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The Australian team has rubbished a report that its two opening batsmen, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, have been scrutinised for potential spot-fixing in the cricket World Cup match against Zimbabwe.
India's national wire service, the Press Trust of India, reported that the International Cricket Council has launched an investigation into the Australian pair because of their slow-scoring start in the match against Zimbabwe on February 21 - although it erroneously reported it related to the Australia-New Zealand match on February 25. Specifically, it alleged the spot-fixing element related to Australia only making five runs in the first two overs.
Shane Watson and Brad Haddin talk between overs against Zimbabwe. Credit:Getty Images
Australian team manager Steve Bernard, who last week had to contend with false stories in the Indian media that Australia captain Ricky Ponting had smashed a TV with his bat, said the story was "the silliest thing I've heard this week - and I've heard a lot of silly things since I've been here".
"I've just heard the story a moment ago and I'm not sure how to respond, except to say it would make a cat laugh. It's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life that a side can be 0-5 after two overs and that that's suspicious," Bernard said in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during a training session.
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(Adds detail on Citigroup CEO, analyst comment)
By Emily Stephenson and David Henry
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday rejected Citigroup Inc’s plans to buy back $6.4 billion of shares and boost dividends, saying the bank is not sufficiently prepared to handle a potential financial crisis.
The decision marks the second time in three years that Citigroup has failed to win the Fed’s approval for its plan to return money to shareholders, known as the “capital plan.”
Officials at the bank never saw the rejection coming, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.
The rejection underscores that whatever strides Citi’s chief executive, Michael Corbat, has made in fixing the bank’s difficulties, he still has work to do. Shares of Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. bank, fell 5.4 percent to $47.45 in after-hours trading.
Since taking the reins at the bank in 2012, Corbat has been working hard to cultivate close relationships with regulators in Washington. His predecessor, Vikram Pandit, had a famously testy relationship with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp’s then chairman Sheila Bair, among other regulators.
But even after mending fences in Washington, Corbat was blindsided by the Fed’s decision to nix his plan for paying out money to shareholders. His first hint that something might be awry with the bank’s capital plans came last week, when the Fed disclosed its views of how global turmoil would affect the bank’s capital levels, the source said. The Fed’s projections were much less rosy than Citi’s.
The bank, like its competitors, faces two opposing goals. It wants to have large amounts of capital to please regulators; it also wants to please its shareholders, and high levels of capital weigh on profitability.
Citi was one of five banks whose payout plans were rejected by the Fed on Wednesday. Three were the U.S. units of European banks. The fifth, Zions Bancorp, was expected because it was the only bank last week to fail a model run of a simulated crisis similar to the 2007-09 credit meltdown in the first part of the Fed’s stress tests.
The Fed said it approved capital plans submitted by the remaining 25 big banks in this year’s tests.
Corbat, said in a statement that the Citigroup is “deeply disappointed” by the Fed’s decision and that the bank’s request for returning additional capital to shareholders was modest.
Last year, the Fed granted Citigroup permission to buy back $1.2 billion worth of shares and said it could continue to pay $120 million a year in dividends, representing a quarterly rate of a penny a share.
This year Citigroup sought to spend more than five times as much buying back shares and to lift its quarterly dividend to 5 cents a share. The bank earned $13.67 billion last year.
Analysts, on average, had estimated that Citigroup’s quarterly dividend would increase to 12 cents per share, according to surveys by Thomson Reuters.
ANALYSTS SEE PROBLEMS IN CITI’S COMPLEXITY
On Wednesday, the Fed said that Citigroup has improved its risk management practices in recent years, but the bank cannot determine well enough how its revenue and income would be hurt under stressful scenarios around the world. The bank’s internal examination process does not sufficiently consider how global crises could influence its broad number of businesses, the Fed added.
In 2012, the Fed rejected the plan by Citi’s then CEO Pandit, a step that contributed to his ouster in October of that year. In the 2012 test, Citigroup did not prove to the Fed’s satisfaction that it could adequately measure risk in loans to some consumers in Southeast Asia, where credit rating standards are not as well developed as in the United States, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Fed said on Wednesday that some of Citigroup’s deficiencies had been “previously identified by supervisors as requiring attention” and that “there was not sufficient improvement.”
A Fed official said that regulators had raised their expectations for banks with each set of stress tests, and it expected improvements in areas that had previously been identified as needing work.
Citigroup’s complexity — it operates in over 100 countries, and was built over decades of acquisitions — may be working against it, analysts said.
“Citi needs to make this defeat into victory by improving the pace of restructuring,” said Mike Mayo, an analyst at CLSA, saying the bank should consider breaking itself up more dramtically than it already has.
The other banks blocked by the Fed on Wednesday in their plans for higher dividends or share buybacks were the U.S. units of HSBC, RBS and Santander, due to weaknesses in their capital planning processes.
Zions, the fifth bank whose plan was barred, was the only bank out of 30 to miss minimum hurdles for regulatory capital in a first stage of the stress tests, which simulate a future crisis as severe as the 2007-09 credit meltdown.
“Both the firms and supervisors have more work to do as we continue to raise expectations for the quality of risk management in the nation’s largest banks,” Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo said in a statement on Wednesday.
The five banks can continue with shareholder payouts at the same pace as they did last year. They can also change their proposals and resubmit them, a move that Citigroup said it is considering.
Fed officials told reporters that capital distributions at the banks had been sufficiently modest in past years that they could continue at current levels without hurting the firms.
The Fed’s criticism of internal controls, risk-identification and other planning elements at the foreign banks underscores regulators’ concerns about the safety of those firms’ operations in the United States.
Foreign banks will have to wall off their U.S. units and meet tougher capital requirements under rules recently finalized by the Fed.
The Fed has said HSBC, RBS and Santander all would likely fall under those new rules.
Two large Wall Street banks, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, had to resubmit their capital plans after seeing their first set of stress test results.
Bank of America received approval to increase its quarterly dividend to 5 cents per share from 1 cent per share previously, and approval for the authorization a new $4.0 billion share buyback program. Last year, the Federal Reserve approved Bank of America’s request to redeem $5.5 billion in preferred stock and $5.0 billion in common shares.
The annual tests aim to determine whether banks are robust enough to weather the next crisis. Under the toughest stress scenario considered this year, the banks had to show how they would cope with the stock market falling by 50 percent. The eight biggest banks had to weigh the impact of a default by their largest derivatives trading counterparty.
Last week, the Fed looked at what the banks’ capital levels would look like in stress scenarios, assuming they did not change their payouts to investors. In the results released on Wednesday, regulators looked at whether banks could carry out their planned capital distributions and still maintain a buffer in a downturn. (Reporting by David Henry in New York and Emily Stephenson in Washington; Additional reporting by Douwe Miedema in Washington, and Peter Rudegeair and Lauren Tara LaCapra in New York; Editing by Dan Wilchins and Leslie Adler)
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FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2013, file photo, former FBI Director Robert Mueller is seated before President Barack Obama and FBI Director James Comey arrive at an installation ceremony at FBI Headquarters in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
A Washington restaurant is offering a special $5 "Moscow Mueller" drink every time special counsel Robert Mueller indicts an associate of President Donald Trump.
The Bird DC promoted the offer on Twitter Wednesday and added the hashtag "#muellertime."
The drink's name is a play on the popular Moscow Mule, a beverage made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. Mueller is investigating potential links between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign.
In August, The Bird DC announced all happy hour drinks would be $4 any time Trump fires a White House official.
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TouchArcade Rating:
It’s another Wednesday night, and another huge batch of new iOS game releases. I mean, there are a lot of new games this week. Some really great stuff too, like Block Fortress: War, Mines of Mars and Devious Dungeon. It feels like the past few weeks have been especially good for new games, making this year already off to a great start and it stands to just keep getting better. App Store and forum links below, make sure you clear some time in your schedule to tackle some of these new games.
1Path
iTunes Description
Redefine the connecting game. 1Path is a puzzle & action game with simple style. You are a circle who will save your friend after their color has been stolen.
Forum Thread: 1Path – Redefine the connecting game
5BY5 Brain Game
iTunes Description
Designed for iOS 7 and only available on the Apple App Store. 5BY5 Brain Game is a fresh new puzzle strategy game that has never been seen before! The game features logic like sudoku mixed with bejeweled. Slide numbered tiles up and down, left and right. Match colors to gain points when groups of tiles add to 5. Tease your brain with an interesting mix of game play elements in this free strategy puzzler. Challenge yourself in TIME and MOVE modes or compete with your friends on Facebook and Game Center.
Forum Thread: 5BY5 Brain Game – (by Isotope 244)
Ace Fishing: Wild Catch
iTunes Description
Journey to the world’s most beautiful destinations and fish for real in paradise! Jump into paradise blue and experience the ultimate 3D fishing adventure!
Forum Thread: Ace Fishing: Wild Catch – (by Com2uS USA, Inc.)
Adventure Land – The Rogue Run of Random Heroes
iTunes Description
Get ready for the ride of your life! In Adventure Land you never know how your the next run is going to be. Create characters with crazy combinations of attributes and skills, take them for a walk across the lands of a wacky world and fight against even crazier monsters. Ready? Let the adventure begin!
Forum Thread: Adventure Land – The Rogue Run of Random Heroes
Air Hockey Mania – Disky
iTunes Description
Disky is the fastest party game in the App-Store, as well as an intensely addictive single player game. Its awesome physics-based gameplay allows for incredible depth, while still requiring only seconds to learn. The player’s goal is to slingshot colored disks into the opponent’s court.
However, there is a catch; the multicolored laser will block disks that aren’t of the same color.
Forum Thread: Air Hockey Mania – Disky (by Crazy Labs)
Block Fortress: War
iTunes Description
Welcome to the Blockverse: an alternate and blocky dimension, home to a diverse collection of alien civilizations. These creatures have been waging war for eons, and now you can take control of an army and join the fray!
Forum Thread: Block Fortress: War – (by Foursaken Media)
Bloo Kid 2
iTunes Description
The long awaited sequel to the award-winning platformer “Bloo Kid" is here!
After rescuing his girlfriend from the hands of the evil wizard, Bloo Kid and Pink Girl enjoy life with their newborn “Pink Kid". But then, a whole new adventure starts just out of the bloo… Bloo Kid 2 is a classic 2D retro-style platformer experience with lovely designed pixel-graphics and a full chiptune soundtrack. Run, jump and swim your way through three huge worlds with nine levels each. Master brutal bossfights and discover lots of secrets in the world of Bloo Kid 2.
Forum Thread: Bloo Kid 2 (by Jorg Winterstein)
Calling All Mixels
iTunes Description
Rescue Mixels and use their unique powers to defend your turf in this mixed-up hybrid of action and tower defense! Mixels are unique creatures who live to combine! They love to mix with each other to discover powerful new abilities. They also love to mix together anything they find in their world. You never know what you might get with the right mix. Combine two of your favorite Mixels to unlock amazing new powers. Will you mix a fiery Infernite with a rock solid Cragster? How about a shocking Electroid? Create hybrid powers from cross-tribe Mixes, or combine three of the same tribe to make a massive Max! Collect items as you play, then mix them together to create new defenses and Cubit Collectors. Build towers for defense, then run around with your squad of Mixels, using your elemental powers to stop the invading Nixels. Max out your Mixels experience! Explore different lands as you look for your captured buddies, and go on quests to earn bonus rewards. Collect building instructions and inspirations, and even watch custom animation of your favorite Mixels.
Forum Thread: Calling All Mixels (by Cartoon Network)
Cashflow – The Investing Game
iTunes Description
Claw your way out of the Rat Race, build your CASHFLOW Empire and claim dominion over the realm (realm being your living room)! Based on the original board game proclaimed as “Monopoly® on Steroids” by USA Today, learn what it takes to build real wealth – all while having fun playing a game. Begin the game in the Rat Race working in a variety of professions and work your way to become the next business or real estate mogul. Avoid the pitfalls of bad deals, friends asking for handouts, and getting laid off from your job. Craft your strategy to get out of the Rat Race using real estate, business, and the stock market and master CASHFLOW – The Investing Game!
Forum Thread: CASHFLOW – The Investing Game (by Torn Screen Entertainment)
Cloud Breaker
iTunes Description
Cloud Breaker is a modern force of block breaking bliss. The challenge is free form— pull apart and arrange a cloud of blocks by color as quickly as you can. Collect bonus time for solving a puzzle with just a few moves, and use that to reach the most challenging stages.
Forum Thread: Cloud Breaker (by Axis Sivitz)
Codestorm
iTunes Description
codestorm is a new breed of ULTRA HARD arcade game. The premise is simple, tap to change direction of your ship as it hurtles through hyperspace and avoid the laser walls that some pesky martian villain left lying about. In theory, this all sounds fine, however, in practice… well, practice is what you’re going to need a lot of if you’re going to own the leaderboards in codestorm!
Forum Thread: codestorm (by POLYGAMe Digital)
Colors – A color matching game
iTunes Description
Welcome to a colorful world! Match colors by drawing lines with your finger and pop the same colored balls before they overwhelm you! + Simple gameplay, optimized for one finger play.
+ Over 1.000 hand picked colors to make unique games every time you play.
+ Collect golds to activate power ups or save them for the following game.
+ 3 power ups which pops randomly in the game.
+ Local, friends and global game center leaderboards.
Forum Thread: Colors – a color matching game (by PaintPuzz)
Demolition Crush
iTunes Description
Prepare for intelligent and explosive fun. In Demolition Crush, you destroy stuff with logic! Ever since he was a child, our hero has dreamed of blowing things up. Now he’s all grown up, it’s up to you to help make that dream come true. So let’s demolish buildings like pros – loudly, boldly and with cunning strategy. In Demolition Crush, you’ll need your wits to blast down each structure below the required height – and with only the bombs you’re given. Plan your demolition, position the explosives and hit the button for maximum damage!
Forum Thread: Demolition Crush – (by Ganimedes Ltd)
Devious Dungeon
iTunes Description
Devious Dungeon is a medieval action platforming game by the creators of Random Heroes and League of Evil! The catacombs under the Kingdom are infested with evil creatures. You must venture deep within the dungeons eliminating the threat! Slay monsters, collect loot, level up and upgrade your gear. Only a true champion will be victorious!
Forum Thread: Devious Dungeon (By Ravenous Games Inc.)
Doggins
iTunes Description
Doggins is a quiet adventure that follows a dreaming terrier’s battle of wits with a villainous monocled squirrel. Explore and solve puzzles on the moon as you unravel a plot to reverse the history of human invention! Doggins lives in an ordinary house between endless other ordinary houses. He sleeps in an ordinary bed under a tall, but otherwise ordinary window. And every night, he dreams of adventure. On this particular night, his arrival on the moon disrupts the schemes of a diabolically genius squirrel named Fitzwilliam.
Forum Thread: Doggins (by Brain&Brain)
Eets Munchies
iTunes Description
A beautiful puzzle game for the whole family! Eets Munchies is a re-imagining of the award-winning puzzle game by Klei Entertainment. Featuring gorgeous animation and ridiculous creatures, players help an adorable hungry creature devour cake in increasingly devious puzzles. Replay the game forever with the Puzzle Maker and challenge your friends with your own mind-bending puzzles!
Forum Thread: Eets Munchies (by Klei Entertainment)
Faif
iTunes Description
Faif is a puzzle/rpg game with a unique battle system based on gambling. Try to defeat as many opponents as you can and unravel the secret story behind the game. After choosing 5 adjacent tiles you only get one! Play wisely with the odds and defeat your enemies before they defeat you.
Forum Thread: Faif (by Nicolas Saraintaris)
Firefighter Simulator 3D
iTunes Description
Have you ever had the dream to become a Fireman? Now you can! Play Firefighter Simulator 3D and save citizens from dangerous fires! Make your way to the fire point by driving different fire trucks! Use your siren to aware everyone about the disaster! Pilot the Fire Department Helicopter to put out bigger fires! Increasing your XP Points will give you acces to newer trucks!
Forum Thread: Firefighter Simulator 3D (by Ovilex Soft)
Four Pigs Soccer
iTunes Description
An irresistible party changer!
For friends to mingle and an ice-breaker to crack the silence!
Download now and get free rewards every day!
A bag of excitement, loads of FUN, and full of energy!
Stop fiddling with your smartphone and join your friends in a battle of the fingers!
Forum Thread: Four Pigs Soccer (by YOOOOO)
Frontline Commando 2
iTunes Description
Betrayed and left for dead, you must build your team of mercenaries and exact revenge against your enemies. Recruit and train soldiers to lead the ultimate team into battle! Choose from 65 possible unique squad members. Lead your squad to victory through 40 unique missions and 13 elite challenges. Think you have an unstoppable squad? Challenge other players for the ultimate bragging rights in PVP! Shoot your way through 7 destructible battlefields! Take on snipers, heavy weapon specialists, tanks, helicopters, flying drones and more! Maximize your firepower with multiple, upgradable weapon classes including sniper rifles, assault rifles, shotguns and machine guns. Utilize special gear such as drones, grenades and RPGs.
Forum Thread: Frontline Commando 2 – (by Glu Games Inc.)
Knock Knock Game
iTunes Description
Three generations of Lodgers have occupied the cabin, but lately, the walls seem to undulate, skittering unknowns shift in the darkness, and an unruly growl seeps from the attic. Are they hallucinations pecking at the insomnia-afflicted Lodger, or the gnarled remnants of a darker secret? The woods finally give in to the nightfall, and the dreadful things come out to play. Survive the night while maintaining the dilapidated cabin and preventing the threadbare sanity of the Lodger from unraveling completely. Hide from the grotesque intruders peering from the gloom and seek out the key to ending the Lodger’s ordeal.
Forum Thread: Knock-Knock Game (by Ice-Pick Lodge)
Lionheart Tactics
iTunes Description
Rally your Heroes! Plan every move in this FREE tactical RPG as you adventure across the realm or take your fight online to challenge the world. Set in a land on the brink of war, Lionheart Tactics pits your Heroes against hordes of enemies in turn-based combat. Unlock their Skills, unleash their Limit Breaks, and upgrade them from Recruit to Legendary. Forge your own story as you travel from the wild hills of Midland to the frozen Splinterpeaks, uncovering new allies and epic weapons along your quest. Compete online against other players to earn Shields, and rise up the Leagues as you go from lowly bronze to first place! Rally Heroes from 16 classes and 3 races, from the wolf-like Barghest Warrior to the noble Rose Elf Archer. Each class has their own skills and strategies to master. In Lionheart your greatest weapons are your Heroes… and your tactics.
Forum Thread: Lionheart Tactics (By Kongregate)
Mines of Mars
iTunes Description
Mines of Mars is a procedural atmospheric mining game that is inspired by games like Metroid and Motherload.
It is also a story based adventure game with dark secrets, great weapons, tons of different items, and a gorgeous world to explore.
The world of MoM is procedurally created, so that every time you play it, it will be a little different.
There are tons of different enemies, dark corridors, and a large variety of fauna and ambient creatures.
Forum Thread: Mines of Mars – (by Crescent Moon Games)
Ninja Newton
iTunes Description
Grab your trusty grapple hook and and explore the world in this exciting new gravity game! Explore the world, climb the magic tower and compete with your friends!
Forum Thread: Ninja Newton (by Bluebit Games AB)
Nozoku Rush
iTunes Description
Get some subtraction action! Swipe tiles that subtract down to zero to clear them off the board. Set up big combos to maximize your score and dominate the leaderboards.
Forum Thread: Nozoku Rush (kinda like SpellTower, but faster, with numbers)
RPG Alphadia Genesis
iTunes Description
Alphadia Genesis boasts a rich multifaceted story that revolves around Fray, an Archleign’s guild member and Corone, a knight in the Ghalzabine Army. As their journey progresses and conflicting national interests come to the forefront, it becomes apparent that it will take more than a little work on both their parts if their relationship is to weather the boding storm on the horizon. Having been at peace for only 15 years since the end of the Energi War, the kingdoms of Archleign and Ghalzabine are once again thrust onto center stage after a murder perpetrated by a clone, whose rights and freedoms they both lobbied for, comes to light.
Hoping the treaty signed to end the use of clones for conventional warfare has not been violated, a joint-investigative team is put together to find out the cause and bring those responsible to justice. However, things then appear to be far more volatile than anyone could have first imagined…
Forum Thread: RPG Alphadia Genesis (By Kotobuki Solution Co., Ltd.)
Shuyan The Kung Fu Princess
iTunes Description
Discover ancient combat wisdom with soft kung fu. Shuyan the Kung Fu Princess is an exhilarating kung fu action-adventure game. Receive guidance from a master, learn ancient training techniques and perfect your soft kung fu. Defeat your opponents without throwing a single punch!
Forum Thread: Shuyan The Kung Fu Princess (by Mark Animation)
Smash Hit
iTunes Description
Take a surreal journey through an otherworldly dimension, move in harmony with sound and music and smash everything in your path! This experience requires focus, concentration, and timing to not only travel as far as you can, but also break the beautiful glass objects that stand in your way.
Forum Thread: Smash Hit (by Mediocre AB)
Smash It! Adventures
iTunes Description
Get ready to SMASH IT! Agnes needs you! This little funky Witch calls for your help to rescue her beloved CAT from the voracious Blarghinis – slimy creatures that are absorbing all the animals around. Use your fingers to smash them or swipe if they catch Agnes. And be careful, if they bite you they will splash towards you, but have no fear!
Forum Thread: Smash It! Adventures (By Thumbstar Games)
Soccerinho
iTunes Description
REVOLUTIONARY *** FIRST PERSON 3D SOCCER *** 10 games combined into one … Includes 5 original episodes, and 84 levels! There’s no time to get bored, because you’re always learning new challenges! Aim well and show your stuff while exploring the streets of old Prague on your way to the football stadium and final kick off.
Forum Thread: Soccerinho (By PAVEL PLATIL animation studios)
Starry Duo
iTunes Description
Take a journey through an enchanted forest full of magical creatures in a game where stars, wands and forest villains come together in a brand new casual spell-casting game. Starry duo is an atmospheric gem that challenges you to navigate your way through a mystical forest collecting stars to fuel your magic wand. Collect potions, acquire powerful magical spells and search for wand upgrades to defend yourself against villainous forest creatures and evil bosses. Featuring multi-level gameplay with new creatures introduced in each level, Starry duo is a beautiful and engaging experience that spins casual gaming to a whole new level of fun!
Forum Thread: Starry Duo (By Mono Interactive Pte. Ltd.)
Tanglers Blitz
iTunes Description
Match alien creatures together in this fast-paced, cosmic game of pairs. Your ship has crashed on a strange alien planet and the Tanglers have escaped! Connect these cute creatures as fast as possible to get bonus points and beat out your friends to the top of the leaderboards. Can you recover all the Tanglers before the timer runs out?
Forum Thread: Tanglers Blitz – (by Chillingo Ltd)
Tank Battle: East Front 1941
iTunes Description
Tank Battle: East Front 1941 gives a unique wargaming experience on iPhone and iPad. A game of tactical combat on the Russian Front, during the German Invasion of 1941. Fight as the Germans or the Soviets in a series of ever more complex missions. At the beginning of the year both sides have relatively obsolete equipment such as the Panzer I and T-26. As the war progresses more advanced tanks such as the excellent T-34 become available. Missions vary from straightforward wipe out the enemy missions, to capture key objectives, to protect vital supply convoys. There is a whole range of missions to reflect the tactical complexity on warfare on the Eastern Front. The game system is based on, and a major upgrade of, the successful game engine developed for ‘Tank Battle: North Africa’.
Forum Thread: Tank Battle: East Front 1941 (by Hunted Cow, HexWar & Lordz Games Studio)
Tanuki Forest
iTunes Description
Tanuki Forest is in danger! Can you save the animals from the dark forces attacking them?
Fly our cute hero creature through the beautiful hand painted forest and collect the animals. Build up your animal chain to get more points and unleash the megachain! Drop the animals off with the forest spirits to save them from the darkness. Super accessible, Super fun one touch controls: easy to play, hard to master! Beautiful hand painted artwork in full retina glory. Awesome guest heroes to help you in your difficult quest. An amazing soundtrack from the super talented monster that is Leavon Archer. A Shinto Shop full of forest ‘treasures’ that the spirits sell back to our simple hero for all of his hard work.
Forum Thread: Tanuki Forest (by Mighty Mill Games)
Uber Racer 3D Monster Truck Nightmare
iTunes Description
Uber Racer returns with a vengeance! Start your career as a reckless monster truck driver and ram your way through the competition! In the post-apokalyptic world of Uber Racer, only nerves of steel and perfect driving will take you to the top!
Unlock and upgrade crazy monster trucks as you progress through your career! Are you a veteran? Then enjoy the fantastic Uber Racer cars as they have been transformed in huge evil monster trucks!
Forum Thread: Uber Racer 3D Monster Truck Nightmare – (by Mad Processor)
Wave Wave
iTunes Description
Wave Wave is a savage arcade game by Thomas Janson, with music by Danimal Cannon and Zef. Shift up and down to avoid the gauntlet of triangles. Hectic. Extreme. Addictive. Racing. Tumultuous.
Blitzing. Electric. Anaerobic. Treacherous. Fearless gameplay.
Fall into ‘the zone’ where your brain switches off.
Overcome mind-to-finger-to-screen latency.
An incredible 8 track album, ‘Parallel Processing’.
5 modes of play, 5 difficulties, 25 levels, VS split screen. This game will test you.
Forum Thread: Wave Wave (by Tom Janson)
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Lots of people are gripped by the Francois Hollande affair - and they are gripped on two levels.
One is a fascination not just with the details - but with the fact that such a plain man can have such a glamorous love life.
The other is how strange it is that the French don't seemed to be gripped in the way we are. They seem to be weird and old-fashioned in their belief that there is a distinction between what goes on in a person's private life - and the details of their public life.
Underneath this is also a sense of nostalgia - a yearning for a time not so long ago when we in Britain were like that too. A time before horrible people like Rupert Murdoch came along and turned everything - even the most intimate details of a person's life - into cruel, public melodrama.
I'm not sure that's true.
I have stumbled upon a fascinating film made in 1967 about divorce - where members of the British upper and upper-middle classes talk in the most frank, gripping and sometimes incredibly moving way about the most intimate details of their private lives.
The film was nominally made because parliament was about to vote on changes to the divorce laws. But really it is an extraordinary factual drama where eight people who are at the heart of London high bourgeois life in the mid-1960s open out their personal lives to the camera.
It's a world that is very similar to the one surrounding Francois Hollande and Julie Gayet in Paris today. A world of famous novelists, public-relations men, beautiful models, world-weary aristocrats and the son of a famous explorer.
What makes the film so gripping is the structure. There are two stories - each one pivoted around one character. One is a famous novelist, the other is a beautiful "cover girl" and model.
Around each one are three other characters - the four making up the players in one divorce. They all talk about each other - sometimes very cruelly. And, in the second group of four, they describe what they are going through in incredibly sad ways that make you want to cry.
Together they build up the picture of the inner life of a powerful cultural elite - a world being turned inside out and shown to us in great emotional detail. And as you watch it you realise that something like this would never happen today on TV.
Despite all the talk about today's society being more open and transparent than the past - the reality is that those in power today are far more guarded and hidden than they were back then.
Four of the eight characters are the emotional heart of the film - and I have added some details of what happened to them later on over the following forty years. You may or may not want to know this before you watch the film.
ELIZABETH JANE HOWARD
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The Litto Gomez Diez is billed as a full flavored, full strength Dominican Puro that is both spicy and sweet. Though this one didn’t quite hit the “powerhouse of strength” mark that was advertised, it does provide plenty of flavors and more strength than I’d recommend for a novice. And while I did enjoy it, it did have its share of construction and smoking issues.
Initial Thoughts
According to the La Flor Dominicana website, the idea for the LG Diez originated in 1999. The idea was for the LFD Company to grow all of the tobacco, including the wrapper, which was used in this cigar. So not only would it be a Dominican Puro, it would be the product of a single farm as well. Litto soon found this to be a lengthy and expensive undertaking. However, he saw the process through and was able to release this cigar three years later.
The Litto Gomez Diez Chisel contains two things that are unique: it is a Dominican Puro that contains tobacco grown exclusively by La Flor Dominicana and has the LFD Chisel tip, created by Mr. Gomez himself. Another thing that LFD has become known for is how strong some of their cigars are. The reputation of the Diez is that it is one of the strongest cigars they make. We will see about that!
I picked this one up at my local shop. They recommended the chisel, saying it was the best vitola they carried. I was hesitant to do so because I have not had the best experiences with the chisel tip. But, I decided to give it another shot.
Looks
The Litto Gomez Diez Chisel is an interesting looking cigar. The stick itself is quite rugged, with quite a few veins and visible seams. The wrapper is a light brown, almost khaki color. The chisel tip is very nicely done and comes to a perfect straight edge across the top. Looking at the foot, some of the filler appears to be loosely rolled.
As rugged as the stick looks, the band looks the opposite. It has a very regal appearance, with gold design and print against a rich red of different hues throughout the band. The band does include the “Dominican Puro” designation along the side.
Function
Considering that this is a figurado, I am not surprised to discover that the Litto Gomez Diez Chisel is a bit squishy when squeezed. On top of that, there is a soft (er) spot under the band. With the veins and seams, it feels a bit bumpy.
Giving the foot a little sniff, I am greeted with aromas of caramel and molasses. Very nice! The barrel has the same aromas plus a hint of grass. This has certainly peaked my interest!
In the past, I’ve tried different cuts on chisel tips; straight cut, angled cut, and double punch. I’ve always heard that simply popping the top open is the best way to smoke them. I decided to give it a try. The airflow is a little tight. I get some earth, grass, and molasses, as well as a bitter taste from the wrapper. The bitterness is prominent but not overwhelming.
Smoking
Since it wasn’t windy that night, I went with two matches to light the Litto Gomez Diez Chisel. I did have to use my torch lighter to even out the light. During each third, I have to give it a touch up as it starts to run. It seems like one side just doesn’t want to burn like the other sides. Needless to say, the burn is uneven throughout the cigar. In the last third, it does go out and a relight is required.
The draw starts out a little tight at first. However, I decide to massage the tip (ba dum), squeezing it a bit to loosen the tobacco. This works pretty well. The only issue is, I have to do about every 10 minutes to keep the draw open.
Much like the stick itself, the ash is not that pretty either. It is quite flaky, yet, still held on for almost an inch at a time. With the roll feeling a bit loose, I was not surprised by this. But, this didn’t seem to make the cigar burn faster than normal. I’ll take that trade off any day!
Flavor
I can’t say I’ve been very impressed with the looks or burn on the Litto Gomez Diez Chisel, but was very enticed by the aromas it presented. The hope is that some of those will come out in the actual smoke. Let’s find out!
From the start, there is a spicy white pepper note at the forefront. Soon, molasses, cocoa, and savory notes develop as well. As the first third ends, there is some nuttiness that joins the party.
In the second third, the white pepper becomes a little more floral, especially on the retrohale. With that comes wood, earth, and nuts. Then it goes through different phases, tasting a tad minty, then nutty and woody, and then peppery and savory. A lot of transition going on in the second third!
The final third is also a smorgasbord of flavor. It has savory, white pepper, nut, mint, salt, and earth notes throughout the entire section. All are well balanced and take turns at center stage, which is unusual. I must say I rather enjoyed the complexity.
Though this is billed as a full strength and flavored cigar, I found it to be more medium-full in both regards. I can see where some may say it is strong, but I felt like it was just on the verge but didn’t quite reach the pinnacle. Smoke time was just under 2 hours.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes, but maybe not the Chisel.
Is It An Everyday Smoke?
Flavor-wise, yes. I would say the price would keep me from making a daily smoke.
Would I Buy a Box?
Yes, but of a different vitola.
Conclusion
The Litto Gomez Diez Chisel is certainly a delicious cigar with plenty of flavor and punch. I was certainly surprised with the level of complexity it had and really enjoyed all the flavors it presented. My complaints are that it had burn issues and the chisel tip required frequent opening in order to maintain a good draw. Otherwise, this cigar is a real winner in my book!
If you are looking for something to deliver loads of flavor, check out the LG Diez. Personally, I would prefer a different vitola, but I am just not a fan of figurados. If you are, give the Chisel a go!
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Rudy Giuliani defended Donald Trump's crude remarks about women Sunday, telling CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" that "men at times talk like that."
But the former New York City mayor also admitted that what Trump was describing in a 2005 video is sexual assault.
Hours before the second presidential debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton, Trump's campaign tasked Giuliani with defending the GOP nominee amid a controversy that threatens to derail his candidacy and has thrown the Republican Party into chaos, with many of the party's top officials now openly rejecting Trump and calling on him to drop out of the race.
Giuliani told Tapper that Trump is likely to apologize at the town hall-style presidential debate -- yet is also likely to attack Hillary Clinton over her treatment of the women involved in Bill Clinton's extramarital affairs.
Giuliani said Trump made "horrible remarks -- they're remarks you certainly don't want to hear from anyone, much less a presidential candidate."
"I think he made a full and complete apology for it. He probably is going to do it again tonight," he said.
Tapper pressed Giuliani on Trump's claim -- in the video from a 2005 "Access Hollywood" interview published Friday by The Washington Post -- that because he is a star, he could walk up to women and "grab them by the pussy," asking who Trump did that to.
"First of all, I don't know that he did it to anyone. This is talk, and gosh almighty, he who hasn't sinned, throw the first stone here," Giuliani said.
Tapper said: "I have never said that; I have never done that. I am happy to throw a stone. I have been in locker rooms. I have been a member of a fraternity. I have never heard any man, ever, brag about being able to maul women because they get away with it -- never."
Giuliani responded: "We've taken it to an extra degree of what he said. But the fact is that men at times talk like that. Not all men, but men do. He was wrong for doing it. I am not justifying it. I believe it's wrong. I know he believes it's wrong. I believe this is not the man we're talking about today."
In a separate interview on ABC's "This Week," host George Stephanopoulos told Giuliani that what Trump was describing in the video is sexual assault -- which Giuliani didn't dispute.
"That's what he's talking about. You know, whether it happened or not, I don't know, and how much exaggeration was involved in that, I don't know," Giuliani said. "I do know there's a tendency on the part of some men at different times to exaggerate things like this, and I'm not in any way trying to excuse it or condone it. There is no excuse or answer for it other than, 'I'm very sorry and I wish I hadn't done it. And I'm not like that anymore.'"
The former New York City mayor also insisted that Trump's apology in a video posted on Facebook in the early Saturday morning hours was sincere.
"It was an apology. He definitely apologized, and I know from talking to him that he genuinely feels very sorry about this, and it's certainly not the views he holds today," Giuliani told Tapper.
"He's run for public office. He spent the last year and a half traveling around the country. He realizes the responsibility he has to the people that follow him and believe we have to make a change in this country," he said. "I think that alone has put a heavier weight on his shoulders than he ever had even when he was an entertainment star, the star of 'The Apprentice.' It's a different man that emerges when you campaign around the country for a year and a half and you hear the concerns of the American people."
Still, in that Facebook video, Trump attacked Hillary Clinton over her treatment of the women involved in Bill Clinton's extramarital affairs.
Giuliani previewed that line of attack in his interview with Tapper.
"Gosh almighty, there were an awful lot of things, particularly Hillary Clinton attacking the women that Bill Clinton sexually assaulted, sexually abused -- and she was the leader of the attack against them -- so maybe he felt that at least put in context the kind of anger there would be at him," Giuliani said.
Bill Clinton has denied sexually assaulting any women and has never faced charges on any claims.
Giuliani also said Trump knows that 16 Republican senators on Saturday said they won't support him for president -- a round of defections that came after the "Access Hollywood" video surfaced.
He said Trump won't exit the race, despite calls from some for him to do so less than a month from Election Day.
"Yes, he is aware of the fact that a number of Republicans pulled their support, and he is not going to drop out," Giuliani said.
"He is going to remain. He is going to apologize for what he did. He is going to explain to people that that's not who he is today," he said. "And he's going to count on the fact that the American people are fair and decent people, and when someone asks for forgiveness, they usually give it."
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I had a chance to speak with ACC commissioner John Swofford at the conference’s spring meetings this week, mostly about the perception of the league from a football standpoint for a story that ran in today’s Palm Beach Post.
Swofford believes the last two years will help increase the ACC’s football profile, but he understands it takes time and continued success.
“I think you have to do it consistently,” Swofford said. “We’ve have two years of really good things to talk about from a football standpoint and a lot accomplished on the field and that’s what matters most.
“It’s getting people to pay attention to the facts and what happened. This is not PR fluff, this is facts, these are accomplishments, these are wins and that’s really what it’s all about. Hopefully we can continue to do that successfully.”
The numbers that cannot be overlooked: The ACC had 47 players taken in the most recent NFL draft, second most to any conference behind the SEC (54); Florida State (11) and Louisville (10) had the most players selected; the ACC was 10-7 against teams from other Power 5 conferences last season, more wins than any other conference; ACC teams are 4-1 in the major bowls in the last three years (New Year’s Six, playoff/BCS title games), leading all Power 5 conferences.
“When you look at the past several years we have three straight Orange Bowl champions, a national champion, a team in the first college football playoff, ended the season extraordinarily well last year with the four wins on the same day against SEC rivalry opponents,” Swofford said, referring to wins by Florida State over Florida, Clemson over South Carolina, Georgia Tech over Georgia and Louisville over Kentucky on Thanksgiving weekend.
“The more you do that in any given period of time and the more you can extend that period of time that’s where you build tradition and history and perception.”
Swofford understands the ACC is viewed as a ‘basketball conference,’ but that does not exclude football from building the same traditions.
“I’m one of these believers you can be both,” he said. “I felt that way as an AD, I feel that way as a commissioner. I think (perceptions of) conferences and programs are again based on time, based on successes over time. This league has had a lot of success basketball wise for a long, long time. We’ve had our share of football successes but they haven’t been as consistent.”
Many believe Florida State suffered last season because of that perception. The Seminoles were bounced around the rankings by the College Football Playoff committee despite being the lone undefeated team from a Power 5 conference. FSU was third in the final rankings, which meant they were shipped out to Pasadena, Calif., to play in the Rose Bowl.
Swofford, though, believes there were other factors.
“It’s hard to tell because (the Seminoles) were winning a lot of close games and their non-conference schedule, which appeared to be excellent going into the year, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame and Florida, none of those teams had the year that maybe they were expected to have,” Swofford said. “That probably had something to do with it also.”
Still, Swofford did hint that there was one division that may have received too much credit.
“When you look at the season in hindsight maybe some conferences and divisions that were presented as being the strongest maybe weren’t,” he said, without naming one.
FYI – The top five teams from the SEC West – the division thought to be the strongest and most talented in country _ were 0-5 in bowl games.
So what is next? The ACC continues to look for ways to market its football footprint and get the word out. And while shouting from the highest rooftop works for some, the league is looking at a more advanced, 21st century way, like creating an ACC Network.
“When a conference has its own channel there’s more opportunity for non-live programing that is building a perception of the league and getting the facts of what your league has accomplished on a more regular and ongoing basis,” Swofford said. “That’s one of the appeals of going the channel route and why we have an interest in fully evaluating that as we move forward in terms of what’s next.”
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You remember VeggieTales, right? Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, Junior Asparagus—those guys were a hilarious part of many people’s childhoods! And they actually succeeded in making produce and the Bible enjoyable!
Well, if you remember these lovable vegetables from your youth, and you believe—like the theme song says—that there’s “never ever ever ever ever been a show like VeggieTales,” then you should definitely share this article on all your social media accounts! That is, unless you’re ashamed of Christ. Sharing this article means not only that you’re an unabashed fan of singing cartoon vegetables, but also that you appreciate wholesome messages that celebrate God’s word.
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Sure, making such a statement on social media might make you a little bit uncomfortable. If so, that’s okay. All that Jesus did for you is die on a wooden cross for your sins. It’s okay to feel embarrassed. Just remember that Jesus died so you could have eternal life.
But don’t sweat it. If you want to share this article, great. If you don’t, we won’t judge you for having abandoned your faith. After all, even Peter denied Jesus, and he did it three times!
So, just do what you’re comfortable doing. There’s no point in us urging you to share your faith because the Bible already has. Just imagine that God is watching you right now—because He is—and do whatever you think is right.
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Satish K Modi
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Offshore entities: Challenge Soccer Ltd, Goldfinch Holding Group Ltd
Location: British Virgin Islands
Satish Modi, 69, is chairman of Modi Global Enterprises and younger brother of KK Modi, the patriarch of the $ 1.2 billion Modi Group. He set up an offshore entity in the British Virgin Islands called Challenge Soccer Ltd in February 2010. Initially, he was a shareholder in the entity along with a UK national, Elizabeth Ferguson, before the shares were transferred to The Challenge Soccer Foundation, a foundation with a Liechtenstein address.
WATCH |Explained: What Do The Panama Papers Reveal
Modi was issued 51 shares on February 25, 2010, but these were transferred to the foundation on November 29, 2010. MF records show Modi’s India address in Maharani Bagh, New Delhi.
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He continues to be a director in Challenge Soccer Ltd. Interestingly, Modi had founded a football club in the UK in 2013 known as Modi Town Football Club Limited, with its registered office in Harrow.
Modi is also listed as a shareholder in Goldfinch Holding Group Ltd, also registered in the BVI. His address in this company is listed as London. Goldfinch Holding was registered on August 5, 2010, and a share was issued to Satish Modi on September 21, 2010. He is the only shareholder in the company.
Panama Papers India, Part 1: Clients who knocked on a Panama door
RESPONSE: In an email sent to The Indian Express, S P Kutty, Secretary to S K Modi, said: “Please be informed that Mr Modi is an NRI for the last many years and all Indian laws have been complied with. Presently Mr Modi is abroad. We are unable to give any further information in this regard.”
—P Vaidyanathan Iyer/New Delhi
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Moturi Srinivas Prasad
Offshore entities: Four
Location: BVI
MF records list Prasad, a prominent Hyderabad businessman, as a director in at least four offshore companies registered in the BVI in 2011. Two other local businesmen, Volam Bhaskar Rao and Bhavanasi Jaya Kumar, are listed as directors/shareholders in these firms: Yes De Ventures SA, Sika Securities Ltd, Bhasu Capitals Ltd and Bee Pee Investments Corp.
WATCH| Panama Papers: How Mossack Fonseca Helped Stash Away Billions Of Dollars
Prasad is executive chairman and managing director of Nandan Cleantec and a co-owner of Sika Securities Ltd. He is credited with setting up one of Asia’s largest biofuel processing facilities, and is associated with over a dozen other companies. He was arrested on April 2, 2012 for alleged irregularities in the export of bio-diesel, and is on bail.
READ: Ministry of Finance response to Panama Papers leak
RESPONSE: Prasad said: “These were ‘1-dollar’ companies that were started in the hope we may do some business but we did not do much. They were opened some time in 2005-06, I think. All companies are inactive now. There is no investment in them. We did not operate these companies so there was no question of declaring anything. As for the procedures and regulations, it was Volam Bhaskar Rao who was handling all that.”
— Sreenivas Janyala/Hyderabad
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Bhavanasi Jaya Kumar
Offshore entities: Nandan Technologies Ltd, Yes de Ventures SA, Grandbay Canal Ltd, Others
Location: BVI
Hyderabad-based businessman Bhavanasi Jaya Kumar figures in the MF records as a director of some of these companies along with Srinivas Prasad and Volam Bhaskar Rao. Nandan Technologies Ltd, the records show, was opened in the BVI in 2008, and Grandbay Canal Ltd in 2015. Jaya Kumar was director of six companies associated with Nandan Technologies.
RESPONSE: Jaya Kumar said: “I have nothing to do with offshore companies like Nandan Technologies Ltd, Yes de Ventures SA or Grandbay Canal Ltd. Volam Bhaskar Rao was the managing director who handled everything. I am not aware of any offshore accounts. The original company Nandan Technologies was closed down in 2014.” On Lotus Integrated Solutions and Lucid Info, two other companies that figure in the MF list, Jaya Kumar first denied knowledge. When told that the address of both companies is his flat, No. 204 in Meenakshi Royal Court Apartments, he said they were his wife’s companies. He denied being associated with Sika Securities or Bee Pee Investments.
READ | Panama Papers: Dawood-link shadow, Iqbal Mirchi family took offshore route
On the legality of the firms, he said: “I do not know what is the status now, it has been five years. But we took all necessary permissions. I have no knowledge about declarations to tax authorities.”
— Sreenivas Janyala/Hyderabad
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Bhaskar Rao
Offshore entities: Nandan Technologies, associated firms; Others
Rao wass MD of Nandan Technologies and six associated companies. He was also co-owner of Sika Securities Ltd, a promoter of Nandan Cleantec Limited (alternate name Nandan Biomatrix Limited), and served as MD of Nandan Cleantec Limited from April 2008. He now leads a semi-retired life, and spends a lot of time in the UK.
RESPONSE: He asked his son, Volam Sandeep, to answer on his behalf. His son said Moturi Srinivas Prasad had taken over the companies and Bhaskar Rao has since retired. “The offshore companies were set up in anticipation of doing business four years ago. But they actually became cost centres because we had to spend a lot on getting clearances and maintaining those companies…” He said the companies “are not totally closed but they are also not active”.
On declaring these offshore entities to the authorities, he said, “We followed the due procedures… we followed the rules and regulations.”
— Sreenivas Janyala/Hyderabad
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Preetam Bothra and Sweta Gupta
Offshore entities: World Wide Group Holding Limited, Jupiter Group Holding Limited
Location: BVI
Bothra and Gupta are shareholders of World Wide Group Holding Limited and Jupiter Group Holding Limited, two companies formed in BVI in 2004. Between them, Bothra (60,000) and Gupta (40,000) hold all shares of World Wide Group Holding Limited since May 2013. Earlier, the shares were held by Jupiter Group Holding Limited (BVI) and Triansu Holdings Limited (BVI).
READ |#PanamaPapersIndia Part 2: Politician, industrialist, jeweller
In May 2013, Pradip and Kritin Bothra transferred 40,000 shares of Jupiter Group Holding Limited (BVI) to Preetam Bothra and Sweta Gupta, who got 20,000 shares each, the MF papers show. Additionally, Preetam held 15,000 shares of Jupiter (BVI) since 2004, of which he transferred 5,000 to Pradip in 2009. In all, Preetam and Sweta hold 30,000 and 20,000 shares of Jupiter (BVI). Triansu Holdings Limited (BVI) was set up in January 2005 and inactivated in October 2012. Its shareholding remains unclear.
In India, Preetam and Sweta are the directors of Jupiter Nirman Private Limited, incorporated on January 27, 2000. The company has an authorised share capital of Rs 1,000,000 and a paid up capital of Rs 265,000 and is involved in civil construction.
RESPONSE: When contacted, Sweta Gupta said: “Why should I share any such details with The Indian Express?” She subsequently did not respond to detailed queries sent as text messages.
— Aniruddha Ghosal/Kolkata
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Bhandari Ashok Ramdayalchand
Offshore entity: Ferryden International Limited
Location: BVI
Mossack FonseCa records show Bhandari Ashok Ramdayalchand is the sole director and shareholder of a BVI company called Ferryden International Limited, which is registered with MF’s Singapore branch. The company was registered in January 2005, with Bhandari holding all its 50,000 shares.
