new vehicles to debut at the trade show. Out of the ~100 vehicles that they are bringing to Frankfurt (yes, they are going all out), a few of them will have their world debut at the event. They are bringing the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, a hypercar concept, and a new electric smart car concept. But the most exciting debut will be a new EQ all-electric vehicle: “A further Mercedes-Benz world première will be the first, fully electric EQ concept vehicle within the compact car segment. With its “EQ” brand Mercedes-Benz will in future also offer compact vehicles with electrically driven power units to consequently make electromobility available for an important target group.” The vehicle is expected to follow an all-electric SUV that they unveiled last year and aim to bring to production in 2019, which would make it the first vehicle under the ‘EQ’ brand to hit the market. Generation EQ, Exterieur ; Generation EQ, exterior; Generation EQ, Interieur, Pedale zum Beschleunigen und Verzögern ; Generation EQ, interior, accelerators; Generation EQ, Exterieur, induktive Ladeplattform ; Generation EQ, exterior, inductive charging platform; Several more new EVs are expected under the new electric-only brand within the next few year as parent company Daimler is accelerating its electric car plans by 3 years by spending $11 billion on 10 models by 2022. The new “compact” EV has been rumored to be a relatively affordable all-electric hatchback with long range. Unlike the new cabriolet all-electric concept that Mercedes unveiled last week, the EQ concepts are vehicles close to their production versions that the German automaker actually plans to build. The unveiling is planned for September 12. We will report back when we get more information.
In response to world shock and outrage, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday cancelled its appointment of perennial dictator and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as its new “goodwill ambassador.” In a statement, WHO’s director general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said he the global response to Mugabe’s appointment had forced him to reconsider his decision. “Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for NCDs in Africa. As a result I have decided to rescind the appointment,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised. I have also consulted with the government of Zimbabwe and we have concluded that this decision is in the best interests of the World Health Organization,” Ghebreyesus continued. The appointment had provoked disbelief around the world because Mugabe is more known for human rights abuses and presiding over an ossified economy than any personal dedication to world health. In 2008 the charitable group Physicians for Human Rights issued a damning indictment of Mugabe’s dictatorial and repressive regime, saying the mounting health care crisis in the country was entirely manufactured by an inept and inefficient government. “The government of Robert Mugabe presided over the dramatic reversal of its population’s access to food, clean water, basic sanitation and health care,” the physicians said, adding that the result was “the shuttering of hospitals and clinics, the closing of its medical school and the beatings of health workers.” Last week, Ghebreyesus had described Mugabe and his government in very different terms, suggesting Zimbabwe was “a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide health care to all.” Standing next to his 93-year-old appointee, WHO’s director general Tedros Ghebreyesus made the announcement in Uruguay this week while the two were at a conference in the South American country and confirmed his decision on Friday, The New York Times reports. At least two dozen health groups condemned the choice of Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador, saying they are “shocked and deeply concerned” while reminding people of Mugabe’s unenviable record on human rights. Follow David on Twitter
This article is over 1 year old Lt Greg Abbott of Cobb County caught on dashcam footage making remark to white woman during traffic stop in July 2016 A police lieutenant in Georgia has been moved to administrative duty after being heard on video during a traffic stop saying “we only kill black people”. Police hunt and kill black people like Philando Castile. There's no justice \| Steven W Thrasher Read more News outlets report dashcam video from July 2016 shows a white female driver telling Cobb County police Lt Greg Abbott she was scared to move her hands in order to get her cellphone. Abbott interrupts her and says: “But you’re not black. Remember, we only kill black people.” Police chief Mike Register says Abbott will remain on administrative duty pending an investigation, and that “no matter what context it was said, it shouldn’t have been said”. Abbott’s attorney, Lance LoRusso, said in a statement Abbott is cooperating with the investigation, and that his comments were meant to “de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger”.
Drawing with pencil, pen, or brush on paper isn’t just for artists. For anyone who actively exercises the brain, doodling and drawing are ideal for making ideas tangible. What’s more, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology, doodlers find it easier to recall dull information (even 29 percent more) than non-doodlers, because the latter are more likely to daydream. While drawing is definitely the artist’s stock and trade, everyone can make doodles, bypassing the kind of refinement demanded of the artist. Drawing, even in a primitive way, often triggers insights and discoveries that aren’t possible through words alone. Just think of all those napkins (or Post-Its) on which million-dollar ideas were sketched out. “I give no points for the aesthetic quality of a doodle,” says Sunni Brown, author of the recently published The Doodle Revolution, about developing concepts through pictures, “because the perceived skill has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the learning experience for the doodler.” A picture that’s utterly hideous may still have taught the creator something significant. Learning, not aesthetic sophistication, is the goal. Brown isn’t keen on “highly skillful doodlers” because she thinks visual language should be open to those who lack the talent or ability. In her role as doodle advocate, Brown believes that to make the practice into something that requires savvy would be as dangerous as suggesting that only people who excel at writing should ever compose sentences. Brown’s own relationship with doodling came later in life. Growing up, her doodles showed up mostly in the margins of notebooks. But while working at a consultancy firm called The Grove, in San Francisco, she “was re-introduced to simple, applied visual language as a form of thought.” After launching her own creative consultancy in 2008, she used the term doodling for this form of applied visual language and referred to it as an “act of cognition.” And she’s right—doodling actually changes one’s state of mind. It’s a calming activity that can help people go from a frazzled state to a more focused one. “You can use doodling as a tool ... to change your physical and neurological experience, in that moment,” she says. If lay people can experience nirvana from doodling, artists who make a living drawing every day must naturally be in heaven. But as the award-winning children’s book illustrator John Hendrix, who wrote the recently published Drawing is Magic, told me, a weird thing happens when artists grow older: “We stop having fun. As a kid you draw without any thought to enjoying it. Enjoying it is assumed! Then we get to art school and learn there is a right way and wrong way to make images. We must all learn how to craft light, space, composition, form, line and shape. But, then after that, we have to be trained to learn to play again.” For