Bhandari operates mainly out of a single-storey bungalow called “Bhandaris” in a gated community known as Abhiship Bungalows in a posh stretch of the road between Ahmedabad’s Thaltej and Shilaj localities. He provides financial services including expertise on accountancy, auditing services and investment banking to a host of companies, including some listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
RESPONSE: He declined to meet or speak on the phone to The Indian Express for a response. “I have informed him about your queries. He is not interested in talking about his businesses to the media. We live in this part of the town because we love a bit of privacy,” said a woman who said she was “Mrs Bhandari” but declined to give her name. The address The Indian Express tried to reach him on is the same as the one in the MF records.
— Avinash Nair/Ahmedabad
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Ashok Malhotra
Offshore entity: E&P Onlookers Limited
Location: BVI
Living in a modest peach coloured apartment building at 35B Prince Ghulam Mohammad Shah Road, 63-year-old Ashok Malhotra is being administered medication. “I have cancer,” he says, adding,”I am very unwell, I won’t be able to talk much.”
Malhotra, who figures in the Mossack Fonseca (MF) papers, says he knows of the case. “When is it being published? Someone from The Indian Express office had called me. I won’t be able to give you details. This was years ago. I had the company E&P Onlookers Limited, but just for a couple of months. There was a middleman,” he says.
Asked what he does, Malhotra first says “offshore”, then adds mysteriously, “oil”.
But he quickly changes his story. “I was in service,” he says. “I was in sales in the Kolkata branch of a Delhi-based company. I can’t tell you the name of the company. I am retired now, and live here with my family. My son doesn’t live in Kolkata. Look at my home, does it look like the home of someone who has a lot of wealth?” he asks.
Originally from Himachal, Malhotra says he has lived in Kolkata all his life.
In a neighbouring colony, another house rented out to small-time construction company, is listed as Malhotra’s office address on listings sites on the Internet. The address is 60/112 Hari Pada Dutta Lane, and the name of the office is listed as Swift Consultants Private Limited. Landlady Devika Roy says, “Yes, Ashok Malhotra had an office here. But that was some six-seven years ago. I don’t know what they did, he never came himself. Two of his boys would come and sit here.”
— Esha Roy/Kolkata
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Sanjay Pokhriyal
Offshore entity: Panamanian Foundation Colbury
Sanjay Pokhriyal, a printing and production specialist, appears in the MF papers as the individual who gave the initial endowment for the Panamanian foundation called Colbury. Records show that the foundation was set up in 2004, and was active until 2012. The principal beneficiaries of the foundation were Israeli nationals. Several documents show the movement of huge loans and expense money for maintaining assets and properties in places like New York. Pokhriyal, who is now 61, leads a retired life in Dehradun. His son is an engineer in Bengaluru.
READ | Rosy blue also in HSBC list: Diamond dealers are tax haven’s best friends
RESPONSE: Pokhriyal told The Indian Express that he worked with the Centurion Trust in Jersey until 2005, and the Colbury Foundation was one of the companies run by it. “Centurion Funds provided financial services for various clients based in UK, US, India and others. I did some day-to-day filing work for some companies run by Centurion but I did not work for Colbury,” he said. He said that the $10,000 endowment was not his own money, and that his name was probably used to start the Colbury Foundation.
— Devyani Onial/Dehradun
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Prasanna V Ghotage and Vaman Kumar
Offshore entity: Nordbell Commercial Ltd
Location: BVI
Iron ore exporter Prasanna V Ghotage, 49, his wife Neha, and associate Vaman Kumar were shareholders in Nordbell Commercial Ltd, an offshore company set up in the BVI in July 2007. Ghotage’s mother Vilasini, who, according to the extended family, passed away two years ago, too was a shareholder. In 2010, Ghotage and Vilasini sold 12,000 shares to Vaman Kumar, MF records show.
Ghotage’s PVG Group operated over 3,000 trucks to transport iron ore at the height of the iron ore boom in the Bellary district of Karnataka. Vaman Kumar is an expert in the field of international trade and global commodity trade, especially iron ore.
READ | US says ‘reviewing’ Panama papers
Two other offshore entities are associated with the group, the MF papers show: Corsol Overseas SA and IRIV Holdings Limited. While Nordbell Commercial Limited is shown in the data to be a sharehoder of Corsol Overseas SA; IRIV Holdings Limited is shown to be a shareholder of Nordbell Commercial Limited.
In 2012, Ghotage, Vaman Kumar and one Manoj Dhirajlal Rajni from Goa, were accused of cheating the public sector BEML of Rs 30 crore, but the Karnataka High Court quashed the case in 2013. Ghotage was also accused of supplying poor quality iron ore by Hira Steel Ltd, a Mumbai firm. In 2015, a Goa police SIT chargesheeted Ghotage for failing to supply iron ore to a Raipur firm after taking an advance of Rs 17.5 crore. Ghotage has been in prison for a while. The Ghotages have several cases of debt recovery, wilful default, cheating, etc. against them.
Nordbell is shown in the MF papers as a Hong Kong based entity whose CEO in some trade documents is identified as Vaman Kumar. The company also had an office in Pune. “It shut down in 2010,” said a former employee of Nordbell Commercial in Pune.
“We have no contact with Prasanna Ghotage’s family or their businesses. His mother died two years ago,’’ said a member of Prasanna Ghotage’s brother Suhas Ghotage’s family, when contacted in Goa. Neither Prasanna Ghotage nor Vaman Kumar could not be contacted.
— Johnson TA/Bengaluru
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Pradeep Kaushikray Buch
Offshore entity: Overseas Pearl Limited
Location: BVI
MF records show Buch had been a shareholder of Overseas Pearl Limited — which was registered in the BVI in 2001 — at least until 2004. His Vadodara address has been listed in the records. Nine lakh shares of Overseas Pearl Limited have been shown against his name, which were given to him after company resolutions passed in 2001 and 2003. A UAE national and another Vadodara-based businessman are also listed as the company’s shareholders. Buch lives in the Race Course Road area of Vadodara, and says he is an engineer and manager.
READ | Tracking Panama cash trail: What India Wanted, What It Got — And Didn’t
RESPONSE: “I have no overseas company. It does not belong to me. I am a professional engineer-manager. I do not know anything about companies like Overseas Pearl Limited. You may be mistaken about the address. I am basically a management consultant for companies in Dubai and Tanzania.”
— Aditi Raja/Vadodara
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Rahul Arunprasad Patel
Offshore entity: Amarange Inc
Location: BVI
Patel is one of the three managing directors of Sintex Industries Ltd, an Ahmedabad-based company that has made a name for itself in manufacturing water tanks. He is among the promoters of the company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
MF records show Patel was a director with a BVI entity named Amarange Inc which was registered in 2008. The company was struck off the MF records in 2014. The purpose for which it was set up has been recorded as: “Investments and for holding real estate in Singapore”.
RESPONSE: Contacted by The Indian Express, Rahul A Patel said: “We have a number of companies registered abroad. I am not sure if Amarange Inc is still ours. I do not deal with the financial part.”
In response to the questionnaire sent to Rahul Patel, the managing director of Sintex Industries, Amit D Patel said over the phone: “We have about 21 plants outside India. We acquired this (Amarange Inc) in 2007. While we acquire international operations, we need to create holding companies. When you acquire a company, you need to hold it outside India and then repatriate the dividends to India. So it is done with RBI permission and guidelines. We also borrow money there and we also send money outside India to fund our acquisition and we also get dividends from those companies into India. It (Amarange Inc) is part of our balance sheets and we also disclose (information about) it in our balance sheets since 2007. We keep on creating and closing these companies as and when the acquisition opportunities arise.”
— Avinash Nair/Ahmedabad
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George Mathew
Offshore entities: Soul Rhythm International Limited, Others
Location: BVI
Thiruvananthapuram native George Mathew is a chartered accountant who moved to Singapore 12 years ago. He launched a firm, Future Books, which describes itself as a one-stop service-provider for setting up companies.
MF records show Mathew has been associated with a clutch of offshore entities registered in the BVI around 2011. He is shown as a director or nominee director, and several Powers of Attorney have been signed by him for the companies, among which there is a lot of cross-shareholding. BVI companies linked to him include Soul Rhythm International Limited, Seabridge Group Holdings Ltd, Azaxel Asset Holdings Limited, Hallwood Enterprise Ltd, and The Wonderful Solutions Corporation. MF records contain his addresses in Singapore and Kerala.
RESPONSE: Mathew told The Indian Express from Singapore that he has been an NRI for several years, and RBI regulations did not apply to him. “For the last 12 years, I have been away from India,” he said. Asked about Wonderful Solutions and Soul Rhythm International Limited, Mathew said: “These companies belong to our clients, who are natives of Singapore. The RBI and the Income-Tax Department of India have little to do with them.”
— Shaju Philip/ Thiruvananthapuram
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Write back | Why drag me in brother’s business: Adani
Responding to The Indian Express report ‘2 months after Adani brother set up firm in Bahamas, a request to change name to Shah’, a statement released by the Adani Group stated that “the reported account holder — Mr Vinod Adani who is the elder brother of Mr Gautam Adani has been a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) for about 30 years and has his own established business interests outside India”.
“It is strange that Mr Gautam Adani’s name is mentioned in the headline though he is not the account holder and the story actually pertains to Indians having not legitimate bank accounts abroad. This is a deliberate attempt to draw Mr Gautam Adani’s name, not just to mislead the readers at large but mischievously sensationalising the matter,” it stated.
“Adani Group and the Indian resident family members of Adani family always conduct transactions within the framework of extant regulatory guidelines and provisions. We welcome the government initiatives to reach to the bottom of this matter pertaining to the black money trail including Panama leaks and assure our fullest cooperation in any kind of investigation for that matter,” it stated.
Panama Papers: A Peek Into India Express’ 8 Month Long Investigation
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The Browns might be one of the most interesting teams in the NFL this offseason, but for all the right reasons this time around. A new brain trust turned a No. 2 pick into a bevy of potential foundational pieces and are leaving themselves plenty of options when it comes to their quarterback of the future.
On Saturday, the team held its fan fest in Cleveland, which meant updates on a ton of moving pieces, including Robert Griffin III.
"You know, our plan would be for Robert to come in and solidify himself and you know, if we felt like he was our answer long term, we would begin to work on a long-term deal," Sashi Brown, the team's executive VP of football operations, said via Cleveland.com. "Way premature to talk about at this point. He's gotta come in and earn the starting job and then show that he can lead our offense in a manner that is going to be successful in this division and ultimately in a Super Bowl."
Brown went on to say that Griffin could be more than just a "bridge" to either 2016 rookie Cody Kessler or whomever the Browns decide is their long-term answer at quarterback. That is the hope, of course, with a 26-year-old former No. 2 overall pick who has an offensive rookie of the year award under his belt. Griffin probably has more well wishes and potential attached to him than any option the Browns had in this draft or the one coming in 2017. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but taking the chance has far less of a negative attached than in years past. The Browns did not risk a high draft pick on Griffin, and are only paying him about three percent of their salary cap. The team can dream big with the knowledge that they can back out easy as well.
Here are a few other nuggets from fan fest:
» Corner Joe Haden is now in a walking boot, an upgrade from the cart he was using following offseason ankle surgery (via Ohio.com)
» Sashi Brown said that third-round pick Carl Nassib has "as good a motor if not better than (Chargers first-round pick) Joey Bosa," per Cleveland.com.
» The team was pleasantly surprised by how many draft picks they were able to generate out of the No. 2 pick (via Cleveland.com).
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This had to be coming up eventually. And it would have, in 2015, when the Phillies’ TV deal with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia expires, prompting the obvious “what’s next?” question.
(Click here to listen to Matt Gelb discuss the Phillies TV Network deal.)
Which president David Montgomery has already, per the Philadelphia Inquirer : “"We will see. Right now, we're enjoying tremendous popularity. We would hope our friends at Comcast would see that as well. I'm sure they will."
Basically, he’s planting the semantical seed that the team deserves more than the reported $24 million in monies received from its deals with Comcast and MyPHL. And why wouldn’t it? With 204 consecutive home sellouts and ad and merchandise sales enough to support the sport’s third-largest payroll, why wouldn’t the Phillies jockey for more?
Especially if the market proves permissive. On the 2011 season, the Phillies averaged a 9.12 Nielsen TV rating. (Not bad, especially not for a near-everyday sport rife of drama like baseball.) Now, if the San Diego Padres, reportedly on the precipice of a 20-year deal with Fox Sports in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion, can cash in with one-third of Philadelphian ratings, the sky seems ceilingless for what the Phillies stand to earn.
And it should prove sustainable. Matt Gelb of the Inquirer also reports that the team’s local TV draw has climbed for nine straight baseball years, for a total of 176 percent, according to Sports Business Daily. (San Diego’s home viewership actually dipped in 2011, some 41 percent.)
Gelb’s projection? Around $5 billion, which might come sooner than 2015, assuming Comcast re-ups the Phillies well before the current deal expires. And that's the projected profit potential of an agreement with a local network, not actually owning and operating and enjoying a network, as do the Yankees and the $400 million p.a. inflows from their 34 percent owned YES Network, which you'd figure a possibility for a top four market like Philadelphia.
Maybe the scariest part of this whole thing?
Writes Gelb: “Despite a possible deal being four years away, that sort of money can drive decision-making now.”
No, no --- you're totally right. That on-the-horizon romanticizing is what drove the Dodgers through the ground.
That said, here’s to hoping the Phillies don’t go all Lehman Brother with the team’s payroll without the security of future cash streams.
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An environment official on Tuesday sounded the alarm of pollution in China's rivers, lakes and seas, saying the problem in the near-shore water of major coastal economic zones is particularly serious.
The water pollution is seen from goolge earth in the naer-shore water around Shandong Provice's coast in 2009. [163.com]
Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Wu Xiaoqing said the quality of the near-shore water of north China's Bohai Sea and the East China Sea as well as water in five of the nine bays along China's coast was "extremely poor."
Wu told a press conference that the five bays include Bohai Bay, the Yangtze estuary, Hangzhou Bay in Zhejiang Province, the Minjiang estuary in Fujian Province and the Pearl river estuary in southern province of Guangdong.
Wu said that among 469 stations to monitor water quality along 10 major river basins, including that of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Pearl River, 61 percent reported the rating between the first and third grade last year, which means the water could be used in water source, natural reserves and drinking water.
Meanwhile, 25.3 percent of rivers were polluted and rated as the fourth or the fifth grade, meaning that the water could not be immediately contact by people.
The water quality of 13.7 percent of rivers were even below the fifth grade, which denotes that the water could only be used in agriculture, Wu said.
Wu also said that in 26 major lakes and reservoirs under state environmental monitoring, 53.8 percent were affected by eutrophication, or the process in which bodies of water receive excess nutrients that spur excessive plant growth, including 7.7 percent facing moderate eutrophication and 46.1 percent facing slight eutrophication.
Among 4,727 groundwater monitoring sites in 200 cities, the water quality of 45 percent has been excellent, good or relatively good, but that of the other 55 percent has been poor or very poor, the official said.
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A man smokes cannabis at an exhibition in Spain in September 2012. Europe is being bombarded with an array of new, synthetic drugs of which the ingredients and effects on users are unknown, the continent's drug agency warned in a report on Thursday. Image via AFP
Europe is being bombarded with an array of new, synthetic drugs of which the ingredients and effects on users are unknown, the continent’s drug agency warned in a report on Thursday.
While cocaine and cannabis remain the most popular illicit drugs, new synthetic substances are being detected at a rate of about one a week — a fast-rising trend, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
A total of 49 new synthetic drugs were detected by law enforcers in 2011, and more than another 50 so far this year.
For the period 2005-2011, the total had been 164.
“More than ever before, young people are exposed to a plethora of powders and pills,” the agency said in a statement.
“Data from emergency rooms, toxicology reports and drug treatment centres indicate that the associated risks are not always well known by the users.”
The new psychoactive substances are sold on the illegal drug market but also sometimes on the Internet.
A study in January found nearly 700 online stores selling so-called “legal highs”, which the report warned often contained “obscure” chemicals or mixtures of chemicals, and have caused several acute medical emergencies and deaths.
“The number of products containing multiple psychoactive substances appears to be rising, and some test purchase samples have been found to include both controlled and non-controlled substances,” it said.
“Consumers of these products are likely to be both unaware of what they are consuming and ignorant of the health and legal implications.”
These synthetic drugs include cathinones, which can mimic the effects of cocaine, and cannabinoids which have similar effects to marijuana.
— Greece, Romania see rise in drug-related HIV —
The agency also reported a decline in overall cocaine and heroin use, but noted a worrying rise in HIV infection among heroin-injectors in Greece and Romania.
In Greece, the rate has increased to 241 infections in 2011 from between nine and 19 per year up to 2010, and in Romania to 114 cases last year from between one and six per year before that.
This was despite a Europe-wide decline in intravenous drug use and new HIV infections.
The impacts of the world economic crisis, particularly harsh in these two countries, may be to blame — fanning risky drug behaviour and leaving treatment centres short of clean needles or drug substitutes, said the EMCDDA.
“There is a continuous need to keep public health and sufficient preventive services on the agenda in these challenging economic times,” said EMCDDA management board chairman Joao Goulao.
Heroin remains responsible for the majority of drug-related deaths in Europe — about 7,000 in 2010.
Other than cocaine, ecstasy and amphetamines were the main illicit stimulants.
Some 15.5 million Europeans between the ages of 15 and 64 have tried cocaine in their lifetime — some four million used it in the last year.
But there were fewer cocaine seizures and fewer people seeking treatment for cocaine problems, said the report, and pointed at an observed decrease in cocaine purity that may cause users to switch other stimulants.
About 11.5 million Europeans have tried ecstasy and about 13 million amphetamines, two million for each in the last year, said the report.
“Further concerns… relate to the first, albeit sporadic, reports of methamphetamine smoking in Europe and to the availability of ‘crystal meth’,” said the centre.
To date extremely rare in Europe, methamphetamine smoking is considered particularly damaging to health.
Cannabis remained popular, said the report, with some 80.5 million Europeans having tried it in their lifetime — some 23 million used in the last year.
The continent has an estimated population of 740 million.
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After scoring his 200th Chelsea goal, one of his first thoughts was to pick up the telephone and contact Bobby Tambling, the only other person to have reached that landmark in the club’s 108-year history.
Tambling is suffering from Martorelli’s ulcer, a painful leg condition, and had been unable to leave his hospital bed in Cork for three months.
Yet having also battled pneumonia last Christmas, there has been a marked improvement in his condition over recent days and he has now begun a programme of rehabilitation aimed at getting him walking again.
For the first time since falling ill, Tambling is also ready to talk about all things Chelsea ; from Lampard and the imminent prospect of having his all-time goalscoring record overhauled to his own legendary career during the swinging sixties alongside such icons as Jimmy Greaves and Peter Osgood.
“It was lovely to hear from Frank,” Tambling said. “Ever since this problem has started, I’ve spoken to Frank a number of times. I’ve been in bed for the last three months so I’ve got to rehabilitate myself to standing up and getting back to walking.
“I’ve done a bit of that today and you feel a bit heady and giddy. I’ve been fairly bad but everyone who is coming to see me has realised that I have made big strides back to better health.
“Frank is always asking how I am and telling me to get well soon. He tells me to stay positive, take my time and that I will get better. He is a complete gentlemen and he knows that it has been a long haul.”
Tambling’s respect for Lampard the person is matched by his admiration for Lampard the footballer. Having played alongside or carefully observed all of the Chelsea greats, Tambling is clear about who should be regarded as the very best in the club’s history.
“If you take what Frank has done personally and then add in what Chelsea have done as a team in the last 10 years, he must surely go down not just as one of the greats but probably the greatest player Chelsea has had,” he said. “This has been the greatest Chelsea team ever. He thinks like a striker, performs like a striker.
“I think that he will certainly get to the record now. At different times, people thought, ‘this guy could do it’. We all thought Kerry Dixon was going to do it but I believed from four or five years ago that Frank would be the one.”
With Lampard as prolific as ever this season and needing just three more goals to break the record, Tambling shares the general bafflement at the club’s failure to extend his contract beyond the end of this season. “I find it difficult to understand,” he said.
“If he wasn’t performing like he is, you might understand it a little bit and say he has run his course. But he is still performing well and still scoring.
“It is not just one or two managers he has done it for, he has done it for every manager. He is a tremendous pro and great for the game so I find it difficult that something can’t be worked out but I’m not the club. I’m an outsider to all this so can only know the situation from what I read in the press. I think if he doesn’t reappear next year, there will be a lot of disappointed supporters.”
Tambling is also enthused by the possibility of Jose Mourinho returning this summer as manager.
“He is different – he brings places to live, wherever he has gone and whatever people think of him. I think even after he left, Chelsea was still running on his fumes for two or three seasons.
"He really started the run of trophies and I don’t think they have ever lost it really. He gave them a winning mentality and the lads who are still there from his time carry that spirit into the team.
“I think Jose had such a good time with Chelsea that he would probably love to come back. People would be very excited – he would get a tremendous welcome from the fans.”
Tambling often refers to the “Chelsea family” during our conversation and, even amid such vast change at the club, it is reassuring to hear that his generation remain involved.
A suite at Stamford Bridge is still named in his honour and, before his recent ill health, he would return regularly from his home in the coastal Irish village of Crosshaven, just outside Cork. He has met club owner Roman Abramovich and many of the current players. “You think a lot of people wouldn’t remember us but we are given a great welcome and made to feel part of the family,” he said.
While this generation have come to embody playing success and financial excess in almost equal measure, Tambling’s era was clearly very different. Frugal, fun but, in its own way, the Chelsea team of the sixties was equally glorious.
Abramovich would certainly have appreciated the flair – if not the consistency – of a squad containing Tambling, Greaves, Osgood, George Graham, Terry Venables and Charlie Cooke. He might also have seen something of John Terry in the leadership qualities of Ron Harris.
The only actual trophy of Tambling’s Chelsea career arrived in the League Cup of 1965, when he scored along with Venables and Eddie McCreadie to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory against Leicester City.
Chelsea regularly flirted with other silverware during Tambling’s 11 years at the club, finishing third in the League in 1965 and losing a Uefa Cup semi-final replay to Barcelona the following year. It was the FA Cup, however, that produced both his biggest disappointments and greatest memory.
“The highlight has got to be the FA Cup final,” he said. “Back then, it was the trophy everyone wanted. The Cup final was massive, not just for the players but the fans.
“Near enough every year in the 1960s we would have a good run. It was almost like a volcano building up. We had lost in two semi-finals in the mid 1960s, which was the most sickening round to go out, and then we reached the final in 1967. Driving down Wembley Way, I just remember thinking, ‘God, we have made it at last’. We gave the supporters a day out but we didn’t turn up ourselves. We had a shocking day.”
Tambling did score Chelsea’s only goal, a late consolation, in a 2-1 defeat to Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham.
“Throughout the 1960s we were on the fringe of everything,” Tambling said. “We had some great players but probably didn’t win the trophies we should have. It was an education to play with Jimmy Greaves. I don’t think there has been a striker quite like him.
“Ossie came along in the mid-1960s and he was so skilful for a big guy, his passing was absolutely incredible. You would make a run and he would always find you.”
It was also an era when as much enjoyment was to be found off the pitch, often in the bars and clubs of the King’s Road, as on it. Lampard may be able to command £150,000 a week in wages compared to the £100 ceiling for the top players in Tambling’s team but there is still no hint of bitterness.
“People always say to me, ‘I bet you wish you played now’,” Tambling said. “Obviously we would like to have earned a bit more money but we played in a great time. The world was beginning to change, coming out of the war. People were starting to find their feet and the 1960s was a great time just to be alive.
“We’d be looked upon as idiots if we said we wouldn’t like to earn the money they do now but with it comes different things we didn’t have. One of those is that we could live our own lives away from the stadium and just do our own thing in normal life. We didn’t have the television coverage there is now and we were just like anyone else.
“Football is forever changing and you have to change with it. I never thought I’d see a game like Spain playing with no central forward. The game changes – 4-4-2, 4-3-3 – you have to be a mathematician to work it out.”
The constant evolution, of course, is part of the fascination and Tambling will be tuning in from his hospital bed to see if fixtures against Southampton on Saturday and then Manchester United on Easter Monday will be the moment when Lampard creates history.
“I’ve been very pleased to be the record holder,” he said. “It’s lovely but, in the end, you know that someone else will come along. That’s how it should be and who could be better than Frank Lampard? You couldn’t meet a nicer guy and he’s the best player Chelsea has probably ever produced.”
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An innovative new diagnostic platform that is capable of detecting more than 1,000 disease-causing organisms in just six hours has just been approved for use in Europe, potentially paving the way for a transformation in the manner in which diseases are diagnosed. The revolutionary new system is now being put through its paces in the US in the hope that it will be given the FDA’s seal of approval within the next few years.
Identifying the agent responsible for an infection or disease is not always easy, especially when the symptoms could indicate a number of different pathogens. This means that sometimes a variety of different specimens need to be taken, such as tubes of blood, swabs or urine samples, all of which then need to be subjected to different tests. But if the microbe, such as a virus or bacterium, is not on the list of suspects, doctors are unlikely to identify it because many tests are very specific. This means that the diagnostic process can be slow, causing delays in targeted treatment and consequently doctors are often forced to use blanket therapies, such as broad spectrum antibiotics, when time is limited.
But this could be set to change with the advent of IRIDICA, the brainchild of four researchers based at Isis Pharmaceuticals. After spending several years working on developing new antimicrobial compounds, they wondered whether they could apply the concepts they had come up with for drug discovery to the field of diagnostics.
“Everyone was asking the wrong questions, taking existing technology and making individual tests for diseases. But with over 1,000 organisms causing disease in humans, you can’t make 1,000 tests,” Dave Ecker, one of the scientists behind IRIDICA, explains to Fast Co.Exist. “So we asked: can we use our technology to say ‘give me a specimen and I’m going to tell you what infectious organisms are in it no matter what they are?’”
More than a decade of hard work and dedication later, the IRIDICA platform was born. It works by first isolating the genetic material from pathogens within a patient's sample, such as a vial of blood or a tissue biopsy, and then amplifying it so there is more to work with.
Next, this material is put into an instrument called a mass spectrometer, which measures both the masses and concentrations of atoms and molecules in a sample. Because the basic building blocks of genetic material (the nitrogenous bases), all weigh different amounts, it is possible to work out the number of pairs of bases that the pathogen has based on the total molecular weight. This can then be compared to a database containing the base pair counts for known pathogens, allowing rapid identification of the microbes present in the sample.
Impressively, the platform is capable of picking up more than 780 species of bacteria, over 200 species of fungi and yeast, and more than 130 different viruses, all in just six hours. The team believes it would be particularly useful for identifying the causative agent of sepsis, a serious complication of an infection that can kill within just 15 hours.
The machine has already received the CE-Mark approval in Europe, and is now undergoing clinical trials in the US.
[Via IRIDICA, Fast Co Exist]
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President Barack Obama is asking the Centers for Disease Control to investigate the possibility of a link between violent media and shootings as part of a blanket proposal to prevent future gun violence. In a memorandum, the White House urged the CDC to "conduct research on the causes and prevention of gun violence, including links between video games, media images, and violence." Bearing out Vice President Joe Biden's previous statement, this proposal takes up a small part of the document, and most of the memorandum deals with improving awareness and treatment of mental health issues, developing technology that can help prevent "unauthorized use" of guns, promoting gun safety, and reinstating both the expired ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.
In his meeting with the games industry last week, Biden raised the question of whether a "coarsening of our culture," apparently through depictions of violence, could be contributing to gun violence, and a US Senator has asked for the National Academy of Sciences to investigate gaming violence. Obama's language, however, has been measured, treating games as one of many bases to be covered — which, though still problematic, is a far cry from the heated attacks we've seen in past political fights over games.
CDC research on gun violence will likely be controversial even without the gaming link
The CDC research, meanwhile, will likely be controversial for entirely unrelated reasons. In the 1990s, Congress stipulated that CDC money couldn't be used on research that would "promote gun control," something that's been used to argue against any gun-related studies. Obama has called for an end on the freeze of "critical public health research" in the area, something that's unlikely to sit well with firearm rights advocates.
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A bill giving federal employees expanded protections against retaliation for blowing the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse died in Congress on Wednesday night, after a 12-year lobbying effort won last-minute unanimous approval for it in the House but failed to gain similar approval under special voting rules in the Senate.
A single unnamed senator put a hold on the bill, which had already passed the Senate by voice vote in a more controversial form, just before the chamber adjourned for the Christmas holiday. That decision denied the Obama administration - and many Republican supporters - a victory that accountability advocates have long sought.
The aim of the legislation was to bolster incentives for federal workers to put a halt to wrongdoing by making protected disclosures to their superiors, Congress or the public. Those who work at borders, airports and nuclear facilities, as well as law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, would be among those covered.
The Obama administration initially sought to include national security and intelligence employees and won bipartisan Senate support for doing so, but the part of the bill that covered them was stripped by supporters in recent days after House Republicans expressed concern that it might encourage disclosures comparable to the WikiLeaks publication of U.S. diplomatic cables.
Democrats countered that the bill would inhibit such breaches by specifically opening confidential, protected and legal channels for reporting classified abuse. But Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), said, "We had concerns based on the impact it could have on the intelligence community," and added that "those concerns were addressed" when the bill was altered.
The outcome left the measure's supporters fuming. "This holiday season Senate Republicans gave taxpayers a secret Scrooge. After unanimous House approval today, and unanimous Senate approval last month of a stronger bill, this evening an anonymous Senate Republican killed the reform through a secret hold," said Thomas Devine, legal director of the nonprofit Government Accountability Project.
"The senator who sabotaged this bill should come out of the closet. Good government groups want to give him the 2010 Friend of Fraud, Waste and Abuse Award," Devine said. He promised a "relentless search to find the politician who is a cowardly enemy of taxpayers."
"Protecting whistleblowers makes government better for all of us," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin about the bill.
The bill specifically protected disclosures related to unlawful acts, regulatory violations, abuses of authority, dangers to public health and any gross mismanagement or gross waste of funds, so long as the whistleblower had substantial evidence to back a claim. It would have reversed hundreds of legal rulings that advocates say have gutted whistleblower rights, including some that barred protection for disclosures to co-workers or the person responsible for wrongdoing.
It also contained provisions specifically meant to protect against retaliation for the disclosure of any manipulation of scientific data, and, for the first time, would have allowed those who suffer alleged retaliation to request a jury trial in federal courts across the country. They now can get a hearing only before a single court in Washington that many advocates view as hostile to federal workers rights.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Conn.), a key sponsor of the bill, said, "We want to send a clear signal that whistleblowers will have the protection they deserve." Rep. Todd Russell Platts (R-Pa.), another key sponsor, said he believes the legislation will empower "those on the front lines" in the federal workforce who see wrongdoing to come forward, because it provides a legal means for them to do so. Today, he said, they are "understandably hesitant."
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Controversial founder Palmer Luckey stayed away after it was revealed he funded a pro-Trump organisation
Oculus also developing avatar software and its own VR browser
New social software allows people to take virtual meetings and trips
The VR headset was launched in the US in March 2016
Facebook has unveiled the first virtual reality version of its software.
Mark Zuckerberg showed off the firm's first attempt at social software for the Oculus Rift headset at the Oculus Connect conference in San Francisco.
He also revealed the firm was developing a new midrange VR headset, and said its eventual aim was a pair of VR and AR sunglasses.
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The first virtual family portrait: Mark Zuckerberg showed off the firm's software for the Oculus Rift headset at the Oculus Connect conference in San Francisco.
The new software allows people to join the same virtual space, and do everything from watch a video to be transported to the surface of Mars.
Zuckerberg was able to transport participants to live video feeds of his office and home, and even call his wife - all in a virtual world.
He then took out a virtual selfie stick to snap a picture - and sent it to his Facebook page with a single click.
He also used Oculus Touch, the firm's soon to be released 3D controller, to change his avatar's emotion - and Facebook said in future versions facial tracking could do this automatically, letting you look surprised, happy or confused in VR.
'Why did you make me look like a young version of Justin Timberlake?' Zuckerberg exclaimed as he donned the headset and saw his own avatar, a question his wife also asked him.
'We should build software and experiences that follow the way our minds work and process the world,' Zuckerberg said.
'Virtual reality is the perfect platform to put people first because of presence.
'The point is we have this space and we can do anything in it,' he said.
Facebook is spending $50m to develop third party VR software, Zuckerberg said, as well as working on its own projects.
'Why did you make me look like a young version of Justin Timberlake,' Zuckerberg exclaimed as he donned the headset and saw his own avatar, a question his wife also asked him.
OCULUS GET TOUCH: $199 CONTROLLERS REVEALED The Oculus Touch controller will be available later this year for $199 Brendan Iribe of Oculus revealed the eagerly awaited Touch controller will go on sale on December 6th for $199. It will use a second sensor to track user's hands, and has touch sensitive buttons to allow objects to be easily picked up. Oculus also showed off a new $49 pair of in ear headphones that can be attached to the headset. It will come with new art creation software called Medium, Oculus said, along with dozens of other games and apps.
'The magic of VR software is this feeling of presence,' he said.
'Building this is the single thing I am most excited about. '
The Oculus Rift's eagerly awaited Touch controller is set to go on sale next month, Zuckerberg revealed.
Costing $199, it will allow users to 'touch' and control objects in the virtual world.
Speaking at the Oculus Connect conference, Zuckerberg also revealed over a million headsets now use VR products.
At home with Mark Zuckerberg: Showing off the new software, Zuckerberg donned a headset and was transported into his own living room - even taking a call from his wife and seeing his dog, Beast.
Zuckerberg was able to take a call from him wife during the demo, putting her on screen in the virtual world.
WHERE WAS PALMER LUCKEY? Palmer Luckey founded, Oculus, which was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion in March 2014. Oculus confirmed today that Palmer Luckey, who founded the virtual reality company, Oculus, that was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion in March 2014, 'chose note to attend' the event to avoid being a 'distraction.' He was recently revealed as the cash behind an anti-Clinton organization, Nimble America. Nimble America is an online 'troll' group that says it wants to, 'make America great again with meme magic', the Daily Beast reports. The group's website claims it has paid for a billboard in Pittsburgh that has a caricature of Clinton's face on it and the slogan, 'too big to jail'. The Daily Beast also uncovered a lengthy Reddit post it claims Luckey made under his pseudonym, NimbleRichMan, on a forum for Trump fans.
'The next phase of VR is building great software experiences,' he said.
'We're here to make VR the next major computing platform, and at Facebook we're really commited to this, said Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg was also able to transport people to his office for a meeting
Demonstrations also took place underwater, and on the surface of Mars
Users are able to talk to each other and see each other's cartoon-like avatars
'This is really happening.'
'I'm an engineer, and I think you can take anything out there, and make it better.
'We know where we want to improve, its this feeling of real presence, we want lighter, smaller hardware than can do AR and VR
Zuckerberg on Oculus: He said the next phase of VR is building great software experiences.
Oculus also revealed users will be able to create their own avatars to appear on screen, and even create virtual rooms to chat to them.
Oculus Avatars will be able to be used in existing apps and new ones such as a virtual room the first revealed.
'With more than one billion permutations available—from unique textures to clothing, accessories, and more—you can build something that truly represents your own style,' the firm said.
Avatars will be available for Rift at Touch launch and for mobile in early 2017.
The firm also said it will begin selling new sensors that allow users to experience VR at 'room scale', turning their entire living room into a play space.
'We've also created a room-scale option with Touch, using a third sensor for those with enough space,' it said.
The firm also said it is developing its own VR web browser.
Zuckerberg also said Oculus was developing a new, wireless mid range headset to bridge the gap between the Rift and Gear VR.
MEETINGS OF THE FUTURE After the idea first surfaced in the 1980s, virtual reality has finally started to take off - having established its place in video gaming, social networks and even porn. Now experts say soon VR could be coming to the workplace. Virtual business meetings will replace conference calls, as the technology has started to be tested in offices worldwide - and this could happen in the next couple of years. Andrew Glennerster, professor of visual neuroscience at Reading University told MailOnline he is certain VR will replace conference calls in offices across the world.
The virtual reality headset launched earlier this year.
The headset from the Facebook-owned firm comes with a price tag of £549, while it costs $599 in the US.
The company offers demos at numerous retailers so that potential buyers can try it out before committing with their hard-earned cash.
Every Rift comes with the VR platform game Lucky's Tale, as well as hundreds of free 3D 360 videos, plus access to the rapidly expanding selection of VR games and videos on the Oculus Store.
Demo titles available at launch will include, Emmy award-winning VR film Henry, planetary experience Farlands and thrill-seeking The Climb.
Buyers can check that their current PC is up to the task of running Oculus' VR software using the firm's online compatibility tool.
The company has also partnered with several major manufacturers to offer 'Oculus Ready PCs' that have been certified as powerful enough to cope with the headset's demands.
Today it revealed advances in software mean that newer PCs from $499 will soon be launched, along with the first laptops capable of supporting the Rift.
There are more than 100 VR games and 'experiences' already available for the Rift, with more than 30 new titles scheduled to launch this year.
The Oculus Rift first landed on Kickstarter in 2012 and after a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, it was finally bought by Facebook in 2014.
The company will be offering demos of the Oculus Rift headset at numerous retailers so that potential buyers can try it out before committing with their hard-earned cash
There's still some concern that the immersive technology could be uncomfortable for some.
VR developers are trying to combat this by limiting movement in virtual worlds and not inundating players with head-spinning stimuli.
'If you have something for your brain to fixate on as the thing that matches similar inputs you're given when sitting in the real world, you're going to be feeling a lot better,' said Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Oculus, which ignited the latest VR revolution in 2012.
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Here's a quick and easy solution to that extremely annoying buzzing sound as a result of having your cell p...
Here's a quick and easy solution to that extremely annoying buzzing sound as a result of having your cell phone anywhere near your speakers. You know that ..."buzzz buzzz buzzzzzzzzzzzz" that happens every time you get a phone call, text message, or just at some random times. Makes you want to throw your phone! This is known to happen to users of Cingular/ AT&T and even Bell South/ Rogers with phones like the Razr, Tilt, iPhone, samsung blackjack, blackberry, treo, nokia, motorola phones, anything with an internal antenna. Even a greater occurrence is found on the east coast where the 850Mhz band is used frequently. Currently, there is no way to change the band that your phone uses from the phone itself. This doesn't cause any problems with the quality of the reception from our tests. We were able to make and receive phones calls and had no buzzing from any of the surrounding speakers! Let us know if you find a better way or discover something as a result of this video.
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Hillary Clinton finally gave the press what they have been asking for weeks, with an impromptu question-and-answer session aboard her new campaign plane, but it ended abruptly as she began coughing uncontrollably and had to leave the press section of the plane.
It was the second time Monday that Clinton had a coughing spell, having coughed her way through two minutes of a campaign speech in Cleveland earlier. She laughed off that attack as an allergic reaction to her GOP presidential rival Donald Trump.
But the cough has been a point of speculation among some of Clinton's critics who say it points to evidence she is in poor health. Her campaign has dismissed such talk as conspiracy theory.
Clinton had just received a question about Trump's ties to Russia when her voice became notably scratchy, as it had been in her Cleveland speech.
Here is a complete transcript of her answer with coughs noted.
"The first question is about the Russians, and do I think they're trying to help Trump? Are they, right? I often quote [CLEARS THROAT] a great saying that I learned from living in Arkansas a lot of years: If you find a turtle on a bed post, it didn't get there by accident.
"I think it's quite intriguing that this activity has happened [COUGH] around the time Trump became the nominee. And look, he, very early on, allied himself with Putin's policies. I mean, to pull out of NATO, for goodness sakes, right? And he furthermore has praised Putin.
"He seems to have this bizarre attraction to dictators, including Putin. He won't tell us where he owes $650 million. There's a lot of rumors about that. And [COUGH COUGH] he has, you know, made it clear that he doesn't particularly care whether Putin and the intelligence services attack American institutions.
"So ... Do you have some water?"
Clinton began coughing uncontrollably, then took water from her staff. She turned her back to the reporters on the plane, but continued coughing.
At that point, she began to walk toward the end of the plane opposite the gathered reporters and said, "I'll be right with you."
At that point, the feed ended. CNN and MSNBC aired portions of Clinton's answers afterward, but Fox News Channel aired the press conference almost in its entirety, leaving only when Clinton was forced to end it.
Clinton's earlier coughing spell lasted at least two minutes, and her voice sounded scratchy even between the coughs.
"Every time I think about Trump I get allergic," she said.
"Once I get over my allergic reaction, let me say we're here in part because we know how important this election is to Ohio. It's not just as [running mate] Tim [Kaine] said that Ohio is one of those battleground states you hear about every four years, it's that Ohio represents everything that's great about America and all the challenges and opportunities we face."
Clinton has suffered several coughing spells during her appearances in recent months, which some of her critics have used to argue that she is in poor health.
Among other issues that critics cite in saying that the 68-year-old Clinton is suffering from health problems are the fact she suffered a concussion in December 2012 after fainting from dehydration. The concussion was said to be the reason she was seen wearing thick glasses to combat double vision during her Benghazi testimony in January 2013.
She was seen wearing glasses again in February of this year, sparking a tweet from the Drudge Report titled "Hillary Health Drama: Prism Glasses Back on Day After Coughing Seizure."
HILLARY HEALTH DRAMA: PRISIM GLASSES BACK ON DAY AFTER COUGHING SEIZURE https://t.co/qFQ2GFbklI — DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) February 18, 2016
The fall also led to the discovery of a blood clot during a follow-up examination, which led to a hospital stay.
"Mrs. Clinton’s blood clot formed in a large vein along the side of her head, behind her right ear, between the brain and the skull," The New York Times reported at the time, adding that she had a blood clot in her leg as first lady in 1998.
She began taking blood thinners at the time, and was still taking Coumadin in August 2015. She told ABC News in 2014 she likely was on blood thinners "for life."
Clinton also takes Armour Thyroid, a thyroid hormone replacement, antihistamines and vitamin B12, according to the Associated Press.
As for the coughing, it was first noticed at the 2013 Benghazi hearing, and came back in January 2016. It has been documented several times since and has been accompanied by the same hoarse speech heard on Monday.
Clinton has had at least two falls, including one while serving as secretary of state in 2009 that broke her right elbow. She was recorded falling while boarding a plane in 2011.
Though Clinton has been under attack from the right over whether her coughing spells are evidence of a serious health issue, she has been under fire from Trump and from the press for her failure to hold news conferences.
Clinton had not held one since Dec. 4 before the impromptu Q&A aboard the plane Monday.
She has argued with reporters her interviews with them should count, though critics argue she is doing them by telephone, allowing her staff to feed her answers.
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Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant are shown in 2005. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
During Phil Jackson’s 11-season stint as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he had an up-and-down relationship with Kobe Bryant. The ups included five championships, and the downs, well, they were mostly about both men’s failing efforts to not get on each other’s nerves.
The problems between Jackson and Bryant were at their worst during the coach’s first go-around with the team, from 1999 to 2004, during which the pair, helped greatly by Shaquille O’Neal, won three straight titles. When the coach returned in 2005 (to a Shaq-less Lakers), he had written a tell-all about the squad’s 2003-04 campaign called, “The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul,” in which he described Bryant in less-than-flattering terms.
On Monday, ESPN published another installment in a series of conversations Jackson had with reporter Charley Rosen during this past season, Jackson’s first running the New York Knicks. Rosen asked about comments Bryant had made about the issues he’d had with his former coach. Here is what Jackson had to say:
“Ah, my good friend Kobe Bryant. … Yes, quite often I could feel his hatred. “I’m sure Kobe was pissed when I wrote in ‘The Last Season’ that he was uncoachable. And, yes, we were often at loggerheads. He wanted more freedom and I wanted him to be more disciplined. This is a normal source of friction thing between coaches and players on just about every level of competition. “But when I came back for my second stint with the Lakers, Kobe and I worked it all out. I gave him more of a license to do his thing, as long as it stayed within the overall context of the triangle. And we did win two more championships. Anyway, I’ve always seen Kobe as a truly great player, an intelligent guy and a remarkable person.”
Indeed, a Washington Post account from the 2006 playoffs noted that “the Kobe-Phil relationship no longer appears strained and has turned into a much-ado-over-nothing story.” Of course, the team did not return to title contention until it acquired center Pau Gasol before the 2007-08 season.
The Bryant comments to which Rosen referred came from a GQ story published in February of this year. Here is a sampling of what the shooting guard had to say:
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5pb. has announced (via Otakomu) the release date for their newly revealed game based on the popular manga / anime franchise, Re:Zero.
The upcoming PlayStation 4 and PS Vita game is set for a March 23rd, 2017 release in Japan. The first images for the game were revealed as well, which you can view above as well as below:
Fans can expect the visual novel to go down an entirely different story compared to the original, dubbed simply “Another Episode With Candidates for the Next Ruler.”
Here’s where things get interesting: the story is focused on a “Beauty Queen Election,” which predates the election for the next ruler. Whoever wins the Beauty Queen Election shall receive a unique weapon that reportedly gives the owner good luck.
However, the prize is actually cursed and puts the “Curse of Death” upon protagonist Subaru. Coming from this, the only way to remove the curse is to get a kiss from a beautiful girl. So, your goal is to build relationships with the various girls, in the hopes of getting a kiss.
The involved ladies include: Emilia, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, Felt, Priscilla, Anastasia, and Crusch.
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Image credit: Asiapacific.unwoman.org
*Trigger warning: discussion of sexual violence.
. . .
Sigh. I really wish I
didn’t have to write this, but with everything that has been going on lately, I
didn’t feel right letting this one go.
So, last week, my husband’s old colleague (let’s call him Z.), a
self-proclaimed lover of poetry, yoga, Eastern philosophy, and beautiful women,
posted this publicly on Facebook:
Damn, damn, damn. Where
to even begin?
Z. is alluding, of course, to the controversial report
released by the UN joint program Partners for Prevention. The results indicated that half of the
10,000 men surveyed across nine areas in six countries in the Asia Pacific
revealed that they had used physical and/or sexual violence against a female
partner, while 10%-62% of men, depending on locale, admitted to “perpetrating
some form of rape against a woman or girl in their lifetime.” (Other key
findings: most of these rapes were against intimate partners, not strangers,
and the overwhelmingly common justification for rape was the claim of “sexual
entitlement” over women.)
Obviously,
this survey yields pretty horrifying details that, as the study itself
concludes, beg for urgent measures to counter the epidemic of male violence
against women and to empower women and girls in both the public and private
spheres, especially in societies where equality between the sexes is
inadequately underwritten by cultural or legal practices.
But
without minimizing the fact that this UN report deserves our outrage and calls
to action, it must be said that many Americans’ responses to the study have been
bizarre, to say the least: rape-culture
denialists, for instance, have dismissed the findings, while in other
cases, like Z., reactions have been self-righteous and even
self-congratulatory, as a quick look at the comments to pretty much any article about this report will reveal. Over on Quora, a lively debate popped up on the question of why “the west [sic]
is hell-bent on studying rapes in the east [sic].” (One user insightfully responded, “Is rape reporting in Western media biased?