Hendrix, finding enjoyment is an essential first step to finding good ideas. For most people, the big question isn’t “when did you start drawing?” but “when did you stop drawing?” Virtually everyone drew and doodled at one point in their lives. For artists and non-artists alike, drawing is about more than art—it’s about the very art of thinking. Courtesy of Sunni Brown Courtesy of Sunni Brown Courtesy of Sunni Brown Courtesy of Sunni Brown We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke to French newspaper Le Figaro, and when asked how his country would respond to a military strike, he said, "The Middle East is a powder keg, and the fire is approaching today ... everyone will lose control of the situation when the powder keg explodes. Chaos and extremism will spread. The risk of a regional war exists." But is the Aasad regime threatening "a regional war," or is this a message on behalf of its ally, Iran? "We want it to be one and done, the president's made that very clear: Very limited strikes, very limited objectives – deterring, degrading the potential use of chemical weapons. He's doing it, our president, to show resolve," said former CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, now a principal with the Chertoff Group, a risk-management and security firm. "But guess what – Assad, and his Iranian and Hezbollah allies are going to want to show resolve, too, they're not going to want to give the United States a free ride for this kind of action," said Hayden, who added he expects "the Iranians engineering some kind of response." Iran does not have the capability to send a nuclear missile, but they may use "strategic reach" weapons, which is Hezbollah, said Hayden. "They could then use Hezbollah to attack Americans, American interests in the region, and perhaps as far as North America," said Hayden. The intelligence that the White House is using to convince Congress to approve a U.S. strike states, in part, "We have intelligence that leads us to assess that Syrian chemical weapons personnel – including personnel assessed to be associated with the SSRC – were preparing chemical munitions prior to the attack. In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack … Our intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that opposition affiliates were planning to use chemical weapons." Many may read that intelligence and wonder why the U.S. did not take action if it knew a chemical attack was coming. That would be the wrong conclusion, said Hayden. "It could be that only looking backward, having the information we now have, does it illuminate and give certainty to the information we had in prospect. Maybe it has this deep meaning only in retrospect," said Hayden. For more of our interview with former CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, check out the video above.
AMD’s first Ryzen chips are expected to ship in 2017, and the company has said that the octa-core, desktop-class processors are competitive with some of Intel’s most powerful desktop chips. Now a leaked set of benchmark results from a French publication suggest that AMD isn’t kidding. But Intel also has some new chips coming in 2017. BenchLife has spilled the beans on some changes in Intel’s roadmap, suggesting we could see some new desktop class processors unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. AMD Ryzen AMD had already demonstrated the 95 watt processor’s ability to keep up with or surpass a 140 watt Intel Core i7-6900K processor in some tasks. But you’d expect the company to cherry-pick the tests that show its processor in the most positive light. It looks like French magazine Canard PC got a chance to run their own tests, and they’ve found that that the Ryzen processor offers performance somewhere between that of a Core i7-6800K and Core i7-6900K chip in most tests involving video and graphics encoding. When it comes to gaming, the Ryzen processor is closer to a Core i5-6500 or Core i5-6600 chip. That said, while Intel still has the edge in raw horsepower, AMD’s chip should be cheaper and more efficient while still offering competitive performance… something that hasn’t always been true of AMD’s chips in recent years. Intel Kaby Lake According to documents obtained by BenchLife, Intel will show off its Kaby Lake-S and Kaby-Lake H processors at the Consumer Electronics Show. H typically stands for high-power, or high-performance in Intel speak, while S means “performance optimized,” or fast… but not as fast (or power-hungry). BenchLife says Intel has apparently scrapped the 18 watt Kaby Lake chips that had been planned for notebooks. But the company is bringing back its R series processor line with new hexa-core 7th-gen Kaby Lake-R processors. As far as I can tell, the last time Intel released R series chips was with for its 4th-gen Core “Haswell” processors with chips like the Core i7-4770R, described as a “desktop processor based on a BGA1364 (mobile) package with high performance graphics.” via TechPowerUp
Last time Barry Larson was up on Clearwater West Lake in Ontario, he had a "monster" that got away. The 54-year-old from Duluth was with his dad and had the fish on the line, "but I never did land him." "I kept telling [my father], I've got to go back and get him," Larson told BringMeTheNews. Fast forward about half a decade and Larson found himself on the same lake, and in the same situation – but this time, ended up with a nearly 50-pound lake trout that'll be mounted in his home. Catching the fish This embed is invalid Larson was on Clearwater West Lake the afternoon of Jan. 21, alone in his fish house but part of a group of six out fishing. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website And that's when he felt something big on his line. Then he saw it. "The ice was kind of cleaned off inside my fish house, and you could see through it when that thing came up ... it looked like a shark circling," he told BringMeTheNews. He called his friend via walkie talkie, saying, "I need help, I got a big one." But his cohort was about 5 minutes away, leaving Larson to hold on by himself. "Oh please don't get off, don't lose the hook," Larson said of what was running through his mind for those five minutes. "At the time it's just adrenaline and so exciting hanging on to a pole with something that big down there." ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website They had to use a gaff to hook the trout after they couldn't get it's head up to the hole, and the two managed to pull it out of the water by its tail. (The CBC has a more detailed blow-by-blow from Larson if you want the nitty gritty.) World record caught on the same lake They used a digital scale to weigh it right away: It came in at 39.8 pounds. The next day, a store's meat scale and it registered at over 37 pounds. Three days later, an official scale at a bait shop said about 38 pounds. It also measured 45.5 inches long, with a girth of 28 inches around the belly. "I actually thought it looked bigger than that myself," Larson said. "Trying to hold it up for pictures, I thought it weighed 100 pounds." A world record? Not quite, but close. According to the Timberjay, the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame says the record for a lake trout caught through the ice and kept is 40 pounds (it was also 43 inches long). Funny enough, it was also caught on Clearwater West Lake – the same spot Larson snagged his big catch. And it was done by a Minnesota man, Earl Palmquist of International Falls. Returning to the lake As for Larson's trout, he got all the meat from a taxidermist, and a friend is smoking it for him. And when the taxidermist is done, it'll be mounted and set right above their TV. "Got all the kids pictures there, take them down and put the fish," he said. And Larson knows a good spot when he sees it. So he and a group are heading back to Clearwater West Lake next week. "There's some nice fish in there," he said.
A great white shark bit into a kayak off the coast of Plymouth Wednesday night, according to several reports. Two kayakers ended up in the water but were not hurt in the exchange, according to Plymouth’s harbormaster. According to NECN, the Massachusetts Environmental Police said the attack likely came from a great white shark. The Plymouth-based Manomet Current reported that a Massachusetts State Police helicopter was called in to search for the shark. The attack was preceded by an earlier shark sighting. In that case, a kayaker reported seeing a shark attack and kill a seal, according to the Current. Advertisement The apparent attack comes after a week after Duxbury briefly shut its public beaches when a great white was spotted nearby. Two similar incidents in Duxbury and Marshfield turned out to be false sighting. Spotters had mistaken the fin of a sunfish for that of a shark. A shark was also spotted in the Taunton River, which has had its share of exotic visitors this year.
Ukraine has a long tradition of footballing success, with Dynamo Kiev having been the most important team in the old Soviet Union, providing the backbone of its national side for decades and winning 13 league titles. Ukrainian striker Oleg Blokhin holds the record for goals in a USSR shirt. And since Ukraine’s independence, its national team and top league have flourished. Currently the Ukrainian Premier League is ranked by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) as the seventh-best in Europe, one spot above the Russian Premier League. Ukrainian clubs such as Dynamo Kiev and Shakhtar Donetsk now consistently feature in the group stages and latter rounds of the continentwide UEFA Champions League, and Shakhtar won the 2009 UEFA Cup. (The UEFA has taken the prudent step of ensuring the current Champion’s League draw avoids pitting Ukrainian teams against Russian rivals.) The success of the Ukrainian league has burnished its appeal as a stepping stone for talented youngsters from Latin America and Africa, allowing them to shine on the European stage and attract the attention of scouts from bigger teams. Chelsea’s Willian and Manchester City’s Fernandinho started their European careers with Shakhtar. Ukraine’s football progress was thrown into turmoil, however, by the rebellion that began with the Euromaidan protests in late 2013 and the subsequent fighting in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Fans from Dynamo Kiev provided loud support for the Euromaidan protests, and the attitude of hard-core fans from around the country provide interesting insight into the nuances of the ongoing battle in Ukraine. In a rare sign of solidarity, the ultras — hard-core fans who often fight their counterparts from rival clubs — of Shakhtar and Dynamo voiced support for the Euromaidan cause, marching in protest against the pro-Russian movement prior to last fall’s Ukrainian Cup final between the two teams. Even with the presence of separatists in their city or region, the hard-core fan groups of eastern Ukraine, from Donetsk to Kharkiv to Dnipropetrovsk, all came out in support of Ukrainian unity. Fans of Sevastapol FC of Crimea issued a statement declaring their support for protesters and a united Ukraine. Despite this, the two Crimean clubs in last year’s Ukrainian Premier League, Sevastopol and Tavriya, have now changed their names and applied to compete in the Russian league. While the ultras are allied in support of a united Ukraine, they are far from saints. Much like post-Maidan Ukrainian politics, the ultras have divisions and varying opinions on the future of the country. In the past some groups of Ukrainian ultras were publicly criticized for some of their racist chants and violence against minorities, and some groups have histories of right-wing and fascist political leanings. The fate of Shakhtar Donetsk in the coming season is complicated by the separatists’ control of the surrounding Donbass regon. Until 2000, the Ukrainian Premier League was dominated by Dynamo Kiev, but since then, Shakhtar Donetsk has won nine league titles. The team’s fortunes have coincided with the rise of Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man. After the assassination of Shakhtar president Akhat Bragin in 1995, Akhmetov became president and began investment in the club that would see it become a dominant force in Ukraine and a fixture of the Champions League. Akhmetov, with his huge business empire and wealth, has become a major power broker in eastern Ukraine. He has publicly supported a united Ukraine and opposed Pro-Russian separatists yet maintained a friendly relationship with the deposed President Viktor Yanukovych. Though his power base is now a contested region, Akhmetov is adamant that the club will remain in the Ukrainian Premier League. But the violence in Donetsk makes playing matches at its home ground impossible at this point. Instead, Shakhtar will play its Champions League matches in the western city of Lviv and has moved its headquarters to Kiev. Akhmetov may be betting that the lure of Champions League football, which features the world’s best players, will draw fans despite playing hundreds of miles from home. Though one of his Brazilian stars, the misfiring World Cup striker Fred, has returned, five others still refuse to go, a potentially catastrophic blow to Ahmetov’s aspirations of a deep Champions League run. The owner has warned that this will not be tolerated and that refusal to return will be met with fines and lack of pay. Though negotiations are ongoing between the club and players, other European clubs such as Manchester United are reported to be circling to sign the players should an agreement fail to emerge. English club Newcastle United announced Sunday it signed Shakhtar’s Argentinian striker Facundo Ferreyra on a season-long loan. That means Ferreyra — one of the six who refused to return to the war-torn city — remains a Shakhtar player but will spend the season playing on Tyneside and Newcastle will pay his wages. As the Ukrainian Premier League season began this Friday, clubs such as Olimpik Donetsk and Dnipro joined Shakhtar in playing their matches in the western cities of Kiev and Lviv, far from their home grounds and supporters but still generating the all-important TV revenue. Though the season has started, it remains to be seen if this is sustainable even with these teams avoiding playing in the more violent regions of the country. Manuel Veth, a scholar and contributor to the Eastern European football website Futbolgrad, thinks that there might be trouble ahead for the Ukrainian Premier League. “The current political situation makes it technically impossible to run the competition smoothly,” he said. Though Veth said the country may soon stabilize, there is also a distinct chance of a “grim” and prolonged conflict. “It is possible that Ukrainian football might experience an Egyptian scenario, in which football could be suspended for a season or two,” he said. In Egypt as well as other countries in its neighborhood, security officials stopped the league program, mindful of the danger posed by allowing tens of thousands of young men to mass in stadiums to express their passions. Fans of Ukrainian football will be hoping they elude the same fate in the coming season.