Yes. Absolutely.”)
Anyway, back to Z. When
my husband read Z.’s Facebook post, he immediately posted a response (see C.’s
reply below). As you can see, Z.’s flurry of counterattacks became increasingly
unhinged, bolstered by his (female!) yoga instructor friend D.’s unhelpful
generalizations of Asian men as “disgusting” devaluers of women, and Asian
women as “meek and quiet yet manipulative in their own way”:
As I read through this again, I’m stunned by how rapidly the
conversation moves from condemning Asian men, to condemning Asian women, to
condemning all women, period --
leaving American men blameless and victimized by so-called “pussy power
plays” and “reverse rape,” which according to Z. is “every bit as wrong as a
man physically raping a woman.” Wow. I
don’t know, Z. Like my husband, I too
seem to be missing your larger point “as it relates to humanity, behavior,
culture and perspective.”
The conversation continued.
My husband started receiving irate messages from Z., including:
amigo…did you marry an Angry Womyn?
You sound increasingly de-balled on here!...
And I wasn’t the only
Angry Womyn, it turns out. His cousin, the only other person besides C. to call
out Z.'s misogyny, got this rant in return: “You really need to simmer
down. And apologize...I sure hope you don’t end up talking to your
husband like this. Nasty nasty stuff, cuz-o-roo…”:
Unsurprisingly, the next day Z. deleted the entire original
post and conversation and decided to play the victim card instead, consoling himself with some
Eastern philosophy:
Well. May the wisdom
of the East make you feel better about yourself, Z.
. . .
Of course, my post here isn’t about outing a single
misogynist with creepy racist undertones -- first of all, because there’s zero
chance that Z. will read this, and even if he did, we can probably predict that
it would only add more fire to his raging sense of victimhood. As my husband said, Z. is just one sad,
insignificant human being in the world. But as much as I want to believe that
and then simply forget everything that Z. posted, his toxic words are sadly consistent
with the disturbingly universal trend of men -- more often than not, men in
power -- blaming women for sexual assault.
I’m talking, for instance, about two Chicago-area
firefighters who were caught allegedly trying to rape a woman, with one of the
firefighters claiming
to the cops that the victim “had been making eyes at me.”
Or the conservative writer John Derbyshire who argued
that women in the military are “eccentric” self-victimizers who are “especially
susceptible to the associated pathologies…[of] victim hoaxes for attention,
spite, or cash reward” -- i.e., they lie about getting raped to get paid.
Or the ex-mayor of San Diego who, stepping down after over
twenty women came forth to accuse him of sexual harassment, blamed everyone else
but himself, including the “lynch
mob” conspiracy fueled by the lies of his
accusers, his old evil nemeses Awkwardness
and Hubris, and the city
of San Diego for not providing him with adequate sexual harassment
training.
Or the ex-living monster of a man Ariel Castro himself, who repeatedly
blamed his three victims during his sentencing, denying that he’d ever
raped or beat them and characterizing himself
as a hapless victim of the girls’ lies and sexual appetites.
While all this victim-blaming is going on, the real victims
of sexual assault are getting scant support and acknowledgment from their
communities and law enforcement. In tragic
recent cases, young teenage girls who were raped by their
peers
or teachers
committed suicide while their rapists went virtually scot-free. In the case of 14-year-old Cherice Moralez,
the judge in her case sentenced her rapist ex-teacher Stacey Rambold to just 30
days in prison while describing the dead victim as “as much in control of the
situation” and “older than her chronological age.” (The judge has since apologized for his
remarks, though he couldn’t get Rambold’s sentence extended.)
And these are just some of the headlines from the last few months alone.
With
stories like these constantly flooding the media, it’s alarmingly
obvious that blaming the victims of sexual assault isn’t ever just
promulgated by losers like Z., who live lives of (not so quiet)
desperation, but by serial rapists, law enforcers, public intellectuals,
and civic leaders alike. Tragically, such thinking also permeates our
younger generations, who are growing up in a culture where online
slut-shaming is the norm, and where young perpetrators -- boys and girls
alike -- admit that they “often feel the need to shame other girls for their improper behavior.”
So it’s contemptible and oh-so-hypocritical when some Americans
misuse news like the UN report in order to blame “Other” men -- lately,
Asian men -- to feel better about themselves while willfully refusing to
take a long, hard look at our own backyard (see for instance, if you
can stomach it, the comments to this excellent PolicyMic article about Ariel Castro and rape culture). I’m sick and tired of it. Because, oh by the way, Z., 1 in 5 women in America have stated that they have been sexually assaulted. And, of course, that’s only the number of women who’ve reported it, and in an outdated study, besides.
So as much as I know how many good, good men there are, as long as
there are those like Z. believing that American women “have it good”
compared to women in the rest of the world if they’re not getting raped,
and that men are innocent victims of whatever the hell “pussy power”
is, and that whatever the hell “reverse rape” is is somehow equivalent to men raping women, all of us -- all of us -- have a serious problem on our hands. Let's acknowledge it, and empower ourselves to keep fighting rape
culture and victim-blaming in our own communities right here at home.
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You know, we should have paid a little closer attention to Microsoft's decision yesterday to extend Windows XP sales to "June 2010 or one year after the general availability of Windows 7" -- if the company was really planning on shipping Windows 7 in 2010 , that first date doesn't make a lot of sense unless the plan is to ship Windows 7 much, much earlier. And hey -- what's Bill Gates doing telling investors this afternoon that Windows 7 will come "in the next year" and that he's "super-enthused" about it? As far as we know, the official Windows 7 timeline hasn't changed, so Bill might just talking about beta versions, but something's clearly up Windows-wise in Redmond -- perhaps Vista's wow is not long for this now.[Thanks, Jon]
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By Juan Cole
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Wednesday that Israel’s military actions are responsible for the death of a child every hour in recent days and observed, “Respect for the right to life of civilians, including children, should be a foremost consideration. Not abiding by these principles may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.” (see below). That is, in international law, Israel’s pretext for indiscriminate bombing– that Hamas hides out among non-combatants– is unacceptable. Israel is the occupying power in Gaza and has a duty to minimize non-combatant death, which it clearly is not doing (some 75% of Palestinians killed in this round of fighting have been children, women and non-combatant men. About 147 children have been killed by Israel; only a couple dozen Hamas fighters have been. Thousands of non-combatants have been wounded by indiscriminate shelling and air strikes, as well.)
Pillay noted that since July 7, Israel has launched 2,100 air strikes on the densely-populated slum that the occupation has turned Gaza into. Hundreds of civilian homes have been destroyed and 140,000 people have been displaced and made homeless.
She also complained about Hamas’s indiscriminate rocket fire on civilian population centers, which is a war crime.
But her list of Israeli violations of Human Rights law and obligations is much longer. She complained that Israel is not giving people — especially the elderly and the challenged — time to properly evacuate their homes once Israel had made clear it will bomb them.
She instances Israeli shelling of an old person’s home, of a hospital, and of a facility for the handicapped as some of the cases that point to the commission of war crimes and even crimes against humanity.
CNN reports:
CNN: “U.N.: One child killed every hour in Gaza”
Here is the full statement of Navi Pillay, High Commissioner of Human Rights at the UN, at the Human Rights Council on Wednesday, addressing the council president, Baudelaire Ndong Ella of Gabon:
“Mr. President,
Distinguished Members of the Human Rights Council,
Excellencies,
The situation in the occupied Gaza Strip is critical for the civilians living there and requires your urgent attention. Since Israel announced its military operation “Protective Edge” on 7 July, Gaza has been subjected to daily intensive bombardment from the air, land and sea, employing well over 2,100 air strikes alone. The hostilities have resulted in the deaths of more than 600 Palestinians, including at least 147 children and 74 women.
This is the third serious escalation of hostilities in my six years as High Commissioner. As we saw during the two previous crises in 2009 and 2012, it is innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, who are suffering the most.
According to preliminary UN figures, around 74 percent of those killed so far were civilians, and thousands more have been injured. Those numbers have climbed dramatically since Israel’s ground operations began on 17 July.
Hundreds of homes and other civilian buildings, such as schools, have been destroyed or severely damaged in Gaza, and more than 140,000 Palestinians have been displaced as a result.
Two Israeli civilians have also lost their lives and between 17 and 32 others have been reported injured as a result of rockets and other projectiles fired from Gaza, and 27 Israeli soldiers have been killed during military operations in Gaza.
As we speak, the indiscriminate firing by Hamas and other armed groups of more than 2,900 rockets, as well as mortars, from Gaza continues to endanger the lives of civilians in Israel. I have repeatedly condemned such indiscriminate attacks in the past. I do so again today.
I further emphasise that it is unacceptable to locate military assets in densely populated areas or to launch attacks from such areas. However, international law is clear: the actions of one party do not absolve the other party of the need to respect its obligations under international law.
Mr. President,
Civilian homes are not legitimate targets unless they are being used for, or contribute to, military purposes at the time in question. In case of doubt, civilian homes are presumed not to be legitimate targets. Even where a home is identified as being used for military purposes, any attack must be proportionate, offer a definite military advantage in the prevailing circumstances at the time, and precautions must be taken.
I unequivocally reiterate to all actors in this conflict that civilians must not be targeted. It is imperative that Israel, Hamas and all Palestinian armed groups strictly abide by applicable norms of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. This entails applying the principles of distinction between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives; proportionality; and precautions in attack. Respect for the right to life of civilians, including children, should be a foremost consideration. Not abiding by these principles may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mr. President,
Israel has stated that it has alerted Gazans before conducting strikes, including by using telephones, text messages and so-called warning “roof knocks,” using relatively light munitions. Even if Israel has attempted to warn civilians to, for example, leave their homes or conducted an evacuation before an attack, this does not release Israel from its obligations under international humanitarian law. Any warning for civilians must meet with the requirements of international law, including that this warning be clear, credible and allows sufficient time for people to react to it.
A number of incidents, along with the high number of civilian deaths, belies the claim that all necessary precautions are being taken to protect civilian lives. Roof-knocking itself is costing lives, with one projectile – apparently delivered from a drone – reported to have pierced a 20-centimetre concrete roof, killing three children.
People – particularly the elderly, sick and those with disabilities – are not given sufficient time to scramble out of their homes. When they do manage to run out into the street, there is nowhere to hide and no way of knowing where the next shell or missile will land.
Some eminent human rights defenders whom I spoke to inside Gaza yesterday asked for “the rule of law, not rule of the jungle”, adding that they have no peace, no security and no human rights. With regard to the firing of rockets by armed groups from densely populated areas, they said – and I quote – “We do not choose our neighbours.”
The disregard for international humanitarian law and for the right to life, was shockingly evident for all to see in the apparent targeting on 16 July of seven children playing on a Gaza beach. Credible reports gathered by my Office in Gaza indicate that the children were hit first by an Israeli air-strike, and then by naval shelling. All seven were hit. Four of them, – aged between 9 and 11, from the same Bakr family – were killed. These children were clearly civilians taking no part in hostilities.
The following day, three more children were killed and two others wounded, reportedly by a drone missile, in the Al-Sabra area of Gaza city while they were playing on the roof of their home as their parents prepared the daily Ramadan iftar meal.
These are only a few of the cases in which a total of 147 children have been killed in Gaza over the past 16 days. They had a right to life just like children in any other country. Their killings raise concerns about respect for the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.
Israeli children, and their parents and other civilians, also have a right to live without the constant fear that a rocket fired from Gaza may land on their houses or their schools, killing or injuring them. Once again, the principles of distinction and precaution are clearly not being observed during such indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups.
Mr President,
On 13 July, an Israeli strike reportedly killed two women in wheelchairs and injured four other patients in a centre for persons with disabilities in Beit Lahiya.
In the area of al-Shuja’iya, the full extent of casualties and damage to property is still unclear due to the continuous military ground offensive. Based on preliminary information gathered by my office in Gaza, on 20 July, a house was hit by several artillery shells at 6:00 a.m., killing seven members of a single family (including four women and two children) and one neighbour, who had sought refuge in the house. Another five family members, including three children, were injured.
In another case, five people were still missing as of 21 July, in a house targeted in an airstrike, and are believed to be buried under the rubble. My staff are continuing to document several other cases, in which family residences were destroyed with reported loss of civilian life, and in which preliminary indications suggest not even a single member of an armed group was present.
Then, just two days ago, on 21 July, shells hit the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah reportedly killing at least three people and wounding dozens of others, including doctors.
These are just a few examples where there seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes. Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated
Blockade and impact of repeated military hostilities
The current conflict and destruction comes at a time when Gaza is still recovering from repeated escalations of hostilities with Israel. The crippling effects of the Israeli blockade and other measures linked to the Israeli occupation of Gaza suppress the ability of the people to go about their daily lives and prevent them from rebuilding their lives and communities after repeated military operations.
I reiterate my numerous calls for this blockade to be lifted once and for all.
This latest assault has wreaked further damage to Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities. Fuel and medicine are in critically short supply, and electricity is reduced to a few hours a day, affecting ordinary households as well as compromising the ability of hospitals to treat the many injured, and to care for the most vulnerable people.
Situation in the West Bank
Mr President,
The current situation in Gaza has overshadowed the backdrop of heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. On 12 June, three Israeli teenagers went missing near Hebron, and were subsequently found murdered. Since then, more than 1,200 Palestinians have reportedly been arrested with some placed in administrative detention; Israel has carried out extensive operations where homes and offices have been raided and property damaged; the Israeli authorities have also resumed a policy of carrying out punitive house demolitions, and nine Palestinians have been killed in incidents involving Israeli security forces, raising serious concerns of excessive use of force, especially in the context of demonstrations against the military operation in Gaza.
In addition, I am concerned about reports of a significant rise in incitement to violence against Palestinians, including through social media. On 2 July, a Palestinian teenager was beaten and burned alive in Jerusalem amidst an atmosphere of revenge and incitement to violence.
The killings of all four teenage boys were abhorrent and those responsible must be brought to justice. However, only those responsible for these criminal acts can legitimately be punished. Individuals may not be punished for offences they have not personally committed or be made subject to collective penalties.
Context of protracted occupation
Mr President,
Israel holds obligations as an Occupying Power. For Palestinians in Gaza and in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the current reality is not just one of repeated conflict but also one of protracted occupation, with insecurity and a constant daily struggle for human rights, in particular the right to self-determination. In Gaza, the blockade and Access Restricted Areas continue to undermine the human rights of the population. In the West Bank, ever expanding illegal Israeli settlements; settler violence; demolitions of Palestinian homes; the Wall and its associated regime; excessive use of force; and large scale detentions of Palestinians are some of the ongoing, routine abuses and human rights violations committed against the occupied population.
The scenes we witness from afar, here in Geneva or around the world, via the 24-hour news channels and social media, provide only brief glimpses of the daily reality of conflict for Palestinians and for Israelis.
A seven-year old Palestinian child in Gaza has never known life outside occupation and is already living through her or his third experience of a major Israeli military operation, including the so-called operations ‘Cast Lead’ in 2009 and ‘Pillar of Defence’ in 2012, with all the unimaginable death, destruction, terror and the life-long consequences that they inflicted.
Both Palestinians and Israelis deserve better than a life of chronic insecurity and recurring escalation in hostilities.
Accountability and the right to self-determination
The continued failure to properly ensure accountability on both sides following earlier escalations of hostilities in Gaza is of serious concern. The culture of impunity for alleged violations of international law invites further transgressions and the victims of the past become victims again. War crimes and crimes against humanity are two of the most serious types of crimes in existence, and credible allegations that they have been committed must be properly investigated. So far, they have not been.
According to local human rights groups, despite numerous allegations of serious international crimes, only four Israeli soldiers have been prosecuted and convicted for three incidents that occurred during Operation ‘Cast Lead’. One of the convictions was for stealing a credit card. And the other three soldiers, convicted of more serious crimes, received extraordinarily light sentences. In April 2013, the Military Advocate General issued a public document indicating that it found no basis for opening criminal investigations into approximately 65 incidents involving the Israel Defense Force during the 2012 operation known as ‘Pillar of Defence’.
With respect to rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza, information available also indicates that no adequate measures have been taken to carry out effective investigations into alleged violations.
Mr President,
I, and my predecessors and successors as High Commissioner for Human Rights, can only offer the facts, the law, and common sense. This we have done, and — I am sure — will continue to do, however much we are criticized for it.
We, as the International Community, the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, States, and as human beings, are obliged to do everything in our power to protect all civilians and ensure that human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled worldwide.
In Israel and Palestine, the politics of conflict, peace and security are constantly leading to the downgrading, or setting aside, of the importance of binding international human rights law and international humanitarian law. International law is not negotiable. No individual or state can be considered exempt, if they violate the law.
I hope that the parties will respond positively to the visit of the Secretary-General to the region and his call for an immediate ceasefire. But what must we finally do to move beyond a ceasefire that will inevitably be broken again in two or three years, leading to yet more dead civilian men, women and children? Accountability is the first step towards ensuring that the cycle of human rights violations and impunity is brought to an end. A lasting peace can only begin with respect for human rights and human dignity on both sides, and ultimately, in the full realisation of the right to self-determination.
All these dead and maimed civilians should weigh heavily on all our consciences. I know that they weigh heavily on mine. All our efforts to protect them have been abject failures. More powerful entities, such as the Security Council, and individual States with serious leverage over the parties to this dreadful and interminable conflict, must do far more than they have done so far to bring this conflict to an end once and for all.
Thank you.”
– Navi Pillay
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Despite the recommendation, it will still be up to the coroner to decide whether any criminal charges should be laid
Dreamworld deaths: police say no park staff should be prosecuted
Queensland police have recommended no criminal charges be laid over the Dreamworld ride disaster, although park employees and the Gold Coast theme park’s owners still face potential prosecution.
In a report to the Queensland coroner, police say no Dreamworld staff should be prosecuted for the incident in which a ride malfunctioned nearly a year ago, killing four people.
Industrial manslaughter laws to be brought in after Dreamworld deaths Read more
However, a police spokesman said it would be up to the coroner whether any staff were eventually charged.
“Police have recommended no criminal charges be laid, but obviously that’s only a recommendation, the coroner may come back with suggestions relating to prosecution,” he said.
The park’s owner, Ardent Leisure, could still face potential prosecution by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, with penalties including six years jail and fines of almost $4m.
As part of its two-volume submission to the coroner, police are understood to have also recommended a coronial inquest be held into the tragedy.
Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi were killed on 25 October 2016 when the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned.
The ride was nearly 30 years old and one of the theme park’s main attractions, and it is also understood a young female employee was was on her first day of operating the ride when it malfunctioned.
Dreamworld nightmare overshadows theme park reopening Read more
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland handed its report into the incident to the state government last month, and government lawyers are now assessing it to see if any charges should be laid.
The state government passed new industrial manslaughter laws this month, with maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment for an individual or a maximum fine of $10m for a corporate offender.
However, the laws are not retrospective, and so would not apply to the Dreamworld case.
The Queensland coroner James McDougall told the media last year that he hoped an inquest would be held this year. However it now appears unlikely that any inquest will be held till 2018.
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In a debate that seems to never end, city politicians again argued about how to proceed with strip club licences in London Tuesday.
Sections of the revised business licensing bylaw that apply to strip club and body rub parlours — the city is tackling parts of the bylaw before an omnibus review and public meeting — were up for debate, including a “no touching” rule.
“In simple language, you can go to a strip club, you can have some drinks, you can look, but you can’t touch,” chief bylaw officer Orest Katolyk told the community and protective services committee during a public meeting.
It’s already part of the current bylaw, and Katolyk said the city has had success taking venues that violate the rule to court. But it drew complaints from lawyers representing the city’s strip clubs, who said a no-touching rule isn’t fair.
“Lap dancing is a form of service, a performance, that is undertaken both by the entertainer and the patron,” lawyer Theresa Simone said.
She noted the staff report identifies lap dancing as a “service offered in many live entertainment parlours.”
“You cannot have a recognition that touching . . . takes place, and then have a prohibition on touching,” Simone said, calling it unconstitutional.
But a London women’s advocate disagreed, arguing the city’s licensing of businesses where lap dances are given runs contrary to federal legislation on prostitution.
“It’s very clear what constitutes a sexual service or an act of prostitution, and that includes lap dancing,” said Megan Walker, executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre. “It’s just common sense. What’s going on . . . is exactly what’s outlined in the definition of prostitution, and it’s illegal.”
Walker said the city is at a “fork in the road,” suggesting staff review the city’s licensing for compliance with federal legislation, lest it open the city to a constitutional challenge.
Another public participation meeting dealing with all parts of the business licensing bylaw is scheduled for Oct. 4.
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A law proposed in New York City would make sexual-assault reports publicly available.
On Thursday, a New York City Council member proposed a bill that would make any report of sexual assault that occurred in a ride-hailing service public record. According to BuzzFeed News, the law would apply to any vehicle operated by New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission–licensed companies and owners — that includes green taxis, yellow taxis, Uber, Lyft, and other services.
The law was drafted in response to a BuzzFeed News investigation that found apparent discrepancies between Uber’s reported number of sexual assaults (fewer than 170) and the number of customer-support tickets that included the words “sexual assault” in a search of Uber’s database (6,160).
There’s currently no requirement to publicize incidents of sexual assault that occur in New York’s more than 140,000 TLC-licensed vehicles. “We thought we should take the first step in here to try to combat this problem by measuring it,” said Dan Garodnick, who proposed the bill. “A ride in a taxi should not be an invitation to a sexual assault, and real data will allow us to take real action.”
To start, the legislation would collect information on sexual assault from TLC, 311, and the NYPD, and Garodnick said he’s hopeful it would expand to include companies like Uber, Lyft, and for-hire cars. Not only will the law allow legislators to better address the problem, Garodnick said, “it’ll also serve as a benchmark for all the stakeholders in the TLC space to see where they stand when it comes to being host to sexual harassment and assaults.”
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The Different Light Sections That You Can Choose Online
LED Light has gained awareness and recognition all over the world and still increasing in popularity for a wide variety of reasons. Attention has been shifted from traditional lighting such as fluorescent, halogen and others all because of the great benefits LEDs bring to the table of every user.
There is different LED light in the market with all having the same benefits which include the lifespan, energy efficiency, durability, low voltage, light dispersion and many more to mention a few. There are different light sections or types that you can choose online concerning their needs.
Let’s check out the different types of LED light in the market.
LED Shop Light
The benefit of lighting in the place of work can’t be overlooked, and it is divided into different sections such as productivity, health, personal choice, safety, and ergonomics. As regarding the importance of LED shop light with security, workers get fully aware of what goes around in their surroundings. It gives them the awareness needed to know the possible hazard that could happen while working.
It offers clearer view and brightness to anyplace where it’s been used. If you are in need of any of the best-LED light that is ideal and perfect for your shop, we have some of the best collection on the section on this site. As regarding health and productivity, poor lighting can make one feel lethargic, and that can affect the rate of one’s productivity at work. Choosing Led light for workplace over every other is an excellent option as it will help to boost your performance.
Under Cabinet LED Light
Not all men know the importance of cabinet lighting, but the case is different with women because most women out there take their kitchen as their second room. The kitchen is the preferred room in the whole house for most women because that’s precisely where the meal is done.
And one of the ways to make it look appealing and attractive is through the décor that is incorporated, and one of the best ways to achieve that is through the use of cabinet lighting. Different options can be used for the lightning such as fluorescent and halogen, but none offers the benefits you get from the use of LED light.
The use of Led light for cabinet lighting is significant as it gives you cabinet a different look since most of them comes in different style. LED lighting for your cabinet enhances the interior design, provides less shadow, very easy to install, and it lowers your electricity bill since it doesn’t consume energy. You don’t have to look too far to make your choice as you can hop over to our section on this site to create your collections.
LED Fog Lights
If you happen to be the type that is always on the road either with your bike or car you will surely know the importance of fog lights. Fog lights are not different from every other light but work in a better way in the sense that it gives more illumination to one’s path. Come to think of how illuminated the trail will be with the use of LED fog lights. The LED fog light gives you a clear awareness of what is ahead of you and how you can easily navigate your way without any risk of an accident.
It has no benefit or let me say it’s of no use during the day, but it is of greater importance at night for those that drive during the dark hour of the night. Once can easily bump over a moving car or run into potholes without fog lights.
But with that in place, you can easily have a smooth movement and enjoy the ride. There are lots of amazing LED fog lights in the market, and you might end up getting a less quality one which is why we have on our platform a section for LED fog lights for those who are ever going to be in need of one for their car or bike.
LED Light Bar
The LED light bar is a compliment to the fog light on any car or truck. It isn’t necessary to have one, but it is an excellent addition to your car lighting. The perfect place to position it is on the head of the car. The Light will illuminate your path and makes it more apparent when driving.
It is the perfect piece to get you well informed of what is on the road so that you don’t run into any car ahead of you. It works effectively that the light that comes with your car and that makes its operation appealing to users. The Led light bar comes in three different types in which some are spotlight which helps you to see thing from a far distance. The spotlight can travel a far distance to get you aware of things ahead of you.
While the second light being the flood light, it is different in its operation in such that it can’t travel far but will illuminate your surroundings. On that note, there is the last which is known as the combo light that comprises of the spot and flood light in one. The goal is to give more illumination to your path while driving.
Reef Tank LED Light
Are you in need of lighting for your freshwater, reef tank or aquarium? Then you needed to follow the trendy style of using LED lights. LED light even proves to be more active in illuminating the reef tank and making life pleasing to the animals and plants in it.
The good about using Led light for your reef tank is that most of the ones you will find in the market come in different style and color and will give your reef tank a tremendous and attractive look. The LED light will give the tank a glamorous appearance, and it will not harm the aquatic animals and plants in it because it doesn’t emit heat. It is eco-friendly and user-friendly as well to the animals and those around it. You wouldn’t know how attractive your reef tank will be until you try any of our LED light we have in store on this site.
LED Garage Lighting
Most people leave out the garage of their home when putting the exterior lights in place. But it is an integral part of the house where you can as well keep essential things, and some often use as their car parking space.
It is an excellent thing to illuminate one’s garage because it helps to keep intruder off your property and keep your items safe and intact. Apart from helping you keep intruder off, it is a place that one can quickly do some house chore or work for those who loves home DIY project. One would need a source of illumination that will make the entire place clearer and brighter. Led light proves to be the best because it won’t consume energy but conserves and thereby reduce your electricity bill. It is cost effective and effortless to use.
LED Nail Lamp
It is common in most of the professional manicure center. It is a device that can be used on the nail to dry the paint that has been used on it. Some come expensive, and some are relatively inexpensive making too easy to own for everyone who desires to keep their nail the way they want it to be.
It is effortless to use, and it doesn’t hurt. All it takes is to put the paint on the fingernails and to get it dry and remain in excellent condition, you have to place the finger in the lamp, and the light will act on the paint and solidify it. The light emitted doesn’t cause any harm to the hand, and that makes it so more comfortable to use for anyone.
The device can be bought and used at home for those who love to do things themselves and not all the device allows the use of the two hands at the time. Some allow your four fingers while you have to the thump separately and some are big to the point that it can be used with your leg too. We have in this section different type with our focus on quality and value, and you can always trust our decision in selecting the right products.
LED AAA Flashlight
The flashlight is common in the most household as it is handy and easy to operate. Its function is to use where there is a limited supply of light. For instance, you want to fix the attic area of your home, and you have to go through the ceiling, you need a light that will illuminate the whole place for you, and that calls for the need of a flashlight.
Led flashlight is taking the floor in the market because it is very bright and last longer when in use compared to some other typical flashlight in the market. The LED AAA flashlight doesn’t use electricity but can only be powered through the use of AAA batteries, and that can be replaced on the off chance that it runs out of charges or power.
LED Pool Light
Why not give your pool a new look? You shouldn’t be too accustomed to the typical look of a pool and trust me one can get less motivated to get into the pool with the regular appearance. With the LED pool light, you will give your pool a new appearance as you can choose to get a LED with different light pattern and that will make your pool attractive. Another reason for choosing LED light for your pool is that it gives you a more unobstructed view of the pool at night.
LED light is brighter than every other light option you will find in the market, and it doesn’t consume energy, plus the heat emitted doesn’t cause any harm to the water or those using the pool. We’ve got the best collections, and we’ll be glad if you make the right choice by checking any of them out. Your pool deserves the best too.
LED Throw Light
If you are the type that watches movies especially action one that has to deal with FBI or CIA, you will find out that they do make use of light when after a criminal that ran into the hideout. The light is known as throw light.
It can be used by anyone and not only the military because it is a device for self-defense as you can cause anyone whose intention to harm you to go blind for minutes by throwing the light straight to their face. Once you switch on the light through the button, you direct it to the front of the person, and he/she will go blind for some minutes and that it is why it is mostly used by military personnel.
IF you want to get anyone who is in the force a birthday gift and you don’t know what to get, the throw flashlight will be appreciated. It is advisable that most household must possess one throw light. Also, you can check the list we have on our site.
LED Outdoor Solar Light
Not only the interior part of the house needs to be illuminated, the outdoor as well is very important. It is a form to keep your home secured and illuminates the entire area thereby giving you aware of all that goes on around you.
The LED light doesn’t consume energy, it will help to reduce your electricity bill, and most of them do come with a motion sensor which means they will come on whenever it detects movement some miles away. It will help to keep intruder away once they know the light will come up once motion is detected and they can be quickly noticed.
The good part of the LED solar light is that electricity powers not all. Some come with a solar option which means that they get recharged during the day when the sun shines and when at night the energy received will be converted to supply light.
Led Medical Penlights
The best gift you can give to any medical students or any personnel in the health sector is the medical penlights. It will be appreciated because it is one of the most critical devices in the medical line. It is being used to check the pupil response of patients and some other parts such as the throat and the nose.
It can be used by all medical personnel, and it is different from every other light because it comes with pupil gauge and every other thing that makes it ideal for the medical line. We have different types of medical penlights here, and you can always check them out to make the right choice.
LED Off-road Light
Offroad light is very resourceful especially for those who often travel with their automobile. It is a device that can be used on any car to illuminate the trail. The light gets you will inform of that which is ahead of you, and it helps to keep one safe from any hazardous situation.
It is very bright and sees far if it is a pot light type and you get to know all that happens around you if it is flood light, but you get the two in one if you opt for a combo offroad light.
LED Penlight
A penlight is mostly mistaken as a typical pen because it comes with a section which is for the pen. The idea is to make life bearable without the need for taking a separate pen and also a flashlight. So it is a combination of a flashlight and a pen in one.
It is portable and can be placed in the pocket since it is lightweight and doesn’t add any unnecessary weight to the user. Once you need to write anything, you switch the pen mode, and when you need the flashlight, you turn the light mode and use.
LED Pistol Lights
You don’t have right to on this if you don’t have access or license to the pistol. It is why military personnel mostly use it. The light helps to ensure precision and accuracy while shooting. It helps the pistol handler to get a full view of the target before initiating the shot.
It has proven to be very useful as it reduces the level of guess and makes it quite easier to force men to decide without any risk of shooting a civilian instead of a criminal.
In conclusion, our goal is to get you informed on that which is trending as regarding lighting device. Here is our contribution and on each section, we have detailed information with a list of quality products you can choose to meet your need. All i=that is required from you is to read carefully and make the right choice.
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If you eat vegan because you enjoy being a contrarian pain-in-the-ass, you can stop reading now. This advice is not for you. You’re like -
“Bring on the haters, I grow stronger the more they resent my dietary restrictions.”
If, however, you are a person who wants to relate to others and not alienate everyone and their mother, you might find your vegan diet throws a wrench in the works on this front. People find out you are vegan and immediately assume:
You think they are terrible people for killing animals.
You are a smug, nature lover judging their enormous carbon footprint.
You know nothing about humans and what they are *supposed* to eat. (cavemen, ftw)
You are judging their weight. (especially if you are a thin vegan)
Your personal failings now have a clear cause — your protein deficient diet is sapping any energy you might have had if you ate correctly.
You eat grass.
Good points, all.
My advice for dealing with these assumptions is fairly simple:
Dodge the Vegan 3rd Degree by being vague and noncommittal, and — don’t be a dick.
To me, the Vegan 3rd Degree is totally understandable. You are throwing out everything you probably grew up eating in terms of food and what many of your loved ones and the greater society still eat.
Why are you doing this?! It’s so confusing!
And, thus, the annoying questions.
Don’t act all shocked that this is the perspective of a non-vegan. Doesn’t the confusion make sense to you?
For example, what if your friend stopped wearing shoes. She was like, “Wearing shoes doesn’t work for me and my body,” and she just walked barefoot everywhere.
You might be like -
“No shoes, no service, idiot! Now we have to eat at home because of your ‘lifestyle choice’ and, like, what about winter and snow and the long-term effects of pavement on your feet and don’t you know that even cavemen fashioned primitive shoes out of bark and vines and, don’t worry, I didn’t buy these shoes from a company that uses sweatshops. Did you think I did?! Do you think I’m destroying the earth!? I’m not! I hate you.”
Now, maybe you’ve built up a bit more of an understanding of alternative lifestyles from eating a vegan diet, so maybe you wouldn’t judge your friend’s ‘shoeless’ policy so harshly.
Then again, maybe you’re a judgmental jerk like the rest of us. If so, maybe now you understand a bit better the confusion of others when you say you eat vegan.
Ok. How to dodge and weave and not deliver punches yourself.
PART 1: Be Vague and Noncommittal.
Here are my answers when people ask the following questions:
Q: “Why do you eat vegan?”
A: “Some good friends started to eat vegan and so I decided to try it too.”
(hahaha — self deprecating, actually a little true, stupid — makes people relax a bit)
A (cont’d): “Also, I think it uses fewer resources to eat vegan and I like that lighter footprint.”
When people start to dispute this, if they do, I usually respond — “I know, it’s crazy complicated. I’m always trying to figure out what works. For now, tofu!” Or something equally self deprecating and stupid so that we can move on and get back to enjoying each other’s company. Don’t worry, they’ll ask again. But, I like a peppered in version of a vegan coming out and not a single-serving grand inquisition.
Ok. Is this a spineless reply?
You might really feel strongly about animal welfare or the effects of animal protein on the human body or the impact of livestock on global warming. Why not say so?
If you noticed, I did say so. I’m not really in it for the animals (though that’s a bonus) or health, but for the environment. I really do feel that way so I drop that into the convo.
BUT, do people respond well to pedantic, finger-waving vegan lectures? Well, do people respond well to being guilted and made to feel ashamed in any area? Doesn’t seem like the most conducive way to being heard by people is if they are on the defensive…
Q: “Do you get enough protein?”
A: “Ah, the great protein question. Well, I’m dead, so obviously not.”
(hahaha)
A (cont’d): “Seems like I’m getting enough because my energy’s good. Plus, if you eat the right combo of foods, you can get a complete protein, which is what is contained within meats. Anyway, the amount of protein necessary is probably overstated in this country. Many countries eat a veg diet and keep on ticking. But, I do like to have a high protein breakfast to last me until lunch. It is something I do think about. Do you feel your energy is lacking if you don’t get enough protein?”
I’d like to think this question has been mocked enough to have stopped being asked but, alas, I think it still comes up. It’s good to make fun of people for it a lil’ because maybe it will help them see that it’s probably not as big a deal as they think.
The above is my current perspective on protein. There are more scientific perspectives. Asking the asker a question at the end initiates a dialogue, rather than an inquisition, and, anyway, it’s interesting to learn what others struggle with in terms of diet — you might actually learn something!
Q: “Don’t you know humans are omnivores?”
A: “Yeah, meat and dairy don’t actually bother me, health-wise. There are some people who think even if they don’t acutely bother you, they can over the long-term — that chronic ingestion of meat and dairy causes cancer and other diseases. Honestly, the research is all over the place there and I don’t really know. I think eating vegan works for me because meat and dairy is so overly consumed in this country and I want to curb it. I think using it modestly for flavor or protein could maybe work but that for sure is not what we do. By being strict about eating vegan, it allows me to be flexible when the circumstances don’t permit me to be strict — like eating out, traveling or eating at someone’s house.”
This is true. I will go to Thai restaurants that use fish sauce. I’m not sure eating vegan cures cancer. I’m not sure humans are *supposed* to eat vegan. I like moderate living and I don’t think the American diet is moderate. A vegan diet might be an extreme correction but, given that it doesn’t seem to have a negative effect on my health and that there are times I deviate from it anyways because it isn’t the norm, I like leaning in that direction.
Whatever your answer to these questions, talk in terms of what works for you and not what you know to be absolute truths. Because…
You might be wrong.
I know — how could this be?!
Whatever your vegan motivations, they might be ill-founded, stupid, illogical or simply a matter of perspective. Seriously. Do you really want to put your (now former) friends in their places when that could be the case?
Which brings us to:
PART 2: Don’t be a dick.
Not being a dick should already be scattered throughout your answers to the grand Vegan 3rd Degree but it’s also a matter of perspective.
You actually have to believe that your friends aren’t assholes for not being vegan. You have to believe you might be wrong (whatever that means) about your decision to eat vegan. You have to believe someone can be an environmentalist, animal lover, healthy person and still eat meat.
Keep an open mind. Have a dialog. Make fun of yourself for being so contrarian. Make fun of others for being so boring and predictable about their questions.
Some bonus tips:
Don’t define yourself by your veganism. It’s just a thing you do, not who you are and so you don’t have to be defensive about it.
Stop talking about eating vegan so much — you’re only bringing on the inquisition.
Get some vegan friends — it is SUCH a relief to cook/bake with vegan abandon and not even have to think about it. (meetup.com, anyone?)
Learn to make some vegan food that appeals to non-vegans. And don’t go on and on about how, “See! Eating vegan is really good.” Be cool, man. Be cool.
Also, everyone comes to eating vegan for different reasons and so your answers to the above questions might be different and thornier. Get in touch if you’re especially having trouble dealing with your answers or comment below.
Originally published on Plenty Vegan.
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Thank you so much! This gift is VERY cool and I will use everything for years to come. My match sent me a Leatherman Style CS! It is so awesome. Can be used as scissors, a knife, a nail file, a phillips screwdriver, a bottle opener, and even tweezers! Seriously, so cool. Something I will carry on me all the time. He also sent me 4 water resistant key chain containers. I used two of them so far and attached them to my keys. I put money in one and ibuprofen in the other. Also, VERY useful. He even sent me a mini LED keychain light. Its so bright! I love everything he sent me!
With each gift, he included a personal note. I love it when people do this.
Note with Mini LED Keychain Light: "Light is something that you never expect to need, but when carrying this, you will be able to see in places where others cannot. Also, the key-ring may come in a later shipment."
Response: Totally agree. My last LED key chain light went out on me and I was so sad. This one is at least 100X better!!! So excited.
Note with Leatherman Style CS: "I wasn't too sure about what to get you as a gift, so I decided to send you some pieces of my own life. This key-chain multi-tool is my favorite portion of your gift. Get this in your pocket or purse and feel prepared! :)"
Response: Well, my dear friend, you did amazing. As a Texas girl, you cannot go wrong with a Leatherman. Actually, as anyone, you can't go wrong with a Leatherman! I will sincerely use and treasure this for years to come. Also, I choose pocket. I don't carry a purse! :)
Note with Water Resistant Key Chain Containers: "These are a tad larger than what I've used before, but they should be able to store some emergency cash, or maybe some aspirin for a headache. It's up to your imagination."
Response: These are so cool! I love secret compartments O_o! I am going to have to think about what to store inside the other two! Yay!!
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Marco Williams never knew how hard game development would be. He and the team at Hashbang Games—which included his brother and his best friend—spent eight months working on Orbital Blaster, a space shooter that pays homage to games like Galaga. The development process was riddled with problems from the get-go, and even the process of making a simple game turned out to be a bigger endeavor than expected. To make matters worse, Williams' effort to fund the game's development on Kickstarter failed at around three percent of its $75,000 funding goal.
“I've never designed and developed games before,” he admitted to Ars over the telephone. “I have a 15-year background of programming, but I've never successfully designed and launched a game.”
It was in the middle of the Kickstarter campaign that Williams was inspired to try his hand at full-scale game development for the first time. His inspiration was based on the promise behind one word: Ouya. The $99 cube-shaped, Android-powered, TV game console has been generating intense interest from independent game developers new and old since it attracted the support of 63,416 Kickstarter backers last year. The system will ship out to its initial backers on March 28 (ahead of a June launch to the general public), so many developers are gearing up to finally see their games on their living room TVs for first time. Heck, many will be seeing their game simply become playable for the first time.
Of the 480 launch titles compiled by one Ouya fan forum, a great number are being made by small-time developers with little to no experience making games. There really aren't any big budget, triple-A titles to speak of unless you count a few indie success stories that are porting their titles over from iOS and Android. Overwhelmingly, the Ouya's first crop of developers are regular people who see the system as their chance to break into the game industry—on a device that's geared toward people just like them.
You might think these developers would want to try their hand at developing for the established PC or mobile platforms. After all, it's a risk to develop for an unreleased console being made by an Internet startup with no track record and no proven market share. But when talking to a few first-time developers who are supporting the Ouya in a big way, the same message is heard again and again. This tiny, unproven box represents a way to fulfill their dream of getting a game on their TV set. It can turn indie gaming into something bigger than it is now.
Mobile is OK, but console is better
“If the Ouya was not launching, I would still be doing mobile contracting right now,” said Zachary Burke, one half of the two-man development team at Hypercane Studios. “My previous day job was mobile development…kind of the hot place to be right now.”
Zachary and his brother Jacob have been working on Rage Runner for the past six months. Zachary handles the development, Jacob handles the art, and the soundtrack is provided royalty-free by an artist named Teknoax. Rage Runner is a three-dimensional, fast-paced obstacle avoidance game that feels quite a bit like the mobile title Star Wars: Trench Run. Each level takes about a minute to play flawlessly, but Zachary said that “typically you die so many times it’s more like 20 minutes.”
Hypercane Studios had originally planned on heading straight for the PC and using Steam as its distributor. But when the Ouya came along, Jacob said the duo was “stoked about this console for indie developers." The Android-based console seemed to address a lot of the issues that had the pair discounting mobile game development in the first place. "We've just gotten a sour taste for mobile development,” Jacob told Ars. “I myself, as an artist, hate limitations. That’s why the Ouya is so nice: it allows me to do higher poly counts and a lot more than we can do on mobile.”
For Zachary, the Ouya's physical, dual-stick controller was one of the big reasons the Hypercane team chose the console for the debut of their first gaming creation. “If you compare the amount of control you have on a phone with the amount of control on an old school Nintendo controller, you’re much more accurate on the latter,” he explained. “We were really interested in games that use physical controllers and that are four-player simultaneous on one screen, and that’s something you just can’t do on mobile right now."
Zachary also feels that platforms like the Xbox just don't seem as accommodating to indie developers. "I don't like the Xbox Indie Games [section]...They have that whole thing locked down and then they have a maximum file size you can't exceed." He added that "they kind of tuck away the indie games behind several different menus—I don't feel like they're front and center and I don't feel like they treat you like a real developer. It just feels something that's kind of behind the curtains...an area for 'sad' games to live."
To keep Rage Runner evolving and to keep the community engaged well beyond this initial launch, players will be able to create their own levels and then publish them to share with others in the community. But the pair is already worried about the long-term financial implications of remotely storing those customized levels and things like players' high scores. “We’re really concerned about breaking even on server cost,” Zachary said. “A flat purchase fee… we would lose money on, and we obviously want to avoid that situation.” He added that they’ll be looking at in-app purchases to allow players to unblock certain features as a revenue model.
Despite this challenge, the brothers remain optimistic about their future—and the Ouya’s. Zachary is particularly positive about Ouya’s recent announcement that it would be launching updated hardware every year. “You know you’re going to be able to unlock more graphics capabilities and have more power to work it,” he said. On the other hand, “it will be a little more work to make sure it runs… At least with the Ouya, it’s going to be one vendor, different hardware.”
Zachary is also looking forward to the opportunities the Ouya will bring. "We were just thrilled at the chance to have our game on people's TVs in their living room. That's not an opportunity that's been available to us in the past." He added that while they hope to be hugely successful, "if we just get our name on the map and we get a couple of fans out of it, I'm going to be pretty happy with that."
Making games for a better cause
Across the Pacific Ocean from Hypercane's efforts, Kamil Czajko and the first-time developers at Australia's Kactus Games are putting the finishing touches on an Ouya role-playing game called Legacy of Barubash. The game puts players in the role of Kaleb, a young hunter who is forced to venture out of the small village he always called home in order to save it. The ambitious team is trying to combine the story mechanics of a title like Dragon Age in a two-dimensional, classic Square Enix-like package. “All of the team members have grown up with video games,” the game's website says. “We wanted to best of the JPRG with what we enjoyed from the western style RPGs, as well as to make something more complex than a casual game for the Android platform.”
Kactus Games consists of Czajko and his wife Sue, who acts as art director, writer, and world creator, along with art assistant Jonathon Morald and a couple contractors in the Netherlands and New York who work on sound and art assets. The team is devoting significant resources to its first indie title. A blog post on the site details how Gina Zdanowicz, the New York-based contractor, recorded the theme music for one of the characters using the live recording of a harpist and a soprano at Serial Lab Studios.
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by Adam Armstrong
Backblaze Releases Its Q1 2017 HDD Reliability Results
Backblaze has released its latest HDD reliability results, withthe results are for the first quarter of 2017. This time Backblaze is looking at over 80,000 HDDs, increasing it from the previous 70,000. And a new addition to the testing is enterprise HDDs, (we covered the importance of the different drive types here).
The setup/testing environment is still the same as we mentioned last time: Since 2007 Backblaze has been offering an online backup service. For the backup service Backblaze uses storage pods that holds at least 45 HDDs (the newer pods hold 60 HDDs). They put 20 storage pods together to make a storage vault that can hold up to 1,200 HDDs. Backblaze uses hard drives from primarily four main vendors: Seagate, WD, HGST, and Toshiba. The reason for choosing these companies comes from being able to buy the quantity needed for the price that enables Backblaze to offer customers the best deal. Backblaze also states that the reason most of the drives they use are Seagate and HGST is due to the availability of purchasing the quantity needed at the right price.
As with the last time we looked at it, the annualized failure rate (annualized failure rate is computed by ((Failures)/(Drive Days/365)) * 100) has crept up slightly again, this time to 2.07%, or just over 1,700 drive failures out of over 82,000. Again Seagate has the highest annualized failure rate of a single drive, ST4000DX000, though it was 7.51% this go round versus the nearly 20% we saw in the same model number last time we looked at the results. The drive with the least amount of annualized failure was the HGST HMS5C4040ALE640 with just 0.64%. Failure in this study is defined as 1) The drive will not spin up or connect to the OS. 2) The drive will not sync, or stay synced, in a RAID Array. 3) The Smart Stats used show values above Backblaze’s thresholds.