CAIRO (Reuters) - New evidence of a sick, deprived population working under harsh conditions contradicts earlier images of wealth and abundance from the art records of the ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna, a study has found. A camel passes in front of the Pyramids at Giza in Egypt June 17 2007. REUTERS/Nasser Nuri Tell el-Amarna was briefly the capital of ancient Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Akhenaten, who abandoned most of Egypt’s old gods in favor of the Aten sun disk and brought in a new and more expressive style of art. Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt between 1379 and 1362 BC, built and lived in Tell el-Amarna in central Egypt for 15 years. The city was largely abandoned shortly after his death and the ascendance of the famous boy king Tutankhamen to the throne. Studies on the remains of ordinary ancient Egyptians in a cemetery in Tell el-Amarna showed that many of them suffered from anemia, fractured bones, stunted growth and high juvenile mortality rates, according to professors Barry Kemp and Gerome Rose, who led the research. Rose, a professor of anthropology in the University of Arkansas in the United States, said adults buried in the cemetery were probably brought there from other parts of Egypt. “This means that we have a period of deprivation in Egypt prior to the Amarna phase,” he told an audience of archaeologists and Egyptologists in Cairo on Thursday evening. “So maybe things were not so good for the average Egyptian and maybe Akhenaten said we have to change to make things better,” he said. Kemp, director of the Amarna Project which seeks in part to increase public knowledge of Tell el-Amarna and surrounding region, said little attention has been given to the cemeteries of ordinary ancient Egyptians. “A very large number of ordinary cemeteries have been excavated but just for the objects and very little attention has been paid for the human remain,” he told Reuters. “The idea of treating the human remains ... to study the overall health of the population is relatively new.” Paintings in the tombs of the nobles show an abundance of offerings, but the remains of ordinary people tell a different story. Rose displayed pictures showing spinal injuries among teenagers, probably because of accidents during construction work to build the city. The study showed that anemia ran at 74 percent among children and teenagers, and at 44 percent among adults, Rose said. The average height of men was 159 cm (5 feet 2 inches) and 153 cm among women. “Adult heights are used as a proxy for overall standard of living,” he said. “Short statures reflect a diet deficient in protein. ... People were not growing to their full potential.” Kemp said he believed further excavations in Tell el-Amarna would “firm-up” the conclusions of his team. “We are seeing a more realistic picture of what life was like,” he told Reuters. “It has nothing to do with the intentions of Akhenaten, which may have been good and paternal toward his people.”
In addition to having collapsed into tyranny, the nation of Venezuela has also seen their internal economy implode. They’re only able to produce a trickle of oil compared to their full potential and their capital reserves are nearly at rock bottom. Unfortunately for their dictator, Nicolas Maduro, they are also deeply in debt. They have payments with interest totaling more than four billion dollars due before the end of the year. What’s a dictator to do? He’s not going to make any progress with the United States since we’ve sanctioned pretty much everything down there that we can and President Trump signed an executive order forbidding American interests from taking on any more of Venezuela’s debt. So Maduro is turning to the host of other countries he’s in the hole with and would like a meeting to “renegotiate” things. (Reuters) President Nicolas Maduro said Venezuela would keep paying its foreign debt, despite an economic crisis and U.S. financial sanctions, but was also hoping to talk to bondholders soon. “Next week, all the holders of bonds with capital and interest due are invited,” he said in a speech late on Thursday to the new Constituent Assembly. “This week, we have already had some bilateral conversations (with creditors),” he added after emphasizing that Venezuela would honor all its debt commitments. Maduro did not give more details of what his government wanted to discuss with bondholders or where talks would be held. Anyone holding on to any Venezuelan bond should be getting nervous about now. No doubt some of his creditors will agree to some new terms and give him more time because collecting something is generally better than nothing at all. But Venezuela isn’t offering any details of how this would all work out. Maduro is telling everyone that he wants to free his country from the U.S. dollar, preferring to shift over to some mixture of yuan, yen, rupees, euros and rubles. But translating your debt in some currency exchange deal doesn’t make it go away. Still, he’s pitching reform based on a “basket of currencies.” (Venezuela Analysis) Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro announced Thursday plans to tweak his country’s currency exchange system for the sixth time since taking office. “Venezuela is going to … create a basket of currencies to free us from the dollar,” he said. Under the proposal, Maduro said his administration will fix the value of the Bolivar to a basket of currencies. Currently, Venezuela’s controlled exchange system fixes the Bolivar’s value to the dollar, though Maduro has long accused the US of an “economic war” against Venezuela’s economy and currency. So does this lead to a final internal collapse for Venezuela? Probably not. The way these things usually work out involves long term periods of partial payments and second, third and fourth chances to make good. Maduro can probably count on both Russia and China to help him get a bit of credit back in addition to continuing trade. The Chinese are still backing the dictator strongly and Putin recently said that additional sanctions against Venezuela would be a “waste of time.” Meanwhile, if you happen to be one of the rank and file Venezuelan citizens, best of luck. You still have essentially worthless money and no food or medicine in the stores to spend it on anyway. We’re witnessing the inevitable end of socialism playing out like a slow motion disaster.
In 2012, the Padres won 76 games and finished fourth in the NL West, and I touted them as a sleeper team heading into 2013, with the caveat that they sign some starting pitchers. They failed to sign any starters, and then when Cory Luebke had a setback, they were really behind the eight-ball. They would once again finish with 76 wins. And once again, they lurk as a sleeper in the NL West heading into the upcoming season. The reason? This time around, the pitching looks a lot deeper. Last season, the Padres were counting on Luebke returning by midseason, and as a result entered it with retreads like Jason Marquis and Clayton Richard in the starting rotation. This was a colossal mistake, not only in terms of process, but also results: Both players posted a negative WAR in 2012 and were even worse in 2013. Now, however, the Padres have five starting pitchers with average or better outlooks entering the season, and that's before even taking Luebke into account.
It’s hard to overstate Amazon’s online retail dominance. With 76 percent market share of online retail, it’s as if the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls entered your local rec league. No one can challenge Amazon today, but a newly announced partnership between Google and Walmart—allowing you to order groceries from the latter with Google Assistant, or online via Google Express, starting in late September—may ultimately present a threat. Still, it's a long-term long shot. In Walmart, Google adds a retail behemoth to its Google Express service, an online shopping bazaar in need of an anchor. In Google, Walmart gains a foothold in the voice-enabled future of commerce. Whether the alliance ultimately pays off is almost beside the point; the alternative was watching Amazon pull further and further ahead. Raise Your Voice Here’s a vision for the future that Walmart and Google are banking on: You realize it’s time for a grocery run. Rather than hop in the car and head to the store, or tap through items on your smartphone, you simply say, “OK Google, order my groceries.” And that’s it. Your preloaded list of frequently ordered items shows up later that day or the next, depending on where you live, or will await you curbside at a nearby Walmart. You can already pull off a version of this, as any Amazon Echo ad will tell you. In reality, though, it remains an untapped avenue for purchases. “Everybody’s trying to get into virtual assistants, what we call conversational commerce. They’re banking on the fact that people are trying to do this even though they really don’t presently,” says Krista Garcia, a retail analyst with eMarketer, which tracks the ecommerce space. Voice-enabled purchases may amount to as little as $250 million per year, says Jason Goldberg, SVP of digital marketing company SapientRazorfish. That's a tiny sliver of the $390 billion ecommerce market last year, according to eMarketer. Walmart’s total revenue in its most recent fiscal year was $485.9 billion. The biggest reason: It's a shoddy experience. “The majority of products people buy are inconvenient to buy via voice,” SapientRazorfish's Goldberg says. “There’s variance in sizes, configurations, payment operations.” Amazon Echo or Google Home can offer up its best guess if you ask for paper towels. But if it guesses wrong, you’re left with a game of 20 questions: How many rolls? Which brand? Single sheet or select-a-size? Repeat that for every item, and you see why most people would rather pull out their phones, or track down their laptop, or bang their head against the nearest countertop. You have to get it right the first time. Otherwise, there’s little point to using voice at all. Amazon has a decent shot at this, given how deeply it understands your purchase history. Google? Not so much, at least not before the Walmart deal. Google Express already partners with some big names—including Costco and Walgreens—but has such a negligible market share that it can’t reliably know what you want, when you want it. Walmart helps on two fronts. First, it offers an “Easy Reorder” feature that lets customers pick up their go-to groceries with one click—or in this case, one breath. The partnership also offers an even more important benefit to Google: data. If a Walmart customer links an account with Google Express, Google will gain access to their purchase history—primarily online orders, but in some cases in-store shopping as well. And that means fewer questions about just what kind of paper towel to order. ‘White Space’ In their battle with Amazon, Google and Walmart are trying to exploit their toeholds in two unsettled arenas: digital assistants, and groceries. Amazon has a big early lead in digital assistants. EMarketer’s Garcia pegs Alexa's market share at 75 percent, with Google Home taking the bulk of what’s left. But it's still very early days. And remember that Google Assistant lives not just in Google Home but in millions of Android smartphones as well. Which means that, unlike Alexa, it can pull in information from every part of your day, potentially powering a more attractive shopping experience. “We’d love to find a way for you to build your shopping needs, and we can not only remind of you what you might need, and what you might want to add to that list, but also remind you that it’s Thursday, you’ve got 25 items on your list, that’s more than enough to be over the free pickup threshold. You’re five minutes off of a Walmart on your drive home. How about we have it ready for you by six o’clock,” a Google spokesperson says. And while Amazon may have an indomitable hold over your TV and Crocs purchases, it has few inroads into the perishable goods Walmart built an empire out of. That's why Amazon wants to buy Whole Foods, a deal that moved closer to completion Wednesday when the Federal Trade Commission effectively approved it. “Grocery is a white space digitally for everyone in North America,” Goldberg says. “Nobody has traction yet.” Even with Whole Foods, Goldberg says, Amazon’s share of US grocery sales will still be about 2 percent. When you narrow the aperture, Walmart and Google look less like hopeless underdogs. They’re unlikely to sell as much total stuff online as Amazon, either monetarily or in sheer number of items—Amazon stocks more than 400 million unique items on its digital shelves, while Walmart sits at around 57 million. But by teaming up, Walmart can at least work to ensure that it keeps its existing customers as they move their purchases online. And Google can fold up its white flag in online shopping for at least a little longer. Google and Walmart have nothing to lose by throwing in together. The bigger questions are how much they stand to gain. Will smart assistants take over the world? Will shopping with your voice ever feel as natural as calling up a playlist? Will Alexa surrender enough of its lead to give Google Assistant a chance? Taken individually, any of those could be a long shot. Together, they’re a Hail Mary. But the only other option would have been not to to try, which is no option at all. And hey, even the Bulls lost a few.