Backblaze has introduced enterprise drives into the study in the way of 2,459 Seagate 8 TB drives, model: ST8000NM055. As stated above, the drives purchased need to fall within Backblaze’s budget. As Seagate introduced new models of their enterprise drives, the older ones dropped in price and Backblaze seized this opportunity. Of the enterprise drives only two failed but due to the lower number to begin with they do have a higher failure rate percentage (2.38% compared to the non-enterprise 8TB drives with 1.6%). Backblaze also found that the enterprise drives load data faster though they use more power (there is an option to save power on the Seagate drives, PowerChoice, that even while on, the drive stored 40% more data then their client counterparts).
The entire study is available at Backblaze’s site for more insights on which drives performed well as well as the amount of time the drives ran in their data centers.
Backblaze Hard Drive Reliability results
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North American anime distributor Funimation announced the English broadcast dub cast for the Shōnen Maid anime on Friday. The first dubbed episode premiered on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The cast, under ADR director Caitlin Glass and ADR engineer Domonique French, includes:
Apphia Yu as Chihiro
Seth Magill as Madoka
Todd Haberkorn as Keiichiro
Michelle Rojas as Chiyo
Leah Clark as Miyako
Morgan Berry as Hino
Kristen McGuire as Amahara
Kate Oxley as Takei
Funimation describes the anime:
After the loss of his mother, Chihiro is left alone. With no known family left, he has to find a way to move on. Things aren't looking good until a chance encounter with the young and handsome Madoka—who turns out to be his wealthy uncle! Madoka offers him his home and all Chihiro has to do is clean up after the messy, irresponsible man. The problem? This job requires a uniform—a maid outfit!
The anime debuted on April 7, and Funimation is already streaming the English-subtitled version.
Yusuke Yamamoto (Welcome to the NHK, Sgt. Frog, Aquarion Evol) is directing the series at studio 8-Bit. Yoshiko Nakamura (Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Super Lovers, Hiiro no Kakera - The Tamayori Princess Saga) is in charge of the series composition, and Kana Ishida (The irregular at magic high school, Aquarion Evol, Wakaba Girl) is adapting the character designs for animation. Tomohiro Yamada is composing the music.
Ototachibana's original Shōnen Maid manga inspired the anime adaptation. Ototachibana launched the series in Enterbrain's Comic B's-LOG magazine in the April 2008 issue, and Kadokawa published the ninth compiled volume this past April.
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Members of the FBI and other law enforcement inspect the crime scene after a shooting during a practice of the Republican congressional baseball team. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
A lot of things about Wednesday’s shooting at a congressional Republican baseball practice felt reminiscent of the 2011 assassination attempt on Rep. Gabby Giffords that left six people dead including a congressional staffer. Like six years ago, the most prominent leaders of both parties issued a call for unity from both sides of the aisle, for example.
Most notably, though, there was a vocal, immediate, and familiar outcry about political rhetoric. Specifically, there were sometimes vague assertions from conservatives that overheated political language—and media coverage—was to blame for James T. Hodgkinson’s assault that sent Rep. Steve Scalise, one congressional staffer, and multiple others to the hospital with injuries. These calls mirrored complaints from liberals at the time of the Giffords assault that overheated political rhetoric might be to blame for Jared Lee Loughner’s attack.
Hodgkinson’s leanings—he posted liberally on social media about his hatred for Republicans and love of Bernie Sanders—are more obviously partisan than those of Loughner, a gold bug atheist. But now, even more than then, we should be wary of any attempt to use a tragic and horrible crime as a means for stifling legitimate political dissent.
Some of the discussion from conservative circles on Wednesday was a complete 180-degree turn from their impassioned defenses of political speech following the Giffords shooting. There were, in fact, already hints that the episode would be used to try to attack speech critical of President Donald Trump.
Former Speaker of the House and Trump ally Newt Gingrich said that the attack was part of a “pattern” of hostility toward the president on the left, comparing the shooting to Kathy Griffin’s dumb severed Trump head stunt, the controversial production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar that depicts a Trumpian version of Caesar, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand swearing.
“Whether it’s a so-called comedian holding up the president’s head in blood, or it’s right here, in New York City, a play that shows the president being assassinated,” he said. “Or it’s Democratic leading national politicians who are so angry they have to use vulgarity because they can’t find any common language.”
Donald Trump Jr. also sent out a tweet seeming to compare this assault to the staging of Julius Caesar.
Politico pointed to other right-wing commentators who were explicitly comparing challenges of Trump—from those on the left and in the media—to this attempted murder:
Conservative radio host Michael Savage tweeted “I warned America the Dems constant drumbeat of hatred would lead to violence!”
Perhaps most disturbing was Rush Limbaugh’s description of Hodgkinson as the “personification” of the “deranged base” of the Democratic Party and his suggestion that the media, federal investigations, and Congressional investigations of Trump and his administration were somehow to blame for this violence:
You can’t continue to enrage people the way the left, and predominantly the media, has been doing. The Democrat Party and the left for years have been feeding this. And particularly since the election of Trump they have virtually assured their supporters that Trump is guilty, guilty of treason. And every congressional hearing is going to provide the proof. Every one. Sessions yesterday, Comey a couple of times, Sally Yates, you name it.
(Compare this with Limbaugh’s outrage after the Giffords shooting during which he accused Democrats of trying to clamp down on free speech and “profit out of murder.”)
It wasn’t just conservative media voices, either. Republican legislators and officials spoke throughout the day of “tamping down” rhetoric, without explicitly describing how and what rhetoric. The hints, though, were that the rhetoric that needed to be tamped down was criticism of Trump and his Republican Party, both from Democrats and from a media that the president has called the “enemy” of the American people.
“We’ve got to ratchet down the rhetoric that we’ve seen, not only on social media, but in the media in our 24-hour news cycle,” Rep. Rodney Davis told CNN. “These are the things that have to stop. This is a result of political rhetorical terrorism.”
Rep. Dave Brat also criticized Gillibrand for “using the F-Bomb in public” as he called for “ramp[ing] down the language.”
“It is OK to fight on policy. But the line should be no attacks on personalities going forward,” Brat told Fox News. “Just debate policy real hard, but ramp it down on the attacks on the personalities or the parties.
Brat said that this extended to attacking Trump personally, without specifying what exactly that meant.
“They’re free to attack his policy,” he said. “But they should not be attacking him personally, or as a party and raising the verbage.” (Trump was the one, if you’ll recall, who accused the last president of being a foreign and illegal usurper of the White House with his birther conspiracy theory.)
“I think the media is complicit if they keep inciting as opposed to informing,” Rep. Jack Bergman said on Fox News. “You need to make sure that you think twice about how your words and inflections and phrases might affect all the people who might see it.”
Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, meanwhile, suggested that rhetoric be toned down.
“The political environment has become too heated and it’s my hope that today’s tragedy will serve as a reminder to us all that first and foremost we’re united as Americans—it’s time to come together instead of tearing each other down,” she said.
Again, this echoes a debate that occurred immediately after the Giffords shooting. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik kicked off that discussion by saying that “vitriol that comes out of certain mouths, about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country” can influence “unbalanced people” who might commit violence.
At the time, liberals also attacked Sarah Palin for having included Giffords’ district in the crosshairs of a “target map,” which some on the left equated to encouraging political violence. (Palin famously attacked these critics for “blood libel.”)
“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, and any move to imply that asking questions of public officials or engaging in criticism of government is somehow suspicious or indicative of a violent individual is a damning indictment of everything America is supposed to stand for,” InfoWars wrote at the time.
Contrast that with the position of Alex Jones’ site on Wednesday that this latest attack was a case of “media-inspired terror attacks.”
“We have been warning for months that the mainstream media’s hysterical anti-Trump narrative and the left’s insistence that Trump is illegitimate will radicalize demented social justice warriors and prompt them to lash out with violence,” the site wrote. “It looks like that’s exactly what happened today. The blood is on their hands.”
With the empowerment of voices like Jones’ by the president and the Republican Party, it’s not unreasonable to wonder what the GOP means when it asks for toned down rhetoric. Should the media stop publishing stories about the congressional investigations into Trump, or the credibility gap between the president and his main accuser James Comey? Should those investigations be put to a halt, as Trump has suggested in deed with the Comey firing and reportedly in word with his reported desire for special counsel Robert Muelller to also lose his job?
That should be the biggest concern now out of any of these criticisms of the media and calls to “ratchet down” free speech.
As then Slate columnist Jack Shafer wrote at the time of the Giffords shooting: “Any call to cool ‘inflammatory’ speech is a call to police all speech, and I can’t think of anybody in government, politics, business, or the press that I would trust with that power.”
The man at the top of the government has publicly said that he wants that power, which makes those words even truer now than they were six years ago.
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China may scrap the crime of sex with underaged prostitutes and reclassify it as rape, which carries much heaver punishment.
Under the current law, people convicted of sex with prostitutes under the age of 14 are sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison. However, those convicted of rape can face the death sentence.
The crime was written into the Criminal Law in 1997, but experts and the public have long argued that it allows perpetrators to dodge more severe punishment by claiming that the girl had given her consent or had lied about her age.
“There is no need to define such a crime. Having sex with minors should be considered rape, no matter who she is and what she does,” Jia Chunmei, a prosecutor from north China’s Hebei Province and an NPC deputy, was cited as saying in a Xinhua report.
Lao Dongyan, an associate professor of the Tsinghua University Law School, has suggested that legislators classify “rape of minors” as its own law to further protect underaged girls.
The decision on whether to reclassify the crime will likely be made by August 29, the end of the NPC Standing Committee’s bi-monthly legislative session.
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Julian Assange told a U.S. congressman on Tuesday he can prove the leaked Democratic Party documents he published during last year’s election did not come from Russia and promised additional helpful information about the leaks in the near future.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican who is friendly to Russia and chairs an important House subcommittee on Eurasia policy, became the first American congressman to meet with Assange during a three-hour private gathering at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been holed up for years.
Rohrabacher recounted his conversation with Assange to The Hill.
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“Our three-hour meeting covered a wide array of issues, including the WikiLeaks exposure of the DNC [Democratic National Committee] emails during last year's presidential election,” Rohrabacher said, “Julian emphatically stated that the Russians were not involved in the hacking or disclosure of those emails."
Pressed for more detail on the source of the documents, Rohrabacher said he had information to share privately with President Trump.
“Julian also indicated that he is open to further discussions regarding specific information about the DNC email incident that is currently unknown to the public,” he said.
U.S. intelligence has insisted it has solid proof — which it has not made public — that Russia was behind last year’s election hacks that embarrassed Democrats, including unflattering revelations about nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders: 'I fully expect' fair treatment by DNC in 2020 after 'not quite even handed' 2016 primary Sanders: 'Damn right' I'll make the large corporations pay 'fair share of taxes' Former Sanders campaign spokesman: Clinton staff are 'biggest a--holes in American politics' MORE and her campaign chairman, John Podesta, whose personal email account was also hacked.
Assange has suggested in the past that Russia wasn’t the source of his leaked information. Tuesday marked the first time he has engaged with a U.S. lawmaker.
Assange has been living at Ecuador’s embassy in London since 2012 after seeking diplomatic asylum. He rose to prominence after publishing thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic and military documents that included leaks related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Assange is a controversial figure; he is a hero to supporters who argue his leaks unveiled critical information about the evils of U.S. military and foreign policy but is a villain to critics, including many GOP lawmakers, who argue the leaks jeopardized national security.
Rohrabacher’s visit with Assange, as a result, is likely to be controversial with many of his colleagues.
Rohrabacher said he had information he planned to carry back to Trump when he returned to the United States, including a request that the WikiLeaks organization be given a news media seat inside the White House press room.
“Julian passionately argued the case that WikiLeaks was vital to informing the public about controversial though necessary issues. He hoped that WikiLeaks — an award-winning journalistic operation — might be granted a seat in the White House press corps. As a former newsman myself I can't see a reason why they shouldn't be granted news status for official press conferences,” he said.
As for other information to be given to the president, Rohrabacher said: “We left with the understanding that we would be going into further details in the near future. The rest of the message is for the president directly, and I hope to convey it to him as more details come in.”
The Democratic National Committee cast doubt on Assange's claims.
“We’ll take the word of the U.S. intelligence community over Julian Assange and Putin’s favorite Congressman," Adrienne Watson, the DNC's deputy communications director, said in a statement.
Rohrabacher said the meeting occurred with Assange, his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, and Chuck Johnson, a conservative activist and right-wing provocateur, in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
“Unbeknownst to me, I am the first member of Congress to visit there with Mr. Assange,” he said.
The lawmaker also said Assange appeared in good health, allaying concerns his time in asylum at the embassy had taken a toll.
“Contrary to what the fake news media has alleged, Julian seemed in good health and committed to his principles,” he said.
Trump has at times praised Assange and used a Fox News interview this year with the WikiLeaks founder to cast doubt on Russia’s involvement in the DNC leak.
– This story was updated at 12:54 p.m.
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Bill Maher once again shows the inconsistency of conservative Republicans on an issue. This issue, however, can be life or death and life changing. While he is the wrong messenger for right-wing conservatives, who would never listen to him, he puts a message out there that others can embrace to help affect change in the minds of many.
First, here are the relevant excerpts from his “New Rules”:
Besides the heroic Wendy Davis, there were two stories in the news this week dealing with teenage sex. … One story was about Plan B, that’s the morning after pill that the FDA says it’s safer than Motrin that every American can buy over the counter. … And because it is a birth control pill it will prevent abortions. … The other story was about the vaccine for HPV, which is the STD that leads to cervical cancer, and how that vaccine, since its introduction in 2006, has reduced teenage infections by 56%. All good news, right? Wrong! … Tell me why conservatives always couch their objections to the HPV vaccine in ‘parental rights,’ but never complain about other state-mandated vaccines. … Republicans actually think this vaccine encourages girls to have sex. But studies have been done on this and girls who get the HPV shot become no more sexually active than girls who do not. … One-in-three 16-year-olds in America are having intercourse. To deny them access to the vaccine or Plan B as a means of preventing them from doing it is like not giving them an umbrella so it would not rain… Plan B again is not an abortion pill. Quite the opposite. It’s a dose of hormone that prevents ovulation. … If Republicans were really pro-life, they would endorse making Plan B free to women everywhere.
There are times when it is pointless to attempt to talk to someone who is so ideologically entrenched that they refuse to accept the real science. However, it must be done. One must remember these are the same folks who claim they want government out of citizens’ business yet they want to control who you can and cannot marry; who you can and cannot sleep with, and sadly they support the death penalty for the born even as they fight for the unborn fetus.
Denying young women Plan B or the HPV vaccine is an ideological move that would ultimately kill a percentage of those following the tenets of the ideology. It is imperative that one frame right-wing conservative ideology honestly, with the narrative that graphically details the outcome of its adoption. Only then will the vast majority of Americans get it.
Here’s the video:
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Wanna be a programmer? That shouldn't be too hard. You can sign-up for an iterative online tutorial at a site like Codecademy or Treehouse. You can check yourself into a "coding bootcamp" for a face-to-face crash course in the ways of programming. Or you could do the old fashioned thing: buy a book or take a class at your local community college.
But if want to be a serious programmer, that's another matter. You'll need hundreds of hours of practice—and countless mistakes—to learn the trade. It's often more of an art than a skill—where the best way of doing something isn't the most obvious way. You can't really learn to craft code that's both clear and efficient without some serious trial and error, not to mention an awful lot of feedback on what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong.
That's where a site called Exercism.io is trying to help. Exercism is updated every day with programming exercises in a variety of different languages. First, you download these exercises using a special software client, and once you've completed one, you upload it back to the site, where other coders from around the world will give you feedback. Then you can take what you've learned and try the exercise again.
It's a simple idea. But it could help the legions of people out there trying to learn to code well enough to land a job in this fast-growing field. In recent years, we've seen the arrival of so many tools that help turn anyone into a programmer, and this is one step towards widespread "code literacy."
Katrina Owen. Christian Flaaten
Software developer Katrina Owen created Exercism.io while she was teaching programming at Jumpstart Labs in Denver, Colorado. Every day, she provided "warm-up" problems for the students. The only problem was: the students rarely finished them. "If they got stuck, they wouldn't ask their mentor for anything," she says. "And towards the end of their term I was seeing them making very basic mistakes that these warm-ups should have taught them."
To solve the problem, she created a site last year that presents the practice problems and prevents students from being able to move on to the next ones without submitting a solution to the previous problem. The idea was to have students not only complete the exercises, but get feedback. Soon, students were working on the problems on their lunch breaks and on evening and weekends. They were obsessed with these little problems.
But it didn't stop there. Because Exercism.io was available on the open web, her students began telling their friends. Within a month, several hundred people were already using the site. And because the site is open source and hosted on the code collaboration service GitHub, anyone can submit new exercises to the site. Exercism.io now has over 6,000 users who have submitted code or comments, and hundreds of volunteers submit new exercises or translate existing ones into new programming languages.
Owen, who now works for the Santa Monica, California-based music collaboration startup called Splice says she has no plans to turn the site into a business. But she would like to raise money to pay people to improve it. For example, she admits that the site is a bit lack in the usability department. "It's hard to tell what it is just by looking at it," she says. "It's remarkable to me that people have figured out how to use it."
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Slow And Upbeat EPA Response To Hurricane Harvey Pollution Angers Residents
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frank Bajak/AP Frank Bajak/AP
Juan Flores and his family live in Galena Park, Texas, which is bordered on three sides by pipeline terminals, oil refineries, fertilizer plants and rail yards.
Flores has lived in the town of about 11,000 people just east of downtown Houston since he was 4 years old. For a while, he even served on the City Council.
After all these years, he is accustomed to the rhythms of life among the industrial plants. Strange smells and occasional warnings to shelter in place don't bother him too much. "I live so close to [one] company that I can hear their alarms," he says. "The thing is, you hear it so much you get immune to it, and it's like background noise."
But there are also times when he takes notice. "If I smell something out here, it's bad," he says, "and I can tell you during Harvey, it smelled real bad."
Hurricane Harvey caused industrial facilities in Texas to release an extra 5.98 million pounds of pollution into the air, according to the most recent analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund: the pollutants benzene and toluene, both carcinogens, as well as a brew of other chemicals that can irritate eyes and exacerbate respiratory problems.
But for days after the flooding began, the residents of Galena Park and other neighboring communities had little or no information about the air they were breathing. Air monitors scattered across the region were taken out of service, to protect them from storm damage, officials say.
The Environmental Protection Agency, university teams and environmental groups did some air testing while the monitors were down, but the limited effort produced far less information than the permanent air monitoring network would have.
The EPA opted to wait until the majority of the monitors were back up and running — about a week — to begin releasing statements to the public about air quality.
"We released our data as it became available," says acting EPA Regional Administrator Sam Coleman. "We were working with both the state and others to make sure we could access all areas safely and make sure our data collection would be done in a consistent and statistically valid manner. So it took a little bit of time to make sure all those details were worked out."
All the while, Flores says, the smell of gasoline was so strong in Galena Park that his eyes were watering. Flores does community outreach for the Houston air quality nonprofit AirAlliance, so he knew enough about pollution to be concerned. He turned off his air conditioner, trying to keep to keep the noxious air out of his house, and especially away from his toddler.
"Some people left Galena Park," he remembers. "They're like, 'Man, I can't take this.' "
On Sept. 3, eight days after Harvey hit Houston, the EPA put out a press release. The section on air quality read:
"One of the many preparations for Hurricane Harvey included EPA, TCEQ, and other monitoring entities temporarily removing approximately 75 percent of the stationary air monitoring equipment from the greater Houston, Corpus Christi, and Beaumont areas. Since then, state and local authorities are working to get the systems up and running again. "As of Saturday, September 2, over 70 percent of the monitors are up and working again; and authorities expect that the network will be fully operational again by next week. Of the available air monitoring data collected from August 24-September 2, 2017, all measured concentrations were well below levels of health concern. Monitors are showing that air quality at this time is not concerning and local residents should not be concerned about air quality issues related to the effects of the storm."
The statement simultaneously acknowledged the lack of information about what was in the air and reassured the public that the air was safe.
Chris Sellers, who studies environmental history and the EPA at Stony Brook University, says this type of statement is common. "That is a tried and true [reaction], not just for environmental agencies but for public health agencies in general," he explains. "They feel like they cannot admit uncertainty about dangers, particularly in the face of public panic."
A toxic brew
Sellers says the urge to reassure the public that the air is safe can be dangerous. For example, after the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, public health officials, including the EPA, reassured people that the air around the collapsed buildings in Manhattan was safe, despite the fact that there was very little information about air quality in the area.
Years later, long-term health studies found thousands of workers had gotten sick from the air. New York City eventually reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with 10,000 first responders and others who were exposed to dust and smoke.
A 2003 report from the EPA inspector general found the agency's response to Sept. 11 had not been based on data, and it called on the EPA to work more closely with state and local health and environmental officials, as well as other federal agencies, to prevent misleading public safety announcements after disasters.
Coleman says that collaboration did happen during Harvey. For example, all press releases after the storm were jointly released by the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Enlarge this image toggle caption U.S. Coast Guard via AP U.S. Coast Guard via AP
"I think this response was an excellent example of cooperation at all levels of government," says Coleman, who previously worked on the EPA's emergency response to Hurricane Katrina. "After Katrina, we found that there were often some circumstances where EPA and the state could not communicate data quickly and accurately, and we feel like we corrected that in this response by getting the information out in just a matter of days after it was collected."
But Sellers says collaboration hasn't fixed the underlying problem. He says the EPA isn't set up to handle chemical disasters, especially ones that involve the release of a mixture of chemicals across large areas.
"Most of the EPA's infrastructure for monitoring is based on low-level chemical exposures, and exposures you can kind of single out," he says, measuring each individual chemical in the air, and analyzing the levels over time. "When you have a whole sort of brew of chemicals that's thrust into the air — as in 9/11 or as in Harvey — that's what the EPA is very ill-equipped to handle."
Coleman disagrees. "While there are some limitations to the instrumentation, these methods are the acceptable ways that this data should be collected," he says of the air monitoring system. "It's how we report this information to the public throughout the entire country."
"You can't hide that."
To Flores, the phrasing of EPA statements after Harvey felt like a slap in the face. He had been smelling gasoline in his neighborhood for days when the agency told residents there was nothing to worry about.
"I mean, God, we smelled it; why try to hide it? I mean, we're not idiots," he says angrily, sitting on his living room couch. "You can tell us all you want, 'Oh, you guys are good, nothing to worry about,' " he continues, and curses in frustration. "We're the ones smelling it! You can't hide that."
The mystery was solved when Magellan Midstream, a pipeline and petrochemical storage company in Galena Park, disclosed that nearly half a million gallons of gasoline had leaked out of its storage facility on Aug. 31. It turned out to be the largest single petrochemical leak reported to be caused by Harvey.
The company had first reported the leak, and the evacuation of employees from the facility, to the National Response Center spill hotline just after midnight on Sept. 1., two days before the EPA press release saying the air was safe.
Flores worries about the health effects from inhaling gasoline that evaporated into the air. Inhaling gas can cause respiratory problems. In larger amounts it can damage organs or contribute to cancer.
"Believe me, I think about it every day," Flores says. "I'm like, I wonder how many years of life I'm losing because I live out here. But it's home."
Yet, he says, if he has to leave his home to keep his family safe, he will.
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After much research, I purchased three of these, two black and one red, all small/medium, for a recent 17 day trip to Europe. My husband and I used the black ones and my fifteen year old daughter used the red one. They worked beautifully! We each took four outfits, plus the ones we wore, so five total, two pairs of shoes, plus toiletries (my daughter took her full size flat iron), hoodies/jackets, and raincoats. While my daughter and I each had a separate (Travelon) bag, my husband put his electronics (iTouch, 10" Kindle Fire) in his backpack. I also put a full size heavy duty plastic zip top file folder in mine with all of our travel documents, tickets, etc. (in the laptop sleeve). We did very little shopping as that's not our thing, but my daughter did pick up a pair of high tops in Paris and had no problem bringing them home.
We moved from cooler weather in Paris and Salzburg to warmer weather in Venice and Rome, necessitating a wide ranging wardrobe. Using Eagle Creek packing cubes, I was able to pack the following in my pack: a pair of jeans, a medium length skirt, two knee length skirts, a pair of gym weight capris, four tees, a pair of PJs, five pairs of underwear, one bra, two pairs of socks, a car coat length heavy hooded LL Bean raincoat, a pair of Toms, two toiletry bags (a TSA one and another), a small make up bag, a bag with ten medication bottles, a large heavy plastic zip top envelope with all travel documents and tickets, and a small bag of misc necessities (small USB cords, small caribiners, etc.). The bag weighed about 15 lbs packed and I had plenty of room left. On the return trip, I easily found room for a very well bubble wrapped small ceramic gift item, a t-shirt, and a boxed shot glass. I could certainly have brought more home. My six foot tall husband packed, using cubes, a pair of jeans, three pairs of cargo shorts, PJ pants, four tees, underwear, undershirts, a raincoat, a pair of shoes, his dopp kit + TSA bag, Kindle, iTouch, charging cords, plug adapter kit, and had room to spare. His packed bag weighed 17 lbs.
Converting these bags from backpacks to duffles, to take on and off planes and some trains, was a breeze. The back panel unzips and rolls down, securing with Velcro at the bottom and releasing the straps. In reverse, just separate the Velcro, tuck the straps and zip up. The process is very fast and very easy and we found the bags easy to carry with the handles or the messenger bag strap. A key for me is that I also found that the messenger strap didn't get in the way when I was using the bag as a backpack, a plus since I didn't want to hassle with unclipping it and putting it back.
We found these to be very comfortable. My stubborn fifteen year old whined about hers until she let her Dad adjust her straps and convince her to use her sternum strap and hip belt. Then she also found it comfortable! I won't pretend we used them every day, though. We carried them about every four days, from apartments through Metro stations, onto trains, and walking to apartments. We also carried them in airports and transporting to and fro. It was absolutely enough to get a sense of how they feel, but not a sense of their durability, though I expect they'd do very well. We were on Air Canada the whole way to and from Europe and had no problem carrying these on.
I would recommend these packs without reservation. In retrospect, my husband would have gone with the next size up. He had no problems at all with the small/medium as far as packing it, but thinks he might have preferred the feel of the larger pack on his back. He has used this pack on two other trips and been happy with it both of those times, as well.
We purchased the Osprey Porter 30 with the attached Daylite pack for my twelve year old and I'll post reviews for those, too.
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“We are exploring all travel he has done, and we have asked our intelligence partners throughout the world to provide us with any information they may have as to travel and activities,” said Edward W. Reinhold, the agent in charge of the Knoxville office of the F.B.I., which is leading the investigation. “It would be premature to speculate on exactly why the shooter did what he did. However, we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine whether this person acted alone, was inspired or directed.”
Image A booking photo, taken in April and released by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee, shows a man identified as Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez.
Officials said there was no indication so far of any links to terrorist groups, leaving them to wonder how a young man with no known history of violence or radicalism turned up Thursday with several weapons, spraying bullets at Americans in uniform. Some “lone wolf” attacks have been carried out by people who had no direct contact with extremist groups, but they were influenced by messages online, like those from the Islamic State urging Muslims to take up arms and attack American military sites.
“This attack raises several questions about whether he was directed by someone or whether there’s enough propaganda out there to motivate him to do this,” said a senior American intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was still underway.
A congressional official who was briefed on the investigation said it was not yet clear whether Mr. Abdulazeez’s computer or communications were encrypted, which would lengthen the time needed to pry clues out of them. Just days before the attack, Mr. Abdulazeez began a blog where he posted about Islam, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks international terrorist groups. He at one point compared life to a prison and at another point called life “short and bitter.”
New details emerged of the bloody day that shook this city, with officials describing a furious firefight between Mr. Abdulazeez — armed, some federal officials said, with an AK-47 assault rifle — and Chattanooga police officers at the naval reserve center where the four Marines were killed.
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Claiming key GOP campaign strategies could be “exposed” before this year’s gubernatorial and legislative races, a Queens Republican operative wants his federal corruption trial delayed until after November’s elections.
Former Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone — who is accused of pocketing $25,000 as part of a failed scheme to get state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) on the 2012 GOP line for mayor — has filed papers asking White Plains federal Judge Kenneth Karas to delay a June 2 trial set for Tabone, Smith and other co-defendants until at least December.
He claims state GOP candidates seeking office could be “unfairly” undermined if the request isn’t granted by Karas, a Republican appointed to the federal bench in 2003 by George W. Bush.
“The necessary witnesses to such a trial may include the Republican Party chairmen of the state and county Republican committees in New York,” Tabone’s lawyer, Deborah Misir, wrote Saturday in a letter to Karas. “Subjecting the Republican Party, its officials and internal political strategies to intense scrutiny, while sparing the Democratic Party, would unfairly undermine Republican Party candidates in the general election.
“Questioning of party official witnesses will directly impact federal and state elections being held in New York by selectively exposing Republican Party strategy, the negotiation of cross-party endorsements for Republican candidates,” she added. “In short, it could devolve into a political circus aimed at the Republican Party and its federal and state candidates.”
Political stakes are high in New York this year with elections upcoming for governor, attorney general and Senate and Assembly seats. There are also federal elections for all of New York’s 27 seats in Congress.
Tabone’s request for a trial delay comes two weeks after Smith made a similar request. He asked the trial be pushed back until at least October, so it would not affect him running for re-election in the Democratic primary. Smith’s Senate district is predominantly Democratic, so a primary victory means a likely win in the general election, too.
The feds oppose pushing the trial back.
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The Republican Jewish Coalition — facing the loss of its leading champion and tensions within the GOP — is planning an aggressive push in 2015 to enforce the hawkish pro-Israel consensus it helped build within the party over the past two decades.
The RJC will gather Tuesday evening for a reception at a Washington steakhouse where some of the party’s most generous Jewish donors — including Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson — will celebrate the incoming Senate majority and fete their most influential allies. Expected attendees include Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, John McCain of Arizona and Rob Portman of Ohio, as well as former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Story Continued Below
The reception, to be held at the Capital Grille, also will commemorate the swearing-in of freshman Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York, who carries the heavy burden of replacing the powerful former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as the only Republican Jew in Congress.
( Also on POLITICO: Fighting red maps in purple states)
The convening of the 114th Congress — and the unofficial start of the 2016 presidential race — comes as the GOP grapples with a host of issues causing anxiety among the small, but influential, ranks of Jewish Republicans, at a time when they suddenly lack a representative in their party’s congressional leadership. In addition to concerns about the Obama administration’s negotiations with Iran, Republicans face a persistent strain of non-interventionism within their own party — personified by prospective 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Thus, Jewish Republican operatives and donors say they are redoubling their efforts to reinforce with party leadership the importance of maintaining the unified, unyielding policy of support for Israel that they built with an unlikely coalition of national-security hawks and evangelical Christians.
The RJC “has a well-developed strategy which was executed during former Majority Leader Cantor’s tenure and will continue with the new leadership team in the House and new Senate majority, thus ensuring strong, virtually unanimous Republican support for Israel at this dangerous time,” asserted Florida mall developer Mel Sembler, who contributes to the RJC and sits on its board.
The group also is in talks with multiple prospective 2016 presidential candidates about arranging trips to Israel for them — much as it did for Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Rick Perry of Texas, both of whom are preparing for possible presidential bids.
And the group is planning to invite all the party’s top-tier presidential candidates to a forum late this year or in early 2016 at which they’ll be pressed on their foreign policy stances.
( Also on POLITICO: Huckabee ends talk show, weighs 2016 run)
“Every candidate is going to want to appear before the RJC and to win support among different people within the RJC because they understand the depth of contributions that individuals in the RJC can and will make,” said former George W. Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who is on the group’s board of directors but is not attending Tuesday’s reception. He predicted the RJC’s membership “will have feet in all the different camps, and then, once we know who the nominee is, we’ll unify like we always do and it will be a powerful unity. Now, one exception to that would be Rand Paul.”
While Paul did, in fact, appear before the RJC board in 2013 to answer questions, a representative did not respond to an email asking if he planned to attend the Capital Grille reception.
Several top Republican Jewish donors — including Sembler — are lining up behind Jeb Bush’s potential presidential campaign, as is Charlie Spies, a top GOP election lawyer who helped Mitt Romney’s super PAC raise millions from Jewish donors. Though Bush, a former Florida governor, has little foreign policy experience in his own right, he’s expressed support for a muscular interventionism that seems to echo that of his brother, former President George W. Bush.
“It’s very important that whoever emerges to be the Republican Party nominee for 2016 is someone who recognizes the consequences of America being weak and inconsistent with our foreign policy,” said Zeldin, a former state senator and Iraq War veteran. He asserted that concerns about President Barack Obama’s sometimes frosty relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had created “a growing opportunity to expand our reach to voters who have voted Democrat in the past.”
( Also on POLITICO: The Hill GOP agenda)
American Jews’ stances on litmus test issues like economic inequality, abortion rights, gay marriage and immigration tend to align more closely with those of the Democratic Party, which has had something of a stranglehold on the Jewish vote for decades. But Republicans have made gains in recent elections, as they’ve emphasized a more hawkish approach to supporting Israel’s defense and security. In 2014, they captured 33 percent of Jewish votes, up from 12 percent in 2006, according to an analysis of exit polls by the Pew Research Center.
Any Republican inroads with Jews could be threatened by perceived erosion of the party’s consensus on Israel, asserted Benjamin Ginsberg, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University who has written about the role of Jews in American politics. But he pointed to Paul’s moves late last year toward a more engaged foreign policy — including a push to authorize military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — asserting they should be seen as a “barometer of where the Republican Party is. The non-interventionist rhetoric in the Republican Party peaked in 2012 and 2013, and now is more likely to be found among progressive Democrats.”
Republicans should be more worried about losing Jewish support over the lingering controversy about House Majority Whip Steve Scalise’s 2002 speech to a white supremacist group than about creeping isolationism, asserted Ginsberg. “There is this lingering concern among Jews and among African-Americans that southern Republicanism is the product of racism,” he said.
Efforts to appeal to Jews may seem disproportionate to the size of the Jewish population, which constitutes about 2 percent of the American electorate (albeit a greater percentage in key swing states including Florida and Ohio). But their influence transcends their numbers, Ginsberg said. “Jews are important in the electoral process both because of activism and because of money,” he said. “In fundraising and in bundling they have influence beyond their numbers and even beyond their money.”
Adelson, in particular, was the top disclosed donor of 2012, spending upwards of $100 million boosting various Republicans. He was the third biggest donor of 2014, at $13.2 million. He has been assiduously courted by most of the GOP’s leading would-be presidential candidates. Sources close to the mogul, whose top issue is Israel’s defense, say he’s likely to support a candidate from the ranks of the nation’s governors. Jeb Bush, along with Christie and Govs. John Kasich of Ohio and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, all flew out to Las Vegas in March to meet privately with Adelson and speak to the RJC’s annual spring meeting, which was held at Adelson’s Venetian casino and resort hotel.
Adelson is among the biggest donors to the RJC, which in 2014 assisted Zeldin, along with the successful GOP Senate campaigns of Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Mike Rounds of South Dakota. All are expected to attend Tuesday’s reception at Capital Grille.
Zeldin said he was looking forward to the reception “to say thank you to the many people who were there who helped assist our effort,” presumably including Fleischer and the group’s executive director, Matt Brooks. The pair traveled to Zeldin’s Long Island district to do an outreach event in the campaign’s closing days, and while Fleischer praised him as a “great guy,” he said it would be unwise for him to try to fill Cantor’s shoes.
“He needs to take care of home first and not seek a national profile,” said Fleischer.
Yet House Republican leaders seem intent on highlighting Zeldin’s Judaism. He is slated to sit on the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair the House Republican Israel Caucus. And while he deflected a question about whether he planned to vouch for the party’s candidates with Jewish audiences — explaining “my immediate focus is on doing everything I can to represent the constituents who I was just elected to represent” — he said he won’t hesitate to take a leadership role on issues related to Israel or American Jews more broadly.
“Through those positions and just generally serving as a member of the House, there will be many times where I will feel compelled to speak out on how our nation approaches its relationship with its strongest ally,” he said. “Fortunately, the issues that come with the turf of being the only Jewish Republican in Congress also happen to be exactly where I stand on all these issues. So I see an opportunity to have a platform to fight for causes I deeply believe in, and that by no means would I ever consider a burden,” he said, adding that he planned “to pick up on” Cantor’s work with Jewish groups “wherever they left off.”
Cantor, who did not respond to an email seeking comment, was first elected in 2000 to represent a Richmond, Virginia-based district and quickly became a star among Jewish Republican donors and activists, who harbored high hopes that he would become the first Jewish speaker of the House — or even, some privately hoped, president. As recently as January 2014, he was being touted as Speaker John Boehner’s “ heir apparent.” His upset loss to a virtually unknown college professor in a June Republican primary shocked the political establishment and sent Jewish Republicans reeling, with Brooks telling POLITICO at the time that it “one of those incredible, evil twists of fate that just changed the potential course of history.”
Days after losing his own congressional primary in the upset of the year, Cantor traveled to Quiogue, New York, to make good on a promise to headline a fundraiser for Zeldin.
Zeldin does not come close to replacing Cantor, asserted Greg Rosenbaum, chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council.
“When Eric Cantor walked into the AIPAC policy conference, he was swarmed by Jewish voters, whether they were Republicans or Democrats, because he represented a very high level of accomplishment,” said Rosenbaum. “I don’t think it will be the same for Congressman Zeldin. He’s not going to have the star power that Cantor had, and that could hurt Republicans a little.”
In contrast, Rosenbaum pointed out, there are roughly 30 Jewish Democrats in Congress, including some in high-ranking congressional and party positions. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the third-ranking Senate Democrat, chaired the Rules Committee, while Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz chairs the Democratic National Committee. Plus, the party’s leading 2016 prospect, Hillary Clinton, is regarded as a stalwart supporter of Israel, Rosenbaum pointed out.
Still, he acknowledged the RJC has become a force because of its gaudy budget (it raised $10 million in 2012, compared to $1 million for the NJDC, which is not holding a welcome event for the new Congress) and effective messaging on Israel. Democrats need “to be vigilant” in combating the narrative that the GOP is stronger on Israel, Rosenbaum said. “We need to keep reminding Jewish voters that Israel requires bipartisan support and it is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. And we think that, once we neutralize that, we can win Jewish voters overall by showing that on the bulk of the issues, Democrats comport more closely with Jewish values.”
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1 INTRODUCTION
The introduction of the first GR crop in 1996 fundamentally changed global agricultural systems.1 The effectiveness of glyphosate on a wide spectrum of weeds, the simplicity of use, the convenience in application timing, the relative lower cost of weed control and the freedom to rotate crops without fear of residual herbicide injury encouraged the rapid adoption of glyphosate and concomitant GR crops by US growers.2-5 In addition, GR crops fitted into established trends toward post‐emergence (POST) weed control, adoption of conservation tillage practices and planting of specific crops in narrower row spacings while managing weeds that had evolved resistance to other herbicide mechanisms of action.6
The adoption of GR technologies led to a dramatic reduction in the use of herbicides other than glyphosate.7, 8 Before the introduction of GR crops, growers routinely used herbicides with different mechanisms of action, and employed a diversity of cultural and mechanical methods to control weeds effectively.9 The GR technology allowed many growers to rely on glyphosate as the only tactic for weed control.9-11 The extensive reliance on glyphosate‐only herbicide weed control programs, eliminating herbicides with alternative mechanisms of action or other diverse weed management tactics, placed tremendous selection pressure for evolution of GR weed biotypes. In many areas, these GR weeds are now limiting the value and viability of a glyphosate‐only herbicide system.8 Rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum L.) was documented as the first GR weed in 1996. However, 24 weeds had been documented globally with GR populations by 2013, and eleven of these species have been identified as problems in crop production regions in the United States.12
In a survey by Givens et al.,13 adoption of GR crop technology corresponded to substantial increases in reduced‐till or no‐till systems. The largest decline in conventional tillage occurred on farms with continuous GR cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and continuous GR soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] crop systems.13 Although there are many benefits from implementing a reduced or no‐tillage crop system, a major drawback is the dependency on effective pre‐emergence (PRE) and POST herbicidal weed control.14 The shift to reduced or no‐tillage production systems removes tillage as a form of weed control, creating a shift to complete reliance on herbicides.3, 7, 12, 13, 15
Weed shifts associated with glyphosate use in GR crops were evaluated in a 6 year trial conducted in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.16 These weed shifts were measured following multiple applications of low and high rates (lower or higher than the manufacturers' suggested use rate) of glyphosate with non‐glyphosate treatments in continuous GR maize (Zea mays L.) and in crop rotations with GR crops such as maize and sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.). Weed shifts were observed to increase with crop rotations and with the low glyphosate rates.
In the United Kingdom, farm‐scale evaluations (FSEs) were established to determine whether GR crops affected the abundance and diversity of plants and vertebrates on farmland.17 Arable biota, seed banks, seed rains, plant population densities and plant biomass were examined in this 3 year study to evaluate the effects of herbicides associated with GR crops.18, 19 As a result of the FSE trial, Heard et al.19 found that diversity of plants and vertebrates was not affected consistently by the use of GR crops. Scursoni et al.20 observed weed escapes and loss of weed diversity in GR soybean owing to intensity levels of glyphosate along a north–south transect of the United States. Scursoni et al.20 reported no profound or consistent effects on weed community diversity that were attributable to the intense use of glyphosate as the sole tactic for weed management.
Peterson21 reported that most growers are not likely to adopt herbicide‐resistant (HR) weed management techniques until they notice the presence of weeds that have evolved herbicide resistance. When growers are considering adopting an HR weed management program, economic viability is often the single most important factor considered.22 Herbicide cost is the largest direct expense in soybean production.23 In a Delaware survey conducted to determine grower perceptions of GR horseweed (Conyza canadensis L.), 48% of growers with resistance on their farm reported a $US 5–17 ha−1 increase in herbicide costs to manage GR horseweed, with an additional 28% reporting a more than $US 17 ha−1 increase. This particular survey reported that 80% of the growers responded that it was worthwhile incurring additional costs proactively in order to preserve glyphosate for future use.24
Weed scientists have often argued that proactively implementing herbicide resistance best management practices (BMPs) will prevent or markedly delay the evolution of herbicide resistance, with long‐term economic benefits.25 However, growers, particularly those with short‐term leases or with marginal profitability, struggle to implement herbicide resistance BMPs when there appears to be an economic penalty in the initial years of implementation before a weed population evolves herbicide resistance and is recognized by a grower. Data to address the short‐term economics of proactive herbicide resistance management are lacking and sorely needed.25 Demonstrating that profitability in the short term is not reduced by implementing more complicated and potentially more expensive herbicide resistance BMP programs will increase the likelihood of adoption of these BMPs.22
A long‐term field‐scale study, called the Benchmark Study, was implemented to compare weed management and economics of typical SPs versus academic‐recommended BMPs for better management and/or mitigatation of HR weeds.25 The study involved 641 grower fields in six states from 2006 to 2010. Crop yields, weed management costs and weed population changes over time were compared for the SP versus BMP approaches across states, years, crops, rotation and tillage systems and geographical regions. The crops included in this study were maize, cotton, soybean and rice (Oryza sativa L.). Production systems included a continuously grown GR crop, a rotation of GR crops and a GR crop rotated with a non‐GR crop such as rice or maize. The various tillage systems included conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no tillage. These long‐term field‐scale studies were initiated to test the hypothesis that weed management using GR weed management (BMP) strategies is more effective and more sustainable economically and agronomically when compared with SPs that are less integrated and diverse.25
Weirich et al.22 reported that the academic‐recommended BMPs were more costly, but net returns were equivalent to those of SPs in the initial 2 year economic analysis of the Benchmark Study. Reduced weed populations in the BMP portion of the fields resulted in a trend, albeit not significant, towards higher crop yields, which offset higher weed management costs. The likelihood of adopting these BMPs was also evaluated on the basis of the perceived level of economic risk associated with adoption.26 Using the Benchmark Study data, in both risk‐averse and risk‐neutral scenarios, BMPs were economically beneficial if resistance developed.26
The objective of this paper was to compare the economics of herbicide resistance BMPs and SPs over the entire 5 year period of the Benchmark Study, using the wide diversity of crops, geography and crop systems. Weed management costs, crop yield and net returns were evaluated over the entire project and categorized by year, crop, crop system, tillage system and state for a thorough analysis of economics across and within these categories.
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MADRID, Spain — Ticking up by a few thousand each day, the online petition's signatures have surpassed 1 million.
Its demands are simple: Senior members of Spain’s governing Popular Party (PP) should resign over recent corruption allegations.
“We are sick of watching the decline and fall of a democracy that has been stolen from ordinary people while the political and business elites carve up our country with impunity,” reads the campaign's text.
Like the petition, the scandal has moved at breakneck speed, wrong-footing the conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and unleashing a political crisis that threatens to destabilize an economy perched on a precipice.
The full extent of the affair came to light on Jan. 31, when the newspaper El Pais published the contents of what it said were notebooks belonging to a former PP treasurer, Luis Barcenas, including details of an apparent party slush fund. The fund was allegedly used from 1990 until 2008 to unlawfully pay out cash to senior PP figures, including Rajoy, his deputy Maria Dolores de Cospedal and other party bigwigs.
Even Jose Maria Aznar, the close George W. Bush ally who was Spain's prime minister from 1996 to 2004, could be implicated, the paper said.
The notebooks also appear to show the fund was allegedly financed by massive, illegal donations from the private sector.
“We’re looking at what could be the most serious corruption case in the history of Spain’s democratic era,” said Soraya Rodriguez, lawmaker of the opposition Socialist Party, which has called on Rajoy to resign.
A conservative who took office in December 2011, Rajoy roundly denied the accusations in a statement to the press on Feb. 2.
When asked about the case in Berlin, where he was meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel two days later, however, Rajoy came across as slightly more equivocal.
“None of this is true, except some things which have been published in the media,” he said.
What the government has not denied is the revelation that Barcenas had held a Swiss bank account containing up to $29.5 million.
Compounding the bad headlines, the ex-treasurer’s lawyer says his client took advantage of an amnesty for tax dodgers introduced by the PP last year.
“This is a deep political crisis,” said sociologist Josep Lobera, who believes Spain’s ongoing economic woes have made Spaniards more sensitive to these issues. “Right now people are looking much closer at what politicians do than five years ago. A corruption scandal has 10 times more effect now than it did then.”
This may be Spain’s biggest recent corruption scandal, but it’s by no means the first.
Barcenas’ Swiss bank account came to light as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged network of kickbacks involving PP politicians across Spain. Rajoy’s health minister, Ana Mato, is facing calls for her resignation since the probe raised allegations she had accepted gifts from the network.
Meanwhile, Oriol Pujol, a senior politician in the northeastern region of Catalonia, is facing accusations of influence trafficking.
And even the royal family has been tainted. The king’s son-in-law, Inaki Urdangarin, is accused of embezzling a charity he used to head and, along with his former business partner, is facing a property embargo after failing to post an 8-million-euro ($10.7 million) bail.
More from GlobalPost: Money can’t buy love for Europe’s scandal-hit royals
In total, about 300 Spanish politicians are currently being investigated. Analysts blame the glut of corruption in large part on a decade-long real estate boom, which pumped huge amounts of money into the economy before collapsing in 2008. They also point to the country’s political structure, which gives regions considerable autonomy from central government controls. In addition, Spain’s system of checks and balances is seen as weak, such as its highly politicized judiciary.
“There’s a feeling that suddenly Spaniards are waking up to something, that many of the things they believed in — the royal family, banks, politicians — are not trustworthy any more,” said Lobera.
But while the corruption scandal is further undermining the image of Spain’s institutions, there are concerns that an already beleaguered economy could also suffer.
With a double-dip recession and one of Europe’s highest jobless rates at 26 percent, for months Spain has been seen as the most likely candidate to follow Greece, Ireland and Portugal in requesting an EU sovereign bailout. But the government rode out the market storm in 2012 and was confident it could convince investors and the international community that stability was slowly returning.
Until this scandal, that is.
“This is a very big distraction for the government and if it isn’t resolved in a short period, then the markets are going to give us a rough ride again,” said Jose Manuel Amor, an analyst at Analistas Financieros Internacionales consultancy.
The spread on Spanish debt compared to that of Germany, seen as a key indicator of market confidence, spiked this week as investors were apparently left unconvinced by Rajoy’s denials of wrongdoing.
The anti-corruption attorney’s office is now investigating the case, having taken statements from Barcenas and others this week. But in the meantime, anger is growing among ordinary Spaniards, as shown by the online petition and the daily protests outside the PP headquarters in Madrid.
“In any other country, they would have resigned under these circumstances,” says Ignacio Guardo, a businessman who in the past has voted for the PP. As he speaks, he looks around his interior decoration store in Madrid, which he is about to close due to the economic crisis.
“Spain’s economic situation is bad enough as it is; all this uncertainty just makes things worse.”
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In the wake of President Donald Trump's executive order barring immigrants from seven predominately Muslim countries, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz vowed to hire 10,000 refugees globally.
"We will neither stand by, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new administration's actions grows with each passing day," Schultz said in a message to employees posted on the company's website on Sunday.
"There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business."
Schultz said the effort would begin in the U.S., focusing hiring efforts initially on people who served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday to block refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the U.S.
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Share. Ben Affleck forced to drop out of shooting FOX pilot due to scheduling. Ben Affleck forced to drop out of shooting FOX pilot due to scheduling.
Despite recent rumors to the contrary, it appears that production on Batman vs. Superman has not been delayed in light of the film's postponed release date.
Exit Theatre Mode
Deadline reports that the big screen's new Batman Ben Affleck dropped out of directing the FOX pilot for The Middle Man, which he is exec producing, because "production [on BvS] is not being delayed and the main players have been summoned to start work right away."
Both Superman star Henry Cavill and director Zack Snyder have been spotted in Michigan in recent days, although Gal Gadot, who plays Wonder Woman in the film, recently said she isn't expected to shoot until May.
Batman vs. Superman now opens May 6, 2016.
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It's-It has a new ice cream flavor
It's-It now makes a new flavor of their famous ice cream sandwiches: green tea. It's-It now makes a new flavor of their famous ice cream sandwiches: green tea. Photo: Its-It Photo: Its-It Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close It's-It has a new ice cream flavor 1 / 33 Back to Gallery
So maybe August has been a little chilly in San Francisco, but when it comes to It's-Its, any news is big news — despite the temperature.
The Burlingame-based company has been making the iconic ice cream sandwiches for nearly 100 years and today, they've announced a new flavor: green tea.
The new flavor made with matcha green tea powder joins vanilla, chocolate, mint, strawberry, cappuccino and pumpkin in the lineup.
Are you a Bay Area-expat? Don't worry, you can even mail order the desserts.
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Big companies pay more, but here's the secret as to why.
Three great programming languages for beginners Want to break into the world of coding? Here are three languages you should consider first.
Silicon Valley is fueled by the myth that startups are the road to riches. While startups remain "the only way to get 20 years of experience in five," as popular blogger Parker Thompson ( aka Startup L. Jackson) has written, "don't join a startup for the [!%!%%] money," he warned.
For filthy lucre you're going to want to work for The Man.
Or The Woman, if you will. As O'Reilly's latest salary survey confirms, "the bigger the company, the higher the salary." Oh, sure, you can get a fat equity stake in a startup. However, as Thompson suggested: "Your equity is probably worthless." With this in mind, where is the best place to sell your soul to corporate America and get stinking rich?
Big, boring, and lucrative
When I lived in the Valley, one of my neighbors was an Oracle lifer. As I've flitted from startup to startup, he has remained there, collecting a hefty paycheck while cashing in options or restricted stock units (RSUs), year after year. I've had a company or two get acquired, but were we to tally up the final paydays for our efforts, I'm positive his take-home pay would be much, much bigger than mine.
This rings true with advice given by Jackson:
If you want to get rich, your best bet on a risk-adjusted basis is to join a profitable and growing public company. Google for short. Make $200-500k all-in a year, work hard and move up a level every 3-5 years, sell options as they vest (in case you joined Enron), and retire at 60, rich. This plan works every time.
SEE: The 10 best and worst entry level jobs of 2017 (TechRepublic)
It also rings true with O'Reilly's salary data. While just one metric for measuring the financial aspects of a career, salary is the one certain variable in one's pay. By that measure, bigger is better.
For example, working for a startup-sized company (2- to 100-person companies), which represented a third of O'Reilly's respondents, will net you a median salary of $65,000. While not bad, that's $15,000 lower than the overall median, and a big step down from the $78,000 median earned by those at companies with 101-1,000 employees. Add one person to the employee count (companies sized 1,001-10,000), and you'll make a median salary of $91,000.
Sell out for real to a mega-corp (10,000+ employees), however, and you'll be bringing home $103,000. Not too shabby. Your soul wasn't worth much, anyway.
Oh, and those salaries at smaller companies, sized 2-100 and 101-1,000? They plummeted 17% and 15%, respectively, over the last year. So big is looking better and better.
Image: iStockphoto/cmexonat
Big is beautiful
The question is why. Anyone who has spent much time at a big enterprise already feels that Dilbert is sacred scripture. Despite institutionalized inertia, however, the very fact that a big enterprise is, well, big, says something about it, as Brian Suda and Roger Magoulas summarize from the O'Reilly findings:
The majority of companies don't make it to their fifth birthdays, which indicates that those that do are onto something. Older, more experienced companies probably also know that it is expensive to recruit and train new team members, so offering higher salaries to keep people can be worthwhile in the long run.
SEE: Is data scientist the most rewarding tech job? New report says yes (TechRepublic)
Nowhere is this tendency toward oblivion more apparent than in the startup world that Silicon Valley reveres. The software industry represented a third of the O'Reilly respondents, and tends to be where new technologies first take root. Despite this, the median salary for developers in the software industry ($73,000) is $7,000 less than the overall industry average.
O'Reilly Media
One takeaway from this data may be that developers who want to get paid more will tend to stand out, and get paid accordingly, outside the competitive software industry. Developers are in top demand, but with software "eating the world," the ability to cash in on that talent may well depend on getting out of the software industry and into old-school, bigger enterprises in manufacturing, media and entertainment, etc.
Indeed, I suspect what we're seeing is just that: Big enterprises are modernizing, and software is critical to doing so. It's not simply a matter of big companies being able to afford to pay more—startups, blowing through VC cash, can (and often do) certainly spend lots of money on developers. But on balance, big companies have more at stake in getting software right, and are willing to pay for it.
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LONDON (AP) — The parents of a baby with a rare disease returned to a court in London on Thursday, hoping for a fresh analysis of their wish to take the critically ill child to the United States for medical treatment.
Charlie Gard’s parents disagree with Britain’s most famous children’s hospital on how best to care for the 11-month-old with a rare genetic condition.
Great Ormond Street Hospital argues experimental treatment in America won’t help and may cause suffering for Charlie, who suffers from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease that has left him brain damaged and unable to breathe unaided. The hospital says there is no known cure and believes his life support systems should be turned off.
The parents want to try — but it isn’t up to them.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates stormed out of Thursday’s hearing when the judge suggested that their argument has not been consistent. Chris Gard punched a table, while his wife said: “We said he’s not in suffering and in pain. If he was, we wouldn’t be up here fighting for that.”
British judges are tasked to intervene when families and doctors disagree on the treatment of people unable to speak for themselves. The rights of the child take primacy, with the courts weighing issues such as whether a child is suffering and how much benefit a proposed treatment might produce.
“Unlike the USA, English law is focused on the protection of children’s rights,” said Jonathan Montgomery, professor of Health Care Law at University College London. “The USA is the only country in the world that is not party to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child; it does not recognize that children have rights independent of their parents.”
Montgomery said that while it was right to consider the views of Charlie’s parents, the court will not make a determination on this basis.
“This case is about Charlie’s rights and what the evidence tells us that they require,” he said. “That will be the only consideration of the judge at the hearing.”
Judge Nicholas Francis, who ruled in favor of doctors in April, says he will consider any new evidence. The courtroom was packed, as Francis heard arguments on differences of medical opinion.
“We are continuing to spend every moment, working around the clock to save our dear baby Charlie,” they said in a statement before the hearing. “We’ve been requesting this specialized treatment since November, and never asked the hospital, courts or anyone for anything — except for the permission to go.”
A succession of judges has backed specialists at Great Ormond Street. Britain’s Supreme Court ruled it’s in the boy’s best interests to be allowed to die with dignity. The European Court of Human Rights rejected an appeal from the parents, which briefly stalled their legal options.
But days afterward, President Donald Trump and Pope Francis gave the parents new hope by shining an international spotlight on the ethical debate.
Francis issued a statement insisting on the need to respect the wishes of the parents to “accompany and treat” their son to the very end.
Americans United for Life and other groups have seized upon the case, arguing the infant needs a “chance at life.” Petitions have circulated to offer support and others have arrived at Charlie’s bedside to pray.
A huge crowd appeared at Britain’s High Court to observe the proceedings.
A decision is not expected Thursday.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC.
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Talking Tock
Talking Tock 14 Hail release, TABs, timer bugs and hardware CRC. Mar. 27th 2017 by Amit
This is the fourteenth post in a series tracking the development of Tock, a safe multi-tasking operating system for microcontrollers.
Hail released!
This week @bradjc, @brghena and @ppannuto released Hail: an open source IoT development board that supports Tock! Hail is designed to be a very low-friction way to get started using and creating Tock applications. Simply plug in the Hail module over USB and use the tockloader utility to load and run applications. Pre-order one today on our hardware page
Tock Application Bundles (TABs)
To support ease-of-use and distributable applications, @bradjc and @brghena introduced an application bundle format called “Tock Application Bundle”, or .tab files. A TAB is a standalone file for an application that can be flashed onto any board that supports Tock, and removes the need for the board to be specified when the application is compiled. A TAB has enough information to be flashed on many or all Tock compatible boards, and the correct binary is chosen when the application is flashed and not when it is compiled. You can read more about TABs in the documentation
Tock Pull Requests
There was a bunch of activity this week, and all of the new pull requests were merged. As a result, we’re straying from our typical two section format and just listing the great work people finished this week!
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Issue Zero's are being touted by DC as an event. An event in comics (such as Flashpoint) should effect the core of the universe in some way. One of my favorite events on comic book history is Final Night, a story where the JLA have to save earth from an oncoming sun eater. It's an event, not just a JLA story, because many of the titles on those months bore the Final Night title as the events in the story where chronicled in other titles across the universe. These issue Zero titles are in my opinion not an event in the traditional sense. No story is relevant to another and all of them are set at some point before issue one of the respective titles.
They are a sales technique and an event in advertising rather than story telling. This one is in fact two stories, the first an opening for what looks to be a future story arch and the second a sweet moment in Batman (post New 52) history.
The first story shows the Red Hood gang robbing a bank in quite a stylised and smooth way with the rookie crime fighter Bruce Wayne becoming involved in a very amateurish way. It then goes on to show a small slice of Bruce's pre-bat crime stopping set-up. It's a fascinating little slice of story that leaves you eager for more and reminded me of the Earth One Batman setting. It was a very short yet wonderful read and according to the last line we will be seeing more of this in 2013 (yeah, DC are planning ahead with this one.)
The second story is a moment in time for a few characters, Jason, Dick, Tim and Barbara all look to the sky as the Bat Signal lights the heavens above Gotham for the fist time. Each character is only afforded a single page as this takes place but this iconic moment being chronicled from each characters point of view really gives you a striking feeling of wonder and aside from the art not being to my tastes in this story the moment is touching and well worth the cover price of the issue.
Issue Zero's are the introduction to the New 52 timeline that DC have been owing us for some time and if a new reader was to pick any of them up they fit nicely as expected before the first issue of any of the runs. They are well written, well drawn and a gem in any collection. This particular issue more than some of the other issues Zero's I have read.
I am still forced to wonder why DC have chosen to handle the New 52 in this way. At some point they, like all the readers have realised that the New 52 timeline needs a little more retro fitted continuity to make us understand exactly when and where we are.
In short a great Batman issue but 12 months late.
Batman #0Scott SnyderGreg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion
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Tampa Bay's scoring wingers and a shutout performance earn a big road win in Game Seven at Madison Square Garden; numbers to know in Scott Cullen's Statistically Speaking.
HEROES
Tampa Bay's top forwards - In Game Seven, the Lightning got goals from left wingers Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat, continuing the trend of dominance from Tampa Bay's top two scoring lines. Of 21 goals that the Lightning scored in the series, the only one not from a top-six forward was a Game Six power play marker by RW Ryan Callahan.
Tampa Bay's top scorer in the series was C Tyler Johnson, with nine points (4 G, 5 A), putting him one point ahead of linemate Nikita Kucherov and two points ahead of Steven Stamkos, Palat and Killorn.
Ben Bishop - Stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn a 2-0 shutout win in Game Seven. He had allowed five goals in three of the last five games of the series, but also recorded shutouts in the other two games. For the series, he posted a .901 save percentage, yet it was good enough to advance to the Final.
ZEROES
Dominic Moore - The Rangers pivot had the worst possession ratio of Rangers forwards (7 shot attempts for, 8 against, 46.7%) and ended up on the ice for both Lightning goals.
Brian Boyle - The former Ranger, current Lightning, centre struggled in just 7:33 of even-strength ice time, registering just two shot attempts for and 11 against (15.8%) in Game Seven.
Rick Nash - While the Rangers winger had broken through in the series, quieting his playoff critics, he managed just one shot on goal in Game Seven, while playing more (21:58) than any other Rangers forward.
STANLEY CUP HALF FULL/HALF EMPTY
Steven Stamkos - Tampa Bay's star centre didn't register a shot on goal in Game Seven, something that happened three times in 100 games this season prior to Game Seven (though two of those three occurrences were against Montreal in the previous round of the playoffs). Even so, his Lightning won the series and, for the first time in his career, Stamkos is on his way to the Stanley Cup Final.
VITAL SIGNS
Ryan McDonagh - Playing on a broken foot, and limited to less than two minutes of ice time in the first period, the Rangers' workhorse defenceman played only 17:33 in Game Seven, 2:05 less than his previous low in this year's playoffs.
Cedric Paquette - The checking centre returned to the Tampa Bay lineup after missing Game Six, and played 13:10 with positive possession stats.
J.T. Miller - Ranked second among Blueshirts forwards with 21:53 of ice time, had five hits and won eight of 10 faceoffs.
SHORT SHIFTS
The Rangers' best possession players in the series were C Derick Brassard (59.3 SAT%) and Rick Nash (58.9 SAT%), who were also the team's top scorers, with eight and seven points, respectively…Rangers D Keith Yandle also had seven points in the series…LW Tanner Glass (40.0%) was at the wrong end of the possession spectrum…Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov had a dominant series possession-wise too (112 shot attempts for, 69 against, 61.9%)…Lightning C Cedric Paquette (42.2%) had Tampa Bay's worst possession rate in the series...Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 of 25 shots in Game Seven, and finished the series with a .902 save percentage.
Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com and www.naturalstattrick.com
Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca
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Some interesting mobile iPlayer statistics came out of the BBC yesterday, revealing that the corporation streamed 5.3 million programmes to iOS-enabled devices and just 6,400 to Android devices via its video-on-demand service.
The information was released after a Freedom of Information request was submitted to the BBC, to “understand the take-up of iPlayer Flash streaming for Android 2.2 phones in July.”
Currently, the only (edit: official) way that Android users can view BBC iPlayer content is by visiting the iPlayer website and invoking the built-in Flash Player functionality to display the content. Given that Flash support is only available to users with Android 2.2, the ability to watch shows has only been available to Android users for less than a month on most devices.
The Android Market used to have an unofficial BBC iPlayer app, this no longer worked when the BBC changed the way it streamed its programmes. [Our readers have pointed out that there is a new app called Myplayer that will allow iPlayer access on Android phones]
For owners of the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch, the corporation built a specific iPhone portal nearly two years ago that would specifically format shows for iOS devices (remember, iOS devices will never officially support Flash). Non-2.2 Android devices should be able to access the same HTML5 streams that are available for iOS devices but the BBC blocked access to them because of “content protection considerations” that restrict delivery via HTTP.
The Guardian quite rightly points out that an iPlayer app could be on its way to older versions of Android, especially after the BBC Trust approved the development of official apps last month.
The streaming statistics were as follows:
In July 2010, 1,026 hours of programming were streamed from the BBC iPlayer to Android
devices.
devices. In July 2010 6,400 programmes were streamed from the BBC iPlayer to Android devices.
For complete weeks since 23 June, the average weekly number of Android device users accessing
programmes from the BBC iPlayer was 1,106, peaking at 1,896 in the week commencing 26 July
2010.
programmes from the BBC iPlayer was 1,106, peaking at 1,896 in the week commencing 26 July 2010. In July 2010 there were 5,272,464 programmes requested via the BBC iPlayer from Apple iPhone,
iPod Touch and iPad devices.
iPod Touch and iPad devices. In July 2010 there was an average of 230,016 Apple mobile devices users accessing programmes via
the BBC iPlayer each week, peaking at 248,700 in the week commencing 26 July 2010.
Android users need not be too disheartened, Android 2.2 (Froyo) updates are gradually making their way to handsets, increasing the amount of people that will be able to view programmes without the need for a specific app. That said, an iPlayer app is thought to be in development, giving all Android handset owners the ability to catch-up on their favourite BBC content.
Read next: AdobeAir.me: Egypt Based App Marketplace
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Anybody expecting earthshaking news from Berkeley, now that the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature group being led by Richard Muller has released its results, had to be content with a barely perceptible quiver. As far as the basic science goes, the results could not have been less surprising if the press release had said “Man Finds Sun Rises At Dawn.” This must have been something of a disappointment for anyone hoping for something else.
For those not familiar with it, the purpose of Berkeley Earth was to create a new, independent compilation and assessment of global land surface temperature trends using new statistical methods and a wider range of source data. Expectations that the work would put teeth in accusations against CRU and GISTEMP led to a lot of early press, and an invitation to Muller to testify before Congress. However, the big news this week (e.g. this article by the BBC’s Richard Black) is that there is no discernible difference between the new results and those of CRU.
Muller says that “the biggest surprise was that the new results agreed so closely with the warming values published previously by other teams in the US and the UK.” We find this very statement surprising. As we showed two years ago, any of various simple statistical analyses of the freely available data at the time showed that it was very very unlikely that the results would change.
The basic fact of warming is supported by a huge array of complementary data (ocean warming, ice melting, phenology etc). And shouldn’t it have helped reduce the element of surprise that a National Academy of Sciences study already concluded that the warming seen in the surface station record was “undoubtedly real,” that Menne et al showed that highly touted station siting issues did not in fact compromise the record, that the satellite record agrees with the surface record in every important respect (see Fig. 7 here), and that numerous independent studies (many of them by amateurs) also confirmed the warming trend?
If the Berkeley results are newsworthy, it is only because Muller had been perceived as an outsider (driven in part by trash-talking about other scientists), and has taken money from the infamous Koch brothers. People acting against expectation (“Man bites dog”) is always better news than the converse, something that Muller’s PR effort has exploited to the max. It does take some integrity to admit getting the same answer as those they had criticized, despite their preconceptions and the preconceptions of their funders. And we are pleased to see Muller’s statement that “This confirms that these studies were done carefully and that potential biases identified by climate change sceptics did not seriously affect their conclusions.” It’s far from the overdue apology that Phil Jones (of CRU) deserves from his critics, but it’s a start.
But Muller’s framing of the Berkeley results is still odd. His statement, that had they found no warming trend, this would have “ruled out anthropogenic global warming”, while true in a technical sense, would not have implied that we should not worry about human drivers of climate change. And it would not have overturned over a century of firmly established radiative-transfer and thermodynamics. Nor would it have overturned the basic chemistry which led Bolin and Eriksson (reprinted here) to predict in 1959 that fossil fuel burning would cause a significant increase in CO 2 — long before the results of Keeling’s famous Mauna Loa observations were in. As a physicist, Muller knows that the reason for concern about increasing CO 2 comes from the basic physics and chemistry, which was elucidated long before the warming trend was actually observable.
In a talk at AGU last Fall, Naomi Oreskes criticized the climate science community for being reluctant to take credit for their many successful predictions, so here we are shouting it from the rooftops: The warming trend is something that climate physicists saw coming many decades before it was observed. The reason for interest in the details of the observed trend is to get a better idea of the things we don’t know the magnitude of (e.g. cloud feedbacks), not as a test of the basic theory. If we didn’t know about the CO 2 -climate connection from physics, then no observation of a warming trend, however accurate, would by itself tell us that anthropogenic global warming is “real,” or (more importantly) that it is going to persist and probably increase.
Muller’s other comments do very little to shed light on climate change, and continue to consist largely of putting down the work of others. “For Richard Muller,” writes Richard Black, “this free circulation also marks a return to how science should be done,” the clear insinuation being that CRU, GISS, and NOAA had all been doing something else. Whatever that “something else” is supposed to be completely eludes us, given that these groups all along have been publishing results in the peer-reviewed literature using methods that proved easy to reproduce using easily available data (and in the GISTEMP case, complete code). In one sense, though, we do agree with Muller’s quote: nobody has stolen his private emails and spun them out of context to make his research look bad.
Laudably, Muller’s group have submitted their research to peer-reviewed journals, and the submitted drafts are available on their website. Amidst a number of verifications of already well-established results on the fidelity of the surface station trends, they also claim to have discovered something new. In their paper Decadal Variations in the Global Atmospheric Land Temperatures, they find that the largest contributor to global average temperature variability on short (2-5 year) timescales in not the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (as everyone else believes), but is actually the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). This is pretty esoteric stuff, but it would actually be quite interesting if it were true — though we hasten to add that even if true it would have no significant bearing on the interpretation of long term temperature trends. Before anyone gets too excited though, they should take note that the basis for this argument is that the correlation between the global average temperature and a time series that represents the AMO is higher than for one that represents ENSO. But what time series are used? According to the submitted paper, they “fit each record [ENSO and AMO times series] separately to 5th order polynomials using a linear least-squares regression; we subtracted the respective fits… This procedure effectively removes slow changes such as global warming and the ~70 year cycle of the AMO, and gives each record zero mean.” Beyond the obvious fact that if one removes the low frequencies, than we’re really not talking about the AMO anymore (the “M” in “AMO” stands for “Multidecadal”), one has to be rather cautious about this sort of data analysis. Without getting into the nitty-gritty technical details here, suffice it to say that Muller & Co are proposing a new understanding of global temperature variability, and their statistical approach is — at the very least — poorly described. There is a large literature on how to do this sort of thing, not to mention previous work on the AMO and its relationship to global temperatures (e.g. this or Mann and Park (1999) (pdf), among many others), which the Berkeley group does not cite.
Overall, we are underwhelmed by the quality of Berkeley effort so far — with the exception of the efforts made by Robert Rohde on the dataset agglomeration and the statistical approach. And we remain greatly disappointed by Muller’s public communications (e.g. his WSJ op-ed) which appear far more focused on raising his profile than enlightening the public about the state of the science.
It will be very interesting to see what happens to these papers as they go through peer review. No doubt, they will improve: that’s one of the benefits of the peer review process (suddenly popular again!). In the meanwhile, Muller & Co. have a long way to go before they can claim to be the best (as opposed to just the BEST). By launching his BEST project, Muller has no doubt ensured a place for himself in shaping the narrative on climate change science, but it remains to be seen to what extent he is going to contribute to the science of climate change.
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We've seen more than a few products that offer customers the chance to grow fresh fruit, herbs, and vegetables in their own home with minimal effort, but a device named Grobo from a Canadian startup looks like it might be the most straightforward yet. Its creators describe it as a "Keurig for plants." You simply fill its reservoirs with water and nutrients, drop some seeds into its base, and then hit a button on a connected app to start the growing process. A couple weeks later, you're ready to harvest.
The Grobo uses sensors to monitor the condition of the plant, automatically adjusting its watering schedule, and then lets you know when it's ready to harvest. It's suitable for a range of crops — including tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, herbs, kale, and more — but Grobo's founder and CEO, Bjorn Dawson, says the device's creation was inspired by the challenges Canadians face growing medicinal cannabis at home.
"[making] it as easy as possible for people to access fresh produce and medication."
"One of these people came to us early on to help with testing," Dawson tells The Verge, "He spent eight to 10 hours a week to grow the medication he needs — time he could have been spending with his family and children." Dawson says they'd originally started with a smaller product, but make it bigger to accommodate users such as those growing medicinal cannabis. "We’re really just trying to make it as easy as possible for people to access fresh produce and medication," he says.
If the user wants, the Grobo can grow plants pretty much by itself. Seeds are placed in a growing medium made from recycled coconut husks, with the user telling the device what's been planted so it can regulate the delivery of water and nutrients. Sensors inside the Grobo monitor how much of this material is absorbed by the plant and measure its height, allowing the app to make adjustments to the growing schedule or alert the user if they need to intervene. LEDs inside mimic a full 18 hours of sunshine every day, while carbon filters can be turned to eliminate any odors created by the plants.
The app can prompt you to get more involved
"There’s very little you have to do but there’s a lot you can do," says Dawson. "So if you want to learn how to grow better, in the app there are prompts at different phases of plant growth, saying things like: 'You should trim this part of the plant and if you do you'll get better results.'" Users can also program their own growing instructions into the app, with Dawson noting the only real limitation on the Grobo is size. "You wouldn't be able to grow something like a watermelon, for example, because the plant itself gets too large."
There are costs to all this convenience, the biggest one being the device itself. Starting today, the Grobo is available for preorder for $899, but this is only for the first 30 days, and will gradually increase until it hits its regular price tag of $1,399. Users can also expect to spend between $15 to $20 a month on nutrients and the growing medium, but the electricity costs of the Grobo are small — about the same as a ceiling fan.
Dawson says that buyers should be confident in their ability to grow plants with the Grobo, and that the team has been testing its technology for more than two years now, growing hundreds of crops over that time. The ultimate aim for the company, he says, is to make technology like this commonplace, allowing more and more people to grow food at home.
"People are looking at these solutions to bring growing into cities," says Dawson. "We think this could really extend into a great solution when everyone is growing the majority of the food they consume right at home." For now, though, the Grobo can only grow one plant at a time, taking around two to three months to grow a cannabis crop, or just a couple of weeks to raise up some wheatgrass.
Of course, dropping $1,000 or so to grow a punnet of strawberries in your living room is pretty extravagant. (Why not Google community gardens in your area instead?) But there is something persistently engaging about the idea of growing plants and vegetables at home. It just seems so modern: a utopian blend of technology and nature that's both efficient and folksy. Right now, though, it's too expensive to be much more than an affectation, but perhaps the seeds for something bigger are being planted.
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Whole Foods is the supermarket of choice for the Prius-driving set. Which makes it all the more odd that its founder and CEO John Mackey is in the news for saying how much he hates Obama's Affordable Care Act.
In the course of publicizing his new book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business), on NPR on Wednesday morning Mackey, 59, used the words "fascism" and "fascist" to describe Obamacare. Specifically, he said: "In fascism, the government doesn't own the means of production but they do control it and that's what's happening with the health care program with these reforms and so I'd say the system is becoming more fascist."
Howls of outrage from across the land prompted Mackey to make a partial retraction.
But this is not the first time Mackey's put his foot in his mouth. Here he is on unions: "The union is like having herpes. It doesn't kill you, but it's unpleasant and inconvenient, and it stops a lot of people from becoming your lover."
This is not the first time Mackey has complained about Obamacare either. Three years ago he wrote an op-ed about it in the Wall Street Journalwhich began with the famous quote from Margaret Thatcher: "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."
John Mackey
In that piece he complained: "The last thing our country needs is a massive new healthcare entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our healthcare system. Instead, we should be trying to achieve reforms by moving in the opposite direction – toward less government control and more individual empowerment."
Huh? This is not the liberal point of view at all. We're confused. Is John Mackey a paradox? A hypocrite? A socialist? A libertarian? All of the above? Let me explore.
First of all, John Mackey is an employer. And by all accounts he's a good one. Whole Food ranks number 32 on Fortune's list of Great Companies to Work For because the company caps salaries of executives at 19 times the average full-time salary. Mackey has paid himself a token $1 a year since 2006. In a system picked by its employees, Whole Foods' free health insurance program gives everyone $1,800 a year to spend on health-related costs not provided by its insurance. What doesn't get spent rolls over.
"Once you start spending your own money instead of someone else's money you know to be more careful with it," he said on MSNBC on Friday morning.
Mackey is a businessman. Yes, he founded Whole Foods (motto: "Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet") in 1980 to sell healthy, organic, unprocessed food. But the company grew to its enormous size because Mackey bought up smaller natural and health food stores round the country. He's like the Barnes and Noble of healthy shopping.
Mackey is a stockholder. Well he was. Six years ago he turned his entire Whole Foods stock portfolio over to a charitable foundation. Nonetheless he is CEO of a publicly traded company and keeps a sharp eye on the share price. Nothing to worry about there. Whole Foods currently trades at $90 a share. That's up from $50 10 years ago.
Mackey is a philosopher. That's what he studied at the University of Texas before dropping out, and it remains obvious in the way he thinks. The on-air use of the word fascist was stupid, but it doesn't reflect Mackey's overall thoughtful approach to his business practice and the responsibility he feels in running a large company.
Mackey was a hippie. He still is. Kind of. "My search for meaning and purpose led me into the counterculture movement of the late 1960's and 1970's," he writes in his new book. "I studied Eastern philosophy and religion at the time and still practice both yoga and meditation. I studied ecology. I became a vegetarian. (I have been vegan for 10 years.)" Before starting Whole Foods (originally called Safer Way because of Safeway) Mackey has been an enthusiastic food co-op member.
Mackey is an entrepreneur. He prides himself as never having taken a business class. He believes in the spirit of innovation. He is a free-market thinker who has made his peace with the fact he is a businessman and a capitalist. Not perfect he says but "fundamentally good and ethical."
Mackey is a dreamer. He can use the word "love" in the same sentence as the word "stakeholder", and he's on a mission to tell us that business needs to discover a higher purpose other than just making money. "Business does great good in the world," he says bemoaning the fact that it shares the same approval rating as Congress. It "can be a wonderful vehicle for both personal and organizational learning and growth".
Mackey can be a bit sneaky. Using the pseudonym "Rahodeb" (an anagram of his wife's name, Deborah) he spent seven years posting to Yahoo Finance forums as a critic of the rival supermarket chain Wild Oats Markets – which he was trying to buy. He succeeded in 2007 and subsequently said the posts were a mistake in judgement, but not ethics. (According to The New Yorker, he would compliment his own appearance, "I think he looks cute," he wrote about himself.)
Mackey is very, very rich yet genuinely doesn't seem to care about his money. Having sold Whole Foods stock over the years, Mackey is worth millions and millions of dollars, but lives a life of abstinence, flying commercial, backpacking for fun and driving a Honda.
Mackey doesn't believe in the science behind climate change and anyway thinks it will be good for the economy. Yet since 2006 Whole Foods has offset 100 percent of its energy cost with the purchase of wind power credits.
Mackey IS Whole Foods. He doesn't have children and sees himself as the 'daddy' of his every member of his vast company. If you find it contradictory to hate him but love what he's created, don't worry – Mackey will understand.
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The biggest injury for the Raiders this training camp was also to one of their biggest and most important players - left tackle Jared Veldheer. He underwent surgery last Friday to repair a partially torn triceps muscle in his left arm. Now the Raiders must brave at least part of the season without him.
Veldheer had started 42 straight games for the Raiders so this surgery and rehab is a very new experience for him.
"It's strange. It's not something that I've ever been through," said Veldheer. "First football related procedure that I've ever had done. It's disappointing, it's tough but the only thing that I'm focused on now is putting all my attention into getting after it and rehabbing and getting back on the field."
The typical timeline for a surgery of this nature is 3 months which would have him back after week 9 of the season. Dennis Allen said the team's intention was the place him on partial season injured reserve which would make him eligible to return as after week 8 of the season.
"My goal's as soon as possible, obviously, but they gotta check, I got another follow up appointment next week and they'll start learning more as far as dates and times to shoot for then." Said Veldheer.
There have been some who pondered whether the injury Veldheer suffered was related to the workout regimen he had this off-season that had him looking like the Hulk's evil twin. But Veldheer says it had nothing to do with it.
"Naw, I think it's one of those things that you don't ever really plan for or see coming," said Veldheer. "The training protects all of that for the most part. I'm not sure exactly what I can do in the future to kind of prevent that stuff but I'll figure that out too and add that to the routine to make sure that I'm staying healthy and keeping all that soft tissue in good shape."
Another concern was that perhaps Veldheer made things worse when, after the initial MRI came up negative, he returned to practice and even played in the team's preseason opener before eventually getting the positive diagnosis.
"I don't think I necessarily made it any worse practicing with the brace. I think they were able to brace it up good and protect it that way. I don't think any further damage was done. I think whatever happened initially was the thing they ended up seeing in the second MRI. . . it wasn't really getting better and it just didn't have that usual strength and I just wanted to check back up and make sure everything was ok and it turns out that it wasn't."
Now the Raiders must go without him and try to make do. Despite the terrible performance in the game last week and the injuries at the position, Veldheer has complete faith in his replacement(s).
"Besides responding to me, I've seen them step out there and not really lose too much. The guys are working hard and I have great faith in that unit and trust in that unit. Those guys are gonna do awesome. I wish I could be out there with them but, like I said, I gotta get this thing better."
"Those guys are all stepping up ready to take on the challenge and do their jobs. I don't think there's any kind of nervousness going around or anything like that. We've got a very focused group that works really hard and, like I said earlier, I have great faith that they're gonna step up and do a great job."
Offensive coordinator, Greg Olson, isn't quite as enthusiastic about the situation in Veldheer's absence. Then again, he has more authority to be blunt about it.
"Going into the season, the power schemes, the gap schemes, Jared was an important part of that," said Olson. "We didn't get a real chance last week to evaluate that part of the game as much as we would like to. . . We'll continue to try to fill that role. It will be a difficult role to fill and somebody's gonna have to step in and fill those shoes but philosophically speaking, do we feel like we have the players right now? With Jared, he was obviously and important piece of what we're trying to do but we feel like right now, we'll take a look at Alex Barron and continue to evaluate him as we move forward."
Other than Barron, the team had just two other tackles on the roster coming into this week. They signed free agent, Tony Hills, on Tuesday and Wednesday got Menelik Watson back from injury.
There is at least a bit of depth at the position which will allow the team to evaluate more players in their attempts to replace Veldheer while he is out half the season.
Follow @LeviDamien
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Before understanding API testing automation, you all need to know what exactly is API. So, basically API stands for an Application Programming Interface and it is a set of procedures and software functions, known as API calls that can be implemented by other software applications.
API testing automation is mostly utilized for the framework which has gathering of API that needs to be tested. The framework could be application software, system software or libraries.
API testing is unique in relation to other testing sorts as graphical user interface is hardly associated with API Testing. Regardless of the possibility that GUI is not associated with API testing, then you has to setup everything from beginning condition, suggested API with required set of parameters and after that at long last breaks down the result. Setting introductory condition wind up plainly complex since GUI is not included.
In case of API interface testing, you need to have some approach to ensure that framework is prepared for testing. This can be partitioned further in test condition setup and application setup. Things like database should be arranged; server should be begun and are identified with test condition setup.
On the other-hand object should be made before calling non static individual from the class falls under application specific setup. Initial condition in API testing additionally includes making conditions under which API will be called.
Probably, API testing in software testing can be called straightforwardly or it can be called on account of some occasion or accordingly of some exemption.
API Testing Tools and Frameworks:
The API testing automation can be implemented using various other API testing open source tools such as API testing using postman or API testing using selenium. However, the most well-known rule utilized as a part of API testing automation is HTTP, together with open source REST API testing tools. Developers who program utilizing REST make their code simple. They and others know which language they will be utilizing, how the capacities work, which parameters can be utilized, and so forth.
Well known API automation frameworks for creating APIs incorporate Swagger, RAML and WADL. In a perfect world when programming inserted, the testers shape an “API testing tutorial for beginners“, which depicts how the services created in the APIs should be utilized.
Basic Tests performed on API integration testing:
Profit Value based for input condition – The return value from the API’s are checked in view of the input condition.
Confirm if the API’s does not return anything.
Check if the API triggers some other occasion or API calls. The Events output should be followed and checked.
Confirm if the API is refreshing any information structure.
Web services API testing is not finished without load testing. TestOrigen automates API automation testing using selenium. So, to begin your execution and load tests, ask for a TestOrigen demo or put your URL or JMX document in our Request a Quote page and your test will begin in minutes.
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Image caption Francoise Mitterrrand and Baroness Thatcher exchanged documents at the signing of the treaty
The 25th anniversary of the signing of the agreement between Britain and France to build the Channel Tunnel is being marked at a celebration in Kent.
The Treaty of Canterbury was signed in 1986 in the presence of President Francois Mitterrand and the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.
The anniversary celebration is taking place in the Chapter House at Canterbury Cathedral.
It is being hosted by Eurotunnel chairman Jacques Gounon.
The Treaty of Canterbury set out the conditions for how the tunnel would be built.
Work began on the UK side in December 1987 and on the French side in February the following year.
The two tunnelling teams met under the English Channel on 1 December 1990.
Since it opened in 1994, more than 250 million travellers have used the tunnel.
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Rick Ross 'The Boss' Remixing WWE Champ Mark Henry Theme After Vince McMahon's Public Criticism [Rumors]
Mark Henry is one of the strongest competitors and biggest names in the WWE. He is also a two-time world champion with a multitude of additional awards. In recent news, the superstar announced his interest in getting Rick Ross, "The Boss," to do a remix of his infamous theme song. This is the first fans have heard of Henry since Vince McMahon publicly dissed his athletic abilities in the gym.
While growing up in a small town in Texas, Mark was a huge fan of Andre the Giant, who inspired the youngster to pursue a career in bodybuilding and power lifting.
Since then, of course, Henry has found his place in the world as a powerhouse wrestler for the WWE. He even made it all the way to World Heavyweight champion.
Now, reports are saying that the brute is looking to spice up his persona. According to TMZ Sports, he is looking to his brother from another mother, Rick Ross:
"WWE superstar Mark Henry wants to enter the ring like a BOSS -- which is why he's calling on his doppleganger Rick Ross to remix his famous theme music so he can kick ass with a brand new beat. Henry is well aware of the fact he and Ross look exactly alike...and says that's exactly why his big bearded brother from another mother is the perfect guy to put a new twist on 'Somebody's Gonna Get Their Ass Kicked.'"
Truly, having the infamous rapper re-do his song would do wonders for Henry. According to Wrestling Inc., Mark could use a boost after Vince McMahon publicly disrespected his athleticism:
"[In an] interview in the March issue of Muscle & Fitness, [Vince McMahon] talked about "decimating" Mark Henry in the gym. 'I showed up, and Mark was full of adrenaline, ready to train, and couldn't wait,' Vince said. 'I was very deferential to Mark in the first giant set we went through. But in the second one he was green around the gills. That's when I started saying, 'the World's Strongest Man is not doing too well at the moment.'"
What are your opinions on the situation? Let us know in the comment section below.
© 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
TagsWWE News, WWE Controversy, WWE Upcoming, WWE Next Match, Rick Ross, Rick Ross Album, Mark Henry, Mark Henry Highlights, WWE Legends
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CeCILL and Free Software
Today Free Software is important in the scientific community as well as in administrations and in the entreprise. Nevertheless, the use of licenses created in the US, such as the GNU General Public License raises some legal issues. These issues may lead to uncertainties that may prevent some companies and organisations to contribute Free Software.
To provide a better legal safety while keeping the spirit of these licenses, three French public research organisations, CEA, CNRS and Inria launched a projet to write Free Software licenses conforming to French law.
CEA, CNRS and Inria released CeCILL in july 2004. CeCILL is the first license defining the principles of use and dissemination of Free Software in conformance with French law, following the principles of the GNU GPL. This license is meant to be used by companies, research institutions and all organisations willing to release software under a GPL-like license while ensuring a standard level of legal safety. CeCILL is also perfectly suited to international projects.
After CeCILL, CEA, CNRS and Inria released CeCILL-B and CeCILL-C, two licenses that offer other models for developpers to control the reuse of their software. They provide the same level of legal safety as CeCILL does. Authorizing the reuse of components under CeCILL-B or CeCILL-C in a software that can be distributed under any license, they thus encourage a wider diffusion of these components.
CeCILL-B follows the principle of the popular BSD license and its variants (Apache, X11 or W3C among others). In exchange for strong citation obligations (in all software incorporating a program covered by CeCILL-B and also through a Web site), the author authorizes the reuse of its software without any other constraints.
CeCILL-C is well suited to libraries and more generally software components. Anyone distributing an application which includes components under the CeCILL-C license must mention this fact and make any changes to the source code of these components available to the community under CECILL-C while being free to choose the licence of its application.
CeCILL, CeCILL-B and CeCILL-C are the first coherent family of Free Software licenses. The three licenses share most of their text and their compatibilitiy is explicitely ensured. This family has been designed as a new tool, legally efficient and original, covering many needs, for developpers of Free Software as well as companies and organizations wishing to use them with better legal safety.
What's new
CeCILL version 2.1 is out ! This version incorporates minor changes that were the results of discussions within the process of the Open Source Initiative (OSI). As a consequence we are happy to announce that version 2.1 of CeCILL is officially recognized by OSI as an Open Source license. Compatibility has also been improved (with the GNU Affero GPL and the EUPL).
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2001 studio album by Daft Punk
Discovery is the second studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 26 February 2001 by Virgin Records. It marks a shift from the Chicago house sound prevalent on their first studio record, Homework (1997), to a house style more heavily inspired by disco, post-disco, garage house, and R&B. Comparing their stylistic approach to their previous album, band member Thomas Bangalter described Discovery as an exploration of song structures and musical forms whereas Homework was "raw" electronic music. He also described Discovery as a reflection of the duo's childhood memories, when they listened to music with a more playful and innocent viewpoint.
The album was recorded at Bangalter's home in Paris between 1998 and 2000. The album features extensive sampling; few samples were from older records, while others were recorded by Daft Punk playing live instruments themselves. Fellow electronic musicians Romanthony, Todd Edwards, and DJ Sneak collaborated on some tracks both musically and lyrically. For the album's music videos, the group developed a concept involving the merging of science fiction with the entertainment industry. Inspired by their childhood love for Japanese anime, the duo collaborated with Leiji Matsumoto to produce Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, an anime film with the entirety of Discovery as the soundtrack. The film features no dialogue, with few sound effects.
In the lead-up to Discovery's release, the duo adopted robot costumes, claiming they had become robots as a result of an accident in their studio. They also launched Daft Club, a website which featured exclusive tracks and other bonus material. Discovery was a critical and commercial success, peaking high across several charts internationally on release. Critics praised Daft Punk for innovating the house music scene in the same manner they had done with Homework. The album spawned six singles; "One More Time" featuring Romanthony was its most successful, and became a club hit.
Background [ edit ]
After their debut album Homework was released, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo spent most of 1997 touring on the Daftendirektour.[1][2] For the first half of 1998, the duo was focused on their own personal labels,[nb 1] while also working on the video collection D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes. In 1999 and 2000, their time was split between making music for their own labels and recording Discovery.[1]
Recording [ edit ]
Discovery was recorded in the duo's own studio, Daft House, located at Bangalter's home in Paris, France.[3] Daft Punk started work on the album in early 1998, and produced it over the course of two years.[4] Bangalter and Homem-Christo made music together and separately, in a similar process to their debut album Homework.[1] Although they used the same equipment as they had for Homework, the duo sought to record tracks that were more concise than their previous work. For Discovery, the group used different samplers and synthesizers, including Akai MPC, E-mu SP-1200, Oberheim DMX and LinnDrum. The track "Short Circuit", which features a Sequential Circuits drum pattern,[1] was previously heard in Daft Punk's 1997 live sets.[5] For vocoders, the group used a Roland SVC-350, Auto-Tune, and a DigiTech Vocalist. Production on the album also incorporated a PC with an early version of Logic. Every track on Discovery uses a different phase shifter.[1] The album was mastered by Nilesh Patel,[3] who also had mastered Homework.[6]
One of the first tracks to come out of the Discovery sessions, "One More Time", was completed in 1998 and was left "sitting on a shelf" until its single release in 2000. After completing "Too Long" early in the album's production, Daft Punk decided that they "didn't want to do 14 more house tracks" in the way the genre is usually defined, and thus set out to incorporate a variety of styles for the record.[7][8] The album features musical contributions from Romanthony, Todd Edwards, and DJ Sneak. Romanthony and Edwards were some of the producers that had the most influence on Daft Punk. The duo had wanted to work with them on Homework, but found it difficult to convince them to do so since they were still relatively unknown.[1] DJ Sneak wrote the lyrics to "Digital Love" and assisted in the song's production.[4][9]
Music [ edit ]
Theme [ edit ]
Discovery is recognized as a concept album.[10][11] It relates strongly to Daft Punk's childhood memories, incorporating their love of cinema and character.[12] Thomas Bangalter specified that the album deals with the duo's experiences growing up in the decade between 1975 and 1985, rather than it just being a tribute to the music of that period.[1] The record was designed to reflect a playful, honest and open-minded attitude toward listening to music. Bangalter compared it to the state of childhood when one does not judge or analyze music.[1] Bangalter noted the stylistic approach of the album was in contrast to that of their previous effort. "Homework [...] was a way to say to the rock kids, like, 'Electronic music is cool'. Discovery was the opposite, of saying to the electronic kids, 'Rock is cool, you know? You can like that.'"[13] He elaborated that Homework had been "a rough and raw thing" focused on sound production and texture, whereas the goal with Discovery was to explore song structures and new musical forms. This change in sound was inspired by Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker".[7]
Composition [ edit ]
Discovery is a departure from Daft Punk's previous house sound.[14] In his review for AllMusic, John Bush wrote that Discovery is "definitely the New York garage edition" of Homework. He added that Daft Punk produced a "glammier, poppier" sound of Eurodisco and R&B by over-embellishing their pitch-bend, and vocoder effects, including loops of divas, synth-guitars, and electric piano.[15] Stylus Magazine's Keith Gwillim asserted that it is a disco album that draws on the genre's "danceable" and "sappy" elements, including its processed vocals and "prefabricated" guitar solos.[16] Other critics also described the album as post-disco.[17][18] Retrospectively, Uproxx said the album also incorporates French house.[19]
The album's opening track, "One More Time", features heavily Auto-Tuned and compressed vocals from Romanthony.[1] The next track, "Aerodynamic", has a funk groove, halt for an electric guitar solo, and ending with a separate "spacier" electronic segment.[20] This solo, which contains guitar arpeggios, was compared to Yngwie Malmsteen by Pulse!.[21] "Digital Love" contains a solo performed by the duo using a Wurlitzer piano, vintage synthesizers and music sequencers;[20] it incorporates elements of pop,[22] new wave, jazz, funk and disco.[23] "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", the fourth track on the album is an electro-leaning song.[23] It is followed by "Crescendolls", an instrumental. "Nightvision" is an ambient track.[22] "Superheroes" leans toward the "acid minimalism" of Homework.[15] "High Life" is built over a "gibberish" vocal sample, and contains an organ-like section.[23] "Something About Us" is a downtempo song, with digitally processed vocals by Daft Punk and lounge rhythms.[23]
"Voyager" has guitar riffs, harp-like 80s synths, and a funky bassline.[24] "Veridis Quo" is a "faux-orchestral" synthesizer baroque song;[15] according to Angus Harrison, its title is a pun on the words "very disco".[24] "Short Circuit" is an electro-R&B song[15] with breakbeats[25] and programmed drum patterns.[1] "Face to Face" is a dance-pop song featuring vocals from Todd Edwards, and is more pop-oriented than the other tracks on Discovery.[15][24] In the context of the album, Bangalter noted that the preceding track "Short Circuit" represented the act of shutting down, and "Face to Face" represents the consciousness of reality.[26] "Too Long", the album's closer, is a ten-minute-long electro-R&B song.[27]
Samples [ edit ]
A significant amount of sampling is present on the album. Rather than creating new music using only the samples, Daft Punk worked with them by writing and performing additional parts.[20] The Discovery liner notes specify permitted use of samples for four tracks on the album: Part of George Duke's "I Love You More" is featured in "Digital Love"; Edwin Birdsong's "Cola Bottle Baby" was sampled for "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"; The Imperials' song "Can You Imagine" is used for "Crescendolls"; Barry Manilow's "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed" is credited for "Superheroes".[3] It is believed that "One More Time" contains a sample of Eddie Johns’ song "More Spell on You", which was reported to be officially cleared[28] despite it being uncredited in the Discovery liner notes.