Late 8th-century brooch will cost at least £8,000 and offers a ‘fascinating glimpse into what life was like over 1,000 years ago’ An elaborate Anglo-Saxon brooch that is more than 1,000 years old may be exported if a UK buyer is not found who will pay at least £8,000 for it. The gilt bronze brooch, from the late 8th century, is one of just 12 such ornaments in existence, and it stands out from the rest for the skill and creativity employed in the creation of its unique complex leaf pattern, which could represent the Christian tree of life. An illustration dating from the same period of the Virgin Mary in the Book of Kells shows her wearing a similar brooch, suggesting they were worn by high-status women. Experts said the brooch is of outstanding significance for the study of Anglo-Saxon art and material culture, but it could be exported unless a UK buyer matches the £8,460 asking price. Culture minister Ed Vaizey has put a temporary export bar on the brooch in the hope of finding a buyer to keep it in the UK. Staffordshire hoard: experts piece together rare warrior's helmet Read more He said: “This rare and beautiful brooch gives us a fascinating glimpse into what life was like over 1,000 years ago. “With an object as old and as rare as this one, it is important that we protect it for the UK in order to help us better understand what life, society and culture was like during Anglo-Saxon times. “I hope that the temporary export bar that I have put in place will result in a UK buyer coming forward to buy this brooch and save it for the nation.” Vaizey made the decision following a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. Committee member Leslie Webster said: “This beautiful object has intriguing stories to tell and it would be a marvellous acquisition for a UK museum.” The decision on issuing an export licence is deferred until 26 January to allow the chance for a UK buyer to come forward, a period that could be extended to 26 March if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it at the recommended price is made.
In an interview with CNBC, McGraw-Hill's CEO confirms that their textbooks will be on the Apple Tablet and it will be an iPhone OS based machine. When asked about rumors that their textbooks will be on the Apple tablet, Terry McGraw responds (2m 50s): "Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they'll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now -- we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one. So now with the tablet you're going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific."
Washington (CNN) -- The damaging effects of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will be felt all the way to Europe and the Arctic, a top scientist told a congressional panel Friday. Other scientists and researchers -- invited to brief members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee -- warned that the thousands of barrels of oil still gushing into the Gulf are contributing to a potential ecological disaster of unknown proportions. The briefing was part of an ongoing effort to draw on a broad range of expertise for what has been, in the eyes of many observers, a frustrating and ineffective cleanup effort. "This is not just a regional issue for the wildlife," said Carl Safina, the president of the Blue Ocean Institute. Noting common migratory patterns, he warned that multiple forms of marine life from across the Atlantic Ocean "come into the Gulf to breed." Safina blasted BP, the company in control of the well responsible for the spill. "I think asking BP for answers is the wrong place to look," he said. "They seem to have cut corners on some critical junctures. We keep asking their permission to go down and measure the oil that's coming out. ... This mystifies me, because they are on our property now." BP, he said, "blew it in a really huge way. Unfortunately, it's now up to all of us to figure out exactly what to do next." The National Geographic Society's Sylvia Earle said that asking for BP to play a leading role in containment efforts was akin to "relying on the foxes to look after the chicken coop." "The lack of knowing [the extent of the spill and the damage] is something that we should fear," she said. There is a "lack of understanding what the consequences of this action really will be to the ocean and then back to ourselves." The researchers disputed the value of trying to break up the spill by injecting chemicals into the column of pressurized crude oil erupting from the seabed floor. "We don't know effects of dispersants applied a mile underwater. There's been no laboratory testing at all," Earle noted. "Adding the dispersants ... is causing other problems" because the quantity used is likely to be toxic to marine life, she warned. Researcher Carys Mitchelmore of the University of Maryland agreed that there is a risk of doing more harm than good with the chemicals. "I'm very concerned, because I don't know," she said. "There are so many unknowns. We can't see these organisms dying and dropping to the sea bed." Mitchelmore noted that both the crude oil plume and the chemicals used to counteract it are "so hard to follow. It's much easier to see a surface slick." Safina argued that BP was using the dispersants as a public relations tool, so cameras can't see the extent of the oil slick.