Several websites list many other samples present on the album, but Bangalter has stated that half of the samples he had seen listed are not true. He also stated the sampling they do is legitimately done, not something they try to hide.[29] Bangalter elaborated that the newly recorded elements were implemented in a way that was equivalent to "creating fake samples [...] where people think there are samples from disco records or funk records."[30] Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo estimated that half of the sampled material on Discovery was played live and re-recorded by the duo,[4] and emphasized that the resulting quality of the music was more important than the ego of who played which instruments.[20]
Promotion and release [ edit ]
The ideas for the album's music videos formed during the early Discovery recording sessions.[12] Daft Punk's concept for the film involved the merging of science fiction with entertainment industry culture.[31] The duo recalled watching Japanese anime as children, including favorites such as Captain Harlock, Grandizer, and Candy Candy.[32] All three brought the album and the completed story to Tokyo in the hope of creating the film with their childhood hero, Leiji Matsumoto, who had created Captain Harlock.[32][31] After Matsumoto joined the team as visual supervisor, Shinji Shimizu had been contacted to produce the animation and Kazuhisa Takenouchi to direct the film. With the translation coordination of Tamiyuki "Spike" Sugiyama, production began in October 2000 and ended in April 2003.[31] The result of the collaboration was an anime film featuring the entirety of Discovery as the soundtrack.[32]
Daft Punk adopted robot costumes in the lead up to Discovery's release. The group told to press they were working in their studio at 9:09 am on 9 September 1999, when their sampler exploded. They had to undergo reconstructive surgery, and, regaining consciousness, they realized they had become robots.[1][12]
Shortly before the album's release, the group launched Daft Club, a website which offered exclusive tracks and other bonus material. Every Discovery CD included a Daft Club membership card bearing a unique number that provided personalized access to the website.[1] Bangalter said this was "our way of rewarding people who buy the CD".[23] The service provided by the site ended in 2003; most of the tracks were then compiled into the remix album Daft Club.[33]
Reception [ edit ]
Discovery received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 19 reviews.[34] AllMusic's John Bush said that, with their comprehensive productions and loops of manifold elements, Daft Punk developed a sound that was "worthy of bygone electro-pop technicians from Giorgio Moroder to Todd Rundgren to Steve Miller."[15] Q magazine wrote that the album was vigorous and innovative in its exploration of "old questions and spent ideals", hailing it as "a towering, persuasive tour de force" that "transcends the dance label" with no shortage of ideas, humor, or "brilliance".[39] Joshua Clover, writing in Spin, dubbed Discovery disco's "latest triumph" and said although it "flags a bit" before the end, the opening stretch of songs was on-par with albums such as Sign o' the Times (1987) by Prince and Nirvana's Nevermind (1991).[11] Stephen Dalton from NME found the record's pop art ideas enthralling and credited Daft Punk for "re-inventing the mid-'80s as the coolest pop era ever."[10] In Entertainment Weekly, Will Hermes wrote that the "beat editing and EQ wizardry" still excite after Homework, despite the newly imbued sense of humor.[35] Mixmag called it "the perfect non-pop pop album" and said Daft Punk had "altered the course of dance music for the second time".[37]
Ben Ratliff from Rolling Stone was less impressed and wrote that few songs on Discovery were on-par with the grandiosity of "One More Time". He found most of them "muddled - not only in the spectrum between serious and jokey but in its sense of an identity."[40] In The Guardian, Alexis Petridis felt Daft Punk's attempt to "salvage" older musical references resembled Homework, but was less coherent and successful.[36] Pitchfork critic Ryan Schreiber found their "prog and disco" hybrid "relatively harmless" and claimed that it was not "meant to be judged on its lyrics", which he dismissed as amateurish and commonplace.[38] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, facetiously said the album may appeal to young enthusiasts of Berlin techno and computing, but it was too "French" and "spirituel" for American tastes.[41] In a retrospective review for The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Douglas Wolk gave Discovery three-and-a-half stars and wrote that "the more [Daft Punk] dumb the album down, the funkier it gets" with an emphasis on hooks over songs.[42]
Q listed Discovery as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.[43] The album was later ranked number 12 on Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of 2000–04 and number three on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s.[44][45] In 2009, Rhapsody placed the album at number twelve on its 100 Best Albums of the Decade list.[46] It was also named the fourth best album of the decade by Resident Advisor.[47] In 2012, Rolling Stone included Discovery at number eight on their list of The 30 Greatest EDM Albums of All Time.[48] The album also was included on BBC Radio 1's Masterpieces in December 2009 presented by Zane Lowe, highlighting the increased reception of the album over the decade.[49]
Commercial performance [ edit ]
The album peaked at number two in the United Kingdom[50] and France,[51] and number twenty-three in the United States.[52] The album was certified triple platinum in France (in 2007) for shipments denoting 600,000 copies.[53] As a result of sales, Discovery was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 11 October 2010.[54] As of May 2013, the album has sold 802,000 copies in the US.[55] The album's lead single "One More Time" was its most successful, peaking at number one on the French charts[56] and the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs charts, and peaked within the top ten on seven other charts. It remained the group's most successful single until the release of "Get Lucky" in 2013. The album's fifth single, "Face to Face", reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart in 2004. Discovery has sold at least 2.6 million copies as of 2005.[57]
Legacy [ edit ]
Several songs from the album would later be sampled by other artists. Kanye West's song "Stronger" from the album Graduation features a vocal sample of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". A live performance of "Stronger" was featured at the 2008 Grammy Awards, with Daft Punk performing in their trademark pyramid structure while Kanye West was on stage rapping.[58] Wiley's song "Summertime" from the album See Clear Now features a sample of "Aerodynamic".[59] Jazmine Sullivan's song "Dream Big" from the album Fearless features a sample of "Veridis Quo".[60]
Track listing [ edit ]
All tracks written by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, except where noted.
Personnel [ edit ]
Adapted from Discovery liner notes.[3]
Charts [ edit ]
Certifications [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Additional notes [ edit ]
^ [1] Bangalter's label was Roulé , and de Homem-Christo's was Crydamoure
Citations [ edit ]
Bibliography [ edit ]
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View the Top 100 Retailers here.
The dot-com boom launched 20 years ago, ushering in a new era of retailing, and 2017 is the year that acknowledges the future has arrived. Store-based sales still overwhelm e-commerce, but the scales are tipping — not that the impact is readily noticeable in STORES Magazine’s annual list of the Top 100 retailers. Amazon crept up to seventh place, but QVC is the only other retailer on the chart that does the vast majority of business in the non-store realm.
The nation’s largest mass market retailers all rank in the top 10: No. 1 Wal-Mart, No. 3 Costco, No. 7 Amazon and No. 8 Target. The remaining top 10 retailers are arranged in pairs: two traditional supermarket operators (No. 2 Kroger and No. 10 Albertsons); two home improvement retailers (No. 4 The Home Depot and No. 9 Lowe’s); and two drugstore chains (No. 5 CVS and No. 6 Walgreens Boots Alliance).
“We are witnessing a transformation in which the physical environment now needs to serve three shopper missions rather than one,” says Ray Gaul, vice president of research and analytics with Kantar Retail. “The old one was a full shopper mission where the consumer discovers products, selects the products and then transports the products home.”
The two additional missions are buy online, pickup at store and showrooms and product information, Gaul says. “These will require two things … store remodels and store closings, or both, and a new economic model to cover costs and deliver profits.
“Companies that have embraced this new way of shopping have begun to deliver better profit per square foot than companies that have not,” he says.
Rebalancing act
Steven Roth, CEO of Vornado Realty Trust and a veteranv observer of the retail industry, maintains that the country is “grossly overstored” and that a third of the weakest retail locations should be shut down.
“This very painful process will surely take more than five years,” he says. “It will also create enormous opportunity for those with the capital and management platforms to [do so].”
Shopping center owner Starwood Capital Group’s Barry Sternlicht says “retail will rebalance” and be “smaller but healthier in five years.”
“The important thing to remember with e-commerce is that it is a tool to help shoppers do things more conveniently in more places than before,” Gaul says. The level of knowledge when consumers are in-store has “changed dramatically,” he says.
“Retailers with physical locations that play an important role in the decision to buy must hold on to their physical real estate but make it work differently to acknowledge that shoppers will probably have more complete information [and]more options.”
Supply chain logistics are a key to this new hybrid retail world, and Walmart got where it is today by investing in and constantly improving them. Today it is investing in logistics expertise.
“Walmart has the best planning software to schedule truck arrivals and departures, to track ships in the Atlantic and Pacific and air traffic,” Gaul says.
Walmart works to ensure that when consumers shop online, they pay the lowest cost to get the product from its source to the final destination. E-commerce giants such as Amazon and Alibaba are “dominating discussion on ‘agile logistics,’” he says. “However, there is still an opportunity for someone to develop everyday low cost agile logistics. This is a title that is Walmart’s to lose over the next 10 years.”
Enhancing online
Walmart has been spending a lot of resources on omnichannel, first entering into an alliance with JD.com, China’s largest internet retailer by revenue, and then purchasing Jet.com for $3 billion to broaden U.S. e-commerce operations. Online retailers Moosejaw, Shoebuy and Modcloth and Bonobos are recent acquisitions for Walmart, also rumored to be interested in Wayfair, the web-only home furnishings and décor retailer.
In addition, Walmart has launched a retail technology incubator, called Store No. 8, to nurture nascent businesses including the small e-retailers the company has been acquiring.
“We’ll be bringing in entrepreneurs and giving them capital and the opportunity to change the course of retail five or 10 years out,” says Marc Lore, the founder of Jet.com and now CEO of Walmart’s U.S. e-commerce business. “The focus is not just on today. Think bigger.”
“Companies should be in the business of creating the future and not simply responding to what pundits and polls think their customers are looking for,” says Mohamed Amer, global head of strategic communications for consumer industries with SAP.
“Without experimenting and probing, you can never discover the hidden potential in any market,” he says. “Walmart’s Store No. 8 is a powerful symbol and reminder that change and innovation can only happen when you challenge the status quo.”
A progressive and innovative approach to personalized and meaningful shopping experiences is “crucial to the future of bricks-and-mortar, clicks-and-mortar and every new iteration of online-offline shopping we’ve yet to see,” says Julie Bernard, chief marketing officer at marketing platform Verve Mobile.
“We know from recent data that the in-store experience is fusing with the mobile experience, and that shoppers, particularly Millennials and Generation Z consumers, consider their bricks-and-mortar engagements to be just as powerfully social and multichannel as any other part of their on-screen day-to-day lives.”
Walmart is enhancing its online efforts with multiple initiatives: This spring, the retailer offered special discounts on 10,000 different items if they were ordered online and picked up in-store.
“One of the things I love most about Walmart’s heritage is the maniacal focus on our customers and finding ways to offer them low prices — every day,” Lore, who was involved in the project, wrote in his blog at the time.
“We do this by creating efficiencies in our business so we can share the savings with them. And, in the online world, we can use our physical stores and supply chain to do some pretty unique things for our digital customers.”
Maintaining loyalty
E-commerce efforts of the other Top 10 bricks-and-mortar mass market operators are less advanced.
Costco last raised membership fees in November 2011 and set June 1 of this year for increases to $60 for standard membership and $120 for executive. The increase reflects a membership base “consisting of households with higher incomes than the U.S. average,” and shouldn’t “negatively impact growth,” says Fitch Rating Service.
E-commerce is another story, Fitch says: “Growth in online sales has varied between the high single digits to mid-teen rates over the past several years, but it is not making a significant contribution to comps because e-commerce only represents about 4 percent of Costco’s net sales.”
Costco’s slow adoption of e-commerce may help in its battle against Amazon, suggests Barclays analyst Karen Short. “Given Costco’s high-quality merchandise in food, low prices and the frequency of purchase for these items, we believe that the company’s customers will remain loyal and believe Costco’s price positioning and quality in food insulates it from [Amazon],” she wrote in a recent research note.
Costco has no intentions of becoming an omnichannel retailer. “Our value proposition is best serviced for us when it’s in-store, getting members to come in and buying when they can see everything that we have,” says Richard Galanti, Costco’s chief financial officer.
Target is still very much dedicated to bricks-and-mortar as it continues to roll out smaller-format stores in densely populated urban areas. It had 32 at the beginning of the year; the ranks are slated to grow to 130 by the end of 2019.
The retailer is spending $2 billion this year in the first phase of a three-year plan costing $7 billion for new and remodeled stores as well as other initiatives. Calling 2017 “a year of investment,” Target CEO Brian Cornell says the initiatives will include more private-label merchandise and an upgraded supply chain.
Its key nod to e-commerce is a stated willingness to forego $1 billion in potential profits to cut prices and build lower-margin digital sales.
As a result of competition from both e-retailers and big box discounters, Target “has been forced to accelerate investments in omnichannel initiatives and tighten its focus on pricing and merchandising assortments,” Fitch says.
Piloting innovation
It can be hard to track Amazon’s many retail initiatives. In May the threshold for free shipping for non-Prime shoppers dropped to $25 from $35. The delivery window, however, extends to five to eight days.
The company is experimenting with groceries, encouraging manufacturers to develop packages that can withstand the demands of fulfillment center-to-consumer shipping. Amazon is also building a network of physical stores. “It seems counterintuitive they are investing in any physical stores when they are blamed for the demise of so many of them,” says marketing advisor Sucharita Mulpuru, “but no cow is sacred.” All this was in place prior to Amazon’s blockbuster announcement that it would pay $13.7 billion for Whole Foods Market.
Six “bookstores” are open, with another half dozen in the works, as much showrooms for the company’s electronic devices as purchase venues for bibliophiles. Then there are food store pilot projects, where everything from robots to digital payment systems are tested and the general public is excluded. Amazon Go, a cashierless convenience store, was shuttered after three months in which only Amazon employees were allowed to shop.
Groceries are important to Amazon in battles against Walmart as well as its efforts to build foot traffic in physical stores. Groceries ordered online and delivered to consumers constitute just about 3 percent of the U.S. market, according to Randy Burt, a partner in the food and beverage practice at consultant A.T. Kearney.
Burt characterizes Amazon’s desire to open physical locations as a necessary step to selling more groceries. “I think they are recognizing for certain things you can’t digitize and replicate online all the experiences one has in a store,” he says.
“What appears to be clear is they haven’t yet zeroed in on a format they’re willing to massively scale,” says Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “This is a company that the moment it figures out something that works, it puts nuclear energy behind it.”
“Grocery is an industry that changes slowly,” Gaul says.
“The likelihood of pure play e-commerce companies understanding the rules of fresh food handling and grasping them as quickly as experienced supermarket operators is unlikely,” he says. “Supermarkets in this country are throwing real energy at this opportunity, not wanting to suffer the same fate as non-food retailers.”
Calculated growth
Kroger and Albertsons have been bulking up via acquisitions. Kroger has digested the major takeovers of Roundy’s Supermarkets in the Midwest and Harris Teeter in the Southeast.
Earlier this year the company bought Murray’s Cheese; Murray’s, best known for its flagship store in New York’s Greenwich Village, has been partnering with Kroger since 2008 and operated 350 cheese departments in Kroger supermarkets at the time of the buyout.
Kroger is also working on other initiatives aimed at keeping online competitors at bay. In May, it began testing meal kits in some Cincinnati stores; the company is also having success with the rollout of its buy online, pickup in-store service and is contemplating home delivery.
Eleven years ago, the investment firms that controlled Albertsons brought in Robert G. Miller to be the chief executive of a 655-store conglomeration of regional supermarket chains west of the Mississippi River.
Today, Albertsons boasts 2,400 stores flying 19 different banners including Safeway, Shaw’s, Star Markets, Acme and, of course, Albertsons. The early years of growth consisted of buying distressed chains.
“The struggling stores were in areas where we competed with Walmart,” Miller says. “We bought them for real estate value. Over the next six years, we sold and closed stores, paid back debt.”
E-commerce, whether its own or involving internet rivals, is not a major consideration for Albertsons.
“We don’t want to be cutting edge, ahead of the curve,” Miller says, “but we want to understand what’s going on. So far all this stuff about being able to check the customer out quicker and walking out of the store without having to go through a register and all that kind of stuff, we’re not ready to invest in any of that yet.
“But we are working on initiatives with technology partners,” he says. “If we see something that we think is going to work, we aren’t afraid to invest a lot of money.”
Learn more about the Retail Power Players
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Mass Market
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Hardware/Home Improvement
Premium Apparel
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Luxury Apparel
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David P. Schulz has been writing for STORES since 1982 and is the author of several non-fiction books.
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Sound is important in a lot of games – but in ‘Three Monkeys’, it’s downright essential. The game is an interesting new audio-only title in development by Incus games, and I decided to have a talk with Jamin Smith from the team to find out more about the game and their approach to game audio:
Hi Jamin, please introduce yourself and Three Monkeys to the A Sound Effect readers:
Hi there, I’m Jamin Smith – director and writer on Three Monkeys; an audio game that looks to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with audio in games. In the game, you play Tobar, a blind hero whose lack of vision is his strength. In a world that has fallen victim to a terrible curse which has ripped the sun out of the sky, plunging it into darkness, you’ll journey into the Abyss to break the curse and save Byzantia.
Why did you decide to go for an audio-only game?
With a team of composers and sound engineers at the core of the team, we always wanted to explore the audio game genre, and see what boundaries we could push. While the concept started out as a simple call and response ninja game, the scope quickly grew to a fully-fledged audio RPG with an emphasis on characters, narrative and world.
How’s Three Monkeys different from other audio-only games out there?
A lot of audio games – knowing that they the player deprived of their primary sense – look to use scare tactics to create a horror experience.
They do this very well, we should add; there are some great games out there. However, with Three Monkeys we’re looking to empower the player; allow them to make the first move, to attack. Most audio games are also very linear and corridor-based.
With Three Monkeys, we’re looking to empower the player; allow them to make the first move, to attack.
We’re looking at creating a semi-open world game, with large zonal hubs that you can really take the time to explore. It’s fair to say it’s a very ambitious game, and we’re hoping it’s going to redefine what audio games can be.
What’s your approach to creating an immersive audio-only world? And what are some of the sonic components and layers in it?
The audio has to take on many roles that would usually be filled by visuals. This does present a danger as it has to be subtle and carefully compiled.
As you build up the sonic layers you really have to refine what’s in each layer to make sure you’re not blasting the player with information.
As you build up the sonic layers you really have to refine what’s in each layer to make sure you’re not blasting the player with information. When designing exclusively in audio layers everything can be classed as information but it generally falls into one of two categories; ‘What do I need to know’ and ‘What do I need to feel’.
It gets more complicated when it moves between the two so for example our navigational tools are what you might consider immersive background audio however this audio does still provide the player with information as they become more tuned to it. It is pretty much always there and sinks to the background but when you decide you need to know where to go, it provides you with the reference you need.
Throughout everything we’re doing, information and narrative (by that I mean the sequence of play rather than the narration) is at the forefront of our minds. This is why if we put something in and it’s not clear the purpose it serves the player, it probably shouldn’t be there.
Are you using any particular recording techniques?
We found that portraying really close narration and getting the drama out of it was a bit of a challenge. In the game Yoska is a Sprite that sits on your shoulder so this obviously posed an interesting challenge. We found that by getting the voice actor to act out the scenes in front of a binaural head, we could get across both close movement and proximity much more successfully. The bedding layer of all environments will also be recorded in suitable spaces – most likely using binaural microphones – although more recently we’re investigating whether the Soundfield microphone setup could be great for this.
In most however, a lot of sounds are recorded as sound effects, which are then placed in a binaural space so that we can allow more interaction with the player.
From a technical perspective, how are you implementing the sounds?
The game is being built in Unity and to build the prototype we literally just used the in built binaural processing! A lot of our initial ideas came from how sound can form a clear narrative. To test those ideas we didn’t need anything too advanced, but as we move forward we will need to be using something more substantial to ensure that we can make information and immersion clear. We’ll most likely be using WWise to implement the sounds and utilise some better binaural processing. We’re just A/B testing a few plugins such as the Astoundify plugins for the general binaural landscape.
In the game, we do have to account for the different objects, acoustics, proximity and texture, all of which require different techniques to ensure they smoothly move as the player does. Quite often we have found pretty creative audio options to provide a solution to a problem that initially thought we needed to fix within the code of gameplay design. This is where the input of Kevin Satisabal (a team member who is visually-impaired) has been invaluable. As an expert of sonic navigation in every day life, it’s amazing how many times we’ve found that there is a much simpler way to use audio if we truly learn to use audio as our information source rather than using what we expect to see as the basis for what sounds should be there.
When it comes to the sound design, what’s been the biggest challenge so far?
Purely from a sound design perspective it’s most likely been the careful spacing of frequencies/timbres. As we’ve mentioned, information is crucial to the player and we’ve found that careful selection of sound types when there are no visuals can make all the difference.
When putting audio/music to visuals, we immediately make connections between the two whether they were intended or not.
With audio-only, your brain still makes those connections but with ideas we already have in our head. This is both our most powerful and dangerous tool.
With audio-only, your brain still makes those connections but with ideas we already have in our head. This is both our most powerful and dangerous tool. If we do it well, we can help the player create a whole world unique to them but still retain the sense of progression.
If you allow the player to get too lost in their own ideas without enough guidance, there’s a risk that they’ll get lost within the progression too, which doesn’t make for a great game experience.
How far along in the development process are you?
We’ve built a tech demo, which we’ve shared at numerous games shows, but at the moment we’re seeking funding to develop the full game. The whole game is mapped out and scripted, we just need some cash in the bank to pay voice actors and the rest of our development team.
How can people help support development of the game?
Making noise about the game is a fantastic way to help us out. You can find us on Twitter @EnterByzantia and Facebook. If you were feeling really generous, you could also donate to the game’s Kickstarter campaign here
And to everybody that’s backed, supported or even taken an interest so far (including yourself) – huge thanks!
A big thanks to Jamin for sharing the details about their new game – and best of luck with their Kickstarter campaign. You can support their project here.
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Despite dire warnings like the one above about the imminent release of cell phone numbers to telemarketers that continue to be circulated via e-mail year after year, cell phone users do not have to register their cell phone numbers with the national Do Not Call registry before a soon-to-pass deadline to head off an onslaught of telemarketing calls.
The panic-inducing e-mails (which circulate especially widely every January or June, since many versions of the warning list the end of those months as a cut-off date for registering cell phone numbers with the national Do Not Call registry) grew out of a misunderstanding about the proposed creation of a wireless directory assistance service.
Cell phone numbers have generally been excluded from printed telephone books and directory assistance services. However, since after the use of cell phones burgeoned in the early 2000s (to the point that many people no longer maintained landline phone service), several national wireless companies (AllTel, AT&T Wireless, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS, and T-Mobile) banded together in 2004 and hired Qsent, Inc. (since purchased by TransUnion) to produce a Wireless 411 service. Their goal was to pool their listings to create a comprehensive directory of cell phone customer names and phone numbers that would be made available to directory assistance providers.
Someone made the wild leap of reasoning that the proposed creation of a cell phone directory was the equivalent of “giving cell phone numbers to telemarketers” and began the chain of wildly inaccurate e-mails warning cell phone users to register with the National Do Not Call List in order to prevent this fate. This warning was overblown, for a couple of major reasons:
The Wireless 411 service was to be strictly “opt-in” — that is, cell phone customers would be included in the directory only if they specifically requested to be added. The phone numbers of wireless customers who did nothing would not be included, those who chose to be listed could have their numbers removed from the directory if they changed their minds, and there was no charge for requesting to be included or choosing not to be included.
be included, those who chose to be listed could have their numbers removed from the directory if they changed their minds, and there was no charge for requesting to be included or choosing not to be included. The Wireless 411 information was not to be included in printed phone directories, distributed in other printed form, made available via the Internet, or sold to telemarketers. It would be made available only to operator service centers performing the 411 directory assistance service.
All of these points have been summed up in numerous media articles, such as the following from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
There is a grain of truth in the message making it believable, but it’s wrong on two counts: Not all cell phone numbers will be listed in the national directory planned for 2006. And telemarketers will not have access to the directory. It is illegal for marketers using auto-dialers and most do to call wireless phone numbers. Here’s the truth: A national directory will be compiled, but numbers will be included on an opt-in basis. If a cell phone subscriber does nothing, the number will not be listed. When the directory is ready, it will be available only as part of the existing 411 directory service, accessed by calling in and asking for a specific number. It will not be published in a book or on the Internet. And it will not be sold to telemarketers. Cell phone subscribers can list their numbers on the do-not-call registry if they choose, but there is no deadline to get on the list, as the e-mail messages now circulating suggest[.]
Cellular users can choose to register their cell numbers with the national Do Not Call registry as an additional measure of protection, although FCC regulations already in place outlaw most types of telemarketing calls to cell phones. (The CAN SPAM Act of 2003 prohibits unsolicited commercial messages to wireless phones, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 prohibits any calls to cell phones that employ auto-dialers or any artificial or prerecorded voice messages.)
There is not (and never has been) a deadline to list one’s phone number with the national Do Not Call Registry — it can be done at any time. (Contrary to previous statements, the FTC announced in October 2007 that Do Not Call registry entries will not expire after five years, so those who signed up when the registry went into effect in June 2003 will not have to register again in 2008.)
Unfortunately, customers have little recourse against telemarketers who willfully ignore the Do Not Call Registry and violate other restrictions against placing calls to cell phones. Violators can be reported to the FCC, but that organization has limited resources to investigate and take action regarding the thousands of cases reported to them daily.
In March 2013, the FTC published “The Truth About Cell Phones and the National Do Not Call Registry,” in response to recirculating rumors about the national do not call database, cell phones, and telemarketers:
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One of the biggest challenges in building autonomous vehicles is dealing with the irregularities of physical spaces outdoors: From electric poles to winding roads and bumpy terrain, there are lots of things that can trip up your creation.
With that in mind, a team of researchers at Microsoft have built and open sourced a simulation tool to help people train autonomous cars, drones and robots learn how to avoid obstacles just like they would in the real world.
It’s called the Aerial Informatics and Robotics Platform, or AirSim for short. Available for Linux and Windows, it lets you generate a random environment to train your bot or vehicle, experiment with various models and test in a range of scenarios right in your workshop.
It’s worth noting that the software isn’t designed to entirely replace real-world testing, but rather to complement it by allowing you to simulate a wide range of experiments on demand and as many times as necessary.
In addition to creating detailed environments that mimic the real world, AirSim also incorporates realistic physics systems to accurately simulate various lighting conditions and object clusters (such as a bunch of trees) to help train robotic models in understanding how to compute depth, avoid obstacles and deal with shadows and glare when navigating through outdoor spaces. It can even
While AirSim supports controls for DJI and MavLink-based drones out of the box, it’s been designed to eventually accommodate other autonomous vehicles, hardware platforms, and software protocols by simply adding modules to the software.
If this sounds like something you could use for your next crazy hardware project, give AirSim a go by grabbing it from this GitHub repository.
Read next: Amazon and Google's voice assistant speakers could soon become your next landline
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You've probably seen phrases like "Ye Olde Tavern" or "Ye Olde Shoppe" scrawled across English-language signs, trying to evoke a sense of the medieval. But the practice of naming shops this way didn't start until the late 19th century and it was done to make things sound, well, old.
Photo by George Rex, CC-by-SA.
"Olde" in Old(er) English
I actually came across a claim in David Wolman's (otherwise excellent) book Righting the Mother Tongue, that the word "olde" spelled O-L-D-E didn't exist at all until the 19th century. Spellings of "old" in premodern English, he explains, include "alde," "auld," "awld," and "ole." "Olde," not so much.
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The entry for "olde" in the Oxford English Dictionary would seem to confirm this, defining the word thus:
Used as an archaism, originally commercially, later also freq. ironically, for old adj. Sometimes with other words spelt archaistically, as Olde English(e) . Occas. as n. in of olde: in an earlier time or period (cf. old n.1 4). Cf. olde worlde adj.
However, that's just the modern usage of "olde." The OED entry for "old" tells a different story. There are examples in the 15th and 16th centuries of people using "olde" as a noun to refer to old people (e.g. "This olde hath ouerthrowe me and slayn me with hire ax."). And as early as the 13th century, "olde" pops up as an adjective. It may not be common, but it's not unheard of, which isn't surprising given that English spelling has only recently been standardized.
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But here's the truth of the matter: phrases like "Ye Olde Shoppe" aren't really designed to be historically accurate. After all, it's less common to see "Ye Auld" taverns and stores. Most likely, the phrase "Ye Olde" came about for the reason Wolman suggests: people were aware that, in older forms of English, words tended to resemble modern words with the letter "e" tacked onto the end. So the phrase isn't used to copy actual pre-modern English but to evoke pre-modern English. And it eventually became so common that people began to treat the spelling O-L-D-E as the conventional pre-modern English spelling. And so "olde" has become, if not a word myth, then at least a word exaggeration.
Where did "Ye Olde Whatever" come from, anyway?
Advertising. Sometime around the mid-19th century (the OED pegs the first printed modern usage of "olde" to 1852 and "ye olde," referring to a public house, to 1896), English-speaking business owners wanted their establishments to seem old-timey, so they started giving them names like "Ye olde Bagnigge Wells." At some point, someone painted the words "Ye Olde Mint" on the Philadelphia Mint to signify that it was such an old government building.
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Eventually, though, this "olde" business worked its way into literature as well. Ezra Pound's 1930 A Draft of XXX Cantos includes the line, "Ye spirits who of olde were in this land" to evoke a sense of the ancients. But its origins are more playfully archaic.
Today, "ye olde" seems kitschy and dated — and it is. It's less an artifact of genuine antiquity than a phrase selected and wedged into the language because it's clearly understandable to modern English speakers and it lends an air of something older. But there's still that pesky "ye" to contend with.
"Ye" and the Missing Thorn
The other thing about the phrase "ye olde": you're probably pronouncing it wrong. Originally, the English word "ye" was spelled "þe." The symbol þ represents the letter thorn, a letter which no longer exists in English. It had a sound somewhat similar to the Greek letter θ, which is to say a th- sound. The word "þe" is an early spelling of "the."
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Over time, the writing of þ changed, so that it looked more and more like another letter, wynn (ƿ), and eventually because indistinct from the letter y. So, you can pronounce the "ye" in "ye olde" as "the." There is, after all, an English word "ye" that functions as a plural form of "you." On the other hand, you could simply go ahead and keep pronouncing it "ye" with a y-sound, while acknowledging that the word made a comeback thanks to a cheesy bit of marketing.
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KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan president is angry at being kept in the dark over a deal to free five Taliban leaders in exchange for a captured U.S. soldier, and accuses Washington of failing to back a peace plan for the war-torn country, a senior source said on Monday.
The five prisoners were flown to Qatar on Sunday as part of a secret agreement to release Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who left Afghanistan for Germany on the same day.
The only known U.S. prisoner of war in Afghanistan, Bergdahl had been held captive for five years.
“The president is now even more distrustful of U.S. intentions in the country,” said the source close to President Hamid Karzai’s palace in Kabul, who declined to be identified.
“He is asking: How come the prisoner exchange worked out so well, when the Afghan peace process failed to make any significant progress?”
Karzai has backed peace talks with the hardline Islamist Taliban movement, which ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 and has fought a bloody insurgency since then against U.S.-led forces in the country.
But they have come to little so far, and the group moved swiftly to dash hopes that the prisoner swap would rekindle negotiations between it and the Afghan government.
“It won’t help the peace process in any way, because we don’t believe in the peace process,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday.
The official close to the palace also said Karzai was worried about further deals being cut without his knowledge.
“It indicates that other deals could be negotiated behind the president’s back,” he said.
“THEY AGREED TO IT”
U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham, speaking to reporters in Kabul, said the Karzai administration had been made aware of the impending prisoners’ swap.
“It’s not behind the government’s back. The government’s known that we’re trying to (do) this for a long time, and they agreed to it and they supported it,” he said.
“The only thing that was not transparent to anybody was the actual timing – the fact that there was an agreement and the timing. It certainly doesn’t undermine the government and they never expressed any concern to us that it would undermine the government.”
Karzai has yet to comment publicly on a swap that is bound to deepen the mistrust of a leader who has been fiercely critical of the U.S. administration in recent years.
Afghanistan's incumbent President Hamid Karzai speaks during a cultural event in Kabul May 15, 2014. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
He is due to step down as president later this year, but many Afghans believe Karzai will continue to wield considerable influence over policy from behind the scenes.
Karzai’s press office said in a statement that the U.S. deal to transfer five Taliban militants from a Guantanamo Bay jail to Qatar violated international law.
“No government can transfer citizens of a country to a third country as prisoners,” said the statement, issued on behalf of the foreign ministry.
The prisoner swap has stoked widespread anger in Afghanistan, where many view it as a sign of a U.S. desire to disengage from the country as quickly as possible.
Washington has mapped out a plan to fully withdraw all of its troops by the end of 2016.
TALIBAN LEADERS IN QATAR
Under the terms of the deal, cut by Qatari intermediaries, the five Taliban detainees were released from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they had been held since it opened in 2002, and flown to Qatar where they must stay for a year.
Senior officials at the Afghan intelligence agency said they believed the men would return to the battlefield and bolster the insurgency just as most foreign combat troops prepare to exit by the end of this year.
All five were classed as “high-risk” and “likely to pose a threat” by the Pentagon and held senior positions in the Taliban regime before it was toppled by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.
At least two of them are suspected of committing war crimes, including the murder of thousands of Afghan Shi’ites, according to leaked U.S. military cables.
The swap has similarly drawn protest from U.S. Republican politicians who have called it negotiating with terrorists and warned the freed men will likely return to battle.
While Bergdahl’s release on Saturday was celebrated by his family and his hometown, and could be seen as a coup for President Barack Obama as he winds down America’s longest war, Senator John McCain and other Republicans questioned whether the administration had acted properly in releasing the militants.
“These are the highest high-risk people. Others that we have released have gone back into the fight,” said McCain, a former prisoner of war and Vietnam War veteran.
“That’s been documented. So it’s disturbing to me that the Taliban are the ones that named the people to be released,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”.
As the Obama administration sought to counter the criticism, Bergdahl was flown to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for medical treatment.
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After receiving care he would be transferred to another facility in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. defense officials said, without giving a date for his return to the United States.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he hoped the exchange might lead to breakthroughs in reconciliation with the militants and rejected accusations from Republicans that it resulted from negotiations with terrorists, saying the swap had been worked out by the government of Qatar.
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So, not long ago we had an excellent discussion here centered around Edward Richardson’s 1864 painting of a Coast Salish grave house or mausoleum. I’ve recently come across another set of images of these places which are so important to First Nations. These images were painted by well-known early Victoria resident (and former mayor and Supreme Court of BC Justice) Montague Tyrwhitt-Drake. They’re pretty interesting paintings from the early colonial period on southern Vancouver Island which I don’t recall seeing before.
The painting above clearly shows a small mausoleum, weighted with rocks on top, in front of which are two carved figures. The one on the right includes fishers or river otters, both of which have important spiritual significance in this area. Each of these images has notes on the back, which are also reproduced at the British Museum site (click the image to go to the accession record). For this image, the notes aren’t transcribed, though maybe someone with better olde handwritinge fkills would care to have a go As near as I can make out, the back reads:
This is another eccentric specimen of Indian taste for sculpture, it is equal to the finest specimens of _________ — see the elegant attitude of that man scratching his ?cheek bone, but a _____ ________ _______ would have mastered __________ a flight of ___________ imagination. The other is holding two dogs [sic] of a breed which I am afraid is lost to the present generation. This ______ are carved in wood and _____ ________ near a large grave of the family vault above ground ___________ .
It”s true, both sculptures are lively and naturalistic. In both cases, and the one below, there is apparently a rendering of face paint. I’m sure those readers more knowledgeable than I will see a lot of interesting detail in these pictures. Note the open prairie environment – anthropogenic Garry Oak meadow, no doubt.
A view of a different grave-house is shown above. This is the one with the sketch of a dog on the back, where there is also the rather inappropriate inscription which reads:
A grave, the old gentleman is doubled up into a sitting position a bit of reed matting put over him & then he is built in with posts logs of wood & a few stones to keep all snug? & I can assure you though they don’t smell sweet during life after death they are something beyond a stink- This is an unfinished sketch but you must take it as it is. [refers to a pencil outline of a dog at the back of the drawing] [QM note: the British Museum mixes up the verso inscription between these one and the one above].
Victoria Island from a native grave yard. An Indian image erected over the mortal remains of some great chief of the far famed Chinook Tribe. Antiquarians insist that the image is intended to represent the image idea of a Sufercuie? being personified in a Hudson Bay man of differ? form? them & would suggest that the great chief died from eating too much cold white man & his lamenting relations erected this elegant statue to represent the individual who had disagreed with his lordship perhaps some of his relatives may still be existing & this portrait may be the means of informing them what has become of him.
The tree behind [QM: evidently an arbutus] is peculiar the bark is if any thing a brighter red & the leaf equally like the rhododendron.
The final image is described as a view from the graveyard, with “Victoria Island” in the background – suggesting this scene is on a small burial island of some kind. Locals might recognize the setting. The inscription on the back is interesting in several ways, not least that it claims it is a marker for a Chinook chief, presumably someone from the Columbia River area, and it also has a sketch of a ?tattooed individual wearing a labret. It reads:
Cause of death: “eating too much cold white man”, an incident memorialized by a statue of said dinner. This has the smell of the estimable yet no doubt intrusive and nosey Tyrwhitt-Drake being told a pile of bollocks to induce him to pack his paintbox and leave the graveyard.
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Working through a benign tumor, devastating heartbreak and possible loss of healthcare (among other staggered thoughts), an anonymous caller releases during a live phone call with comedian Chris Gethard. The call was for Gethard’s podcast Beautiful Anonymous, which had a live taping at the UNT Lyceum last Friday.
Gethard, now doing this podcast for almost a year and a half, has had several dark conversations amid more light-hearted ones. From a woman who escaped a religious cult to hospital holding rooms awaiting their child’s diagnosis after long-term cancer, phone calls on Beautiful Anonymous have put Gethard’s life in perspective.
“Because I’m so immersed in comedy day-to-day, the ones that hit me are the darker ones,” said Gethard in a pre-podcast interview. “My whole life is being around funny people, and I get an hour a week where it’s real, actual, genuine human emotion.”
In the beginning of his taping Friday, he played an audio bit from his first episode where he was talking to a Denton caller. He had never been to Denton but had heard enough punk bands and things about the town–enough to rant to the caller to get out and enjoy it. After just ten minutes with the Denton crowd, Gethard was already entranced by the audience’s strange interactions with his Twitter hashtag #FixMyBrain, a reference to Denton band The Marked Men.
“Oh Denton, you’re the weird town I was promised,” Gethard said.
After some banter, he picked up the phone and it began.
The idea for Gethard's podcast came from his program The Chris Gethard Show, where he takes phone calls. When the show got moved from public access to cable, the calls had to be shorter. He missed those interactions.
Gethard said at times he tends to get into his head about what he alone is experiencing, but these calls have allowed him to take a step back.
“If I can make my life a little more about remembering that I’m not the only one on planet Earth with concerns, worries, troubles, and triumphs, it makes my life a little more peaceful and well-rounded,” Gethard said.
Gethard’s HBO special Career Suicide, released in May, delves into his own encounters with those heavy sentiments. The special, produced by Judd Apatow, navigates through Gethard’s depression, alcoholism and finally getting help. Regarding the latter, he reiterates to creatives what was said in the special: don’t romanticize mental health.
“Don’t fall in love with the idea of the sad-clown comedian who is destined for drug abuse or suicide,” Gethard said. “That’s a really bad dialogue to fall in love with.”
Gethard said people often talk themselves out of getting help because of this dangerous romance. They fear their demons are what make them funny or creative, and they will lose this part of them if they receive help or medication.
“You’re creating a loop of wanting problems in your life to go out of control, so you have jokes, and that’s a bad priority,” Gethard said.
Although he said it may seem counterintuitive to his 90-minute HBO special, Gethard advises comedians not exploit their mental health. Gethard said he worked for three years on Career Suicide. He always made sure the jokes were funny to a certain level, but careful not to exploit his issues. The sincerity of a show, in his opinion, should take priority.
“The best comedy is honest,” Gethard said. “Even the people who do the most absurd, strange alt-comedy bits, there’s always something honest and truthful behind it.”
Gethard’s career has picked up in recent years. From the podcast, his show getting picked up on cable, and parts in other shows and movies with respected comedians, he’s aware how grueling the process can become. Aside from his take on honest comedy, he said another notable piece of advice for comedians: “Learn how to eat shit and keep going.”
After doing comedy for seventeen years in New York, he has seen people come and go. He said sometimes he sees people leave comedy who are funnier than those who have been successful simply because they can’t handle failure.
“Being resilient is almost more valuable in your first few years than being funny,” Gethard said. “Don’t give too much credit to the good nights, don’t give too much credit to the bad nights.”
Years of getting just close enough to the tipping point of the standard means of success for comedians contributed to Gethard's depression, he said. Knowing good and well he now has marked successful points in his career, he said he still feels like it might all be over in six months, but he has found comfort in his career choices.
“When I actually started to feel like I had any sense of a safety net was when I stopped pursuing the traditional stuff,” Gethard said. “I gained the confidence to self-determine what I wanted it to be; even if that meant it was on a smaller lever, I knew it was under my control.”
The Denton live-taping of Beautiful Anonymous will be available on Ear Wolf when it releases.
Photos by Robert Warren
Header image layout designed by Mateo Granados
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It is difficult to imagine such levels of poverty existing in the most powerful nation on earth - but it does in McDowell County, West Virginia. Abandoned shops, closed schools and neglected homes are visible on almost every corner in every distressed community. Whole families are plagued by the consequences of unemployment and widespread drug abuse. The average life expectancy for men is 64 - the same as Namibia.
But it was not always like this. McDowell was once a hustling and bustling town, thriving off the riches of the coal industry. The reliance on one industry proved fatal and boom soon turned to bust. The collapse of coal and thousands of jobs has left the county a crumbling shell of its former self. A mass exodus of people has seen its population dramatically fall from over 100,000 in the 1950s to a little over 20,000 today. Those that have stayed wonder when - or if - any glimmer of hope and prosperity is going to emerge.
Matt McPeak, a former miner turned heroin addict who lives in the town of Welch, says his community has been forgotten and left behind to live "like dogs". "There are no jobs and nothing but drugs," he told ITV News. "They're [his friends] dying - I buried one the other day. It's overdose after overdose." Attempts to diversify the local economy have failed. A nearby federal prison employs 305 people but only 41 members of the workforce come from Welch. Locals who do seek work at the prison fall at the first hurdle - by failing a mandatory drugs test. Many jobless residents feel they have no choice but to turn to crime or risk their lives to provide food for their children.
Clay Epperly's mother believes her son is a victim of a bad economic climate Credit: ITV News
Clay Epperly went inside an abandoned mine on Monday to search for scrap metal to sell. But he did not come out, leaving his two young daughters, Mya and Serenity, without a father. His grieving mother told ITV News her son is a victim of the dire economic situation that has become entrenched in the county. People believe life could become even worse if Hillary Clinton is elected president on November 8. The Democratic candidate is viewed as the enemy in this region. It comes after she pledged in March to "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business" in favour of renewable energy industries and tackling climate change - a declaration of "war" in the eyes of many.
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Visit the Museum Remember a love of Peanuts. Housing the largest collection of Peanuts strips in the world, the Museum explores the art and nuances of Schulz's craft. More
Read Jean Schulz’s Blog Glimpse into the world of Charles "Sparky" Schulz's widow. Jean Schulz blogs about her cartooning adventures, life with Sparky, and the world of Peanuts. More
Spring Classes for Kids March 18–22 // LEGO animation, cartooning, clay modeling...even ice skating! Sign up your kids to get creative this spring break. More
Calendar of Events Coordinate your visit with one of our events. Programming at the Museum includes a variety of activities for kids and adults of all ages. More
Join The Gang Enjoy free admission to the Museum and so much more. With three changing gallery spaces, there is always something new to explore. More
View Online Exhibition Enjoy Celebrating 65 Years of Peanuts, an online exhibition adapted from the full version that was on view from August 2015 to January 2016 in the Strip Rotation Gallery. More
Visit the Schulz Campus Visit Snoopy's Home Ice and enjoy ice skating and dining at the Warm Puppy Cafe. Next door is Snoopy's Gallery and Gift Shop, a shopping mecca for Peanuts fans. More
Honor a Special Person Give a Commemorative Gift to honor, celebrate or encourage the special people in your life! More
Learn to Cartoon Classes and camps at the Museum offer a wide range of topics, from LEGO animation to cartooning, arts and crafts. More
Shop The Museum Store Filled with exclusive product to the Museum, the Store features an array of Peanuts gifts - perfect for your friends, family, co-workers, or even yourself! More
Delve into Schulz’s Life Engage with the NEW interactive timeline. Learn how Schulz got his nickname "Sparky," and see highlights of his life and the Museum's collection. More
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Starting on October 1, CD Media SE will be Nintendo’s new local regional distribution representative for Greece and the Balkan region. Prior to this, Nortec Multimedia SA had assumed the role, but that came to an end last year.