By Ben Cohen A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article in the Huffingon Post on Chris Matthew's schizophrenic attitude towards journalism titled 'Will the Real Chris Matthews Please Stand Up?". I argued that although Matthews has the ability to engage in serious analysis, he often descends into hack journalism to satisfy MSNBC's thirst for ratings. Anyway, I came across this clip of Matthews schooling a right wing shock jock for his awful understanding of history. Kevin James came onto Matthews show and began frothing at the mouth over Obama's 'appeasement' of Iran, comparing him to the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (famous for appeasing Hitler). Matthews quickly pounces on the fact that James has virtually no knowledge of 20th century history, and has no idea what Chamberlain actually did. Matthews does not let him off the hook and shows why he has the ability to be a very good journalist when he wants to be. ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website
Vietnamese equities are outperforming the rest of Southeast Asia ahead of a long-awaited move in September by the government to finally dismantle a 49 percent foreign ownership cap on a number of listed companies. The benchmark VN index is leading gains in Southeast Asia so far this year, followed by the Philippines. The market has climbed 13.4 percent, with investors picking up shares in big companies. Vietcombank, the largest firm by market value, has jumped 55.2 percent while top insurer BaoViet Holdings has soared 90.63 percent. In the second quarter, net foreign buying of Vietnamese shares rose to $135 million, the highest for any quarter since 2007. The economy is growing at its fastest pace since 2008, and the country's leaders hope to turn Vietnam into a manufacturing hub with the presence of tech giants such as Samsung Electronics and Microsoft. The government wants foreign investors to capitalise the country's companies and help fund that transformation. Adding to Vietnam's allure, its stocks are the second-cheapest in Southeast Asia, after Singapore shares. "Foreign investors recognise that the market is cheap, and that the economy is arguably in the best shape it has ever been in," said Kevin Snowball, CEO of PXP Asset Management in Ho Chi Minh City. "In our opinion the foreign limit reforms put Vietnam on the cusp of a breakout." Countering the optimism is the market's small size and low liquidity. Market capitalisation is around an eighth of Thailand's and a sixth of Indonesia's, making Vietnam relatively more vulnerable to investor speculation. Foreign investors are also focusing their share purchases in the country's top firms and have yet to show significant interest in the hundreds of other smaller, domestic companies. So far, foreign investors have hit the ownership threshold of just 30 listed companies.
Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, will underscore his willingness to take tough fiscal decisions when he reveals he will cap child benefit increases at 1% for the first two years of the next parliament, and force all government ministers to take a symbolic 5% pay cut. Balls, battling to improve Labour's economic credibility in the polls, will defend his decision to back a fiscal stimulus in 2010, but will recommit himself to balancing the books in the next parliament, including by keeping child benefit rises below the rate of inflation and slashing ministers' pay by £6,708 a year. His announcement will come in his speech to the Labour party conference in Manchester on Monday, as Labour sources were also making it increasingly clear that the party will this week commit extra funds for the national health service, possibly by earmarking cash raised by reintroducing the 50p top rate of tax. The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said on Sunday: "I am deeply worried about the NHS in the next parliament. We are certainly going to make sure it does not lose money and we want to do more than that. We will be saying more about that between now and the election." He reiterated his promise to reinstate the 50p top rate of income tax and a levy on homes above £2m, saying these taxes would raise substantial sums. But he ruled out generalised tax rises to pay for the NHS, saying: "If you are asking 'do I think we should be somehow raising taxes now on everyday working people', I am very wary of that. My government is determined to tackle the cost of living crisis [and] if we are elected in May that is what we are going to do." The reference to everyday working people leaves him scope to raise other taxes. Miliband said Labour's decision to raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour by 2020 could save hundreds of millions by reducing the benefits and tax credits bill. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) criticised the plan as undermining the independence of the Low Pay Commission, and profits and competitiveness. With Labour trailing the government on economic credibility, Balls will recommit himself to balancing the books, saying: "We will get the current budget into surplus and the national debt falling as soon as possible in the next parliament." The Conservatives have the public finances on a trajectory to reach a surplus of £28bn by 2018-19, so Balls still has room to spend billions more than the Conservative plan. Two thinktanks, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Resolution Foundation, have pointed out that differences between the Labour and Conservative rules would give Balls scope to spend more than the government over the parliament, through higher current and capital spending. The constraint in Labour's capital spending comes through Balls's additional commitment to reduce national debt (which incorporates capital spending) as a share of national income. In his speech, Balls will promise to "legislate for these tough fiscal rules in the first year after the election and they will be independently monitored by the Office for Budget Responsibility". The commitment to cap child benefit increases at 1% in the first two years of the parliament will save £400m over the course of the parliament, taking into account that the coalition is already committed to the same 1% freeze in 2015-16. Balls will say: "I want to see child benefit rising again in line with inflation in the next parliament, but we will not spend money we cannot afford. So for the first two years of the next parliament we will cap the rise in child benefit at 1% … all the savings will go towards reducing the deficit. People know we are the party of jobs, living standards and fairness for working people. But they also need to know we will balance the books and make the sums add up." He will also defend his decision to restore the 50p top rate of tax, saying that "unlike the Tories we will always ask those who have the most to make the biggest contribution. Now cannot be the right time to give the richest 1% of people in the country a £3bn tax cut". He will also insist he did not make the wrong economic judgment in backing a fiscal stimulus in 2010-11. He will say: "Three years of lost growth at the start of this parliament means we will have to deal with a deficit of £75bn – not the balanced budget George Osborne promised by 2015. And that will make the task of governing hugely difficult." Tories claim a ministerial pay cut amounts to 0.003% of the deficit and that Balls's rules will allow him an extra £28bn in borrowing. Priti Patel, the Treasury Exchequer Secretary, said: "This speech is not a serious plan for the economy – Labour would put the deficit up and not down." Owen Jones, page 29 ⇾ Leader comment, page 30 ⇾
1 They're tough to design well It may not seem like a huge engineering challenge to make a door open up instead of out once you have the idea, but there are a few persistent design challenges that plague gullwing doors in particular. The first is that the weight of the door, which is generally pretty heavy, has to actively fight gravity on its way open instead of just pivoting on a traditional hinge. Fortunately you don't have to just force passengers to just lift the whole weight of the door themselves. One solution (which the DeLorean uses) is to use a torsion bar to help, a rod that's twisted to create tension when the door is closed, and that untwists and helps to lift the door once it's opened. And like the Tesla X, you can also just power the doors. But that's not all. Green Car Reports—which dug up a handful of of-the-record sources to talk about the Tesla X in particular—surfaced a number of other challenges earlier this year. You have to make sure the roof isn't going to warp at all. You have to find room for the torsion bars and power assist in the small part of the roof that is not part of the door. You have to make sure they are properly sealed. Gullwing doors have a tendency to be a bit leaky in the rain. Elon Musk himself mentioned it in an earnings call, as Green Car Reports points out, assuring that the company "has learned a lot about door seals." These aren't insurmountable engineering challenges, but they are challenges you can get around by just using traditional doors instead.