Here are a couple of comments from both Nintendo and CD Media about the new partnership:
Satoru Shibata, President of Nintendo of Europe, said, “We are very happy to begin our co-operation with CD Media, and we would like to thank all Nintendo fans in Greece and surrounding territories for their continued support in our franchises. We believe CD Media has a very strong team and service infrastructure in the region to deliver our content.” Spiros Jamas, President of CD Media, said, “We are absolutely delighted and honoured to have been selected by Nintendo of Europe as their regional distribution partner. This is a pivotal moment in our development as the leading distributor of digital entertainment in the region. We are committed to provide Nintendo fans and consumers in general in the region with exemplary service and support.”
Thanks to the various folks who sent this in.
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Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, potentially a target for the No. 1 pick of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, isn't yet committed to throwing passes at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
He's ready to do so, according to his private coach, George Whitfield, but not yet ready to decide if it's in his best interest.
"It's a game-time decision," Whitfield told USA TODAY Sports. "He's a very big believer in himself, so it'll be interesting. He's prepared to do it. Whether he goes in and does it will probably be determined a couple of days from now. At this time, he hasn't made a decision."
It's not uncommon for elite NFL draft picks to skip various aspects of combine, and NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has called Winston the draft's most ready-made quarterback prospect. But for a player whose character is already under heavy scrutiny by NFL clubs, the last thing Winston needs is for any questions about his on-field skills to fester in the absence of his participation in Indianapolis. Winston has been training for the combine with his primary competition to be the first quarterback chosen in the draft: Oregon's Marcus Mariota. If Winston decides not to throw, his performance at FSU's pro day workout will draw all the more intrigue.
The former Heisman Trophy winner led the Seminoles to a national championship as a redshirt freshman in 2013, and reached college football's inaugural playoff last year before losing the only start of his career to Mariota and the Ducks.
Whitfield said Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty, whom he is also training for the combine, will throw.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
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Says she discussed suicide outside St James' Park with lawyer in 2014
Family: Monica Montore, the mother of Jonas Gutierrez (both pictured yesterday), has claimed she considered taking her own life at St James' Park
The mother of former Newcastle star Jonas Gutierrez says she considered committing suicide at St James’ Park in protest at the club treating her son like a 'bad dog’ following his diagnosis with testicular cancer.
Gutierrez has brought a disability discrimination claim of around £2million after alleging the club deliberately left him out of the team to ensure he did not play enough matches to trigger a one-year contract extension.
The former Argentina international - who was released at the end of last season - says owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley viewed him as a ‘liability’ because of his cancer, which he twice beat in less than a year following his initial diagnosis in October, 2013.
And, giving evidence in support of her son, Monica Montore said: ‘I was so distressed at what they had done to Jonas that I just wanted to take my own life at the club's door.
‘I was going to leave a letter to say what a terrible way they had treated Jonas.
‘He returns from his operation to have lost a testicle - from a hit on Newcastle's pitch... he returns from that operation and they throw him out like a bad dog.’ However, club chief Charnley has rejected Gutierrez’s allegations.
‘Even if we had wanted to influence team selection - which to be clear, we did not - this would have placed us in breach of our obligations under the manager’ s service contract,’ he said.
Ms Montore (second from right) said she was very upset with Newcastle officials about treatment of her son
Ms Montore (right) acts as a manager for her son, who she said was thrown out 'like a bad dog' by Newcastle
‘Moreover, the suggestion that our reason for influencing team selection was to avoid extending Jonas’ contract because he had cancer is offensive and untrue.
‘We had concerns at the very outset of Jonas’s renewed employment contract [in 2011] about his ability to retain his first team place for five years up to the age of 33.
‘Jonas then fell out of consideration for the first team before he was diagnosed with cancer, for sporting reasons due to the arrival of a number of new and technically better players at the club.
‘The fact of Jonas’s cancer had no influence whatsoever on our actions or decisions regarding Jonas at any time.’
Newcastle's managing director Lee Charnley also attended the employment tribunal of Gutierrez yesterday
Ms Montore said 'even expressing such thoughts looks extreme but I cannot deny that it happened'
Gutierrez is reported to be seeking around £2million in compensation from Newcastle in the tribunal
Meanwhile, Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot admits he is surprised that the club were able to attract Rafa Benitez as their new manager with the team stuck in the relegation zone.
‘His experience speaks for itself. For him to come into our club it’s sort of unheard of so we need to make the most of it and get him there next year,’ he said.
‘He’s a very calming influence. Very tactical. He’s got us working a lot on the training pitch about shape and how he wants the team to play.’
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached the third Super Bowl in a few years and in the playoffs they had the second seeded so they aren’t a big surprise.
The Green Bay Packers reaching the Super Bowl is a little surprise: they started from the Wild Card as the sixth seed, winning three away games. The hadn’t reached the Super Bowl since the ‘9’s, when the leader of the team was Brett Favre, a name now disowned by many fans after he went to play with the hated Minnesota Vikings.
However, these are two of the teams with the greates tradition in the NFL who play the Super Bowl in the Dallas billion dollar stadium that in recent days had to endure the quite extraordinary snowfall in Texas.
The game starts slowly with the attacks struggling to find rhythm. The first three drives end with punts then finally surprisingly the Green Bay Packers score first with a 29 yards touch down pass by Rodgers to Nelson. The situation improves further after the next drive starts with Roethlisberger intercepted by Collins, who succeds in returning the football for the touch down, bringing the score 14-0, which is also the final score of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter the Pittsburgh Steelers finally score their first three points with a field goal. The Packers fail to score on their next drive but when the ball goes back to the Steelers Bush intercepts a pass by Roethlisberger. This time they take a couple of downs before scoring another touch down to go on 21-3. The Steelers don’t give up and in the final minute of the second quarter they score a touch down with a Roethlisberger pass to Ward. The first half ends 21-10 for the Packers.
Early in the third quarter the Green Bay Packers fail to score on their first drive and the Pittsburgh Steelers take advantage to score again with a Mendenhall rush for the touch down. The Packers are still not scoring but the Steelers can’t take advantage and miss a field goal so the third quarter ends 21-17 for the Packers.
The fourth quarter begins with a fumble by Mendenhall recovered by the Packers, who build a drive to score a touch down with a pass by Rodgers to Jennings that brings the score 28-17. The Steelers don’t give up and in the next drive score a touch down with a Roethlisberger pass to Wallace. Thanks to a successful 2-point conversion the score is now 28-25. In the next drive the Packers can strike back only partially scoring a field goal for the 31-25. By now there are just a little more than two minutes left in the Super Bowl and the Steelers have to score a touch down but the Packers defense is up to the task and Pittsburgh can’t even gain a first down, leaving the ball for Green Bay to kneel in the last minute waiting to celebrate the victory with a final score of 31-25.
The Green Bay Packers’ victory is certainly a surprise but totally deserved. In Super Bowl XXXII the Packers were involved in a negative surprise when they were defeated by the Denver Broncos and for the first time the AFC representative had won the Super Bowl after 13 consecutive wins for the NFC representative. This year the Packers have redeemed that defeat with a positive surprise.
During the Super Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson and receiver Donald Driver got injured but the team kept on playing well. We all expected the Steelers defense, eventually the Packers defense prevailed.
Football is very complex but there are some very simple elements that help decipher a game: turnovers affect a team very much and three turnovers for the Steelers eventually made the difference.
Everyone expected to see Ben Roethlisberger take control of the game, instead it was the Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (picture ©Chad Davis) who was elected MVP of Super Bowl XLV. Actually this was more than ever a team performance and now we wonder what the Packers will do in the future.
Green Bay is a small market and the Packers are literally the team of ordinary people as many thousands of people own a little part of them. The current situation with the NFL regulations concerning salaries and free agency makes it difficult to understand if and how the team can be reinforced but these are problems to be addressed in the coming months: in the meantime the Packers can celebrate their fairy tale!
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Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mr Erdogan addressed the crowds from an open-top bus, as they chanted his name
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for protests across the country to end immediately.
At Istanbul airport he told crowds of supporters who were welcoming him home from a four-day North Africa tour that the protests bordered on illegality.
But as he spoke, thousands of anti-government protesters were also rallying in Istanbul's Taksim Square.
The unrest began as a local protest over a park in Istanbul but spiralled into nationwide demonstrations.
'Common sense'
An estimated 10,000 supporters of Mr Erdogan's AKP party descended on the airport to welcome him home in the early hours of Friday.
Standing alongside his wife and government ministers on an open-top bus, he told the crowd: "These protests that are bordering on illegality must come to an end as of now."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How the crisis spiralled - in 90 seconds
At times Mr Erdogan was almost drowned out by the cheering and chanting of his supporters.
"We have never been for building tension and polarisation, but we cannot applaud brutality," he said.
Some of his supporters chanted: "Let us go, let's crush Taksim."
However, Mr Erdogan urged them to "go home" peacefully.
"You have remained calm, mature and showed common sense," he said. "We're all going to go home from here."
Mr Erdogan responded to calls for his resignation by referring to his election victory in 2011 when he took 50% of the vote.
"They say I am the prime minister of only 50%. It's not true. We have served the whole of the 76 million from the east to the west," he told the crowd.
Gezi Park The demolition of Gezi Park - the issue which sparked the protests - is a part of a wider urban redevelopment project in Istanbul
The government wants to pedestrianise and ease traffic around Taksim Square; Kalyon Group, a company which has close ties with the government, has been contracted to carry out the project
The project also includes building a shopping centre which PM Erdogan says would not be "a traditional mall", but rather would include cultural centres, an opera house and a mosque
The plan also includes rebuilding an Ottoman-era military barracks near the site and demolishing the historic Ataturk Cultural Centre
Some see this as having historic symbolism as, according to some accounts, the barracks were the cradle of a pro-Islamic mutiny in 1909 In pictures: Turkey protests Plans for Gezi Park in detail Media round on 'arrogant' PM Chaos and camaraderie
It was the first major show of support for Mr Erdogan following a week of protests in which his opponents have called for him to resign.
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says the rapturous welcome that the prime minister received shows the level of support he still commands.
However, Mr Erdogan's words are likely to fan the flames of the protest, he adds.
The divisions in Turkey look set to deepen in the days ahead and could be very dangerous indeed, our correspondent says.
The original sit-in at Gezi Park last Friday spiralled into mass protests after police cracked down on activists defending the green space near Taksim Square from developers.
Correspondents in Taksim Square say the atmosphere is good-natured, with protesters dancing and chanting political slogans.
Many are part of a secular, well-educated middle class which feels that Turkey lacks a proper, free political culture, the BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Istanbul reports.
One protester in the square, named as Deniz, told reporters: "He [Erdogan] cannot take the park, there is no way. You know what? He will cause a war inside the country. We will keep resisting."
Protesters accuse Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
His Justice and Development Party (AKP) has governed Turkey since 2002.
Speaking in Tunis earlier, Mr Erdogan acknowledged that police had used "excessive force" against activists at the original sit-in. But he said that a small group was now manipulating what had started as an environmental protest.
"Among the protesters there are extremists, some of them implicated in terrorism," he told reporters.
Mr Erdogan also defended the urban development plan for Gezi Park.
Turkey's stock market dropped nearly 5% after his remarks.
Amid growing international concern at the unrest, the US has urged Turkish officials to refrain from "unhelpful rhetoric" and France has condemned the heavy-handed police response.
Four people, including a police officer, are reported to have died since the protests began, with thousands more hurt and hundreds arrested.
Interior Minister Muammer Guler has said that more than 500 police officers are among the injured.
The protests come as Turkey prepares to host an international conference focused on its relations with the EU on Friday.
Mr Erdogan is to make the opening speech at the event.
Negotiations with the EU have stalled in recent years amid concerns over Turkey's freedom of speech, treatment of religious minorities, women's and children's rights, civilian control of the military and long-running tensions over Cyprus.
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The long-awaited Kill All Normies came out last week. Its author Angela Nagle had been doing the podcast circuit for some time, and with every appearance the anticipation built; after months of ubiquitous thinkpieces bemoaning Gamergate and Pepe here was the first solid, scholarly work by an accomplished cultural theorist to chronicle and analyze the alt-right. The subjects of the book immediately got wind of it, and in short order ran her off Twitter, which is a terrible thing and nobody deserves. Unfortunately, the book itself is a massive disappointment.
The thing is about five pages long for a start, and in form, tone and depth doesn’t much exceed any of those thinkpieces. The general thesis, insofar as it has one, is a conglomeration of some of the laziest shibboleths that have emerged post-Gamergate. Its conceptual framework is built of tired buzzwords like “Tumblr liberalism” “call-out culture” and “identity politics” (as in the recent redefinition, which emerged from an inadvertent consensus between two squabbling wings of the Democratic Party). And it provides nothing new, original or useful in figuring out why the alt-right matter, how they interact with real world politics and what to do about them.
There are also some very illustrative howlers. Take this: “Trigger warnings had to be issued [on college campuses] in order to avoid the unexpectedly high number of young women who had never gone to war claiming to have post-traumatic stress disorder”. This is pithy, Mencken-esque stuff and many will gleefully quote it. Few will question Angela Nagle’s ability to make a psychiatric diagnosis at a glance; few will question why certain academics feel so strongly about a task which in practice takes up so little of their time. Here’s another: “Sexual patterns that have emerged as a result of the decline of monogamy have seen a greater level of sexual choice for an elite of men and a growing celibacy among a large male population at the bottom of the pecking order.” As far as I can tell she is actually claiming this as a fact, not while trying to describe anyone else’s position. I honestly have no idea why she believes this. Despite the persistence of the legend, the internet has rendered the very concept of a “sexual pecking order” all but obsolete. A repulsive personality might render you involuntarily celibate, but that’s about it. And I also particularly enjoyed her weirdly sympathetic description of Prof. Jordan Peterson’s quixotic but lucrative snit about pronouns, and her pious consternation at his office door being glued shut.
The book’s first chapter has some value for its broad survey of internet reactionary lore, if like the majority of people you’re unfamiliar with it. It opens with a brief critical retrospective on the concepts of “digital leaderless revolution” that arose in the wake of Occupy and the Arab Spring, and how the hopes they embodied weren’t borne out. This is largely apt but flawed in its implication that its “hyperbole and hubris” rose organically, and that it was intellectual laziness that allowed observers to be passively mesmerized by TV footage from Tahrir Square. (There’s isn’t space for a full treatment here, but Nagle sees no need to even briefly interrogate who put that footage out, and who provided the figurative voiceovers.) She touches on Kony 2012, spends a confusing amount of time trying to glean meaning from the spread of Harambe memes, and makes the interesting assertion that during the early 2010s there was a “gradual right-wing turn in chan culture”, which makes one wonder what the original 2000s-era posting base — largely banned from Something Awful for being too racist — were up to before that. She wastes no time in going off the deep end, seeing mirages of conscious Gramscian projects in the adclick-honeypot for reactionary uncles that is Breitbart, blithely echoing Steve Bannon’s own self promotion (steering clear of calling him a Leninist, thankfully), expressing astonishment that 60s-vintage aesthetics of social transgression could be adopted by reactionaries, and being Very. Very. Insistent on a sharp taxonomical distinction between the “alt-right” and the “alt-light”. (The latter are comprised by Cernovich, Milo and the other household names. The main qualifying factor for being in the alt-light is apparently that people have heard of you, and that you make their living by the fact that people have heard of you. It would stand to reason that the number of n-bombs and smegma-riffs you can then drop is limited more by the demands of commerce than anything else, bringing the usefulness of the distinction into question; but never mind.) Nagle seems to consider it less important to draw a distinction between, say, the Pepe brigade and the NRx movement (who barely acknowledge each other), than between Mike Cernovich and Richard Spencer, who angrily and painfully acknowledge each other. This basically implies the most fruitful path towards figuring out what makes the alt-right tick is to ask them directly, uncritically swallow whatever they say, and stop your analysis there. I’m not sure whether it’s more charitable to blame this on laziness, time pressure, or Nagle’s sincere beliefs about proper methodology.
Special vitriol is expressed in the chapter “From Tumblr to the campus wars: creating scarcity in an online economy of virtue”, where most of the thesis is actually set forth. Tellingly, it’s by far the weakest part of the book on an argumentative level. It opens with a collection of anecdotes about people on Tumblr being earnestly silly about how many genders they have or how they deal with anxiety, depression or any of their other real or imagined disabilities. Each one is postscripted with a wry variation on “aren’t these people silly”. (There are indeed some very silly people on the internet, and it is diverting to laugh at them. Here, in a supposedly scholarly work with a purpose, it is a mere waste of ink.) Having thoroughly demonstrated her novel premise that Tumblr has silly people posting on it, she proceeds to explain how some of the same people started aggressively posting at other people on Twitter, and then aggressively saying things to them on college campuses. The targets of this aggression, mainly professors and administrators and leading lights of left-leaning sensibilities became “baffled, cowed or apologetic” when confronted.* But those who had learned their game on 4chan — shockingly — did not feel compelled to moderate their responses, instead coming out “all guns blazing”. Thus, did the Tumblr left give birth to a phenomenon which already existed. (Nagle is doing things with causality here which would impress Einstein.) Of course, there is enough weaselry in the text that its author can retreat to a more defensible position; that performatively hypersensitive social-justice-warriors who problematize everything under the sun are easy to mock, and the act of mocking them simply shaped and influenced the emerging alt-right’s aesthetics and ideology. I suppose a trite statement is an improvement over a false one, but not by much. It again fails to answer the question of where they came from or what to do about them; the genie was evidently out of the bottle already and no-one could have put it back by purging trigger warnings from the campus or “check your privilege” from their menchies.
But fixating on these bloopers misses the point. Again, the overall thesis of the book is the idea that the alt-right is a direct response to “Tumblr identity politics”. Although this has been held by a faction of the aforementioned Thinkpiece Engineers, Nagle is among the first to my knowledge to come out and articulate it so clearly. It’s not just factually inaccurate, or just ahistorical, or symptomatic of a facile and misleading conception of online discourse as both a phenomenon sui generis and the major underlying force driving social movements and change; it revolves around a deep and seductive misconception that the history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of Discourse. Incidentally, an easy conclusion to make from the Tumblr thesis would be that the proper response to the cynical instrumentalization of anti-racist and anti-sexist rhetoric by high-profile liberal commentators and the leadership of the Democratic Party is to explicitly reject such struggles and declare they have no place in a true socialist politics. It’d be a mistake, and just hand the initiative to liberals and the right in shaping the priorities of socialist movements, and turn everything into a cargo cult politics prioritizing form over substance exactly as the loathed corporate Democrats do. But we’re starting to see it anyway.
The big tragedy with Kill All Normies, of course, is that a proper anthropological treatment of the alt-right is still sorely needed. I would suspect such a treatment would need to mention that an Iraq war or a Great Recession happened while covering the years 2000–2016. However the question that really needs to be answered, one that Nagle signally fails to, is “why should anyone care about online bigots in the first place?” Online bigots, and online communities full of outspoken and unabashed bigots of varying stripes are not new; Stormfront has been around since the 1990s, with a membership in the thousands. Sites like Chimpout, N****rology, the defunct New Effort (with its terms of service stating “we will ban you if you are any type of f*ggot”) and My Posting Career are barely younger. But nobody cared about them at the time. Many would claim that this was because they were consigned to the “fringes of mainstream discourse”; well, so was the Thule Society. This may seem nitpicky, but if you’re going to delve into the genealogy of hardcore sexist, racist and homophobic ideology on the internet while going no further back than the late 2000s, you’re not doing your job right. There was never any fundamental change in tone or content; take a look at an archived pre-Obama post from one of these places; it will be indistinguishable from anything being tossed around on Twitter or in the Breitbart comments. But most of the posters on those old sites arrived at their ideology largely by what they saw on cable TV. The one difference in these days before the ascendancy of YouTube and Facebook was that nobody really knew how to make an independent media platform on the internet; the discourse online responded to that in the television studios. There was never much of a leap from a Rush Limbaugh or a Glenn Beck to the Klan; they drew the dots, and the audience could easily join them up.
So we know Nagle’s contention that the alt-right are a response to leftist identity politics is simply incorrect, as a matter of historical fact. Moreover, we’ve got a strong case that the it’s just the logical conclusion of mainstream conservatism in the American milieu. I challenge anybody to tell me the functional difference between sighing over the decline of the traditional family and saying “make me a fukn s@ndwich bitch lol”. The only transformation is on a superficial aesthetic level. Nagle comes within a hair’s breadth of figuring it out when she briefly place Milo and Pat Buchanan side by side; not without a great deal of help from the parties in question, who seem to be more aware of their own affinity than she initially suspected. she also correctly asserts that “once you remove the ‘trolling’, many of [Milo’s] views amount to little more than classical liberalism.” Yes, you can be a Milo and a classical liberal at the same time, the tone and the content are two independent quantities. Yet this comes immediately afterwards: “Despite calling himself a conservative he, Trump, rightist 4chan and the alt-right all represent a pretty dramatic departure from the kind of churchgoing, upstanding, button-down, family-values conservatism that we usually associate with the term in Anglo-American public and political life”. It’s only a “dramatic” departure if you are more concerned with the fuzzy mental associations each approach evokes, rather than true, material effects on human lives; these do not change at all. A 4chan manosphere white supremacist is ultimately just Pat Buchanan, or indeed Bill Buckley, being thoroughly honest with himself. A politics which is supposed to remain humane, moderate and respectful while preserving the intersecting (sorry) structures of domination which rip resources from the earth and labor from the oppressed and pile up their fruits in the coffers of the elite was always deeply contradictory, and in a world where the Western labor aristocracy is being immiserated and the falling rate of global profit spurs a panicked and ruthless imperialism, those contradictions can no longer hold. Mainstream conservatism is quite naturally growing legs, shedding its tail, and every day looking more and more like a frog.
*(I’m not denying that a lot of undoubtedly worthy people were unfairly shut down or attacked without opportunity to defend themselves; I question both whether it is accurate to talk about “a brain drain out of the left”, and whether the bun-fights in relatively narrow on-and-offline academic circles and left spaces really had as much effect on the wider world as Nagle thinks. She doesn’t take the time to demonstrate it. )
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A snazzy new station!
Amtrak image
I had the chance to have a good long conversation today with David Tuchman who’s the project manager for Akridge’s Burnham Place project, which is tied in with the proposed $7 billion overhaul of Washington Union Station. It gave me a much better understanding of what’s being proposed here, why, and how it’s supposed to relate to improved transportation.
The plan comes essentially from the conjunction of two separate issues. One is that way back in 2002, Akridge paid a considerable amount of money for the right to build a platform over a lot of these Union Station tracks. Atop the platform will sit a bunch of buildings, as well as a reconnection of the currently disrupted street grid. That will include a renovation of the existing H Street Bridge, which is currently quite old and in need of some form of replacement.
The money for all this work is separate from the Master Plan proposal and would all come from Akridge. But once this is done, it will become practically impossible to ever move the Union Station tracks.
Amtrak/MARC/VRE’s contention, however, is that moving the tracks would be highly desirable. Why? Because they want to make the platforms wider. Why do they want to do that? For starters, they say the existing 18 foot platforms aren’t compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act and National Fire Protection Association guidelines for safety. New train stations are normally constructed with platforms in the 25-30 foot width range. The practical transportation capacity issue here is that the current platforms are allegedly too narrow to let passengers be getting on/off of the tracks on both sides of the platform simultaneously. Wider platforms allow for simultaneous boarding allow for greater capacity.
The re-aligned tracks and re-sized platforms
Amtrak image
But moving the tracks without shutting the station down is difficult. So they want to start by re-activating a pair of tracks on the far west side of the station that are currently blocked by a few structures used for station operations. So the idea is to first remove the structures, then re-activate those tracks, then start piecemeal relocation of tracks and widening of platforms.
Except to move the tracks you need to remove the garage that’s currently sitting above part of them since the new track locations would conflict with where the existing pillars are.
Once you’re removing the garage, it seems like it would make sense to permanently eliminate the weird eyesore and shift it underground. And once you’re digging a cavern beneath the existing tracks it makes sense to add some underground concourses. Those will allow people to get on/off the trains with less platform walking, and will also allow Union Station to be open on more sides giving the neighborhood more access to the station.
The extra concourses to improve passenger mobility
Amtrak image
Last and basically least, as long as the garage is gone why not replace it with a cool-looking train shed that will make the whole station attractive and appealing?
So that is how you get a mega-project. The issue isn’t that Akridge’s development requires a $7 billion overhaul of Union Station. But if Akridge’s development goes through, there’ll be no more opportunity to overhaul the tracks. And Amtrak, MARC, and VRE want to overhaul the tracks to increase platform width. And once you’re mucking with the tracks, you have to remove the garage. The garage is a key revenue center for the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation so they’ll want to put it someplace else. And once you’re building a cavern, the logic of putting a bunch of stuff in it looks compelling.
At least it looks like a compelling thing to ask for money to do. But obviously that’s the huge blank spot here. Amtrak is the lead actor on the project because it’s Amtrak’s tracks. But MARC is the main client of Union Station. VRE is much smaller, but also uses the station. Akridge’s development is more valuable with a nicer station and new north-facing exits. US DOT owns Union Station, and the USRC operates it. The whole thing is in the District of Columbia. So the question “is this worth it” has to be asked to a bunch of different entities and it’s not clear what any given entity would be asked to contribute.
But the logic of an awful lot of this loops back to the contention that widening the platforms is highly desirable as a means of increasing train capacity. My instinct is to be skeptical of this claim, but I’m not an expert and I wasn’t really talking to the right guy to dig in on this so more later.
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Raspberry Pi - B+ Vending System Board Vending-Pi Cloud Service Cloud web site detail Easy to use:
Boots straight into the software. No need for specialist configuration.
Works as soon as it is booted.
Easy troubleshooting, Green Light flash = running, Orange Light = Transfering Data, Red Light = Error.
Boots straight into the software. No need for specialist configuration. Works as soon as it is booted. Easy troubleshooting, Green Light flash = running, Orange Light = Transfering Data, Red Light = Error. No Human Error:
No need to count all the coins or stock in the machine, the software handles all cash flow.
Easy management of data, saved by Serial number + Data & Time.
Notification if there was an error whilst transferring / collecting data.
No need to count all the coins or stock in the machine, the software handles all cash flow. Easy management of data, saved by Serial number + Data & Time. Notification if there was an error whilst transferring / collecting data. No monthly charges:
No monthly charge for 3G ( all data is transmitted over Bluetooth ).
No monthly charge for a SIM card for M2M data.
No monthly charge for 3G ( all data is transmitted over Bluetooth ). No monthly charge for a SIM card for M2M data. Low Power:
The system runs off the Vending Machine power system over the MDB connector.
The power draw from the MDB is 5 Volts. Very low power usage compared to the 12W / 34 Volts of just the cash acceptor.
The system runs off the Vending Machine power system over the MDB connector. The power draw from the MDB is 5 Volts. Very low power usage compared to the 12W / 34 Volts of just the cash acceptor. Simple Debugging / Troubleshooting:
Red LED Flashing = Error in the script.
Red LED On = Error whilst booting up / software malfunction.
Green LED On = Possible SD card crash.
Orange LED On = Failed to transmit.
Red LED Flashing = Error in the script. Red LED On = Error whilst booting up / software malfunction. Green LED On = Possible SD card crash. Orange LED On = Failed to transmit. Easy Installation:
2 Wires to connect, Audio Jack and a 6 Pin clip-in power connector.
Power On & and wait for green flashing LED.
Automatic Backup of all data to SD card including DEX Data & Temperature / Humidity Logs. The system housed inside the Vending Machine will collect data from the Vending Machine when a Technician / a valid person with the Android App + the right password connects to the RPi. This then allows them to download the data from the Machine and store it on the Android Phone / Tablet. The data is encrypted and cannot be edited or spoofed. The file is then uploaded to our secure servers and an accountant or manager can review the data such as coins in, coins out, coins stored, stock details, errors, and even temperature and humidity logs over time ( graph view ) Data collection and stock refill input APP for Android Tablet 1 . Vending Pi Board A) Gather data from DEX Input / Output Port (Vending Machine Side). B) Collect data from Humidity & Temperature Sensors inside Vending machine. 2. Stock Data (Total Sold, Product Price, Product Total Price). 3. Android Phone / Tablet used to download data from Raspberry Pi system via Bluetooth. 4. Stores data locally ready to upload to server or to upload to PC then to server (Web Interface) 5. Provides GPS location input for Vending Machine. 6. Check Vending machine location through GPS (Through Android Smart phone/Tablet) 7. On board Temperature sensor can control mini cooler fan for Vending Board system. 8. Status LED’s for error checking / troubleshooting. 9 . 2 micro switch to provide basic control ( shutdown, reboot) Package Content 1x Rs-Pi Vending System Board 1x Raspberry Pi B+ with 8GB Micro SD Card 1x Power cable 1x User Manual
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Two Tribes has announced a Nintendo Switch port for their 360-degree enabled, side-scrolling platformer shooter RIVE.
The game will launch sometime later this year for the console, while the Wii U version has been cancelled. Rive is currently available for both PC and PlayStation 4.
Here’s a rundown on the game, via its Steam page:
RIVE is the metal wrecking, robot hacking shooter you’ve been waiting for! This 360-degree shooter/platformer hybrid lets you choreograph a ‘dance of destruction’ in insanely spectacular battles and set-pieces. RIVE feels like the explosive games of yore, pumping megapixels in true 21st century style.
Endless variety: fight on land, underwater, in zero gravity or on a moving train!
Gather hacks and control your enemies.
Upgrade your spider tank’s special attacks, armor and loot magnet.
A 6+ hour campaign, voiced by Mark Dodson (Star Wars & Gremlins).
A deep story featuring our hero Roughshot, robot butlers, space loot and… clean teeth.
Prove your mettle in the extra Speedrun and Single-Credit modes.
Dozens of on-line leaderboards to compete in.
Keep playing with the daily Challenges and infinite Battle Arenas.
About Hacking
Ever dreamed of controlling your enemies? In RIVE you can. Find the hacks and get those gun turrets, nurse drones and irritable smashbots on your side. Or kickstart and hitch a ride on top of a bullet train!
About the Story
When space scavenger Roughshot gets trapped on a mysterious starship, he has to form a surprising alliance. Don’t care about the story? Just shoot the messenger. Literally.
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Sen. Rand Paul speaks in Washington on June 20, 2014. Photo by Larry Downing/Reuters
In December 2012, when Washington’s press corps was peering over the “fiscal cliff,” Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn released a report that looked and sounded too goofy to be real. The cover of “Safety at Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending on U.S. Cities” portrayed a child-size drone flying near the Capitol; over ATV-driving Lego men; and, for some reason, over R2D2.
“If in the days after 9/11 lawmakers were able to cast their gaze forward ten years,” wrote Coburn, “I imagine they would be surprised to see how a counter-terrorism initiative aimed at protecting our largest cities has transformed into another parochial grant program.”
His researchers had dug up dozens of examples and told the story of how local police forces started to look like occupying armies, thanks to $35 billion in Department of Homeland Security grants. Seattle had spent $80,000 on a drone, which it insisted was not a drone. Pittsburgh had spent $90,000 on a sonic cannon, and used it to break up G-20 protests, though a SWAT officer assured a reporter that the device was just “a speaker that delivers an intended message to an intended group of people to disperse.”
And then there were the armored vehicles. Police departments in less-than-bustling towns suddenly needed $250,000 armored BearCats. “Because Fontana, California considers itself a ‘top 100 terrorist target,’ ” wrote Coburn’s researchers, “it needed a BearCat.” In New Hampshire, the libertarians of Keene had been fighting, unsuccessfully, a police department that wanted a BearCat to guard an annual harvest celebration. “Do I think al-Qaida is going to target Pumpkin Fest?” Keene’s police chief asked, rhetorically. “No, but are there fringe groups that want to make a statement? Yes.”
There were no attacks, and there was little coverage of Coburn’s report. Gene Healy, a vice president of the libertarian Cato Institute, publicized Coburn’s findings in a column. Radley Balko, a former Huffington Post reporter who’d worked with Healy at Cato (and, full disclosure, with me at Reason), praised the report, which touched on stories he’d covered, like the BearCat fight in Keene. Coburn appeared on Neil Cavuto’s Fox Business show (not to be confused with the more widely watched Fox News shows), where the discussion quickly veered from the report’s highlights (“zombie apocalypse training”) to the more exciting fiscal cliff. Attacking the military buildup of local police, on its own, was just too kooky.
What a difference Ferguson makes. This week, when Sen. Rand Paul published a brief op-ed denouncing “Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars,” he conquered the headlines. The New York Times, which had just published an epic story about libertarians, offered that “conservatives tend to be fairly consistent” on law and order, and Paul was acting as a disrupter. “Rand Paul is right,” argued Al Sharpton, who is more familiar with being labeled an “outside agitator” by conservatives than with complimenting them.
But libertarians and libertarian-leaning Republicans have been attacking the militarization of police forces for the better part of a decade. They come at the issue from a stronger ideological position than the left does, or can. Decades of tough-on-crime policies have made the right (and libertarians are part of the right) less vulnerable to charges of softness and thug-coddling. And the libertarian answer to crime has never been about empowering the police. In the ideal liberal scenario—call it “Japan” or “any part of Europe”— civilians have as much access to firearms as they have to rocket launchers and ICBMs. In the libertarian ideal, the state has no more firepower to control civilians than the civilians have to police themselves, or to fight back.
It’s hard to date when the backlash began, or when it became mainstream, but 1989 is a good time to start. That was a hot year for the crack wars, not long before Washington Mayor Marion Barry was arrested with a pipe in the room, and the year Congress’ National Defense Authorization Act added Section 1208. The new NDAA language authorized the transfer of excess military equipment “suitable for use” in “counter-drug activities.”
In 1989, that meant almost anything. The first time many Americans realized that was in August 1992, when the ATF, FBI, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals, Idaho National Guard, Idaho state police, and local police laid siege to Randy Weaver’s home in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, with assault weapons and night-vision goggles. The siege started with the deaths of Weaver’s son and one of the dogs, and the Weaver family would eventually settle for more than $3 million. But less than a year later, some of the same agencies (and some of the same agents, as Radley Balko points out in Rise of the Warrior Cop) raided David Koresh’s compound outside Waco, Texas, smashing the walls with tanks and shooting 350 rounds of tear gas inside.
Seventy-six people died. But Bill Clinton was in the White House. The gun control lobby was experiencing what would be, in retrospect, its finest hour—the passage of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which banned the sale of “assault weapons” until 2004.
As conservatives and libertarians saw it, and as the gun lobby saw it, the government was arming a police state while making it illegal and impossible for citizens to defend themselves from tyranny. “Not too long ago, it was unthinkable for federal agents wearing Nazi bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms to attack law-abiding citizens,” read a 1995 National Rifle Association fundraising letter signed by Wayne LaPierre. “Not today.” You can draw a straight line from that letter to, this week, WorldNetDaily posting photos of American cops who look like they’re breaking up rallies in Tahrir Square.
After the events of this week, the right-wingers who’d been warning about fat contracts arming thuggish police departments are suddenly finding themselves in step with the left. But it’s the right-wingers who might be the best political allies that Ferguson’s black protesters have. Like Trayvon Martin’s Florida, like John Crawford’s Ohio, Michael Brown’s Missouri is governed by a Republican legislature that has gerrymandered itself into at least another decade of power. State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who represents Ferguson and live-tweeted her tear-gassing by police, is one of 10 Democrats outnumbered by 24 Republicans. Florida’s Dream Defenders, who occupied the state Capitol to demand a second look at “stand your ground” law, made up no ground at all with the conservative legislators.
But the Dream Defenders have common cause with libertarians. In Keene, for example, the movement to stop the BearCat sale—“tanks, but no tanks”—was led by libertarians who ideally wanted a cop-free city. Pete Eyre, who once aspired to become a police officer, became a libertarian instead, and ended up in Keene after touring the country in an RV to make movies about freedom.
“On the road, we just happened to have interactions with police employees, and it seemed clear that they didn’t like being filmed,” Eyre told me. “It became clear that capturing the truth of the situation might be powerful.”
That revelation led Eyre to co-found CopBlock, which encourages citizens to film the police—an action that got two reporters illegally arrested in Ferguson, piling outrage on top of the outrage. It also led to Eyre’s lobbying (“there were songs, music videos, petitions”) against the BearCat, which became enough of an early warning signal to make it into a Republican senator’s paper about post-9/11 police militarization.
“As people start to film what they see and pursue tactics that are peaceful,” said Eyre, “ultimately these incidents will continue to happen until the institution of policing, which is a coercive monopoly, is denied legitimacy. Badges don’t grant extra rights. If an action’s unlawful for me or you, it’s unlawful for anyone.”
That’s further than many liberals would be willing to go, obviously. And they’re not going to stop campaigning for gun control. But if they want to stop police departments from turning into shoot-first armies, the libertarians have been waiting for them. In June, 18 months after the Coburn report, the New York Times’ Matt Apuzzo published a wide-ranging study of what military equipment was making it to the sheriff’s office and how. In Morgan County, Indiana, the police acquired an MRAP because, in one sergeant’s words, “a lot of people who are coming out of the military that have the ability and knowledge to build IEDs and to defeat law-enforcement techniques.”
If that sounded familiar, it may have been because in April 2009 the DHS released a report warning that the fringe was rising and that “rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat.” This was just days before the first big national wave of Tea Party rallies, and to the horror of progressives, some activists showed up with signs that dared the DHS to go after “rightwing extremists” like them.
Five years later, the progressives still disagree with the right-wingers. They still reject, as insane, the idea that a heavily armed citizenry might be safer than a country where the cops have the guns. But they suddenly agree about something.
Read the rest of Slate’s coverage of the protests in Ferguson.
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Capital punishment in Sudan is legal under Article 27 of the Sudanese Criminal Act 1991.[1] The Act is based on Sharia law which prescribes both the death penalty and corporal punishment, such as amputation.[2] Sudan has moderate execution rates, ranking 8th overall in 2014 when compared to other countries that still continue the practice, after at least 29 executions were reported (although it is expected that over 100 occurred).[3]
History [ edit ]
Even though Sudan's legal systems have been drawn from various other jurisdictions, capital punishment has always existed in the country.[4]
During the last 100 years there have been a number of changes to Sudanese law. In the early 1900s until 1974 the death penalty was active in a legal system based on Indian criminal law, which in itself was influenced by Anglo-Saxon law.[5] In 1974, during President Gaafar Nimeiry's time in office, large scale amendments to the penal code were carried out which included some elements of civil law. However, the civil law amendments were never integrated into the Sudanese penal code which caused a number limitations for the courts.[6] After this failure the previous Indian influenced penal law was reinstated. The basis of the legal system continued its yoyo pattern when in 1983 the Nimeiry regime sought to promote the Muslim Brotherhood's version of Sharia law. Nimeiry's office revised a number of national laws to reflect this, including the penal code, only to have it repealed two years later and the 1974 criminal code restored once more.[7] In 1991 the 1974 penal code was replaced for a second time by the 1991 Criminal Code which is still in use today. By this time President Omar Al-Bashir had come to power after a 1989 coup, led by the fundamentalist National Islamic Front (NIF).[8] The reformations made by the Al-Bashir government helped to promote Islamisation in the country.
Though the identifier "criminal code" was chosen over "penal code" due to the fact the new laws included provisions which would promote care and rehabilitation, the government had no plans to follow growing international opinion against the death penalty and, to the contrary, further entrenched the practice. Rather than begin to draw back, the scope of the application of the penalty has expanded since the introduction of the code. In the most recent periodic report of the government of Sudan to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights it states that Sudan sees no reason to abolish the death sentence.[9]
Legislation [ edit ]
Crimes that attract capital punishment [ edit ]
Crimes against the state such as espionage, instigation of war against the state and undermining constitutional order. [10]
Religious crimes. Muslims are prohibited from changing their religion (apostasy).
Crimes against body and soul. This includes murder and the instigation of a minor to commit suicide. [11]
Crimes of honour, public morality and reputation. This includes; adultery (which is punishable by stoning),[12] sodomy,[13] rape if it also constitutes adultery or sodomy,[14] incest[15] and prostitution.[16]
Article (27)(1) of the 1991 Act states that:
execution is either by hanging or stoning or in the same manner as the commitment of murder by the perpetrator, and may be as a hudud punishment or in retribution or approximation, and may be with crucifixion
Generally, however, the punishment is executed by hanging.[17]
Capital punishment in practice [ edit ]
Procedural guarantees [ edit ]
For a person charged with a capital crime in Sudan there are a number of procedural guarantees they should receive:
Innocent until proven guilty
The person charged with the offence should not be forced to self incriminate or be made to take any oaths except under limited circumstances.
There is a right to appeal
The person charged has the right to medical care, to be safe from harm and to be able to contact a lawyer and their family
Bail. However Article 106 (1) states that "the detained for crimes punishable with the death penalty or an amputation shall not be released".
These guarantees are only available at trial stage meaning that during the investigation period individuals may be dangerously exposed, particularly because torture (though illegal under Sudanese law) has been documented on numerous occasions.[18]
Cases [ edit ]
The following cases demonstrate the kinds of actions that have led to recent episodes of capital punishment in the country. Although Sudan is a signatory to the U.N Convention on the Rights of the Child[1] until an amendment made in 2010, Sudan was still one of the few remaining countries whose death penalty extended to juveniles. One of the last juveniles to be killed by death penalty was Abdulrahman Zakaria Mohammed in May 2009. He had been found guilty of murder and robbery. The decision was decided based on two factors, as confirmed by the UN Special Rapporteur on independence of judges and lawyers; firstly, the prohibition of the death penalty for children did not extend to hudud offences, and secondly the Court believed that because the definition of 'adult' in the Criminal Act was "any person whose puberty has been established by definite natural features and who has completed 15 years of age and whoever obtains 18 years of age shall be deemed an adult even if the features of puberty do not exist". Using this definition of adult, the Court determined that Abdulrahman could be treated as an adult, even though he was only 17 at the time he was arrested. Also in 2009, four children between the ages of 15 to 17 were sentenced to death after being found guilty of armed robbery. In 2007 two young women in their early 20s were sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery under Article 146 (a) of the Criminal Act. The woman did not have legal representation nor assistance to help defend themselves.[19]
Criticism [ edit ]
Criticism of capital punishment in Sudan usually centers on two rights protections: the protection to the right to life and the protection against cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. These rights are both recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
There are a number of human rights violations that occur because of Sudanese law. For example, Article 126 (2) of the 1991 Criminal Act, which stipulates religious crimes that may result in capital sentencing, is a violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religious creed.
Also, though the procedural guarantees are consistent with international standards, they are limited in practice and the lack of access to bail is evidence of this. Sima Samar, the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Sudan has noted in the past that the lack of sufficient guarantees of a fair trial for the accused facing the death penalty demonstrates serious doubts about compliance.[20]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
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WASHINGTON—Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump took a big step toward rallying GOP conservatives around his candidacy with his list of potential Supreme Court picks, a who’s-who list of legal conservatives which draws a sharp contrast to Hillary Clinton and the Democrats.
The Supreme Court became a front-burner issue in the 2016 election with the untimely passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, a legendary hero to constitutional conservatives and one of the most brilliant intellects ever to sit on the nation’s highest court. Scalia’s greatest legacy is his elevation of originalism: the judicial philosophy that the Constitution—like any law or legal text—should be interpreted only according to the original public meaning of its words.
Trump released his much-anticipated list of potential picks to succeed Justice Scalia on Wednesday, naming eleven individuals to replace the irreplaceable Scalia. They are:
Diane Sykes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Raymond Gruender, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Steven Colloton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Raymond Kethledge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Thomas Hardiman, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
William Pryor, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Thomas Lee, Utah Supreme Court
Allison Eid, Colorado Supreme Court
Joan Larsen, Michigan Supreme Court
David Straus, Minnesota Supreme Court
Don Willet, Texas Supreme Court
Each candidate is either a judge on a federal appeals court or a justice on a state supreme court, each with a long judicial record.
Judge Sykes, for example, has authored two of the greatest Second Amendment judicial opinions ever written, giving full force to a fundamental right enjoyed daily by almost 100 million Americans, one that is under constant attack by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is also famed for authoring a decision blocking Obamacare’s abortion-pill mandate, and for defending the rights of Christian organizations on college campuses to uphold biblical teachings on sexual morality as a condition for membership.
Other federal judges on the list have also distinguished themselves. Pryor has been an outspoken critic on the Supreme Court’s abortion decisions and vast expansion of criminal rights beyond what the Bill of Rights requires, though he raised a serious flag with conservatives for joining a 2011 decision that has been used to advance the transgender agenda.
Hardiman dissented from an anti-gun Third Circuit decision, insisting that while the Constitution’s Framers understood that the Second Amendment could be abused, “States may not seek to reduce the danger by curtailing the right itself.”
Gruender voted to uphold a South Dakota informed-consent abortion law that required doctors to inform patients that “abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.”
The list could have been only slightly better. There are names that constitutional conservative legal experts would love to see added to the list, such as Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Mike Lee, and former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement. But overall, conservatives should be extremely pleased with this lineup.
This list is all the more important because of which justice this list is seeking a replacement for: Scalia. Any right-of-center “good Republican” will not do. The nominee must be a forward-charging originalist.
In that regard, this list contains three former law clerks of perhaps the most consistent originalist in the history of the Supreme Court: Justice Clarence Thomas, who is actually more conservative than Justice Scalia, and whose recent speech at Hillsdale College sets the gold standard for constitutionalist judges. Straus, Eid, and Lee (the brother of originalist hero, Senator Mike Lee) all clerked for Thomas, who tries to carefully vet potential law clerks for sharing his principled commitment to originalism.
The list also contains diversity in terms of geography, religion, and life experience. As Carrie Severino—chief counsel at the Judicial Crisis Network and a former Thomas clerk—noted, “It is also heartening to see so many Midwesterners and state court judges on the list—they would bring a valuable perspective to the bench, particularly since they have already served on a court of last resort in their own states.”
Perhaps the most colorful candidate on this list is Justice Willet of Texas, who apparently shares Trump’s passion for Tweeting. These include Tweets poking fun at presidential candidates, including one ribbing Trump. It shows a picture of Star Wars’ Death Star, and reads, “We’ll rebuild the Death Star. It’ll be amazing, believe me. And the rebels will pay for it.”—Darth Trump.
Ironically, Willet may end up eating one of his Tweets in particular, expressing his own early skepticism of Trump by Tweeting, “Who would the Donald Name to #SCOTUS? The mind reels. *weeps—can’t finish tweet.*”
For naming Willet in particular, Trump deserves high marks, showing that he can act like a true head of state by overlooking personal slights made in the heat of a campaign to include the judge on this list.
“Donald Trump released a solid Supreme Court list,” Kelly Shackelford, president of First Liberty Institute, said responding to the list, including Willet. “This includes one of the greatest true-blue Reagan conservatives in America, Justice Don Willet, a man who has never flinched from defending every word in the U.S. Constitution. Trump took a big step toward unifying all Republicans behind him.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley seems to think so, responding to the list by saying, “Mr. Trump has laid out an impressive list of highly qualified jurists, including Judge Colloton from Iowa, who understand and respect the fundamental principle that the role of the courts in limited and subject to the Constitution and the rule law.”
Secretary Ken Blackwell, who serves on the boards of a host of conservative organizations, from the National Rifle Association to the Club for Growth, agreed with Grassley and Shackelford, adding, “For this election, “It’s the Court, Stupid,” paraphrasing James Carville’s pitch for Bill Clinton in the 1990s. “Trump’s list shows Americans that while Hillary promises a Court that will ignore and rewrite the Constitution to advance leftwing priorities, Trump is promising a Court that will uphold the Constitution as it is written.”
Trump may not have completely sold everyone yet. When he released the list, he said, “We’re either going to choose someone from this list, or people very close to it,” raising eyebrows among some skeptical conservatives. But most conservative experts have strongly endorsed the list and this move.
Donald Trump has drawn a sharp contrast from Hillary Clinton on the Supreme Court, which for many conservatives is their top issue when selecting a president. Trump will only be able to act on this list if he becomes president, and he’s given conservatives a new reason to turn out for him in November.
Ken Klukowski is legal editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski.
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WASHINGTON — American National Security Adviser Susan Rice alternated between reconciliation and pointed jabs during her address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) plenary Monday evening, a speech marked by a detailed endorsement of the Obama administration’s position on Iran talks coupled with assurances that the US will protect Israel’s security.
While she spoke out against key points of AIPAC activists’ lobbying agenda, Rice also provided previously unconfirmed information regarding the United States’ negotiating red lines on Iran.
Rice’s initial message – similar to that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Monday – was one of reconciliation, emphasizing that both Obama and Netanyahu have called the US-Israel alliance “unprecedented,” assuring the crowd that “that’s the way its going to stay.”
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There would be no bad deal with Iran, Rice said, and set out the essential components of a good deal, while stressing she did not know whether it could be achieved. Rice told the 16,000 delegates that “a bad deal is worse than no deal” on Iran, garnering an enthusiastic standing ovation from a sometimes subdued audience. “If that is the choice there will be no deal,” she added.
Rice said President Barack Obama was committed to “ensuring that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon” and repeated the administration’s frequent statements that the US was “keeping all options on the table to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapon.”
Apparently referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech Tuesday in Congress, she warned that “sensitive details” of the ongoing negotiations with Iran should not “be discussed in public.”
At the same time, she revealed new insight into Washington’s negotiating position in the P5+1 talks with Iran.
Rice said it remained to be seen whether a good, long-term comprehensive deal could be achieved. She listed the components of such a deal, including: that it would verifiably cut off every path for Iran to produce enough fissile material to produce a single nuclear weapon; prevent Iran producing weapons grade plutonium; prevent it enriching uranium at its facility at Fordow; and increase the time it takes Iran to reach break out capacity from today’s 2-3 months to at least a year.
A good deal would also counter possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program, she said, and provide ongoing access for a “multi-layer transparency regime” to ensure its nuclear program is peaceful. A deal must also last more than a decade, she said, with additional provisions ensuring greater transparency for an even longer time.
Rice’s comments weighed in on an ongoing debate on the length of a so-called ‘sunset clause’, the point at which Iran’s stricter oversight under a comprehensive nuclear agreement expires. Speaking after Rice, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) indirectly critiqued Rice’s comments, complaining that the current framework was “too far from the 20-year deal we were seeking.”
Rice also offered criticism – seemingly directed at Netanyahu – warning that “we cannot let a totally unachievable ideal stand in the way of a good deal.”
The demand that Iran halt enrichment entirely, she said, “as desirable as that would be,” was “neither realistic nor achievable… Our closest partners in the P5+1 don’t support it. If that is our goal,” she said, the US’s closest partners “will abandon us” and undermine the sanctions already imposed. “Simply put, that is not a viable negotiating position… nor is it even attainable.”
Iran would walk away, Rice warned, and install advanced centrifuges, seek to fuel its reactor in Arak, and replenish its uranium stockpile. And “we’d lose the transparency we have today.”
Audience members were reminded to behave respectfully before Rice’s speech. Earlier this week, she launched a blistering attack against Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, describing it as “destructive to the fabric” of the US-Israel relationship. Participants Monday applauded respectfully as Rice quoted Jewish texts in Hebrew and emphasized America’s support for Israel. But when Rice attempted to warn the thousands of activists of the folly of legislation that is at the core of AIPAC’s grassroots lobbying agenda when members take to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, a number of attendees applauded enthusiastically for the very initiatives she warned were counter-productive.
Before turning to Iran, Rice addressed – perfunctorily — the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations, expressing “concern” about Palestinian “unilateral actions that erode trust.”
She emphasized a longstanding US opposition to Israeli settlement activity, but in the same breath said that the US “opposes Palestinian steps that throw up obstacles to peace.”
“The only path to Israel’s security is to establish a vibrant sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with a democratic Jewish State of Israel,” Rice added.
The bottom line, said Rice: “We have Israel’s back, come hell or high water.”
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The following definition of biodynamic agriculture was written by Hugh Lovel, author of A Biodynamic Farm, in December 2012
BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE: Bio (life) dynamic (processes); Biodynamic
agriculture involves working with life processes. This does not mean
physical substance or chemistry are ignored. The biodynamic approach to
agriculture emphasizes life processes which have potent organisational
(syntropic) effects to engage minerals and chemical reactions. The use of
what are called ‘biodynamic preparations’ establishes, increases and
enhances life processes. The question is, what is a LIFE process and what
are the life processes we are talking about?
Nineteenth and twentieth century physics focused on life-LESS processes.
With these energy flowed from higher concentration to lower concentration,
as without life all energy flows from order toward chaos in a process called
entropy. However, it became recognised in the mid twentieth century that
order also arises out of chaos. It does this cyclically at boundaries or
surfaces, which means energy flows from lower to higher concentration over
time periods that begin and end in a process called syntropy. Life processes
are syntropic, and a variety of these can be distinguished in regard to
plants, so let’s look at what these are.
In the soil, the processes involved in life are mineral release, nitrogen
fixation, digestion and nutrient uptake. These are related to the lime
complex commonly referred to as the CEC or as cations. Because biodynamics
comes from an awareness of the influences of the context on life processes,
these processes are correlated with the planets between the sun and the
earth, namely mercury, venus and the moon.
However, plants live both in the soil AND the atmosphere, and in the
atmosphere the processes are quite different and complimentary to the soil
processes. What goes on in the atmosphere is photosynthesis, blossoming,
fruiting and ripening. These processes are related to silica and to the
planets beyond the sun and the earth, namely mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
In large part, biodynamics involves getting a dynamic interplay going between what goes on above ground and what goes on below.
Plants draw in energy and carbon-the basis of life-via photosynthesis. By
doing so, they build up sugars and carbohydrates in their sap during the day
and a portion of this drains down to plants’ root tips and are exuded into
the soil around the tender young root growth of the plant. This feeds a
honey-like syrup to the soil foodweb which uses the energy to release
minerals such as silica, lime and phosphorous along with various trace
mineral co-factors that provide for nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen fixation is VERY energy intensive as it takes roughly 10 units of
sugar to fix one unit of amino acid. Moreover, nitrogen fixing microbes
don’t just gift the nitrogen they fix to plants. However, protozoa and other
soil animal life eat mineral releasing and nitrogen fixing microbes, thus
excreting a steady stream of freshly digested milk-like nourishment rich in
amino acids and minerals chelates, which the plant takes up from the soil.
This milk-like nourishment is the basis for chlorophyll assembly in the leaf
and for the duplication of the DNA and the protein chemistry basic to plant
growth.
From the biodynamic point of view it is enormously important that the
soluble salt levels in the soil are as low as possible while the insoluble
but available nutrients stored in humus are abundant. Partly this is because
when the plant takes up amino acids instead of nitrogen salts the efficiency
of the plant chemistry is dramatically increased and photosynthetic
efficiency is multiplied. Also, soluble salts in the soil are toxic to the
nitrogen fixing and mineral releasing micro-life in the soil as soluble
salts amount to their waste, in which case they shut down and fail to
function as might be expected of any organism which had to live in its own
waste.
The bottom line is the more dynamic the interplay between what goes on above
ground and what goes on below, the more robustly plants grow, the more
efficiently they utilize the resources at their disposal, the more fully
they achieve their genetic potential and the more strongly they express
syntropic (life) processes.
Basically the aim of biodynamic farming is to achieve self-sufficiency where
the farm no longer requires outside inputs to be fertile and productive.
This means that any inputs a farm requires along the way of becoming
self-sufficient should be considered as remedies for a farm that has fallen
ill. This method has proven itself over the past 85 plus years as many
‘biodynamic’ farms have come close enough to this ideal as to be virtually
self-sufficient while producing high yielding crops of the highest quality
and exporting somewhere in the range of 8 per cent or less of their total
biomass production annually.
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Note: this post was originally written in November 2012.
Eric Lindros will enter the Hall of Fame tonight.
No, not the one in Toronto. No, not the one at the Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, and it comes five years to the day he retired from the sport of hockey. It's a deserving honor for No. 88, who joins just seven other individual hockey inductees in the Philly Hall, but it's also another opportunity for us to scream from the top of our lungs again:
Eric Lindros deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, he deserves to have his number retired by the Philadelphia Flyers, and really, it's a joke that neither has happened already.
The case, at this point, is really inarguable.
Pure skill
When it comes down to plain ole hockey skill, Eric Lindros is one of the all-time greats. We're not talking about one of the greatest players of the 1990s-era Flyers or even the 1990s-era NHL, but one of the greatest players the NHL has ever seen. Seriously. That's not overstating it in the slightest bit.
Let's talk about pure scoring acumen for a second. We ran these charts back in June when Lindros was snubbed for the 2012 HHoF class, which will be inducted this coming Monday in Toronto, but they're worth bringing up again.
Players in green are in the Hall of Fame. Players in yellow are not yet eligible for induction (you need to have been retired from the game for three years to be considered) and players in red are eligible but not in the Hall. There's not a lot of red.
88 is the only Hart Trophy winner since Bobby Clarke won the thing in 1975 (37 years ago!) yet to earn induction into the Hall of Fame. When it comes to the all-time leaders in points per game, Lindros is 19th all-time. And if injury hadn't stolen his greatness in the latter years of his career, his rank on this second chart would be even more impressive. Remove the years following the infamous Scott Stevens hit in 2000 and Lindros would rank sixth all-time in points per game.
Sixth all time! The only players ranked higher than him would be Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, Sidney Crosby and Bobby Orr. Quite the list.
If you're trying to eliminate the impacts of different eras, let's look at where Lindros ranked in each season during his prime. In 1993-94, Lindros was third in the NHL with 1.52 points per game. He was first in the league 1994-95, third in 95-96, second in 96-97, sixth in 97-98 and fourth in 98-99.
Sidney Crosby, who's already put together a HoF career, has seen similarly dominant numbers in this category: Ranks of sixth, first, second, third, fourth and first through the prime of his career. For as much as we hate the uniform he wears, can you imagine Crosby not getting into the HoF if, tragically, his concussion issues were to rob him of the remaining years of his career?
Physical dominance
There has never been a physical specimen quite like Eric Lindros. Take the scoring and skating skill he exhibited throughout the prime of his career and couple it with his size and you have one of the scariest players to ever play the game. Lindros could score with the best of them and he could also bury you with a huge hit unlike any other player in his era. And if you wanted to fight, he'd gladly drop the gloves and knock the crap out of you.
Eric Lindros was the superstar who didn't need a goon to protect him. He could handle himself just fine.
Impact on the growth of hockey
Do you know a hockey fan in Philadelphia who grew up in the 1990s? Ask that fan who their favorite player was growing up, and chances are, it was this guy.
Getty Images Getty Images
You cannot underestimate the impact Lindros' career had on the sport in the City of Philadelphia.
Concussion issues and concussion awareness
The biggest knock against Lindros is his longevity. (Well, that and the fact that he never won a Stanley Cup, but we all know that's silliness. Cups are not won by individuals and a lack of team success should never be held against an individual player.)
Eric Lindros didn't play nearly as many games as he should have thanks to injury, but again, the Crosby comparison is a good one. A dominant player every time he stepped on the ice as a healthy player, Lindros shouldn't be robbed of deserved accolades simply because he was hit in the head a few too many times.
Backhand Shelf covered this point well earlier in the week:
Pundits and executives regularly criticized his integrity and desire due to his reluctance to play injured. A nice advent of the 21st century is we're now very much aware of what serious business concussions are. Lindros spending time in the press box has nothing to do with the ‘pansification‘ of hockey, but rather the fact you only get one brain and no mulligans. The Sidney Crosbys of the modern world are handled with oven mitts because hockey's antiquated machismo was a prime contributor to the deterioration of Eric Lindros, the original "Next One" who is believed to have suffered upwards of eight (EIGHT!) concussions in his career.
Lindros' longevity shouldn't be held against him. Concussions robbed him of a full career, but they don't mean he was any less great a hockey player.
Reconciliation with Flyers
Some argue that his reputation off the ice should keep him out of the Hall, and it's true that Lindros followed a ton of bad advice throughout his playing career, mostly from his father/agent Carl Lindros.
His exit from Philadelphia in 2001 cemented his legacy in this town for a decade, and it's understandably taken awhile for those wounds to heal. Bobby Clarke has reconciled with him and he's been welcomed into the Flyers family again with open arms. He skated in the Alumni Game, he skated with the team in practice last season and now he's entering the Philly Sports HoF tonight. His departure from Philly was unfortunate, but it's all water under the bridge now.
It's only a matter of time until Lindros takes his place as a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame, and if I had to guess, I'd say that'll happen this upcoming season -- whenever that comes. His induction into the Flyers HoF would officially close the wound that's slowly been healing over the last calendar year, but that's not where this ends.
His jersey retirement will likely come after his Hockey Hall of Fame induction, as was the case with Mark Howe, one of the best defensemen to ever pull on a Flyers uniform, this past season.
Eric Lindros is one of the best players to ever play the game. He should be honored accordingly.
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Tory MPs furious over message from Cleo Watson of Vote Leave campaign, which has support of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson
The Brexit campaign group backed by the justice secretary, Michael Gove, is trying to persuade senior NHS staff to sign a letter that includes a direct attack on David Cameron, who is accused of having starved the health service of funding.
In an email leaked to the Guardian, Vote Leave’s Cleo Watson tells clinicians that her group desperately needs doctors, nurses and pharmacists to warn that Britain’s health service is being damaged by the EU.
A draft version of the letter included by Watson says: “David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt must accept responsibility for this – they have starved the NHS of necessary funding for too long.”
She says in the email that the letter will be published on Monday to mark the start of a week in which “out” campaigners will focus on NHS issues such as cost, patient care and safety, immigration and EU directives.
The inclusion of a line directly criticising the Conservative leader has triggered a furious reaction among some of the party’s MPs because Vote Leave has Gove, the London mayor, Boris Johnson, and cabinet ministers Priti Patel and John Whittingdale among senior committee members.
The letter describes the health service as a great British institution that families rely on. “But as it slips into financial crisis the NHS itself needs some urgent attention. The NHS is being asked to make huge cuts at a time of rising demand. Patients are having to wait longer for treatment, hospital deficits are increasing and doctors are on strike after being told they must take a pay cut,” it says, claiming that Brexit would hand billions back to the service.
EU referendum: 250 business leaders sign up as backers of Vote Leave Read more
”Remain” campaigners accused Vote Leave of changing its position on the NHS, arguing that the group’s chief executive, Matthew Elliott, had supported spending cuts, opposed ringfencing of the NHS and proposed more privatisation in the past.
James McGrory, a spokesman for Britain Stronger in Europe, said: “You cannot trust Vote Leave with the NHS. They are people who have spent their political lives championing policies which would destroy the NHS as we know it.
“It’s rank opportunism for them to now don the clothes of protectors of the NHS.”
A Vote Leave spokesman rejected the claim, arguing that the NHS was struggling because of EU membership. “If we Vote Leave we can stop handing over £350m a week to the EU and can instead spend our money on our priorities like the NHS,” he said.
A senior Department of Health source hit back by claiming the government had provided an additional £10bn for the NHS and said that “every Conservative MP stood on a manifesto to deliver this package”. They added: “So we expect every Conservative MP to have absolutely nothing to do with this letter.”
In an increasingly fierce battle over Britain’s future relationship with the EU, which is causing stark divisions in the Tory party, the source claimed that independent experts had said Brexit would cause an “economic shock”.
It follows an article by Hunt that was branded as scaremongering by out campaigners.
Cameron and Gove have tried to maintain a strong relationship throughout the referendum campaign, despite Gove’s decision to campaign vocally for Brexit. There are claims that the prime minister has started ignoring ministers campaigning to leave, but Downing Street sources say the justice secretary is still invited to sessions in which Cameron prepares for prime minister’s questions.
Nick Herbert, the chairman of Conservatives In, called on the party’s MPs and ministers to “distance themselves from this wholly unacceptable attack on our party”. “I find it hard to believe that any senior Conservative would want to be associated with direct criticism of the prime minister and our achievements in this crucial area, not least ahead of local elections,” he said.
Cameron, who was attending a summit in Washington on Thursday and Friday, said his encounters with other world leaders had underlined the fact they believed Britain’s best interests lay in remaining in the EU. “What I find is it’s very hard to find a leader of a friendly nation that wishes Britain well, that believes we would be better off outside a reformed EU. I had some brief discussions about this with Prime Minister Modi [of India] last night and we will have further conversations with him today.”
Vote Leave releases list of serious crimes by EU citizens in Britain Read more
The prime minister’s comments came as another leading figure linked to Vote Leave told the Guardian he would like to see the entire EU project dissolved.
Nigel Lawson, a former Tory chancellor, said: “Well you could say that once upon a time it served a useful purpose, in confining Germany. You could make that case – and I really bought into this in the 50s. But it’s passed its sell-by date; it’s served its purpose.
“I see no purpose in the European Union now at all. I think that if it ceases to exist we’ll have better relationships.”
Lawson argued there was more hostility between European countries now than there had ever been at any time since the second world war.
“The great majority of people in Europe do not want to be part of a political union,” he said.
Asked about the impact the referendum was having on his party and whether Cameron’s premiership was a price worth paying for Brexit, he said the prime minister had “already said he’s going to stand down”.
Lawson argued, however, that Cameron had a duty to remain in place with his cabinet in the aftermath of an out vote in order to implement the people’s verdict in the most effective way.
FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER
From: Cleo Watson
Date: 29 March 2016 at 13:36:03 BST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Urgent call: Doctors
Dear Colleagues
I hope you have had a restful Easter.
Next week is the Vote Leave NHS week, when we will be hitting a number of issues that affect staff and patients, including cost, patient care and safety, immigration, EU Directives and TTIP.
We will be publishing a letter on Monday from respected doctors, nurses, pharmacists and so on and we desperately need you to suggest any clinician contacts that you may have. It would obviously be great to kick off the week with a really strong list to accompany the letter, the draft text of which is below.
If you could forward me the details of any current or retired healthcare workers I would be incredibly grateful.
Best regards
Cleo
The NHS is a great British institution that families rely on in times of need. But as it slips into financial crisis the NHS itself needs some urgent attention. The NHS is being asked to make huge cuts at a time of rising demand. Patients are having to wait longer for treatment, hospital deficits are increasing and doctors are on strike after being told they must take a pay cut. David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt must accept responsibility for this – they have starved the NHS of necessary funding for too long.
If we Vote Leave on 23 June we will be able to spend more on our priorities like the NHS. If we put the billions that currently go to EU bureaucrats into the NHS instead it would hugely improve patient care. For example, the £350 million a week we hand to Brussels is similar to the entire yearly Cancer Drugs Fund budget.
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NEW YORK — Verizon FIOS will start letting customers opt in — and out — of the cable channels they get as part of their pay television service — the first move by a major provider toward a la carte service.
Cable operators have traditionally forced customers to buy the full range of basic networks, including high priced sports channels, kids networks and food channels.
Since cable operators have to pay the programming networks for each subscriber, consumer advocates have argued that the bundling resulted in bigger monthly cable bills.
But media companies have traditionally demanded that cable operators show all their networks if they’re going to show one.
Walt Disney, for example, has not only kids programing like the Disney Channel but also ABC and the many sports networks of ESPN.
Starting Sunday, Verizon will begin to offer customers what it calls “Custom TV.” It will have a base package of 35 networks, including CNN, AMC, HGTV and the Food Network. Then, seven different bundles of networks will be grouped by types of programming. Customers can chose any two packages of networks as part of the basic fee, and can get additional bundles for $10 a month each.
The bundles include a sports package that includes ESPN and Fox Sports 1, and a second sports package that includes the NFL Network, the MLB Network and 18 regional sports channels that carry the games of local teams. An entertainment package will carry some of the most popular cable networks such as TBS, TNT and USA.
A news package will carry Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC, while a kids’ package will include the Disney Network, Nick and the Cartoon Network.
Finally, a pop culture package includes Comedy Central, E! and MTV, and a “lifestyle” package that includes Animal Planet, Bravo and Lifetime.
“Increasingly customers are saying, ‘I want to pay for what I view,'” Tami Erwin, senior vice president and group president for FIOS.
Pay television providers like Verizon, Comcast and DirecTV are worried about losing customers, particularly younger customers, who want control over what they pay for. Those customers can watch programs online with streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon or Hulu. Recent months have seen a surge in providers offering content that previously was only available to cable customers.
In January, Dish Networks announced its $20 a month Sling TV offering that lets viewers watch many cable networks online.
Sony followed with Vue, a $50 a month TV over the Internet service that streams through PlayStation consoles. It comes with a DVR-like service and lets customers watch both live programming and on-demand shows.
HBO, which like CNN, TNT and TBS is a unit of Time Warner, recently started its own streaming service dubbed HBO Now, rather than limiting the network to cable customers who have pay TV.
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Parents from the north of Italy have organized a massive demonstration, called “Defend Our Children,” against gender ideology in schools, which will be held this Saturday in the Saint John Lateran Square in Rome. The demonstrators will be protesting Italian educational programs that are meant to blur the sexual identity of children.
In the northern Italian city of Trieste, parents are in uproar over a taxpayer-funded elementary school program that includes dressing little boys as girls and girls as boys to overcome so-called “gender stereotypes.” Schools are calling the exercise “the game of respect,” which purportedly adopts many guidelines from the European standards on sex education, attributed to the World Health Organization.
The so-called “game of respect” consists in a box containing several cards, presenting the figures of different working roles: male and female housewives and husbands, male and female plumbers and firefighters, with the figures represented in exactly the same way to show that males and females are completely interchangeable.
There is also a card with a game called “If he were she and she were he,” where boys and girls are expected to exchange the clothes they are wearing: the boy dresses as a girl and the girl as a boy, and they discuss how they feel in that new “role.”
Parents are especially up in arms over the school district’s attempt to conceal the program and its contents from them. The father of one of the children, Amedeo Rossetti, said that in early February, he attended a PTA meeting where the program for the second semester was presented. When Rossetti posed specific questions on issues of gender, school administrators categorically denied the presence of gender-based activities at the school.
One of the goals of the protesters is the enforcement of European art. 26 regarding “informed consent,” whereby parents can ask the school to be informed before their children are introduced to courses with themes like those regarding gender theory.
Parents are also protesting a sex education program for kindergarten students intended to highlight the similarities and differences between boys’ and girls’ bodies. The program involves one child lying down and the others placing their hand first on the child’s heart to feel how it beats, then on the diaphragm to feel it rise and fall. The text reads that “obviously in the genital area children can see that they are made differently from one another.” Though the text does not specifically state that the children are to touch each other in the genital area, parents are complaining that it is “understood.”
Rossetti says that the upcoming demonstration in the Italian capital is “absolutely essential,” since it is “up to us as parents” to defend our right to oversee the education of our children. The primary responsibility for our children’s upbringing and education “depends on us and we cannot delegate it,” he said.
The spokesman for the protest, Prof. Massimo Gandolfini, said that Saturday’s demonstration was organized “to protect our children from the propaganda of gender theories that are appearing surreptitiously and in an ever more worrying way in schools.”
The event, he said, will defend the institution of marriage as composed of a man and a woman, the child’s right to have a mother figure and a father, without having to suffer as kindergarteners the propaganda of gender ideology that Pope Francis has defined as “an error of the human mind.”
Just this past Sunday, Pope Francis spoke out yet again against gender ideology and the right and duty of parents to guide their children’s education, telling them that they are the ones “primarily responsible” for their children’s formation.
The Pope said that children today “are beginning to hear strange ideas, a sort of ideological colonization that poisons the soul and the family: we must act against this.”
Francis cited a recent case where a good Christian couple with children in the first and second grade had to “re-catechize” their children in the evenings, to counteract what they were receiving “from some teachers of the school or from the textbooks that they were using.”
“This ideological colonization,” he said, “does great harm and can even destroy a society, a country or a family.”
Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter @tdwilliamsrome.
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Chrome pick-up trucks and gaggles of cheerleaders are often what come to mind for some people when the Atlanta Olympic legacy is mentioned.
While there are many bright spots of the Centennial Olympic Games (Centennial Olympic Park, the entry of Atlanta onto the global stage, The Ted, etc.), critics still cite what was called the most "commercialized" Olympics in history — 20 years later.
But in light of Games since 1996 that have hemorrhaged money — costing host cities billions of dollars and subtracting from citizen’s basic needs — more observers are beginning to point toward Atlanta as a major success.
A piece in Fortune magazine cites the mounting costs — now estimated at $20 billion — of the Rio Olympics as a rallying call for reevaluating how the Games are put on. The author, who enviably got to be a torch bearer in Atlanta, cites three lessons from the Atlanta Games that could serve to make the Olympics a better experience for host cities in the future: support, profit, and securing a useful legacy.
When it was announced that Atlanta would host the 1996 Games, Atlantans pretty much collectively lost their shit. It's innacurate to say the Atlanta Games had universal support, but much of the effort to secure the Games came from the community and locally based businesses, not the government, which is the case with pretty much every other Olympics, as the Fortune article points out.
As the writer puts it:
"Because the bid was privately conceived and funded, the Games were never perceived as a 'top down' idea of policy makers, but a 'bottom up' grassroots movement. 'The real legacy of the Games is that the people of Atlanta felt for themselves the legacy of possibility. We can do anything we set our minds to,' [organizer Billy] Payne said following the Games."
Because of the overwhelming support from the business community, plus a frugal plan from the get-go, the Atlanta Olympics didn’t put Atlanta on the brink of financial ruin. In fact, it turned a profit. And, according to (usually generous) estimates by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the events created more than $5 billion of economic impact.
Speaking of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, 20 years later the organization is feeling the effects of just how successful the Games were in establishing a legacy. The group is willingly being displaced for the expansion of Centennial Olympic Park, which has become the epicenter for an array of cultural attractions (and large-scale events) in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, down the street Turner Field — built as the Olympic Stadium — is scheduled to be the centerpiece of a major revitalization of long-neglected, surrounding neighborhoods. The stadium is just one of many Olympic venues that are still used, in contrast to the facilities in most other host countries.
Not too shabby, Atlanta.
So while the chrome pick-up trucks and Izzy may not sit well with some, in hindsight, the Atlanta Games were a pretty fantastic success.
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(Reuters) - Leonard Nimoy, who won fame and fans with his portrayal of logic-bound, half-alien Mr. Spock in the “Star Trek” TV series and movies, died on Friday. He was 83.
Nimoy, who had battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), died in the morning at his home in Los Angeles’ Bel Air section, his agents, Bob and David Gersh, said in a statement.
“We return you now to the stars, Leonard,” fellow “Star Trek” cast member George Takei wrote on Facebook.
“You taught us to ‘Live long and prosper,’ and you indeed did, friend,” said Takei, recalling the trademark phrase uttered by Nimoy’s character.
Nimoy had long struggled with a love-hate relationship with the role of Spock - the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer on the starship Enterprise - but came to accept its part in his life.
Last year, he disclosed on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with COPD, a progressive lung disease.
“I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough,” he tweeted to his 810,000 followers. “Grandpa says, quit now!!”
Nimoy had other roles during a lengthy career in TV, film and theater. He directed successful movies, wrote books, composed poetry, published photographs and recorded music. But he will be forever linked to Spock in the original 1960s “Star Trek” TV series and subsequent movies.
Known for suppressing his emotions and using logic to guide his actions, the pointy-eared Spock - whose father was from Vulcan and whose mother was from Earth - became one of science fiction’s best-known, most beloved characters.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who has been compared to Spock for his prominent ears and coolheaded demeanor, called Nimoy and his character “the center of ‘Star Trek’s’ optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future.”
“I loved Spock,” the president said in a statement.
For years, Nimoy resented that Spock defined him, but ultimately came to accept that his life would be intertwined with the character, who inspired a fervent fan following.
His feelings were summed up in the titles of his memoirs: “I Am Not Spock” in 1975 and “I Am Spock” two decades later.
“I was involved in something of a crusade to develop a reputation as an actor with some range,” Nimoy wrote in “I Am Not Spock.”
“I went through a definite identity crisis. The question was whether to embrace Mr. Spock or to fight the onslaught of public interest. I realize now that I really had no choice in the matter. Spock and ‘Star Trek’ were very much alive and there wasn’t anything that I could do to change that.”
Still, he wrote that if given the choice of being any other TV character, he would choose Spock.
Nimoy had often confronted the original series’ creators over their conception of Spock, and his input was responsible for many aspects of the character.
He came up with the “Vulcan nerve grip” that rendered foes unconscious, and the split-fingered Vulcan “live long and prosper” salute. (He said the gesture was inspired by one he had seen worshippers make in his synagogue when he was a boy.)
Leonard Nimoy, cast member of the new film "Star Trek Into Darkness", poses as he arrives at the film's premiere in Hollywood May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Fred Prouser
Nimoy signed off his tweets with “LLAP,” an abbreviation of “live long and prosper.”
RELATIONSHIP WITH SHATNER
“Star Trek” followed the Enterprise’s crew as they explored other worlds and encountered aliens. Spock was first officer and science officer under Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner. The two helped make “Star Trek” a cultural phenomenon.
Shatner and Nimoy sometimes had a professional rivalry but maintained a long friendship.
“I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love,” Shatner said in a statement.
NBC canceled the original TV series in 1969 after three seasons. But it found success during syndicated reruns in the 1970s and inspired fan conventions with hordes of devotees. It jumped to the big screen by the end of the decade.
Nimoy was not thrilled about taking part in the big-budget first film, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” in 1979.
But it was a financial success, leading to many sequels. Nimoy agreed to appear in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in 1982 only after the producers promised him a great death scene and other sweeteners.
Even though Spock “dies” at the movie’s end, Nimoy reprised the role in the next four “Star Trek” films. He directed the third and fourth ones.
After those efforts, Nimoy branched out and directed the comedy “3 Men and a Baby,” the top money-making movie of 1987.
Actors William Shatner (L) and Leonard Nimoy laugh during an interview for the 40th anniversary of the science-fiction television series "Star Trek" in Los Angeles August 9, 2006. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
In the successful 2009 “Star Trek” reboot of the film franchise, Zachary Quinto took over the role of Spock, but Nimoy appeared as an older version of the character.
Nimoy, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, was born in 1931 in Boston and began acting at age 8. In the 1950s and 1960s, he had roles on TV and in the movies, including “Zombies of the Stratosphere.” Later, he hosted the TV series “In Search Of...” (1976-1982) and co-starred in 1978’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” film remake.
His renown as Spock led to quirky guest appearances on popular TV shows in recent decades, including the cartoons “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” (in which he provided the voice for his own disembodied head) and on the “The Big Bang Theory,” in which he was the voice of an opinionated Spock doll.
Nimoy was married twice and had two children. He is survived by his wife, Susan, children and grandchildren.
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The following letters are from 22-year-old Amena Ashkar and 86-year-old Mariam Fathalla, stateless Palestinians from the refugee camps in Lebanon. They are addressed to the eleven Congressional signers of the “Leahy letter”, asking secretary of State John Kerry to report on Israeli and Egyptian violations of human rights. Amena and Mariam personally took the letters on April 26, 2016, to members of the US Congress and their staffers. In at least one case, this act brought tears to the eyes of a staffer.
April 25, 2016
Hon. [name]
Congressional address
Washington, DC
Dear [title] [name],
I know that you asked John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, to report to you about gross human rights violations committed by Israel. My entire life is the result of such violations, so I would like to report to you about it.
I was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, as were my parents and some of my grandparents. My family and the families of millions of Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine were expelled in 1948, a crime that continues until today. This expulsion has a name. You call it ethnic cleansing or genocide. We call it al-Nakba (the Catastrophe).
I was born in Lebanon, but I do not have Lebanese citizenship because I am not Lebanese, and Israel does not let me return to my home in Palestine. I am stateless and have no citizenship in any country. No one defends my rights. Without citizenship, it is very difficult to travel, even to neighboring Arab countries. It is even more difficult to work, because we are considered foreigners and do not have the rights of Lebanese.
I am currently on a speaking tour of the US and Canada with 86-year-old Nakba survivor Mariam Fathalla. We were invited by a US human rights organization to tell our story in more than 30 cities over two months. We have met many kind and sympathetic Americans during this time, but we are very disappointed in US and Canadian policy. Your country is supporting criminal behavior towards Palestinians.
We have also met many Palestinians who are living good lives in America. We do not enjoy the same privileges in Lebanon. But living good lives in other countries is not a solution for us. We are Palestinians, and however much our rights are respected or abused in other countries, we demand our right to return to our homes in Palestine, as guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions, the UN Charter and other international law.
If you respect human rights, you have to enable all Palestinians to return to their homes in Palestine and to live there in freedom and dignity. I am 22 years old, but when I am 86 like Mariam, I hope to be living in my home in Palestine. If not, I will return with another 22-year-old Palestinian to remind Americans of unkept promises and the support of your country for human rights violations.
Amena Ashkar
Resident of Bourj el-Barajneh Refugee Camp
Beirut, Lebanon
April 25, 2016
Hon. [name]
Congressional address
Washington, DC
Dear [title] [name],
I hope you care whether US policy supports human rights violations. I want to tell you about such violations, because they happened to me.
On May 14, 1948, the “birthday” of “Israel”, my village of al-Zeeb in northern Palestine was invaded by heavily armed Zionist troops, and all of the inhabitants were expelled. I was 18 years old. After some of my unarmed neighbors were massacred by the invaders, I and my husband and our families fled to Lebanon along with the rest of the town. By the end of the year, our 4,000-year-old community had been leveled to the ground.
[title] [name], this is a gross human rights violation known as ethnic cleansing or genocide. More than half the Arab Palestinians in Palestine were killed or expelled and more than half of the cities, towns and villages of Palestine were made to disappear, a crime that we Palestinians call al-Nakba (the Catastrophe).
I have lived for the last 68 years in a refugee camp in south Lebanon called Ein el-Helweh, waiting to return to my home in al-Zeeb, as US and international law requires. During that time Israel has invaded south Lebanon multiple times and even bombed our crowded refugee camp, killing lots of unarmed civilians, including children. Al-Nakba did not end in 1948, and it continues today.
Some good American people invited me to come to the US to tell our story to the US and Canadian people. I have seen your beautiful country, and I have met many Palestinians who have made the US and Canada their second homes. Our situation in Lebanon is not as good. We are stateless and have few rights. But we are not seeking another country. We have a home and a country, and we want to return to it, and this is our right.
[title] [name], US support is enabling Israel to continue its violation of our rights. We want only to return to our homes in Palestine and to live there in freedom. I want to see my beloved town of al-Zeeb again and to watch my children and grandchildren continue our family there. What is the US policy about this? What can you do to help us?
Mariam Fathalla
Resident of Ein el-Helweh Refugee Camp
Sidon, Lebanon
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[UPDATE: Zoo says that it was a disgruntled shareholder that threw live donkey to the tigers]
A group of tigers at a Chinese zoo were given a special treat yesterday afternoon — a live donkey.
In a video that has gone viral on Chinese social media, a reluctant donkey is seen being pushed out of the back of a truck into a moat surrounding the tiger enclosure inside the Yancheng Wild Animal World in Changzhou, Jiangsu province.
Visitors then look on in horror as the tigers swim out and start doing their thing.
Though apparently these tigers are bit out of practice. It took them 30 minutes to kill the donkey as it struggled in the water.
How exactly this shocking incident came to be is not exactly clear. One zoo worker told reporters that it was the result of “internal contradictions” among shareholders — presumably meaning that one shareholder directed workers to toss the donkey into the tiger pit without authorization.
You can watch the video below. Viewer discretion is advised:
“For the sake of the donkey, that shareholder should be tossed into the pit as well,” wrote one netizen after watching the video.
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Natalia Karoway is a trained herbalist, but the entrepreneur wants to expand her client offerings to include traditional cannabis treatments. So, she's hitting the books to beef up her resume at the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis in Natick, Massachusetts.
"I really wanted to have some experience with the plant, and learn how I could use it in products and topicals," the 35-year-old Karoway said. "I wanted to have the best medicine to offer to clients, and the best education I could."
The 12-course program covers everything from law to patient service and marketing. Some 400 students from across the country have shelled out $2,000 for a certificate from the school since it opened in 2014. NIC is not alone in educating students on the plant and the multibillion dollar industry that has blossomed around it. Traditional colleges and universities including the University of Denver and Vanderbilt University have also offered courses tied to the cannabis space in recent years.
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Donald Trump has used the attack on a mosque in Egypt to make the case for building a wall with Mexico and a travel ban from countries vulnerable to terrorism.
At least 235 people have been killed after a gun and bomb terror attack at a packed mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province today.
In the aftermath the atrocity he tweeted: 'Will be calling the President of Egypt in a short while to discuss the tragic terrorist attack, with so much loss of life. We have to get TOUGHER AND SMARTER than ever before, and we will. Need the WALL, need the BAN! God bless the people of Egypt.'
The President used Twitter to make his case for building a wall with Mexico and imposing a travel ban
Another 130 people are reported to have been injured, making it the worst terror attack in the country's modern history.
The terrorists reportedly detonated a bomb in the mosque's creche before firing on fleeing worshippers while blocking escape routes with burnt-out cars.
Egypt's military has begun conducting air strikes around the area of North Sinai, security sources and eyewitnesses said.
The victims included civilians and conscripts praying at the mosque, with reports suggesting the terrorists detonated a bomb before firing on fleeing worshippers. Pictured: The scene after the attack
The strikes have been concentrated in several mountainous areas surrounding Al Rawdah mosque where militants are believed to be hiding out, the security sources said.
The suspected Islamic State attack took place at the Al-Rawdah Sufi mosque in Bir al-Abed, near El-Arish, during Friday prayers. Extremist Sunni jihadists have previously targeted Sufis - a mystical Islamic sect - for deviating from orthodoxy.
In a televised address the president said: 'The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force.
'What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism, to destroy our efforts to stop the terrible criminal plan that aims to destroy what is left of our region.'
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, condemned the mass murder as a 'horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers', adding: 'The world cannot tolerate terrorism.'
President Abdel Fattah al Sisi convened an emergency security meeting soon after the attack, state television reported. Pictured: Victims in the mosque
Some reports have claimed the bomb was set off in the children's kindergarten area of the mosque before the terrorists - in military uniforms and wielding black flags - slaughtered those who fled. Pictured: People in the area after the savage attack
The attack took place near the provincial capital of El-Arish during Friday prayers, police officials said, at Al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed
Police said militants in four off-road vehicles bombed the mosque and fired on worshippers during the sermon segment of Friday prayers. Pictured: Al-Rawdah mosque
US President Donald Trump has condemned the mass murder as a 'horrible and cowardly terrorist attack on innocent and defenseless worshipers', adding: 'The world cannot tolerate terrorism'
A tribal leader and head of a Bedouin militia that fights Islamic State said that the mosque is known as a place of gathering for Sufis. Pictured: Inside the mosque after the attack
An improvised explosive device (IED) is believed to have been used before it was followed up with machine gunfire from multiple gunmen using four off-road vehicles.
A witness said: 'They were shooting at people as they left the mosque.
'They were shooting at the ambulances, too.'
Some reports have claimed the bomb was set off in the children's kindergarten area of the mosque before the terrorists - in military uniforms and wielding black flags - slaughtered those who fled.
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (pictured) has vowed to respond to the attack with 'brute force'
They added that IS militants had blocked escape routes from the area by blowing up cars and leaving the burning wrecks blocking the roads.
Another report claims that terrorists wearing suicide vests hid themselves among the people at the mosque before detonating the bombs, but this remains unconfirmed.
MP Mustafa Bakri branded the situation 'catastrophic' on Twitter.
He added: 'The terrorists wore masks and surrounded the mosque during prayers, and terrorists wearing belts were hidden among the worshippers.'
A tribal leader and head of a Bedouin militia that fights Islamic State said that the mosque is known as a place of gathering for Sufis.
The Islamic State group shares the puritan Salafi view of Sufis as heretics for seeking the intercession of saints.
MENA reported that Egypt's presidency declared a three-day mourning period for the attack, as President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi convened a high-level meeting of security officials.
An angry President al-Sisi pledged to respond with 'brutal force' against militants who massacred at least 235 people at a mosque during weekly prayers on Friday.
Who are the Sufis associated with the mosque attacked in Egypt? The mosque where the massacre occurred been widely associated with Sufi Muslims who have frequently been attacked by the Islamic State group. Their extreme version of the puritan Salafism practised in Saudi Arabia views Sufis as heretics and the jihadists have an institutional hatred of them and their mystical branch of Islam. They accuse them of polytheism - the greatest sin in Islam - for seeking the intercession of dead saints. But in much of the Muslim world, Sufism has for centuries been accepted and practised by mainstream Muslims and Sunni Islam's most important theologians. The head of Al-Azhar, Egypt's top Islamic authority, is a Sufi, as are many top clerics in the Muslim world. They date their practices back to some of the prophet's companions and the early generations of ascetics who shunned the increasingly worldly Islamic empire for a life of prayer. While some Sufis use music in their prayers, the more established and larger orders shun the practice. They say they want to focus on achieving a state of purity - from which the term Sufism is believed to have been derived - to witness God's presence in their lives. The Salafis condemn what they call 'innovations' - rites and prayers adopted by Sufis which the Prophet Mohammed himself never prescribed. IS has claimed attacks that have killed dozens of Sufis, most notably in Pakistan.
'The army and police will avenge our martyrs and return security and stability with force in the coming short period,' he also said in a televised speech.
Cairo's international airport boosted security following the attack, with more troopers and forces seen patrolling passenger halls, conducting searches and manning checkpoints at airport approaches.
Resident Ashraf el-Hefny said many of the victims were workers at a nearby salt firm who had come for Friday services at the mosque, which had contained some 300 worshipers.
'Local people brought the wounded to hospital on their own cars and trucks,' he said.
British prime minister Theresa May said she was 'appalled by the sickening attack', which she declared an 'evil and cowardly act'.
UK foreign minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, condemned the 'barbaric attack' in a post on Twitter, while his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his condolences to the families of victims of the 'despicable attack'.
Cairo's international airport boosted security following the attack, with more troopers and forces seen patrolling passenger halls, conducting searches and manning checkpoints at airport approaches. Pictured: People gathering outside the mosque after the attack today
British prime minister Theresa May said she was 'appalled by the sickening attack', which she declared an 'evil and cowardly act'
Ahmed Abul Gheit, head of the Arab League, which is based in Cairo, condemned the 'terrifying crime which again shows that Islam is innocent of those who follow extremist terrorist ideology,' his spokesman said in a statement.
The jihadists had previously kidnapped and beheaded an elderly Sufi leader, accusing him of practising magic which Islam forbids, and abducted Sufi practitioners later released after 'repenting.'
The group has killed more than 100 Christians in church bombings and shootings in Sinai and other parts of Egypt, forcing many to flee the peninsula.
The military has struggled to quell the jihadists who pledged allegiance to IS in November 2014.
IS regularly conducts attacks against soldiers and policemen in the peninsula bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, although the frequency and scale of such attacks has diminished over the past year.
Another 130 people are reported to have been injured, some of whom can be seen above alongside those who died at the mosque
They have since increasingly turned to civilian targets, attacking not only Christians and Sufis but also Bedouin Sinai inhabitants accused of working with the army.
Aside from IS, Egypt also faces a threat from Al-Qaeda-aligned jihadists who operate out of neighbouring Libya.
A group calling itself Ansar al-Islam - Supporters of Islam in Arabic - claimed an October ambush in Egypt's Western Desert that killed at least 16 policemen.
Many of those killed belonged to the interior ministry's secretive National Security Service.
The military later conducted air strikes on the attackers, killing their leader Emad al-Din Abdel Hamid, a most wanted jihadist who was a military officer before joining an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group in Libya's militant stronghold of Derna.
Reacting to the news, Britain's ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, tweeted: 'I am disgusted by the evil attack that killed & injured so many Egyptians in Sinai today. On behalf of the UK my deep condolences to all involved.
'These attacks on people praying in mosques & churches only strengthen our determination to stand together, & defeat terrorism & hate.'
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VOLO – The Volo Auto Museum has reached out to McDonald’s Corp. to try to relocate the museum and replica of the hamburger chain’s first restaurant from Des Plaines to Volo. McDonald’s previously said the building will be razed in December.
In a Facebook post shared more than 1,000 times, the Volo Auto Museum said it reached out to the burger giant to try to save the McDonald’s Store No. 1 Museum.
“We have been contacted by numerous residents about the closing and demolition of the Des Plaines McDonald’s museum with pleas to save it and relocate it in Volo. We love the idea!” the auto museum said in the post. “We’ve reached out to McDonald’s headquarters hoping there is an agreement that could be made.”
McDonald’s Corp. previously announced that the building would be destroyed next month and the land donated to Des Plaines, citing poor attendance as the reason for its removal.
Ray Kroc built the first restaurant in 1955 in Des Plaines. He franchised the brand from the original owners, Richard and Maurice McDonald. The museum opened in 1985 with Kroc’s original sign out front.
The auto museum is asking residents to cast their votes to decide whether relocating the replica is a good idea.
Brian Grams, director of the Volo Auto Museum, said in a statement that his goal is to relocate and restore the entire structure.
“Our interest is in preserving this American icon,” Grams said. “If, for some reason, it does not work out that we can move the entire structure, we certainly hope to come away with some artifacts. But the goal is the whole thing. We’ll see.”
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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