Last weekend, the hardest of the hardcore descended upon Los Angeles to take part in Call of Duty XP, a convention celebrating everything Call of Duty. Each attendee paid $150 for their ticket—but it's hard to quibble over the cost of the ticket when 100 percent of the proceeds went to a charity that supports veterans—and the closing concert featured Kanye West. A new Modern Warfare 3-themed Xbox 360 was shown, highlighting Microsoft's dominance in Activision's world. [partner id="arstechnica"]The full details surrounding the for-pay Call of Duty: Elite were also announced, and it feels like the series has hit its turning point: Activision is beginning to ratchet up how much you'll need to pay to continue to be competitive. If you thought a yearly release was excessive, this may cause you to yearn for the days when you only had to pay $60 for the game each year. Everyone will be able to access some of the social features of Call of Duty: Elite, but to take advantage of everything the service has to offer you'll need to pay for a $50 yearly subscription. Or you can buy the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3, which will gave you the game, a year's subscription to the service, and a lifetime "founder" status for your account. Activision is estimating there will be a jaw-dropping 20 pieces of downloadable content released after the game's launch, and Elite members who pay for the service will get them all. The content will be released monthly for members, instead of the quarterly releases we're used to. There is some audacity here: Activision thinks they can make a selling point out of paying for content first, before the rest of its fan base is allowed to buy it à la carte. Keep in mind this content is being sold to you sight unseen as of publication. You'll see this argument in many stories about the service; since you're paying less for the content if you're subscribing, it's a good deal. That's assuming you're the fan that already knew you were going to buy 20 pieces of content for the game you just paid $60 or more to play. There will also be celebrity-fueled video content for subscribers, and a number of features for clans that will add more hooks for players who are competitive. This is where things start to fall apart: you may not have to pay for Elite to play Modern Warfare 3, but you're quickly going to become a second-class citizen if you don't. This is how they'll get you ————————— Since premium subscribers will be getting the maps and other content before the rest of the community is able to buy it, nonsubscribers are going to be walking into content that the hardcore players have been practicing and mastering for days, if not weeks. It's going to be a bloodbath. There will be no moments of learning the new maps and modes along with the rest of the community; you're going to be going up against pros who know all the good hiding spots and tactical positions from your very first session until your last. Unless, of course, you're willing to pay to get the content early. Clan support will also be beefed up, with premium clan features that allow your clan to level up as well as your character, and to unlock items and features specific to your clan. Your clan could earn its own double-XP weekend, and of course you'll be able to compete against other clans and test your mettle. Both players and clans can take part in competitive matches for real-world prizes, and Activision promises these matches will be refereed by actual people, and open to players of all skill levels. Activision is creaing a lower class of gamers that will have to work much harder to compete online.If you want to be a part of a competitive clan, every member will have to pay, or else you'll be playing against other clans that get a head start on maps you can't access, and have the leveling advantage of XP bonuses you won't be offered. You could fight these advantages by setting up your own matches against other clans that aren't willing to pay for Elite, and that will bifurcate the community. There will be those that pay for the service who have a very real advantage playing online, and everyone else. Activision has a strong financial incentive to give premium subscribers as many advantages and bonuses as possible, and by increasing the amount of content released after the game's launch and limiting when the regular players are allowed to pay for content, it can create a lower class of gamers that will have to work much harder to compete online. The $15 map packs were a massive success for Activision, but it's clear gamers are willing to pay for more, and Activision is going to take advantage of that. For serious players, it's going to be hard to not pay for Elite if they'd like to keep up with the online community, and the constant drip of content and tips from the pros that will be included with Elite will make the players paying for the service even more effective at killing those that don't. We complained about $15 map packs, which sold by the millions, and now we have Elite. If Elite proves to be a success, I'm scared about what we'll be asked to pay for next year. Now that the players are going to be split between those who pay for Elite and those that don't, there is no reason to develop new features for non-paying customers. Welcome to the future. See Also:- Gamers Rage Over Call of Duty Elite Plans

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